Burnett's Struggle

A Story by theblitz6794

about a russian invasion, like red dawn. its heavily symbolic of events which recently and are currently happened

Prologue

The year is 2015 and the world is engulfed in war. The 2^nd Russian Empire launched a massive surprise attack into Western Europe. Although the Germans managed to give stiff resistance, other nations like Italy, France, Poland, and Austria quickly fell. The British army, along with scattered survivors from the armies of mainland Europe, fought a long and devastating retreat into Scotland where they were finally smashed against the sea. Their actions, however, caused horrendous Russian casualties and as a result the Chinese opted to not enter the war against America, who now stood alone.

Initially the United States Navy (USN) kept the Atlantic clear of Russian ships, but the Russians captured many ships and submarines in the process of conquering Europe. Ships like the Royal Navy aircraft carriers were invaluable, and after converted to house Russian aircraft, proved to be a vital element in reaching America. The resources and industry of all of Europe fed the Russian juggernaut and within time it was able to wear down the USN with constant air attacks from bases in Iceland, Spain, and western France. The capture of several island chains, like the Azores, meant that airbases within reach of mainland America could be constructed. However, they were not able to secure waters or skies near New York or Washington DC, which housed the industrial and economic heartland of the United States. It would not be feasible to land there as American bombers and ships would pummel any invasion force to the point that anyone who got through could be annihilated on the beach by counterattacks from American reserves.

This necessitated an alliance with Cuba so that an invasion could be staged near Georgia or Florida. An attempt by the USN to isolate Cuba, like in 1963, ended in disaster with the sinking of the USS Ronald Regan, one of now only 6 remaining aircraft carriers, and several escort ships.

Seriously weakened in the south, the USN couldn’t stop a task force of 300,000 from landing near Charleston. The beach defenses were totally insufficient and the garrison of the city overwhelmed. They pressed on to Atlanta which fell after a short siege. More and more Russians poured into the beachhead and raced across the Appalachian Mountains before sufficient forces from the United State Army could arrive. As they crossed the plains of Mississippi, reinforcements under the command of Lt. General Alex Burnett fought desperately fought against the onslaught of an army which he outnumbered nearly 2-1 but couldn’t seem to stop.

Mistake after mistake was made. 2 brigades lost here. This city falls. 8^th division is encircled. His force of 100,000 was reduced to a mere 60,000 by the time they were pushed across the Mississippi. This would be the last natural defense line protecting the vital oil of Texas and Oklahoma. A miracle happened when 50,000 men, whom had been defeated in Tennessee, came to his rescue and stopped the Russian advance. Meanwhile, near Washington DC, another massive Russian army was stopped just 5 miles from the city in the beginning of December and a stalemate with the Mississippi on the left, northern Tennessee in the middle, and Washington DC on the right was formed. In the beginning of 2015, the Russians began a new offensive, one that would smash through Kentucky and Illinois, with the idea of taking Chicago and cutting the nation in two.

Chapter One

It was a chance happening really; there was just no way to see it coming. Ever since that night in February, nothing had been the same. He must’ve really put on a show for that general. He had no idea what effects it would have in the long run but it was one of the best nights of his life.

During a lull in the fighting, many senior officers were brought to a meeting normally Lt. Generals (3-star) didn’t come but his superior, General (4-star) Carl Laforge, who commanded all forces from western Tennessee all the way to Louisiana which encompassed army group West, brought him anyways.

It was a cramped room; men crowded around a huge table where an enormous map, in size and detail, was stretched out. On it were little pieces which represented different divisions and task forces. Markings on them denoted their type (ie: armor, infantry, mechanized…).

“Damnit we need reinforcements in the south! Any concentrated push on Texas will never be stopped! My positions in Tennessee are even more vulnerable!” roared Laforge.

“We can’t spare any men! They are only 5 miles from DC!” shot back General James Wayne, commander of Army Group East, “If they take DC moral on the home front will collapse! And they will be in striking distance of the industrial North East!”

“My army barely stopped them on the Mississippi! It was only the arrival on 3^rd Corps who came into their flank that stopped a total collapse of the South!” intervened Burnett.

“All of you shut up!” General of the Armies (5-star) Kenny Teilman stood up. He was commander of all forces in mainland America. Kenny’s career was one of incredible accomplishment. At age 6 Kenny became obsessed with the army. He demonstrated excellent leadership potential as a kid and became captain of several clubs throughout high school. He went to the United States Military Academy right after high school and rose through the ranks quite quickly. During the invasion of western Europe, he had been an advisor for the Germans and contributed to their relative success. This led to his promotion to Lt. General. After his superior was killed in an air attack, he was promoted and commanded army group East. He opposed the advance on DC and inflicted horrible losses before stopping them just before DC. This led to his promotion to command all forces on the mainland.

