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Siege of San Salvador

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This article is about the 1946–1949 military conflict of the Creeperian Civil War. For other conflicts in San Salvador, see Battle of San Salvador.
Siege of San Salvador
Part of the Creeperian Civil War
Clockwise from top left: Ruins in Denilla in 1948, National Council soldiers in 1946, Imperial Council vehicles during Operation Watermelon in 1949, the San Salvador Imperial Palace burning in 1948.
Clockwise from top left: Ruins in Denilla in 1948, National Council soldiers in 1946, Imperial Council vehicles during Operation Watermelon, the San Salvador Imperial Palace burning in 1948.
Date17 May 1946 – 30 August 1949
(3 years, 3 months, 1 week and 6 days)
Location
Throughout San Salvador, with spillovers into San Luís, Zapatista, and the State of the Church
Result Decisive Imperial Council victory
Territorial
changes
  • Imperial Council retains control of San Salvador
  • National Council withdraws from San Salvador
Belligerents
National Council Imperial Council
Commanders and leaders
Units involved

Miguelist Armed Forces

Romerist Armed Forces

Strength
1.5 million soldiers
 1.3 million soldiers
Casualties and losses
  • 434,000 dead
  • 567,000 wounded
  • 560,000 dead
  • 590,000 wounded
4.3 million dead, 7.1 million wounded, 23.4 million displaced

The Siege of San Salvador (Creeperian Spanish – Creeperian: Սիտո ել Սան Սալվադոր; Creeperian Spanish – Iberic: Sito de San Salvador), also referred to as the Battle of San Salvador (Creeperian: Բատաժա ել Սան Սալվադոր; Iberic: Batalla de San Salvador), and known in modern-Creeperopolis as The Siege (Creeperian: Ել Սիտո; Iberic: El Sito), was the largest, lengthiest, and deadliest confrontation of the Creeperian Civil War between the Catholic Imperial Restoration Council (Imperial Council) and the National Council for Peace and Order (National Council). The battle was fought mostly within the department of San Salvador, one of the most strategically and symbolically important regions of the country. Due to its large and complicated nature, the siege has sometimes been considered to be its own war within the Creeperian Civil War.

The siege began in May 1946 with an initial attack by the National Council against forces of the Imperial Council. The National Council's failure to win a quick and decisive victory over the Imperial Council led to a stalemate and long-lasting siege, as neither side was able to break through the other's defenses. A final offensive by the Imperial Council in August 1949 forced a National Council retreat, ending the siege in a decisive Imperial Council victory. The civil war itself would later end on 30 September 1949.

Background

Failure of the Papal War

Imperial Council advances in the north

Prelude

Planning and organization

Final preparations

Order of battle

National Council order of battle

Main article: National Council order of battle at the Siege of San Salvador
North–Lake San Salvador front

Army Group Mauricio Tasis Quesada – Field Marshal José Bolívar Aguirre

East–central San Salvador front

Chief Field Marshal Juan Salinas Figueroa

Army Group Qarl Marx – Field Marshal Miguel Salinas Ortega

South–Volcano San Salvador front

Army Group Joel Lacasa Campos – Field Marshal Pascual Espinar Casaus

Imperial Council order of battle

Main article: Imperial Council order of battle at the Siege of San Salvador
North–Lake San Salvador front

Army Group Miguel I – Field Marshal Juan Primavera Sánchez

East–central San Salvador front

Chief Field Marshal Alfonso Cabañeras Moreno

Army Group Manuel III – Field Marshal Máximo Barrueco Morterero

South–Volcano San Salvador front

Army Group Alfonso I – Field Marshal Jorge Díaz Molina

Siege

Bombing of San Salvador

Main article: Operation Torch
Aerial photo following heavy Miguelist bombings during Operation Torch.

