2020-02-26 (Victory Gram Republic Campaign)

General informations

USITEMP2: [VGR REPORT] When we heard of NATA's victory 2 days ago, we were intrigued. Could their airplanes really make short work of Vixenford's tanks, just like that? Then today we received intel that NATA and Vixenford were about to engage each other again. Vixenford couldn't allow for their momentum to be cut short in such a manner; so they quickly regrouped and deployed infantry, tanks and aircraft to take Athira for good this time. But NATA's morale was strong too and the troops weren't about to just walk away from the fight. Four NATA planes took off, armed with various missiles, ready to repel any attack.
The fight was sure to be bloody, and we couldn't wait to see the result. As a third party, enemy of the other two, we didn't want to get involved. So our team of 3 men was dispatched to do recon from the side. Our mission was to reach the battlefield, see who was the victor in the end, and then RTB and report what we saw.
It was about 1900 hours when we left Rodopoli aboard our jeep. After a few minutes we reached Anthrakia. There we were attacked by a Vixenford aircraft passing overhead; the small projectile destroyed our jeep... Number 2 was in a bad spot but was still recon-worthy, and number 3 and I were indemn. We hide in a nearby house and waited. Then we left the house and began walking West. For long minutes we walked, until we reached the solar pannel field. There I spotted a weird dark shape. It was a Vixenford aircraft, that had crashed in the solar pannels.

Most likely shot down by either NATA's AA vehicles on the nearby airfield, or by NATA's airplanes. Near the wreck I found a dead body, a crewman of the aircraft that had ejected before the crash. I took his medkit and patched number 2's wound. Then we continued walking West. We saw a second Vixenford aircraft wreck.

We did a detour in order to avoid the airfield and NATA's AA vehicles. And finally we reached Athira.
Night was falling. We entered the city. The silence was defeaning. Obviously, whatever had happened, it was over by now. Often the deep buzzing of the A164s could be heard though, but it only added to the oppressing feeling.

Carefully, we searched the city. Until I spotted a dark silhouette near a house. I immediately recognized a Vixenford tanker. He spotted me too, and I only had the time to go prone before he began firing at us.

I rolled behind cover with number 2, but number 3 wasn't so lucky and was hit and killed. I walked back along a house, and managed to flank the guy, and shot him dead. When I went to his body I had the confirmation he was indeed a Vixenford tanker. But, out of his tank, which meant the A164s (still flying overhead) had most likely rendered the tank inoperable. With number 2 we searched the rest of the city, and we stumbled upon a big ominous black shape right in the middle of a street, the wreck of a Vixenford tank hull, without its turret.

Near the Northern exit of the city, we found 2 more Vixenford tanks; one was a wreck, but the other had its engine still on. It was abandonned though.

Most strikingly, there were a dozen corpses around the two tanks. Vixenford tankers (who had probably just left their tank when it had exploded, blasting them before they could get away), and NATA soldiers. A few Vixenford infantrymen, too. Obviously, either everybody that had partaken in the fight was dead, or the survivors of each side had retreated to their own fallback points.
We checked about, but, concluding the city simply belonged to no one now, we just left and returned to base.

Meta: The atmosphere in this one was very scary. Everything basically unfolded as told above. 2 NATA regular squads in Athira (8 soldiers x2), 4 A164 (2 with a mix of AA and AT missiles, 2 with only AT missiles). Vixenford had 3 squads of soldiers, 4 imperium aircraft, and 4 tanks.
The thing is, the tanks were too close to the city; NATA/NATO soldiers didn't stand a chance. But the tanks themselves didn't stand a chance either against the A164; and the imperium aircraft didn't stand a chance against NATA's AA vehicles positionned on the airfield. So... apart from the A164, mostly everybody died.

Vixenford tanks advancing along the road to Athira.


Obviously, NATA made good use of their A164s again. Here we can see a Vixenford soldier hiding from an airstrike.


A Vixenford tank about to be airstriked. Note the incoming missile (indicated by the red arrow).


A Vixenford tank has just been destroyed. Note the A164 on the top left.


This battle also saw aerial dogfights between A164s and Vixenford aircraft. Obviously that the Vixenford aircraft didn't stand a chance against NATA's A164s, some of which were in mixed configuration (AT + AA missiles), meaning they could fight against other aircraft. NATA also had AA vehicles.


The crew from a Vixenford aircraft ejects before their vehicle hits the ground (or the sea). It should be noted that Vixenford crewmen are not given chutes.