Willow Hills, 74 Kilometers east of Cord, Alrescha, 1700h Week 2a Jun, 3020Standing on the top of the turret of the Manticore heavy tank that was serving as his forward command post, Richard Bedford surveyed the ground that was spread out below him from his position on the crest of Hill 352.6 on the western edges of the Willow Hills. The two reconnaissance forces, still skirmishing, had slowly drifted off to the east and south, the flashes of explosions and tracer marking the flight of high velocity shot showing more clearly in the early evening as the sun sank to the west. The 4th Dragoons were doing their best to manoeuvre the enemy light and medium armour away from the brigade’s main line but the enemy commander was too savvy to take the bait entirely. To the southwest what appeared to be most of a battalion of medium tanks was still close enough to warrant a wary eye be kept in that direction.
Immediately below his position at perhaps two or three kilometers to the west the Techs of Task Force 1.2 and 1.3 had darted down from the hills with recovery vehicles to see what kit might be salvaged. The enemy was near, and drawing nearer with each minute, so time was at a premium. Under the watchful eyes of the two forward task forces the vehicles darted from one apparent wreck to the next where a quick evaluation was done. If the senior Tech in the crew thought the vehicle might be saved they quickly dismounted to hook up the vehicle and start dragging it away.
The real concern was the approach of the enemy Mechs off in the distance. It was clear they were deploying into tactical formations and they gave every impression of preparing to advance. The brigade’s four spotter aircraft were keeping an eye on the enemy preparations noting large numbers of armoured personnel carriers and their supporting light and medium armour. The Hi-Scout Drones carriers attached to the headquarters of task forces 1.2 and 1.3 had also been deployed and were moving forward to gather more information. A rough count suggested roughly a regiment or more of mechanised infantry supporting two battalions of Mechs, mostly medium or heavy. The UAVs had to be careful, the Davion invasion force had not yet won air superiority which kept the spotter aircraft at lower altitudes. The low altitude came with its own dangers. If the light craft got too close to the enemy formation they risked being shot from the skies by ground fire.
Zooming in with the powerful electronic binoculars Richard Bedford half hoped the enemy would delay the attack until morning. This would allow the main body of the 8th Crucis Lancers to catch up with the 1st Mechanised Brigade and Davion 2/8th Mechanised Infantry Regiment. As soon as became clear that Banfield was not going fall on schedule Bedford called a quick conference with his Davion counterpart and advised that they move west into the only good defensible ground in the region, the Willow Hills. Colonel Dupuis of the Two-Eight dithered at first but agreed once he realised the move west would give his own infantry better ground to fight in than the open steppes they occupied just a few kilometers west of the dropship landing zones.
The two formations moved west and occupied the hills earlier that afternoon. The brigade had deployed Task Force 1.2 and 1.3 farthest to the west on the very western edge of the hills. Task Force 1.1 and the brigade’s command company stood in reserve, hidden in the low ground behind the second range of hills just three kilometers behind the other two battalions. The Davion mechanised regiment was echeloned to the rear with its first battalion immediately behind the right flank of Task Force 1.3, its second and third battalions, one each of infantry and armour, were further back and to the north. Another 30 kilometers to the rear was the main body of the Crucis Lancers minus the infantry left to mop up Banfield and secure the attack forces’ rear. To the north Swann’s Cavaliers Mechs and tanks were trying to run the mobile elements of the New Hessen mercenary command to ground or at least stop them from linking up with the main Capellan force now deploying before him.
Colonel Bedford’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of outgoing artillery passing overhead. Raising the binioculars again he could see the enemy was advancing, the tall Mechs standing out against the background, often towering over small stands of light woods and brush that obscured the approach of the ground vehicles. From the direction of the advance it soon became clear that John de Scalles’ 17th Lancers would take the brunt of the enemy assault. The headphones in his helmet spoke.
“Kilo Six, this is November Two-Alpha. Enemy Mechs and armour are moving east, course zero-eight-zero. No sign of additional support or artillery. Estimate two battalions of Bravo-Mike, one heavy on the left, one medium on the right, three to four battalions of mechanised infantry with tanks in support, over.”
A quick acknowledgement by Captain John Hardyng, the Brigades intelligence platoon commander, closed out the conversation on the radio net and Bedford noted that the tech teams were abandoning the efforts to drag off any more derelicts. Mounting their vehicles they withdrew as fast as they could now that they were warned the enemy was headed their way.
