Conflicts of South Mirthan: Rattack War (2005-2008)

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Conflicts of South Mirthan: Rattack War (2005-2008)

Post by militaryfreak » Sun Nov 27, 2016 5:47 am

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but, this is a series of builds I do to illustrate South Mirthan's history. In this case, the Rattack War.
Disclaimer: Yes the uniforms are different, this is the past, the current South Mirthanese uniforms weren't implemented until 2012.

The Rattack war was the longest and one of the most unusual wars in the history of the Mirthanese islands. lasting from 2005 to 2008. Rattack was once an ally of South Mirthan and the Soviet union, However it since became somewhat of a backwater after communism collapsed in both countries. The spread of libertarian ideals from the south, and capitalist ideals from the north was making its way into the country, inciting civil unrest and straining the already unpopular socialist government.
In early 2005, vast mineral reserves of Tungsten and Bauxite were found in Northern Rattack, Both North Mirthan and South Mirthan had their sights set on it. South Mirthan had also coveted the land south of the Neugrad river, which had perfect growing conditions for hemp, a useful plant that the South Mirthanese people heavily relied on. The struggling North Mirthanese could also use the easy victory over a poor communist opponent to increase civilian morale, especially after their loss to the South in the year 2000. Since all of the countries refused nuclear weaponry, it seemed little would stand in the way of conflict.
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October 3rd 2005
Civil discord in Rattack had reached a climax. riots began breaking out across the country, government crackdown came soon after, and things began to settle down.
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December 8th 2005
Things soon took a turn for the worst in Rattack. This photograph of a Buddhist monk, smiling for a journalists camera seconds before being executed for political crimes soon circulated around the world. Rattack's political opposition soon rose up as militia's and the country fell into civil war.
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February 20th 2006
North Mirthanese and South Mirthanese representatives met with Rattack rebel leaders to undermine the Rattack Government. The North provided aid to the democratic Capitalist Front forces, while the South cast there lot with the anarchist Libertarian Socialist Army.
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There is no better picture that shows the tenuousness of the South's relationship with the Libertarian Socialist Army. Not only are both representatives wearing body armor, They also have bodyguards. The Southern representative made sure that the majority of his escort was made up of female soldiers, likely to intimidate the patriarchal society of tribal Rattack.

February 27th 2006
Rattack brands the Capitalist Front and the Libertarian Socialist Army as terrorists after several attacks ravage the capital city of Neugrad. with a seemingly endless supply of money and weapons from South Mirthan, the Libertarian Socialist Army seemed sure to win.
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In this picture, a Rattack officer points out an M4 rifle with North Mirthanese markings among dead Capitalist Front fighter after an attack in the city of Landsen.

April 9th 2006
as victory for the Libertarian Socialist Army came closer, North Mirthan intervened, refusing to allow a Southern-friendly government control Rattack's mineral resources. Northern troops swept through Northern Rattack, meeting little resistance from Rattack forces.
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The North was quite eager to unveil their new modern army. Troops carried high-tech american made weapons and armor. they were especially excited to roll out their american-built M1 Abrams tanks. The US was eager to see how the M1 would perform against South Mirthan's new Champion 2 tank.

April 10th 2006
In response to the Northern invasion, South Mirthan mobilized its military and rolled through the southern half of the country. seizing the vast hemp fields, and surrounding the city of Neugrad.
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With most farming villages abandoned due to civil war, the South Mirthanese troops began harvesting the Hemp crop and looted nearby houses. The Hemp was taken by the military and sold off to rural villages in South Mirthan, which was used mostly to make textiles.

April 12th 2006
North and South Mirthan were still not at war, and raced to seize as much land as possible. Both sides were greeted as liberators, stopping the civil war, and freeing them from the oppressive communist government.
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Here, a Rattack Villager offers tea to men of the South Mirthanese 9th Motorisierte Kavallerie (motorized cavalry) The Rattack conflict was a debut for many new South Mirthanese vehicles, like the Samurai Infantry Fighting Vehicle

April 14th 2006
South Mirthanese troops and armored units roll into the city of Neugrad and depose the Rattack Government. People took to the streets and cheered the passing South Mirthanese vehicles.
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A group of Libertarian Socialist Army fighters waves to the crew of a Champion 2 tank as they drive through Neugrad.

