Olefin's Twilight 2000 Universe thread

[Olefin]

She would be making room for cargo by:

1) most of the submarine spare parts she was carrying were electrical parts and parts for the reactors - we arent talking a new screw, we are talking fire control equipment, wiring harnesses, various control units, valves, etc.. . Same with the parts for the tanks - most of the parts were small ones of various types, plus track pads, a few sprockets, some roadwheels, lubrication oil, etc.. plus the shells.

2) the weapons for the Romanians were loaded in Israel in exchange for Israel having access to the data from the Russian scientists and for information on Reset - thus they only had to be carried for a short distance instead of all the way from the US

3) she only loaded enough food and consumables for a short mission instead of a long patrol - she had to get more food and consumables in Israel along with the weapons to be able to finish the mission

4) off-loading the torpedoes, harpoon missile and spare parts in Israel and the tank spares and shells in Yugoslavia gave her just enough room for the weapons for the Romanians - thats why they had to go in the sequence as described

I.e. she didnt have enough room to carry everything from Norfolk to Yugoslavia to Israel to the pickup then to Portsmouth and home, which was the orginal mission profile before they found out about the Russian SSBN - she had to count on being able to offload stuff in Israel to have enough room for the weapons needed for Romania, which had to be loaded in Israel, plus be able to load enough food in Israel as their wasnt enough space at Norfolk to load food for the whole mission

its one reason they didnt have a full crew - they had to leave some behind and run reduced normal shifts to be able to fit everything aboard including the characters - our characters got nominated, for instance, to do most of the cooking and other grunt jobs as the crew who normally did that were left behind

[Olefin]

Now to get the rest of the timeline catching up to where the players were

March 5, 2001

California

The 177th Brigade (OPFOR Brigade) out of Fort Irwin and the 40th Infantry attack the Mexican 1st Brigada’s position near Edwards Air Force Base in the first offensive against the Mexicans in two years in California.

Norfolk

The 1st Armored Division, along with 600 replacements from Omega and 800 new recruits fresh out of training leaves for Texas to reinforce the units near Brownsville and begin the offensive to retake the Gulf Coast and drive the Russians out of San Antonio. In Texas the Port Isabel Refinery is about to begin production again of refined products.

To add power to the division every operational helicopter that MilGov has at Norfolk is sent to create an Aviation Brigade for the 1st Armored. A total of four AH-1 Cobras, three AH-64 Apaches, five UH-1, three UH-60 and the CH-47 that evacuated the rear guard at Bremen are sent. In addition they have loaded ammo and weapons for the helos, plus every tech and spare part they could find.

Memphis

A single survivor of the two platoons of the 197th sent to investigate what is going on in the Ozarks returns back to friendly lines telling of being attacked from the air by a dirigible and ultra lights.

Maryland/Virginia

The 38th Infantry Division begins an operation to clear out marauders and other groups near Harpers Ferry and in the Shenandoah Valley so as to put that area under MilGov control again.

Korea

The USMC, in order to consolidate the logistical troops and free up more combat manpower, combines the three USMC divisions in Korea into two. The 16th Regiment of the 6th Marine Division joins the
23rd Regiment of the 4th Division, bringing the 4th to 1000 men and thirteen M60A4 tanks. The Marines have also started their own boot camp to train some 900 sailors whose ships have been sunk or damaged beyond repair into Marines.

The Army, looking to streamline its own forces, combines the 25th and 45th Infantry Divisions, with the resulting 25th Infantry Division now having 2600 men.

Poland

The XI Corps, having survived the winter, begins to make plans to attempt to get back to Germany. They have made contact with the III Corps HQ that stayed in Germany. While they know they are stuck in Europe for now, at the least they can be with fellow Americans in a NATO country instead of cutoff in an enemy country.

[Olefin]

March 10, 2001

Mississippi River Valley

The 278th Armored Regiment drives north from Memphis to pacify the area between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis and link up with the 194th and establish a fully pacified zone between Cairo and Memphis, routing a marauder force of 60 men in its first battle along the way.

Pennsylvania

The 28th Infantry expands its zone of control in PA to include Lancaster County, linking up with various militia and MP units in the area. A small force from the 28th is dispatched westward to investigate rumors of a large supply cache in the area.

