3069 - February - Operation Rat III Fourth Wave
Along with the invasion of Sarna and the reclamation of the rest of the former Sarna March by Operation Rat II the AFFS continued with Operation Rat III and in particular launched their attack upon the vital world of Capella...
Capella
The first wave of AFFS forces into the Capella system were of course warships. The FSS Morgan Hasek-Davion led the way, but accompanying her were the 4 operational Avalon class cruisers of the 3rd and 4th Cruiser Squadrons (the FSS Reynard Davion was awaiting repairs having suffered moderate damage so far in the campaign) along with the FSS Daring and FSS Duncan both Davion III class destroyers. Backing these heavier warships up is the entire 1st Corvette Flotilla - 12 Fox class corvettes, a third of which have been upgraded to Block II class ships. To match these the Capellan's have the CCS Elias Jung cruiser and the CCS Anhui destroyer. The 2 Capellan Navy warships are backed up by a strong contingent of assault dropships from the local shipyards as well as the Hell's Black Aces aerospace regiment and some local aerospace formations. However even in these numbers they are grievously outnumbered, with the Federated Sun's Navy having not only brought along their embarked fighter strength and dropships but dozens of additional assault dropships dropped off by jumpships and a number of independent aerospace regiments.
Worse from the point of view of the defenders the first wave includes 3 full RCT's. The sight of the icons of the Davion Assault Guards RCT is enough to cause the ground defenders to pale, but the icons of the 2nd Davion Guards RCT and the 4th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT in the invasion force adds no less than another 200+ fighters to the Capellan's space based forces headache. Even with losses the 2 RCT's have more fighters than the entire defending force - and they are only part of the invasion flotilla and are there purely to reinforce the aerospace formations embarked with the naval forces.
The captain of the CCS Elias Jung who is in command of the black water forces defending Sarna would dearly love to break off and flee, to fight a hit and run campaign in other systems to try and bleed the Davion's rather than facing them in open combat. However his instructions from Sian leaves no room for discretion. He is to defend the planetary orbit of the Fortress World of Capella to the death. Not a single Davion fighter is to reach the planet. Just in case he has any thoughts to interpret these orders liberally a squad of Maskirovka have been seconded to his crew to "bolster morale".
Shackled by these orders and horrifically outnumbered the end result of the battle in space is never in doubt. The 2 Capellan warships in an act of futile bravery attempt to close the distance with the incoming Davion Task Force Sarna and break through to attack the transports. Their dropships and the various aerospace fighters attempt to screen their suicidal charge but are soon being torn apart by strikes from the massed Davion dropships and fighter wings. Hell's Black Aces were singled out for particular attention and the fighter wings of the FSS Morgan Hasek-Davion and the 2nd Davion Guard's were dispatched specifically against them. The under strength aerospace regiment holds it's own for the first stage of the fighter engagement, reaping a fearful toll in Davion fighter's, but then damage begins to mount. Pilots become fatigued. Other less skilled formations are torn apart leaving the Aces isolated... And the seemingly never ending numbers of Davion aerospace fighter's just keep coming...
With the last of their fighter screen and accompanying dropships burning around them the 2 warships continue their charge. As the range closes the corvettes of the 1st Corvette Flotilla move forward to impose themselves between the Capellan warships and the larger Davion ships and begin firing. Against a Feng Hung class cruiser and a Impivado class destroyer no Fox class ship or even Fox II class ship could hope to be successful. The problem is that it isn't just 1 Fox. Or even 2. No less than a dozen Fox's meet the charge head on, forming a gauntlet that the 2 larger ships must charge through. On the other side of this gauntlet a further line of 4 Avalon class cruisers and 2 Davion III class destroyers are waiting to pummel them. However, given the torn and ravaged state of the CCS Elias Jung as it streams bleeding past the Fox corvettes, leaving the CCS Anhui broken in it's wake, it lasts only a handful of volleys from the Davion heavy ships before exploding.
The Task Force Capella takes some time to reorganise. Although the fight had been one sided, the Davion warships had taken some damage. Fully half the ships of the 1st Flotilla had suffered light to heavy damage. Both the 1st and 2nd Division's flaghips - the FSS Galax and FSS Woodstock - in particular had taken heavy damage alongside the FSS Salem and FSS Northfield both having suffered moderate damage and the FSS Kathil and FSS Bryceland both having taken light damage. The damaged ships, alongside the 2 undamaged ships of the 3rd Division were detached to head to Edwards for repairs. It was immediately noticed that the Fox I's had suffered heavier damage than the II's.