*****
Colonel Bailey’s orders to his lead regiments were simple. They were going to attack the hills to their front and destroy the mixed force of Mechs and tanks before the enemy had an opportunity to concentrate their forces. What air reconnaissance he had told him that the enemy was broken into three sections. The first section was here to his front, estimated at two battalions of mixed forces, probably mercenary, deployed in the hills. They had some infantry support a few kilometers to their east, echeloned to their right, likely motorised or mechanised infantry with the usual tank support. The next enemy column was nearly 25 kilometers to the east, moving cross country and would likely arrive in the hills shortly before nightfall. Bailey’s attack was to ensure his own forces were already in the hills by then. The third enemy column was another 35 kilometers to the north and east, pursuing the New Hessen mercenary’s Mechs and armour that had been ordered to withdraw from Banfield once it became clear the town would fall.
His own forward regiment of light and medium tanks had not been able penetrate the enemy’s screen and its second battalion had been badly hurt by artillery. It was withdrawn to an observation positions where they could form a reserve for the other two battalions of the regiment. The remaining two battalions were still engaged to the south, chasing the enemy’s light scout forces. With him he had two full regiments, the Armoured Scouts and his mechanised infantry. He would hurl four of his six battalions, including his heavy Mechs, at the enemy wing to his left and drive in their line to separate them from the forces advancing from the east. Their comrade’s to the south would be pinned by his medium battalion supported by one more of mechanised infantry. The medium Mechs and their consirts would then screen the flank of his main attack as it advanced into the hills.
Twenty kilometers to his west the medium and heavy armour of the 1st and 2nd Armoured Regiments were moving forward and would arrive before sunset. They would deploy to his left and drive into the hills further north. Ten kilometers behind the armour were the two regiments of motorised infantry and two tank battalions belonging to the planetary defence brigade, which he would use as a reserve. The last column consisted of his two artillery battalions and the 1st and 2nd Motorised Infantry Regiments. The guns were slow and had actually left Cord before the local defence brigade. They were not expected to be in firing positions until well after darkness had fallen but would be deployed in depth behind the main line of defence.
That was in future. The business at hand was to attack the force to his front. As he pushed the throttle forward and propelled his Catapult into motion he saw his troops were already moving forward. The Mech battalions were on the left and right, the regiment’s own mechanised infantry in the centre. The second wave consisted of the supporting mounted infantry and armour of the 1st Mechanised Infantry Regiment. The attack formations were compact and they would hit the enemy on a narrow front. It was promising to be a bloody evening.
*****
The Capellans advanced into the low ground in front of the 1st Mechanised Brigade and were immediately taken under long range fire. The medium Mech battalion on the right, supported by a mechanised infantry battalion, deployed into a skirmish line and faced the right end of the line held by Task Force 1.2. The infantry deployed in two large stands of light and heavy woods behind the Mech and tanks, their carriers taking what cover they could but staying close to their charges.
On the left and centre the heavy and assault Mechs supported by one infantry battalion and closely followed by two more, attacked directly into the line held by Task Force 1.3. Facing three full Mech companies as well as the tank companies from three mechanised infantry regiments, Task Force 1.3 soon began to take casualties. The slower heavy and assault Mechs, not being able to keep up with the tanks and armoured carriers, kept up a steady stream of fire onto the heights. The tanks and Mechs of Task Force 1.3 scored numerous hits on the approaching tanks, being the more immediate threat, but as the lead enemy assault troops reached the lower slopes of the hills the mercenaries gave way and retreated from the heights. Their own infantry, abandoning individual slit trenches and fox holes, boarded their APCs and Task Force 1.3 retired down the back slope of the hills and dashed across the narrow valley to a lower range of hills to the east.
To the front of Task Force 1.2 the enemy skirmish line was beginning to hurt the right wing despite the range. The enemy’s skirmish line began to slip eastward into a gap between the mercenary battalions as Task Force 1.3 withdrew. The Brigade’s artillery delivered a punishing blow to one company of Capellan Mechs but were unable to adjust their fire to stay on the target as it repositioned itself. With nearly half his command unengaged Lieutenant-Colonel John Falstof advanced his left wing in a wheel to the right in order to bring more firepower to bear on the enemy skirmish line. Soon he had his entire battalion engaged with the enemy along with Colonel Bedford’s command company lending support from the heights.
