RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 37: Case Yellow (Day 13 – Belkan Military’s finest tools of the trade)

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 37: Case Yellow (Day 13 – Belkan Military’s finest tools of the trade)

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Kaiserslautern Air Base. Early morning.

In the wee hours, a pair of B-40 Polar Bears can be seen taxiing the runways of K-town. These two bombers, in particular, are the contribution of the 509th Bomb Group for the upcoming military operation in and around Dunkirk. Due to other bombers in its employment having duties elsewhere, namely to support Army Group C in expanding the strategic depth down South, the 509th can only spare two B-40s that are not afflicted by battle fatigue. That said, while two bombers may seem to be a small number, one has to remind oneself that a single B-40 can carry 40000 kg of ordinances. For their upcoming task, the pair of B-40s are fitted with an astounding 28 Exoscar cruise missiles each, for a total of 56. Suffice to say, that is a lot of firepowers, ready to saturate the entire battlespace at a moment's notice. Soon enough, the two B-40 quickly take off with their deadly payloads, the iconic humming of their engines can be heard cutting across the sunless sky. With speed, grace, and power in one package, the two B-40s rise to make a beeline to Dunkirk. Once more, the time to bring down Hell on Gaia is nearly upon them, and the Polar Bears are anxious to join the fray.

Much like how the B-40s are scrambling, other service branches of the Belkan military are buckling up for another historic moment as well. Aboard the Reichsmarine's flat tops, F-1 Phantoms and AV-1 Harriers are parked on the decks, with the Seabees scurrying about to fuel and arm the killing machines. In addition to the jets, propeller warplanes like the AD-1 Skyraiders and V-22 Ospreys are loaded up for either anti-submarine warfare, combat search and rescue, or AWACS duty. That is to say, the deck of the Belkan aircraft and battle carriers are bazaars of organized chaos. Elevators rise up and down, either carrying munitions and equipment or aircraft and personnel. Tractors pulling shopping carts of missiles, bombs, and liquid mana containers, their operators shouting into the winds like sleazy salesmen trying to advertise the finest of killing tools. The Seabees move like small groups of ants, hoisting, transferring, and attaching everything with the accompanying clanks and clicks. Noticeably, everything is happening under the illumination of the flight deck lamps and the slightly heavy winds of the North Sea. Fortunately for everyone, the sea condition remains adequately calm, thus fostering a safe working environment for the deckhands.

While the carriers' decks are hustling like never before, other parts of the High Sea Fleet are not sitting idle.

To further complement the firepower the Belkan Army can bring to bear and to offset the Royal Navy's numerical superiority in the sea, armored trains are utilized to carry even more ordinances. Trains like Thomas are seen pulling cars of 150 mm gun turrets or Exoscar armored box launchers. The trains are spread out across the many new tracks that Belkan engineers laid down recently around the Dunkirk region. Although the war trains don't have powerful sensor arrays, the readily available battle net grants the trains the ability to engage beyond visual range with their new weapons. Pretty damn sure that this will be the first time a train can fight something without being seen. It would seem that Lieutenant Kemper and Sergeant Hultebring jinxed themselves when they discussed that their train couldn't get any more powerful than it already was. Truly, one should anticipate the unexpected when it comes to the Belkan Reich.

Regardless, with all service branches of the Belkan military standing at the ready, the noose is tightening around the Eruseans and the Allied forces in Central Europe. When the first ray of sunlight graces Dunkirk, what follows next may not be the salvation the Erusean Expeditionary Force expects.

It is, for lack of a better word, damnation.