Battle of St Joseph (1986)

Battle of St Joseph
Part of 1986 Pepper Atoll Intervention
File:Battleofstjoseph.jpg Brytisc marines on the streets of St Joseph
Date 2nd June 1986 - 3rd June 1986 Location St Joseph, Pepper Atoll Result Decisive Brytisc victory St Joseph returned to governmental control
Belligerents
Confederate Brytisc Fleet Template:Country data Pepper Atoll Pepper Atoll Army Stasnovan Revolutionary Navy	Template:Country data Manaagnwe Militia
Commanders and leaders
Colonel Richard Blunte Vice Admiral Dimitry Gasanov	Template:Country data Manaagnwe Militia Colonel Cutuu
Strength
952 marines, supported by Carrier Battle Group Alfa Template:Country data Pepper Atoll 82 Presidential Guard	Template:Country data Manaagnwe Militia 2,600 approx.
Casualties and losses
62 killed, 115 wounded Template:Country data Pepper Atoll 7 killed, 12 wounded, 5 missing 1 aircraft shot down, 1 captured and later recovered TOTAL - 202	Template:Country data Manaagnwe Militia 1,104 killed, 500+ wounded TOTAL - 1,604 approx.
50 - 100 civilians killed

The Battle of St Joseph took place on the night of the 2nd June 1986, and was the only major battle to take place during the 1986 Pepper Atoll Intervention. Forces of the Confederate Brytisc Fleet, supported by the Stasnovan Revolutionary Navy, deployed to retake the city of St Joseph on behalf of the government of the Republic of Pepper Atoll, following its capture by the Manaagnwe Militia on January 6th. The battle was a Brytisc victory, resulting in the restoration of government control and the withdrawal of the Militia from the city.

Background

The Manaagnwe Militia were founded in 1966 as a response to the weak leadership of the Republic of Pepper Atoll, a nation designated by multiple international bodies as a failed state. The Militia fought a guerilla war against both governmental forces and international peacekeeping units for the next two decades, building up a powerful network and engaging in a variety of criminal activities such as drug smuggling, piracy, and human trafficking.

By early 1986 the Militia, led by Colonel Cutuu, had grown in strength to the extent that they were able to launch an assault on St Joseph, the capital of the island chain and seat of the Republic's government. The fighting lasted for two days, resulting in the retreat of the government and the death or capture of many governmental officials, along with an estimated 4,000 civilians.

The total collapse of the Pepper Atoll Army and the reports of the atrocities spurred the Brytisc government to release a statement condemning the attack and declaring their intent to retake the city and restore order. The Stasnovan government, then led headed by Premier Ibraim Bulganin, pledged support to Brytene immedeately aftewards. Analysts state that the Stasnovan leadership saw a possible future partner in Brytene after the Whitebay Crisis, so it acted to gain Brytene's friendship. Some more critical voices say that Stasnov tried to expand its influence into the Confederacy's politics, to aid the Brytisc Marxist Bloc, a Communist political Party, in achieving more popularity.

Order of battle

Brytene

The Brytisc Fleet had recently completed a total refit in the wake of the Whitebay Crisis. Various landing ships of the Confederate Brystic Fleet were deployed to the region carrying the first two battalions of the Nortymba Regiment with the stated intent of retaking and holding the city as a base from which to conduct counter-terrorist operations. In coordination, the Carrier Battle Group Alfa of the Stasnovan Revolutionary Navy was deployed along them.

The Nortymba Regiment totaled 952 frontline personnel led by Colonel Richard Blunte and was a primarily mechanised unit, equipped with armoured cars and IFVs alongside a single platoon of tanks including the Woden I MBT, a second-generation main battle tank. The regiment was also equipped with two FV81 Tiger, which had been commissioned by the Fleet as a specific response to the Pepper Atoll mission profile. This was the first time any FV81 variant saw real combat.