At this stage the Task Force detaches a number of embarked marine units and 2 Fox corvettes to take control of the Rashpur-Owens and Ceres Metal's orbiting factories and yards. Heavy fighting, particularly over the warship slips take place, with fanatical Capellan Marines bolstered by conscripted shipyard workers putting up fierce resistance. In a number of cases warship grade weapon's are fired under local control from the almost completed ships in the yards against areas of the shipyards that have fallen to the Davion's. After this the AFFS divert a number of fighter wings to take out any remaining weapon emplacements and batteries upon the ship while more marines are sent in to bolster the attack.
With the Capellan space forces wiped from the skies the invasion troops ready to make planet fall. Leading the way unsurprisingly is the Davion Assault Guards. The full RCT of assault weighted battlemech's and their supporting formations land on the continent of Pociello. Landing far enough away from the Capella War College so as to avoid the garrisoning Warrior House Ijori and cadet formations from sallying forth to contest their landings the Assault Guards only have to contend with a number of Home Guard formations. The War College's combined arms battalion of fully equipped cadets does attempt to rush out to overwhelm the landing Guards, but is beaten off with heavy losses by the 3rd Battalion of the Davion regiment.
As soon as the landing zone is secure (albeit under almost constant low level attacks by suicidal infantry wave attacks by local Home Guard formations) the Davion Assault Guards call in the 2nd Davion Guards as well as a large formation of engineers who begin constructing fortifications, bunkers for ammunition, spare parts, aerospace fighters revetments and runways, etc... The 4th Deneb Light Cavalry for now is left in orbit. By keeping a full RCT in orbit Field Marshal Stephan Cooper (in charge of the first wave) pins the Holdfast Guard, Syn's Hussars and Warrior House Ma-Tsu Kai on the continent of Llagarres guarding the capital of Memorial City and the vital industrial target of Ceres City. This doesn't however stop the 4th from using it's over strength aerospace wings to conduct a relentless bombing campaign across the whole world.
As well as landing the 2nd Guards the Field Marshal sends word for the second wave to be sent. Even as the Davion Assault and 2nd Guard's are closing a tight ring around the Capella War College and beginning the destruction of it's defenders the second wave arrives and begins it's burn for the planet. Leading the way are the 7th Crucis Lancers RCT who's Marshal Zibler has overall command of not only his own RCT but also the accompanying 15th and 26th Avalon Hussars RCT.
With no less than 3 RCT's heading for the planet and with another in orbit waiting to pounce, Sang-shao Anson Quinn can do little but send the defending forces of the Pociello continent his best wishes and divert what few Home Guard formations that remain uncommitted to the fighting already on that continent to aid the defenders of the War College. His own Holdfast Guard remains in place at Memorial City alongside Warrior House Ma-Tsu Kai, while Syn's Hussars guard's Ceres City. The Sang-shao was less than keen to entrust the defence of the vital industrial plant there to the "cowards" of Syn's Hussars, but he has little choice. They are the only regimental sized formation he has except his own Guard. Requests for further reinforcement's have been met with silence.
However at least the local Home Guard have turned out in overwhelming force. Existing infantry regiments have been augmented to full brigades with a mixture of volunteer and conscript formations, bolstered by a large number of penal battalions, while his armour formations have seen similar expansions which have been limited only by the shortage of further armoured vehicles. A number of Home Guard battlemech formations have also been expanded with production of the local factories and now number almost 2 regiment's worth of company and battalion sized formations which are deployed in defensive positions in support of the regular CCAF and Warrior House forces.
As February ends the AFFS continues to reduce the pocket of defence around the War College while in orbit the second wave arrive and begin to prepare for their combat drop alongside the 4th Deneb Light Cavalry. In a nearby system the third wave of AFFS troops is gathering...
Gei-Fu
On the 8th of February the 2nd Confederation Reserve Cavalry's luck runs out. The reformed 3rd Federated Sun's Armoured Cavalry "hops" using it's dropships and manages to cut off the Reserve Cavalry's line of retreat. The 2nd might be able to fight their way through the blocking force with heavy losses, but not before the pursuing 7th Dragoon's and 1st Chisholm Raiders come up and crush them.
