Battle of Mars (3078)
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| Battle of Mars (3078) | |
|---|---|
| Conflict details | |
| Part of | Operation SCOUR |
| Start Date | 17 November 3078 |
| End Date | 16 December 3078 |
| Planet(s) | Mars |
| Location(s) | Koryo, Pullo Aerodrome |
| Result | Stone's Coalition victory |
| Territorial Changes | Stone's Coalition liberation |
| Attacking Forces | |
| Affiliation | Stone's Coalition |
| Commanding Officer(s) | General Andrew Redburn |
| Command(s) | Stone's Liberators; Seventh Donegal Guards; Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry, Clan Hell's Horses; Alpha Galaxy, Clan Nova Cat; Alpha Galaxy, Clan Wolf-in-Exile |
| Defending Forces | |
| Affiliation | Word of Blake |
| Command(s) | Light of Mankind; Mars Protectorate Militia |
| Other Forces | |
Prelude[edit]
After seizing Terra from ComStar in Operation ODYSSEUS, Word of Blake ROM relocated its headquarters from Cairo Castle Brian to Koryo on Mars. Along with the Titan Shipyards, Mars was bypassed in the initial stages of Operation SCYTHE having been deferred until other objectives could be taken by Task Force SICKLE. Unique among the various sub-task forces, an overall mission commander was not assigned until later in the planning process.[1][2]
Overview[edit]
Following the conclusion of the Budapest campaign in 10 October, General Andrew Redburn was tasked to command the Mars assault. Stone's Liberators repaired and rearmed from the Krupp factory, and the Seventh Donegal Guards were likewise detached from the Sandhurst group. In order to avoid additional complications regarding claims to the ilClan, Clan forces agreed to limit ground operations to extraterrestrial bodies. The Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry from Clan Hell's Horses, Alpha Galaxy from Clan Nova Cat, and Alpha Galaxy from Clan Wolf-in-Exile completed the group's force composition. Initial movements started on or before 14 November, with INN reporter James Bryson interviewing Captain Nicholas Fairbanks, Sergeant Howard Crawford, and Corporal Jaramir Langer about the upcoming assault.[3] By 17 November the task force was en route to the planet, with operational briefings aboard the DropShip Dulles Van Buren conducted by General Redburn and filmed in part by Bryson.[4] Despite representing to Bryson that the latest aerial reconnaissance of Koryo was dated 3056, in reality covert flybys by OF-17 "Hawkeye" Cheetah aerospace fighters provided a more accurate with its Hyperspectral Imager.[5] Rather conducting a slow assault towards the dome, Redburn elected to drop directly outside three of the six main airlocks, pairing off the Wolves-in-Exile with the Nova Cats, the Donegal Guards with 11th MCAV (who had previously worked together on Hsien), with the Liberators taking the third airlock by themselves.[4] Despite taking heavy losses from the air, the Coalition was able to get enough weight through the airlock to establish a beachhead without having to breach the dome walls.[6] Once inside the Koryo dome they faced vicious block by block fighting with booby-trapped buildings even in residential districts.[7] As the fighting moved into the tunnels, the 11th MCAV was able to put their Locust IIC 7s to good use in the tight confines, their AP Gauss Rifles making quick work of Blakist battle armor and saving many Coalition lives.[8] By 26 November the Blakist attacks in Koryo ceased.[7][9]
Once Koryo was secured, on or about 28 November General Redburn split the five commands up to secure the other various Martian domes. Unfortunately, Clan forces responded very poorly to the insurgency the Blakists were waging against them and without direct supervision had already breached two domes, killing all inhabitants. General Redburn sent clear orders admonishing such actions but privately he worried it would only restrain them for a few days.[7] His concern was well-founded, on 13 December the Pullo Aerodrome was breached, killing all twelve thousand residents. The atrocity was downplayed and covered up by Coalition forces. On 16 December the highest-ranked Word of Blake officer still alive on Mars, Demi-Precentor Lawrence Stevenson, formally surrendered to General Redburn.[9]
Aftermath[edit]
According to a journalistic investigation into the destruction of the Pullo Aerodrome conducted in 3084, it was not the tragic accident originally reported by Stone's command. The investigation claimed to have discovered evidence that Clan Jade Falcon's Alpha Galaxy intentionally sealed the dome, flushed out the breathable air, and then intentionally breached it to the vacuum. The veracity of that evidence is unknown as that Galaxy liberated Luna three months prior and was not on the TO&E for Mars. As of 3098 the investigation's version of events was still being presented as accurate by Nagelring Military Publications.[9]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 96: "Operation SCYTHE"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 97–98: "Mars Attack?
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 132: "Mars: Approach"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 132–133: "Mars: Assault"
- ↑ Experimental Technical Readout: Marik, p. 12: "OF-17 Cheetah"
- ↑ Total Chaos, pp. 213–214: "Picking the Lock"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Total Chaos, p. 215: "Martian Merry-Go-Round"
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3085, p. 272: "Locust IIC 7"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Total Chaos, pp. 180–184: "Terra - Arrival" - Sidebar