2010 Masukan War

The 2010 Masukan War, also known as Operation Baigaeshi, was a military invasion of Masuka carried out by a coalition of HECO nations. The invasion formally began on 12 April 2010 and lasted just over one month, including 26 days of major combat operations, in which a combined force of troops from Chisei, Yamatai, and Yeongseon invaded Masuka, assisted by an allied local insurgency, the Masukan National Liberation Front (MNLF). The HECO forces also received tacit assistance from Dai Hoa, which allowed the use of airbases in its southern provinces. The war formally ended on 15 May 2010 when the Masukan Transitional National Government was established and its leader, General Kriangsak Chatichai, declared the end of major combat operations.

Concurrently to the fighting in Masuka, the 2010 Crosswind Sea Incident unfolded as CODEX nations Arshavat and Sahil deployed naval forces to counter the brazen HECO aggression against the Masukan socialist regime, despite Masuka not being aligned with CODEX. This resulted in a naval standoff between the CODEX and HECO forces in the Crosswind Sea and extremely heightened tensions throughout the Escaric region, culminating in a brief exchange of fire, the closest that the Escaric Divide erupted into an open conflict. Upon the sudden disabling of the Yamatai Imperial Navy aircraft carrier Yumiori, allegedly by the Masukan People's Navy, both sides withdrew their forces from the standoff to avoid escalating the situation further.

The former leader of Masuka, Charnvirakul Bhichit, was located five weeks after the war hiding in a safehouse in the Masukan southern islands, and was tried and executed by a Masukan court for crimes related to the use of mustard gas against rioters in the 2009 Lek Thong Riots. Following the end of the war in Masuka, an insurgency began against the Kriangsak Chatichai regime by former regime personnel as well as pro-democracy forces such as the MNLF. HECO forces would remain stationed in Masuka under the Crosswind Region Security Assistance Force (YOCHIBU) to stabilise the country and carry out counterinsurgency operations until December 2020, though HECO military bases in the country continued to operate in counter-piracy operations to protect HECO trade interests in the region.

Prior to the war, Masuka had become a pariah state since the mid-1990s, when Masuka broke away from Dai Hoa due to ideological differences. Bereft of support from CODEX due to continued ideological differences, the ensuing governmental and economic instability allowed Charnvirakul Bhichit to seize control of the government in 2001. Seeking self-sufficiency under the Tu Lap ideology, the Bhichit regime closed itself off from the world with the exception of arms purchases and the import of luxury goods for high-ranking officials. Masukan naval forces also began enforcing the Masukan Naval Exclusion Zone, often kidnapping fishermen from neighbouring countries as well as attacking or even seizing civilian vessels that passed near their waters. In July 2009, a Chiseian Airways plane was shot down over Masuka for violating Masukan airspace. This proved to be the final straw for the leadership of the HECO nations and the invasion of Masuka to remove the Bhichit regime was planned.

According to Chancellor of Chisei Puresu Horuda and Prime Minister of Yamatai Ishihara Junichiro, the purpose of the invasion was "to end Charnvirakul Bhichit's terrorist regime, to free the Masukan people, and to secure and restore the safety of international sea lanes within the Crosswind Region." Others place a greater emphasis on the impact of the Flight 233 shoot-down, which saw the deaths of 156 Chiseian, 78 Yamataian, and 15 Yeongseoni civilians, suggesting that the invasion was at least partly revenge-oriented, supported by the invasion's official code-name, "Operation Baigaeshi", which translates to "double payback" in.

In a January 2010 poll, 78% of Yamataians approved of military action against Masuka, and 63% of Chiseians felt the same way. The invasion of Masuka was strongly opposed by some nations around the world, which saw it as an unnecessary provocation against CODEX, potentially leading to a large-scale war between HECO and CODEX in Escar. The Bhichit regime was also believed to be on the verge of collapse due to the outbreak of the MNLF insurgency as well as major violence in the capital Lek Thong in late 2009, bringing into question the need for a potentially geopolitically disastrous military intervention and cost of life. Supporters of the war cited the violence and unpredictability of the Charnvirankul Bhichit regime, particularly the use of mustard gas against civilian protesters in the 2009 Lek Thong Riots as well as the continuous unwarranted attacks, kidnappings and murders on foreign vessels near their territorial waters.

After the war, it was revealed by the Yamataian government that the Yamataian Imperial Security Agency recovered some radioactive material during the war, though it remains unclear if the Bhichit regime was pursuing a nuclear weapons program.

Masukan political situation

 * 2001 Coup D'Etat (by party hardliners against HECO interference and liberalisation - succeeds)
 * Masuka denounces Dai Hoa as reactionary and revisionist
 * But Masuka remains dedicated to Tu Lap, so CODEX also doesn't give a shit about them.