The North and South are left with no more land to take, they had overrun Rattack in less than a week. their forces were divided by the Neugrad river. North Mirthan was content with control of the mineral resources. However the South wanted the resources as well, in addition to the hemp fields in the south. The North officially annexed Northern Rattack. the South allowed the Libertarian Socialist Army to lead Rattack, however they were merely a puppet of General (and future prime minister) Hansel Braun.
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May 3rd 2006
Tensions were higher than ever, Southern troops massed along the Neugrad river, preparing for an attack. the North Mirthanese dug in, using a ring of small towns North of Neugrad as a defensive perimeter,
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November 17th 2006
2 South Mirthanese surveillance drones are shot down over Northern Rattack, Royal Airforce KSLK operators recover the flight data before Northern troops arrive to investigate. Sometime later, Drone strikes are launched against Northern positions, killing 134 troops. However, the current political state was delicate, the North refused to act. South Mirthan ended the drone strikes a few days later.
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January 5th 2007
South Mirthan begins digging in, shifting its assembly areas into entrenched positions. troops erect HESCO Barrier defenses and other fortifications.
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January 12th 2007
The North and South militaries meet for the first time. The North takes advantage of the South's passive stance and crosses the river. Southern reinforcements are mobilized from secondary staging areas, but not before the 1st line forces are defeated, Southern forces retreat to secondary defensive lines as the North pushes forward.
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January 13th 2007
The secondary lines were built in and around hemp fields. Northern artillery and airstrikes lit the fields alight. the white foggy smoke obstructed visibility across much of the region. Troops on both sides donned chemical warfare gear to avoid exposure to the THC in the hemp smoke.
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January 18th 2007
Smoke from the burning fields effectively stopped the Northern advance due to poor visibility. giving the south time to regroup.
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The crew of a Champion 2 tank exit their burning vehicle through the rear hatch. the Champion 2 featured an engine in the front to increase crew survival rates, as well as made battlefield resupply much easier.

February 15th 2007
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The mighty M1 Abrams met its match against the South Mirthanese Champion 2. the 2 tanks were nearly equal in terms of armor and overall firepower. Both inflicted numerous casualties on each other over the course of the conflict.

February 21st 2007
The South prepares a counter attack, they bring up the elite units from reserves. Veteran regiments, as well as Nepalese Gurkha's and Berkrieger Rangers.
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members of the 2nd Royal Gurkha rifles take stock of their equipment next to a Lancer vehicle.

March 3rd 2007
The South launches a wave of airstrikes on Northern positions, particularly around the defensive ring of towns north of Neugrad. The Southern Air Force's J-17 Terminator (near) had already proven itself in 1999. Airmen soon fell in love with the new D-04 Falken Attack aircraft. (far) the D-04's proved excellent strike bombers and tank hunters.
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March 5th 2007
Northern forces lay siege to the city of Neugrad. South Mirthan is forced to put its offensive on hold as they move to fight for the city.
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Several command posts such as this were set up across the city to keep tabs on Northern troop movements.

March 10th 2007
Northern forces have cut deep into the city of Neugrad. The South decides to give up rules of engagement and began to shell and bomb the Northern controlled areas relentlessly. The Northern advance was halted, at the cost of many civilian lives.
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March 14th 2007
The Northern forces begin being slowly pushed back by the Southern defenders. Shelling continues, resulting in heavy Northern casualties. The North is forced to dig in and hold their positions
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April 3rd 2007
Southern, Northern, and civilian casualties continue to go up. who ever suffered defeat would have to deal with a drastic drop in public support for the war. neither side showed any signs of backing down. although with the loss of the central business district, Northern defeat seemed most likely.
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April 30th 2007
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"Hallo, hallo, Yankee-doodle! Sie Die Ratten, Wir sind die jager!"
Two South Mirthanese soldiers wave to an American journalist while hunkered down behind Hesco barriers.


May 4th 2007
Southern troops take the Northern HQ inside The Peoples Treasury House.
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Troops disembark from a Samurai IFV as they head across the courtyard to seize the treasury house. "The Great Ox" (the stylized statue in the center) miraculously survived the fighting unscathed.

June 8th 2007
Northern forces officially retreat from Neugrad, however their engineers left a mess of mines and IEDs along the highways. South Mirthanese engineers and EODs had their hands full for nearly a month after the retreat.
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July 19th 2007
The South prepares to advance North and secure Northern Rattack. 12 teams of KSG units are dropped in via HALO drop to destroy bridges along the Athens river that divides North Mirthan from Rattack. of the 12 teams, 8 were successful, the other 4 were forced to abort the mission.
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July 20th 2007
After the destruction of the bridges, Southern troops surged forward from their positions. they ripped across the sands and encircled the Northern troops inside the defensive ring.
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July 21st 2007
With the bridges destroyed, the ring of towns recieved limited reinforcements and logistical support. Several positions ran out of ammo and fuel, and surrendered to the South after only a few days fighting.
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July 24th 2007
The Northern defensive ring is broken, and there forces erect defenses around the town of Schlisselbourg, the last town of the ring. Reinforcements were on the way, but the few bridges still standing were clogged with fuel and ammo trucks in addition to military equipment.
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A Samurai Vehicle fires one of its Blackout Anti-Tank missiles outside Schlisselbourg. Samurai IFVs are credited with 30% of enemy armor kills.

