First Battle of Mons Dei

The First Battle of Mons Dei marked the opening battle of the War of Golden Succession, setting off a conflict that would claim the lives of millions. Though the defending Imperial divisions were caught off guard it ended in little more than a tactical victory for the Weigari Independence Army, and in fact, claimed more rebel lives than Macabee and Killian combined. Nonetheless, it proved to be quite the shock to the Empire and ultimately persuaded the rise of the indigenous population in Sarcanza and the invasion of Southern Macabea by Haven. In the end, as said before, it would spark a war that would last the ages and see the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and millions of civilians.

Background

The War of Golden Succession, and the First Battle of Mons Dei found its roots with the death of Emperor of the Golden Throne Jonach I, first such ruler. Although his heir apparent was his son, Prince Heinrich Catalán, his ultimate will destined Prince Fedor, renamed Fedor I after his crowning, as heir of the Second Empire of the Golden Throne. An angered Heinrich fled to Weigar, center of cultural strife for centuries and centermark of the resistance to Imperial rule during the Great Civil War (1905-2005), and proposed to presiding leader of the independence movement of the region, Karl Bietz, a military operation on a grand scale that would guarantee both the independence of Weigar, on the condition of victory, and the institution of Heinrich as emperor of the golden throne. To this, Bietz and Heinrich embarked on a three month campaign to raise and partially train a standing army which could catch the empire by suprise, and through a lightning campaign grab Fedala. This standing army would come to be known as the Weigari Independence Army.

As the Weigari Independence Army, fresh from over three months of training at the Fields of Glory, formulated under the leadership of Weigari general Karl Bietz and Prince Heinrich Catalán, the situation in the city of Weigar proper was intensifying. Although it was already occupied by two Waffen-SS units Fedor I found it proper to begin the deployment of three Waffen-SS mechanized divisions under the sole command of Colonel-General Francies Grenöt. Suddenly, the military situation for General Karl Bietz turned around and risking comprimization of the rebel army he was ordered by Heinrich for an immediate offensive east. The resulting operation was dubbed Operation Valkyrie and called for a lightning offensive straight into the lines of the three divisions before they saw, or expected to see, a large, trained Weigari army. In effect, it was to completely destroy the three divisions, opening the road to Fedala and thus allowing an easy and quick end to the war. Both Prince and General understood that an Imperial defeat at Mons Dei would mean a wider support for the rebellion, both internally and internationally, and they were correct in their stipulations.

It was also understood that there was only one form Weigar could win the war without outside support, which was by and far unlikely with an allied Haven to the south (although Haven would turn out to be a foe), a silent Zarbia to the east, and a potentially hostile region around them. In fact, the Empire had the region so tightly held together that Weigar expected the complete opposite to happen, and instead witness dozens of armies converging to put down the rebellion. Therefore, the sole method of victory would be a shattering of the Imperial front and then a sudden campaign southeast to Fedala. To this effect, the army forged at the Fields of Glory was built to attack in mass, as a hammer. This hammer struck on 14 May, 2016, setting off a war that would be the bloodiest Macabee History.

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Weigari Held Territory After Mons Dei

The State of the Macabee Defense

The three divisions that deployed west of Mons Dei, preparing for further deployment to Weigar to put down the light violence that was polluting the city, were amongst the worst in the Waffen-SS. Formed under the rule Emperor Jonach I they were composed of the criminals swept off the streets of Hailandkill, as a general program of army expansion through the use of foreign manpower, thus allowing the Empire to allot the majority of its population to its massive industrial power. As a whole the Waffen-SS, trained to kill, were proved to be some of the most effective fighters in the world, but unfortunately of the thirteen mechanized division the worse three were sent to Mons Dei. Arguably, it wasn't foreseen that they would be threatened by a much larger rebel army, but in retrospect it was one of Fedor's largest mistake to send in the Waffen-SS as opposed to conventional military units. Nonetheless, the two units already in Weigar were both Waffen-SS as well, one of them being a Geisenfried air assault group and the other a special operations assault group composed of Doomish soldiers, and so at the time it made sense to keep uniformity of command, especially since it was unknown that there was a conventional ground army between them and the Fedalan divisions. It was rather ill-fated that these three divisions would be sent to their deaths due to an unforeseeable event.