*****
The enemy, sensing victory on the left, came up the slopes at speed, the heavy Mechs, struggling to match the pace, slowly fell further behind. As the Capellan tanks crested the hills they took up firing positions and continued to engage Task Force 1.3’s combat teams now deploying below them on the lower hills to the east. The infantry carriers pushed on down the slopes, those with LRM’s pausing briefly to loose a salvo before pressing on behind their counterparts with machine guns or SRMs. The tanks and Mechs of Task Force 1.3 let loose with everything they had while artillery rounds began dropping among the enemy tanks and leading Mechs. At that moment the first battalion of the Davion 2/8th Mechanised Regiment arrived behind Task Force 1.3, deploying its infantry in the heavy woods between the second range and third of hills. The medium tanks remained on the third range of hills using the light woods as cover, they took the advancing Capellans under fire.
As the heavy Capellan Mechs crested the hills to their front their assault Mechs tried to skirt the slopes and speed their arrival into the valley to the front. At the same time the tanks advanced down the slopes and pressed Lieutenant-Colonel’s de Scalles command severely. With losses mounting on both sides the Capellans drove their assault onto the second range of hills until the Capellan infantry were dismounting and their carriers were in range to engage with machine guns and SRMs. Task Force 1.3 pulled back again less than a kilometer to the third range of hills where they turned once again to engage their tormentors.
Piloting his Marauder 3L, Thomas de Scalles keyed his microphone to the command channel.
“Sunray this is Tango Three-Nine. Losses mounting, Richard. Have pulled back to position three. Request everything Golf-Nine has on Position Two. Over.”
Hearing the concern in the voice of Thomas de Scalles, Richard Bedford knew it meant his men and women in the 17th Lancers were suffering. Despite this he knew he needed to draw the enemy deeper into the hills before he could launch his own counterattack. For this he needed more time.
“Tango Three-Nine, understood. Continue the operation. Tango Two is moving to support. Out”
Flipping the radio’s selector switch to the command net for the 11th Hussars he give a quick order, “Two-Nine, Sunray. Push it hard John, the Lancers are getting hurt. I need you to pin their screen and start working around their western flank, over.”
“Sunray, Two-Nine, understood. Moving now, out.”
With the order received and understanding his comrades were under heavy pressure John Falstolf ordered his entire line to advance against the enemy skirmish line and its supporting infantry and tanks. While his own command was being hurt against the more numerous Capellan Mechs the overall numbers favoured Task Force 1.2 and it was now time to make use of that advantage. As his Mechs and armour advanced they began to score repeatedly and the enemy screen began to bow in the centre. The enemy’s supporting infantry and tanks were being driven west and north while the Mechs were pressed northeast. If he could split their line the Hussars could get behind the enemy advance and retake the hills behind them.
*****
The Capellan tanks had broken through. As the Lancers began to fall back once again, this time to a long hill with steep slopes that ran northeast to southwest, two companies of Capellan medium tanks dashed forward and succeeded in cutting off Combat Team 3.1 from the rest of the task force. If the enemy tanks had been more numerous or heavier models this breakthrough may have been the decisive moment of the battle, however, the daring push turned out to be more of a problem for the Capellans than the Lancers and their supporting Davion troops. Combat Team 3.1 was ably supported by the Davion infantry and tanks on the northern extension of the third range of hills. As the Davion infantry and APCs brought the advancing Cappellan infantry under heavy fire the Davion tanks and Combat Team 3.1 poured their fire into the Capellan tanks from the north. To their south the other two combat teams and the Task Force command lance turned their guns and lasers on the now pocketed Capellan armour. It was only the speed of the tanks and their quick decision to get out of the kill zone that saved them from crippling losses. Even so an number of burning wrecks or crippled vehicles remained in the valley.
With retreat of the Capellan armour the battle’s intensity seemed to fade as if both sides needed to pause to draw a breath. It was then that Richard Bedford gave the order that changed the tide of the battle. The Capellan attack was now the better part of three kilometers into the mercenary lines and its organisation had become disrupted by the terrain, the Capellan formations had become strung out. The attacking heavy Mechs were still on the heights of the first hills while their assault Mechs were in the valley between the first and second range. The Capellan tanks had suffered heavily for their aggressiveness and the infantry companies were either under fire from the Davion troops to the north or spread out between the second and third ranges. The 1st Horse Artillery was getting the range and more and more shells were landing with accuracy among the Capellan formations.
