Battle of El Lupo

Battle of El Lupo
Part of the Africanna Campaign of the First Europan War
File:110749-004-0E57F391.jpg Lucian Commonwealth Troops at the outskirts of El Lupo
Date July 30, X840 - August 9, X840 Location El Lupo, Archadian Arithea, Africanna Result Decisive Commonwealth Victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Basel-Ebel	Archadia-Archedes
Commanders and leaders
Archibald Sugiyama	Guglielmo Luca Luigi Jodel
Units involved
Elements from the 21st Division 9th Armored Division 12th Lucian-Nihonjin Division	XVI Corps 1st Ariete-Pistoia Divizione
Strength
(Initial) 15,000 Troops 55 Tanks 50 Guns (By August 5) 25,000 Troops 75 Tanks	65,000 Troops 5,000 Colonials 195 Tanks 20 Guns
Casualties and losses
1,187 Casualties 3,458 Wounded 35 Tanks	29,957 Dead 45,000 Captured 125 Tanks 20 Guns

The Battle of El Lupo was fought as a part of the Africanna Campaign of during the First Europan War. The battle was fought from the 30th of July until the 9th of August, 1914 between a mix of Archadian Regular and Colonial troops attacking Lucian and Commonwealth forces. The town of El Lupo, located in the Archadian Colony of Arithea, was of strategic importance to both the Archadian and the Lucian-led forces in 1914. The road through El Lupo were the key to access the border of the Basel-Ebel for the Archadians and the Desert pass of Alam Halfaya for the Commonwealth.

Background

After the disasterous defense at Arithea and the failure of the Commonwealth force to keep the Archadian and Guadosalam Force out of Africanna, The Trabian Empire signed a humiliating peace treaty that allowed the Archadia-Archedes and the Guadosalam Federation to get large portions of the Trabian Empire and keep it out of war. Despite these, The Commonwealth managed to evacuate.

Basel-Ebel was the last rampart of the Allied Nations in Africanna. It had a rather weak military despite the military training and equipment from the United Kingdom. On the 20th of July, Archadian Field Marshal Guglielmo Luca had planned the downfall of the Commonwealth Nation before annexing the Trabian Empire for the Archadian Emperor. He promised him that "Basel-Ebel will be a sea of fire for the Lucis Commonwealth". From Ridge 81, Luca advanced as far as 150 miles away from El Lupo, a lonely town 150 miles from the border of Basel-Ebel and 200 miles from the Archadian-controlled Arithea. Luca, however needed to wait for more armies so he decided to delay his advance by 5 days to allow more munitions to arrive. This was a big mistake that Luca made and it was the big break that the Commonwealth just needed.

On the 29th of July, Lieutenant General Mark Dempsey, The commander in the defence of Basel-Ebel who, for the past 2 days have been successful in somehow repulsing the Archadian raids at El Lupo had been replaced by the order from the High Command by Major General Archibald Sugiyama. Sugiyama had been promoted to Major General when he arrived at Basel-Ebel for his efforts at repulsing Imperial Attacks at the Naggiar Plains that allowed Commonwealth troops to get supplies to the staggering Gallian lines.

Sugiyama studied the battlefield and knew that the terrain favored the Archadians on offensive but favored him if he places his army on defensive. Also, He was aware that the Royal Basel-Ebelian Army had been exhausted after a series of defeats and managed to replace them with Commonwealth Troops from the United Kingdom, Zanarkand and New Akiba prior to his arrival. Sugiyama, however, had one advantage over Luca. Since Luca had paused his army's march to the border, Sugiyama chose on where the battle would take place and it was on El Lupo due to the terrain and the mountains that surround it, allowing only one road for the Archadians to march on.

By the 1st of August, Sugiyama had prepared his army and was ready to take the fight.

Battle

Phase One: On Defence

By the 1st of August, The Lucis Commonwealth Forces had arrived at El Lupo. Across them was a small downward slope that lead to the Archadian Lines. From a building, Troops could see what the Archadians are planning by the use of binoculars. Sugiyama's plan was to hold El Lupo for as long as possible to allow his III Nihonjin Corps to relieve the town. After which, he would then split it in two with the other holding off any Archadian Reinforcements while the other would surround Luca's XVI Corps with the help of the Garrison troops.

