April
Villa stood atop the nearly 2500m tall peak directly north of Tenochtitlan and peered through the long field glasses through the haze and down into the Mesoamerican capital.
"What am I looking for?" He asked in Anahuac. The answer took a moment while the question was tranlated into Norman, and then the while the answer from the Confederate advisers was translated into Anahuac: "It's not what you are looking for, it's what you don't see. No enemy troop concentrations seem evident. You'll notice the thin line of trenches immediately below us, but they aren't nearly as elaborate as we expect."
"So?" Asked Villa. More translating, but this time the Major answers: "So we believe this means that instead of defending the city from attack, they intend to fight from within the city. This is a well thought out strategy. We can expect our losses to be much higher than we'd expect even in an assault on a prepared position. No sane general chooses to fight an offensive in an urban environment like this."
Villa pulled his head away from the field glasses, before commenting "We haven't the men necessary to encircle the city either. What do we do?"
The Major smiled wryly. "We think less conventionally. I suggest you take your cavalry for another ride clear around the city. Ascertain if they have troops massed to the south. Raid targets of opportunity. Make yourself known. Once that is done, I expect they'll still have a corps of infantry in there somewhere. We have two options. We can simply shell Tenochtitlan until they have only rubble to hide in..."
Villa cut him off. "No, we need to take Tenochtitlan whole if at all possible."
The Major continued. "Or, we bite off chunks. We send small parties in at night to destroy key targets through demolition. Bring down blocks of buildings with charges and artillery fire. Attempt to isolate enemy units from each other. Once we find a large concentration, we shell it mercilessly. Even a force as large as a corps can't be everywhere down there. If we can cut off and reduce a few chunks, the rest may just falter. Meanwhile we risk the minimum number of our own men."
"But what of their own artillery? Aren't we vulnerable to them shelling us as well?" Villa asked.
The Major had a reply ready for that question too. "Possibly, but we hold the high ground. If they mass enough artillery to be effective, we can most likely see it from up here, even before they start shooting it off. From that point, counter-battery fire is easy. And if your Cavalry remains active, we can disrupt any attempts at resupply from outside the city. If our intelligence is right, we won't even have to worry about that though."
Villa looked back through the glasses and considered, before turning back toward the Major. "I like this plan. I think also we should prepare a message for the inhabitants. Anyone that wants to surrender and come out of the city and join us will be warmly received. Major, can your flying machines drop such a message on the city?"
"I see no reason why not."
"Then, let us make it so!"
June
The acrid smell of spent explosives, burning buildings, and charred flesh would have been overpowering for men of lesser experience, but even LeVille had become accustomed to it. In nearly two months of battle, despite Villa's original pronouncement that the city must survive intact, whole neighborhoods had been reduced to rubble.
The worst damage was caused by the conflagration sparked by one of the covert demolition teams, which had miscalculated wind speeds and the volatility of the buildings they intended to demolish. The resulting fire, uncontrolled, burned for more than a week. After that, the urgency of containing the destruction had been lost. "It would be better to take the city whole, but if we must, we will lay waste to it to root out these immoral Communists." Villa had said.
Now, standing on the same peak from where they'd surveyed the city two months prior, the scene had completely changed. Still battle raged on. Every rubble pile a fortress. Every ditch and open sewer a trench line. Any man walking upright a target.
"Generalissimo, we have today's figures." One of Villa's men reported so quietly he almost spoke under his breath. He handed Villa a slip of paper. Villa only looked at it and pursed his lips.
"Do we have any idea how many of them are left?" Villa asked.
The Major, looking haggard, only shook his head. "Accurate counts are impossible. We know we've taken 9,000 prisoners. We know we've recovered a similar number of enemy bodies. What we can't know is how many we've killed or injured that are still in areas of the city the enemy controls. I think it's safe to expect that those numbers should be considerable, considering how much of the city we've reduced with our artillery."
"And the refugees? Any word on food and water from the north?" Villa asked.
One of Villa's aid replied. "We expect a fresh shipment soon. The Confederates sent a train late yesterday with essential medical supplies, which also proves that the entire line north is repaired. Still, the people in the camps south of the City are certainly starving. Are you still planning to make the trip down there today?"
"Yes, but my plan has changed." Villa turned to face the assembled officers and advisers. "At noon, we ride, but we ride straight through the City."
