| Operation Retribution 1983: Doomsday |
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| Part of Susquehanna Counter-Raider Operations | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Invasion (2011 - 2014) Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Guard Absorption (2013 - Ongoing) | Invasion (2011 - 2014) Allentown Mob Remnant Absorption (2013 - Ongoing) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Governor Lou Barletta Secretary of Defense George Cole | "The Don" Unknown |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Original Force: 100 infantry Forces as of October 1, 2013 Forces during Security Mission (November 2014-Present) | Original Force: Allentown Mob Remnant- ~1,000 Forces as of October 1st, 2013 Forces during Security Mission (November 2014-Present) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Army: 126 killed by enemy action, six killed by friendly fire, 27 killed by in-theater accidents Total: 159 Killed | ~890 Killed ~360 Wounded |
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Operation Retribution is a military operation occurring from 2011 to 2014 by the Commonwealth of Susquehanna to secure its borders and eliminate the raider threat. Currently they have troops deployed in Luzerne Territory, Schuylkill County, and Wyoming County. The bulk of the military forces are made up of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna Defense Force troops, with some police and State Police reinforcements. The operations ended November of 2014, mopping up should finish by 2015, and absorption by 2019.
The primary reason why the operation was prolonged is because of the lack of resources to sustain an offense, and not enough resources to completely destroy the raiders.
History[]
The rise of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna was a time of turmoil for the region. Recently formed militias were being reorganized into an army and began launching concentrated attacked on the raiders who were attacking from the north and the east.
Less than a year after the foundation of the Commonwealth, several raider groups attacked Berwick, killing eight civilians, and wounding several dozen.
Army National Guard Operations[]
2011[]
In late October of 2011, after a series of attacks on Berwick and small communities, the untested Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Guard mobilized for the first time.
Military and government officials believed that they were made up of not only the local gangs and raiders that had sprung up like weeds after Doomsday, but the remnant of the Allentown Mob as well, which had escaped from the Reading-Allentown War. Military personnel that had encountered the enemy believed that the gangs were mainly the Bloods and Crips who had temporarily formed a truce to survive since groups had escaped Wilkes Barre and Scranton on Doomsday.
South was overrun by raiders, although CoS units came in contact with several Reading military units, it was made clear that Susquehanna was on its own. There was some transfer of ammunition from Reading to Susquehanna, who at the time lacked the resources to mass produce ammunition.
By the time winter arrived, there had been 20 bombings in Susquehanna and several attacks. As November drew to a close, the attacks ceased, and the Commonwealth ceased combat operations until April of the following year.
The military took advantage of the lull to actively recruit and train more personnel to fill the ranks, and also continue to stockpile ammunition an explosives in preparation for the spring offensive.
Military planners believed that Reading pushed the raiders out lead to Susquehanna dealing with the leftovers. Reading officials requested for the government, if at all possible, to arrest 'the Don' if found and send him to Reading for trial.
2012[]
There was one attack in February of 2012, on Valentines Day. Ten militants attacked Berwick High School's winter dance, using a car bomb and firing indiscriminately into the crowd. The local police arrived and engaged the terrorists, in a shoot out. The terrorists were armed with heavy weapons, and were wearing former US Army uniforms, which is why the border patrol didn't stop them.
The gang members were later found armed with M-16's, M72 LAW anti-tank rocket launchers, crude M3 submachine guns, and an assortment of homemade explosives.
After the local police engaged, police from several counties as well as the National Guard engaged. Finally, the militants lit the building on fire, and began to indiscriminately shoot into the teenagers and military.
Snipers, who before were unable to get a clear shot were ordered to kill the enemy at all costs, and a fierce gun battle emerged. After firing over 1000 rounds of ammunition, and losing several police cars and officers, the militants were killed. Fire and rescue units from as far away as Bloomsburg had arrived and immediately began assisting, as did local community members and the military.
Sixteen teens were found dead, mostly from asphyxiation, but a few were from gunshot wounds. The police suffered six dead, five injuries, and the military, one killed, and four injured. In all, the militants fired over 5000 rounds of ammunition, and ten rockets. There was much damage to the area, including the loss of the local high school.
