Operation Spearhead

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Operation Spearhead
Part of the Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War of the Second Europan War
The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B13924.jpg
Rubrumian armour and infantry at the border town of Musan, 27 December 1944
Date4 December - 28 December 1944
Location
Border between Joyonghea and Churongchandat
Result

Allied Victory;

  • Kurosawa becomes the first Allied General to penetrate Churuongchandat
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Strength
Approx. 19 - 25 Divisions Approx. 20 Divisions with 9 Militia Brigades
Casualties and losses

12,978 casualties

  • 1,757 killed
129 tanks
79 aircraft

39,635 casualties

  • 5,251 killed
  • 3,500 died of disease or starvation
279 tanks
125 aircraft

Operation Spearhead, also known as "The Allied Invasion of Churuongchandat" (4 December - 28 December 1944) was fought primarily between Allied forces led by elements of the Rubrumian Army against Imperial forces led by the Imperial Quenminese Army. The battle was to be the 2nd largest fought during Operation Surrogate, and one of the most important battles of the Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War, which saw Allied forces cross the Joyonghean border and into the Asianna Mainland.

The border defenses had been correctly predicted by General Harry Kurosawa to be extremely strong and was "impenetrable" as many local resistance members had said. Kurosawa moved to navigate the weakest portion of the border where Allied forces can cross. It didn't take long that the border town of Musan was the perfect place to cross the border. Unfortunately for the Allies, defenses at Musan were strong and Imperial forces were put on key strong points along the border. The border crossing was divided into 3 sectors, the ZANACs on the left, Joyongheans on the right, and the Rubrumian and Jutlandish forces on the centre.

Kurosawa opened the battle by ordering the left and right flanks to attack, namely the border villages at Chima and Fudongkou but these were beaten back. Kurosawa then shifted to diverting enemy attention behind enemy lines when elements of the 1st and 6th Airborne Division were paradropped across the border on the night of 10 December. Despite heavy weather setting in, the paratroopers succeeded in dropping at designated locations and disrupted enemy lines. A handful of Rubrumian infantry entered Musan and destroyed mining operations at the Musan Iron Mine. In an attempt to push the Allies out of the positions near the border, Marshal Hồ Danh Sĩ Quốc decided on 13 December to attack key Allies positions, specifically Rubrumian positions near Musan. Aiding this attack were Ruzhite and Archadian forces that had been aiding in the defence at the start of the battle. Kurosawa feinted a retreat from Musan, which was capitalised by General Edward Samegawa, who pushed his forces onto the areas surrounding Fudongkou, this resulted in Quoc sending a portion of his army to repulse the ZANACs but had failed. This gave Kurosawa the opportunity to push the bulk of his forces towards Musan. By 17 December, the Rubrumians had regained their positions lost during the retreat. Samegawa would then feint a border crossing at his sector, when it became evident that the real Allied crossing was to take place at Fudongkou, Quoc sent in his best units to deny the Zanarkians the crossing, which allowed Kurosawa to send in the Joyongheans to attack Chima and the Rubrumians to enter Musan. For the next few days, Rubrumian forces clashed with Imperial forces at the town of Musan, when until Christmas Day, when Quoc received news that Grand General Cheon Sang-ji had commenced a crossing further west of Hyesong, resulting in defences falling around Musan. By 26 December, the Rubrumians had completely taken the border town and crossed the border into Churuongchandat. The ZANACs and Joyongheans crossed the border the following day as Marshal Quoc had been forced to retreat.

Background

The Battle

Aftermath