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	==Prelude==		==Prelude==
−	In the aftermath of the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], the border between the Federated Commonwealth and the Jade Falcon/[[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Viper]] [[Clan Occupation Zones|occupation zones]] stabilized somewhat. Instead of planetary conquest, both sides sought to hone their warriors and keep their foes off balance in various objective raids, actions reminiscent of the last few years of the [[Third Succession War]]. Distracted by the Steel Vipers, the Falcons were angered and frustrated by the [[Inner Sphere]] tactics, which they saw as dishonorable. In 3054, [[saKhan]] [[Vandervahn Chistu]] finally ordered a major action to punish the Commonwealth for these raids. Chistu decided to target the world of [[Morges]] for invasion, as it appeared to be a major staging area for attacks into their territory. He further selected [[Vau Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)|Vau Galaxy]], one of his top commands, to claim this world for the Falcons. He dispensed with bidding and further ordered Vau Galaxy to forgo the ''[[batchall]]'' to the defenders.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", Chistu orders the assault on Morges</ref><ref name=ER3062-12-T-BOM-1/>	+	In the aftermath of the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], the border between the Federated Commonwealth and the Jade Falcon/[[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Viper]] [[Clan Occupation Zones|occupation zones]] stabilized somewhat. Instead of planetary conquest, both sides sought to hone their warriors and keep their foes off balance in various objective raids, actions reminiscent of the last few years of the [[Third Succession War]]. Distracted by the Steel Vipers, the Falcons were angered and frustrated by the [[Inner Sphere]] tactics, which they saw as dishonorable. In 3054, [[saKhan]] [[Vandervahn Chistu]] finally ordered a major action to punish the Commonwealth for these raids. Chistu decided to target the world of [[Morges]] for invasion, as it appeared to be a major staging area for attacks into their territory. He further selected [[Vau Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)|Vau Galaxy]], one of his top commands, to claim this world for the Falcons. He dispensed with bidding and further ordered Vau Galaxy to forego the ''[[batchall]]'' to the defenders.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", Chistu orders the assault on Morges</ref><ref name=ER3062-12-T-BOM-1/>
	==Combatants==		==Combatants==

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The '''Battle of Morges''' was an engagement in [[3054]] in the aftermath of the original [[Clan Invasion]] between the attacking forces of [[Clan Jade Falcon]] and the [[Federated Commonwealth]] and their [[Wolf's Dragoons]] [[mercenary]] allies for the strategically valuable planet of [[Morges]]. {{InfoBoxConflict | conflict = Battle of Morges (3054) | partof = The [[Clan Invasion]] [[Clan Invasion era|era]] | image = | caption = The Battle of Morges | date = February [[3054]]<ref name=ER3062-12-T-BOM-1>''Era Report: 3062'', p. 12, "Timeline of Events: 3053-3062", 3054 Feb - Jade Falcon invasion of Morges is repulsed</ref> | place = [[Morges]] | planet = [[Morges]] | territory = Federated Commonwealth retains Morges | faction1 = [[Federated Commonwealth]]<br />[[Wolf's Dragoons]] | faction2 = [[Clan Jade Falcon]] | commander1 = [[Jaime Wolf]]<br/>[[Mackenzie Wolf]]<br/>[[Alicia Fancher]]<br/>[[William Harrison von Frisch]] | commander2 = [[Angeline Mattlov]] | forces1= [[AFFC]] Garrison<br/>[[4th Skye Rangers]]<br/>[[20th Arcturan Guards]]<br/><u>Wolf's Dragoons</u><br/>[[Beta Regiment (Wolf's Dragoons)|Beta Regiment]]<br/>[[Spider's Web Battalion]] | forces2= [[Vau Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)|Vau Galaxy]] | forces3 = | result = Commonwealth victory | environment = | conditions = }} ==Prelude== In the aftermath of the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], the border between the Federated Commonwealth and the Jade Falcon/[[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Viper]] [[Clan Occupation Zones|occupation zones]] stabilized somewhat. Instead of planetary conquest, both sides sought to hone their warriors and keep their foes off balance in various objective raids, actions reminiscent of the last few years of the [[Third Succession War]]. Distracted by the Steel Vipers, the Falcons were angered and frustrated by the [[Inner Sphere]] tactics, which they saw as dishonorable. In 3054, [[saKhan]] [[Vandervahn Chistu]] finally ordered a major action to punish the Commonwealth for these raids. Chistu decided to target the world of [[Morges]] for invasion, as it appeared to be a major staging area for attacks into their territory. He further selected [[Vau Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)|Vau Galaxy]], one of his top commands, to claim this world for the Falcons. He dispensed with bidding and further ordered Vau Galaxy to forego the ''[[batchall]]'' to the defenders.