War Plan Alabama Lightning

[Democratic States of America]

General Arthur Morrel brought up the map on the screen inside his M-1. Just like Sherman did during the First War of Secession, Morrel would cut a path of devastation across the Confederacy. Only this time he would stop short of the sea.
Not that much of a loss, seeing as he planned to be eating dinner with the President in Montgomery, the Confederacy's capital, and the final destination of his massive invasion force, battle hardened in the Canadian winter.
Two failed wars against the nations of the PI alliance had weeded the hacks out of the DS Military.
War Plan Alabama Lightning had been drawn up during the Second War of Secession, but that fool Fremont had decided to focus on Virginia.
Now after the hacks in the DS Military had been weeded out they were ready to listen to him. One hard thrust, deep into the heart of the Confederacy. Shock the bastards into capitulating. Of course Morrel had drawn the plan up with the intention of bringing the Confederacy back into the DSA. President Kennedy simply wanted to use it as a way to get Pershing out of office, tear the CSSD out of the PI sphere of influence and into the DSA's.

Morrel thought that was a half-assed way of going about things, personally. Not that it mattered, either way the Confederacy would surrender to the Democratic States, and Morrel would have the opportunity to convince the President to restore the Democratic union then. 
He opened the dome to his tank and looked ahead. His army was amassed at New Albany, Indiana. You could see across the still-new international border into Confederate Kentucky.
He ducked back into his tank.
Grabbing a wireless transmitter he gave the order.
"General Morrel reporting. Move out."

With that order a sea of green-grey uniformed men, jeeps, transports, tanks, artillery, and ambulances started their thrust into the southern Confederacy. 

[Sovereign Dixie]

 Upon hearing the DSA's declaration of war, Pershing had erupted into rage. Vowing that this would be "the last time those good for nothing bastards fuck with us". The 7th fleet, which had been east bound on a mission to conduct Airstrikes against the Dysanii mainland, detoured north instead, heading towards the DS coast.

 In Kentucky, it was laughably obvious what Morrell planned to do. Looking at the latest satellite recon, General Elijah Roberts had ample time to prepare for the yankee assault. Lying in front of the DS Army lie nothing but mountains and narrow valleys, their progress, if they had any at all, would be slow and strained until they got into southern Tennessee, and there the Confederacy's flatlands.

 They weren't being given the chance to get that far, however, F- 15's, F- 16's F-22's and the new Confederate/Inglish designed fighter, the P-47 Houndog, took to the skies to intercept and destroy any DS aircraft coming into Kentucky, and to press on into Indiana if possible. A-10's streaked towards Morrell's approaching army in numbers which were not to be taken lightly. While the DS had decided the aircraft could be phased out in favor of newer more advanced tactical fighters, the CS had taken to mass producing them shortly after the war, seeing them as a low cost and durable alternative to newer, less reliable technologies. Their mission was to chew the advancing DS Army to pieces.

 In the skies over Virgina, an entire Squadron of B-52's headed north and east, escorted by F-22's and the new Houndog Fighters, which had only been able to be produced in limited quantity thus far. This was to be the first of many planned missions aimed at decimating the DS eastern infrastructure, and with it their ability to make war on the CSSD.

[Union]

Defense Intelligence will provide the C.S.S.D with imaging from our own satellites to increase update intervals. We will also turn in any intelligence gather by our agents in the DSA.

[Democratic States of America]

"What the hell is going on up there?" Morrel barked, trying to find one computer screen he actually understood, as yet an other Confederate bomb rocked his M-1.

"Brigadier General Connor, come in, what's your status?"

Edward P. Connor, commanding infantry officer, was at the very front of the formation.
"We're taking heavy fire, but we're moving along."
"Good, maintain the momentum. Don't retreat unless you think dealing with me will be more pleasant then a Confederate PoW camp."
"Yes sir."

He was a little less then halfway through Kentucky when things started slowing down.
When the thrust started he entered Covington in northern Kentucky and issued a statement promising freedom and liberty for anyone loyal to the stars and stripes and destruction and terror to those loyal to the Confederate jack.
Then he thrust southward. The valleys and mountains slowed down progress, and things really came to a halt, outside the town of Danville.
The Confederates were throwing everything they had at him.
"Doesn't matter" Morrel thought.
"We have the numerical advantage, we're break through eventually."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Citizens of Pittsburgh, this an announcement from the Department of Civil Defence. Confederate air strikes are imminent, remain indoors."
The announcement blared over the PA system throughout the city, as well as the local television channels.
All across Pittsburgh citizens and police alike rushed to their homes or places of work, most of them to their newly installed bomb shelters. Bomb shelters had been sprung up across the DSA ever since the Confederacy nuked San Fransisco.
Would Pittsburgh be next?

