The Final Offensive:
At dawn on September 15th, 4185, a small squadron of Venetian “Morosini” bombers crossed into Byzantine territory at low-level. These were brand-new, long-range bombers, designed for the sole purpose of bombing the city of Constantinople, in retaliation for years of air attacks on Venice. Byzantine air defence was only alerted when the bombers climbed to their minimum bombing altitude and were caught on radar. They were now only minutes from their target...
For the first time, air-raid sirens sounded across the Byzantine capitol, too late for most to take shelter. The bombers were soon overhead, flying at just above the height of the tallest buildings. Bombs were dropped on several important factories, as well as on the area around ‘Das Captiol’ itself. One bomb even crashed into an upper floor of the building, sending a shower of debris and broken glass raining down to the ground, and starting a fire that gutted several floors before it could be put out.
The Venetian bombers now split up and made a mad dash for freedom, hugging the ground all the way. Around half of them were shot down by fighters, AAA or simply crashed. The actual damage to Constantinople was minimal, and there were very few casualties. Nonetheless, the Byzantine people were outraged, and the Venetian people were encouraged when they learned of the raid.
Yet this was really just an attempt to distract the Byzantine air defences. Roughly an hour later, the Iroquois airforce began a massive attack on Byzantine positions and airfields all across Latium. Soon after, the Iroquois, Venetian and Roman ground forces began attacking out of their beachheads. The anticipated, final, all-out battle for Latium had begun…
The allies concentrated on the northern end of the front, where it was hoped the Byzantine line would be weakest after withdrawing some units to Smyrna. However, the elite troops of the Byzantines had got the upper hand during the skirmishing of the last few weeks, and been able to secure several key positions in no-mans land. The allies had to push through many traps and ambushes, before they then discovered that far fewer Byzantine forces had been withdrawn that allied commanders were hoping for…
Nevertheless, the strong Iroquois forces were making progress into the massed ranks of the Byzantines, with the Venetians brining up the rear. The surviving Roman troops helped out wherever they could. On the front lines, a deadly storm of bullets, shells and rockets was soon flying in all directions. One way or another, the Iroquois tanks and assault teams managed to break through line after line of Byzantine defences, even when the Byzantines were lying in wait with their massed firepower. Byzantine commanders received a constant steam of depressing news, as reports came in of one seemingly impossible breakthrough after another. In some places, the superior numbers of the Byzantines actually worked against them, and made them more vulnerable targets for artillery.
Yet despite the disruption to their front lines, the Byzantine’s own grand offensive was able to begin on its scheduled date, barely two days after the allied attack. A massive artillery bombardment caught the Iroquois and their allies in the open, causing severe damage and stunning their offensive. Hordes of Byzantine tanks and mechanised troops now advanced at the allies, with the objective of forcing them off the peninsular for good. The Byzantines outnumbered the allies by at least three to two, and almost all of their troops were well equipped, well supplied and supported by heavy weapons. The same could not be said of the allies - the Venetians especially lacked heavy weapons and vehicles (having lost most of them with their first visit to Latium), and much of the surviving Roman army was made up of exhausted militia soldiers. The allies put their trust in the Iroquois commanders, in the hope that somehow they could overcome the odds.
(A burned-out ‘Kataphraktoi’ tank lies abandoned…
The full strength of both sides now met head on. Massed formations of tanks crashed into each other at point-blank range. Hilltops and ruined towns were fought over, captured, lost, and captured again. For days, the sound of gunfire and explosions was never ending. The trauma of battle destroyed the minds of many soldiers, who nonetheless continued to fight on aimlessly. In the skies overhead, an equally fierce struggle was taking place, as the airforces of both sides were destroying each other at a steady rate, while continually bombing and strafing the opposing forces on the ground…
September 19th, 4185 was the single most destructive day yet recorded in land and air warfare. In 24 hours, tens of thousands of tanks, airplanes and vehicles were lost from both sides, and close to 150,000 troops were wounded or killed.
As the weeks progressed, it became clear that the allies could make no progress. Indeed, the allies now had no real choice but to withdraw from Latium completely and evacuate by sea. The Byzantines had broken the back of the allies, at great cost to their own troops. Yet they still had enough strength left to keep attacking. In the final dreadful days of the fighting, many thousands of Venetian and Roman soldiers were killed or forced to surrender on the roads leading to the last coastal strongholds. However, the allies might have been completely overrun if not for the stubborn rear-guard defence of several Roman units, some still with heavy tanks and artillery, that fought to the death to prevent a total allied collapse.
(The remains of a tank factory, in one of the last Roman cities to be captured...)
Although it seems inevitable now that all of Latium will fall to Byzantines, the surviving Venetians and Iroquois so far been able to hold several key ports, and have begun the evacuation to Venice. The Venetians obviously hope the Iroquois will stay to help defend their island, but Venice is already short on supplies and GDI navies are closing in. It is rumoured the Iroquois will try to negotiate for a cease-fire and for the safe passage of their own troops back to the Iroquois homelands. In any case, it seems that the Iroquois expedition to Latium has been defeated.
