Crisis in the Pacific (Semi Closed)

[Nadatura]

November 28th 2004
Nadatura City
00:39 Hours Local

The developing situation between Nadatura and the Philippines had been becoming more and more hostile with there seemed only a matter of time before one of the two nations did something rash and fired on the other.

In the Nadatura Military High Command building, the intelligence officers were working through the incoming intelligence reports which came in. Many reports were about the developing situation between Nadatura and the Philipines. There was confusion and uncertainty, but the information coming in was that the situation could deteriorate further. A possible incoming attack was high, but there were already contingency orders ready to be activated if needed.


High over the Pacific Ocean
00:48 Hours Local
Top Secret

The E-3C Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft flew through the dark sky as it monitored the airspace around Palau where the incursions were mostly taking place. The intelligence was pointing to some form of air assault, but it was doubted if the Philippine Air Force would have a chance of making a strong attempt.

As they made a pass close to Palau, the systems began picking up eight contacts from the west and towards Guam at high speed. Somehow the Philipines had disregarded the warnings and had sent a strike force. Immediately the aircraft called up the combat air patrols which were loitering around, vectoring them to intercept.

A message was then sent to Guam informing them of the incoming aircraft, who then sent a report to the Nadatura Military High Command. Six MIG-25PD Interceptor Aircraft were scrambled, with three MIG-29S Fulcrum C Multi-Role Fighters readied to join the fray if need be.



01:12 Hours Local

The Philippine strike force of F-5B Fighters approached Guam unaware that the Nadaturan air defence was now fast approaching. However suddenly they realised when three of them had their missile warning alarms go off that they had company. As they broke formation, an AIM-120 AMRAAM smashed into one of the aircraft and blew it to pieces. Another missile streaked past just inches from another fighter, panicking the pilots.

The air patrol pickets were now closing in, with the F-16C Multi-Role Fighter who had fired the two missiles closing into AIM-9X Sidewinder range. The fighter locking onto another target fired again, the missile streaking away before destroying its target in a bright flash.

Two of the six scrambled MIG-25PD Interceptor Aircraft approached at high speed, their radar seeing now that only four of the contacts were left. However, there was news was coming in of a second low-level intrusion which was near Guam.



Guam
01:24 Hours

The air raid sirens wailed as the radars on the island had finally found a second group of five fighters approaching from the west at a low level. The air defence systems had come to readiness as the aircraft came within four miles.

As the fighters raced in, the first S-125M Surface to Air Missile System launched its missile at them. But it streaked past as the lock broke. Then the fighters released their bombs. They came crashing down onto the airfield, damaging five buildings, cratering a taxiway and smashing through the roof of a hangar.

As they streaked away, one was hit somehow by several cannon shells and it crashed landed into the water and broke up. Another was hit by a second-fired missile which tore the fighter into burning fragments. A third also disappeared in a fireball as another missile scored a hit. The surviving two were now being chased by the three MIG-29S Fulcrum C Multi-Role Fighters which had taken off just a minute or two before.

As the attackers fled, they were now in a serious position. With the defences now fully aware and active, their life expectancy was now slowly diminishing. Two more were lost to the Nadaturan fighters, but the rest were allowed to flee back west. Two more of the remaining five had been damaged and all were racing to get back to their tankers.

Furious as reports of the raids came in, the response was immediate. Prime Minister Falenti ordered that the operational plan prepared for this kind of event be carried out. Immediately the necessary instructions and orders were transmitted to the various receivers.

Soon there would be a decisive response.

[Nadatura]

November 28th 2004
Guam
03:12 Hours Local


The sortie took off, a Tu-95MS6 Bear H Strategic Bomber carrying four Kh-55SM Cruise Missiles. The target was the port areas of Manilla to show the Phillipine government that their capital could be attacked further if they pushed Nadatura further.

The aircraft flew high and made its way towards the Philipines, it approaching the northeastern area of the Luzon Island, before at a point six hundred miles off the eastern coast it launched all four of its missiles.

As the bomber turned for home, the missiles acclerated and streaked for their targets.



In Manilla the missiles appeared with the sunrise. The four explosions which signalled their impact rocked the city, sending palls of thick black smoke high into the air. The local news seen by Nadaturan intelligence showed that the missiles had been relatively accurate, though one had actually hit a docked cargo ship. The struck vessel was burning out of control and the city fire service was trying to extinguish it.

The Philipine government would surely figure out who had hit them, which was the clear intent. But the alert status would be heightened for retaliation, with a small naval task force including the Kitty Hawk Class Aircraft Carrier NNS Redoubt being deployed to the south of Guam to reinforce the air cover.

Unknown to only a few, the Piranha (Sierra II) Class Attack Submarine NNS P-1 had been ordered to the region too.



In diplomatic circles, the United States was asking for restraint. The Nadaturan Government had been asked to turn the bomber around, but the missiles had already been fired and it had already headed back to base. President Bush had been personally phoned after the news of the attack had become public, with President Falenti informing him that it had been only a show of force and that if the Philipines were wise they would not try again.

Publically the Nadaturan Government gave another warning. “If the Philipines again attacked Nadaturan territory, there would be no further restrained responses to aggression.”

In the United Nations later that afternoon, notice was given of another emergency session being declared, with many worried that a full blown war was now rushing towards them. The concern was that if hostile action did occur, that the entire region could destabilise.

The main thing was though that diplomatic relations between Nadatura and the Phillipines was now at an all time low.

