MICANA FALLS
Defence Ministry, Battle Report 11: Defence Minister Kal-Heinrich Kronbach has issued an update on Kirlawa operations:
Nationaler Verteidigungsrat (NVR) has now assigned the area of Kirlawa south of Shobogon and Brase Lake to the Provisional Support Corps (PSC) headquartered in Eshileo for defense and order. The PSC is administering the handling of refuges and prisoners of war as well with 4th and 6th Divisions assigned to it. The emergency medical team for mustard gas is now reporting directly to Kirlawa Defence Force (KDF) Headquarters as the conflict moves north.
KDF’s 3rd Division saw that Nisaria was being evacuated to the north and invested it.
KDF is moving 1st and 2nd Divisions and 5th and 7th Panzer Divisions north toward Micana under heavy air cover expecting serious opposition at some point to oppose the advance. Reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from 7th Panzer have reported serious enemy air cover over Micana.
As it turns out, the enemy has established a battle line south of Micana with a substantial amount of troops and artillery and the flanks refused for some distance. KDF believes the remaining enemy air assets in Uwakah are available unless and until there is an attack on a Uwakah port.
KDF brought 1st Division and 2nd Division into position under cover of night and set up artillery battery emplacements for its towed artillery with the truck mounted multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) positioned to move rapidly forward, fire and fall back. A desultory artillery exchange ensued.
There were essentially four parts of the KDF attack. First, the enemy air assets were engaged so they could not interfere with ground operations. Rather than trying to silence all enemy batteries over time, 1st and 2nd Divisions and 5th Panzer Division concentrated all their towed and MLRS on the salient where the eastern flank is refused silencing artillery in that sector and making it very uncomfortable for infantry there as well. For good measure they were hit by GUF 200 attack UAV’s as well.
Third, 7th Panzer went to the west a fair distance then turned north until almost level with Micana and then pushed east encountering an occasional skirmisher but little other enemy until position between Micana and the enemy fortifications. It then attacked the enemy from the rear as 1st and 2nd Divisions switched their artillery back to them.
Fourth, 5th Panzer assaulted the weakened salient with tanks and Panzer Grenadiers breaking through at some cost but with success. A fair amount of enemy infantry beyond the broken salient decamped for the coast but most of the defenders were overwhelmed and captured.
KDF again noted a few chemical weapons were present but not deployed. 5th Panzer’s assault was the most costly of the war to the Bundesrepublik.