Tony Durrant hopped, even deep down knew, there was no threat of a nuclear attack. The treaty that ended the Second War of Secession barred the DS and CS from using nuclear arms against one and other.
Still, he didn't trust Pershing, or any Confederate for that matter, as far as he could through them.
Durrant, a middle school mathematics teacher, huddled beneath his home in the Pittsburgh suburbs with his wife and two-year-old son.
The bomb shelter was installed right after the Confederacy gained independence, and he'd run drill constantly.

"Why are the rebs bombing us daddy?" Tyler, his son, asked.
"We're at war....again" he answered, muttering the "again" under his breath, he didn't want to show his son any sign of fear or anger.

"Why are we warring again?" his son asked.
"Because" Tony answered, "the Confederate States is an angry nation."
"Oh come now" his wife interjected, whispering in his ear.
"Don't start with that crap to."
"Its different" Tony answered, keeping his voice down.
"I'm not raising my son to trust backstabbing rebels. Look where that got us. We turned the other cheek a hundred plus years ago, and look what happened. They're nothing but snakes in the grass, they waited until we were weak, and they struck."

Marry, his wife, was about to offer some sort of protest when an explosion above rocked them.
"Good, didn't hit the house" Tony said, as more explosions could be heard in the distance.

The fact of the matter was that very few bombs landed on suburban homes. The Confederate States Air Force was authorized to hit industrial centres only.
That didn't stop families like the Durrants across the city from barricading themselves in their shelters, however.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two hours had passed since the last bombs had been dropped.
Tony cautiously made his way through the suburbs, still more or less in shape. Still, smoke and fire could be seen dancing between the buildings of the Pittsburgh sky line.

As he approached the city he noticed National Guardsmen patrolling the area, along with Civil Defence workers, identified by their blue armbands with the white triangles.

He approached a checkpoint, and a National Guardsman knocked on his window. The guardsmen wore the civilian version of Old Glory as a patch rather then the military version. Other then that their uniforms were more or less identical to the green-grey uniforms worn by the army.
"Yes sir?" Tony asked, rolling down his window.
"We're checking all vehicles that enter the city, please step out of the car."
Tony obliged, turning the key to shut the engine off before stepping out of the car.
"You can wait over there" the soldier said, pointing to a large tent made up of a clear plastic with the CD triangle emblem printed on it.

National Guardsmen and Civil Defence employees worked to address a chaotic mass of civilians waiting to get into the city.
"Tony!"
Durrant turned to see his friend Miles.
"Miles, are you ok?"
"Not to bad, all things considered."
"So what have you heard, I just got here."
"They hit Toledo, Cleveland, Newark, and of course us. They're going for our industrial centres."
"Where the fuck's the air force?" Tony asked, cursing no one in particular.
"Most of our planes have been moved to Ohio and Indiana, to back up our guys heading south. Toledo received some relief, but not much."

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone wearing a Pontiac* Lions jersey. There was no mistaking it, the baby blue and silver colours were well known to a Steelers fan.
Suddenly a terrible thought flashed in his head.
"Miles, did the rebs hit Pontiac?"
"No, thank God" Miles answered.
"They didn't get that far."
Pontiac was the country's main industrial centre. Though famous as the centre of the DSA's automotive industry, they also produced more steel then Pittsburgh.

"Hows the campaign in Kentucky going?"
"Not sure, last I heard they were almost to Tennessee, and Confederate news reports had our boys pinned down in the north of the state. Who knows, both sides are probably full of shit."
"Yeah, we won't know until it's over I guess" Tony said, starring blankly into space.

[Sovereign Dixie]

 The truth was both sides were, in fact, full of shit. Morell had pressed through Kentucky in a south towards the city of Danville. Well, that's what it called itself, a city. Truth be known it was more of a conglomeration of run down stores, a couple of stoplights, and a bar called the Daniel Boone.