[Nadatura]

December 1st 2004
United Nations, New York
10:03 Hours Local

The new emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly was very tense as the Nadaturan Ambassador to the UN Keliv Naltrix finished his speech to the entire assembly which had denounced the Philippine attacks and justified the response that had been made. The Philippine ambassador had made her speech but she had received a lukewarm response. But there was a need to mediate. Russia and the United States for the first time in some years had both agreed that the need for a resolution to the crisis was needed. China had even offered to hold the talks, but the offer was rejected by the Philippine ambassador which didn't help their cause at all.


Classified
2nd December 2004

Secretly though the Russian ambassador had given the notice of Russian support in any form. This had been a surprise to the Nadaturans but the guarantee of Russian naval blueprints was accepted. American support was also still coming, with a consignment of aircraft weaponry arriving that day.


5th December 2004

The political game continued with a Philippine call to the Asian nations to boycott Nadaturan goods. However, the call was only answered by Bhutan and Singapore, with the rest just ignoring the attempted economic tactics. The Nadaturan response was to recall its ships from Singapore without unloading their goods, deciding to divert all to Malaysia whose Prime Minister had backed Nadatura.


6th December 2004
Classified

Piranha (Sierra II) Class Attack Submarine NNS P-1 had made her way into the Philippine Sea, making sure that it maintained its assigned station. Its orders were to monitor sea traffic and if it was told to, would attack Philippine military ships or land targets with its RK-55 Cruise Missiles.

As it passed its next waypoint, it made its way to periscope depth. It had been shadowing a cargo ship which was passing towards the Philippines. It would though be making its way further west.


As the submarine moved west, the Nadaturan Military High Command had begun plans to formulate a potential invasion plan if the situation deteriorated further.

[Nadatura]

12th December 2004

The situation was still very tense with many people feeling that war was only a matter of time. The political relationship between Nadatura and the Philippines was absolutely ruined, with all diplomatic contact severed. The Nadaturan position though was stronger as it had been deemed the victim. This was despite their military had caused much more damage and was now goading the Philippine government into making another mistake.

Classified

There was also a disinformation campaign underway online, with the top experts in the Nadaturan Intelligence Agency Cyberwarfare Division beginning to disrupt Philippine communications using encrypted distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.



14th December 2004
Classified

Piranha (Sierra II) Class Attack Submarine NNS P-2 had arrived in the Philippine Sea to support her classmate P-1. She however was sailing towards the southwest, though it would also be gathering intelligence for now.

In the air, the Nadaturan Air Force had begun probing to within a hundred and eighty kilometres of Luzon with fully armed Tu-95MS6 Bear H Strategic Bombers as a show of force. An E-3C Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft from Guam was monitoring the area and if any bomber triggered a response, the airborne fighter patrols could be vectored to warn it off.

If any further aircraft were shut down, the planned air campaign would be activated. It was to last at least two weeks and the objective was to smash the Philippine Air Force and prevent reinforcements from coming to the Luzon and Manilla areas.

A casus belli was definitely desired as the Nadaturan government did not want to have Nadatura labelled as the aggressor.

[Nadatura]

14th January 2005
Classified

Planning for the invasion of the Philippines if needed was well underway. It would be executed as follows:

The invasion force would sail around the northern coast of Luzon and then down the west coast.

There would be a two Marine Brigade landing between Lingayen Gulf between Lingayen and Damortis. H Hour 01:00 Hours to make most of the surprise.

The 1st Air Assault Brigade would be dropped east of Tarlac City and around the E1 Highway.

The 2nd Air Assault Brigade would be dropped east of Olongapo and on the Subic Bay International Airport to seize it and the port facilities of Olongapo to land more soldiers and equipment.

A general advance was to be made towards Angeles and San Fernando to gain a significant bridgehead.

Reinforcements would be landed by aircraft and cargo ships to strengthen it. At least two Mechanised Brigades, four Motorised Brigades and an Armoured Brigade are earmarked for deployment after H Hour.

Air support was to be substantial with an aim to destroy the Philippine Air Force on Luzon and nearby, plus close air support with an aim to reduce civilian casualties. Strategic Bombers would conduct long-range and bombing suppression strikes with Fighter Aircraft and Ground Attack Aircraft doing close air support. Attack Helicopters will support the advance as well.

Manilla was planned to fall within five days and within two weeks reaching a line from Pagbiliao to the coast opposite Alabat Island where resistance is expected to be much fiercer due to the narrow terrain corridor.

Operations to take other islands will be considered based on the overall situation, though it was expected that secondary invasions would be necessary.



The political pressure was still being put on with some anti-government elements in the Philippines being given money for their activities, plus to bring them to the Nadaturan cause. The money incentives were in the tens of millions of US Dollars.

It seemed like the international community wasn't really interested which seemed really surreal to the Nadaturan leadership. The United States with its focus more on Afghanistan and Iraq seemed benign in their opposition. The insurgency in Iraq seemed to be more in the news than what was happening in South East Asia.

Indonesia had been given a financial incentive to support Nadatura, with a pledge to allow Indonesian exports to enter the Nadaturan market, with their President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono being reassured after hours of talks with the Nadaturan Ambassador to Indonesia.



17th January 2005

The situation was continuing to be tense, though the Nadatuan effort to politically isolate the Philippines seemed to be working. There had been news that the Philippines' internal political situation was now becoming worse as the government came under attack from its opposition.

The hardline position by the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had been a bad choice, the ordering the November 28th attack on Guam to cow Nadatura only invoking a powerful response.

