Aaannndd...here it is!
12. The Gulf War: September '42-December '42
Operation 'Anaconda' was the name coined by Confederation command for the battles to surround the Union capital of Richmond. Originally coined by a history-minded member of the General Staff- a direct call back to the famous 'Anaconda Plan' of the First Civil War -this plan was simple. By surrounding Richmond, the Confederation could gradually cut the Union off from it's leadership. Even in the days of modern radio communication, a surrounded capital was going to harm the enemy army. Morale most notably, as having your leadership cut off and surrounded was doing no favors to the military. Such was the logic behind the plan, as Confederation forces began attacking the town of Danville, 'gate' to Norfolk.
The forces involved in the battle of Danville were almost overwhelming, in fact. Twelve Confederation and one Plains divisions, against a mere three exhausted units on the side of the Union. The result was a foregone conclusion, and with the fall of Danville, the noose around Richmond continued to grow ever tighter.
Texas, a front of the war entirely under Plains Republic control, was proving a harder nut to crack. For every time Eisenhower got troops into the state, the Union pushed back and fought hard. This was likely due to the Texans themselves...always fiercely independent, they had no desire to go back to the rule of Denver. This showed in the match-up of forces in El Paso, the frontline between the Republic and Union. Whereas Ike had three exhausted divisions, stretched to their limits in a war most could care less about, the Union had five- mostly -fresh divisions, with better equipment. This was just one battle, but it was highly indicative of the overall tone of the battle on the western side of the Mississippi.
While the Confederation troops were no more happy about this war than their counterparts, they had the advantage of a stable government and supply chains. The Plains Republic lacked either- the Eisenhower Junta was still unpopular at best, and the partisan activity was straining the supply lines. This showed, as the forces in El Paso were forced out of Texas with little effort on Long's part.
Even with the advantages the Confederation Army had however, it was not by any means an easy war on their end either. The Union resistance began stiffening, once they realized the way the war was going. More appropriately, the moment Long and his generals realized that the end-goal of the Confederation was surrounding Richmond. Nowhere was this newfound determination clearer than in a stunning move to retake Raleigh. The Confederation forces, overstretched in that sector of the line, were hit by the elite of the Union army...and shattered. They made the southern forces pay for every inch...but nonetheless, the Confederation was forced out, opening a line from Richmond down south.
The fact that this line was quickly closed by reinforcements from the North did little to change the fact that the Union still had fight in them.
The Naval theater was still dominated by the Confederation Navy however. The last Union battleship, FUS
Virgina and her escorts had made an attempt to break the blockade, and run right into the guns of
both Confederation battleships. The resulting battle was short and fierce, but the conclusion was a foregone one. Even though the
Virginia was a more modern battleship than either of the old Confederation warships, it still bore wounds from the last time the two fleets had clashed. By contrast, this was a fresh Confederation force they had run into.
Even a more advanced ship could be taken down.
Virgina and a squadron of Union destroyers were sent to the bottom of the Atlantic, as the rest of the fleet fled from the area. The slower Confederation fleet couldn't chase them down, and instead continued to run interdiction on blockade runners. There was nothing the Union navy could do to influence the war, any longer.
The Confederation Navy, by contrast, remained very effective. The heavy guns of the battleships and cruisers had provided offshore support during the attack on Norfolk, the last barrier before Richmond was totally surrounded. With the naval support and overwhelming numbers- the
vast majority of the Confederation Army was concentrated around Richmond, with only small forces pushing the Union back towards Florida -it didn't take long for the city to fall. The dockyards were ruined by the retreating Unioners, but at the least, the city was under Confederation control.
And, as an unusual message came from Denver, it was not the only one.
In a shocking, and still ill-understood move, Eisenhower had pulled the Plains garrison from Washington D.C.. A formal message was then sent to Philadelphia...the Plains Republic had given up their claim on D.C.. The City was under Confederation control now, and they could do with it what they wished. It wasn't easy to understand why the government that considered itself the successor to the United States would cede the historical capital...
But then again, it was possible that Ike had merely not wanted to have an isolated enclave, when all the other territory under his control was on the wrong side of the Mississippi. Regardless of the reason, D.C. was now a Confederation city...though the Capital would remain in Philadelphia, even after the Gulf War.
A war that was quickly coming to its conclusion. Most of the Union had been occupied, with only southern Texas and Florida maintaining any significant resistance. And of course, the prize of the entire campaign...Richmond. Where the battle that would end the war was just beginning...
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Next update will be a narrative bit for the Battle of Richmond, with the one
after that having the peace treaty (and vote)
As for D.C....well, I don't know how that happened. I'm just going around blowing things up, and the next thing I know Ike's giving me Washington for free. Quite odd, Core or no Core. I suppose Ike only had a claim, not a core, there...but still.