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", Chistu orders the assault on Morges</ref><ref name=ER3062-12-T-BOM-1/> ==Combatants== Vau Galaxy - also known as Peregrine Galaxy - was commanded by [[Galaxy Commander]] [[Angeline Mattlov]], the oldest and most experienced commander in the [[Clan Jade Falcon Touman|Falcon ''touman'']].<ref name=JFS79-PG-AM-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 79, "Peregrine Galaxy", Mattlov commands Vau Galaxy, units are transferred</ref> After Tukayyid, some of their Clusters were transferred to other Galaxies to make up for grievous losses to other units.<ref name=JFS79-PG-AM-1/> On Morges, the Falcons were said to have used second-line '[[Mechs]] predominantly, though they still deployed some [[OmniMech]] units.<ref name=WP85-BOM-JF-1>''Wolf Pack'', p. 85, the Jade Falcon forces are primarily second-line 'Mechs though they used OmniMechs in their counterthrust</ref> Nevertheless, they were considered an elite formation, and more than adequate to the task of taking Morges.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-AM-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", Angeline Mattlov and Peregrine Galaxy were considered elite</ref> The [[Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth]] (AFFC) had maintained a regular garrison on Morges, but it was apparently a minor force without a clearly chronicled designation.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-MM-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", garrison of Morges is unnamed and is apparently a minor force</ref> However, the Commonwealth was able to quickly send in reinforcements in the form of two crack [[Regimental Combat Team]]s: the [[Fourth Skye Rangers]]<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-4SR-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", the Fourth Skye Rangers fight on Morges</ref><ref name=FMLA100-4SR-BOM-1>''Field Manual: Lyran Alliance'', p. 100, "4th Skye Rangers RCT: Albion", the Fourth Skye Rangers fight on Morges beside Wolf's Dragoons and the Arcturan Guards</ref><ref name=WP89-BOM-4SR-1>''Wolf Pack'', p. 89, the Fourth Skye Rangers participate in the Battle of Morges</ref> and the [[Twentieth Arcturan Guards]].<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-20AG-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", the 20th Arcturan Guards fight on Morges</ref> These were supported by elements of the elite Wolf's Dragoons mercenary command in the form of [[Beta Regiment (Wolf's Dragoons)|Beta Regiment]] and the [[Spider's Web Battalion]]. [[Colonel]] [[Alicia Fancher]] commanded the bulk of the Dragoon forces although Colonel [[Mackenzie Wolf]], second-in-command of all the Dragoons, commanded the Spider's Web, the command made famous as the Black Widow Battalion by its former commander, [[Natasha Kerensky]].<ref name=WP8283-BOM-BR-SWB-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 82-83, Beta Regiment and the Spider's Web Battalion are the Dragoon contributions to the operation</ref> In addition to these primary forces, Colonel [[Jaime Wolf]], supreme commander of Wolf's Dragoons, decided to take part in the operation, bringing his [[Wolf's Dragoons Command Lance|reinforced command lance]] with him, eight 'Mechs supplemented by a [[Star (Formation)|Star]] of [[Elemental]]s.<ref name=WP8288-BOM-WD-CL-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 82-88, the Wolf's Dragoons Command Lance joins the fighting on Morges</ref> ==Battle== Mattlov led her troops in the attack, but the local AFFC garrison refused to be pinned down, using delaying tactics to stall the Falcons for four days. The Peregrines finally cornered the AFFC troops in a small river valley, surrounding them and finally destroying them in short order.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-PG-B-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", Peregrine Galaxy destroys the Morges garrison in four days</ref> However, this delaying action gave the AFFC time to counterattack before the Falcons could consolidate their victory. The large task force including the Dragoons' Beta Regiment and Spider's Web Battalion, the Fourth Sky Rangers and the Twentieth Arcturan Guards soon struck back.