Attempting to cut to the north through heavily broken country in an almost futile attempt to avoid the trap the 2nd is brought to ground and in a 4 day battle effectively wiped out. While avoiding being pinned between the 3rd FSAC and the other 2 regiments this attempted break out stood little real chance of success. When Sang-shao Mei Tee Phyn's Yu Huang finally falls on the fourth day and the last of her regiment finally surrenders they 2nd has been utterly destroyed as a fighting unit. They have however managed to inflict heavy losses on the 3rd FSAC and 7th FedSun's Dragoons in particular.
Ingersoll
The 2nd Confederation Defence Force has watched as the Davion juggernaut has battered and smashed it's way through the entire Liao Commonality. Smashed during the last Davion invasion on Necromo the unit has languished forgotten and almost totally lacking in suitable officers since then in a post that was felt to give them no real chance of failing again. Until the AFFS carved right through the Confederation. Worse even than the lack of suitable officers is the total dearth of replacement personell dispatched to the unit since it's defeat on Necromo. Even now it consists almost entirely of the survivors of that battle and a handful of true screw ups who have been dispatched to join it's ranks. With barely a battalion of ramshackle battlemech's to it's name, the handful of officers are under no illusions as their chances.
When the Davion Old Guard RCT arrives in the Ingersoll system they are immedietly contacted by Sao-shao Rai Harada (demoted following Necromo) who immedietly surrenders. And is then shot by his executive officer who is a Maskirovka plant. Said executive officer is promptly killed by the rest of Harada's command staff - who are then slaughtered by an intervention squad of Zang Shu Ze "Chancellor's Shield" agents...
By the time the Old Guard lands, the 2nd Confederation Defence Force has managed to destroy most of the various Maskirovka formations and safe houses on the planet, but only at the cost of half their remaining strength. They are almost pathetically grateful to surrender to the Old Guard and accept the offer of being merged into Lockhardt's Ironsides new mercenary formation. Which includes being dispatched far from any Liao reprisals.
Cordiagr
The Home Guard of Cordiagr had never thought they would be called to front line service, and when they were called up to resist the hated Davion invaders fully a third of them didn't turn up. As the 3rd FedSun's Dragoons RCT burned in planet another third promptly deserted rather than face a full Davion RCT. When the 3rd landed on the 24th of February the remaining few Home Guard troops melted away or surrendered.
Bandora
The 12th Vegan Ranger's Gamma regiment, until now held in reserve was rushed through to the front and dispatched to take the world of Bandora along with 2 full conventional infantry brigades from the AFFS. The Home Guard formations that are all that the planet has to defend itself with do their best to resist the invaders, but the Ranger's Gamma regiment, newly reinforced with a full company of factory fresh Shadow Hawk's soon routs them and secures the key locations on planet while the infantry brigades fan out to secure the secondary locations and hunt down the few holdouts.
Overton
While the Vegan Ranger's Gamma regiment is securing the world of Bandora, their sister regiment is landing on the world of Overton. The rebuilding Delta regiment lacks the skill of their sister regiments who have already been deployed and still only numbers roughly 2 battalions of battlemechs but is backed up by a veteran conventional armour brigade and 3 brigades of infantry. Facing off against a poorly equipped Home Guard the Delta's inexperience leads to a few initial losses but the result is never in doubt. By the end of February the Overton Home Guard have surrendered on good terms due to their initial small victories.
Bithinia
The local Home Guard are bolstered by the security forces of the Bithinia Ballistics company. This allows them to field a short battalion of battlemech's - most of them equipped with excellent autocannons. Usually this world would have a unit of the regular CCAF to bolster the defences, but the CCAF is collapsing on all fronts and the world is left to it's own defences. The 3rd Ceti Hussars RCT is almost unopposed on the burn in and when it lands finds the Home Guard preparing to defend the city and the huge industrial complexes of Bithinia Ballistics in a series of hastily built fortifications.
As the Ceti Hussar's approach the defensive works the turrets and troops of Bithinia Ballistics turn their guns on roughly half the Home Guard troops - joined in their betrayal by the remaining half of the Home Guard. The executives of the company have no desire to see their factory gutted in the crossfires and have given orders to their own security forces and "friends" in the Home Guard to ensure this doesn't happen.
With a sour taste in their mouth at the aid from the treacherous company and it's minions the 3rd Ceti Hussars take control of the planet. Making a point to disarm the remaining "defenders". Just in case.
Propus
The 1st Capellan Dragoons arrived in orbit of Propus just in time to take the worlds surrender. Less than half the Home Guard were still at their posts and 7 out of the 8 formations that were approaching combat ready strength had announced their intent to surrender when the planetary Duke bowed to reality and surrendered. The Dragoons would spend the next 2 months hunting down the handful of Liao loyalists who had attempted to continue the fight.