California

After five days of fighting the Mexican 1st Brigada has been defeated, withdrawing to the southwest towards LA as the 177th Brigade links up with the 40th Infantry just south of Edwards Air Force Base.

March 14, 2001

The 1st Armored Division is in Texas and is in the process of converting its vehicles to run on gasoline and diesel again as refined products are now available. The other units there have already converted their vehicles.

New England

Two US destroyers conduct operations against the UBF, sinking or capturing ten of their fishing boats and armed trawlers as well as conducting a bombardment of his base at Nantucket, setting fire to the buildings. Carlucci escapes injury but many of his trusted lieutenants are killed.

Pennsylvania

Power is partially restored to the York defence plant and operations begin there again, initially on the Bradley and M8 lines only.

[Olefin]

March 16, 2001

West Virginia

The 38th Infantry Division takes Harpers Ferry, securing the only bridge across the Potomac in that area, and then going on into Bolivar, where much to their surprise they find a large force of marauders, who they immediately engage. Early in the fighting they capture two school buildings and find that they have been converted into huge supply dumps, full of weapons, ammunition and other items. Most of the enemy gives up quickly, but around eighty men retreat into bunkers and fight hard.

New Jersey

The 78th Division, now reinforced with troops from Omega, begins operations to secure the approaches to NYC, sending in small patrols into the city itself to assess the current situation and to try to locate the missing cache of gold lost in the city during their disastrous pullout. They make contact with the Duke of New York and the New York government in the Bronx.

March 17, 2001

West Virginia

The 38th captures Bolivar after a hard two day fight, using artillery and TOW missiles to blast the remaining enemy bunkers and strong points. Some 500 enemy troops are either killed or captured in the fighting, along with huge amounts of fuel, ammunition, food and equipment.

Two gas stations in town are captured intact with their storage tanks having over 18,000 liters of ethanol and 50,000 liters of methanol fuel. Another 4000 liters of methanol is in an above ground tank. In addition two small storage tanks have 1000 liters of aviation gas and 2500 liters of diesel fuel. A total of three large stills are taken intact as well.

Of three major depots in the town, two are taken intact and one is heavily damaged. They contain tons of food, a dozen light anti-tank missiles, six 82mm mortars, 300 mortar shells, five recoilless rifles, 100 HE shells for the rifles, twenty light machine guns, and some 1500 M16 rifles, many of them brand new, as well as tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. In addition there are dozens of crates of grenades, mines and other hardware as well as communication gear and other items.. Three converted armored bank cars are captured intact as well as over fifty trucks of various types and ten Jeeps. Clearly this was a major supply center, one that rivals anything that MilGov or CivGov still has left in the US.

As well as the supplies the town is a gold mine of information. Large amounts of documents on New America and its forces in West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio are collected. Most importantly, the Colonel in charge at Bolivar, who was taken alive and given a choice between twenty years hard labor if he talked or a slow hanging if he didn’t, gives information on the location of supply caches and depots. He also discloses, after a long and painful interrogation, that Carl Hughes, who has been on the most wanted list of the FBI for several years, is the leader of that force and that his HQ is nearby close to Charles Town.

A force of two battalions is sent immediately to where Hughes is to capture him, while the 38th licks its wounds and resupplies itself. From what they have found, New America has almost 7,000 men under arms in the immediate states, mostly organized in small company sized units. Many of them are men with no military experience but there are many renegade National Guard and Reservist troops who have joined them. Some thirty men from among the captured, found to be AWOL National Guard, reservists or active duty military servicemen, are executed by hanging after the battle.

March 22, 2001

West Virginia

Battle of Country Home

The two battalions of the 38th assault the New America HQ. Using the information obtained from Bolivar they manage to infiltrate both above ground houses and grab Carl Hughes, who is asleep in his bedroom, then penetrate into the underground complex before the alarm is sounded. After the alarm sounds, a deadly close in fight breaks out, with the men from the 38th outnumbering the defenders. The 38th eventually takes the whole complex, killing or capturing all in it, including many top New American commanders and supporters.