Villa plotted out three routes on a map of Tenochtitlan, split his cavalry force in three, and took the lead of the middle column himself. At exactly Noon, he gave the word, and they moved out. Smith and LeVille and a number of the Confederates fell in behind Villa in column.
The city itself was much too ruined to run through the city at a gallop, or even at a trot in many places. Still Villa pushed hard for the first few miles, until pulling up abruptly.
LeVille looked quizzically at Smith. "Looks like a skirmish line ahead". Smith pointed in the general direction of what appeared to be impromptu fortifications in the rubble strewn across the street between two ancient apartment blocks.
They had little time to examine it before Villa pointed his horse at the enemy and with a loud "YAH!" spurred his steed forward. The column, including the Confederates followed dutifully.
Villa was at full gallop when he reached the rubble wall and wire that constituted the fortification. His horse neatly hurdled it while the Socialist defenders simply watched, jaws wide open. They neglected even to open fire on their enemy until after Villa was well clear.
What resulted was a short, but ferocious firefight, but in the end the 50 or so Socialists were either killed or had broken and run.
"Can you believe that?" Smith asked LeVille as they rode forward again at a trot.
About 800 meters on they came upon the Socialist's main fortification line. Villa didn't even hesitate this time, but spurred his horse ahead again. The Socialists were less hesitant, and opened up with hail of machine gun and rifle fire. Many of Villa's men reigned in their horses and stopped, rather than become the targets of the machine guns, but Villa spurred on. A Confederate cavalry saber appeared in his hand just as he strode up and over the wire and over the improvised rubble wall in the street. LeVille could just make out the surreal sight of a Socialist defender's head rolling off his body.
Then Villa was unhorsed. The reluctant body of his column, nearly in unison spurred forward to the aid of their Generalissimo. Many fell, but a few made it through. The Confederates, stunned by what they were watching, hung back.
The Next Day
The sound of distant artillery fire reverberated off the mountains surrounding Tenochtitlan. The Major was standing over a map spread out on the street.
"I'll be damned." He scratched his head, before pointing with a stick at the map. "If this is right, I think we've split what's left of the enemy in half along here." He traced a line through the city.
He turned toward a Mesoamerican officer. "I recon we'll want to reinforce that line before they counterattack. Your Generalissimo is either one of the world's greatest military geniuses, or a damned lucky fool."
"What are the casualty numbers?" The Major was looking at Smith.
"Not good. Nearly the entirety of Villa's column was either killed or wounded, including the Generalissimo himself. The other two columns took a beating too, but once we figured out we had a breakthrough, we managed to redirect most of them to the break. I'd say we're probably down to 50% of our cavalry available. But the morning scouting is favorable."
A Mesoamerican runner appeared with a note and handed it to the ranking Officer. He read it aloud in Anahuac. Smith interpreted: "From the cavalry: We've been able to ride all the way to the refugee camp on the southeast side. Sporadic fire from the enemy, but many positions appear abandoned. Infantry mopping up behind us. Many enemy prisoners."
"We should make sure to reposition the artillery to take advantage of the breakthrough." The Major recommended. Then to Smith: "We've probably got week's more work here, but I think maybe the tide has turned."
Smith replied: "I think maybe we should go find out if the Generalissimo is alive or dead."
Tenochtitlan Times
Special Edition
A few days later
VICTORY!!
Rejoice, people of Mesoamerica, for the yoke of the Eye is no longer upon your shoulders! Tenochitlan is now free of the evil forces that have held it for so long, and a new era has dawned - one of peace and prosperity for all free Citizens!
Generalissmo Villa, the hero of the Liberation, has graciously accepted the post of Acting President until the remaining forces of the Eye can be eradicated, and hopes the People will desire many long, prosperous years of the new era.
Hail Liberación!!
Hail Villa!!
Hail Mexico!!
Viva la Revolucion!
Viva Villa!
Viva Mexico!
;D
BTW tommorow is el Dia de la Revolucion in Mexico.
Rohan would welcome representatives of the new mexican government to visit us, and we send congratulations on liberating yourselves from the Corupting influence of the Red Plague.
IC: YAY!! Less Eye
OOC: YAY!! More BR
^_^
Sometime at a time to be determined that works with the pace of the sim and after these events :p :
The government of the Mexican Republic wishes to establish a "clean slate" with its relations with the world. Emissaries are sent to the various capitals, bearing bona fides and requests for the establishment of embassies.
Inquiries as to the status of the ongoing "mopping up" of Eye loyalists are all given the same answer: "what Eye loyalists?".