“We’re stretched. Thin”, continued Teilman,” but everyday our forces grow. Our factories still outmatch the Russians. Our population is mobilizing and reinforcements from Pacific Coast arrive everyday. We must stop any advance on the Northeast!”

They argued and argued for 3 hours, who to put where, when to attack or defend, ect. After the meeting, Teilman pulled Burnett aside.

“Damnit that was fine work down in Mississippi and on the river. If they broke through to Texas, we really would be fucked. I’ve heard about the casualties but you fought an amazing battle…”

If only he knew, thought Burnett. I FAILED! That was a disaster. I got lucky that things didn’t totally fall apart. I should’ve immediately pulled back into Mississippi and not tried to counterattack. That counterattack…I never should have tried it! Charlie told me the whole time not to do it! I didn’t listen.

“…anyways, I’m reorganizing the command structure. The two army groups will be split in the middle and along with reinforcements from the Pacific, a new army group will be formed. I want you as the commander.”
“I…thank you sir.”

“You’re good. Really good…”

I can do this! I will be the best commander! I will drive them into the sea!

“The army group is still being assembled. Sometime in early April it will be fully formed. Until then, continue to command the 7^th Army.”

“Sir, I would like Charles Owens to command the Army after my promotion. He’s an excellent divisional commander!”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

That was the best night, thus far, of his life. And in early April, he got his promise. He commanded 54 divisions, 700,000 men, spanning from Tennessee to western Virginia and southern West Virginia. He told himself he was ready for the task. But he wasn’t! He was still a fool. He had no experience with this kind of task, despite his inner mind telling him he did. He told himself he could lead an army group…7 months after leading an army.

In the early hours of June 17^th, guns roared across the Russian lines. Seconds later, explosions ripped through the lines of army group Center, destroying trees, machines, houses, and anything in the open. The men cowered in their foxholes, waiting for the barrage to lift. And it did. 1,000,000 Russians climbed out of their trenches and foxholes, charging the American line. Russian tanks moved ahead of them, protecting them from withering machine gun and rifle fire. American solders fought back with

m-16 rifles and AT-4 rockets but couldn’t stop the Russian onslaught.

In his HQ, Burnett calmly slept, not hearing the barrage. He took the stalemate and his post as commander of army group Center as a given. There were few reserves deployed that could make any effect.

3 hours after the Russian assault began, he finally awoke-to the sound of a Russian plane flying overhead, dropping napalm on a detachment of men whom had been encamped next to the road. Wondering what was going on, he flew out of the tent to see an Lieutenant sprinting towards him.
“We are under attack on a broad front! All armies are in retreat!”

“Get to the command center!” yelled Burnett.

Men were pouring into the command center when he finally got there.

“9^th army has lost its forward trenches…”

“15^th army retreating towards Nashville…”

“Russian tanks moving through western Tennessee…”

Reports were coming in from everywhere that disaster of some sort was happening. Men scrambled to adjust the counters on the map which was laid out before him. It encompassed most of the mid-west, unlike the larger one at supreme headquarters.

“General! Most armies are in retreat! I request permission to release the 2^nd tank army and cover the retreat in Tennessee!” an officer demanded.

“Denied! They must be held back for the counterattack!”

“Counterattack? We can’t even hold our lines! How the bloody hell can we counterattack them?”

“Fall back to Kentucky! We shall drain them in the hills!”

The officer relayed the order to the radiomen, who relayed it to army commanders. They were furious. The Russian tanks would easily break through into Illinois and run rampant across the plains. But they had their orders.

The week brought disaster after disaster. The armies pulled back to central Kentucky but still couldn’t stop the relentless advance. In Nashville, half of the 15^th army was lost when it wasn’t allowed to retreat and got cut off. The 9^th pulled back across the Mississippi into Missouri where again the Russians couldn’t cross the river. They didn’t want to though. Their sights were set on Chicago.

The Ohio river acted as the last barrier before the city. Most units were several miles below the river. Almost every commander agreed it would be best to pull back behind the river. But Burnett wouldn’t listen.

“Not one step back!” he ordered, personally, to every army commander at a planning session.

“If they attack, we will have to retreat across a river! We can’t ford the Ohio!” one said.