They find a veritable treasure of food, weapons, supplies (including a huge supply of paper). Large amounts of operational computer equipment including several mini mainframes are found. Most importantly of all the HQ center in the building was taken intact with the computer mainframes holding vital information on New America and its dispostions and plans. The New American commanders responsible for their destruction did not issue orders to destroy them, as they could only come from Carl Hughes himself, and thus they were not destroyed.

Information found includes information on enemy dispositions, supply caches and activities, including information on operations in Maine, Florida and the Ozarks, as well as complete files on New America operatives within MilGov and CivGov. With this information, the scale of the New America forces and plans is completely laid bare to see.

Later historians will compare this find to the British and Poles breaking Enigma or the US breaking the Japanese codes during WWII in terms of an intelligence find.

This all comes at quite a price – of the 600 men sent in to get Hughes and take the complex, 75 die and another 150 are wounded in some way or another, many seriously. Luckily the complex infirmary was also taken intact and is quickly put to use.

Illinois

The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment arrives near Cairo, completing its mission. To the south, the 197th sends a new group, this time clandestinely, to find out more about what is going on in Arkansas after the failure of the two platoons to do so.

Texas

1st Armored has completed preparation of its vehicles, all of which are now ready to run on gasoline again. The first objective is to destroy the Soviet and Mexican forces dug in at Harlingen. The 85th stays behind to guard the refinery as the 43rd moves out to secure the McAllen and Rio Grande City area. The 4th and the 1st move north toward Harlingen.

[Olefin]

March 24, 2001

Maryland/PA

3rd Mechanized, having left 600 men behind to guard Fort Meade, begins a drive on Hagerstown from Frederick. The 28th Infantry Division, reinforced by militia from Harrisburg, sends forces west from Carlisle to secure the area around Chambersburg and effect a link up with the 3rd after it has taken Hagerstown.

Yugoslavia

The commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, after receiving the MilGov offer from the DIA agents dropped by the USS Corpus Christi, including promises of resupply for his forces from Israel, cuts ties with CivGov and joins MilGov. He also arrests the staff of the IV Corps and seizes control of most of the the supply and ammunition dumps for the 80th Infantry Division. He sends messages to both the 76th and the 80th, telling them that CivGov has abandoned them and that the only real chance they have for completing their mission and getting home again is with MilGov.

Texas

The 49th Armored Division and 95th Infantry Divisions prepare to move southward into northern Texas in conjunction with the drive in southern Texas. In Louisiana the 98th Division is preparing to move as well in support.

2nd Battle of Harlingen

The Mexican and Russian forces in the area, numbering 800 men and four BTR’s from the remnants of the Brigada San Luis Potosi, the Brigada Tampica and a Soviet regiment of Division Cuba, are hit from the air by helicopters, then the ground. The fight rapidly turns into a rout, with the 43rd heading for McAllen and the 1st and 4the heading north for Raymondville, reaching it by nightfall of the 24th. The US takes less than 50 casualties while the enemy force is annihilated, either killed or captured except for a few men who escape on foot.

West Virginia

The 38th is attacked by several companies of New American troops at Bolivar. The attacks are uncoordinated and supported by only a few mortars. Clearly they didn’t expect their enemies to be trained experienced troops, and in the numbers present at Bolivar. They beat the attacks off easily with minimal casualties while NA takes nearly 400 dead, wounded and captured.

[natehale1971]

You could also use Nuclear Aircraft Carriers (both fighters & helicopter) as fuel carriers... all the fuel tanks for avgas can easily be used to carry other forms of fuel since they don't have as much aircraft to keep feed. they also have huge hanger decks that can be used as cargo holds if they aren't carrying fighters. these nuclear powered vessels would be worth their weight in gold since they are still capable of going long distances with the only resuppling they needed would be food. they can create their own water, and even could become the power supply for entire cities.

[Olefin]

March 26, 2001

California

The 177th Brigade attacks Mexican marauder forces near Victorville as the 40th Infantry, after clearing out Lancaster, continues its attack into Palmdale. Mexican Regular Army troops in the area are giving ground, as they withdraw to positions in the mountains north of Los Angeles.