International isolation of Masuka

 * Suspected harbouring of perpetrators behind 2005 Hosu attacks.
 * Masukan piracy; the navy is unwilling or unable to significantly enforce anti-piracy measures.
 * Several skirmishes with Songese fishermen and HECO civilian ships, involving overzealous patrols

Flight 233 Incident
In July 2009, Chiseian Airways Flight 233 from Sahil to Eito was shot down over Masuka because it violated their airspace and supposedly ignored attempts to escort them out of the airspace. Outrage in Chisei was extremely high, building on previous anger over the Masukan pirate hijacking of the Eizouken Maru in June and the massacre of Chiseian fishermen in April.

Defending forces
48 tanks 1,256 APCs and IFVs 250 artillery pieces 70 combat aircraft 2 submarines 9 warships 28 patrol ships Unknown number of commandeered civilian vessels

Course of the War
Due to the closed nature of the Masukan government, international investigation and especially Chiseian aviation safety experts found it extremely difficult to investigate the crash of Flight 404, with the Masukan government often impeding their progress. It was eventually concluded in January 2010 that the plane was in fact shot down by a Masukan surface-to-air missile. In Chisei, a false rumour spread online that the report stated that the aircraft had been intentionally shot down, causing a series of riots around the Masukan Embassy.

Smelling blood, Yamatai placed its Imperial Navy on high alert.

Invasion
Week 1: Landfall, securing of landing sites, push to Lek Thong.
 * 12 April 2010 (Monday) - 17 April (Saturday)
 * 12 April: Special forces go in to clear the way.
 * 13 April: Air campaign begins. There is a single air-to-air fight but air superiority is quickly attained.
 * 14 April: Land campaign begins with heliborne and marine troops moving to secure landing sites at Songkhram.
 * 15 April: Songkhram secured. Drive towards Lek Thong begins. Sai Yok Airfield captured.
 * 16 April: First coalition troops attack Lek Thong's outer defence lines, fierce fighting in the suburbs. Simultaneously, Chiseians begin invading the city Song Khwae, a major port.
 * 17 April: Armour units break through. Urban fighting continues into Lek Thong proper. CODEX ships arrive to challenge the HECO fleet. More HECO Navy are sent down south. Dai Hoa and West Kuiju on high alert on the borders.

Week 2: Battle of Lek Thong and finalised securing of landing sites as well as blocking positions to prevent reinforcement of Lek Thong. Push to secondary cities.
 * 18 April (Sunday) - 24 April (Saturday)
 * 18 April: Kriangsak Chatichai, commander of the Capital Defence Force, surrenders. Promises to lead the post-war interim government. Defence of Lek Thong defaults to the Red Guards. Urban fighting continues.
 * 19 April: Most of Lek Thong less the government district is in coalition hands. Coalition forces elsewhere move to attack Krung Kao, the second-largest city.
 * 20 April: Hall of the National Revolution falls. Bhichit and top advisors nowhere to be found. Counterattacks by Masukan Army fended off. CODEX fighters start to harass HECO fighters and ships as they carry out their operations.
 * 21 April: Song Khwae secured. Fighting continues in outskirts of Lek Thong as the Masukan Army launches a major counteroffensive. Searches for Bhichit begin.
 * 22 April:
 * 23 April:
 * 24 April: Battle of Lek Thong considered to be over. Kriangsak tasked with preparing a new government. Skirmishes continue in the outskirts. Royal and Imperial Army units arrive and move to support the attack on Krung Kao, which is becoming even more difficult than Lek Thong.

Week 3: Battles in secondary cities.
 * 25 April (Sunday) - 1 May (Saturday)
 * 25 April: That night, CODEX and HECO ships fire missiles at each other, all of which are intercepted by CIWS. Everyone is on edge now and fingers are pointed everywhere in the OL. Yamatai walks out of the OL.
 * 26 April: Masukan offensive towards Krung Kao is stopped. That night, Yumiori is hit by a Brahmos expy supposedly fired from a fishing boat (or was it!). The naval standoff quietly slips away because both sides know the next step is gonna be insane. Krung Kao secured.
 * 27 April
 * 28 April
 * 29 April
 * 30 April:
 * 1 May

Week 4: Battles in outlying cities and the fall of a 'final stronghold'.
 * 2 May (Sunday) - 8 May (Saturday)
 * 2 May: Fighting in Krung Kao ends.
 * 3 May:
 * 4 May:
 * 5 May:
 * 6 May:
 * 7 May:
 * 8 May:

Week 5: Mopping up, hunt for Bhichit.
 * 9 May (Sunday) - 15 May (Saturday)
 * Largely mopping up and continuing to search for Bhichit.
 * On 15 May, Kriangsak Chatichai formed the Transitional National Government and declared the war to be over, but fighting continued.

The first stage lasted from August 13 to August 22, 1937, during which the NRA attempted to eradicate Japanese troop presence in downtown Shanghai. The second stage lasted from August 23 to October 26, 1937, during which the Japanese launched amphibious landings on the Jiangsu coast and the two armies fought a Stalingrad-type house-to-house battle, with the Japanese attempting to gain control of the city and the surrounding regions. The last stage, ranging from October 27 to the end of November 1937, involved the retreat of the Chinese army in the face of Japanese flanking maneuvers, and the ensuing combat on the road to China's capital, Nanjing.

