Operation "Partycrasher" & "Descending Fire"

COMBAT MISSION LOG: WEEK 5
"Marathon Gambit"

 

need to write in situation reports, but... zzzz....ZZZZ....

Short version:

The Ronin dropships have returned. Ronin ground forces are now at less than 50% strength and making a mad dash for the civilian spaceport of Tureholm. Thule City is still seeing small but determined pockets of resistance of mostly dug-in infantry. These troops appear to be prepared to go down fighting as few have been captured alive. It is an obvious move meant to distract us from their fleeing bretheren, but these units cannot be ignored as they have now resorted to burning whole city blocks down. Their aerospace remains largely intact and prevents our own from intercepting the dropships from outer orbit. If we are to crush them, it will have to be while they are still on the ground. The chase continues...

 

COMBAT MISSION LOG: WEEK 6
"Closing Time"

 

Operation Descending Fire: Final Report

Despite a tough fight against a battle hardened foe, the Skaldborg Commandos and Thule Defense Forces have succeeded in pushing the ronin off planet. The battle was bloody and many losses were taken on both sides, but the ronin fighting capabilities are truly shattered and unlikely to ever threaten Thule again. We took some losses ourselves (particularly in the first few weeks of combat), but as attrition set in, it was only a matter of time until the ronin made mistakes that we could exploit.

It started during the second week of the siege on Thule City and nearby Hawick Industrial Center. While our mechs focused on strikes meant to probe the ronin's defenses, our heavy tank forces in 2nd Company set up a defensive perimeter around the north edge of the city. Combined with the TDF holding the south and west, the intent was to contain the ronin threat and prevent them from rampaging through the countryside. Up to this point, our mechs had met little success in gaining any significant ground. Possibly perceiving our forces as weakened, a small force of heavy tanks and mechs attempted to overrun our northern mobile command post. However, 2nd Company was there to hold the line and did so flawlessly. Despite their best efforts, the ronin forces simply could not compete with the superior long range firepower of our upgraded Gauss Rifle armed Pattons. While incurring few actual losses, the ronin received a savage beating and were thoroughly routed, retreating back into Hawick.

The next blow came from our other conventional force trump card: the Harbinger advanced VTOL. 3rd Company was eager to join the fight, but had been unable to do so because of a lack of intel on the situation within the city. By late into the second week, TDF infantry forces had finally succeeded in establishing a link with HQ; it was time to unleash the swarm. Even with significant AAA support, the ronin's conventional elements never stood a chance against our Harbingers. Equipped with rediscovered ECM technology and Inferno rounds, 3rd Company cut a bloody swath through the ronin in every sortie they ran.

Not all was going smoothly, though. Over the weeks, Commando mech forces had seen heavy combat and the wear on their machines was starting to show. All lances had taken at least some losses and were having to make due with borrowed or refurbished mechs. The Commando's heaviest mech, a Grasshopper in Delta Lance, had been lost during a duel with a ronin officer. Despite first appearances, the duel had not been made on account of pride, but rather to help secure the retreat of some of our own forces. While the pilot did survive and was not blamed for the outcome, the loss of the Commando's heaviest mech was unexpected and particularly bad for morale.

It was at this point that the ronin must have sensed an opportunity to press the advantage once more. Our consistent VTOL strikes had been very effective in the south and the ronin had finally managed to blunt 2nd Company's tanks. Again, our northern force at least appeared weakened. However, this time they would give no quarter. In the early hours of March 20th, every ronin unit around Thule City not actively engaging our forces to the south pressed our position in the north. Their primary goal seemed to be knocking out 2nd Company once and for all. While 2nd Company did receive significant losses, their defense of our command post held thanks in no small part to the valiant flanking efforts made by Beta and Delta Lances. Both mech lances had finally gained the victory they had needed. The ronin were pushed back and the northern line remained secure.