<ref name=WP8283-BOM-BR-SWB-1/><ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-CA-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", the AFFC and Dragoons counterattack</ref> Outnumbered with her clusters understrength and with insufficient supplies for a lengthy campaign, Mattlov should have retreated, but the presence of the Dragoons gave her a chance to embarrass the [[Wolf Clan]], and she was unwilling to pass up this opportunity. She ordered Peregrine Galaxy to attack.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-AM-2>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", Mattlov pressed her troops onward</ref> The Dragoons sent the Spider's Web to attack the Falcons' flank, prompting Mattlov to call up her reserves for a combat drop. Jaime Wolf responded by deploying his [[Aerospace]] forces to harry the incoming Falcons on their way to the surface.<ref name=WP8283-BOM-SWB-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 82-83, the Spider's Web Battalion flanks the Falcons, the Dragoon fighters oppose Falcon reinforcements</ref> Sensing the battle would go against her, Mattlov decided to send a force of her front-line troops to breach the allied lines and target the command center at the city of Josseles. This would not only disrupt the Inner Sphere troops, it would split the lines between the Dragoons and the AFFC troops, allowing the Jade Falcons to smash the Commonwealth forces while holding off the elite mercenaries. The Falcon force succeeded in punching through the lines twenty kilometers north of Josseles. Observing the battle from nearby Mount Ziggilies and realizing that Beta and the AFFC troops would be unable to check the counterthrust in time, Colonel Wolf and his Command and Bodyguard Lances moved to engage.<ref name=WP8284-BOM-WDCL-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 82-84, Wolf's Command Lance moves to blunt the Falcon thrust</ref> They met a heavy OmniMech star which was apparently acting as a screening force on the outskirts of an abandoned town north of Josselles. The bodyguard lance managed to down the lead Falcon ''[[Summoner (Thor)|Thor]]'', but the Dragoons were unable to stop the Clan warriors from reaching the cover of the town. It was then that a second Falcon star appeared behind the Falcons, trapping the Dragoons. The Dragoons lost a ''[[Nova (Black Hawk)|Black Hawk]]'', but flushed out the Falcons in the town with their hidden Elemental star commanded by [[Elson Novacat]]. The Dragoons were able to destroy a ''[[Timber Wolf (Mad Cat)|Mad Cat]]'' before the Falcons pulled out of the town, but they were still outnumbered. The Falcons then began bombarding the mercenaries from a distance, knocking two more 'Mechs out of the fight.<ref name=WP8588-BOM-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 85-88, the Dragoons' command lance fight the Falcons</ref> Despite their losses the Dragoons' Command Lance had bought the allies enough time to regroup; reinforcements from Beta Regiment were inbound, and AFFC conventional forces had reinforced the road to Josseles. The Jade Falcons broke off the engagement, leaving the field to the Dragoons. Mattlov's counterthrust had been thwarted.<ref name=WP88-BOM-R-1>''Wolf Pack'', p. 88, reinforcements arrive and the Falcons break off</ref> This failure seemed to be the turning point of the battle, as the Dragoons and AFFC forces slowly began pressing back their enemies. Eventually, with the outcome decided, the Dragoons pulled back to a reserve role, allowing the Skye Rangers and Arcturan Guards to finish pushing Peregrine Galaxy off the planet.<ref name=WP8889-BOM-E-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 88-89, the outcome of the Battle of Morges is decided, Dragoons pull back</ref> In two days of intense fighting, three-quarters of the Jade Falcon machines were damaged. Already low on supplies and with no hope of reinforcement or resupply, Mattlov finally retreated with her remaining forces, conceding the battle to the Commonwealth.<ref name=ER3062-12-T-BOM-1/><ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-R-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", the Falcons retreat, ending the battle</ref> ==Aftermath== The further humiliation suffered by the Falcons, on top of earlier losses on Tukayyid and at [[Twycross]], and their anger at the [[Truce of Tukayyid]], led them to further their calls for a renewed invasion, and may have helped eventually lead to a variety of tactics including the [[Red Corsair]] subterfuge and the trial of [[ilKhan]] [[Ulric Kerensky]].