Preceding special forces missions
On the night of 12 April 2010, coalition special forces teams were deployed into Masuka to sabotage anti-ship missile nests, anti-aircraft missile sites, and suspected chemical weapons facilities throughout Masuka. Units deployed included Chiseian Royal Army Special Forces, the Yeongseoni 707 Battalion, and Yamataian Imperial Army TokuSa. Yamataian Umibozu Unit frogmen also carried out sabotage of anti-invasion emplacements on beaches on the northern side of Phang Nga, the island where Masuka's capital of Lek Thong is located.

Eyewitness reports by several former soldiers also suggest that the Yamataian Yamataian Imperial Security Agency's Wind Group TokuSa was also involved in operations on Masuka, with various theories ranging from an attempt to assassinate Chairman Nantiworn Thabchumpon to a scheme to plant WMDs in Masuka to justify the invasion to the international community.

Bombardment
On 13 April at 21:00, the first airstrike of the operation was carried out by Chiseian carrier-based fighters. The coalition fleet began a bombardment of the islands with carrier-based aircraft and cruise missiles, targeting anti-aircraft sites, anti-ship missile sites, and various high-value targets such as airbases and coastal defences. Within seven hours, more than 70 sites were destroyed, effectively depriving the Masukan military of serious resistance to the coming invasion. As the sites were destroyed, on the morning of 14th April heliborne forces from the Yamataian Imperial Army Rangers and Chiseian Royal Marines flew into Masuka from airbases in Dai Hoa, where they had been secretly inserted weeks prior through a tacit agreement between the Hoaian government and HECO. These forces were tasked with securing landing sites on the coast and inland for subsequent regular troop deployments.

Throughout the night, the Masukan People's Air Defence Force put up a weak resistance due to the suddenness of the attacks, and only one Yamataian fighter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, though several coalition helicopters were downed by Masukan ground fire. Attempts by the Masukan People's Oceanic Force were easily fought off by the HECO fleet due to disorganization and poor weaponry. However, at about 2 AM on 14 April, unconventional speedboats armed with anti-ship missiles carried out an attack on the Chiseian carrier Kamushain, which was successfully defended by Yamataian destroyers.

Amphibious and airborne invasion
At around 09:00 on the 14th of April, the first stage of the amphibious invasion commenced. Two battalions of Chiseian Royal Marines were tasked with securing the Masukan military facilities on Khao Sok Island while the bulk of the coalition forces were to land directly on Phang Nga and capture Lek Thong. At 09:47, the first coalition troops to land on Masuka was the 21st Naval Infantry Regiment of the Yamatai Special Naval Landing Force under Commander Kagome Hidetaka, which landed on the beaches near the city of Songkhram, located just north of Lek Thong. The 21st SNLF ran into Masukan armour and were stalled as they attempted to secure Songkhram, but were quickly reinforced by the SNLF 1st Naval Infantry Regiment as the 1st SNLF Division began making landfall, supported by attack helicopters from the 1st SNLF Frontal Aviation Squadron operating on the Imperial Navy carrier Yumiori.

Simultaneous to the amphibious attack, several airborne units of the Chiseian Royal Army and Yamatai Imperial Army troops also parachuted into Masuka in the largest coordinated airborne operation since the Dai Hoa Unification War with the aim of capturing strategic inland airfields to bring in more ground troops and materiel. Towards the evening of the 14th, the Chiseian Royal Army's 4th Marine Cavalry Battalion and the Ever Victorious Army's 3rd Assault-Landing Group landed on Phang Nga at Khao Yai to begin driving towards Lek Thong from the west.

Fierce fighting continued through the night of the 14th and into the 15th, and an unexpected tank battle occurred around noon on the 15th outside of Songkhram. The Masukan People's Army deployed its 3rd Armoured Division against the freshly-landed tanks of the Chiseian 42nd Marine Armoured Battalion, which was supporting the Yamataian SNLF's advance. The Chiseian tanks destroyed fifteen Masukan tanks while suffering only one tank knocked out by a thrown track, and proceeded to hunt down and eliminate a rocket artillery battery that was harassing the Yamataian SNLF forces.

Late on the 15th, the Yamatai Imperial Army 2nd Airborne Division regrouped and carried out a large-scale attack on Sai Yok Airfield, 47 kilometres north of Lek Thong.

12 April 2010 - 15 May 2010

On 14 May, several senior Party figures were captured on XX island trying to escape overseas, following a surprise raid by the White Lotus Corps.

Aftermath
Restoration of Masukan Republic. New constitution. Kriangsak Chatichai becomes new leader. Military occupation and establishment of anti-piracy taskforce in Masuka.

International & domestic reaction
Attempted OL condemnation, shot down by veto. Protests by opposition figures in Chisei.