There were no minefields and Sugiyama relied heavily on artillery which didn't arrive until the early hours of the 4th of August. Faced with overwhelming numbers, The Lucis Commonwealth Troops on El Lupo still had 25 combat worthy guns that allowed them to defend against Armored attacks while the other 25 were still being repaired. The Defences totaled to 15,000 Men, 50 Tanks or Light Tanks and 50 Guns that contrasted to 67,000 Troops, 5,000 Colonials, 195 Tanks, 20 Guns of the Archadian Army, all of which were a part of Luca's XVI Corps.

On the early hours of the 1st of August, Luca threw 5 armored and infantry attacks against the Commonwealth garrison at El Lupo, all of which the Lucis Commonwealth troops managed to repulse until the night. However, there was one drawback and per everytime that the Archadians would throw attacks, They would slowly deplete of ammunition. Sugiyama knew this and ordered reinforcements in form of the 9th Armored Division and elements from the Royal Artillery Regiment to relieve the town even if his III Corps were still building up.

The 9th Armored Division arrived in the early hours of the 4th of August while the Royal Artillery Regiment had deployed further away from El Lupo to get an effective range at the Archadian XVI Corps.

Phase Two: The Shelling

The shelling marked the climax and turning point for the Commonwealth Forces. 2 Brigades from the Royal Artillery Regiment deployed south of El Lupo and fired barrages at exactly 1:10am that didn't stop until the morning of 8:00am. The defenders could see detachments of troops advancing towards them. Coupled with fire from the defenders and the batteries, Luca was shocked that his planned attacks did not go so well and had to place his XVI Corps on defensive until the shelling could stop. By the morning of the 4th, The Shelling had stopped and the Archadians suffered high casualties due to the heavy barrage. Numerous Archadian Tanks were found on the desert fields destroyed while some were burning and some of the fuel poured out of the destroyed Archadian tanks.

Phase Three: The III Nihonjin Corps Arrive

On the 5th of August, The III Corps arrives just in time for Sugiyama to order the last phase of his attack. Luca had made the mistake of moving forward his entire XVI Corps forward. Sugiyama reacted immediately by sending the 12th Lucian-Nihonjin Division and placed the rest of III Corps on stand-by. As much as possible, Sugiyama wanted to preserve large numbers of the army for his offensive against the Archadians.

On the night of the 5th, Sugiyama ordered the 12st Division to go around El Lupo and attack the attacking XVI Corps as the garrison keeps them preoccupied. Aided by the 9th Armored Division, The Garrison managed to repulse Archadian attacks on El Lupo while being unaware that the 12th Division was flanking around the XVI Corps.

Phase Four: The Encirclement

In the afternoon on the 6th of August, The 12th Division managed to defeat a reinforcing army from the Blackshirt Corps and the XVI Corps was surrounded. Luca, determined not to yiled a single yard of sand refused to allow the troops to breakout of the encirclement and ordered the XVI Corps to fight to the last man and had deserters and traitors to be immediately shot without any trial no judgement.

The XVI Corps however, continued to fight until a last charge on the town on the evening that ended in retreat. In the early hours of the 7th when their Ammunition had been depleted and their tanks destroyed or abandoned. The Archadian troops ignored their General's order not to retreat and instead, surrendered to the Commonwealth Forces. However, Pockets of resistance continued until the morning of the 8th of August.

Aftermath

The Lucis Commonwealth Forces suffered 1,758 - 2,058 Casualties with 3,458 wounded, 35 Tanks. In contrast, The Archadians suffered 33,000 Dead or Wounded with 45,000 taken prisoners, The largest prisoner count for the war. The Archadians also lost 125 Tanks along with all 20 guns destroyed during the shelling on the 4th.

The Commonwealth frequently never had terrain advantage but were superior in armaments in quantity and quality coupled with an effective command and control of the troops. Commonwealth Artillery were superbly and excellently handled whilst the Archadian Artillery had no effect on the Commonwealth troops. Luca had relied on the firepower of his tanks and troops but were effectively diminished after the ill-handling of the Artillery.

Sugiyama's victory saved Basel-Ebel from an Archadian Take over and allowed the Commonwealth to take advantage against the Archadians. Sugiyama also earned a reputation of defeating a highly prized commander with a grand achievement and being the first time that he had ever beaten one of the most intelligent military commanders in the Central Forces. Sugiyama ordered more reinforcements after the battle and went after Luca in more battles until his final defeat at Arithea itself.

After the battle, Luca ordered his three remaining Corps to pull out and regroup and to wait for the next Commonwealth attack.