CIF Offensive Campaign

This article is about an in-universe event. For the in-game mission, see Open Season.

CIF Offensive Campaign
Preceding	Operation Blackout
Concurrent	Operation Guillotine Operation Null Star Operation Free Agent Mission ASKAR-59 Mission Bellefon-59 Mission Cantyll-59-Mono Mission Kaibir-59
Following	Operation Anticipation Mission Telmort-00-Exil
Details
Other Names	Magadan Invasion
Date/Time	April-May 31, AC 432 (one month)
Part Of	Cascadian Conflict
Location(s)	Cascadia Magadan
Outcomes	CIF victory Cascadian countryside retaken Most geothermal and strategic strongholds recaptured
Combatants
Cascadian Independence Force
Pacific Federation Magadan Cascadian National Guard
Commanders
Independence Force HQ General Morgan Elizabeth General Faust Captain J. Griffiths
AWACS Vita Unidentified Commander (POW)
Strength
Cascadian Independence Force Cascadian Army Wild Boar Regiment Cascadian Air Force 3x Sk.27 Cascadian Coast Guard 3x Cruiser Cascadian partisans Mercenaries Sicario Hitman Team 6x SV-37 Other forces
Reserve Divisions Federation Air Force Division K-9 6x F/C-15 † 8x P.28 † 10x F/C-15 Federation Peacekeepers Crimson Team PK Steel Federation Vertical Navy Littoria I-class air battlecruiser † Littoria II-class air battlecruiser † Federation Navy 2x Cargo ship 6x Cruiser † Federation Ground Forces 12x Truck 20x Tank † 21x Artillery † 24x AA gun † 4x SAM † 1x ADVSAM 2x Advanced railgun † Other forces
Casualties
Unknown
Most forces

"What's our ROE for choppers that are clearly evacing material and manpower?"
"Open season."

― Peter Kennedy and Dominic Zaitsev

The CIF Offensive Campaign was a major offensive pushing towards Presidia by retaking every key strategic point and the geothermal industry of Cascadia, with the Magadan Invasion as a major sideshow for alleviating heat off the main force. Phase 3 of the campaign involved retaking Grimwood Forest, the last of the countryside.

Prelude

With the destruction of the Solana Communications Array in Operation Blackout, the Independence Force was able to score its first conventional victories while also subjecting the Pacific Federation to its own EW interference. They also combined their frontlines and annihilated Federation air support with every major battle, even making sure to take out Task Force 1 in Operation Free Agent. Thanks to these successes, a countrywide blitzkrieg ensued, with the CIF relentlessly wiping out unprepared Federation units dealing with losses they had not dealt with in decades. They were unable to mount any effective counterattacks between Cascadian partisans' disruption and General Morgan Elizabeth's well-made frontlines.

Facing one defeat, defection, and troop loss either to prisoner execution or custody after another along with losses of frontlines and facilities, the Federation began taking bigger measures to prevent their push. They set fire to Grimwood Forest, a large forest that encompassed a large spot of countryside on Cascadia's Pacific Northwest which now served as one of the last remaining countryside regions they occupied, with large numbers of Federation manpower flowing through here either to Presidia or Prospero. In response, the Cascadian Firefighting Corps, reformed in the middle of the war, began doing water drops on the forest starting on May 23, AC 432, only to be disrupted by desperate retreating Federation forces attempting to shoot them down.

A month after Operation Guillotine, on May 14, the IF even attempted an invasion of Magadan. However, despite their efforts at holding territory there, they were pushed back sometime after Grimwood was retaken.

Battle

"Damn that Crown, he turned the war in their favor."
"Just one pilot? You're crazy!"
"He's always there when something happens, how else?!"

― Federation troops on Monarch

Hitman Team and other aircraft were deployed to Grimwood Forest around 1600 hours on May 26 to support both the firefighting efforts and rebel advance; most other units were preoccupied with the main offensive. The rebels, in a bout of recklessness, decided to run towards the smog, water, and fire against advice by the firefighters. Despite hesitance by some Federation pilots, they were forced to comply to avoid defeat.

Evacuation transports were declared free engagement, leading to more Federation losses and some evacuation units deciding to flee without full capacity and ditch unnecessary cargo. Soon, the firefighters were saved, and the time was now to converge on retreating Federation forces. Despite some wounded soldiers' requests to be left behind, others were insistent on not doing so and getting as many people out. Soon, some Federation troops were suggesting surrender to their Commander, but were made to continue fighting until they were too weakened to keep going.

Aftermath

"Took them long enough."

― Evelyn London

The Federation Commander in charge, with great reluctance, surrendered their arms and raised white flags and flares in surrender. Elizabeth then rallied prisoners and equipment; it was later learned that most of the Federation that was able to flee regrouped at Prospero, and in preparation, the Independence Force began to reorganize their units to liberate the trade city, their offensive having fulfilled its goals.