July 25th 2007
Pounded by repeated attacks and airstrikes, Northern troops are eventually forced to abandon Schlisselbourg and retreat across the Athens river and into North Mirthan. The city of Landsen is abandoned, its valuables looted by retreating North Mirthanese forces.
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July 28th 2007
With Rattack under complete control, Southern forces are able to relax for the first time in nearly a month.
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South Mirthanese Buddhist soldiers meditate at camp outside of Landsen. A soldier still mans the gun of a M404 Crusader APC, the war isn't over yet.

September 20th 2007
With hostilities simmering down, the UN appeals for both sides to end the war. South Mirthan agrees to the UN summit, however North Mirthan refuses, still aiming to retake Northern Rattack and control the natural resources.
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Rattack villagers wave to a South Mirthanese missile boat patroling the Athens river delta.

December 3rd 2007
Hostilities reignite when South Mirthanese forces cross the Athens river and form a perimeter on Northern soil. Using a crescent shaped ridge for cover, Southern troops pour into the salient. Southern forces begin raiding and looting nearby villages. as news of Southern Raids, snuggle, and killings made there way to the international community, people began demanding an international intervention.
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January 5th 2008
In retaliation, the North Mirthanese Airforce begins a bombing campaingn against southern forces, including civilian targets.
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January 10th 2008
The South Mirthanese 2nd carrier group located off the coast of Rattack was hit hard too, losing a total of 5 ships in one attack.
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Sailors salute their sinking cruiser, SMS Kirschtein

February 6th 2008
Northern forces counter attack against Southern Forces in the salient, aiming to recover their lost territory, and likely push back into Rattack.
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February 12th 2008
The effectivness of Northern Airstrikes soon drops significantly as Naval and Marine air wings are launched from carriers, in cooperation with radar and SAM facilities in the salient, Northern Airstrikes soon become few and far between.
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February 18th 2008
Fighting erupts across the entire Salient, Southern positions were able to reinforce after the airstrikes began to let up, and Northern troops were having a very hard time breaking through.
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February 19th 2008
A Naval task force from the United States arrives in Mirthanese waters, prepared to aid their ally North Mirthan. in response, a Russian fleet is sent to protect their ally in South Mirthan. facing an escalation to the conflict, peace talks open up in Tokyo, the closest neutral territory.
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A D-04 Falken buzzes North Mirthanese troops at the battle of the Salient. D-04 Falkens soon earned an infamous reputation among Northern ground troops.

March 1st 2008
Despite their best efforts, Northern troops fail to take the Salient, giving South Mirthan a leg up at the negotiation table. Both sides officially sign a ceasefire agreement. Rattack, and the Salient are officially under control of South Mirthan.
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South Mirthanese command post personnel celebrate victory with wine (likely stolen from a nearby village) and a frozen pizza. two soldiers are sleeping in the background.

The final casualty toll was second only to the 1965 civil war. A total of 45,783 dead, 88,000 injured in the south. 50,172 dead, 91,000 injured in the north. Rattack suffered 500,000 losses, almost half civilians. South Mirthan officially annexed Rattack and tapped into its natural resources. The Libertarian socialist puppet government was ousted and the new province elected its own regional government on March 20th. angered by the betrayal, the Libertarian Socialist Army rose again against their old ally. The Southern military would spend the next 7 months quelling the uprising. North Mirthans populace were outraged by the defeat, protests rang out, and eventually a new political party gained power within the country
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"The crashing arrival of a large stone does much to humble an arrogant foe"

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Re: Conflicts of South Mirthan: Rattack War (2005-2008)

Post by Quantumsurfer » Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:10 am

Wow, pretty detailed. And the subtle effects were well done also.

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Re: Conflicts of South Mirthan: Rattack War (2005-2008)

Post by Scratch » Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:20 am

First time I've seen a storyline like this done, very well done. I especially liked the detail about the Buddhist soldiers and civilians, made it more than just modern forces fighting each other. Can't wait to see more.
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Re: Conflicts of South Mirthan: Rattack War (2005-2008)

Post by TastySkippy123 » Sun Nov 27, 2016 5:23 pm

:omnom:

Keep up the quality content!

So, is this kinda like Korea? It seems like North Mirthan is South Korea, and South Mirthan is North Korea, or vice-versa.

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Re: Conflicts of South Mirthan: Rattack War (2005-2008)

Post by Steel_Valkyrie » Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:10 am

Wow! this is great! :<3:
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