Operation Sidewinder

Operation Sidewinder
Part of 2019 Invasion of Vyzhva
Kolodorian forces invading Vyzhva
Date 14 February - 21 April 2019 Location Vyzhva Result Kolodorian Victory
Belligerents
Kolodoria	Vyzhva
Commanders and leaders
Austris Stepanovs	Some guy
Units involved
First Army Group Second Army Group	Vyzhvan Armed Forces
Strength
500,000 troops 4,000 tanks 3,300 artillery pieces 435 aircraft	300,000 troops 2,200 tanks 1,000 artillery pieces 75 aircraft
Casualties and losses
1,948 killed 6,202 wounded	~15,000 killed ~40,000 wounded 50,000 captured

Operation Sidewinder was the code-name for Kolodoria's military operations during the 2019 Invasion of Vyzhva. It was the largest employment of the Kolodorian People's Defense Forces since the Vinyan War, surpassing Kolodorian forces during the Cherniyan War. More than 500,000 Kolodorian troops, 4,000 tanks, 3,300 artillery pieces, and over 200 aircraft took part in the operation, which constituted the largest continuous front of the invasion.

Kolodoria was among the first non-Ivernic states made aware of the intention to invade Vyzhva by Tír Glas. Kolodorian preparation for the invasion consisted of a massive deception campaign to avoid detection by Vyzhvan intelligience, including extensive mobilization of Kolodorian reserves in place of active forces. Kolodorian troops were organized into two main forces, First Army Group positioned along the eastern border, and Second Army Group along the northern border. Although Glasic leadership had intended to conduct an extensive air campaign from Glasic, Dayashinese, and Hallian air power, the KPDF convinced its counterparts to implement a concurrent ground offensive to overwhelm Vyzhvan forces in one fell swoop. While Ivernic, Dayashinese, and Hallian forces were assigned to invade the more urbanized southern portions of Vyzhva, Kolodorian forces were to invade on a broad front to draw away as many Vyzhvan reserves as possible and avoid a prolonged urban conflict in the south.

Vyzhvan forces on paper fielded some 300,000 troops and thousands of armored fighting vehicles and artillery pieces, but lack of forewarning led to uneven mobiliziation orders that left the Vyzhvan Armed Forces in poor position to repel the invasion. Kolodorian forces began their operations in the early morning on 14 Febuary 2019 with shelling along the entire border, following by a general invasion along the Ullan line and Phase Line Korin. Vyzhvan forces offered fierce but disorganized resistance, and by the end of Febuary had broken through Vyzhvan lines along the border and advanced on Prognoi and Kupka. Pitched urban battles occurred in both cities, which were captured by 19 March. Major offensive operations subsided shortly afterwards, with Kolodorian forces clearing out remaining resistance in the Vyzhvan interior. Sidewinder is generally considered to have concluded on 21 April, along with the rest of the conflict.

Background

Relations between Vyzhva and Kolodoria had been frigid since the Vyzhvan-Kolodorian War, marked by border skirmishes and armed clashes especially in the Tamar Province. Following the outbreak of the Cherniyan War and Kolodoria's subsequent decline Vyzhvan security concerns began to focus more on the Ivernic states, in particular Tír Glas. Frequent bombings, shellings, and airstrikes ocurred bewteen 2000-2018, cultivating in the Avallone Bombings which resulted in over 2,000 fatalities.

In the aftermath of the bombings the Glasic government of Jane I began planning an invasion of Vyzhva, largely out of concern that further attacks would make use of Vyzhva's suspected stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. Despite decades of tensions and poor relations, the Glasic government elected to contact the Socialist Republic to suggest the possibility of a joint invasion, given Kolodoria's own poor relations with Vyzhva. On 24 November Defence Secretary Sorcha Collins flew to Strana Mechty to discuss a coordinated response to the Vyzhvan attacks, during which Premier Jaan Kask agreed to lend Koldorian support for the invasion. Over the course of the next two months a number of high level meetings between the two governments hammered out details for the invasion, discussing expected resistance, post-war intentions, and territorial issues. A major sticking point for Kolodorian support would be the Socialist Republic's ability to annex the disputed Tamar territory, which would link southern and northern Kolodoria along Lake Vytaras. Initially reluctant, the Glasic government ultimately agreed to not oppose the annexation.