 The path the Yankee General would need to take had been obvious, the town of Danville had subsequently been evacuated. The Confederate Army had predetermined fall back points established along the way, being instructed to combat the DS for no longer than 24 hours before falling back to the next point along the route, which in most cases was approximately 10 miles further south. Roberts had been no fool, where Pershing would have run afoul in poor tank country, Roberts played his infantry knowledge to it's highest.

 Prepositioned artillery hammered down on the yanks from the mountain tops while rockets streaked down from the forests above them. The Confederate Airforce met with significant resistance, and the DS for the most part had obtained air supremacy over the areas they occupied. Loathe to waste money, the Confederate brass decided this was not the best deployment of the new Houndog fighter, those now being used for offensive missions and bomber escort runs over the DSA proper. Instead, A-10's thundered down low and fast on the advancing army, blasting tanks and other manner of mechanized menaces at every opportunity.

 It had been a given that the yanks would make it through Kentucky, The Confederacy had not the time nor the logistics in place to throw in it's entire army to counter the offensive. Furthermore, Morell proved to be an utter fool in choosing his staging area, Confederate commanders knowing that to throw their own armour into the Appalachian Armageddon would only compound the Great Yankee Folly. Instead choosing to meet their unwanted northern visitors with heavy infantry and light mechanized division, chewing away at the DS men and preferably armour at every opportunity.

----------------------------------------------------------

 In the waters to the Northeast of the DSA, the Confederate Fleet steamed on, the carriers Enterprise, Endevour, and the first original Confederate designed carrier, the CNS Reciprocity readied themselves for flight operations against undustrial and military facilities in New Yorkshire, Boston, and outlying areas. In an effort to assemble a navy at minimal cost, the CSSD had managed to procure (and in the case of the DSN, capture) several 1940's era battleships from the Inglish and an unwitting DS Navy. Finding it more efficient to upgrade and renovate than to build anew, the ships featured VLS missile systems in place of the aft gun turrets, and state of the art defensive systems. Thus the worlds largest AGEGIS cruisers were born. Their orders were to launch their entire offensive payload at these DS cities, and to devastate any hostile vessel coming near.

[Myroria]

"We've got our entire Navy Amerika at our disposal here." started Admiral Thomas Ules. Oh yes, the Tom Ules. Son of Thomas Ules, Sr.. Heir to the Ules Cotton Plantation - the largest in Myroria.

"Boston is our first priority. America has never been good at beach defenses - that is on the beach - if we can punch through the coast guard and land on some beach in the middle of nowhere, we could march to Boston without hinderance. The DSA can't continue a war if shells are raining down on their Capitol Building."

"And His Majesty has requested that we show the DSA who's boss on the American continent. We're to cede any land we occupy to Canada or the CSSD - assuming they accept it, that's just less land for them to fill with their sick over-nationalism."

This was something - A Myrorian saying the Americans were too patriotic. A Myrorian, who had thrown countless national enemies and just foreign-looking people into a river for laughs. Ha-ha, look at that outlander trudge out of the water. Ha-ha.

"We're to lead the fleet through, to the coast of New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts, or southern Maine. It doesn't really matter; that whole area besides Portsmouth is probably wide open. Relay my commands to the captains of the ships, we're heading for Nouva Ingloua."

[Prydania]

Admiral Gloucester read the memo. The Myrorians would take the east coast. They would attempt to knock out Boston, cutting the head off of the Yankee dragon. The Admiral had nothing but the utmost respect for the Myrorian navy, but he was still red at the fact that it wasn't going to be the Imperial Navy shelling Boston, in retribution for a tea party the yanks had thrown 200+ years ago.
Still, no doubt the decision had been made, and approved, by the highest authorities in both empires, which meant Gloucester's hands were tied.
At any rate he thought, I'll just have to take my frustrations out on Seattle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puget Sound. A dicodemy playing out before one's eyes. Snow gently fell from the white-grey sky, the deep blue water slowly changing to white the closer one got to shore, as water changed to ice. A year ago this would have been an idealistic day, one that people would remember forever.
That still held true, only for a very different reason.
Against the Kinkade-like backdrop the hell of war raged.
It was the Canadians who had sent the Imperial Navy's armada to the western coast of the DSA. They had insisted they had the Dysanii situation under control.
With that in mind Gloucester turned his guns on the DS Pacific Fleet.

