369 Go Strike! (1/2)
United Nations, Fortress Singapore, Command Bridge
Captain Blake stood before the armored viewports of the bridge, staring out at the city frowning. He turned and looked at the tactical plot table which had the map of their current ongoing conflict being displayed.
Several red icons were blinking currently, which indicated areas that his troops were engaged with the Imperials. The entire UN ground forces had only a single Marine Divison, including all the artillery and support staff, plus another Divison of Self Defense Force trained only in fixed defenses.
For the strength of the Air Force, there were 110 biplanes, the F/A - 1 Cobra, which meant ten squadrons, and a third of the fighters still undergoing upgrades to the Super Cobra model. They had double the numbers of the multi role flying boats, the FB - 1 Mariners, from the original four to eight units now.
As for their helo units, they now had twenty of those beasts, all stationed at the reserve Battalions' holding area on standby to rapidly deploy the Marines to any hot spot. The highly anticipated cargo planes were still in the trial phase and not in mass production line yet. Several problems had come up over the trials, such as overheating of the engines and heavy vibrations of the airframe.
The Navy was in a worse position. Manpower was primarily assigned to the Marines first, then the Air Force. The Navy got the remaining dregs and it showed as their presence was weaker compared to the rest.
Due to lack of manpower, Commander Ford has asked for permission to hire civilian contractors to offset the lack of manpower which also helped to provide jobs to the population. But it was just a temporary stopgap measure for the Navy.
With spring here and the seas once again calm enough, the goblin pirates and raiders will be out in full force. This was the time the Navy was greatly needed to provide a safe zone as the trading season kicks in and they have to protect the Isles merchant ships coming to conduct trade with the UN to provide the Blake the much needed gold and silver for all the projects and government policies.
And because of the lack of manpower for the Navy, they got blindsided by the Imperials in the inland sea. Their only floating service tender in the Source Sea came under attack was almost captured if not for the timely arrival of the fighter squadrons from Orwell's Point.
Thankfully, the Imperial Fleet got beaten back and they retreated off, while PT Boats tow the fixed tender to safety. It also had gained the Navy some good will between the naval and civilian crew who bravely defended the service tender.
This incident had forced Commander Ford to reassign his already small fleet to the Source Sea. Meaning he had to transfer a few of his PT boats and transfer them overland to Orwell's Point and deploy them in the Source Sea, to provide some naval support.
The Navy's sole seaplane tender was already in a bad shape and it now serves as a floating seaplane base based off the Goblin Sea for the Navy's entire two squadrons of Sea Cobras that had yet to receive any upgrades to the 'Super' model.
Shall he ask the Isles for support to hold off the Goblin pirates? Wondered Blake as he tapped his fingers on the side of the plot table. He cast his eyes back to the thick blue dotted lines that depicted the Northern Front.
So far the Marines were holding firm, but the sheer number of Imperials kept slipping through the 285 km long Front. One Divison of Marines, over twelve thousand men of seven Battalions with their backs to the Uncharted Forest was covering the 285 km long defensive line with another two Battalions in reserve were just overstretching the troops.
Nova Command, lead by Colonel Frank had given a plan, that ignored any leakers. The Marines will hit any massed concentrated Imperial troops while letting small numbers to leak past the Front and into the Uncharted Forest.
Blake had given his approval for the plan, which he knew that any small unit of Imperial troops unluckily enough to wander into the Uncharted Forest was very certain to eat up in the cooking pots of some of the monsters that came out of hibernation.
Even the Marines' own supply lines were run by armored gun trucks or done by air. They were all too well versed with the horrors of the Uncharted Forest. As for any Imperials that managed to survive and come within a distance of any settlements or city, the SDF will take care of them. If they were unable too, they have the options of either an airstrike, artillery strike or even the Marine reserve force.
And thinking of the SDF, Blake's expression turned sour. There were too many disciplinary actions among the SDF. Most of the personnel in the Self Defense Force were remnants of the old City Watch, ex Imperial soldiers, mercenaries, cutthroats, thieves and even adventurers. Oh, there might be a few righteous youngsters wanting to protect their homes, but most of the scum were in the SDF.
With barely a season to train the SDF, and no time to even filter anyone, the SDF had too many issues once they were deployed. There were some good seeds in the SDF but they were overshadowed by the bad.
Blake frowned as he pondered very hard at the thought of assigning hardcore officers to ensure strict discipline among the ranks of the SDF, kinda like Judge Dredd or Commissar of old. Hell, the rules of wartime allow officers to execute anyone for cowardly conduct, which barely anyone in the UNMMC does. But if he wants to do this hard line tact, he needs to use non SDF officers, incorruptible to really ensure discipline.
He sighed as he recalled the amount of corruption, abuse of authority, insubordination and many other disciplinary problems that popped up not even two months after the SDF was founded. The worse been the selling of weapons and desertion.
He really needed to deal with the SDF now before the problems take root and affect the SDF for the future. Blake rubbed his face as he wondered who to get to be the bad guy of the UN, ”Fuck... Intel has already been doing some shady stuff, I might as well let them be the bad guys...”
-----
The Imperial City of Silverton, City Citadel, Great Hall
Emperor Varacen frowned as he glanced at the map filled with colorful flags and wooden tokens. ”Why has the First, and Second Army retreated so far back?”
”My Emperor,” A general with his head uncovered by armor stood forward and bowed. ”Both Armies have encountered the enemies demonic weapons that fell like rain, killing many of our soldiers. It was till they retreated back to till this far, did the rain of demonic spells ceased.”
Varacen's frown deepened, ”And yet there is no sight of the enemy?”