The public was shocked by the brutality of the attack, and demanded revenge. Military planners drew up a counterattack mission and sent in the second platoon of the Susquehanna Guard to bomb an enemy fuel depot, while Cessna 172's, modified for combat would bomb the crude airstrip and fortifications. As it turned out there were no aircraft for the terrorists to use, but it was the first time the CoS had used the Air National Guard as an offensive tool.
In April the Commonwealth launched a massive counterattack, relieving the besieged city of Hazleton and the few defenders there, as well as securing a supply line from Susquehanna to Hazleton and damaging a roadway from White Haven to Hazleton.
The jeep unit was stationed in Hazleton as were two infantry platoons to support the Hazleton police and militia.
The State Police began to set up checkpoints on the roads leading into Susquehanna. Once they were set up, local police and County Militia personnel were rotated to patrol the border. After four attacks in which three militiamen were killed, the Defense Forces put a platoon in Berwick on standby at all times.
After that attack, Susquehanna sent several skirmish patrols out to attack the raider patrols. Three soldiers were killed, and ten were wounded. 24 raiders were found dead, and an unknown number were injured. The media deemed this the Berwick Massacre.
2013[]
Counter to Susquehanna's belief, the raiders increased their attacks in 2013, forcing Susquehanna yet again on the defensive. The government began to fall into defensive positions, but still attempted to protect people. They began to lose ground, but the military managed to thwart three terror attacks planned, and prevent Berwick from falling to the raiders. Hazleton was almost under siege, but defense by civilians and police as well as the National Guard detachment there, the city did not fall and managed to hold enough land around the area for a stable defense.
2014[]
After an unusually harsh winter that delayed combat operations on both sides, Susquehanna launched an attack against the raiders who were weakened by infighting between the three gangs, the lack of food over the winter that led to cannibalism, and a bad case of the flu.
Susquehanna purchased 20 Jeep Raiders from North Pennsylvania in 2013, arriving in February 2014. Since gaining the combat vehicles, the government retired the armored pickup trucks, turning them over to the Military Police.
Battle of Jeddo[]
On April Fool's Day, the raiders ambushed a convoy of six Jeep Raiders that were headed back from combat operations against raiders in Freeland. They were just leaving the ruins of Jeddo at approximately 2:30 PM when the attack occurred. The enemy pinned down the soldiers who were low on ammunition for the M2 Browning, and their rifles, and no rounds left for the M20 Super Bazookas. They radioed in for an airstrike, but they had to wait until the Air National Guard could fuel and load the two COIN aircraft.
Using what little ammunition they had for their M2 Browning, they returned fire, sustaining six wounded and one killed after one of the Jeeps was hit by a mortar bomb. Many of the soldiers resorted to using their pistols, and scavenging ammunition from the wounded and dead.
The soldiers acted ingeniously, using the M2 on single shot as a long range gun, killing hidden raiders to conserve ammunition.
A grenade severely wounded the commander, so Captain John Chavez took command of the unit. He ordered one Jeep to unload what ammunition they had left for the M2 Browning to the other Jeeps. They were ordered to return to Hazleton, get the major to the hospital, and attempt to get support to pull them out.
The unit was down to four Jeeps, and 19 soldiers against an unknown amount of enemies, and were running low on ammunition. Captain Chavez radioed that in to command that the situation was dire, with them running low on ammunition. He had ordered the Jeeps to form a box so they could fire at the enemy in all four directions.
Meanwhile at Hazleton Regional Airport, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain was getting ready to airlift A Platoon of the 109th Company to Fort Indiantown Gap for counter terrorism training with Gettysburg and Reading forces. When the news reached Command, the unit and aircraft were reassigned to land in a nearby clearing and drop off the soldiers.
In preparation, for tactical information, a single Cessna scout plane took off in an attempt to see the situation that the soldiers and COIN planes would be headed into. The aircraft was unarmed, and unarmored, so it was dangerous for the low flying aircraft. While taking pictures and drawing maps of the enemy, the plane took some light damage from a machine gun. Once it was certain, it dropped several long burning phosphorus flares, mainly to mark the enemy, but also hopefully to injure some.