“If they cross, Chicago is finished!” another said.

He didn’t listen.

On June 29^th, phase two of the Russian assault began. They hurled themselves against the American lines, which, initially, held quite firmly. But as more and more Russians piled into the attack, lines broke. The tanks reached the Ohio in 2 days time and engineers were brought up to bridge the river. Many Americans escaped but lost much of their artillery and other heavy equipment, which had to be abandoned due to a lack of bridges.

Seeing the disaster unfold, Teilman sent another army, 60,000 strong, to aide Burnett. It was positioned near Springfield where they would have plenty of time to dig in.

Burnett again refused to release the 2^nd tank army. He was scared they would be beaten off and leave Chicago wide open. Soon enough, however, he was presented no alternative. Halfway between Springfield and Kentucky, the 15^th came under a large tank assault. The only way to stop its annihilation was the release of the 2^nd. It was one of his few great victories. 20 miles were gained in the armies counterattack as well as countless Russian tanks destroyed. But the success was foreshadowed by another Russian attack, which threatened the flanks of the 2^nd army and it had to give up all the territory it retook and retreat to Springfield.

The 1^st assault on Springfield was a disaster. The well dug in reinforcements of the 17^th army caused horrendous casualties on the Russians. They entered the city on July 27^th and eventually overran the 17^th but at a very high price and after a very long battle, spanning 2 weeks.

Teilman contacted Burnett, agitated by the string of defeats.

“I want results! We can’t afford to lose Chicago!”
“Don’t worry! They won’t get passed Peoria!”

“You’re not taking this seriously Alex! I want results! I WILL relieve you! Teilman out.”

He didn’t hold Peoria. Once again he attempted an infantry based counterattack and took horrible losses. The 15^th army, reeling from the defeat, was too weak to hold the city. The Russians pushed forward into the suburbs of Chicago. Resistance stiffened, thanks to the arrival of another army, the 18^th, and the Russians focused on moving up the shore of Mississippi. On August 30^th, they reached Rockdale, as part of their plan to cut off Chicago.

Again Teilman contacted Burnett.

“If you are unable to hold Joliet, I WILL relieve you! They are too damn close to Chicago! They are gonna encircle the city damnit! If they cut us in two like that, we are FINISHED.”

“Ok, ok. They will not take Joliet!”

“You said that about Peoria! Hold them damnit!

The Russians pushed on, reaching Milwaukee. Another advance started on Chicago, their sights set on Joliet. 10,000 men, whom were badly needed for its defense, were encircled and forced to surrender 30 miles south of the city. The city fell on September 19^th. Teilman and several senior officers flew out to Bollingbrook, which was only 5 miles from the front, to meet with Burnett. His HQ was setup in a gas station right off of Route 55.

Machine gun fire could be heard in the background as Russian tanks and infantry pushed up the highway and through the streets.

“Damnit Burnett, that’s it! You are being relieved of command!” roared Teilman.

“Sir, I am just about to push them back! I can do this! Please, give me one more chance!”

“You had your chance Burnett, you lost…”

Before he could continue, “Give me the last of our reserves! I will push them all the way to Kentucky!”
“Are you crazy? I can’t count on you to lead an army group of 57 divisions. How can I possibly give you 33 more?”

“I can do it! One more chance.”

“General Carver…”

Several bullets wizzed through the window. Heavy gunfire started outside.

“RUSSIANS!” someone yelled. A grenade rolled inside, exploding behind the counter but still killing 2 men. Men rushed through the door, bayonets fixed. Radiomen and officers drew their pistols and tried to fight off the Russian squad. Down the street an Amercian Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV, which was lightly armored and had a small automatic cannon) and a platoon of infantry moved under the bridge, coming to their rescue. Most of the officers were dead. A man ran through the door, his eyes fixed on Teilman. Burnett aimed his submachine gun at the man but his magazine was empty. He drew his knife and lunged at the mans through, sending him to the ground just feet from the stunned Teilman. The infantry and the IFV killed the remaining Russians.

“A BTR (Russian armored personal carrier) broke though and raced over here it seems. They came up that highway. We need to get to the rear!” explained the IFV commander.

Burnett looked at Teilman, who was still stunned from the encounter. All the other officers were dead. Carver had a bullet hole in his forehead.

“Do you really think you can push them back if I give you 33 divisions?” asked Teilman.

“Yes sir I do. Just give me one more chance. I have an excellent plan to annihilate their spearheads in Wisconsin along with pushing the mall the way to Kentucky.”