User:Kerbalkind Mod/Deforester Offensive

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The Deforester Offensive, also known as the Battle of Arson, was an Valkerbian offensive. During the battle, after Valkerb noted that Kerbalian troops were hiding in the pine forest, they burnt it down. In the wake of the fires, critical trenches were exposed, culminating in the battle.[1] The battle marked the end of trench warfare in the Great Kerbin War.

This battle was the first time flamethrowers were ever used in warfare, with reports from the time saying that the deployment had caused chaos among the troops of Northern Kerbalia. The smoke clouds from the time were reported as being seen from the neighboring logging town of Nerben.[2]

During the battle, a common cause of death was smoke inhalation,[1] second only to burning up. It is speculated that one of the main reasons that death by burning was so common is due to the flammability of the standard uniforms of Northern Kerbalia up to that time. Valkerb also used a tactic where they would flood the trenches of Kerbalia with fuel oils,[3] causing more destruction.

On April 21th, Nerben was engulfed in the spreading flames.[4] Of the ~2,000 civilians killed, around 1,000 casualties were estimated to be from this incident, and 500 from the forest fire. Around another 500 were caused by accidental friendly fire by both belligerents.[1]

Lead-up

The lead-up to the battle was characterized by an increase of activity in the Valkerbian trench.[3]

Battle

Initial Events

On the evening of April 1, Valkerb troops charged towards the Northern Front, causing panic amongst the Kerbalian troops. The officer of the troops commanded them to leave the trenches and hide in the forest, and attempt to fire at the Valkerbian troops in the trenches from the trees. This order succeeded for some time, until Valkerb tactically deployed airplanes, setting fire to the forest to remove cover. Around this time, Nerben had been developed into a military base.

Although many areas of the forest had been torched by April 4, no significant progress was made. Valkerb officers decided not to destroy Nerben to get rid of Kerbalian troops for the time, due to extensive civilian presence in that area.[citation needed] On April 5, the Valkerb government authorized the deployment of flamethrowers to the troops, to burn the forest faster.[5]

Conflict

As the Valkerb troops initiated their offensive, the deployment of flamethrowers marked a pivotal moment in the battle. On April 5, with the authorization from the Valkerb government, specialized units equipped with these new weapons advanced into the remaining wooded areas. The intention was clear: to flush out the remaining Kerbalian forces and destroy any potential cover.

A forest fire started, as Kerbalian troops were forced to reenter the trenches as the forest collapsed above them. As defense against Valkerb continued, an officer eventually ordered the pouring of tank and airplane fuel into the trenches on April 9.[3]Template:How much After the flooding, a match was thrown into the trench, immediately causing the destruction of everything in the trench, along with most of the Kerbalian troops. The remaining troops either regrouped in the remaining areas in the forest, to attempt to stop Valkerb from advancing the Northern Front, or escaped in the town of Nerben.

Siege of Nerben

On April 21, Valkerb troops gathered around the town of Nerben while the fire continued to advance. The fire eventually engulfed Nerben, with all of the people in it.[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kerman, Merdon (January 21, 1480). "Analysis of The Great Kerbin War". Kerbalian History Journal: 36-50.
  2. Kerman, Peggy (April 2, 1452). "Deforester Offensive Destroys Forest". The Nerben Journal.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kerman, Mungard (April 10, 1452). "The Deforester Massacre". Recovered materials from the Great Kerbin War.
  4. Kerman, Merley (April 21, 1452). "A Town Destroyed!". The Kerbalian Times.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Kerman, Merley (April 5, 1452). "Valkerb Deploys Special Fire Guns - Is This The End For Kerbalia?". The Kerbalian Times.