Byzantium takes heaviest losses overall, particularly of infantry.
The Iroquois suffer heavy losses, particularly of vehicles and artillery.
Venice suffers heavy losses overall. Combined with the defeat at Smyrna, their army is now in very poor shape.
The Roman Army has only a few surviving units left.
Elsewhere, the Venetian army still struggles to hold Crete in the face of massive pro-Byzantine uprisings. The island is now blockaded, and the supply situation is critical. The Byzantine air force has stepped up its efforts to support the rebels, but the Venetian flag still flies for now.
Zeeland Ocean Battle:
At the start of July 4185, the GDI fleets in the east ocean found themselves threatened by two separate Iroquois naval forces - one near Zeeland, and one near Akwesane. The GDI fleets put their trust in the overall leadership of Japan. The Japanese plan was for their own forces to attack the Iroquois near Akwesane, while the Chinese and Mayan fleets would combine to contain the Iroquois near Zeeland.
The first fighting took place off the Mayan coast, as the Iroquois and their Dutch allies headed in the direction of Chichen Itza. It is rumoured that the Iroquois sent a series of fake radio messages in attempt to draw out the Mayans - first suggesting that they intended to bombard the Mayan capitol, and then suggesting that some of their ships had been disabled and were vulnerable to attack…
In any case, the Mayans did attack, but not with their surface ships. Despite the crisis facing the Mayan land forces, their air force had been ordered to treat all Iroquois and Dutch ships as high priority targets. The Mayans now sent in waves of aircraft from their coastal airfields. Iroquois carrier pilots soon found themselves seriously outnumbered, and in some ways outclassed…. Many of their Mayan opponents were flying in aircraft of a superior design and technology to anything the Iroquois had. The Iroquois’ fighters and flak did manage to shoot down many Mayan aircraft, but they could not prevent their own fleet from being seriously damaged, with several cruisers and destroyers lost.
(Iroquois carrier evades Mayan air attack)
At the same time, Mayan submarines began making a concerted effort to attack supply ships, and any other vulnerable targets that they could find. Faced with too many threats at once, the Iroquois and Dutch were forced to move away from the coast, out of range of the Mayan aircraft. However, almost by a miracle, none of their main capitol ships had even been slightly damaged. Many bombs had fallen dangerously close to the main Iroquois carrier, only to splash harmlessly into the ocean…
The Chinese fleet now arrived in the area, and the Mayan fleet left port to meet up with their ally. The Chinese and Mayans now had more ships overall, but had much less heavy firepower, and no carrier support at all. The Chinese had been modernising rapidly, but were still lacking in naval technology and training, and their inexperience began to show. Iroquois carrier aircraft soon began attacking the GDI fleet. The GDI put up a hail of flak and AAA, but could not prevent one of the Mayan dreadnaughts being crippled. Efforts to save this ship continued throughout the following battle, though it eventually had to be scuttled to avoid it being captured.
After several waves of air attacks, the Iroquois and Dutch fleets moved in to attack at close range. The Dutch were particularly eager for battle, seeking vengeance for the oppression that their country was enduring at the hands of the hated Mayans. By now, the GDI fleet was at a serious disadvantage in terms of heavy firepower, so the Mayan and Chinese decided to withdraw to the west, back to the Mayan coast and the cover of land based aircraft.
(A Mayan submarine prowls the seas…
In the end there was only a brief ship-to-ship battle. The heavy ships of the Iroquois and Dutch sank several GDI destroyers and cruisers, particularly the less sophisticated Chinese ships, while only one or two destroyers and cruisers were lost from their own fleets. A surprise attack by long-range Mayan bombers disrupted Iroquois efforts to peruse the GDI, and ensured that the bulk of the Mayans and Chinese fleets made it to the Mayan coast. Neither side was put out of action, and it was something of a stalemate. This suited the GDI, as Mayan aircraft and submarines could still continue to take a toll on the Iroquois supply lines.
The Dutch navy takes a small amount of damage.
The Iroquois navy and air force take a small amount of damage.
The Mayans lose a fair amount of naval power, losing a dreadnaught and several destroyers and cruisers, and also lose a small amount of air power.
The Chinese lose almost half their naval power, including most of their cruisers.
Battle off Akwesane Coast:
Meanwhile, two Japanese forces were moving against the Iroquois at Akwesane… One force was made up of a main carrier and its escorts, which sailed to the west of Gotland. The other force centred around a dreadnaught and several cruisers, which began moving north through the France-Gotland straights. The latter force was very visible to foreign observers on both sides of the straights, and the Iroquois soon knew about it. In any case, the Iroquois were already moving west to link up with the Zeeland force. The Japanese failed to trap the Iroquois between the two ‘pincers’. Instead, the Iroquois met the Japanese carrier force alone in the seas off Birka.