The Carrier Battle Group Afla consisted of the Kiev-class aviation cruiser SRNS Novograd (that is still in service today), which was escorted by the Slava-class cruiser SRNS Karelia, one modernised Sverdlov-class cruiser, the SRNS Bubnov, two Sovremenyy-class Destroyers, the Grozny and Komsomolskaya, three Victor-class attack submarines, and one Boris Chilikin-class fleet oiler. The commanding officer of the CBG was the Vice Admiral (now Admiral) Dimitry Ivanovich Gasanov.

The Regiment also had aerial cover and logistical support from CBG Afla and was able to link up with a company of the Pepper Atoll Presidential Guard, 82 soldiers who had gone to ground in the hills behind the Presidential Compound following the fall of the city.

Militia

The Militia force was composed almost entirely of irregulars, believed to be roughly 2,600 strong at the time of the battle. Armed primarily with out-dated export weapons and easily-smuggled small arms, the Militia were still able to field a variety of heavier weaponry including mortars and RPGs, mostly seized from governmental supply depots. The Militia also had a variety of vehicles available including technicals, several pieces of towed artillery, and a pair of heavy anti-air flak guns located near the port.

The Battle

File:Blackhawkdownaerialphoto.jpg

Heavy firefight in the western district of the city

The battle began on the 2nd of June at 0430, with aerial insertions of Brytisc light infantry elements belonging to the first company of the Nortymba Regiment. The company was tasked with securing key routes into the dockyard area, whilst airstrikes by Stasnovan Yak-38Ms softened up enemy positions near the coast and eliminated visible weapons emplacements. There was also naval gunfire support by the Karelia, Bubnov, Grozny and Komsomolskaya, that significantly aided the landing operations.

Led by the two FV81 Tigers, units of the 2nd and 3rd companies assaulted the docks and established a landing zone, enabling the 6th through 8th armoured companies to land their vehicles, reinforced by the rest of the regiment.

Resistance was heaviest in the dockyard area, with more than 60% of the Brytisc casualties taken during the first four hours of the battle. The Brytisc broke out of the dockyard area following heavy fighting, with numerous After-Action Reports describing vicious close-quarters firefights. In an excerpt from Cpl (now RSM) Khan Sadik's journal "...the alleyway was piled almost three feet high with bodies. The enemy began to use their own dead as a sort of firestep, and it wasn't until we brought up the SAW that we managed to push them back...".

At around 0920hrs the Brytisc forces were able to push north, sweeping the city until they hit the Pon Cagaaran, the bridge connecting the western and eastern sides of the city. A stalemate was reached until the two FV81 Tigers used their amphibious abilities to cross the river further north, flanking the defenses on the western side of the bridge and forcing the enemy to fall back. Flying on a bombing sortie during a mission to help the Brystic Forces break through, Major Yuri Adamov's Yak-38M was shot down by a combination of anti aircraft artillery and MANPAD fire. Adamov managed to exit the aircraft, but landed within militia territory, and was captured.

At 1322hrs the Nortymba Regiment reached the Presidential Palace, where they made contact with Captain Goodluck of the Pepper Presidential Guard, who was leading a force of 81 men which had remained hidden in one of the outlying buildings of the palace estate. Based on tactical information provided by Captain Goodluck, the regiment moved south-west to assault a weapons depot and barracks (pictured above) at 1404hrs. During the assault on the barracks, a platoon of Brystic soldiers led by Sergeant David Forge found and recovered Major Adamov, who had been imprisoned there by the militia.

By 1451hrs all major pockets of resistance had been neutralised. Scattered firefights continued until the early hours of the morning. By midday on the 3rd of June the city was considered secure.

Aftermath

The Manaagnwe Militia withdrew from the city in the early hours of the 3rd of June, having suffered upwards of a thousand killed or wounded during the assault. Colonel Cutuu and much of his command staff survived the battle and went on to lead a guerrilla campaign across the Atoll.

Brytisc forces would remain in the area for the next four years whilst they worked to stabilise the region. The Carrier Battle Group Alfa remained in the waters around Pepper Atoll for three days, constantly running patrol sorties with its aircraft and helicopters, in hope of finding and eliminating militia straglers.

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