++TRANSMISSION INTERCEPT 22:1:68++ news - 2074: The Anangke Anomaly mod for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

To: Col. Cooper, Wallace
From: Maj. Rice, John
RE: REPORT ON NEW WASHOE BATTLE

Wally,

The intelligence report you requested concerning the development of the conflict along the southernmost continent of New Washoe has been completed, though at the time of this transmission the battle conditions may have changed dramatically. The Soviets have maintained control of the planet for 76 hours as of this message being sent, and have used this advantage to destroy any remaining airspace defenses on the planet's surface. Orbital bombardment has thankfully not been used, however the inability of Army forces on the ground to combat Soviet airstrikes is hardly much more preferable. Most of the planet's civilians were either evacuated prior to the space battle or subsequent invasion, though there are an unfortunate 200 or sothat have been forced to move into refugee camps far from the battles, as the Soviet air forces have not shied away from bombing the townships.

The addition of heavy Soviet airstrikes has resulted in approximately halving the total force of the 19th Battalion, making armor their primary target (E Company was interestingly unharmed, despite being the Battalion's artillery company; this is most likely the Soviets wishing to avoid heavy damage to the power and mining installations for later capture). C Company, along with the remnants of Armor Company D, have successfully routed Soviet troops into the large valley to the north of the Weston power complex, where they were subjected to heavy shelling from E Company, though this is likely only a temporary deterrent.

With the Battalion's armor almost completely destroyed, the Soviets are have begun deploying their own armored units en masse in an attempt to smash the remaining forces defending mining installation B and the Weston complex (I would anticipate our forces on the ground attempting to concentrate their forces defending the latter, however this may not end up being the case). Short of naval reinforcements, I sincerely doubt our own troops can successfully hold their positions for much longer (a generous estimate would give them a week before they are subjected to bombardment out of frustration from Soviet command).

While I believe the battle for New Washoe is lost, I think we could at least gain a little hindsight from this attack, along with other worlds that have fallen to the Soviets in recent weeks. It appears this subsector was picked to the field testing grounds for some new weapons in the Soviet arsenal. Some you may already know you might already be familiar with, however you would do well to familiarize yourself with these weapons.

***

T-43 MAIN BATTLE TANK

Specifications:
Weight: 32.7t (39.9t with addition armor)
Length (gun forward): 36.6ft
Width: 9.4ft
Height: 6.8ft
Crew: 2 (Pilot/Commander, Gunner)
Armament(s): 105mm smoothbore cannon, 7.62 coaxial machine gun
Max speed: 60mph

Notes: This vehicle has been actively deployed for some time now as I am sure you are aware, however it has recently become the mainstay of Soviet armored forces. Despite its antiquated appearance, recent battles have shown its inherent design philosophy is in mass-engagement, with the tank rarely being used without addition kin. Just as the more recent T-57 model, it is incapable of successfully engaging our own MBT head on, however it seems this model has been brought back into service with an upgraded engine and a modified armor type (some theorize they might be failing to produce T-57's fast enough, but intelligence is unable to confirm anything yet). Some post-battle analysis shows these tanks are best handled by assaulting them with an equal number of our own tanks; anti-tank teams and fixed weapons are more likely to be mauled under their treads due to their rapid speed and high numbers.

CHU-17 RAPID ATTACK GUNSHIP

Specifications:

Weight: 9t (13.2t max)

Length: 47.2ft

Width: 78ft (with rotor rings fully extended)

Height: 12.6ft

Crew: 1

Armament(s): 12.7mm fixed machine gun, 8 anti-armor missiles, 120 dumbfire rockets
Max speed: estimated 540mph

Notes: These have been buzzing around the battlefields with an annoying frequency as of late. Replacing the old Chu-12 series, this one appears not to be mimicing our own gunship but rather taking the idea into an entirely different path. What it lacks in armor plating and firepower it makes up for in the ability to get around faster than anything we can pull out short of a strato-bomber. The Reds seem to like using them in pairs to soften some target and then zip away, and then while our men on the ground are left dazed they rush on through with armor. Those missiles don't help matters much either; remember, these were the things that wiped out our tank companies on Washoe so quickly.

T-68 MAIN BATTLE TANK

Specifications:
Weight: unknown, estimated 76t
Length (gun forward): unknown, estimated 45ft
Width: unknown, estimated 14ft
Height: unknown, estimated 11ft with SHIVA system
Crew: 1
Armament(s): 130mm smoothbore cannon, 7.62 automated target-seeking gun system, SHIVA Star EMP weapon

Notes: This beast is the Soviet's latest toy (in fact New Washoe may have been the first colony it has seen battle on). Some intelligence reports estimate that this tank has been in development for over two decades; I recall some commanders from '65 laughing at this thing because they thought the Russians were trying to bring back the heavy tank concept. Turns out that huge turret chassis is there to contain the thing's power plant. All those decades of research were apparently for this monster's SHIVA system, a sort of electromagnetic-pulse cannon. This gun fires and knocks out every piece of electronic equipment in a good 60 foot radius. Its big weakness seems to be small groups of AT infantry hitting them in the flanks. Unfortunately that means getting pretty close, and the Reds aren't dumb, they'll escort these bastards with smaller units to prevent just that.

I'll keep you updated on the situation on Washoe, as bleak as it may seem. Hopefully NHC will reinforce our line with some more boats, but I think our particular subsector isn't high on their priority list. Best thing to do is just bunker up and be glad we're closer to the inner colonies.

- John