The precious stores of rockets was accessed, with four rockets being loaded onto each plane, and 400 rounds being loaded in the machine guns. The pilots were ordered not to take any unnecessary risks.
When the report came in from the scout, planners compared the information to what was received from the jeep unit. It was estimated that the enemy had about 150 men attacking, obviously attempting to destroy the vehicles. The Jeep that had returned was given 30 grenades, 12 rounds for the M20 Super Bazookas, as well as several thousand rounds for the machine guns, and the soldiers.
Once arriving back at the convoy, the Jeep unloaded the ammunition and the soldiers began to reload their weapons, and decided to attempt to break out and force their way into Jeddo. To idea was to use a building to hold off the enemy until reinforcements' could arrive. The Jeeps drove into town, with one losing a tire to a stray bullet, and one soldier being shot in the leg. The medic in the unit continued to treat the injured, although the lack of medical supplies was an issue.
Two soldiers who were designated as scouts and snipers for the unit went on the roof and began to snipe the raiders. They also took several grenades, and threw them at the enemy. The pair managed to destroy three machine guns, and two improvised mortars.
The Jeep that had returned brought several red flares that were to be thrown when Command radioed in that the planes were on their way. That notice came in, that the aircraft were ten minutes away. The men inside threw the flares into the raiders, and hid in the center of the building. The two scouts threw several grenades, then ran inside. As the last one was running inside, the two planes flew in, and unloaded the missiles and machine gun bullets into the raiders. Three men sustained minor injuries when shrapnel punched through the walls and hit them.
Only a few minutes after the pair of COIN planes left, a single C-47 dropped 26 men from A Platoon. They were not issued any of the heavy weapons they were normally armed with because of weight. Instead, the men were armed with additional Model 870 shotguns that were pulled from storage.
When they landed, the platoon found the survivors from the original team. They quickly distributed additional ammunition and attacked the enemy.
The COIN aircraft circled around and hit the raiders again. This broke up the enemy enough that the unit was able to get through. They ran to the few surviving jeeps and the original jeep crews began to march back to Hazleton. The fresh troops attacked the raiders, and after about one-half hour later, they wiped them out.
In the aftermath there were four jeeps destroyed, 12 soldiers injured, and three killed.
Final Offense[]
On October 12th, Susquehanna launched its final offensive of the season. It launched one full company of infantry, the Jeep unit, artillery unit, as well as ground attack unit from the Air National Guard, and two special forces units.
The military directly attacked White Hall from the front and bombed the crude airstrip. The raiders launched their aircraft against the attack planes of Susquehanna, and opened fire with machine guns.
A crop duster strafed a squad of soldiers from Susquehanna, wounding two and killing one. Another group of soldiers fired an anti-aircraft missile and shot it down.
The next day raiders sent one hundred civilians against the military. The commander ordered the men to hold their fire. Most threw down their weapons and surrendered. In response, the raiders opened fire on the civilians.
The military, horrified, returned heavy fire and lay siege to the community. Remaining raider units retreated into the borough and Susquehanna prepared for a long fight.
Military planners set up a perimeter around the community and set up command quarters. The reserves for the National Guard mobilized as well in support. Artillery and support units provided support and scouts set up a watch over the perimeter.
A slave revolt on November 2nd gave Susquehanna the ability to break the defenses and advance into the town. Jeeps advanced, and attacked enemy positions. A small group of 25 raiders defected and aided the military around the strongest positions that the enemy occupied.
By November 5th, they occupied the entire town and surrounded the final holdouts and raider headquarters. There were over 100 raiders holed up inside, so the Susquehanna Guard was sent in. A gun battle ensued and the army stormed the compounds all at once. They were pushed out with heavy casualties, so they were ordered to secure the surrounding borough.
Fighting room to room, Susquehanna suffered quite a few casualties as the military went house to house. Towards the end, soldiers relied heavily on grenades and mortar strikes.
On the night of November the 2nd, the 2nd Platoon of the Susquehanna Guard was secretly inserted into the compound by sneaking through the sewage system. They managed to make their way to the center compound where they wounded "The Don" and took him prisoner.