Meanwhile, the Anti-Columbian Superweapon Project receives additional funding.
31 December 1917
Celebrations in Tenochitlan mark the beginning of the first year of the new era of peace and prosperity for our new country! Rejoice, citizens of Mexico, rejoice, for we are free, free indeed, and through the wisdom of our leaders and the grace of divine protection we shall always be free!
Vila, si! Anahuac, no!
Vila, si! Anahuac, no!
Late 1917
The Habsburg Government is cautiously non-inimical towards the new regime in Mexico. The anti-satanist stance is wellcome, republicanism is not, and revolution is not far from Eye worship as far as the Habsburgs are concerned. Attitude towards Property and the Church will be given close scrutinity.
The Auslanderministerium made it known that it know to Mexican authorities that is significant funds to spend on the search of relatives of those Mesoamericans who had fled the turmoil and are now resident in Parana.
Tentative contacts between the French goverment and the New Meso American government are established.
One of the points is the border between the Great Canal zone and NMA, during the recent unpleasantness the border was officialy closed, but French Army patrols along the border had a distinct lack of succes catching anybody.
Public statement:The DKB acknowledges that someone else claims to be in control of some land we could care less about near the Americans.
Private comment: Was? Dort ist EINE ANDERE rückwärts Nation in Nordamerika? Mein Gott im Himmel, nicht haben jene Leute Geburtenkontrolle auf diesem Kontinent?
The CSA reconizes the new goverment of Pancho Villa.
The Republic of China recognizes the new government of Pancho Villa and accepts the tentative request for the establishment of a Mexican embassy at Guangzhou, we expect the action to be reciprocated.
The Maori are pleased to recognize the new and more productive form of government selected by the Mesoamerican people, and welcome the chance to establish formal diplomatic relations.
late summer, 1918
As order continues to be restored in our Glorious Nation, the establishment of the Federal Police has been announced by our Esteemed Leader, who stated "I value the freedom of all men like any other, but a wise man once said that eternal vigiliance was the price of freedom. This man should have been a Mexican, for I take his words to heart! The federales will be that force of eternal vigiliance that will make sure no-one, least of all the Eye, takes away our hard-won freedom. Viva Mexico!"
The Federales will receive shiny badges...
----
About a month later
Construction has begun on reconstructing the battered fortifications of Tentochitlan. Nearly destroyed in the war, many of those charged with supporting the Eye during the Glorious Revolution have been offered the choice to assist in the construction of the new 'Fortress Mexico' in exchange for having their sentences commuted...
---
around the end of November
It was announced today that the city of Tentochitlan is no more. Instead, the capital of our Glorious Nation will henceforth be known as Mexico City, in a gesture of the new change, hope, and peace that has taken over our land, and in eradicating another reminder of the heinous presence of the Eye. Viva Villa! Viva Mexico!
Quote from: The Bushranger on February 09, 2010, 02:30:51 PM
The Federales will receive shiny badges...
Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!
;) ;)
*a not-so-discrete telegraph arrives on Senior Villa's desk*
SENIOR PRESIDENTE ARE HAPPY YOU HAVE MADE SUCH PROGRESS IN SUCH SHORT TIME STOP AS ALWAYS ARE WILLING TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE YOU FIND NECESSARY STOP CAN ARRANGE FOR THIS ASSISTANCE BY EITHER MATERIAL OR TECHNOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE STOP HOPE ALWAYS THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WILL BE PROSPEROUS STOP
WW
<slightly belated rely to said telegram>
APOLOGIES FOR DELAY STOP RUNNING SHIP OF STATE SOMETIMES LIKE BAILING ROWBOAT WITH COLANDER STOP WOULD BE HAPPY TO SCHEDULE A MEETING TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF MUTUAL CONCERN AND INTEREST AT YOUR CONVINENENCE STOP SALUD VILA
---
El Universal
some time in 1919
Reportedly experiments into bringing our glorious nation into the advanced world of aeronautics have run into difficulties, as the ACME Aviation Correcamino prototype aircraft has reportedly crashed on takeoff, the gasoline to fuel its engine exploding in a spectacular fireball. The pilot, one W. Chacal, appears to have been thrown clear of the crash however, and is said to be suffering only from a bad case of being covered in soot from the fire...
Nooooo!!! You stole Willie! Noooo!!! ;D
Shouldn't it read "While chasing a Correcamino type aircraft"?
That, clearly, comes later, once the obsession has had time to develop. :D