"White Army - Black Barons"
The German Civil War, originally a war of diplomacy and words, has finally taken a turn for the worst. Or, depending on who you ask, the best.
The GiG, formerly based in London, has finally made its way onto mainland Germany! A large British fleet sailed into the harbor of Hamburg, docking and quickly dropping off a significant corps of soldiers. The city, as a threat to any would be resistance, was shelled immediately by the big guns of the British ships in harbor. While the barrage only lasted for 30 minutes, many hundreds of people were killed, instilling fear into both the Communists as well as the common people. The GiG forces quickly took control of the city, as Communist opposition all but fled in the face of such a naval invasion. Quickly hoisting the flag of the GiG above the slightly damaged city hall, the city was proclaimed to be the capital of the anti-communist GiG. The surrounding region was quickly occupied as the irregular defenders fled in terror. The GiG finally, with a great flourish and already hundreds dead, has begun their anti-communist campaign in Germany.
More bitter news rings from the Communist German government however. The Communist Government has begun a deadly campaign of forced "protective custody". Militiamen, irregular troops, and agents of the interior stormed into various villages, hamlets, towns and cities in Germany's northern regions. Quickly erecting makeshift POW style camps, the civilian population of the regions were detained and imprisoned in these camps for "protection". Rumors and reports of Communist atrocities spread like wildfire. Villages looted, razed and destroyed by the Communists, entire families killed, some shot on sight for resisting commands by German Interior agents. Many reports even possibly confirm the mass burning of entire villages and people, with some being burned alive in their homes while others were literally burned at the stake! These actions are not limited to Germany's northern regions either. As it turns out, the reports began to surge from all over Germany, with stories of entire villages ransacked in search of possible dissenters and conspirators. The Communists of Germany have begun a reign of terror on their own population.
The majority of the brutality however stems from Germany's northern regions. In other regions the "terror" is benign, a mere inconvenience to the people in exchange for security. In Pommerania however, the Freikorp's recent successes with attacks on the Communist government have appeared to have caused retribution to be dealt to the region. As a result the Freikorps has seemingly gone into retreat. However this turned out to be a ruse as suddenly news broke that the Freikorps have finally come out of hiding and taken control of 2 small regions of Germany! By the coast of the Baltic Sea, the Freikorps have quickly overthrown the meager Communist garrisons and "liberated" the regions. In more startling news, the Freikorps and the GiG have come into an uneasy alliance with each other, apparently united in their struggle against a common enemy! As news spreads of both GiG liberation and Freikorps liberation, rumors of defections and German commoners turning over to other factions spreads throughout Germany. While the war of blood and steel has yet to begin, the war of hearts and minds has begun.
The revolution is not dead from a military standpoint however. A massive German offensive into Russian occupied West Prussia was met with great German success, albeit minor. After a mighty shelling 15 days and nights long, German storm troopers rushed forward in an offensive matched with gas and brutal close quarters combat. However, the great offensive was embarrassingly sloppy, with entire sections receiving conflicting orders. The confusion was not as bad as the confusion seen on the Russian side however, who were simply dumbstruck and unable to mount any sort of organized defense at all. In short, the offensive was a sloppy mess, with the Germans only winning by being slightly less sloppy than their Russian counterparts. The Russians took 86 thousand casualties, mainly due to the sheer efficiency of the newer gas used by the German Army. The German Army took 38 thousand casualties but were unable to capitalize on their gains due to time constraints. The offensive continues.
In Silesia, the Russians managed to find themselves a smashing victory against the French Communist Army aiding the Germans. With superior technology and gas, the Russian defense was well put together and insurmountable, leading to great disaster for the unorganized and exhausted French. The Russians took only 28 thousand casualties while the French took a whopping 98 thousand casualties.
In Bohemia, another German offensive with 15 days of shelling was seen, with equally messy and equally devastating results. The German Army launched a concentrated offensive into the borderlands of Austria and Bohemia, striking at the Austrian army recently brought to battle. Once again the Germans won through superior gas and lesser mediocrity. The Austrians, despite being caught completely unaware and ill-prepare, put up a great defense in the face of insurmountable odds. Unfortunately for the Austrians, they were pushed back. The German offensive was a success, however once again this great success was hampered by time constraints. The Germans took 43 thousand casualties while the Austrians took 76 thousand casualties.
In the Baltic Sea, the German Navy launched a surprise attack on the Russian Navy of the Baltic, which has been sitting idle in the waters near the Gulf of Ladoga for a long time. The superior German Navy, with better training and better quality everything, crossed the Russian fleet's T and effectively damaged the Russian fleet. Unable to outmaneuver the sudden attacker, the Russian Navy was forced to withdraw. The German Navy suffered 3 ships lost and minor damage, as well as time wasted fighting, while the Russian fleet suffered 7 ships lost and moderate damage.