There have been certain accusations from post-war historians that the Empire really did not wish to see the truth and that it was Fedor's fault that those men died. Their argument suggests that it was horrible intelligence work on the part of IINSA and an atrocious underestimation of the potential of Weigar to commit itself to a full-scale war. There's certain evidence that supports the argument to an extent, including that it was a known fact that Prince Heinrich had fled from Fedala to Weigar a few days after the ascension of his son, Fedor I, to the throne. Assuming Fedor knew the ability of his father to rise against the throne one could assume it was obvious that there were soon to be problems. However, even assuming the former, it could also be assumed that Fedor thought that it would be centralized in the city of Weigar itself, thus why he had opted to occupy the city instead of securing the countryside. Under this supposition the lack of reconnaissance can be somewhat pardoned on Fedor's part, as it was simply unthinkable that his foe would be able to produce such a powerful army. A second piece of evidence brought forth for the argument was the release of information of IINSA activity within Guffingford. Declassified post-war, it brought shouts from the anti-war sector of the Empire and from the general Guffingfordi population. It also brought allegations that IINSA was focusing less on what was important, internal security, as opposed to its operations outside the Empire - which, in fact, saw the deaths of five agents. Understandably however, the job requirement of IINSA was never internal security, but security within the Empire by the means of her propagation elsewhere. In other words, to smash the problem before it kindled. If in fact this was the wrong policy it means that the consequences were disastrous.

There were also palpable malfunctions in the logistical network leading to the three divisions, including insufficient truck transport and the fact that most of the logistics sector was given leave for two days as to rest them for the eventual operations inside Weigar. The massive disregard for the divisions' wellbeing has also been a point of criticism on the administration's taking of the rebellion in the first few days, which proved to be crucial. Arguably, a better fed army would have been able to stop the Weigari offensive in its tracks, ending the rebellion early and eventually avoiding the deaths of millions. The administration argues back that such a conjecture can only be made in retrospect since they never expected the division to need such a grand logistical network, as there was no major combat to be expected. Nevertheless, literature on the subject continues to be published including the most infamous work by Army General Constanz Geret, Icebreaker. Geret claims that the Imperial defense is unfounded since such logistics are absolutely necessary for the upkeep of what are some of the most well armed soldiers in the Empire. To date, the administration has not responded to his book, instead charging Geret of treason for the fact that he refused to raise a hand against Weigar, although he was in the Imperial Army. To date, Geret has still not been prosecuted due to widespread support for his cause.

In the end, whether or not it was Fedor's fault that the three divisions were destroyed is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact that they were destroyed. Their destruction would in due course start two wars; the War of Golden Succession and the post-war literature battle.

Operation Valkyrie

Operation Valkyrie kicked off 0300 hours (three in the morning) 14 May, 2016, with a massive armoured offensive straight into Imperial lines. Two Weigari armoured divisions were ordered by Bietz to begin to probe the lines for a potential hole. The fighting was harsh with heavy use of older anti-tank ordnance against rebel T-72s and T-80s. In the face of the pressure exerted by the frightfully huge armoured columns sported by Weigar a hole cracked in the area of the 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division in the southern sector. The fighting still raged rather brilliantly with multiple attempts by Grenöt to plug the hole in his southern flank. Commanding officer of the sector, Captain Frederik Lorns, annotated in his diary that '[Mons Dei had been] the hardest fighting he had ever seen in his life.' Unfortunately, Captain Lorns' defensive sector became the Schwerpunkt of Operation Valkyrie. Exhilirated by such an early success Bietz decided to throw in another armoured battalion in an attempt to open a gap within the Waffen-SS' lines, ultimately causing a rupture and an eventual Imperial retreat that would attempt to reforge the gap by at least three thousand meters. An early defeat was staved off by a quick deployment of Killian armoured and mechanized personnel on the southern flank of the rebel advance although, unfortunately, a quick counterattack was made impossible from the traffic jams fabricated by quick moving vehicles. Ability to engage nonwithstanding, it forced Bietz to peel off certain armoured units from his attack in order to form a screen to the south.

