Chapter 11: Operation Zanzibar
Part 4: Pax Sub-Equatoria Africanum
When we last left our heros, they've made great gains against the British forces in Africa, but have been getting nipped at by a small, but constant, stream of counter-attacks by British Colonial Cavalry. We now rejoin them on the first week of November, 1906.
The Boer FelderMarschall, who is publicly known only as "Chief of Staff" Takayama is spending another busy day in the secret operations center in the Presidential Palace that's only known as the "special room". He's currently on the radio with special agents Rude, Reno, Solid Snake, Ocelot Revolver and "Down Under," an Australian seperatist who was recruited to the Boer cause.
........! ...... .........
"Roger, Rude, so you say that Stanleyville only has three companies of Colonial Infantry and a Colonial Cavalry company guarding it, and most of the people, being Netherlanders, are VERY unhappy with British rule, over?"
.....Yes, Sir!
"Ok Rude, thanks.... Reno, what's the situation in Port Franqi, over?"
Well, Flying Ace, sir, this town's garrison is a frakkin' JOKE! They only have TWO companies of Colonial Infantry and ONE company of they sorriest lot of Colonial Sentries I've ever seen!
"Thanks Reno! Snake, how're things in Mombasa, over?"
Sir, they've also got a minimal garrison here.... BUT I must warn you, they've managed to muster a Colonial Cavalry Corps... Apparently they've figured that they're going to need a Corps of cavalry to stand even the SLIGHTEST chance against the 1st Light Horse, sir.... Other than that, they've got the same number and types of troops as Port Franqi, sir.
"Roger that Snake.... Ocelot, what's the status of Nairobi?"
Weal, they've done got three whole companies of Colonial Infantry backed by TWO batteries of heavy artillery, on top of which, they'll be done recruiting a fresh company of Colonial Cavalry! It's also going to take our troops a couple a' weeks to get there, too, so I wouldn't reccymend attackin' them jest yet!
"Thanks Ocelot, that info should help us for our upcoming 'Operation KILL-imanjairo'. ....Down Under, what is it you wanted to tell me, again?"
Well, Ahm gonner put 'is stroit up heere: They's onlay SAIVEN compernies o' Ozzy Infantry guardin' Melbourne! The rest o' Austraelia gots aboot th' same, so yuh cern get the bloody Brit's oot o' heere aisy roight now!
"Copy, Down Under... I'll bring that up with the President, but don't be expecting any Australian campaign until we get Africa pretty well locked down. Flying Ace, over and out."
After hanging the handset back onto its hook, Hikaro takes his report to President Kruger and Defense Minister Voorhees. Based on his recommendations, the President and Defense Minister draft plans for the final phase of "Operation Zanzibar" (the original goals of which were to conquer Zanzibar, the rest of former German East Africa and the former Belgian Congo), as well as plans for "Operation KILL-imanjaro" and "Operation Wallaby" (the Chief of Staff's original suggestion, "Operation Throw Another Shrimp on the Barby" was rejected for not only being too long, but also due to the likely fact that such a name for the operation would have the troops in the invasion force looking for the nearest pub instead of enemies to kill).
The plans were thus: To complete Operation Zanzibar as quickly as possible, all available troops would be moved into the hills directly between Port Franqi and Stanleyville, hopefully allowing the Republic to liberate both those towns in a single day. After that, the forces would be split, with half going to assault Mombasa, and the other half going to attack Rio Muni, thus liberating the former Spanish colony. After taking Mombasa, the plan was then to gather troops and take Nairobi. After that, one potential target would be to continue North from Nairobi, and take Djibouti, Khartoum, and Cairo..... Cecil B. Rhodes' dream of a "Cape to Cairo Railway" would come to pass, alright, but under different, "management"....
The new orders are dispatched to General Veers and Admiral Tromp, who begin moving troops into position. General Veers makes sure to have his artillery blast the elite British Colonial Cavalry company that killed one of the Boer Rifle companies guarding Tanga. After the artillery severely decimates the elite Colonial Cavalry, two companies of Commandos are sent up Mt. Kilimanjaro to finish them off. The elite Colonial Cavalry, living up to their status, actually manages to slaughter the regular Commando company, just before the Elite Commandos following behind wipe them out.
Meanwhile, most of the units have finished moving into the hills between Port Franqi and Stanleyville. The 7.5 cm mountain guns bombard the city of Port Franqi, but only score 3 hits, so the troops dig in and wait until they've rested good before attacking.
Britain, in a desperate scramble, signs La Plata into its war with Spain, Italy into its war with the US (thus proving Italy's utter stupidity), and the Balkans into its war with Uruguay. France and the Balkans team up against the US shortly thereafter, while Russia pulls Central America and Italy into its war against the Balkans. Defense Minister Voorhees and Chief of Staff Takayama begin drafting plans for "Operation Vesuvius," due to the fact that Italy is already over-extended and the fact that we're already at war with them, thanks to British Meddling... The industrial centers in Rome and Venice would make a nice addition to the Republic.
The Central Americans also join Russia's war against Scandinavia, while La Plata and Japan join the anti-French dogpile.
Spain and Uruguay, realizing they're both in trouble, sign a peace treaty so they can concentrate on the multitude of enemies arrayed against them. Argentina also signs peace treaties with Britain, Italy and La Plata. Central America, in a move to lessen the number of enemies it faces, makes peace with Brazil, hoping to concentrate on stopping the American Juggernaut. Unfortunately for Central America, the US also ends its pointless war with the Balkans, which means that it will be able to better concentrate on fighting Central America and Britain....
Which they do quite handily, and take the Caribbean island of New Kingston away from Britain.... Perhaps Belize will be next.