The damage was fixed, though the psychological effects still were present as the vulnerability of the Philippines to Nadaturan air power was demonstrated. Many now were becoming more critical of her, as the country's world standing had diminished in a short period of time.



19th January 2005

Manilla was still busy, though there was now government-led propaganda to watch out for Nadaturan espionage and also air defence preparation information. The city though still was going about its usual business. But there was a sense of unease which seemed to hang in the air.

The price of goods had risen considerably, with imports dropping due to the threat of Nadaturan military action. Today has also been the day that the country had been expelled from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations treaty as the other signatories did not want to be forced into the confrontation which seemed inevitable.



20th January 2005
Classified

The Nadaturan Military High Command finally had decided on the codename for the invasion, Operation Iron Fist. It was now timetabled to begin at the earliest on February 1st, with the air war to begin just after midnight. The invasion force had left the Nadaturan mainland and now was sailing the 1800km to the landing area.

At least half of the Nadaturan Air Force would take part, with air superiority to be seized immediately and an overwhelming bombing campaign utilised to smash the means of the Philippines to resist.

The level of civilian casualties was to be minimised but it was expected that some would unfortunately be killed or injured.

[Nadatura]

29th January 2005
Classified

The war was now imminent as the final preparations were being made. All air bases in the Nadaturan territories were on high alert and the ordinance was being put ready for use. There would be at least half of the Nadaturan Air Force being committed immediately with further aircraft being added if needed.

The invasion fleet was now holding around Guam and was being refuelled and more provisions were added to bring it to full readiness and strength. There was an expectation that with it being the first conflict of Nadatura's existence, casualties were expected to be high and the conflict to last a few months.

The other expectation was the United Nations would get involved after several days and call for a ceasefire and withdrawal. But the aim was to ignore any UN interference for as long as politically possible to gain as much territory as possible.

-

Publically the Nadaturan government remained silent on what was happening. There was to be a formal severing of diplomatic ties a couple hours and a formal declaration of war just after midnight, just as the first strikes began. A message was being made for the United Nations to be sent as it begins, outlining the reasons for war and a pledge to not widen the conflict.

The need for a meticulous plan was vital so there was no parallel to be made to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour which had no declaration of war beforehand. Therefore the political side of the plan would be timed to the minute to make sure the declaration was made just minutes before the first attacks.



31st January 2005
23:00 Hours Local
Classified

The invasion force had now reached a point one hundred and ten kilometres south of Taiwan and past the most northern Philippine islands. The task force had been so far undetected, with its course now at two hundred and ten degrees to come down to the invasion area.

At this time, the first sorties were now taking off and making their way to their launch points or target areas. The air bases these came from were hives of activity, sounds of engines and tools, with the smell of aviation fuel.

On board the Kitty Hawk Class Aircraft Carrier NNS Redoubt, F/A-18F Super Hornet Multi-Role Fighters were taking off and some were flying protectively around the ships. They would soon be joined by Guam based aircraft carrying their payloads which were heading at low level on their missions.



1st February 2005
00:22 Hours Local
Classified

The Tu-95MS6 Bear H Strategic Bombers assigned to the strikes had by this point launched their Kh-55SM Cruise Missiles and turned for home. They had by now been detected but the Philippine radars on Luzon couldn't make out what they were. However, the radars were already doomed as a Tu-22M Backfire Strategic Bomber assigned to each one fired Kh-15P Anti Radar Missiles at them to disable them.

Flights of F-15E Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighters carrying various packages flew in low, with MIG-27M Flogger J Ground Attack Aircraft being ordered to attack known airfields all over the Philippines.

F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighters, F-16C Multi-Role Fighters and MIG-29S Fulcrum C Multi-Role Fighters also joined the fray, with their role mainly to shoot down any Philippine aircraft which came up.


02:44 Hours Local

The Philippine government had received the Nadaturan declaration of war just minutes earlier when the first cruise missiles crashed into their targets, some landing on the outskirts of Manilla itself. As the minutes passed, a flurry of reports began to come in of a massive air assault as they detailed huge explosions and fires, damaged communications and the Philippine Air Force trying to scramble its aircraft under a heavy bombardment.

The Philippine Army had begun to mobilise, though the military commanders were now dealing with constant strafing runs of their facilties and roads choked with rubble and wrecked vehicles.

Air strikes were now coming, with a shift of targets to deal with the Philippine Navy. These missions were made by F/A-18F Super Hornet Multi-Role Fighters which managed to damage four Fast Attack Craft and sank six Coastal Patrol Craft. Installations were damaged though the heavier ships were missed.

In the first aircraft strikes the Nadaturan Air Force would lose two ty MIG-29S Fulcrum C Multi-Role Fighters, four MIG-25PD Interceptor Aircraft and a MIG-27M Flogger J Ground Attack Aircraft. Three F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighters and an F-16C Multi-Role Fighter were damaged.



04:09 Hours Local

Slightly behind schedule but still without any resistance, the Nadaturan Marine Force 1st Marine Brigade and 4th Marine Brigade began landing between Lingayen Gulf between Lingayen and Damortis. Once ashore they would begin to steadily move south, with AH-1W SuperCobra Attack Helicopters flying protectively.

The 1st Air Assault Brigade had also begun their drop between Tarlac City and around the E1 Highway, with the 2nd Air Assault Brigade dropping east of Olongapo and within a couple of hours had secured Subic Bay International Airport and the port so reinforcements could come in. Many carried anti-armour and anti-air weapons so they could hold their own against counterattacks.

