Siege of Requiem

Siege of Requiem
The Battle for Requiem was a military conflict in the Southern Campaign of the Cinerian Civil War, fought on the island of Requiem and islands of the Vestal Archipelago. The Imperial Invasion force sailed from Laternus on June 22nd, a month since Operation Invictus- where the Imperial forces destroyed the Republic’s 8th Fleet protecting the island. The 1st Osprey Legion, the 9th Fulmen Legion, and the 45th Fleet led by Chiliarch General Cynthia Lee, were left at a stalemate against the Republic’s 19th Garrison Army and the 86th Republic Fleet, led by Legate Taika Bellumor.

The Imperial Task Force
The previous battle in Laternus had opened naval routes to the Republic’s base of operations in the Southern Campaign. Cautious that such a rapid invasion could cripple the Imperial force, the Emperor prioritized securing a military base in Laternus than sending ships to Requiem. The delay in the invasion led to a massing of military personnel. At the peak of preparation, over four hundred thousand soldiers awaited the command to mount the attack. In the meantime, aircraft carriers sailed from Reginae Domi to support short range bombers, and ammunition ships were transported from Exsul in order to carry the bombs and shells for a mass bombardment. Battleships were fitted with long range artillery weaponry in the hopes to catch the Republic by surprise. Soldiers were fitted in amphibious gear in order to fit into the tropical environment. From May 19 to June 20th, the invasion force was built up to prepare for their attack.

The Republic Garrison
At the loss of Laternus, the 19th Garrison was ordered to prepare defenses for the imminent attack. Trench lines were dug on the long beaches, and makeshift airfields were built throughout the mountain range. In the meantime, the supply routes leading to the Sentina military fortresses transported several prototype airships and weapons to the defensive force. The Parasite Bomber was introduced to eliminate warships from a long range, and Low Range Tactical Gyrocopters were supplied as an anti-vehicle weapon. These were also meant to cover the long range artillery positions planted on the mountainsides. Harika City was placed under Iudex governance by the Requial Convent. In doing so, it would preserve a large number of the area’s infrastructure by removing from the war zone. By June 22nd, the Republic was ready for a siege.

Bombardment:June 22- June 26
At 0500, the Imperial 45th Fleet opened fire on the north side of the island, with eight Battleships firing over 1600 shells and 400 missiles. The explosions were enough to destroy the beachline that the Republic had set up to slow down the invasion. However, the artillery did little to destroy the gun positions set higher on the ridge line of Central Requiem. A fleet of 30 Fang Class bombers were deployed once the beachline was destroyed. Climbing over 12,000 feet, they released their “parasite” G-39 Hailstorm escort bombers and dropped a payload of 90 tons on the Imperial 45th. Four of the eight battleships were critically hit by the bombers, and twelve escort ships were sunk. Despite the loss of their heavy fire, the bombardment continued, but none of the shells reached their targets on the northern defensive line.

Landings: June 27-July 3
With the shore weakened, The Imperial 1st Legion deployed five thousand soldiers onto the beach. At 0831, the first landing party established a beachhead. Heavy shelling from the mountainside deterred the force from coming closer, but small detachments of Imperial Legionnaires led by the 9th Fulmen Legion’s officers slipped into Harika City- a neutral position based on the Iudex Laws. Their objective was to capture supplies and medicine to further support a long term campaign. The Iudex peacekeeper force defended a large part of the city, but faced heavy casualties. By July 1st, the Imperials had taken the city, breaking neutral laws in the Cinerian Accords. Once the city was taken, the 1st Legion swept across the beaches and established a base of operations in the woodlands West of Harika City. A second wave of twelve thousand soldiers was sent to reinforce the Imperial offensive.

Imperial Offensive: July 8-July 20
Pushing further into Requiem, the 1st Battalion faced fierce resistance from the entrenched Republic lines. Their advance was stalled at the foot of Mount Kerasan. Heavy armor was introduced onto the field as the 4th Armored Brigade shelled the defensive line. The attack proved ineffective as Lamina Class gyrocopters intercepted the heavy armor and destroyed much of their firepower. On the rim of the city, the Republic introduced a counterattack, securing several key positions on the outskirts of the city. However, their operations were halted by civilians retreating from the combat, giving the Imperials time to retreat from the residential areas of the city. Bombers were then launched to deter further Republic advance into Harika. On the night of July 11th, Imperial bombers released a payload of eleven thousand thousand bombs on the residential zones of Harika City. The attack killed two thousand Republic soldiers and forty thousand civilians. A surviving thirty thousand were displaced, and directed to the old stadium shelter in the financial zone of the city. The Republic reinforced their defenses around the financial zone and recovered the city center from Imperial forces. Their assault was halted as humanitarian aid was sent to care for the trapped civilians. On July 16th, The Republic line defending Mount Kerasan was broken, and the Imperials captured their first airbase. Mortar fire from surrounding bunker emplacements prevented any further advance into the mountain range.