In response, the British send a lone company of Colonial Cavalry into our territory outside Tanga, but they aren't expected to last long.
General Veers orders his artillery in Tanga to blast the Colonial Cavalry, and a regular Commando company wipes out the demoralized Colonial Cavalry, gaining another ton of raw materials for the Republic.
In the last week of November, the artillery in the hills outside Stanleyville begins bombarding the town, reducing all the defending companies to a fraction of their full strength. One company of regular Commandos is annihilated during the assault, but two elite Commando companies massacre the defenders and capture the city along with five tons of raw materials!
General Veers begins moving units into place to attack Port Franqui next month, as well as towards Mombasa in anticipation of the launch of "Operation KILL-imanjaro".
Shortly afterwards, New Granada comes asking for an alliance against Japan.... Since we're already at war with two nations and have nothing to gain from a war with Japan (other than taking Eritrea from them, but that won't happen until we can take Kenya and Sudan), we decline and instead offer them 100 Gilders per month in aid payments (yes, the Boer Republics ARE that rich.... We're the third wealthiest nation overall, and have the second highest per-capita income. Not bad for a nation that was struggling just to survive 10 years ago.)
La Plata pulls the Balkans into its war with Scandinavia, the US into their war with Germany, and Brazil into the war with Russia. Germany pulls Japan into its war with La Plata, and Brazil into its war with spain,
right before back-stabbing Brazil and declaring war on them!
France and Central America form an alliance against China, while China and the Balkans ally against the Dutch. The Biggest news of early December, however, is the fact that
Russia joins France in its war against the US... Now we have a 3-way battle between the biggest nations on earth, and the "Great War" has descended into utter chaos.... Domestic Minister Feldhauser suggested that the Boer Republics were probably the only nation that could not only keep track of who they've fought over the years, but also were probably the only ones who were fighting with any kind of specific goals in mind! The President and the rest of his staff didn't disagree with her one bit!
Argentina, apparently coming to the same conclusions, makes peace with the Balkans and France, making it the only other country NOT involved in at least half a dozen wars. Central America and Japan sign a peace treaty, as does Scandinavia and France.
The only military news in early December is the on-going skirmishes between Boer Commandos and British Colonial Cavalry outside Tanga. In yet another battle on Mount Kilimanjaro, a company of Colonial Cavalry kills the company of regular Commandos that killed the LAST company of Colonial Cavalry that attacked us, while another moves in to attempt an attack on the army moving towards Mombasa. Those colonial cavalry quickly learn why attacking a siege train is NOT a good idea, as they get bombarded to smithereens by the 7.5cm Mountain Guns, and finished off by one of the Light Cavalry companies, who capture the ton of Raw Materials the British Cavalry were carrying. A veteran Light Cavalry company from Tanga finishes off the last British Colonial Cavalry company outside the city, and the siege train moves on towards Mombasa.
Two more companies of British Colonial Cavalry show up outside Stanleyville, but they, also, get heavily bombarded and finished off by two veteran Commando companies, both of whom get promoted to elite status, along with capturing another ton of raw materials.
The third week of December sees Port Franqi getting heavily bombarded, with every single company of defending troops being reduced to 25% of their numbers, after which a company of of regular Commandos, an elite Commando company and the Elite Guard Cavalry overrun the remaining defenders without taking any losses!
Port Franqi, along with three tons of raw materials is ours! The entirety of the former "Belgian" Congo is liberated from British rule!
On Christmas Eve, 1906, President Kruger, along with General Veers, Chief of Staff Takayama, Defense Minister Voorhees and Domestic Minister Feldhauser hold a dedication ceremony in Leopoldville. The President announces that with the British being driven out of the former German East Africa, Zanzibar and the former Belgian Congo, Operation Zanzibar has come to a successful conclusion.
In addition, he organized the cities of Leopoldville, Port Franqi and Kongolo would become part of the "Kongo Provisional State" while Elizabethville and Stanleyville would become part of the "Sovereign Republic of Rwanda," giving the former slaves-in-all-but-name "workers" full control of the rubber plantations in the area. The Domestic Minister heard the Chief of Staff muttering something about "Hopefully this will keep them from killing each other 90 years from now," but she dismissed it as one of his many eccentric quirks.
Troops begin moving into the hills outside Rio Muni, in preparation for Operation KILL-imanjaro, and capture five tons of raw materials that the British carelessly left lying around.
Outside Mombasa, all 7.5cm Mountain Guns and ships from the
Pretoria Battle Group bombard the city, scoring several hits, and spot the British Colonial Cavalry Corps defending the city. The 1
st Light Horse moves into position to lead the strike against Mombasa early next year...
The last week of 1906 sees the "Great War" continuing to escalate with Britain and La Plata teaming up against Germany and Central America... The more fronts Britain is fighting on, the better as far as the Boer war department is concerned.
Chile and Japan as well as the US and Austria join the ever-growing dogpile against France, while New Granada and Chile go to war with the Ottomans and Austria declares war on Spain.
The Netherlands signs peace treaties with Spain and the Ottomans and Persia and France end their pointless war.
In more local developments, a British Colonial Cavalry company attacks a veteran Commando company outside Stanleyville and gets pwned in the process, while another solitary company of colonial cavalry moves into the border regions near Port Franqi.
Thus 1906, Operation Zanzibar and this chapter comes to a close.
Insurgents know the ticket, having collapsed governments for hundreds of years. Britain's in even more trouble, being mobbed by several countries - one of whom is controlled by a human player and is thus not ******ed - and the 'insurgent' in this case is well-armed and has regional superiority!
(nevermind that your troops are better and/or backed by more artillery than you can shake a stick at).