The Philippine Army had managed to deploy some units, though the air raids were making it difficult to move. The roads were blocked and civilian vehicles were getting in the way. The most forward any Philippine soldier had got was at around six am near the town of Urdeneta next to the E-1 Highway. Unfortunately, it ran into a forward patrol of three LAV-ARV Armoured Recon Vehicles and a LAV-AT Armoured Recon Vehicle. The latter destroyed the vehicle and its four occupants before the Nadaturan patrol continued onwards.


05:34 Hours Local

The first elements of the Nadaturan Army began to land. The 2nd Mixed Infantry Brigade which had sailed from Guam on two cargo ships began to disembark alongside the infantry soldiers of the 12th Motorised Brigade which had been sent via a cruise ship which had docked around the same time. They would as soon as they could push northeast to put pressure on the Philippine unit which was in North Luzon. Also being disembarked was part of the 4th Artillery Brigade which would soon be deployed to support it

The 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Star Division, is the Philippine Army's primary infantry unit in Northern Luzon, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare. It was the nearest unit in strength, but it was being struck continuously from the air, plus also was in a precarious position with its line of retreat being slowly cut off by the invaders.

Most of the unit was staying in place, though some were encountering the probing Nadaturan infantry, supported by coordinated air strikes . The Nadaturan goal was to pin the 5th Infantry Division in place and isolate it. Throughout the day, they would have to deal with constant pressure, while being denied a chance to retreat anywhere but northwards.



Throughout the day, the main Nadaturan effort was to enlarge and secure the bridgehead gained. The 3rd Mechanised Brigade throughout the day was also slowly coming ashore, with many cargo ships being utilised to carry the equipment. The gains that day would be as far as Rosario to the northeast, Santa Maria to the east, through Anao and just south of Camiling, then northwest to the coast south of Eguia.

There they had stopped, as they began to meet the first signs of resistance. The Philippine Army had managed to bring up enough units to form a defensive line, but the position of the 5th Infantry Division was expected to become more precarious as the Nadaturan effort to break out of its bridgehead was expected.

The bridgehead would come under air attack, but the air umbrella the Nadaturan Air Force had created meant the attackers either fled or was shot down. The evening came with no relief, as the Nadaturan artillery began to target positions on preplanned breakout locations. The landing of a third Marine Brigade, the 2nd, added a new option as it was deployed on the left flank alongside the 1st Marine Brigade



The day ended with the objectives achieved, though the political situation was one of surprise and some consternation. The offical position was mostly accepted though, that Nadatura was pre-empting a second Philippine attempt to attack Nadaturan territories. The surprise of the excuse's success was a shock to the Nadaturan government, but they didn't complain.

The lack of US condemnation was a massive achievement, which only emboldened them to continue. The United Nation's call for a new session to discuss the crisis was a mere nuisance. The plan was not to be delayed by such smalll irritants.

[Nadatura]

2nd February 2005

The push resumed at 03:30 Hours with fresh attacks by the 2nd Marine Brigade with the 1st Marine Division on its right flank. The aim of this effort was to use the Highway E1 as an axis of advance and break through.

The blows fell on only a small blocking force of several sandbag positions, the force of the assault like a sledgehammer through a thin door. The objective if possible was Angeles and the junction with the Highway E4, linking up with the spearheads pushing out the bridgehead at Olongapo.

Nadaturan air power began to support this effort, though they were careful to not destroy too much civilian infrastructure. Some civilians though had been killed by air strikes, mainly through munitions missing their intended target.


The left flank was very active, with the 2nd Mixed Infantry Brigade and the 12th Motorised Brigade striking out northeast to force the Philippine 5th Infantry Division to stay in place and be cut off by the central attack.

This sector was where the heaviest fighting was taking place, with the Nadaturan units having to literally blast through determined rearguard actions and call in air strikes to dislodge Philippine soldiers using buildings as strongpoints.

The Philippine attempt to fall back in order was difficult despite a majority of the unit managing to break contact. The Nadaturan air strikes had inflicted heavy losses, with any chance of relief being low.

The 2nd would see the use in Northern Luzon ahead of these attacks of constantly flying sorties around the clock of two strong flights of Tu-22M Backfire Strategic Bombers, each dropping sixty-nine FAB-250 General Purpose Bombs or eighteen FAB-500 General Purpose Bombs onto any viable escape routes, utilising the entire roster of this type. The raids were very destructive, with the 5th Infantry Division suffering badly from some sorties wiping out columns during raids.


To the west, the advance southward along the west coast was slow and steady, with a linkup with the Olangapo bridgehead being made just around five pm. This sector was not really that active.

The Olongapo bridgehead was being pushed out, with the 18th Mechanised Brigade pushing towards Angeles and San Fernando against dogged resistance. It had the 7th Mixed Infantry Brigade as support though, so the advance slowly continued.

The now fully committed 15th Motorised Brigade after a slow and steady advance had managed to push through the Wild Wolf Forest and entered Pag-asa in Bataan, before swinging east and pushing towards Balanga on the eastern side of Bataan.

Philippine forces inside Bataan were in the process of evacuating out across Manilla Bay as the area to the north would soon be in Nadaturan hands. However, the number was only just over six hundred strong.



3rd February 2005

The Nadaturan advance had not paused overnight and the morning saw more gains.


The 1st and 2nd Marine Brigades had been joined by the 3rd, and had kept up the pressure, with the defenders unable to catch their breath and make a viable stand. The front was collapsing quickly as the Philippine Army making a withdrawal southwards as fast as possible.