On the 15th a Killian offensive struck at the screen, under the command of Colonel Tom Straffaers . Four hundred and fifteen Panzer XI BredtSverts led the offensive under the command line of 'let's rock and roll', followed by two hundred and fifty-six SOV-6 [| Infantry Fighting Vehicles]. The immediately devolved into a large revolving armoured battle, which resembled the Battle of Pokhlebin (a minor battle of the Second World War), between around six hundred armoured fighting vehicles. As the Killian armour engaged the T-80s and T-90s, the rebel armour focused on the destruction of the infantry fighting vehicles that had begun to unload the mechanized infantry. It was a slaughter on both parts, with over a third of the Weigari armour destroyed in the battle. By a stroke of luck, however, Colonel Tom Straffaers was killed, leaving the armour in command of a tank commander under the name of Jimmy Wilson - a man that would make a name for himself throughout the war. The fighting in southern Mons Dei had been a pyrrhic victory for the rebel armour and it would foreshadow the nature of the fighting and of the end victory. It was only through the death of the Killian command that the screen held. Without command the Killian line was forced south where they set up a starting line for future combat operations around Mons Dei, and where they could lick their wounds.

All the while, the fighting to continously widen the breach in Captain Lorns' sector continued throughout the day. The 15th saw a secondary operation against the same focal point under the command of Major General Franz von Seydlitz. Seven thousand Weigari infantry attempted to infiltrate the gap, but they were met by heavy fire and a very elastic line which would by the end of the day form a 'bulge' to attempt to hold back the complete breakthrough of Weigari assets. An Imperial counter-attack attempted to strike the 'bulge' from the north, marking one of the sharpest engagements of the battle, but in the end the light armoured vehicles sported by the counter-attacking mechanized soldiers failed at the cost of over four thousand lives. The death toll for the second day of fighting had been preposterous, with at least eleven thousand men left to rot within the bulge. More importantly, with the counter-attack being an utter and costly failure it seemed as if the 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division had expended all the resources it could expend returning the initiative to General Bietz - it would ultimately cost them the battle.

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SOV-6 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

On the 17th, after a brief respite, Bietz continued his offensive, finally breaking through the 3rd's defense and allowing his armour to encroach upon the rear in a wide encirclement manuever. Limited counter-attacks launched against the head of the pincer, however, forced Bietz to stop the offensive for the day after loosing half a squad of T-80s. Even so, the lines were no longer manageable, with the division brought down to around two thousand men by the end of the third day, making chances for an Imperial victory rather bleak. The 18th saw a renewed effort although it too fell short after a second Killian counterattack to the south. The latter was met by a renewed effort by reinforced armour battalions. A very interesting tactic developed in which the less advance rebel armour would simply target the treads of the BredtSverts from a longer range, thus rendering them immobile, and allowing the T-80s and T-90s to sweep in from behind. On the 19th and 20th the attempt to encirclement the 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division was completed as the 1st and 2nd finally withdrew from Mons Dei in the face of superior rebel firepower. To the south anti-tank guns continued to pelt Hailandkill armour that continously pressured the southern screening force. On the 21st Hailandkill finally pulled back after overall commander Captain Jack Ryan ordered a withdrawl in the face of mounting casualties, against the suggestions of his subordinates who urged him to move reinforcements. Lieutenant Jimmy Wilson was able to persuade a double throng offensive into the screen's defenses, but Ryan's decision to not reinforce and instead call for a post-battle withdrawl would give Bietz his victory and cost the lives of the rest of the 3rd-Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division. Understandably, the last Killian offensive of the battle on the 22nd, ended in failure. A final communiqué from the Fedor administration sealed the Killian offensive, as well as the fate of the encircled division.

The Encirclement

From 22 May to 26 May the encircled 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division fought for its dear life putting up a fight to remember against superior rebel forces. The main fighting took part from the 22nd to the 25th with continously increasing armoured and infantry probes into the loosely strung out Imperial defenses. The heavy fighting wasn't particularly different in any of the days, and simply tired the division officially surrendered on the 26th, knowing that with fighting brewing up at the River Nestor there was no chance for a quick operation to save them. There were several attempts to reinforce the division, including a logistical dump from a couple hundred Be-23 Archimedes' Lever Heavy Transport aircraft. Nonetheless, there was never a sustained attempt to rescue or supply the division which, like said before, brings criticism to the administration. But the question remains, at the time was it possible to rescue the division?

