Battle of Helm (3138)

Battle of Helm (3138)
Part of Operation HAMMERFALL
Start Date From 19 to 28 April 3138 Location Marik-Stewart Commonwealth Planet Helm Result Partial Hawks' annihilation, lyran and Wolf victory
Factions
(Attacker) Lyran Commonwealth Clan Wolf	(Defender) Marik-Stewart Commonwealth
Commanders and leaders
Alaric Ward Vedet Brewer Roderick Steiner	Anson Marik
Conditions
Normal

The Battle of Helm (3138), aka Helm Massacre was a late Dark Age Era military operation undertaken by the allied Clan Wolf and Lyran forces against the defending Marik Stewart defenders.

Operation Brief

The military operation took place in Helm's capital, Helmdown.

Operation History

Factions & Known Units Involved in the Conflict

Lyran Commonwealth

• First Hesperus Guards
• 1st Steiner Strikers

Clan Wolf

• Alpha Galaxy (Clan Wolf) (one Cluster)

Marik-Stewart Commonwealth

• Silver Hawk Irregulars

---

Origins of the Conflict

The reformation by Anson Marik of the disolved Silver Hawk Irregulars was used as excuse by the Lyran Archon Trillian Steiner to invade the former Free Worlds League space. She enlisted the help of Clan Wolf, in exchange for new worlds to them. The alliance was tenous, but it served both the lyrans and the Wolves interests, at least for the time being.

Lyran Invasion

Reinforced by Clan Wolf forces, the lyran invasion was almost unstoppable: the minor forces of the Marik-Stewart Commonality were overwhelmed, and still worse, they had two fronts, as their planet Marik was invaded by the Spirit Cats and nearby worlds by the Oriente Protectorate. Only the Silver Hawks were able to stymie the confound the invaders in several occasions, but their small size, barely a regiment, limited their effectivity.

Attack on Helm

The 1st Hesperus Guards and a Clan Wolf Cluster, commanded by then Star Colonel Alaric Wolf, would first see action together on Helm in April. However, before that, the bulk of the Irregulars was sent offworld, leaving behind only two skeleton companies to delay the invaders' advance as long as possible. Wolves & Lyran forces were not cooperating due to political, cultural, and the personal issues between commanding officers: Duke Vedet & Alaric Wolf. Alaric distrusted the lyrans, and vice versa. Besides, Brewer had great ambitions and only followed his Archon because it benefited him. Trillian, which assisted to the invasion from the front lines, had to use diplomacy for both units to work together. Clan Wolf attacked Helm's capital city of Helmsdown, where the Irregulars have entrenched, but were rebuffed by heavy resistance Silver Hawk Irregulars hidden among civilian farmers. By May 22nd, Trillian Steiner had called in 1st Steiner Strikers, led by her cousin, Colonel Roderick Steiner to try move invasion of Helm.

The Massacre

Two days later, the 28 April, the battle for capital city resumed with the Wolves attacking it by his own initiative, engaging the Silver Hawks. Then, the Hesperus Guards followed, covered by artillery fire,m and later, the 1st Strikers joined the assault. The Irregulars were forced to retreat to the center of the city, with the lyrans pursuing them, but the Hesperus Guards fell to concentrated artillery fire, forcing them to cease persecution.

The Hawks continued retreating through the city, hiting and running, harassing both lyran and Wolf forces. Alaric Wolf then ordered his bombers to bomb the city's center. The destruction made easier the Wolves' advance. The Hawks then ceased fighting, only running, fearing the Wolves. They fell into disarray under the three-side attack, after the Strikers joined the battle. Leaderless and confused, the Hawks' officers and soldiers decided to surrender to Brever's forces, believing him to be the most honorable. Lieutenant Fred Parsons contacted the Duke, offering his unit's surrender, and Vedet accepted, offering him the terms. But the surrender attempt failed when the bulk of the Hawks began firing at all directions, even before Parsons and Brever have decided the terms. Anyway, the Duke communicated to Roderick and Alaric the surrender, but the Wolf leader didn't receive the order and led the last charge against the Hawks. Despite the Wolves finding only isolated resistance, they killed any surrended or fighting Hawks, including Parsons, taking no prisoners. Alaric Wolf's heavy handedness made the battle to be noted as the Helm Massacre. However, the massacre didn't affect Anson Marik and was promptly covered up by Trillian Steiner. Vedet was also furious with the Wolf leader for having stole him his victory and vowed never to work with them again. The exact number of Hawks' soldiers and support personnel was between fifty and one hundred.

Aftermath

Helm became a decisive battle in Hammerfall: soon after, Anson Marik died on Stewart, and the Marik-Stewart Commonality died with him, but Anson made sure to ensure the Silver Hawks' survived. The Hawks remained protecting the last worlds of the Coalition still free, and played a part in the rebirth of the Free Worlds League.

Anyway, the Hawks never forgot the massacre, or forgive the wolves: they mantained a vendetta against the wolves. At the dawn of IlClan Era, with the Empire almost defenseless, they began retaking historical Silver Hawk's worlds, Colonel Lucas Cameron-Witherspoon led the Gryphons' First Battalion to Helm, landing there on 7 August 3151. Fueled by their hate to the Wolves, they led the charge against the minimal Wolf garrison through the Nagayan Mountains, hunting down the Wolf warriors to a man. After the victory, Lucas commissioned a monument outside Helmdown which commemorated all the Silver Hawk Irregulars killed there in 3138.

Gallery

• The Last Charge image.jpg

  Alaric Ward's Timber Wolf leading the last charge

Bibliography

• Field Manual: 3145 (sourcebook)
• Empire Alone (sourcebook)
• The Last Charge (novela)