The morning saw an acceleration of progress, with the Nadaturan Marine Brigades linking up with the 18th Mechanised Brigade just outside tne northern outskirts of Angeles just after midday, with the majority of units bypassing to the east of the city and pushing onwards to bypass San Fernando also.


The 18th Mechanised Brigade entered Angeles without any trouble, its progress through the city watched by a curious civilian population. The unit had orders to secure San Fernando alongside the 7th Mixed Infantry Brigade which had also acquitted itself well.

The 15th Motorised Brigade had around that same time secured Balanga and worked its way around the coast to link up with the 7th Mixed Infantry Brigade at Guagua around 5pm, meaning the entire bridgehead had grown to that point just over a hundred and thirty kilometres at its most southern point.


The left flank also thanks to the heavy bombing was making excellent progress. The Philippine 5th Infantry Division was collapsing as the Nadaturan spearheads pushed forwards and the attritional air attacks smashed supply points and made movement without losing any men or equipment almost impossible. Morale was low and surrenders were now becoming more and more common as the hours went on.

Nadaturan Military Intelligence was now estimating that the unit would become a non-threat and its remnants be forcibly isolated, to be destroyed at leisure. Also from incoming reports, that there was a significant chance Manilla would be left as an open city to save it from being bombarded. There was no real intelligence of where the Philippine government was, though the information pointed to not being in Manilla any longer. So far the Nadaturan losses had been eighty-three killed and two hundred and sixty-nine wounded. Philippine losses was much higher, though their units except the 5th had in the last day been quick to retreat.



The public relation worldwide was of surprise, with many not expecting the ferocity of the Nadaturan invasion or the collapse of Philippine resistance so far. The United States had surprisingly still kept silent, due to the strong relationship it had with Nadatura. Russia had come out in support, as had the Peoples Republic of China.

The United Nations emergency session on the 2nd had come to nothing, with no real progress made on forcing a ceasefire. Nadaturan statements at changing world opinion to their cause had some effect, but it seemed the majority of the world wanted to just stand back and not involve themselves.

Philippine attempts to get any country to intervene on their side were also a failure. Many were not willing to support a nation which had provoked Nadatura and was now suffering the price. Noone wanted to get dragged into what was an extremely aggressive invasion which was now at the time of the assembly, approaching Manilla itself.



4th February 2005

The front line was now racing unstoppably southwards as the Philippine units were ordered to disengage to prevent being destroyed. The 5th Infantry Division however would not be able to carry out this order. It was now completely disintegrating, with some Nadaturan units being able to disengage and redeploy. The leader of the unit had been captured, his order to surrender allowing many prisoners to be taken.

The Nadaturan focus was now changing to reaching the corridor of land between Tayabas bay and Lopez Bay as soon as possible. The entire day though was mainly spent with air drops of supplies from C-130 Hercules being made so to keep the momentum going. The main problem now was making sure that no unnecessary risks were made as the units continued moving forward.



The Philippine Capital Manilla was entered at just after one pm by the 18th Mechanised Brigade and the 15th Motorised Brigade. The city had been left undefended, so the Nadaturan soldiers and vehicles were only welcomed by silent and unsure civilians. The 1st Logistics Brigade had also been sent to the city, which began to dispense food and water supplies.

The 15th Motorised Brigade had orders to garrison the city, while the 18th Mechanised Brigade moved on south. There seemed to be a sense of acceptance to the new situation by the population, so the Nadaturan soldiers in Manilla had no real issues.



The Philippine government was now settled in Iloilo City, though even then they were ready to move again if need be. However, the mood was grim. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had been saddened by the lack of any country willing to come to her nations aid. But she knew that her decisions were partly to blame. Some of her ministers were urging her to ask for terms, though she was so far unwilling to agree. She was hoping that the military situation would stabilise and they could counterattack.

But, the air superiority was in Nadaturan hands. The Philippine Air Force had attempted to retake their airspace, but the number disparity had meant it had been a forlorn attempt. The entire fighter strength had been thrown into the fight, but as of the 4th there were no more fighters left. The naval situation was also seriously bad, with its strength now down to a handful of small craft due to constant air attack.

Nadaturan air losses though had been nine MIG-29S Fulcrum C Multi-Role Fighters, seven F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighters, four MIG-27M Flogger J Ground Attack Aircraft and three Mi-24P Hind-F Attack Helicopters. These losses though were not really impacting the overall operation.



At around 22:00 Hours, the 1st Marine Brigade and 4th Marine Brigade had worked their way down the eastern side of Laguna de Bay and reached Lucban and Tayabas on the eastern side of Mounts Banshaw- San Christobal. The 2nd Marine Brigade and the 4th Marine Brigade had advanced around the mountains and reached the coast at and around Lucena, just short of the goal.

To the west, the 18th Mechanised Brigade had reached Batangas, before swinging east to sweep east and secure the rear of the Marine units. The initial objectives of the invasion were now pretty much secure, so now the units not fighting in the south were to be redeployed to be used for other planned operations. The Marine units were soon to be reinforced into a corp sized force of five Marine Brigades, which would push to clear the rest of the island.

[Nadatura]

5th February 2005

The 5th Marine Brigade had been landed at Manilla throughout the previous day and sent to join what was now called the 1st Marine Corp. With its arrival overnight and early morning, the advance was resumed at 06:00 Hours with a general sweep forwards.

