Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 37: Case Yellow (Day 13 – Belkan Military’s finest tools of the trade)

Kaiserslautern Air Base. Early morning.

In the wee hours, a pair of B-40 Polar Bears can be seen taxiing the runways of K-town. These two bombers, in particular, are the contribution of the 509th Bomb Group for the upcoming military operation in and around Dunkirk. Due to other bombers in its employment having duties elsewhere, namely to support Army Group C in expanding the strategic depth down South, the 509th can only spare two B-40s that are not afflicted by battle fatigue. That said, while two bombers may seem to be a small number, one has to remind oneself that a single B-40 can carry 40000 kg of ordinances. For their upcoming task, the pair of B-40s are fitted with an astounding 28 Exoscar cruise missiles each, for a total of 56. Suffice to say, that is a lot of firepowers, ready to saturate the entire battlespace at a moment's notice. Soon enough, the two B-40 quickly take off with their deadly payloads, the iconic humming of their engines can be heard cutting across the sunless sky. With speed, grace, and power in one package, the two B-40s rise to make a beeline to Dunkirk. Once more, the time to bring down Hell on Gaia is nearly upon them, and the Polar Bears are anxious to join the fray.

Much like how the B-40s are scrambling, other service branches of the Belkan military are buckling up for another historic moment as well. Aboard the Reichsmarine's flat tops, F-1 Phantoms and AV-1 Harriers are parked on the decks, with the Seabees scurrying about to fuel and arm the killing machines. In addition to the jets, propeller warplanes like the AD-1 Skyraiders and V-22 Ospreys are loaded up for either anti-submarine warfare, combat search and rescue, or AWACS duty. That is to say, the deck of the Belkan aircraft and battle carriers are bazaars of organized chaos. Elevators rise up and down, either carrying munitions and equipment or aircraft and personnel. Tractors pulling shopping carts of missiles, bombs, and liquid mana containers, their operators shouting into the winds like sleazy salesmen trying to advertise the finest of killing tools. The Seabees move like small groups of ants, hoisting, transferring, and attaching everything with the accompanying clanks and clicks. Noticeably, everything is happening under the illumination of the flight deck lamps and the slightly heavy winds of the North Sea. Fortunately for everyone, the sea condition remains adequately calm, thus fostering a safe working environment for the deckhands.

While the carriers' decks are hustling like never before, other parts of the High Sea Fleet are not sitting idle.

Unlike the Yggdrasil-class aircraft carrier, which only has CIWS for self-defense, the Bayern-class battlecarriers pack a punch of their own. Even with the BLOCK III upgrade package removing their 380 mm gun turrets, the Bayern-class receives an assortment of weapons including new 150 mm dual-purpose gun turrets, point-defense missiles, and a sizeable vertical launch system. When combined with their detachment of Harriers, Skyraiders, and Ospreys, a single Bayern can effectively engage the entire azimuth of threats, including sub-surface, on its own. Now, those very weapons are in for a final check for the upcoming fight. Much like other warships in the High Sea Fleet, the gun turrets, CIWS included, on the Bayerns turn left and right, elevating up and down. Shells are loaded and belts are fed into the chambers whenever a turret passes its inspection. For the VLS, the firing hatches are opened with the fire-control systems aboard the vessels being reviewed. Stuffed aboard the floating cities, Combat Information Centers work overtime to ensure all offensive and defensive systems return the 'All Green' for the Captains and Admiral to hear.

A bit farther than the larger ships of the High Sea Fleet, the Elbing-class destroyers are also loading up. Due to their smaller sizes, an Elbing can only carry so few Exoscar missiles. They don't even have a facility to house an Osprey. Instead, an Elbing-class is fielded primarily in the role of AA and ASW after receiving their BLOCK III upgrade. Acting as the first circle of defense for the rest of the High Sea Fleet, the Elbings load have their anti-submarine rocket and torpedo launchers loaded and poised to engage any hostile sonar returns. Other than those, the Elbings' VLSs are primed to release numerous long-range Sea Fenix AA missiles, which are designated as Standard Missile 1 or SM-1 in the Reichsmarine's catalog. Aiding the Elbings' effort in fleet protection are their humble deployment bays, housing a pair of multi-mission VTOL drones each.

Then, beneath the waves, the U-boats are either silently accompanying the High Sea Fleet or are stalking their unknowing prey. Despite the years of intermission ever since the last known Royal Navy sighting of a Belkan U-boat, the Eruseans still haven't managed to develop strong enough detection arrays to spot sub-surface threats. Ironically, it's not the hundreds of surface vessels that the U-boats are afraid of. They can duck and weave beneath them easily enough. No, the most annoying adversary for the U-boat commanders and Grand Admiral Karl Donitz turns out to be other Erusean submarines. Since both sides are operating in the same plane, it's much easier for the Royal Navy submarines to detect the Belkan U-boats than their faction's surface combatants. Luckily, the same applies to the Belkan U-boats' impressive detection suites. Using a combination of advanced instruments and experience, U-boat commanders skirt the edge of detection of Royal Navy warships and submarines. This allows them to remain unseen while positioning themselves in prime hunting spots with perfect weapon locks on Royal Navy vessels on the prowl. Their torpedoes and sub-launch cruise missiles are just waiting on the go-ahead from the linked battle net.

As for the Bismarck-class dreadnoughts. 432 mm guns with enough missiles to put the inbound pair of B-40 Polar Bears to shame. Need I say anything more other than a single Bismarck is a synonym for a delete button?

Still, moving back onto dry lands, the Belkan Army is not resting on their laurels either. Battle lines are drawn for the Belkans and the Allied forces. On their sides, the Belkans deploy many 150 mm firebases, either in the form of towed artillery or self-propelled. Since the upcoming battle will feature amphibious assault and urban combat, the utilization of a massive rocket barrage is put aside. Instead, a marginal usage of rocket artillery is granted in the form of an attention-grabbing opening salvo. This is presented in the form of multiple Sunburst rocket artillery tanks. The Sunburst is a platform rarely used in the days of Case Yellow, owing to the fact that there's little to no enemy position that is so heavily entrenched that warranted the usage of the effect that has given the system its name. When the time comes, everybody and their grandmothers will have to marvel at the Sunbursts' majesty.

To further complement the firepower the Belkan Army can bring to bear and to offset the Royal Navy's numerical superiority in the sea, armored trains are utilized to carry even more ordinances. Trains like Thomas are seen pulling cars of 150 mm gun turrets or Exoscar armored box launchers. The trains are spread out across the many new tracks that Belkan engineers laid down recently around the Dunkirk region. Although the war trains don't have powerful sensor arrays, the readily available battle net grants the trains the ability to engage beyond visual range with their new weapons. Pretty damn sure that this will be the first time a train can fight something without being seen. It would seem that Lieutenant Kemper and Sergeant Hultebring jinxed themselves when they discussed that their train couldn't get any more powerful than it already was. Truly, one should anticipate the unexpected when it comes to the Belkan Reich.

Regardless, with all service branches of the Belkan military standing at the ready, the noose is tightening around the Eruseans and the Allied forces in Central Europe. When the first ray of sunlight graces Dunkirk, what follows next may not be the salvation the Erusean Expeditionary Force expects.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It is, for lack of a better word, damnation.