Planning

Military delgations from the VDU, Hallia, Dayashina, Anglia, and Kolodoria arrived in Joint Forces Headquarters, Avallone on 2 December 2019 to discuss plans for the invasion. It was agreed that Kolodoria, having the longest single national border with Vyzhva, would be tasked with deploying a large contingent of forces to the east and north of the country, while the VDU with Dayashinese, Hallian, and Anglian support would assault the more urbanized and populated south, with the main effort being directed against the Vyzhvan capital of Melna.

Disagreement arose over how to conduct the invasion. Glasic Chief of Defence Enda Byrne and the Glasic Government favored an extended bombing campaign for at least three weeks, targetting command and control centers throughout southern Vyzhva. Only after an the bombing campaign would ground forces invade. Kolodorian representatives led by Defense Bureau Administrator Niklāvs Kauliņš, argued otherwise, insisting that a cocurrent ground invasion would be necessary. Glasic concerns rested on the uncertainty ground forces would face without a protracted air operation. The Kolodorians stressed their objection that if the air campaign did not effectively neutralize the Vyzhvan command chain, the ground invasion would face Vyzhvan forces supported by mobilized reserves, entrenched defenses, and potential employment of Vyzhva's WMD arsenal. After some debate the rest of the war coalition agreed to conduct the ground offensive in conjunction with the air campaign.

Kolodorian forces faced several issues concerning their operation, which received the codename of Sidewinder. An invasion of Vyzhva posed a number of issues. Much of Vyzhva's borders with its neighbors run through rivers, mountains, or largely empty steppe with little in the way of supporting infrastructure. Only small sections of the border on the north were generally open, but were also geographically distant from any major urban areas or vital points of interest. The Kolodorian People's Defense Forces had three major routes to invade through; from the north through Minennovsk, through the largely undeveloped land of Tamar, and from the eastern border of Tikinov, of which only a small portion could be utilized due to the mountainous terrain of much of the eastern Vyzhvan-Kolodorian border. All three invasion routes posed serious obstalces; Minennovsk led to largely open steppe with little in the way of strategic value, allowing Vzyvhan forces to trade space for time with ease. Invading through Tamar meant negotiating through the Denala River if Kolodorian forces intended to move towards the only major urban area in eastern Vyzhva, Prognoi. Invading through Tikinov allowed for a more direct route to Prognoi, but the Vyzhvan side of the border had been the site of major construction of defensive belts and hardpoints known collectively as the Ullan Line.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces Inguss Leitis devised the final operation order, featuring a four pronged offensive effort. Kolodorian forces would invade from all three vectors, with additional diversionary assaults through a western gap in Tamar's Mountain borders. Kolodorian forces in Tikinov, known as First Army Group, would assault through the Ullan Line, while additional forces, known as Second Army Group, would cross the Denala River. They would then follow the Denala River south-west to its origin point before crossing along the Tamar Highlands and sweeping behind Vyzhvan forces in what the Kolodorians identified as Area of Operations "Verdict". Once Vyzhvan forces in the pocket were destroyed, the Kolodorians would continue on towards Prognoi, destroying Vyzhvan reserves as they mobilized along the way. If necessary, Kolodorian forces would continue their drive south to assist in the capturing of Vzyhva's southern urban areas.

In order to maintain operational security, five out of eight active divisions in the Kolodorian Ground Forces remained in their garrisons in eastern Kolodoria. In keeping with Kolodorian military practice to host major seasonal exercises in the summer and winter, the KGF mobilized some 350,000 reservists in Central and Western Military Districts. Although Kolodorian state media declared that only 250,000 troops were mobilized and they were due to be demobilized by 15 January 2019, Kolodorian reserves remained in the field up until the invasion.