As this was going on, a new operation was underway as a new task force arrived off the southeastern coast of the Davao island, under a new invasion codenamed Operation Bue Arrow. It was made up of the two completed [Anaconda (Tarawa) Class Amphibious Assault Ships NNS Anaconda and NNS Python carrying the 8th Marine Brigade and 10th Marine Brigade respectfully, supported by the redeployed Oliver Hazard Perry Class Guided Missile Frigates NNS Anakin and NNS Obi-Wan plus three C (Grisha IV) Class Corvettes. Six Cargo Ships and two Cruise Ships also was in this task force.

At just after 06:00 Hours Local, the two Marine Brigades came ashore between the western shore of Pujada Bay and the northern shore of Mayo Bay. Also landing was the 6th Mechanised Brigade, but that would take time and more ships which were on their way. The landings were unopposed and over the day, the bridgehead would be consolidated. Air strikes ahead of the advancing marines were aimed at any military installations, which was again disrupting the Philippine response.



The news of these fresh air strikes came as a shock to President Arroyo and the Philippine government. It had been deemed that the Nadaturan effort would be continued from Luzon to adjoining islands. The new air attacks meant that the Nadaturan plan was to divide their forces' attention and prevent the ability to strengthen other islands near Luzon. They had however no idea that a new landing had taken place due to the utter chaos of the situation.

By midday, the two Marine Brigades were still making their way northwest as fast as they could, with the 6th Mechanised Brigade now being landed with the arrival of the 23rd Motorised Infantry Brigade timed to begin tomorrow.

Philippine Army units on the island had only started to mobilise around 09:00 Hours when a scouting party on patrol had run into a Nadaturan Marine squad and fled under heavy fire, before sending a radio report. The first unit had headed towards where the contact had taken place but had been intercepted around midday northeast of the town of Banaybanay and beaten back.



The Nadaturan advance towards Davao continued backed by continuous air strikes against Philippine positions and moving units. The end of the day had seen a major blow struck against the defenders, with Maco only under forty kilometres from Davao being captured. The main body of the defending Philippine force had fallen back to a defensive line, though Nabunturan, Compostella and Canteel were now under Nadaturan control.

The bridgehead had been reinforced, with the chances of it being dislodged being very remote. The local commander had consulted with the Philippine government which was now in Cebu City, asking for reinforcements. He was refused for now, citing the threat of further landings.


6th February 2005

The front in North Luzon finally fell silent with the 5th Infantry Division surrendering to Nadaturan forces as their situation had been totally futile. The ending of fighting here was a big boost for the Nadaturan effort, with many men and equipment now freed for redeployment further south.

The main front though was again moving, with the Philippine resistance crumbling as the hours went on. Nadaturan Marine units had throughout the morning broke out and swung east towards Calauag and Tagkawayan, while Nadaturan Army units pushed towards Caranauan and Buenavista.


On the Davao front, Nadaturan progress was also swift, as just after midday Panabo finally was secured and a spearhead came within ten kilometres of the eastern outskirts. To the northwest, Nadaturan Army units were now sixty kilometres away from Bayugan City and just under fifty kilometres southeast of the Kalatungan Mountains.

Philippine morale in this sector was collapsing as Nadaturan air power relentlessly targeted their units. A general order to fall back to new more defendable positions was ordered at just after two pm, though the entire eastern and central part of the island was to be abandoned, a defence line to be established heading directly south from Gingoog to Digos City.

This decision was to concentrate remaining forces in a defendable area, while allowing evacuation to islands further north to take place. As this order was sent, the news of Davao being entered by Nadaturan Marine units arrived. Luckily though the nearest allied units had already pulled back to the new positions.

The rest of the 6th was marked by further Nadaturan gains, though the Philippine Army in this area had managed to begin making a stand. The next few days would tell whether the new strategy would work.

[Nadatura]

7th February 2005

The day on the Northern Front was the same with Nadaturan securing of the areas west of the Ragay Gulf, with Philippine units continuing to fall back southwards. The Marine units were now joined with Nadaturan Army units advancing down the eastern half of the island. This allowed the Marine units to concentrate in the western half, preventing their overextension.

But as the day entered the afternoon, the advance was ordered to halt. The front had reached a point through Salingogon Barangay, Minalabac, southeast of Naga and east of Calabanga Town which was an impressive advance. But, there was needed a pause to regroup and resupply.

This halt was a welcome respite to the Philippine units, which now disengaged without much harassment. Many vehicles and equipment had been lost, with their strength down to a fraction of their initial strength.


Morale in the Nadaturan units was high, with the pause a welcome respite from the constant moving and low sleep. Many were taking advantage of being able to now rest, with the equipment receiving well-needed maintenance. The soldiers knew that they were winning the war, so there was not much resistance to a pause in operations.

In the air, the sorties had been scaled back with the strength being conserved for future operations. Still though many ground attack missions were made to keep the Philippine units on the back foot. However, the number of aircraft taking on these sorties was just under half of the strength engaged in the beginning.


The Philippine morale was now at a low ebb. The soldiers fell back with what remained of their vehicles. The risk of air attack had meant that many had created improvised camouflage from the flora and fauna around them. Fuel and ammunition were however low, with wounded taking priority on available vehicles.

The civilian population had stayed put, with the initial order to remain being obeyed by most of them. Nadaturan air strikes had mostly missed civilian areas, with only urban areas that had seen fighting being the exception.

A final defensive stand was to be made in front of Sorsogon City between the Albay Gulf coast and the Sorsogon Bay coast, this to delay Nadaturan progress and allow an evacuation to take place.