Observing all of this from a high peak nearly three kilometers to the south and with light failing rapidly now that the sun was below the horizon, Richard Bedford gave the order to Task Force 1.1.
Tango One-nine, this is Sunray. Execute. Hit them hard, John, over.”
"Sunray, Tango One-nine. Understood and with pleasure. Moving now, out.”
Lieutenant-Colonel John Talbot was an infantryman but no one could question is command abilities. He knew and understood the need for combined arms training and willing took the Mech training offered within the brigade. For this battle he mounted the Ostroc 2D that was kept ready for him in the battalion command lance. Feeling perfectly at home in his MCV with maps and radios or in a prepared position with his “children”, this time he would pilot a Mech into battle with a relish. Keying his radio over his command net to his combat teams and sub units he gave the order.
“Tango One, all call signs. Advance bearing 310 degrees. Engage and destroy all targets of opportunity. Move now, out.”
With that the 1st Rifles, Task Force 1.1, the 1st Mechanised Brigade’s heaviest battalion, strode and rolled forward from their hidden positions on the right rear or the Capellan advance. As they crested the rise of the first hill to their front in the gathering gloom the colonel gave the order and as one every Mech and vehicle turned on their searchlights and lit up the low ground below them.
*****
Battle of the Willow Hills Alrescha 10th Brigade -MacGregor’s Armoured Scouts [r] – 1st Battalion (BM): r14; Mv: 5; TM: 4; Arm –
10:34; S: 7; M: 7; L: 5
unsteady 2nd Battalion (BM); r13; Mv: 4; TM: 2; Arm -
38:42; S: 9; M: 10; L: 8
3rd Battalion (CVI); r14; Mv: 6; TM: 2; Arm -
16:21; S: 8; M: 5; L: 1 – Spec: CAR28, IT35
MacGregor’s 1st Mechanised Infantry Regiment [r] – 1st Battalion (CVI): r14; Mv: 6; TM: 2; Arm –
12:21; S: 8; M: 5; L: 1 – Spec: CAR28, IT35
shaken 2nd Battalion (CVI): r14; Mv: 6; TM: 2; Arm –
19:21; S: 8; M: 5; L: 1 - Spec: CAR28, IT35
3rd Battalion (CVI): r14; Mv: 6; TM: 2; Arm –
18:21; S: 8; M: 5; L: 1 – Spec: CAR28, IT35
ACS Formation Stats – Move: 4; Tac: 6; Mor: 7; Skill: 4 – Spec: CAR112, IT140Davion 8th Brigade (-) -1st Mechanised Brigade (+) [r] – Task Force 1.1 (mix); r19; Mv: 5; TM: 3; Arm -
54:55; S: 18; M: 18; L: 13[9]– Spec: CAR19, (IF4), IT19
Task Force 1.2 (mix); r18; Mv:5; TM: 3; Arm -
38:44; S: 13; M: 12; L: 12[8] – Spec: CAR16, (IF4), IT18
Task Force 1.3 (mix); r18; Mv:5; TM: 3; Arm -
39:46; S: 12; M: 13; L: 9[6] – Spec: CAR16, (IF4), IT17
1st Battalion [2/8th Mech Inf] (mix); r19; Mv: 6; TM: 2; Arm -
12:21; S: 8; M: 5; L: 1 – Spec: CAR28, IT35
shakenACS Formation Stats – Move: 5; Tac: 3; Mor: 7; Skill: 4 – Spec: CAR79, MHQ2, IT89
1st Mechanised Brigade Artillery Command (-) [r] – 1st Horse Artillery (CV): r17; Mv: 3; TM: 1; Arm – 20; S: 3; M: 1; L: 0 – Spec: ART-LT8, ART-S4, CAR2, IT2, MHQ2
ACS Formation Stats – Move: 3; Tac: 5; Mor: 7; Skill: 4 – Spec: ART-LT8, ART-S4, CAR2, IT2, MHQ2
<<Note: this brawl was actually fought using Advanced SBF so the formation stats are a bit misleading. In the actual battle the six battalions would been deployed in SBF Formations of 3-4 lances/platoons.>>