Official administrative historians claim that it wasn't. With the majority of the rebel army beginning to prepare for further advances eastward Fedor had other priorities to take care of, including the setting up of a defensive force in Fedala proper before the rebels would rush to the capital. To that effect he put a massive defensive screen and set up a defense along the eastern banks of the River Nestor. It's to say that at the time, with Haven also launching an offensive to the south and a rebellion in Sarcanza, it wasn't economical to launch a counteroffensive into Mons Dei, especially when vital units like the Laerihans (Air Force) were still regaining composure from previous cofusion. In fact, telling from the placement of personnel at the time, and the uprising in Weigar, there was absolutely no units close enough that could be redeployed. All units in Beda Fromm had been alerted to the incoming of a Malatosian fleet, and the Raid at Feathermore Trench had only served to underscore the growing threat to the Eastern Empire not yet under Weigari influence. The only personnel deployable that could be a direct threat to Weigar were those in the Imperial Provence and those in Dienstad; the latter of which were instead being deployed to deal with an equally as large rebellion in Sarcanza and a potential invasion by Zarbia for yet another claim to the Golden Throne. From the standpoint of the allocation of resources it was simply implausible to launch an attempt to rescue the division.

Further evidence stems from the failure of Hailandkill to do so. Indeed, three seperate offensives into the screening force failed. The case was that Hailandkill had a much easier time propigating its forces throughout the southern theater than the Empire could of, and telling from the failures of the Killian soldiers there is still nothing to suggest that Imperial soldiers could have done better, especially when the grand majority of the men were being moved south to deal with the Havenite invasion of Ruska.

There's also a much more cynical reason for allowing the 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division to be entrapped. A similar social-political decision which stands out was why there was no further attempt to free the encircled 6th Army at Stalingrad other than Operation Winter Storm. In both cases it was more economical and much more effective to leave the encirclement. In the end, it would only tie down Weigari soldiers and give Fedor more time to establish a better defensive formation across the River Nestor. In other words, the 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division was fodder to tie down around twenty thousand rebel soldiers that could have instead been alloted to the rebel offensive over the River Nestor a week or so later. Had the division broken out, what gain would it had given to the defenses forming elsewhere? The answer remains none. They would have had potentially less fresh soldiers and two thousand or less weary, tired, and diseased men; most of which would have been sent home for health reasons. Instead, it was a much more profitable gain to leave the men there, tie up the enemy, and gain time - the most precious of all resources in war. Indeed, under this examination it now leaves no doubt why Fedala asked Hailandkill to disengage from the battle.

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Be-23 Dropping Supplies

One last question remains. Would have it been possible to continously resupply the division? In all actuality, excuses aside, this was perhaps the sole fault of high command. Telling from the success of the aerial resupply it would have been more than possible to continue to do so. Although it is true that the Laerihans had began to juggle around resources, moving most of its aircraft south, there was still the distinct ability to resupply, even if they were forced to send less aircraft. Whether the division would have survived is not the question since it would most likely have died in any case. The point remains that they would have had an easier time dying had they been given food, medical treatment or even a way out through aerial power.

Conclusions

Although the encircled 3rd Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division did in fact hold twenty thousand rebel armed personnel in place, eight thousand were amassed north two days after it was encircled (the 24th), and on the 28th they were already rolling westward. When the 3rd surrendered on the 26th the men it had tied up were not sent to reinforce the Weigari army moving east because of reinforced Killian positions to the south. Ultimately Hailandkill would launch a fourth offensive on 4 June, eight days after the end of the First Battle of Mons Dei, which would begin what is known as the Second Battle of Mons Dei. To the east the Battle of the River Nestor would begin on 6 June. To the south the war with Haven hit a crucial point as Haven's army split to engage the Killian army at Aurillac and the Macabee army at Mosnoi Bor. To the west the Raid of Feathermore Creek, the first nuclear engagement of the war, began in due course, and finally in the upperwest corners of the Empire, specifically Sarcanza, the city of Prokhorovka had fallen to Sarcanzan rebels by 28 May, and the Battle of Marsa Bruth had already kicked off on 2 June. As can be deducted, the first major battle of the war was also the gateway to the dozens of battles that would mark the succession of the Golden Throne.