On the evening of 17 May 1946, the Miguelist Air Force's 15th, 27th, and 28th Air Force Wings took off from airbases in Zapatista and flew over the city of San Salvador, the Romerist capital, to destroy fortifications and disorganize the Romerist garrison in the city in preparation for a Miguelist attack on the city. The goal was to capture the city, capture strategic air and naval bases, and shatter Romerist morale in an attempt to prolong the war and drain Romerist supplies and morale. The bombardment of the city began at approximately 10:27pm San Salvador Time. The 15th Air Force Wing was tasked with strategically bombing industrial complexes, military airports, and military ship yards along the Asambio, San Salvador, and Zapatista Rivers and along the coastlines of Lake San Salvador and Lake Zapatista to slow down Romerist manufacturing and production of armor and weapons. The 27th Air Force Wing was tasked with tactically bombing Romerist Army garrisons in the San Salvador department to hamper and delay an immediate Romerist response. The 28th Air Force Wing was ordered to attack civilian targets such as homes, schools, and specifically churches to destroy morale.

The bombing of the city endured from 17 May until 24 May, the following week. In that time, the Romerists responded by mobilizing their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 11th Armies to defend the city from the Miguelist forces.

The Holy city of San Salvador shall never fall to the forces of evil. Evil will be eradicated from this city, from the Fatherland, and the planet.

— Chief Field Marshal Alfonso Cabañeras Moreno

The Romerists also engaged the 3rd, 4th, and 7th Air Force Wings to retaliate against the Miguelist bombings and to alleviate the city from bombardment.

Occupation of the east

Main article: Operation Yucca
Miguelists warding off a Romerists counterattack during Operation Yucca.
Xussman soldiers of the 17th Infantry Division engaging with the Terranilians during the Battle of Serrada.

Beginning on 24 May 1946, the National Council for Peace and Order initiated Operation Yucca to capture a significant portion of the city of San Salvador. The 1st Army, 11th Army, and National Guard advanced north along the Zapatista River with the 1st and 11th Armies making a river crossing of the San Salvador River. The 7th and 8th Armies advanced north too with the 7th Army threatening the borders of the State of the Church once more following the end of the Papal War and the 8th Army pushing to the shores of the San Salvador River. The 9th Army pushed north from the opposite side of the Asambio River and Lake Zapatista and pushed north along the shores of Lake San Salvador in the department of San Luís. The 3rd Army pushed south out of San Salvador del Norte into San Salvador down along the coast of Lake San Salvador.

The Miguelist Navy's 2nd Flotilla consisting of one battleship, three heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, two destroyers, and four submarines, sixteen ships in total, leaving port in Adolfosburg, sailing up the Zapatista River, and stationing in Lake Zapatista. Meanwhile, the Miguelist Air Force continued bombing strategic, tactical, and civilian targets.

The Catholic Imperial Restoration Council quickly mobilized soldiers in preparation for a Miguelist attack following the conclusion of Operation Torch. The 1st Romerist Army and the Romerist Imperial Guard were mobilized to defend from the 1st and 8th Miguelist Armies and the Miguelist National Guard while the 2nd Romerist Army was defending against both the 1st and 11th Miguelist Armies. The 5th and 9th Romerist Armies were better suited to defend from the 7th Miguelist Army which was advancing on the State of the Church while the 11th Romerist Army defending in the north from the 3rd Miguelist Army. In the east, the 3rd Romerist Army was engaged with the 9th Miguelist Army. The Romerists also deployed the 16th Flotilla to blockade the 2nd Miguelist Flotilla from entering Lake San Salvador via the Asambio River. The 3rd, 4th, and 7th Romerist Air Force Wings provided aerial support for the Romerists.

Battle of Serrada

Main article: Battle of Serrada

The Battle of Serrada occured on 26 June 1946, between the opposing forces of the 3rd Romerist Army and the 9th Miguelist Army. The battle was fought between exclusively foreign troops from the 4th Terranilian Infantry Division and the 17th Xussman Infantry Division. The battle resulted in a Terranilian victory after a failed Xussman counterattack. The battle was the first of the Creeperian Civil War to not be fought by ethnic Creeperans on either side.