The Davao front was also pretty quiet, as Nadaturan efforts to mop up Philippine resistance in the northeast of the island continued. The Nadaturan units facing the new defensive line were taking the time to reorganise and resupply, knowing that the Philippine units behind it was evacuating to the nearby islands. Reconnaisance had found that Mindanao, Diplog City and Dapitan City seemed to be where they were mostly leaving from.

That news brought the Nadaturan air effort onto the entire area, with tactical strikes being made on the vessels attempting to evacuate the entire Philippine-held area. The ships there had managed to take some of the Philippine units off, but some arriving suddenly found that their approach was under air attack. This sustained effort would after a few hours prevent further evacuating from anywhere.

At seven pm, a message was surprisingly received by the Nadaturan commander. It contained an intention to surrender all local units due to the overwhelming Nadaturan superiority and their thwarting of the Philippine evacuation. It was accepted. Military operations on this front were now over.



8th February 2005

The Luzon front was now the only operationally active zone as of this day, which had resumed operations at just after four am that morning. The lack of any resistance due to the Philippine withdrawal meant that the advance moved at a very quick pace.

By midday the furthest spearheads had began moving each side of the Bato Lake, supported by air dropped supply crates to keep the momentum going. It was now only a matter of time before they would clear this island as well.


Ten Philippine based Tu-22M Backfire Strategic Bombers would launch a large scale raid that afternoon, with its target being Cebu City's Mactan Cebu International Aiport. The mission was conducted at a low altitude with each dropping eighteen FAB-500 General Purpose Bombs which damaged the runways enough to prevent any use by the Philippine military. It was also a show of force which did alarm the population of Cebu City, plus rattled the Philippine government which was still based there.

At around one pm, a force of five hundred paratroopers from the 1st Air Assault Brigade were dropped on Siquijor Island to secure it, with a second force of another five hundred also from the 1st Air Assault Brigade landed on Siargao Island. Both islands were found to be undefended and the bases there already abandoned.

The day ended with operations coming to a halt, the Nadaturan gains squeezing what remained of the Philippine state into the central islands. Many were now wondering how long resistance would last.

[Nadatura]

9th February 2005

The Philippine government had called an emergency session to discuss further what they could do. The overall situation was becoming grimmer and grimmer as news of Nadaturan success kept coming in. It seemed that eventually they would run out of anything to defend with.

Many politicians were now starting to become more vocal that they needed to surrender, citing that the Philippine government had brought about the war by attacking Nadatura. The fact they were losing was considered a fitting punishment and that resistance was now useless.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was losing the support of her cabinet. News of new raids on various friendly bases and the loss of two islands came to much more dismay. Finally as the evening came, she made a decision to sue for peace.


“My fellow citizens. The war with Nadatura which had gone on now for nine days has been overwhelming and destructive. The means to resist the invader has now reached a point that we can no longer sustain the effort. I must take responsibility for actions which had unfortunately provoked the Nadaturan government to take the step to attack the Philippines..”

She paused to compose herself and then continued. “I therefore will be offering peace terms to the Nadaturan government and then once peace is achieved, I will resign and then the current government will be dissolved, pending the peace treaty. I am sorry it has come to this, but I have no alternative.”



The Nadaturan government would receive the surrender message just after three pm, with an acceptance being sent with an ordder to lay down arms and await disarmament by Nadaturan units. The Philippine government would remain in Cebu City until a delegation headed by Prime Minister Mario Falenti arrived.

As the combat ceased, the Philippine units left in the field yielded, with Nadaturan units being sent to the territories which had not yet been captured. It was expected that the processing of prisoners of war and equipment would take some time.

The world's reaction to the Philippine surrender was marked with many unsure of what Nadatura would do next, with the United States sending a plea that international law is kept. China would send a congratulatory message, with Russia doing likewise. The other South East Asian nations though were nervous, realising that Nadatura had a stronger military than they had realised.



As the Nadaturan military began its occupation, food, medicine and supplies to reconstruct damaged infrastructure began to arrive by air and sea. The Nadaturan Red Cross was also arriving, with the need to keep the civilian population out of danger.

The short war had impacted the world economy only slightly, as it wasn't as serious as the US led coalitions wars in Afghanistan and the increasingly unstable Iraq. But the Asian stock markets had suffered, but they were expected to recover as fighting came to a halt.

Politically Nadatura was surprisingly not effected that much, with many expecting the Philippines to either become a supported regime or part of the seemingly expanding Nadaturan Kingdom.

[Nadatura]

10th February 2005

The arrival of the Nadaturan delegation meant that negotiations over the final peace treaty could begin. The Philippine government would be flown by Nadaturan Air Force C-130 Hercules to Manilla where the meeting would take place.

When they arrived, they found that the city was awash with Nadaturan soldiers, plus Nadaturan flags now flew on all public buildings. There was no chaos, with the public seemingly accepting the new situation.

The reality was the ones who had tried to start a resistance had been captured the previous evening by a special forces team and moved to a secure location. They would be interrogated and then imprisoned for attempting to subvert the new regime.



At the meeting, they were surprised to find some former Philippine ministers. They soon realised that they were ministers who had decided to join the Nadaturan side and cooperate. That meant that there would be no excuse for native exclusion to use as a pretext for any objections.

Prime Minister Mario Falenti greeted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with a degree of warmth, but he did smile before they took their seats. There was a brief statement that was read by a Nadaturan delegate, which outlined that the Philippine delegation was to be unharmed and not molested. Then the main negotiation got underway.