Masterson
The 4th Davion Guards RCT didn't expect much of a fight from the Masterson Home Guard formations. They weren't wrong. After a half hour "battle" to resist the Davion Guard's landing's the few Home Guard formations in the field lay down their arms and surrendered.
Purvo
The half strength 9th Sian Dragoons had seemingly been forgot about on the increasingly isolated world of Purvo. This (in the circumstances) fortunate state of affairs came to an end on the 11th February when the mercenary Hansen's Roughriders accompanied the 1st Crucis Lancers RCT to take the system for House Davion. Releasing the Roughrider's to do what they did best - namely hunt down and destroy the enemy forces, the 1st Crucis Lancers swiftly began securing the planet while backing up the mercenary's hunt for the 9th Dragoons in the wilderness in which they had scattered into. This attempt to pursue a guerrilla warfare strategy would ensure that the 9th wasn't immedietly wiped out, but the green unit would slowly be hunted down and either forced to surrender or be destroyed throughout February and March.
Sendalor
St Cyr's Armoured Hussar's 2 battalions of green troops had watched as the CCAF and indeed the Confederation collapsed around them with a growing sense of fatalism. As far as their troops were concerned it was only a matter of time before the Davion's came for them and when they did they knew they stood little chance of repulsing any proper invasion. So it was with a sense of doom that they recieved the news that 2 regiments of the Blue Star Irregular's and a single corvette had jumped into the system and was making their way towards Sendalor.
While the 1894th Light Horse and the 21st Rim Worlds regiments had already seen fighting during Operation Rat III they were combined still able to put between them 5 battalions and 2 command companies of elite or veteran mechwarrior's into the field, in stark contrast to the slightly under strength 2 battalions of green troops that the defender could muster. While the Armoured Hussar's were also able to call upon the support of a large and relatively well equipped force of Home Guard conventional units these were more than matched by the 3 mixed brigades of conventional AFFS troops that New Avalon had attached to them. Which left out the sheer intimidation factor of the Fredessa class corvette which was supporting the Blue Star Irregulars.
St Cyr's Armoured Hussars attempted as best they could to fight a conventional defensive campaign against the Irregulars, trading space for time, fighting delaying engagements before falling back slowly. In the end too slowly. The 21st Rim World's managed to hook a fast battalion of cavalry mech's around their flank during one of these retreats, pinning the Armoured Hussar's 2nd battalion in place for the assault of the rest of the 21st. When the 1st battalion of the Hussar's attempted to come to their companion's aid the 1894th swiftly took advantage of this and surrounded them. After a few more hours fighting the few survivors of the Armoured Hussar's were all prisoners of the Blue Star Irregulars. However their "clean" fighting resulted in the Irregulars treating their prisoners well and indeed at the end of the war absorbing nearly a company's worth of them into their own ranks.
With the destruction of the CCAF regular forces on the planet the Home Guard units which remained soon either disbanded or surrendered.
Housekarle
The Sirdar CMM arrived in the Housekarle system and was promptly contacted by the local authorities to offer their surrender. Having taken one look at the ramshackle nature of the Home Guard forces on the planet the the planetary Duke had realised that any attempt to resist the invaders was doomed to failure, even against a second line formation like the Sirdar CMM. Even if by a miracle they were able to hold out the only end result would be further fighting as the AFFS sent additional troops. Better to avoid the destruction altogether.
Summary
With 11 worlds secured for House Davion and Capella under siege Operation Rat III's Fourth Wave was considered a resounding success for the AFFS. Combined with the total destruction of the Liao Commonality (with the exception of Sarna itself which was under heavy siege) the High Command was extremely satisfied with how the war was going. However cracks were beginning to develop. While Sian was now almost within reach of the victorious AFFS formations, more and more issues were developing with supporting the offensive. Jumpships were beginning to require maintenance. Conventional brigades were tied down in occupation duties and unable to continue to press on, while newly raised formations were struggling to reach the front. Replacement personnel and equipment were beginning to lag behind the front lines advance. So far things were going well, but even with the pause in December and heroic efforts to extend the supply lines to meet the needs of the front things were beginning to fray. Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion was forced to inform the First Prince during February that if he intended to conquer Sian itself then either it must be done soon or a break called in offensive operations to prepare for a final push on to Sian... A break that might require at least 3 months of buildup before offensive operations could resume at the level they were currently at.
