1997 Sable Conflict

1997 Sable Conflict
Top left: Notreceauen Prévoyance Portée combat aircraft conduct close air support operations in defense of the encircled 5e Brigade d'Infanterie de Montagne outside of Sable. Top right: Notreceauen infantry from the 14e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins, 5e Brigade d'Infanterie de Montagne during the Battle for Sable/ Bottom left: Aisling Cazadores from the 2nd Cazador Battalion, Second Division advancing towards Notreceauen positions outside of Sable. Bottom right: An Aisling Olheiro forward air controller observing the Sable Gap.
Date May 1, 1997 - August 31, 1997 (3 months, 4 weeks and 2 days) Location Aisling - Notreceauen border within the Vi Castis Mountains Result Sable reverts from de facto Notreceauen control to full Aisling control.
Belligerents
Temuair	Notreceau
Commanders and leaders
Lino Avila Nataniel Godoy Tomás Cabana Antón Mira Román Rengel	Hector Tremblay Simon Duguay Edmond Béringer
Strength
Initial: 21,000 Peak: 36,000	Initial: 6,550 Peak: 31,400
Casualties and losses
1,412 killed 3,142 wounded 53 captured
X civilians killed

The 1997 Sable Conflict was an armed conflict fought from May 1 until August 31, 1997, between the armed forces of Temuair and Notreceau. The combat was generally confined to the area around the town of Sable, a border town between the two nations located in the Vi Castis Mountains. The conflict ended on August 31, 1997, when the government of Notreceau agreed to turn over control of Sable to Temuair, which is known by the Aislings as Sabaiza.

Background

The town of Sabaiza was taken by Notreceauen forces during the Third Peninsular War as they advanced through the Vi Castis Mountains and into Temuair proper. Through the following decades, Temuair launched a series of operations to retake lost territory, including the Fourth Peninsular War from 1955 - 1960, <something in the late 60's and early 70s>, Operation: Firefly in 1985, each time regaining some, but not all, of its territory lost during the Third Peninsular War. Following the end of hostilities during Operation: Firefly, the town remained under Notreceauen control, and was officially referred to by its Notreceauen name: Sable.

Order of battle

Aisling Forces

• Grupobatalla Godoy
  • 3/1 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion
  • 3/2 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion
  • 3/3 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion
• Remaining battalions of the 1st Alpino Brigade
• 2nd Division
• Elements of the 1st Olheiros Battalion
• 21st Bombardment Wing
• 18th Fighter Wing
• 6th Fighter Wing
• 3rd Fighter Wing

Timeline of events

Perpetration

The initial battle plan called for one parachute battalion, the 3/2 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion to be supported by a squad of Olheiros and the 2nd Cazador Battalion after the initial landing, with the reaming forces of the 2nd Division pushing across the border and linking up with the parachute forces. The use of air assault forces were not considered due to the towns extreme elevation, and the problems inherent with operating helicopters at high altitudes. However, reconnaissance activity conducted by the Imperial Air Force of Temuair and members of the Cazador team selected to insert across the border at the start of the operation, determined that there was a full brigade operating in the area around Sable, as opposed to the regiment initially anticipated.

With this discovery, the plan was modified to include three parachute battalions, all drawn from the involved Aplino brigades. An ad hoc grupobatalla or battle group, was formed and included the 3/1 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion, 3/2 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion and 3/3 Alpino Para-Rifle Battalion of the 1st Alpino Brigade. Grupobatalla Godoy was commanded by Coronel Nataniel Godoy, the brigade commander of the 1st Alpino Brigade. Due to the high and varied elevation of the town, and the limited confines of the anticipated landing zone, it was decided that only infantry would be dropped into the town, as there was an extremely high chance that any airborne combat vehicles dropped could land off target in the valley below or worse, be destroyed on landing by the rough terrain.

Initial attacks

The initial assault against Notreceauen forces began at 0330 am local time. Pathfinders from the 1st Olheiros Battalion had been infiltrated across the border into the area surrounding Sable through the previous week. Their mission was to locate and designate targets for destruction prior to the initiation of a parachute assault against Sable proper. The Olheiros were to pinpoint and designate surface-to-air missile sites and Notreceauen early warning radar instillation before converging on Sable to direct airstrikes against targets in the town and to assist the Aisling parachute forces in ultimately securing the town.

The initial airstrikes were carried out by Athar A-3 Sombra aircraft from the 18th Fighter Wing. The stealth attack aircraft were able to avoid detection by the remaining Notreceauen radar instillations and destroyed approximately 85% of their designated targets.

In an attempt to provide further protection for the transport aircraft ferrying the parachute forces, a diversionary air attack was launched at 0445 local time from Bieito-Cambra Imperial Air Force Base in Piet by the 21st Bombardment Wing and escorted by fighters from the 6th Fighter Wing. The Parada-Vara B-4C bombers and their escort of Athar L-5F fighters were directed to launch a large scale attack against Notreceauen Air Force installations in and around Passerville, as well as the Notreceauen naval facility in Passerville. It was hoped this maneuver would draw a large response from the Notreceauen defenders, and thereby give the transports a good chance of reaching their target without being intercepted.

The aircraft transporting Grupobatalla Godoy took off from Bieito-Cambra Imperial Air Force Base at 0515 hours and, escorted by fighters from the 3rd Fighter Wing, moved towards the airspace above Sable.

Parachute landings and the Battle of Sable

Coronel Nataniel Godoy and the Tenente Coronel Antón Mira from Grupobatalla Godoy