The Columban Campaign, also known as the Western Theatre of the North Centauran War, was a military operation lasting from 1915 to 1933 and was the fifth conflict of the Centauran Wars. Following the victory in the Aquilan Campaign, a series of border skirmishes emerge between Antares and Columba, these skirmishes were small and localized. After defeating the Grusans in their northern coast during the Grusan Campaign, Antares by then was able to mobilise enough force to attack Columba.
The initial full invasion began in 1919, however failed due to numerous military shortcomings from the AIA. The campaign would drag on, becoming the longest campaign in the Centauran Wars, witnessing numerous phases of engagement and stalemates. Operation Slingshot, better known as Superkolumba Kampaign failed to achieve any significant goals despite its ferocity, devolving the conflict into a Phoney War. By 1927, a formal military alliance was signed by Riaa, Columba, Centauri and Tucana, establishing the Northern Centauran Alliance (NCA).
In 1931, the largest military operation in history began, Operation Kataklysm. A military offensive conducted by Antares and its allies, Kataklysm was born and masterminded with the goal of breaking the stalemate and surrounding NCA units. Involving some dozen million soldiers from both sides, the operation was successful, cutting off NCA forces along the Salow-Wezn-Fren pocket. The operation would pave way for the Riaan Campaign and later the Hour of Reclamation.
Context[]
Momentum after the Aquilan Campaign[]
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Grusan defeats in the north[]
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Logistics of the Columban Campaign[]
Early Columban Campaign[]
Despite further advents of trucks and supply-carrying vehicles, the Antareans began slowing down in their momentum due to the Columban mountain range. Rigid and steep terrain disallowed quick movements; vehicles did not maintain enough horsepower to climb steep slopes with the weight of their cargo, and there were rarely any pre-existing rail infrastructure in Columba.
Most of the soldiers would have to march by foot, hauling their personal equipment with them. New combat role units were created, almost like pack mules. These soldiers did not carry any rifles but rather equipment like tents, ammo, tables, chairs, sandbags and whatever else was necessary to create an outpost. At the most, they carried sidearms for personal defense.
Vehicles were seldom seen at the frontlines. Combat engineers were required to change the terrain in order to make vehicles move more easily through. This obviously took time, so reinforcements from supply trucks or armored vehicles were a rare occurrence.
Lighter armored vehicles were prized over heavier ones because of how much easily they navigated the terrain. Armored cars were not a part of this, but rather tracked light tanks and tracked carriers.
To supplement the lack of supplies at the frontlines, the Antareans instead used cargo aircraft to airdrop materiel, most times under anti-aircraft fire. Shokk divisions utilized paratroopers more often to circumvent rough terrain, and often to great success.
Late Columban Campaign[]
In 1931, the Antareans had surrounded the Columban range entirely, cutting off the NCA's supply routes. To the north was flatter terrain consisting of forests and grasslands like those seen in Southern Centaura, a relief compared to the conditions in the rocky mountains.
The surplus of light vehicles from the mountain assaults led to a logistical dream in the north. These supply vehicles were light, fast, and had great fuel efficiency — features that were required for harsh terrain. But now on level ground, they were more than exemplary in their performance.
Now with a clear supply route, railroads were constructed along the northeast seaboard to move heavier vehicles to the frontline. The Antareans began ramping up their momentum to back pre-Columban levels, and within two years, Columba had fallen.
Series of Events[]
Initial Invasion[]
Columba’s southern region is made up entirely of mountain ranges. There are very few roads through the mountains, and the roads themselves are 1-2 lanes wide.
The first Antarean attacks came from Aquila, with the Shokk divisions attempting to capture a village about 1,500 ft in elevation. However, the journey up was extremely difficult as the terrain was steep and no vehicles were able to support the Shokk troops. The attempt failed, with the leading Shokk platoons completely wiped out.
The rest of the campaign would continue in this fashion for a few more years, with Antares making very insignificant progress in the conquest of Columba.
Operation Slingshot[]
The Superkolumba Kampaign, formally known as Operation Slingshot, was a mass aerial-bombing campaign by Antares.
By 1924, the war against Columba had not significantly progressed in terms of territorial gains. For five years, the Antareans were constantly being defeated by hardpoints and high-ground defenses in the mountains. To solve this problem, two plans were conceived:
- Operation Kataklysm, formulated by Kolonel Cervantes. This plan called for an encirclement strategy that comprised of luring NCA troops and materiel into the mountains, then flanking from the eastern seacoast and cutting off enemy supply lines. There were several objections to this plan, however: it would require several more years of stalemates in the mountains, and there was no guarantee that the Army could flank from the east without being intercepted and demolished by the Columban navy.