The Dreadnought HIMS Kraken had cut through the ice, firing its guns on Port Townsend and Everett, in retaliation for the DSA's long range bombings of Chichester and Canterbury. 
Cruisers flying the Inglo-Scotian white ensign appeared.
Good Captain Kevin White thought.
The DS lines are cracking.

Two of the new IAF Typhoon fighters zoomed overhead, dropping bombs on the Port of Seattle.
Seattle sat on a peninsula that stuck out into Puget Sound. This peninsula, in turn, split at the end, forming almost a "Y" shape, with Seattle sitting on the eastern "arm."
The plan was to land on the western arm, and advance on the city, the Imperial Navy supporting the land effort by sea.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pvt. Kennith Tennant slowly peaked his head out over the makeshift trench carved out of the earth and snow.
"What's it look like?" Pvt. Jude Eccleston asked, his back to the front line, leaning gently against the makeshift trench wall.
"Honestly, not that bad" Tennant replied.
"I mean I knew this wasn't going to be as glamorous as the recruiters made it out to be, maybe I was expecting something so awful that the reality would end up tame by comparison."
"So I take it Brother Johnathan* isn't putting up much of a fight?"
"Oh, he is" Tennant replied, still looking at Seattle through his binoculars.
"He's just not up to par in the numbers game."

That was true enough. The DS Army's priority was the Confederate capital. Canada wasn't officially an enemy in this round of war, so no thought was placed to strengthen the northern cities. When word reached Boston that the Inglish and Myrorians were going to double-team the coasts, at Boston and Seattle, defences and men were shipped to the new fronts, but the primary concern was Montgomery.
If they could get to Montgomery before the two PI allies could establish beach heads on the coasts, the DS Military brass assumed, they could force a peace on their terms. Of course in reality Morrel's army was just now emerging from Kentucky more battered then they had hopped for, a far reality from Morrel's plan of a quick cut through Confederate territory. Still, Morrel's stagnation was all the more reason to through more his way.
The Yankees seemed to believe that if they could just punch through the Confederate lines the rest of the PI would fall. It was just a matter of pouring resources into the font.

That left Seattle with more or less a skeleton crew representing the DS Army along with the Cascadian National Guard. It would seem Boston had gotten the priority when it came to coastal defence. 

"It would seem it's about time we got moving" Tennant commented.
"Well here's to an other sleepless night for the Yanks in Seattle" Eccleston quipped.

The two privates got up from the tench and began their march toward Seattle, across the straight that divided the peninsula. As they did they became part of the mass of khaki clad Inglish soldiers, tanks, and military vehicles.

[Aquatoria]

A cargo ship sailed into the harbor in Alanta. The ship flew the Canadian naval jack. The captain was told to keep his cargo safe and not to damage any of it. This valuble cargo was going to be a double-sided blade. The cargo had never been tested in battle, and then on the other side, it will help tip the balance in the Confederacy's favor. The ship docked and a group of awaiting soldiers walked on board. The captain handed them a letter. "This is to go to the President. He will want to read this." Then he looked at his men and they began to unload the precious cargo. The soldiers gapped at the cargo that the Canadians had brought. They couldn't believe that their allies were letting them test them. The soldiers had to leave to go give the letter to the President. He would get it just as the new cargo was ready to go.

To: President Pershing

Hello, old friend. Congratulations on your presidency. I have a gift for you.vSince we can't fight the DSA from our border, we will help you in any other way. We have never tested these things in battle, and we won't until Rommel's plan is ready, but we would like your nation to use the few ones that we gave. They are called Tiger I heavy tanks and they will help turn the tide in your favor. This is just a test, but if you like how they perform, you may purchase them and more that we will be building. All they need are good tank crews and they will be ready to go. Good luck.

Frank F. Worthington
Field Marshal of the Canadian Armies

[Sovereign Dixie]

 The DS had nearly pushed their way through Kentucky, with subantial losses. The three Confederate divisions which had been opposing them had fallen back to TN, where they were regrouping and joining with the 3rd Army, along with elements of the 8th an 9th Corps from the 5th Army, in total, over 500,000 men.

 Open country now lie in between the DS and their objective, the CSSD had played it's territorial advantage in the mountains for all it was worth, but still had not achieved the optimal goal of driving the invaders back. General Roberts now sighed while rubbing his temples as he looked over the map.