Forces in the field

The Vyzhvan Armed Forces, known officially as the People's Mobilization, had a nominal strength of around 1 million personnel in uniform. An additional 1.5-2 million paramilitary and reserve personnel existed on paper, though to what degree it was feasible to mobilize them was never determined. Vyzhvan forces were divided into six corps, five based on geographic position and the sixth operating as a strategic reserve. In the north along the border with Kolodoria was I Corps, consisting of four divisions. V Corps was positioned in the west near the Crainnic border consisted of another four divisions, though reportedly understrength. Along the eastern border with Tikinov manning the Ullan Line was II Corps, consisted of one armored division, one mechanized division, and two infantry divisions. According to Vyzhvan mobilization plans, at least four additional reserve divisions were supposed to reinforce II Corps in the event of an invasion, though this was never fully realized. Two more corps were located in the south, III and IV consisted of a total of 4 armored and mechanized divisions and eight infantry divisions.

On paper the People's Mobilization fielded considerable numbers; in addition to a million man army, the Vyzhvans posessed nearly 5,000 tanks, 14,000 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, over 4,000 artillery pieces, over 300 helicopters, and over 500 combat aircraft. While impressive in theory, the actual fighting strength of the Vyzhvan forces were considered subpar to the coalition arrayed against them. Many of the armarments in the Vyzhvan arsenal were surplus from Letnia, in addition to some local designs and modifications. Although Zayetist indoctrination was instilled at an early age, the actual quality of the Vyzhvan soldiers was a matter of debate. Against the Kolodorians, the Vyzhvan fielded some 300,000 troops, 2,200 tanks, and 1,000 artillery pieces. The distinction between active and reserve forces blurred in many cases, making it difficult to assess whhich Vyzhvan forces were already active before the invasion and which were mobilized during.

For Operation Sidewinder, the Kolodorians amassed 500,000 troops split between two army groups, First and Second, the former in the east and the latter in the north. First Army Group consisted of three corps, 15th 6th and 2nd for a total 10 divisions, while Second Army Group fielded three corps of three divisions each, 8th, 11th, and 25th. The Kolodorians in total fielded some 4,000 tanks, 3,300 artillery pieces, and over 435 aircraft. Many Kolodorian troops were reservists that had been mobilized to take part in the invasion; the KPDF avoided transferring their regular divisions until the days leading up to the invasion to avoid Vyzhvan intelligience from detecting the build up and impending operation.

Course of the operation

The Kolodorians began their offensive in the early morning of 14 Febuary 2019 with a sustained artillery barrage across the entire front, coupled with airstrikes from the Kolodorian Air Force. Just before dawn, the Kolodorians crossed the border in three locations, at the Ullan Line, across the Denala River, and along the northern border. Crossing the Denala River proved easier than the Kolodorians expected; Vyzhvan defenses along the river were well within range of Kolodorian artillery and quickly silenced, allowing the 71st Infantry Division to cross the river without much resistance. By the end of Day 1 the Kolodorians would also have the 197th Mechanized Infantry Division across and most of the 210th Mechanized Infantry Division as well. By 1200L on 15 Febuary 11th Corps was across the river and advancing towards its goal of Phase Line Korin.

In the 72 hours prior to the invasion, the Vyzhvan Government had become suddenly aware of the impending invasion and ordered a fullscale mobilization. In theory the Ullan Line should have been mannged by at least eight divisions, with mechanized and armored forces holding in reserve to contain and breakthroughs that might have occurred. Due to the hasty mobilization, the Vyzhvan forces manning the Ullan Line were still largely unprepared. In addition the Ullan Line proved illsuited to holding back the Kolodorian offensive; although construction had begun back in 1987, following the Cherniyan War Vyzhva's strategic concern shifted towards the Ivernic nations and construction of many fortifications had been left unfinished. Many pillboxes and hardpoints were unable to support one another, and by the end of Day 1 the Kolodorians had breached the line in multiple sectors and were pouring through the depths of the Vyzhvan defense.

Having crossed the Denala, 11th Corps continued its drive south, capturing more than a dozen towns along the cost of the Vyzhvan eastern inland sea. The primary objective of 11th Corps was to advance to Phase Line Korin, forming the northern portion of the encirlement of the Vyzhvan II Corps within AO Verdict. Defending the Vyzhvan northern flank was the 15th Infantry Division. As the Kolodorians advanced, it was clear the 15th Division was out of place; it had recieved contradictory orders to both hold the flank while reinforce the Ullan Line.