Operation Pez

Operation Pez
Part of the Surian Fishing War
Location	Sur
Planned	February – August 1960 (approx. 6 months)
Planned by	Rakeoian Armed Services
Commanded by	Juan Tala Alcabú José Pérez Yagüe Antonio Soto Daza
Target	Ships docked at Mary River, San Juan Diego, Asequi (claimed)
Date	6 August 1960
Executed by	Rakeoian Armed Services
Casualties	9 killed (Rakeoian Armed Services)

Operation Pez was an attempt by the Rakeoian Armed Services to destroy the capacity and will of Sequoyah to continue contesting the Asequi Strait during the Surian Fishing War. Initial aerial reconnaissance missions in support of the operation began in July, and strikes against three ports on the eastern seaboard of Sequoyah were carried out on 6 August 1960. The strikes, which ended in the deliberate sinking of civilian vessels and an attack on Susla, territory of the then-uninvolved nation of Creeperopolis, damaged Rakeo’s international standing and resulted in bilateral relations with Creeperopolis breaking down.

Prelude

The Asequi Strait had been fished and trawled by fishermen from eastern Sequoyah and western Rakeo for thousands of years. After the Second Republic of Rakeo was deposed at the conclusion of the Rakeoian Civil War in 1955, the new regime, under the orders of General Secretary Mateo Sánchez García, and his successor, Ricardo Cornelio Huerta, proclaimed that all agreements formed by the previous government with foreign powers were invalid, ending a bilateral framework of usage of the strait that had been established during the Captaincy General period and were maintained during the Second Republic of Rakeo. Foreign imports in Rakeo were restricted as a consequence of protectionist and isolationist policies, which created an incentive for existing economic sectors to make up for shortages, and so fishing companies operating on the west coast began to fish in traditionally Sequoyan waters.

Fishing in traditionally Sequoyan fishing waters by Rakeoians began with government sanction in January 1959. Over the next several months, a series of confrontations between fishing vessels in the newly contested waters motivated the Rakeoian navy to begin escort missions in the straits. After Rakeoian navymen fired on and sunk a Sequoyan fishing boat on 13 May 1959, claiming that it had attempted to ram a Rakeoian vessel and had Sequoyan naval personnel aboard, Rakeo's Stratocratic Authority declared war on Sequoyah.

By January 1960, despite the declaration, no material action in the conflict occurred. Fishing boats operated by Sequoyan and Rakeoian nations shifted their schedules and routes to avoid further confrontations on the water, and naval escorts of fishing and trawling vessels became more infrequent. In this time, the first flotilla of Rakeo’s naval forces was assembled in Olino's port and military base, and garrisons were established on the west cost of Rakeo to prevent Sequoyan attack on settlements and docks. During these preparations, reversed war games involving a Rakeoian attack and destruction of Sequoyan ships in dock were conducted, and were deemed feasible. Admiral Juan Tala Alcabú, Western Commandant José Pérez Yagüe, and Colonel Antonio Soto Daza then met on 3 February 1960 to create and implement Operation Pez.

Raids

Four task forces composed of personnel from the Rakeoian Army were established, codenamed Trout, Tuna, Salmon, and Minnow. All taskforces were composed of four landing craft carrying around 80 soliders, some carrying time delay mines for sinking ships, and a minority carrying rifles and other weapons to provide protection to the saboteurs. Aerial reconnaissance prior to the operation by the Western Air Core was conducted in the months and weeks leading up to the raids, providing ground photography and tracking the movements of the Sequoyan navy. The raids were delayed twice, once because of bad weather, and once because enemy naval presence in the city of Asequi was deemed too hazardous by Soto Daza.

Salmon

Main article: Second Susla Affair

Soldiers aboard four landing craft landed on the island of Susla after serious navigation errors while on transit to San Juan Diego. Two of the craft, including most tactical leadership for the force, landed east of the city of Punto Sur, and surrendered themselves to authorities in the city on realizing their error. The rest of the craft landed near Armando Rivera Obregón Military Base, and their crew attempted to infiltrate the base. A firefight between the Rakeoian force and the base’s garrison ensued, which killed nine. All remaining were then captured. The landings, which Rakeo's Stratocratic Authority claimed were accidental, is now known as the Second Susla Affair.

Aftermath

Creeperopolis condemned the attack on Susla, severed its diplomatic ties with Rakeo, and refused to release the 75 Rakeoian captured soldiers.