This initial stage of the assault had commenced, and the countless platoons of SOLA soldiers had made a long line of combatants ready to spill across the bridges of the river lluta. The first volleys of the artillery had done a phenomenal job at upsetting the civilian elements of the city despite the quick response of the garrisoned forces. Their capacity to fall into line through the chaos was admirable and easily a surprise. High command had assumed that the concentration at Lluta river would come to raise difficulties in the assault, so sacrifices had to be made.
The recently unknown artillery positions from the Peruvians would serve their defense well, as explosives rained down from above and tore into side skirts of the river where platoons had been awaiting behind the motorised forces to surge ahead and make headway. SOLA Soldiers momentarily panicked as officers comm'd in guestimations of USAS artillery positions to the Arica command all the while doing their best to keep the men in formation and from fleeing ainlessly. Some men would be thrown into the river from the explosive power of the artillery while others were simply torn asunder, turning hundreds of men into bloody pulp and splatter.
The preemptive dive into enemy land by the motorised forces closed the gap to a minimum of 6 miles from the Tacna, approximately half the distance from Arica, placing 8,000 men on the Peruvian side by the time response forces and attacking forces collided. Waves of hodgepodge collections of various APC's along with 2 of 5 tank regiments spear heading the assault had surged over the bridges available before the USAS Artillery began to rain down. However 1 of the 2 tank regiment that crossed looked vastly different than the other, entailing a total of 9 tanks, theu heralded something that would soon perturb the Peruvian forces and create a fear of its own.
RSJA Gaki Light Tank after crossing the river lluta,
Feb 12th 1958
The other vehicles ranged from converted half tracks armed with dual linked type 99 LMG guns carrying 6 men, light recon APC such as post conquest RSJ Itaka-moto company's , "Inoshishi" (BTR 40 equivalent), limited "Kyabaria" variants in the form of command vehicles or tow vehicles armed with 114mm AA guns (BTR 152 equivalent) and the 2nd tank regiment of 9 type 4 Chi-to medium tanks.
These waves of light and fast vehicles fanned both East and north to form 2 separate combat lines and spread the available stationary targets of the USAS bombardment while men deployed in typical convoy trucks holding upward to 20 men with minimal protection save for steel sheeting along the truck's beds sallied forth, often victims of the shrapnel or direct hits of randomized ordinance and heavier weapons fire from the USAS defensive line.
It was obvious that the USAS reaction and targeting of the bridges was slowing the arrival of the SOLA forces crossing, Colonel Toshimo commanded the force of 8,000 and ordered the division of 2 separate lines to adapt to the ongoing combat situation. Positioned in a Kyabaria command vehicle, Toshimo proceeded to the northern line while he commanded the other half to his lieutenant, Sazuya to press east and eradicate the artillery position along the river and relieve the main force of attack. He would be accompanied by 3 Chi-to Medium tanks.
North line
The spacing of Kyabaria equipped with AA guns made for unconcentrated positions but their task was dedicated to allowing the type 92 battalion guns and type 96 Howitzers to be deployed along the line and bear into the defensive position. Several half tracks that maintained the heavy weapon sqauds tailgate behind in order to swiftly undo the tows and reposition the heavy weapons accordingly, having recently installed defensive steel plates to protect them from small arms fire. In droves, the quicker inoshishi recon vehicles pincered from the flanks and laid down suppression fire with their LMG guns and attempt to drop off their squads and hold forward positions, the squads would simply use the Light APC's for cover. Meanwhile the center was an ample firing lane for the heavy weapons and would begin to press the defensive line. Both sides inflicting massive damage on one another, but the few available bridges ensure that the SOLA line continued to recieve reinforcement despite tactical losses.
In order to further protect these bridges, the Kyabaria AA batteries would do their best to stave off aerial support of the USAS onto the line and bridges, however the expanse and unconcentrated positioning of the APC's made it difficult to determine effectiveness.
Colonel Toshimo peered out above at the night sky and the now fully lit battlefield from the flames of war and yelled into his comm's reciever,
"Takuna kūgun ga sugata o arawashimashita! Hashi wa watashitachi no zenshin ni totte kiwamete jūyōdesu, watashi wa kurikaeshimasu, kiwamete jūyōdesu! Nōsurain no kōkū shien o rikuesuto! !"
Fear that leaving the USAS air forces un contested in the sky would result in the swift defeat of his advancing forces and eventually sever the possibility of retreat and further advance. He impatiently awaited response that came not 2 whole minutes after his transmission.