For the extraction, the Susquehanna Defense Forces used a borrowed UH-1 Huey and crew from Canada and extracted the soldiers as the rest of the soldiers launched a diversion attack on the gates with artillery and mortar strikes, the Jeeps, and aircraft.
The remaining holdouts surrendered after finding out that their leaders were dead or captured. All the ones who had not defected were sentence to hard labor, and the slaves were all freed. The men who defected were stripped of most of their wealth and relocated.
This ended the combat operations in the region, and Susquehanna is left with reconstruction, inhabiting, an annexing the region.
Air National Guard Operations[]
Due to the small size of the Air National Guard, and limited offensive abilities, most operations were short and few in number. The main action seen by the Air National Guard was bombing several key positions in White Haven and defending Hazleton from several attacks as well as picking up supplies purchased from Canada.
Current Status[]
The government has ended their military operations and begun recovery. The government has set up a joint military-civilian commission to control the area until it is stabilized.
Much of the area was damaged due to the war and the government plans to move 800 people out of the region. There are 2000 civilians left in the area, and that would reduce the current population to a more manageable level.
The captured leadership of the raiders currently are held under guard at the Federal Prison in Danville. "The Don", who's actual identity is unknown, is currently being held at an undisclosed location by Susquehanna authorities awaiting trial. The State Police are looking through old police files and are aided by law enforcement from Reading. Both government are in negotiations for possible extradition to Reading to stand trial for his numerous crimes in Allentown. Some religious officials want to try him in the nation to prevent him from being executed.
Military Forces[]
Both sides are using older equipment, and have difficulties refueling vehicles, although Susquehanna has been slowly converting most of their vehicles to a multiple fuel type engine, capable of burning natural gas.
Commonwealth of Susquehanna Defense Force[]
Susquehanna primary infantry weapon is the M14 assault rifle, and the M1911 handgun. Soldiers are also issued one or two hand grenades, giving them the ability to clear out enclosed spaces quicker. These have also been slightly effective in eliminating trucks and cars used by the raider groups. There are also bazooka teams and machine gun teams able to support the infantry as they advance. Artillery support is provided by four 105 mm guns, eliminating enemy positions and bunkers. Air power also gives the nation an edge, being able to call in ground attack aircraft, and carry more supplies than trucks.
Raiders[]
The raiders are armed with an assortment of bolt action rifles, assault rifles and shotguns. They have acquired several medium and heavy machine guns, some brought from Allentown, others seized from abandoned military installations.
The raiders have used old pipes and gunpowder to make crude mortars. They are not very accurate, but are effective against infantry. They have also made Molotov cocktails, improvised hand grenades, IED's, bladed weapons, bow and arrows, and incendiary devices. There are several technical vehicles, mostly trucks or cars with the top cut off, carrying militia members, a machine gun or a mortar.
They also operate one crop dusting aircraft armed with twin M60 machine guns in the nose. It is also equip to carry small explosives. The other few aircraft operated by the gangs were either destroyed on the ground over time, or were stripped for parts.
The gangs have forced the men in the town to fight by either imprisoning their families or enslaving them. To 'encourage' them, the gang members follow the men with guns pointed at them, and kill the families of those who don't fight.
Anti-War Protests[]
There are several anti-war organizations who protest the conflict, advocating isolationism, only defend against the raiders, and wanting to disband the defense forces, only leaving a well equip national police force.
The protests are allowed, as long as they are away from military bases, and military camps. 30 people were arrested by the military police over the past few year, mainly for entering military bases illegally, and in one case destroying some ammunition and injuring a soldier.
Outcome[]
Susquehanna has successfully seized the territory held by the raiders. They have formed an unorganized territorial government out of the captured land. All the former raider territory is unorganized still due to the war, but they may be organized in years to come.
There was heavy infrastructure damage to White Haven as well as some minor damage in Hazleton and Berwick. Now that the area is secured, Susquehanna has begun mopping up and reconstruction. The area should become a county in the nation by 2030.
Survivors in the former raider territory have been granted emergency citizenship by the leadership of Susquehanna. Most remain in the area though, and will aid with reconstruction.
Situation[]
Images[]
.jpg "C-47 Skytrain (2).jpg (68 KB)")