A reorganization of forces in California begins as the 89th Corps is folded into the 63rd Corps, with its supply and headquarters troops being integrated to free up men for frontline duty. The 91st Infantry Division is integrated into the 46th Infantry Division along with militia reinforcements to bring the 46th up to 2000 men. The 49th Military Police Brigade and the 221st Military Police Brigade are joined together into the new 106th Infantry Division, along with some 900 militia, to bring it up to 2500 men, with the two Brigades remaining as seperate parts of the new division. Large scale preparations are being made for an offensive against the Mexicans and recruitment and training efforts in California are beginning to pay dividends to bring US forces back to strenth.

Arizona/New Mexico

In Arizona and New Mexico, preparations have begun to retake the areas lost to the Mexicans.

In Arizona, the 158th Infantry Regiment is reactivated in Flagstaff, Arizona. Its 600 men include militia, Battery Yuma, a battery of three prototype 155mm howitzers that were at Yuma Proving Grounds and a sprinkling of police, National Guardsmen and Border Guards. Its only armored vehicles are four modified bank armored cars and a single M50 Ontos from a civilian collector with two 106mm recoilless rifles added to it. Two of its four infantry companies are horse soliders.

In New Mexico, the 200th Infantry Brigade has been formed from the surviving members of the National Guard, reinforced by some 500 militia from Santa Fe. It has 1500 men, along with the SCV Battery of the 202nd Field Artillery (three 105mm, one 155mm) and what is left of the 7-200 ADA Battalion (five Chaparral, eleven Duster). Four of its companies are cavalry.

It is deployed just north of what remains of Albuquerque, which was destroyed when Kirtland Air Force Base was hit by an 800 kiloton surface burst during the TDM. It ruins have since cooled down sufficiently to move thru its ruins.. That strike and its after effects served to help stop the Mexican invasion from getting to Santa Fe in 1998 as the prevailing winds dropped radiation south and southeast of Albuquerque, preventing the Mexicans from crossing that area due to the high residual radiation at the time.

Texas

The 43rd enters McAllen after dispersing a group of Constitucionales that had taken over the town from the 50 Brigada Tampica infantry that were left in town. The commander issues a proclamation that promises amnesty to any who worked for the Mexicans who were American citizens and that as long as they will not take up arms that any refugees can stay for now. In the north elements of the 1st encounter Bandera Rodriguez near Kingsville. They dig in and wait for the rest of the 1st to join them.

Nuclear attack on Romanian oil facilities (from the end of our Med Cruise campaign game)

Earlier in the war the US had used smaller nuclear air bursts to try to keep civilian casualties down among their allies, the Romanians, which had resulted in the survival of some of the Ploesti oilfields and refineries. This time MilGov isn’t concerned about civilian casualties, instead they want to knock Ploesti out once and for all.

The three Tomahawks launched by the Corpus Christi arrive on target, all detonating one after the other, spread out to achieve maximum destruction of the surviving refineries and oil fields around Ploesti, completely destroying them along with 42nd Guards Tank Division and the 97th Motorized Rifle Division. The only survivors of the two divisions are a detachment of some 180 men from the 42nd along with four tanks in Constanta.

The three 150 kiloton bursts, detonated only 100 feet off the ground, combined with the sustained winds of 20 mph from the north that day, send a huge cloud of debris, dirt and burning oil downwind, full of radioactive fallout. The fallout plumes from the three blasts extend into Bulgaria, with Bucharest covered in fallout of over 10 rads per hour.

Hundreds of thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians die or are sickened by the fallout, which hits without warning due to the breakdown of communications in the area caused by the war. The attack devastates both countries, with large areas of the countryside poisoned by fallout for years to come.

For the Soviets the attack is a catastrophe. The destruction of the Ploesti oil fields means the end of any more gasoline, diesel or aviation gas for their forces in Eastern Europe, crippling any further operations there. For their forces in the path of the cloud, their filters for their NBC equipment either long ago used or sold on the black market, the effects are devastating.

Except for 80 men of the 32nd Air Assault Brigade, who escape in their helicopters, every man of the 14th Tank Division and the 32nd Air Assault Brigade sickens and dies from radiation poisoning over the next few days. The Soviet forces that remain are spread out, with several low on fuel. In the coming days Romanian partisans, reinforced by the weapons recently received from the Americans, begin to attack all those units in a bid to finally reclaim what is left of their country.