Last Chance

The Battle of Chicago, also known as "Operation: Last Chance", was a major battle that occurred during the Soviet invasion of the United States of America in Great World War III.

Overview
After the fall of Washington, D.C. at the hands of the Soviet Union, the American government and surviving military commanders were forced to relocate to Canada in order to ensure America's continued resistance to the Soviet invaders. The loss of the capital due to the psychic influences of Yuri's Psychic Corp left America at a strategic disadvantage that left the surviving U.S. forces on the defensive, and over half of the country under Soviet control. Having no allies to aid them as of yet, the Americans needed to conduct a counterstrike in order to reinvigorate the battered American resistance.

U.S. intelligence discovered that General Vladamir had invaded Chicago, Illinois and was about to test a newly-constructed Psychic weapon: The Psychic Amplifier. Unlike the Psychic Beacon, which only succeeded in subjugating Washington, D.C., the Psychic Amplifier could brainwash the entire country into joining the Soviet Union. Destruction of this terrifying device became the main priority of the Americans, so a massive amphibious assault was launched on Chicago.

Amphibious Assault
The Commander of the American forces launched an attack against Soviet-occupied Chicago from across Lake Michigan, initially attacking with six Destroyers and four fully-loaded Amphibious Transports. Before they could advance into the harbor, the anti-ship defenses had to be cleared, so six Rocketeers split into two groups and destroyed the two Grand Cannons and secondary defenses guarding the city. After softening up the coastal defenses, the U.S. Navy assaulted the city's shores, and were immediately attacked by Typhoon Attack Submarines and nearby ground forces. Despite heavy resistance and several losses, the Americans managed to secure a beachhead and destroyed most of the Soviet' coastal base, allowing the Americans to deploy their own base using an MCV. The Americans unloaded their tanks and GIs to begin their assault on the city.

Unfortunately, shortly after the Americans landed, the Amplifier began a countdown, and would activate within forty minutes if it was not destroyed beforehand, turning the whole of America to the red banner. The American forces, comprised of Rocketeers, GIs, Grizzlies, IFVs, and other available forces, assaulted various Soviet positions and fought towards downtown. The Rocketeers were reinforced by an additional squadron of ten as they scouted the city, substantially increasing their air superiority. Additional naval forces, comprised of another four Destroyers and transports also arrived to reinforce the American beachhead. During the assault, the Chicago Police Department launched their own attack on the Soviets, with several police cruisers assaulting patrolling Tesla troopers. The attack was suicidal as the outgunned officers were all killed by the superior Soviet forces.

The Americans, despite having suffered numerous losses, eventually overran Soviet defenses and breached the base perimeter, destroying most of the base and securing much of the battle-torn city. Soviet naval defenses were also crippled as their shipyards were also destroyed. With Chicago largely secured, the Americans swiftly destroyed the Amplifier, preventing it from enslaving the United States under Romanov's rule.

Destruction of Chicago
Tragically, the American victory in Chicago was short-lived. Although they had liberated their city and bought the free American states some badly-needed time to rally their forces, the Soviets refused to surrender the city. General Vladamir contacted the American Commander and swore revenge on the victorious Americans. Suddenly, the General activated a Soviet nuclear warhead that had been hidden underneath the Amplifier's launch site, and told the Commander to behold the might of the Soviet Union. The warhead then detonated, destroying the entire city and crushing the American forces still stationed there. The loss of Chicago and one of its armies further damaged America's ability to strike.

Aftermath
The destruction of Chicago had a severe impact on the course of the war. For the Soviets, it was a major setback in their plans to conquer America, but expressed little remorse for destroying a major American city home to millions of people. The United States was demoralized by the loss of Chicago, and the U.S. Army suffered massive losses during the explosion. If the U.S. did not receive badly-needed international aid, they would likely lose what little control they still maintained over their homeland.

Fortunately, the nuclear attack on Chicago would hold severe consequences for the Soviet war machine. The Europeans, who had previously declared neutrality in the war, were frightened by the Soviet Union's willingness to deploy such weapons, and began to offer aid to the Americans in the hopes of neutralizing the Soviet threat. The Americans willingly accepted these offerings, and went to Europe's defense by destroying nuclear warheads deployed on the German-Polish border, freeing Europe from the U.S.S.R.'s attempt to blackmail the continent into remaining on the sidelines. With this success, the Europeans and Americans rallied their forces on the frontlines, initiating the Soviet Union's eventual defeat on the American mainland.