| “ | Hungering for revenge, the Soviets launch a full-scale invasion on the United States of America. The Peacekeeper network has been shut down under mysterious circumstances and the only thing stopping the Soviets is a mere ocean. | ” |
| —Mission description |
Operation: Red Dawn Rising is the first mission of the Act One Allied campaign. This mission is meant to be refamiliarization of Red Alert 2 while testing players on multitasking, with the objective of defending the Pentagon from a full frontal Soviet attack.
Briefing
After the Soviets’ defeat at our hands during the Second Great War, we have occupied Russia and appointed a puppet premier, Alexander Romanov, in order to preserve stability and gain popularity within the country. Several years ago, with the appointment of Romanov’s new chief advisor, a man known only as Yuri, our relationships with the Russian deteriorated. Shortly afterwards, the public opinion began to change and we were pressured to slowly retract forces from Russia. Our intelligence network in Asia has been compromised as contact with our spies was lost.
Today, our worst fears have been confirmed: our attempts to control the Russian bear have failed miserably. The Soviets have risen against us and their forces are approaching the United States from all sides. Our Peacekeeper missile network has failed due to causes unknown. The Russians are attempting to cross over the Potomac and strike at the Pentagon in order to cripple our military leadership. We cannot allow this to happen. Marshal your forces, defend the capital, and prepare for war.
Objective 1: Defend the city from Soviet invasion.
Objective 2: Defend the Pentagon.
Events
The American forces barely had a small gap of time to prepare defenses for a combined enemy amphibious, ground and paratrooper assault, as Soviet forces were spotted traversing the Potomac. The evacuation was started too late, creating further chaos among D.C.'s inhabitants who attempted to flee and were caught in the crossfire. Allied troops garrisoned civilian structures to use as firebases against potential enemy strike routes, as well as amphibious landings in three different shore landings, one of which led straight to the Pentagon.
The first Soviet wave consisted of paradropped infantry followed by landings with Borillos and Zübr transports, some of which tried traversing the Potomac causeway to strike the Pentagon from behind. Despite heavy losses, the Allies were able to fend off the invasion.
The second wave proved to be far more problematic as Kirov Airships arrived and slowly encroached Washington's coasts to bombard them, which would grant breathing room for the Soviets to move in. The Allied Commander, who was only in charge of a company of troops and vehicles at the time, was granted authority and resources to establish defenses with the help of an external Construction Yard, provided he could defend either of the two City's Power Plants. Most of his investment was performed on Patriot Missile Batteries, which, combined, helped fend off and even shoot down the majority of invading Kirov's. Despite casualties, the Allies on the ground withstood enemy incursions, though several buildings were also torched thanks to the Borillo's heavy flamethrowers.
The real emergency occurred at the third wave, as the Soviets were able to deploy a Mobile Construction Vehicle near the U.S. perimeter and established a forward base to sustain the invasion. Relief was scarce, with only the Thunderclaw company that consisted of four Abrams Tanks and a couple of Aeroblaze AA vehicles come to aid in the defense of the Pentagon. In their panic, U.S. commanders gave the Allied Commander full control of the D.C. forward base and its structures, unlocking its weapons protocol.
During the assault, despite heavy pressure from all sides, the Allied Commander realized only a counterattack would be able to break the current Soviet hold and deplete the invasion force enough for the Soviets to pull back. A strike force was hastily assembled and pushed to the Soviet outpost, but without artillery or air support, the casualties were heavy. Still, the determination (or rather desperation) was strong enough for the American forces to overcome opposition and destroy the Soviet foothold. No attempts to reclaim the advantage were done by the Soviets, and the invasion force sustained too much damage to continue their advance. Although the cost was heavy, Washington D.C. and the Pentagon were left standing, becoming an inspiration for American forces that the Soviet Union could be held at bay.
Aftermath
| “ | Although the Soviets have successfully invaded and claimed large areas of the U.S., your valiant defense of the Pentagon and Washington D.C. proves that they are not unbeatable. We must regroup and assess the damage done. | ” |
| —Battlefield Report |
As long as the fight in the United States went on, Washington D.C. and the Pentagon remained under Allied control and became the main base of operations for the American war theater. It was only after the destruction of Chicago and the majority of the regular U.S. army that D.C. fell to Soviet occupation, as most of the American forces had left for Europe, recognizing the lost cause.
The Soviets were quick and wasted no efforts in fortifying their position in Washington, especially against militias established by the state governors whom became the backbone of American resistance. The city itself was insultingly renamed 'Stalington' by the Soviets, it's defense in charge of the Soviet Commander and two Colonels, Krukov and Reznov. The Pentagon and White House became, respectively, their headquarters.
The city only changed ownership two years later by the time Yuri and his Epsilon army resurfaced to start a global domination campaign. As a tragic result, the Pentagon was finally demolished and a Psychic Beacon took its place.
Difficulty changes
- The size of the player's starting forces and any additional paradrop reinforcements afterwards depend on the difficulty. In addition, on Easy and Normal difficulty, the player will receive more Abrams Tanks and AI-controlled Aircraft Carriers to destroy the Soviet base and remaining Soviet forces.
- The starting credits also depend on the difficulty; 25000 credits are given on Easy, 10000 on Normal, and only 5000 on Mental.
- The countdown before the invasion begins depend on the difficulty. On Mental difficulty, the Soviet forces start invading once a certain oil tanker ship reaches the rocks.
Walkthrough
Gallery
Trivia
- Once the Soviet forces have arrived, the music Hell March Medley will play, similar to how Hell March 2 was played in the intro of Red Alert 2.
- This mission is a reversal of Lone Guardian and Red Dawn, the first Allied and Soviet mission respectively in Red Alert 2.
- Lone Guardian oversaw the liberation of New York from Soviet occupation while Red Dawn oversaw the destruction of the Pentagon.
- The Allied Commander gets to defend the Pentagon while the Soviet General gets to occupy New York.
