In February of 1982, the Paternian Republic, Federation of Korea, The Soviet Union, and Unity Defense invaded Anchorage, the coastal town of the Alaskan Republic. Fighting at first was sporadic, with little to no resistance and a beachhead was quickly established, allowing for the placement of choke points and defensive positions as troops awaited the counterattack. Tanks waited in alleyways amongst the rubble, waiting to unload their "surprise". Tank commander Paul Fowler, serving with the 2nd AD, was part of a platoon of four tanks sent to hold a major transport center in Anchorage: "We had already painted our tanks white and grey. We slapped some black on there to look like we were part of the rubble. When the Alaskans would drive down the street with their BB-12s in lead and tail, escorting a QRF convoy pushing the left flank, we would pull a classic move. The rubble in the street from a destroyed two-story bank with its second story wall facing the street. We had infantry hide there. Most importantly, the tanks would box the convoy in by either damaging or destroying the lead and tail vehicles."
Unity's primary tank: the M6C. A custom-order M6/M65 Ardent, the M6C packed a 105mm gun and three machine guns. Composite armor made it hard to kill.
Paul Fowler recalls: "My tank and the other tank damaged the BB-12s by destroying their turrets as well as immobilizing them. We then made it known to them that four battle tanks and twenty men were holding them in. We have them the option to surrender. Many did, but some took positions and began firing at the men in the bank. I hosed their hiding spot down with the Ma Deuce. They then decided to change their minds, which mind you was very rare with these Alaskans."
After almost a month of fighting, in March of 1982, Anchorage was taken, and then the war would take a more barbaric turn
March 3rd, 1982
30 Miles from Anchorage
"I was sitting with my friends in the camp when it set in. The blizzard was so thick you couldn't see what was going on. Engines wouldn't start, clothes froze where your breath touched them, frostbite was common. Then cam the sporadic tracer fire followed by yelling. Scores of Alaskans were charging us, bayonets fixed. The tanks positioned themselves to perform a sweeping crossfire, and my squad mate with the Pig started spraying lead as well." That day became known as the Bloody 3rd, after the amounts of losses taken. The blizzard would continue through most of March.
April, 1982
By April, the storm had died down and large advances were made pushing the Alaskans into the McKinley mountains. Barrow was invaded on April 1st, and a large north-south pincer movement ensued, cutting off a majority of Alaskan troops from their lines. Alaskan troops retreated for the rest of April, with a scorched-earth policy showing its effects. Railroads busted, the occasional road cratered, tunnels collapsed, and so on. It was very hard to get our armor and infantry around when everything was blown up.
May, 1982
In May, Coalition forces closed in on the final pocket of Alaskan troops when the surrender came through. The Alaskans capitulated. The war had claimed almost 8,000 lives in Unity forces alone. Official figures are still in the making. Alaskan troopers laid down their firearms and returned home, some decided to fight against occupational forces, where they finally stopped in June. The Koreans got the Aleutians, the Soviets got northern Alaska, and we got southern Alaska.