- Operation Slingshot, formulated by General Archer. This plan called for a continuous bombardment campaign from the air, targeting cities and clearing a path for Antarean troops on the ground. In addition to disabling Columba's industrial infrastructure, the bombing of cities would impact the enemy's morale and divert their resources away from the frontline to protect their inland cities.
"Why not combine the elements of our plans and use our bombers to clear a path through East Columba? If we were to move much of our aircraft to Grusa, would we not be able to have a fighting chance against the Alliance's navies?" Cervantes had asked.
General Archer laughed in ridicule. "You are too naive to realize that our bombers are not agile enough to hit moving warships. We would be dropping thousands of tons of bombs into the sea! But cities don't move, now do they? Much, much easier targets," he retorted.
— Adapted dialogue during a military meeting in 1924
It is important to note that General Archer had spearheaded the Aquilan campaign; he took pride in his head-on fighting strategies, which he was now applying to the Columban campaign.
For the first few weeks of Operation Slingshot, specific routes in the mountains were constantly bombed, theoretically providing ground infantry a path with minimal resistance. In reality, the Columbans were very much safe inside the tunnel and bunker systems they had constructed along these routes. The frequency of bombing runs was decreased as time went on. Most bombing runs from 1926 onwards were targeted toward cities instead of defense positions in the mountains.
Archer's plan did not work out as he thought it would. To compensate for the time and resources lost during the Superkolumba Campaign, Cervantes—promoted to General in 1927—had improved his Kataklysm plan and convinced other high command members, and ultimately Aran Tau, that his plan would be worth the wait.
Phoney War[]
The Phoney War (term might change) is the period between the Superkolumba Kampaign and Operation Kataklysm. It is marked by the relatively calm fighting throughout the entire Macer range.
It was the initial setting for the planned game the Stargazers.
Operation Kataklysm[]
Initially planning[]
Initial planning of Operation Kataklysm around 1924
Operation Kataklysm was formulated by Kolonel Cervantes after the campaign's stalemate in 1924. This plan called for an encirclement strategy that comprised of luring NCA troops and materiel into the mountains, then flanking from the eastern seacoast and cutting off enemy supply lines. There were several objections to this plan, however: it would require several more years of stalemates in the mountains, and there was no guarantee that the Army could flank from the east without being intercepted and demolished by the Columban navy.
By 1927, renditions of the plan were approved and initiated in 1931.
As Archer's Operation Slingshot did not work out as thought it would, Aran Tau ultimately decided to compensate for the time and resources lost during the Superkolumba Campaign by initiating Cervantes's —promoted to General in 1927— Kataklysm plan.
Operation Slingshot technically continued under Cervantes, with bombing runs still being conducted against cities to the north of the mountains, but it was halted with the first combat phase of Operation Kataklysm in 1931.
Order of Battle[]
Note: The following events is written from rough records from conversations and not confirmed.
  Aran, Emperor of Antares. |
  General Cervantes, Commander of all Antarean forces and eastern sector |
  General Reyes, Commander of Antarean Army Group West |
- Reyes's Western Sector comprises of Corvun and Antarean soldiers, Reyes's army has less strength than Cervantes's
- Cervantes's Eastern Sector comprises of Antarean and Grusan soldiers, it is the main bulk of the force by Antares.
Theatre Map of Operation Kataklysm
1930
- In 1930, a preliminary offensive in the Sojourn Valley would secure the route for Cervantes' army group.
1931
- Reyes's army group engages in the west, breaking through and driving through the riaan panhandle.
- Cervantes's army group breakthrough in the east, driving towards the Digitus Trail.
- Reyes's army captures Provale, allowing his army to spearhead to Grasmaer and Phact
- Junon comes under threat by Cervantes
1932
- Reyes's army group captures Grasmaer and begins a drive to link up with Cervantes
- Reyes's army group captures Phact, Columba's second largest city.
- Reyes's army group moved along the river to cover their flanks.
- Cervantes's army group captures Malherb
1933
- Reye's army group captures the capital Mundare, storming the city.
- Cervantes's army group breakthrough and spearheads west to link up with Reyes, meeting his army group along the Mundare basin.
- Fort Haal pocket falls after a drive by Cervantes capture the city, dismantling the last Columban civilian government in Columba.
- Preparations for the Riaan Campaign begins
Fort Haal pocket[]
Map of Junon Province
Following the victorious breakthrough into the west by Cervantes' army group, a pocket was formed around Junon Province. It was said[?] that the Columban government fled Mundare before arriving at Fort Haal. A drive by the Antarean army into the pocket would dissolve the resistance there, setting the stage for the planned invasion arc of the Stargazers. The fall of Fort Haal mark the civil end of the Columban Campaign.
Salow-Wezn-Fren pocket[]
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Aftermath of the Campaign[]
Hour of Reclamation offensives
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