<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-JF-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", the Jade Falcons in the aftermath of the Morges</ref> The Fourth Skye Rangers lost a battalion's worth of troops on Morges, but had blooded themselves against the Clans and cemented their reputation as an elite unit.<ref name=FMLA100-4SR-BOM-1/> The Twentieth Arcturan Guard's 'Mech strength was temporarily reduced to a battalion, but the Twentieth would likewise go on to achieve impressive feats, partially as a result of their experience on Morges. Reportedly, the Dragoons took [[bondsmen]] as well as salvage in the aftermath of the fighting.<ref name=NT6-BOM-B-1>''Night Terrors'', p. 6, it is inferred the Dragoons took bondsmen on Morges</ref> These allowed the mercenaries to recover from their losses quickly. However, combined with the rise to prominence of Elson Novacat, they were also contributing factors in the eventual [[Dragoon Civil War]] a few months later. [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] would later mention the Falcon defeat as evidence of a lack of single-minded unity among the [[Clans]] in the post-Tukayyid era.<ref name=NS28-VSD-BOM-1>''Natural Selection'', p. 28, Victor Steiner-Davion mentions the Battle of Morges</ref> Morges itself would not be spared further combat during various conflicts between the Clans and the Inner Sphere, as the nascent [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] fought [[Battle of Morges (Refusal War)|the final battle]] of the [[Refusal War]] on Morges in December [[3057]].<ref>''The Falcon and the Wolf'', p. 36-41</ref> Morges would eventually fall to the Falcons during the Jihad.<ref name="JHS3076p12">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 12, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="JS:TBDp63">''Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents'', p. 65, "Inner Sphere - 3075"</ref> ==Notes== * There is much confusion about the precise timing of the battle of Morges, with wide contradictions about when the battle took place and even what forces were involved. As of this writing, these have not been resolved, but a request for clarification has been made on the official Catalyst Game Labs [http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=50975.0 Ask The Writer forum]. ** ''[[Era Report: 3062]]'' states the battle took place in February 3054, and this article follows this assertion as that work was the most recent source.<ref name=ER3062-12-T-BOM-1/> ** In the novel ''[[Natural Selection]]'', Victor Steiner-Davion refers to the battle of Morges and implies it happened in 3054.<ref name=NS28-VSD-BOM-1/> ** The novel ''[[Wolf Pack]]'', which includes an actual depiction of the battle, implies that the battle took place in [[3053]],<ref name=WP8293-BOM-3053-1>''Wolf Pack'', pp. 82-93, Battle of Morges chapter takes place in Part I of the book, listed as taking place in 3053</ref> but this may have been a minor oversight. ** According to ''[[Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised]]'', it was [[Alpha Regiment (Wolf's Dragoons)|Alpha Regiment]] that represented the Dragoons and fought alongside the Fourth Skye Rangers and Twentieth Arcturan Guards, but this battle occurred during the [[Jade Falcon Incursion (3058)|Jade Falcon Incursion]] of [[3058]].<ref name=FMMR114-ARDW>''Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised'', p. 114, "Alpha Regiment: Dire Wolves", Alpha Regiment fights on Morges during the Battle of Coventry</ref> This is repeatedly contradicted by other descriptions of that campaign, which make no mention of any fighting on Morges at the time. ** The ''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]'' claims that the battle took place in [[3056]].<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-3056-1>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 33, "Tukayyid Aftermath", the ''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'' sets the battle's date in 3056</ref> * It is unclear if the garrison force that had been on Morges was a militia, or some other unnamed command.<ref name=JFS33-TA-BM-MM-1/> ==References== <references/> ==Bibliography== * ''[[Era Report: 3062]]'' * ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]'' * ''[[Field Manual: Lyran Alliance]]'' * ''[[Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised]]'' * ''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]'' * ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3076]]'' * ''[[Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents]]'' * ''[[Natural Selection]]'' (novel) * ''[[Night Terrors]]'' * ''[[Wolf Pack]]'' (novel) [[Category:Clan Invasion Era Military Operations|Morges (3054)]]

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