The third Ramius world war.

[Roach]

The great Ramius civil war is one of the defining times of history for the people of Ramius. (It is important to note Ramius is Earth in an alternate dimension with a very different time line. Starting in the early 1700's. It is also important to note nuclear power was never weaponized.) In a time before planetary unification a powerful Soviet Bloc controls most of mainland Europe excluding the Iberian peninsula, Poland and Germany. This territory was gained in the 1940's in the second of Ramius world wars. The powerful Soviet union also controls the northern half of Africa, the entire middle east and South America, and fight a constant war for control of India against British forces. The only nations that dare stand against the power of the Soviets are.

The United Kingdom (who hold the British isles Half of India and half of South Africa.)
The United States of America. (who hold what would be the modern united states.)
Canada (A strong ally of the United states who hold Iceland and modern Canada.)
The Republic Of Poland Who hold Poland, Lithuania and the other half of south Africa)
The United Iberian Republic (Spain and Portugal formed into a single nation they hold the Iberian peninsula and many of the islands in the mediterranean)

These bastions of Democracy are all that stands in the way of total soviet domination of the planet, but their are forces at work in the soviet union its self that are preparing to shake its very foundations. A great deal of political unrest has broken out all over the union riots are commonplace. They are usually put down with out a great deal of violence but this all changed in 1964 in Kiev.

--1964--

The people's voice if too long ignored shall become an angry chorus. Such was the case in Kiev angry protesters lined the streets. The local military commander surrounded the capital with troops the protesters remained peaceful, but the commander ordered the unthinkable. He commanded his men to open fire into the crowd. Thousands are killed in the initial volley of machine gun fire the crowd is dispersed, but the Ukraine is thrown into civil war. Half the Ukrainian army goes renegade and they evacuate a large portion of the civilian population behind their lines. Fighting raged for fifteen days. as reinforcements from Russia threaten to overrun the Ukrainian rebels. The rebels establish a military government and beg the allies for aid. Many ignore their plea or smuggle them weapons but the Polish president mobilizes the Polish army. Polish aircraft launch strategic strikes on Soviet positions hundreds of tanks and thousands of infantry rolled over the border into the Ukraine and the soviets were given pause. But the Polish were fighting on multiple fronts against the soviets and things were desperate.

When it looked as if the armies of Poland won't be able to hold. Germany mobilized it's armies. It's modern tanks and well trained troops drove the Russians out of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary in a manner of weeks. This pushed the Russians into Romania and securing Poland's flank. This provided the Iberian Republic with the opportunity to liberate France and Italy their powerful fleet supported by the British Navy secured the Mediterranean by the end of the year.

--1965--

The Russian army was baffled by the ferocity of the allies, they launched counter attacks on several fronts managing to capture Lithuania and retake Budapest. Allied forces found themselves stretched thin and in desperate need of a stronger supply chain. The new and emerging armies of France, Italy, the Ukraine and Austria needed more equipment than the allies could provide. After over a year of debate the United States senate declares war on the Soviet Union. They began shipping arms and vehicles to Europe. Also along with the support of Canada they managed Liberate south America and Mexico in the span of two years. This also allowed the beleaguered allies to rearm and the newly liberated nations of France, Austria, Italy and the Ukraine to be equipped and trained.

--1967--

The soviets have strengthened their resolve and prepare for a major set of offensives in early June soviet tanks roll across the Hungarian border into Austria. in a pitched battle near Graz the 1st Austrian panzer Division engaged the 33rd and 32nd Russian tank divisions. In the first battle of Graz.


--Graz June 3rd 1967--


Colonel Karl Wichtoff sat with his head sticking out from the open hatch his commander cupola as his Panzer rolled along. He peered into the distance with his binoculars at the forces arrayed before him. 200 main battle tanks 100 light tanks and about 7,000 infantry with 120 artillery pieces providing support. His tanks were 200 m48 Patton main battle tanks, fresh from america equipped with powerful high velocity 90mm cannons. As well as 100 SK-105 Kürassier tanks equipped with 105mm rifled cannons. Equipped with an exotic six shot auto loading revolver system. The Kürassier tanks had just rolled of the assembly lines after completing combat trials. His crews had been training on their vehicles for months and had mastered them as best as time had allowed. Now his men were about to receive a baptism by fire.

