Siege of Japan

The Siege of Japan was a large-scale engagement instigated by Ultranationalist Russia and its allies in Asia during the Third World War.

Prelude
After the Americans had pushed the Russians off of their soil, Russian President Boris Vorshevsky sought peace between the two nations. However, Vladimir Makarov, who needed the war to continue in order to achieve his own ends, kidnapped Vorshevsky and took control of the Russian Government. Makarov began attempting to take over weaker Asian countries and claim their resources to make up for those Russia had lost in the attack on the United States, with the help of China and North Korea. The countries in southeastern Asia, Indonesia, and Taiwan surrendered to the Russians without putting up a fight, while South Korea attempted to resist the Russians' aggression, but was quickly overwhelmed by the Russian and North Korean armies and its military was left in shambles. India and a number of middle-eastern nations managed to more or less hold out.

Makarov offered the Japanese the opportunity for a peaceful surrender, but they refused.

Bombing of Northern Japan
When the Japanese declined his offer, the Makarov resonded swiftly and brutally. Massive quantities of Tu-160 Blackjack bombers were deployed from Khabarovsk, escorted by MiG-29 Fulcrum, MiG-35 Fulcrum-F, and Su-35 Flanker-E fighters. These were detected by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, who scrambled F-15J Eagle fighters to fend off the attack. However, the swarms of Russian fighters obliterated the opposing aircraft, and the Russians continued onward to the island prefecture of Hokkaidō, as well as large parts of the Aomori and Akita prefectures. The Russians proceeded to carpet bomb the region mercilessly, leaving literally no piece of land unharmed. Less than three percent of the combined populations of these areas remained alive.

On August 30, 2016, the Japanese Government announced that it considered the Russians' actions to be an open declaration of war between the two nations, and began mobilizing the JSDF.

Invasion of Honshū
After the Russians had bombed much of the northern area of Japan into dust, they began a sea invasion of the main Japanese island of Honshū. The Russians sent a large number of BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles to the shore of the Yamagata prefecture, using more than twenty Tapir-class landing ships to ferry troops and supplies between Honshū and several small islands captured by Russia before the bombings. The large number of BMPs soon became the number one concern for the Self Defense Force, as they had little in the means of anti-armor weaponry.

With the situation rapidly degrading, Japan requested assistance from the United States.

American Reinforcements
On the afternoon of September 2nd, the US Navy deployed American troops into Japan. There were two main forces; the larger of the two, designated Force Alpha, was deployed into the Tokyo prefecture, while the other, designated Force Bravo, landed further north in the city of Morioka in the Iwate prefecture. Upon arrival, Force Alpha began building fortifications in northwestern Tokyo city, preparing for an inevitable Russian offensive.

The Russians Push Inland
As the American forces landed on the eastern Japanese coast, the Russians advanced South from Yamagata and western Miyagi, with assistance from the North Korean Navy and the Chinese Air Force. The Russians made heavy usage of mechanized infantry such as T-90 tanks and BTR-80 APCs, as well as close air support from Mi-24 Hind and Mi-28 Havoc attack helicopters, in a manner similar to the famous blitzkrieg tactics utilized by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Russian forces quickly overwhelmed JSDF troops, whom, as before, were inadequately equipped fo effectively deal with armored vehicles. Japanese troops and civilians who attempted to flee south from the Russian invaders were swiftly and brutally slaughtered, either by offshore fire from the North Korean fleet or by air strikes carried out by Chinese fighter-bombers.

Soon, the US Army attempted a pincer attack on the Russian advance; Force Alpha made a head-on assault from the south, while Force Bravo snuck in from the north. However, Force Bravo was spotted by a Russian reconnaissance UAV, losing the element of surprise. The Russians were ready for them when they began their attack, and were thus badly beaten and forced to retreat. Force Alpha continued their counterattack in spite of Force Bravo's retreat, but on September 7, they too were forced to retreat after the Russians had thinned out their troops to the point that they were no longer able to effectively hold their enemy back.

The Battle for Tokyo
By early morning of September 8, Russian troops had begun making their way through the Saitama prefecture, intent on overtaking Tokyo.