Republic Gambit
As the Kerasan Line was being pushed back, Legate Taika Bellumor chose a hasty strategy: withdraw forces from the Line and send the navy to destroy the Imperial Fleet in order to desert the Imperial Forces. And so, on July 17th, the 19th Garrison Army retreated, leaving only a skeleton crew to defend the line. A large majority slipped into civilian strongholds to maintain discrete protection from the Imperial force. For a full month, the Republic Army waited for the Navy to come. At the same time, the 86th Republic Fleet sailed from Sentina, splitting up into two positions to eliminate the now battle worn Imperial Fleet. On July 22 at 1143, the first shells hit their targets. Over fourteen ships were sunk in the first hour of bombardment. Many of the counterattacks were misdirected, leading the escort ships to be caught by surprise when ramming ships decimated the eastern flank. Imperial Flagships retreated, spare the ICN Unum whose engine was crippled during combat weeks prior. In a matter of twelve hours, the Imperial Fleet was destroyed, and the seventeen thousand Legionnaires left stranded on the island.

Firebombing of Harika City
As the Imperial force was left stranded on Requiem, a torch and burn strategy was adopted. There was no way off the island, therefore it was General Lee’s goal to destroy as much Republic property as possible before running out of ammunition. Throughout July 23rd and July 24th, they liquidated their resources in the remnants of Harika City and set several blocks on fire. The use of napalm was devastating, connecting to the mass wooden structures left in the city. The blaze spread across the rest of the city, burning the majority of it to the ground. This marked the second worst civilian casualty list in the war, second to the Battle of Praesidium, in where five hundred thousand civilians were killed.

The Imperial Stalemate
The Republic hurried to put out the fires in Harika City, but now that their force was divided, the Imperials quickly took advantage of the fury they created. The 9th Fulmen Legion charged a Republic fortress on the western sea wall, securing an evacuation point for the remaining Imperial forces. For two months, the Republic army sieged the fortress, attempting to starve out the already deprived Imperial soldiers. Over four hundred Imperials died of malnutrition.

Evacuation of Imperial Forces
On November 17, 8 Imperial Blockade Runners passed the Republic 86th Fleet and quickly evacuated the remaining nine thousand soldiers. The evacuation was two hours long, and artillery shelling was a constant threat for Imperials on the cliffside. A Republic fighter plane sunk one of the blockade runners with a torpedo, killing eight hundred onboard. The remaining ships quickly loaded up troops and left the beach, narrowly escaping the Republic fleet closing in.

Casualties
It took two months for a full count of those who were killed during the Siege. Eighty thousand Republic soldiers were killed in the defense of the Kerasan line, with a hundred ninety thousand wounded and four hundred missing in action. The Imperial Legion lost fifty thousand soldiers and suffered seventy thousand wounded. The civilians casualties are unknown, but it is estimated two million died in the fighting, with a broader number of wounded and missing. The number of prisoners is unknown, but there were a prominent number of Imperial forces captured by the Republic.

The Iudex Decree and the formation of the Flowershield Corps
With the slaughter of the Requiel Convent, the Iudex in Praesidium condemned the actions of the Cinerian Empire. The Archduke of the Praesidii Convent Reisen Galland declared the deaths "avoidable" and that a different solution could have been found. This further increased the support for the Iudex to join the war against the Empire. However, the Parliament of Angels vetoed another influx of weapons production, preventing the Iudex from mobilizing a primary military force. However, they allowed the introduction of a self-defense unit. The Flowershield Corps was ordered by the Parliament to intercept far off Convents and safely return them to Praesidium in order to prevent another massacre. This unit would be renowned for their strength in such small numbers and earned them the title of Angelhunters.

Resurgence of Angels
During the fighting on the Kerasan Line, the Empire discovered several bunkers hidden beneath the mountain. In a brief conflict between the Republic, Imperial, and even a small detachment of Iudex defense units, they burst open the bunker doors discovered an Angel. This marks the first time an Angel had been seen in over fifty years, and increased the power the Iudex Convents held. However, this also further brought a milestone in the arms race, where both the Republic and Imperials struggled to master a weapon with enough power to take down an Angel.