After six hours of discussion, though the Philippine delegation was not given much leeway in the severity of the terms, finally there was a final draft outlined. The following morning at just after ten am, Prime Minister Mario Falenti and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed, formally ending the war.



Treaty of Manilla

This treaty formally ends the conflict between the Kingdom of Nadatura and the Republic of the Philippines.



I.

The Republic of the Philippines accepts full responsibility for the war and will be forced to cede all its gold reserves as compensation. The second sum of reparations will be determined.


II.

The pre-war Philippine government is to face trials for war responsibility as outlined in Clause I. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to be indited as the primary person responsible for instigating the war, with her cabinet as co-conspirators.


III.

The Republic of the Philippines is to become part of the Kingdom of Nadatura, with all citizens gaining immediate citizenship. It will void all political and military treaties it holds, rescinding all sovereignty with immediate effect.


IV.

a)

All Philippine military equipment and personnel are to be surrendered to Nadaturan control.

b)

Nadaturan military garrisons are to occupy the Philippine territories and take over all installations/bases.

c)

A local Philippine-based security force is to be created from former Philippine military personnel to police the territory. This is to place as little strain on Nadaturan military strength.


V.

a)

Batanes Group of Islands and Babuyan Group of Islands become Philippine Security Zone North.

b)

Palawan Province becomes Philippine Security Zone Central.

c)

Sulu Islands and Tawi-Tawi Province become Philippine Military Security Zone South.

d)

All civilians in these areas will be relocated as soon as possible.


VI.

The Nadaturan economic policies are to be enacted immediately into law. The Nadat becomes the only legal currency on any territory in the Philippines. All former currency is now worthless, though all money in Philippine banks will be converted to the new currency.


VII.

All Philippine natural resources are to be forfeited to be used as Nadatura sees fit. However economic treaties are kept under Nadaturan retention if the other signatory wishes to continue them.


VIII.

Flying of the former Philippine national flag is banned and flying the flag is punishable by immediate arrest.


IX.

The former national anthem Lupang Hinirang (Chosen Land) is banned and any playing of it is punishable by immediate arrest.


X.

All political parties and organisations are now banned with immediate effect. Any attempt to continue running these will be punishable by arrest.


XI.

All local languages are allowed but Tagalog will be retained as the dominant local language.


XII.

Filipino culture is to not be touched.


XIII.

Religious freedoms are to be left untouched.


XIV.

This treaty is to take effect at midday on 11th February 2005.



Signed by Signatories


Prime Minister Mario Falenti of the Kingdom of Nadatura

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on behalf of the Philippines.



The international reaction was muted with not much being said other than that the war had been unnecessary and the Philippines had been wrong to provoke the Nadaturan attack. The United States was not really happy that the war had taken place, but their released statement was one of recognizing the new situation.

A secret message asking for basing rights in the Philippines for reconnaissance flights to observe China was denied, citing that Nadatura wished to have at least a stable relationship with what was now a neighbour.



Indonesia had lodged a protest, though they could not really do much. The Nadaturan Navy did have a presence now so close to Indonesian waters, with any inclination to attack now a dangerous proposition. The Indonesian military would however deploy more soldiers into the area, but the deployments were to only bolster the current garrison.

The world now took a breath, as the situation in Asia began to settle. As the first week passed since the end of hostilities, it seemed that the world governments wanted to just forget that it had ever happened. But the example had been made, with some countries now taking notice...

[Nadatura]

The world situation had changed since the Nadaturan victory over the Philippines. Four months had passed with no other major incidents, though the change in Asia was causing effects worldwide. Many governments had noted the lack of backbone from the United Nations, causing a very unflattering comparison to its failed predecessor the League of Nations.

Nadatura had gone silent in most things, with its world presence much muted. It had decided to withdraw from the forefront of world politics and concentrate on its internal affairs. But, as Nadatura slipped into seclusion, there were other events now taking place which looked to keep Asia in the world's eye for longer.



27th April 2005

The Chinese government had been dealing with the shock of regional power shifting as Nadatura now had the Philippines. However, they knew that Nadatura had no design to attack the People's Republic and relations with them were very good.

There were though worries that an old wound was reopening as negotiations to ratify the shared border with Russia collapsed. The Russian delegation had the day before left Beijing back to Moscow with no agreement.

Chinese suspicions were the Russian government had been emboldened by the success of Nadatura’s annexation of the Philippines without much international opposition.

Chinese President Hu Jintao had publically condemned the Russian action, with many experts saying that this was a concerning development and it could deteriorate further if talks did not resume soon.



1st May 2005
Moscow

The Russian government had ignored the Chinese rhetoric which was very fiery and had meant relations were as bad as they were during the 1960s. The Russian military had begun to redeploy units eastwards and had the Russian Pacific Fleet on full alert.

A message had been sent to both governments by the United States urging negotiations resume, but it had been ignored by them. Russian President Vladimir Putin had been mulling over what action he could take, in this crisis.

His main concern was to protect Vladivostok, which he had ordered protected at all costs. He knew that the Chinese could attack at any time, as reports of a build-up were underway across the border.



3rd May 2005

The economic situation in the world was now unstable with many markets suffering losses due to the rising tension, more so than during the Nadaturan invasion of the Philippines. The Asian Stock Markets had taken the heaviest hit, with many losing values.

The developing crisis had also begun to worry the Asian countries who feared a more destructive war than the recent one erupting, who feared that it could even include the use of nuclear weapons.

But there was no real effort by any of these countries to make a diplomatic intervention to prevent the continuing deterioration of the situation.