The Japanese carrier force skilfully manoeuvred around behind the Iroquois, sending waves of carrier aircraft against the enemy, while making it difficult for their own fleet to be tracked. This Japanese aircraft scored several lucky hits on the single Iroquois carrier, which was soon reduced to a burning hulk, and later sank. This was a worrying blow to the Iroquois force, since it removed most of their air cover… But they still had a battleship and a dreadnaught, and had many more cruisers and destroyers than the nearest Japanese force. Bravely, the Japanese now tried to lure the Iroquois back east, until the other Japanese force could arrive on the scene. The Iroquois didn’t take the bait, and continued on their course… But not before attacking the Japanese with whatever aircraft where still in the air, and sinking several of their ships. The Iroquois’ escort carrier was later able to save some of these planes, while some others made it back to Akwesane, but many were forced to ditch in the ocean.
(The Iroquois carrier, with fires burning out of control…
Aside from the loss of a carrier, the Iroquois fleet had not taken much damage overall. The Japanese had actually lost more planes than the Iroquois, shot down in dogfights or by AAA. As for the other Japanese ‘pincer’ force, it never caught up with the Iroquois and took no part in the battle, though it did come under heavy attack from Iroquois aircraft based at Akwesane, where it suffered the loss of its main dreadnaught and several other ships...
Japan loses a dreadnaught, and a fair amount of naval and air power.
The Iroquois lose a carrier, and a fair amount of air power, though their navy suffers fewer losses.
In the end, the Iroquois were able to combine their two fleets in the south east ocean, and now had a strong force in position off Zeeland. The GDI had taken the heaviest losses, but they still had a strong combined naval force of their own, and were able to begin attacking the Iroquois supply routes. However, questions were now being asked about GDI naval strategy. A lot of trust had been placed in the overall leadership of the Japanese, but their plans had not quite worked out. Their refusal to provide carrier support for the Chinese and Mayans was also seen as a crucial error by some GDI admirals…
Kurskuchal Pocket:
As the last half of 4185 began, the trapped Copanese forces at the town of Kurskuchal were being bombed into submission by the Mayan air force. The bombardment only got fiercer as time wore on – the Mayans were tying to obliterate the pocket before the Iroquois attacked out of Zeeland. The suffering of the Copanese troops was terrible, but they stubbornly refused to surrender. Although their fighting strength was reduced to a minimum, they still existed as a thorn in the side of the Mayans when the Iroquois advance began...
(A Copanese vehicle convoy, after a visit by the Mayan air force)
The Iroquois’ plan was to encircle the Mayans, who were in turn surrounding the Copanese. Two great pincers would attack the Mayan lines - the first pincer was made up of the remnants of the Dutch army. These troops needed no encouragement to attack the Mayans, but their enthusiasm could not make up for their lack of heavy weapons and their inferior tactics. The Dutch made a few surprising breakthroughs in the west, but made little progress overall. The Iroquois, on the other hand, managed to cut deep into the Mayan lines in the east, and began threatening to link up with the main Copanese front line…
The battle soon degenerated into utter chaos, as the trapped Copanese made one last desperate effort to break out. Both sides lost control of the situation, and the front lines disappeared altogether. Units found themselves fighting confused battles, with enemies and allies appearing in every direction. The Mayan’s air superiority could not be used to full effect - airstrikes and artillery bombardments did as much damage to friendly troops as they did to the enemy. Meanwhile, heavy rains turned large areas into swampland, making it hard for either side to move around.
The Iroquois had great confidence in their ‘wolf’ tanks, and although they found they could outmanoeuvre the Mayan ‘Kamaxtli’ tanks, they found it much harder to actually damage them… Whereas, the main gun of the Kamaxtli could usually knock out the Iroquois’ tanks with one shot. Each side had the advantage in certain situations, but the Mayan’s greater experience of mobile warfare generally gave them the edge.
(Iroquois tanks take up position in boggy ground…
In the end, the Mayan commanders were forced to order the withdrawal of Copper Viper army to the east. The other Mayan armies had invaded Copanese territory in the north - although the main Copanese army had withdrawn northwards to meet this threat, the Iroquois and Dutch still had enough force to gain the upper hand in the south. Nonetheless, heavy losses had been suffered on all sides. Of the trapped Copanese forces especially, less than one tenth were now in any state to continue fighting.
The Iroquois and Dutch soon met up with the main Copanese front line, capturing most of the Yaxchilan province in the process, and severing the Mayan’s principle supply route into occupied Holland. It seemed that both Chichen Itza and the Dutch heartlands were now vulnerable… However, the Mayan forces were already blasting a new supply route through the north of Copan, and the Iroquois’ own supply situation in Zeeland was rapidly deteriorating…
The Mayans lose a fair amount of ground and air forces.
The Iroquois suffer a similar amount of damage.
Copan loses a smaller amount of ground forces.
Holland loses a large proportion of its remaining land and air forces.
), aswell as a projection of what i think would have happened over the next few years into the future, based on everyone's history of orders etc. 