Death of Romero I

Further information: Operation Destroy Everything
Burning floating wreckage of the BIC La'Victoria before she was scuttled.
Miguelists bombing Romerist civilian targets along the Asambio River during Operation Destroy Everything.

On 5 July 1946, the National Council initiated Operation Destroy Everything, known in Creeperian Spanish as Destruye Todo. The operation was a joint aerial and artillery bombardment of Romerist controlled parts of San Salvador. Like Operation Torch, Operation Destroy Everything utilized the Miguelist Air Force's 15th, 27th, and 28th Air Force Wings. Taking off from airbases in Zapatista, the Air Force Wings bombarded San Salvador for three days. Strategic bombers targetted factories and dockyards, tactical bombers targetted churches, hospitals, and barracks, while fighters fended off Romerist Air Force fighters returning fire. Miguelist anti-aircraft fire was also utilized from the shores of Lake Zapatista.

Hours after the aerial bombardment began, Miguelist artillery began attacking. As the artillery was firing upon the Romerist positions, the 1st and 11th Miguelist Armies launched an attack on the nearly encircled 2nd Romerist Army, eventually cutting it off on land from Romerist reinforcements, however, the 16th Romerist Flotilla retained control of Lake San Salvador, ensuring that the 2nd Army always had supplies and reinforcements.

On 6 July 1946, during an artillery bombardment of San Salvador, a stray artillery shell missed its target of a dockyard in San Salvador by miles and, by chance, hit the 16th Flotilla cruiser BIC La'Victoria directly in the bridge. The impact with the bridge pushed the ship to her starboard side at a 35º angle, dumping many seamen into the sea and giving the ship a list to starboard which eventually stabalized at 26º due to all the coal and ammunition pushed to the starboard side. The list caused several boilers to explode. The reason they exploded is still unclear, but the explosions caused the ship to begin taking on water.

Nearby vessels, the 16th Flotilla destroyers BIC San Luís and BIC Jalisco sped to the BIC La'Victoria at full speed, since Emperor Romero I was onboard on his way to meet with Chief Field Marshal Alfonso Cabañeras Moreno. Of the 902 men on board, 674 survived and were evacuated. After three hours, the crew of the BIC San Luís found Romero I dead in the bridge. Among the other dead found were Rear Admiral Bautista Aznar Cabañas, commander of the BIC La'Victoria, and Colonel Antonio Fonseca Cabanellas of the 2nd Romerist Army. BIC La'Victoria was deemded a total loss by the officers of the BIC Jalisco and BIC San Luís and was scuttled to prevent it from being captured and torn apart for scrap by the Miguelists. The BIC San Luís relaid the news to Alfonso Cabañeras Moreno. He immediately ordered the tourture and execution of 1,946 Miguelist prisoners of war in retaliation. He declared himself Regent of the sixteen year old Emperor, Romero II, the son of Romero I.

Romerist morale was shattered by the news while Miguelist morale greatly improved. Cabañeras Moreno told his men that Romero I fell for them and that they now had to fall for him and take Miguel VII down with them. He rallied up the Romerist soldiers and lead a victory in the sea at the Battle of the Asambio River on 12 July and a land battle at the Battle of Metachague on 17 July.

Death of Miguel VII

Miguelists running through a trench in the city.

Massacre of 1947

Main article: San Salvador Massacre (1947)

Burning of 1948

Main article: Burning of San Salvador (1948)

Operation Melon

Main article: Operation Melon

Operation Watermelon

Main article: Operation Watermelon
Romerists during Operation Watermelon.

Romerist victory

Ruins of San Salvador.
Ruins of San Salvador.

Maps

Maps of the Siege of San Salvador

Casualties

Miguelists

Romerists

Aftermath

Significance

Commemoration

In popular culture

Books

Films and documentaries

Monuments

Poetry

Legal poetry
Illegal poetry

See also

External links

Creeperian Conflicts (1921–present)

Participants

Timeline

Key aspects

Anti-Government Forces
 Government of Creeperopolis Death Squads

Former paramilitaries

Linked to

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