"Toshishige taisa, koreha saikō no shikidesu. 1-Ko chūtai ga kōkū kansei o okonau tochūdesu. Owatta."
The deployment of the Kito-201 squadron from Arica had been withheld to determine whether or not the city maintained an active air support, either that or the possibility that the artillery strike would coincidently dislodge the cities airfields by sheer luck. The 12 fighter jet's engines would flame up and shriek as they took off from the Arica airfield and move to engage the bombers and fighters deployed by the USAS defence. 4 of the 12 jets had been equipped with cluster bombs prior in the event that they would need to attack ground force positions and would make that their priority while the other 8 engaged. 2 would head for the city defence line and 2 would head for the artillery line positioned on the river.
Situations became dire to the SOLA, as reports of enemy armor elements was reported to be stressing the left flank of the line, on the verge of breaking it and pushing through to create massive gap of vulnerability and the plausible event of over running them with their armor. If this happened, the 96 Howitzer would be in crucial danger, not to mention the overwhelming losses inflicted congruent with the losses already being taken. Colonel Toshimo had called into question as to why attached heavy weapons specialists in the squads had not deployed the recently added "Tobiou" ATGM's. The reply left him slack jawed as the reply was a jumble of fear filled words and apologies on how the flank was being slowly pushed back and the controllers were unable to maintain steady hands and constantly had to pick up and run back.
"Baka na..."
The Cool interior of the Gaki Command tank, lightly hazed with cigarette smoke, came alive with a static transmission of an irate Colonel Toshimo,
"Shosa Hakeda... Hidari wakibara ni gaki rentai o tenkai shi, sorera o hakai shimasu..." in return, the colonel simply heard the brief response, "Hai."
Major Hakeda had been sitting back calmly with his arms crossed and a cigarette in his mouth as he listened to the muffled sounds of bombs and gun shots erupting on the outside. Crewmen had been sweating and shaking at the idea of bombs or artillery landing upon them. Allowing the cigarette to drop to the steel floor, Hakeda mushed it out with his black leather combat boots. He switched over the the regiments radio and ordered their mobilisation.
The petrol engines groaned as the gas entered the piston Chambers and pushed the metal monsters forward. The regiment was in an inversed wedge formation, 3 tanks per flank with the HQ formation behind in 3. Almost in synchonisity, they veered left and took off at full speed, 60km/hr, easily beyond the speed of the USAS tank platoon.
Hakeda's deep voice echoed across the regiment in their radio comms and danced with the radio static producing an eerie but assuring air of authority.
"Supīdo o riyō shite yūi ni tachi, sokumen ni tachimasu. Karera no zenshin o tome, karera ni chikara o misete kudasai."
Intending to use their speed to their advantage and rate of fire, the Gaki regiment came upon the damaged left flank and everything seemed to go silent as the face off commenced. The Gaki regiment would halt immediately at making contact and Shosa Hakeda would open the hatch of his Gaki tank and peer out exposing his upper body. His SOLA cap distinctly resembled an RSJ officer cap, the flames of a Inoshishi light APC that lay gutted and exploded to his right imbued the scene with a war torn ambiance.
He smirked at his adversaries and fell back in, knowing they were just over 4500 meters away from one another, just barely out of range of his 105mm cannons. From the looks of it, they were similar to the standard 90mm cannon and well out of range of the Gaki regiment and would be victimised and violated by the 105's long before the USAS tanks would be capable of returning fire.
The Gaki regiment would lurch forward only to abruptly stop, and repeated this consecutively. As if flexing or attempting to intimidate the USAS tanks. Prodding for a response while at the same time training down their sights to fire upon their foes.
"Sā... Anata no unmei ni aimasu." Whispering aloud to himself while grinning, Shosa Hakeda gave the command at 3900m to fire a volley at the tanks. In a bout of showcasing their superiority in typical fashion. Just above them, dog fighting of planes ensued. The Gaki platoon was ready to hit the gas and skirt off and maintain this imbalance of reach.
East Line
While taking losses, the east line began to form and advance upon the USAS River defence position. Looking for a fight. Lieutenant Sazuya calling in the position of the enemy and requested that Arica artillery be diverted to its position, and swiftly granted, the type 89 field artillery being re angled with the full intention of returning the favor.
Word of bomber presence lead Arica to vigilantly ready its AA batteries.