 He knew where they were coming from, how fast they were going, how many of them there were, and pretty much every piece of equipment they had brought along with them. What he didn't know, was how well his own men would fight, and how well the yanks would be able to do now that they were getting close to open ground.

 Infantry and light mechanized units had been used to great effectivness by the CSSD at this point, causing substantial casualties on the DS while receiving relatively little in the way of payback. That most likely was about to change. The armies of the Confederacy were unquestionably more formiddible than they had been when they had last fought against their northern neighbor. Back then, had it not been for such massive support from Pax Imperium, most assuredly the Stars and Stripes would now be flying over the south.

 Seven years and another unsuccessful war against Canada had brought the DS army down a notch or two since then. Even given all of these factors, it was still believed that the DS most likely enjoyed a slight numerical advantage, as well as being more experienced than their Confederate counterparts, who had had relatively little in the way of conflict since winning their independance.

 Now though, It seemed there may be something else in the CSSD's favour. Three days prior, a message had been sent to him advising him to expect a shipment of arms from The Canadian Empire. Roberts had stared wide eyed at the computer screen when the specifications were transmitted to him via secure network. Immediately the best tank crews were reassigned, and placed on stand by.

 The tanks rolled off the train around noon. The men stared in awe, bigger and meaner than anything in use by the CSSD or DSA, the Tiger I was as easy to operate as it was to look at. The controls were a wonder of ergonmics and engineering while maintaing a comfort level above and beyond anything the men were used to.
 
 General Roberts smiled as he stood up in the cupola riding to the front.

[Democratic States of America]

Louisville lay half ablaze. Frankfort few the war variant of the stars and stripes rather then the Confederate jack. As they approached the southern border of Kentucky General Morrel had declared the state under military protection of the Democratic States of America.

Following his general's lead President Kennedy had instructed his Federalist Party comrades in the Senate and House to pass resolutions promising to readmit Kentucky into the Democratic union. Kennedy may not have intended to bring the southern Confederacy back, but he would take a state or two if he could.

"Move!" Morrel yelled into the wireless, as the 4th DS Army crossed into Tennessee.
"Sir, all things considered, we're moving as quickly as we can" Brigadier General Evan Daniels responded.
"Look General" Morrel shot back, "we were held off long enough in Kentucky. I have orders from Boston to capture Montgomery as quickly as possible, before the Myrorians or Limies can inflict significant damage along the coast. Now get everyone's asses in gear NOW!"
"Sir...yes Sir!" Daniels replied.

Morrel opened his M-1's cupola, starring ahead. The sky, for seemingly the first time this invasion had begun, was beaming with the rays of the sun. A good omen perhaps?

Morrel had also been getting reports of GR-4 Tornadoes painted in Confederate colours. The OSS still wasn't sure if these were simply older IAF planes being sold off to the Confederates, seeing as the Inglo-Scotians were introducing their new Typhoon fighters, or if IAF pilots had been sent to the American front to fly for the CSAF.

A beeping sound from the tank captured Morrel's attention. It was a report from the DSAF. Atlanta Railroad Station had failed to be neutralized.
"For fuck's sake...." he muttered to himself.
"Can't those fly boys take out a couple of Canuck tanks and a rebel train?"

Suddenly an explosion rocked the tank. The sound of Yankee guns responded.
"Looks like we've encountered our first real Confederate armoured division of the war" his gunner remarked.
"Fine, we'll show those goddamn rebs who controls this continent. Full speed ahead."

[Prydania]

IMPERIAL NAVY RAIDS AMERICAN MINT

The headline said it all. Admiral Gloucester put the paper away in his desk drawer, the newly printed Times issue arriving with fresh supplies from back home.
It was true enough, the Seattle mint had been raided, $5 million DS dollars in bonds to be exact. The money wasn't important, the fact that the Imperial Navy could sail up to Seattle and do what ever it pleased was. For all the Admiral cared Crofts and Pershing could piss the money away in a game of billiards.

He had contemplated more raids, but decided against it. The Seattle operation was a success, and that had struck fear into the daily lives of every American living on the western coast. That was enough. He was intent to play cat-and-mouse with the DS Navy, bombarding Sacramento whenever he had the chance. Besides, orders from back home ordered him to avoid doing any more damage to Seattle. Apparently Crofts had plans for the State of Cascadia.