Wictoff found a perfect positions for their defense line he ordered his men to spread out along a forested ridge overlooking an area of flat farm land his men took positions and waited. Soon in the distance the rumble of soviet tanks could be heard and soon they appeared the Austrians were able to spot them miles away while they remain hidden or camouflaged.

Wictoff cursed to himself two full soviet divisions plowed forward and when they reached a range of about 2.5 miles he gave the order to fire. The forest along the ridge seemed to burst into flames as the Austrian's guns erupted. The longer range guns of the Kürassier tanks opened fire first several delivering knock out blows. The training they had recived in long range gunnery from the British and Americans had done them well. Dozens of Russian tanks were knocked out in the initial salvo. The soviets continued to close next the Austrian Patton tanks opened fire. More fire and smoke rippled from the forest. The Soviets attempted to return fire at the Austrian forces but their shots went wild the soviet tanks having trouble identifying the Austrian tanks.

Karl's crew scored a direct hit on a soviet t62 tank penetrating its frontal armor detonating its ammo storage and sending its turret flying off. Several Austrian tanks were hit as the soviets advance and were able to better acquire targets. But the soviets lost far more tanks than the Austrians. Austrian tanks emerged from the forest and began maneuvering stopping only to fire a couple of shots and then moving on again. The battle raged on for over an hour and soon the Soviet divisions had retreated to regroup.

The Austrian tanks regrouped on the reverse slope of the ridge. "what did we loose?" Karl asked to one of his officers.

"38 Patton tanks and 12 Kürassiers sir." the young officer replied.

"And what did we knock out?"

"Between 104 to 140 kills sir. If our unit commanders report accurately."

"Excellent get us refueled and rearmed the soviets will no doubt try for an attack tonight. How are the other fronts faring?."

"Vienna is holding the soviets lost an entire armored division and another two were routed."

"Good tell the men to rest up we will fight again soon."

Darkness fell and a bright full moon provided the only light. The soviets had been active quite a few of their scouts had been killed by austrian snipers, and a single scout tanks was destroyed by an Austrian patrol. Soon a full Soviet attack came out of no were. A line of tanks emerged from an adjacent forest and they began opening fire. The full moon provided ample light to see the enemy and the two tank forces began a pitched battle.

Karl's tank sat atop a hill putting rounds down range as fast as his crew could load them. Karl spotted a soviet tank to their left at around 250 meters. It turret swung toward them in almost slow motion Karl's crew reacted to his orders quickly but he knew they would not be able to get a shot before the soviet tank did. Then suddenly the soviet tank exploded. A Kürassier tank had shot it from over a mile away in a position it had scuttled to when the battle began. The battle raged all night and by dawn the field was littered with the smoking hulks of Russian and Austrian tanks. A Reinforcement French brigade Arrived to support Karl's forces in the early morning and destroyed many of the Soviet tanks that had been remaining. The battle had been short but bloody the soviets had taken nearly full losses and the Austrian forces had been reduced to ten Kürassier tanks and 60 Patton tanks. But in the end the field was littered with the hulks of nearly 400 soviet tanks.

The Soviet's counter offensive into Austria was Semi effective Vienna fell but the soviet forces in the south failed to make much progress and in late October the soviet 17Th army was surrounded and destroyed by French and Austrian forces at Vienna

--Poland 1967--

While Austria was under attack in 1967 so was Poland. Soviet forces attacked on two fronts with three divisions attacking from Belarus and two divisions attacking through Lithuania. With the majority of Polish forces deployed to train the reorganizing Ukrainian army. Poland is nearly defenseless they manage to assemble a force of 750 tanks, 440 artillery pieces, and around 30,000 infantry to delay the advancing soviet forces. The soviets are Equipped with 2500 tanks 70,000 infantry and 600 artillery pieces. Their goal is to fight a delaying action while Polish reserves can be mustered and reinforcements from the Ukraine can be brought up.


