MINSK

The Cold War began in October 2139 with coordinated PAC invasions from the Persian Gulf to the Baltic Sea. In November, as part of Operation Canute, three battalions led by General Arkadi Petrov entered Minsk, a key EU command center in Northern Europe. The EU's Krieg Panzer 2nd Regiment fiercely defended the city for over four months until the PAC's elite Central Command Group broke through their southern flank, forcing them to withdraw. The Battle of Minsk featured the first frontline use of the militarized Titan, forever altering the character of modern warfare.

By the end of 2140, the PAC occupied much of Europe but had yet to gain control of the Mediterranean. Northern France represented a key strategic passage, but it was a narrow one, given the wall of ice that had advanced all the way to the 49th parallel. The PAC sped into Lorraine to find a small but resilient EU company holding a section of the Maginot Wall in Verdun. The T-8 Tiger main battle tank more than held its own against the newer Type 21 Nekomata hover tank, allowing the EU to hold the position for almost a month.

On July 10th, 2140, as part of Operation Thunder, fifteen squadrons of PAC gunships wrested control of the skies above eastern Germany. The victory allowed PAC Titans to airdrop entire regiments of the Northern Command Group behind the EUs Brandenburg Line. Surrounded, the EU Expeditionary Force quickly capitulated. The path to Berlin was cleared. On August 15th, the PAC waged an all-out offensive on the city. After two months of intense fighting, Berlin fell. The remaining EU forces retreated to France where they would make a last stand before evacuating to Africa.

By the end of 2140, the PAC occupied much of Europe but had yet to gain control of the Mediterranean. Northern France represented a key strategic passage, but it was a narrow one, given the wall of ice that had advanced all the way to the 49th parallel. The PAC sped into Lorraine to find a small but resilient EU company holding a section of the Maginot Wall in Verdun. The T-8 Tiger main battle tank more than held its own against the newer Type 21 Nekomata hover tank, allowing the EU to hold the position for almost a month.

By 2142, Cerbre Landing was the last EU stronghold on the European continent. The port served as the chief defensive hub for the EUs Northern Mediterranean operations. Tasked with seizing the harbor, PAC General Yuri Vladomirovic used commando units equipped with the new IT-33 Optical Camouflage to infiltrate the city. Once inside they sabotaged the defenses, allowing the General to land his forces in the main harbor. There they faced the Hell Brigade, the EUs premiere infantry unit, assigned to defend the city. The ensuing violence would establish Cerbre Landing as the most fierce and costly battle of the Cold War.

The Battle of Minsk featured the first employment of the militarized Titan in combat operations, changing the nature of modern warfare forever. Because of the Titans unmatched effectiveness as both a transport and assault medium, its destruction became a crucial component of military strategy. At Minsk alone, six full-scale Titans were destroyed within the first week of combat.

CAMP GIBRALTAR

The attack on Camp Gibraltar was the first deception attack used by the PAC to draw EU forces out of position. Although not of military significance, the site was an important staging point for refugees from the western Mediterranean territories. On April 10th 2142, the PACs AA Command Division attacked the camp. The EUs 4th and 5th Armored Battalions were tasked with defending Camp Gibraltar. The PAC troops fought vigorously but conservatively. The EU commander relied on sniper tactics to hold key positions in an attempt to occupy the PAC forces as long as possible.

As the PAC launched diversionary strikes from Italy into North Africa, it secretly gathered forces in the Sinai Peninsula to prepare for a full-scale assault on the continent. On May 1st, four PAC Command Divisions flew into Libya to engage the EUs 6th Army Group. This left the 5th Corps at the Suez Canal without support when the Southern Command Group, led by General Muunokhoi, raced into Egypt. The EU forces staved off Min-shiks army until help finally arrived via the 10th Airborne Division. Had the PAC seized the Suez Canal, it would have severely compromised the EUs ability to defend Africa.

In an attempt to stop the flow of EU reinforcements to the Suez Canal, the PAC launched a series of raids against key transportation hubs. The most vital of these targets was Tunis Harbor. Fog in the Strait of Sicily, allowed the PAC to land its 8th Command Regiment almost on top of the harbor defenses. This strategy enabled them to pin the EU forces in the harbor with the Mediterranean at their backs. The Valkyrie Brigade formed the backbone of the EUs defense with their company of L-5 Reisig Battlewalkers.

By the end of 2142, freezing temperatures, mass migration and warfare had rendered most of the PAC occupied territories uninhabitable. Desperate to sustain its dwindling population, the PAC changed its military focus to capturing key energy, food and water supplies. Shuhia Tabia, a large-scale, EU agricultural project located in northern Egypt, was one of the PACs primary targets. On November 11th, a fleet of Titans carrying six PAC Command Divisions flew into the skies above Shuhia Tabia. They were immediately greeted by the EUs 2nd Army. The resulting battle raged for more than a year.

In January 2143, the PAC tried to appropriate another key resource target in Egypt, the Sidi Power Plant. The recently constructed facility provided more than 40% of the EU populations energy. Each coalition depleted of manpower and equipment, the battle began primarily as a ground war. The EUs 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions established three lines of defense, fighting off wave after wave of incursions by PAC Special Forces. In March, armored and airborne divisions arrived for both sides. Within weeks, the fight intensified to become one of the largest and most fervent of the entire war.

To attack the EUs Suez Canal position, the PAC relied on a Titan squadron to transport assets into the field of battle. Similarly, the EU employed their own Titan fleet to transfer divisions from other posts in northern Africa. While conflict raged on the ground, a secondary battle ensued in the skies as both sides attempted to thwart the airborne delivery of reinforcements.

When the EU and PAC clashed at Shuhia Tiba, both sides utilized more than twenty Titans between them. By the end of fighting a year later, only two remained. Continuous assaults rendered half of the capabilities useless by the first month. Years later, covered in metal carnage, Shuhia Taiba would be referred to as the Titan Graveyard.

At first, the PAC utilized its depleted Titan fleet conservatively in its attack on the Sidi Power Station. Similarly, the EU relegated its armada to primarily non-battle zone transportation duties. Soon, however, the ground war intensified. More air support and delivery was required. Within a month, the skies were again filled with Titans.