The Islander War

Our Islands Meant To Be

Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines, the enemy came to our shores, shelled our cities, and took the land of our fellow citizens of this United Commonwealth. Today, we have one mission;
We're taking our islands back.

— From an address given by Vice Admiral Olivia D. Oxley, Commander, Combined Services Task Group Oxley, to those in her command, before the initiation of Operation SATIATE to retake the islands

The Islanders War was a military conflict fought between the United Commonwealth, in its member state of the Republic of Ngaionui, and the Republic of Nouvolouis, from the 7th of March to the 20th of May, 154 A.S. The war itself would see the debut of many different military concepts and technologies into combat for the first time, vindicating some and disproving others. From the nuclear carrier to the precision munition, the weapons that would shape and define the wars of the future would get their first taste of blood and fire in this war.

Flashpoint

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Strategic Dilemma

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The war was, by all measures, a shocking surprise to the United Commonwealth. In less than 2 weeks, the situation changed from peaceful stability on this far off frontier to a state of violent turmoil. The Nouvolouian forces occupied 3 major islands within the week, and were seemingly poised to strike at a 4th, home to the Ngaionui capital.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth was on the back foot, and heavily. Its military forces in the region at the onset of the Invasion included two light patrol vessels, one of which was sunk in the first hour, a single battalion's worth of Marines, spread thinly across the half dozen islands and overwhelmed in short order on those attacked, 2 squadrons of Army Aviation aircraft that were barely supplied or maintained, and 3 battalions of light infantry, 1 regular and two Territorial Guards, that were forced to stay on the main island and hold out for as long as they could.
Reinforcements first came in the form of Carrier Task Group Formidable, consisting of 2 destroyers and a single carrier, its namesake UCS Formidable. This force was sent in with little warning, information, or preparation, all factors which contributed to the military fiasco that saw, for the first time, a capital warship of the UC Navy be compelled to flee from battle, damaged and battered, in decades, after a dozen "Michel" anti ship missiles launched from the edge of the horizon attacked the task group, scoring two hits and crippling the Formidable.
This sobering, horrifying tragedy appeared to finally compel sanity to rear its head in the upper halls of Military strategy. With Admirals' heads on the chopping block after such a defeat, it was realised that the only other option for significant Naval support in time to effect events was Carrier Task Group Mystique, already en route to rendezvous with Formidable as was originally planned, and now underway with a far greater escirt of 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers, and 2 frigates escorting its flagship, the UCS Mystique, a vessel far larger, more advanced, and capable than the Formidable was.
And so, when the first dust settled and all sides began to catch their breath and make their next plans, the weight of the world rested on the shoulders of Vice Admiral Olivia D. Oxley, Commander, Task Group Mystique. Now, she had a total of 8 surface ships, 1 carrier with 60 aircraft on board, 40 aircraft on the islands and 12 more salvaged from the Formidable, and a few thousand spare troops with which to take back an archipelago guarded by 12 warships and over 200 enemy aircraft. Her task force lacked much in the way of spare munition to rearm with, was running on fumes as far as aviation fuel was concerned, and in total only had the troop transport capacity to move a single platoon of lightly raked infantry with which to attack islands fortified with a hundred dug in troops each.
In short, she was having a bit of a hard time.

First Shot

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Sirens Screeching