This valiant defense in the north was followed by remarkable events in the south as well. Gamma Lance was nearly destroyed completely during a botched strike into Thule City, but the continued pressure from 3rd Company's Harbingers managed to offset this loss. However, the real turning point in the south came from the near complete destruction of the ronin's assault command lance. These mechs had been a continuing thorn in the side of the allied forces in the south, preventing any significant advancement. The combined forces of Alpha Lance with TDF aerospace support finally put an end to this menace. While Alpha played the distraction to draw out the ronin, the TDF aerospace struck hard and fast. Enemy ronin aerospace was significant and some friendly pilots were shot down, but a few managed to break through and deliver a crippling flanking blow to the enemy command lance. In only a couple of passes, two of the assault mechs were disabled. Alpha Lance had no trouble taking down the third. Unfortunately, the commander of the ronin had still managed to escape, but there was little doubt among any on Thule that the third week had marked the turning of the tide; the ronin were outmatched and remaining on Thule would be their demise.

Abandoning their stranglehold on Thule City, week four and five would be a series of running battles and guerrilla skirmishes as the ronin tried desperately to stay one step ahead of Thule forces. All Commando elements did remarkably well and many were able to return the beatings they had received the weeks before. Damaged beyond combat readiness the week before, only Gamma Lance remained out of the fight. As the retreat devolved into a route to Tureholm, the ronin sacrificed slower units to slow our advance so that faster forces might escape. Knowing likely death or imprisonment awaited them, they made us fight every step of the way.

By week six, it was clear that Tureholm would be the ronin's last stand as they awaited their returning dropships. Our TDF aerospace assets were in sad shape by this point and could do little to stop the ships. Beta Lance and 2nd Company had fallen behind. 3rd Company was unable to penetrate the remaining defensive screen of ronin aerospace. If we were to crush the ronin, it would have to be on the ground. Only Alpha and Delta (supported by TDF forces) remained combat effective and continued the chase.

Finally, on the night of April 10th, the final battle for Thule commenced. Ronin forces threw whatever they could at us in hopes of slowing us down. It was during this final battle Delta claimed their ultimate prize: the defeat of the ronin's XO and the capture of his infamous Dragon (as well as a few others). Meanwhile, Alpha pressed on hard to one of the ronin extraction zones at the Tureholm Spaceport. They destroyed many more tanks set up along the perimeter and almost succeeded in disabling one of the Mule dropships. Unfortunately, Alpha was still too battered from multiple weeks in a running battle. The Mule, even with only its modest firepower, proved to be too much and Alpha was forced to break off. Other TDF forces were on their way, but would arrive too late.

In the early hours of April 11, the ronin dropships lifted off. As they exited Thule's orbit under ronin aerospace escort, remaining TDF fighters followed but at a safe distance. Both sides were clearly exhausted. Their leader left a message to the commander of the TDF and the Skjaldborg Commandos. In summary, he wished to express his regret for bringing war to Thule. His men were starved and in need of supplies. He now had enough supplies, but lacked the men who needed them. He had hoped to inspire some to embrace the old Draconis traditions and join him in his cause, but it was clear to him now that Rasalhague was and always will be Rasalhague and the atrocities he had witnessed during the Ronin Wars were his to bear alone in exile. Those who should have been held responsible were either long since dead or would now never be within his reach.

The shattered remnants of the ronin army would survive, but it was clear they would never be returning to Thule. In the end, that was enough for the TDF. For the Commandos, they had fought hard and to the victor goes the spoils... and the spoils were plentiful...

Total Number of Weeks In Combat: 6

Total Number of Combat Missions: 24

Combat Reports:

Alpha Lance:
Total Missions: 5
Victories: 3
Marginal Victories: 1
Defeats: 1
Damage Report:
x1 Catapult lost
-
x1 Hatamoto Chi captured
x1 Warhammer captured

Beta Lance

Gamma Lance

Delta Lance

1st Company

2nd Company

3rd Company

Omega Squadron

Author's Note: Work In Progress