The Polish forces take up defensive positions at cites of Suwalki and Chelm. On June 21st the vanguard of the Soviet armored divisions reaches Suwalki.

--Suwalki June 21st 1967---

Polish PT-62 tanks heavily modified soviet t62 tanks equipped with composite armor and a 125mm cannon, take up defensive positions around Suwalki. The soviets field several brigades of T-62 and IS-3 tanks in support of a rifle Division. Commander Kanimir leads the defense of Suwalki he looks out across the large open fields and in the distance spots a forward soviet armor platoon. Consisting 7 T-62 tanks and 3 IS-3 tanks. His tanks are dug into hull down positions in a line defending the city with several anti tank guns spread about to provide additional support.

Kadamir ducked down into his tank and gave button up command to all his tanks. the hatches closed and He sighted one of the lead tanks in his commander sight. His gunner acknowledged he was ready after the loader loaded a shell into the breech.

"Fire!" Kadamir shouted The gun crackled with a loud report along the line other guns followed the shell from Kadamir's Tank slammed into the frontal armor of an IS-3 tank. Smoke billowed from a hole in the front of the tank a few second later it burst into flames. One of the soviet IS-3 tanks fired its powerful 122mm gun the shells slammed directly into the turret of Kadamir's tank. The tank rocked from the impact but the round skidded of the rounded turret. Kadamir's tank fired and the round hit the Soviet tank in its ammunition rack causing it to explode in a large fireball and sending its turret flying through the air. The rest of the Soviet tanks fell under Polish fire in the span of a few seconds.

A few hours later a far larger Soviet force approached the entrenched Polish positions. The Polish tanks opened fire as soon as the Soviets entered range. The soviets were slammed with Polish fire Soviet tanks returned fire but at the extreme ranges had difficulty hitting the low profile Polish tanks. The large caliber Polish guns outraged the soviet cannons but the sheer number of soviet tanks allowed them to advance under a protective artillery screen. Forcing the Polish forces into the open to maneuver. The battle raged on for over an hour. Finally after suffering severe casualties the Soviet forces retreated to regroup after inflicting light casualness on the Polish armored forces.


--Chelm June 25th 1967--

Commander Otto Richtofen commands the Polish defense of Chelm like Suwalki it is surrounded by long open fields and smaller villages but Otto had decided to form the bulk of his defenses around Chelm's train yard A vital supply line he had to hold if he hoped to receive reinforcements quickly.
The soviet attack started at noon the polish tanks were dug into hull down positions surrounded by sand bags and covered by camo nets. Polish anti tank missile emplacements were also scattered about the line. while the line directly in front of the Polish infantry were dug into trenches. The soviets began their attack with a barrage of heavy mortars. It was immediately followed by a swarm of soviet infantry supported by BMP's.

"Load AP lads lets use those BMP's for target practice." Otto said to his crew

"Ready." his gunner confirmed

"Fire!" And with a loud whumpf! The cannon fired the round sailed down range and cut through the BMP setting it on fire.

Otto keyed open his radio to his artillery fire bases deeper behind his line. He barked out a series of coordinates and a few seconds later 122mm shells began blanketing the area the crushing barrage forced the soviet infantry to retreat.

Later the soviets tried for another attack soviet tanks rolled across the fields toward the polish positions Polish tanks began Knocking out Soviet vehicle at ranges up to four miles. The soviets continued to Press forward and over ran the Polish front line and managed to press into the city.
But in the urban combat the soviet troops and tanks found them selves in an unwinnable Quagmire and after a full week of fighting they retreated from the city.

The Defenders of Suwalki and Chelm managed to hold the line for 14 days despite being out gunned and out numbered finally when it looked as if they could hold no longer the Ukrainian 3rd 4th and 7th tank divisions along with several polish infantry divisions solidified a front against the soviets next set of offensives and by years end the Polish and Ukrainian armies had liberated Lithuania and captured half of Belarus.