Operation CERBERUS
Sarna News
| Operation CERBERUS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Dark Age | |||||||
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| Factions | |||||||
| Federated Suns | Capellan Confederation | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| First Prince Julian Davion | Chancellor Daoshen Liao | ||||||
| Forces involved | |||||||
| Armed Forces of the Federated Suns | Capellan Confederation Armed Forces | ||||||
Operation CERBERUS was a campaign mounted by the Federated Suns with the goal of reclaiming New Syrtis and other Capellan March worlds which had recently fallen to the Capellan Confederation. Launched in late 3147, the operation ended successfully for the AFFS with its primary objectives achieved.
Contents
Background
From late 3144 until May 3146 the Capellan Confederation carried out Operation CELESTIAL REWARD, an all-out invasion of the Capellan March that culminated with the fall of several key Suns worlds including Demeter, Victoria, Chesterton, Tikonov and New Syrtis, the March capital itself. Beleaguered as it was by an even more devastating assault from the Draconis Combine, the AFFS was unable to stop the Capellan advance until mid-3146. At that point the expected attack on Kathil was prevented thanks to Task Force Navarre, whose raids behind the Capellan front lines caused Chancellor Daoshen Liao to redirect the CCAF's attention towards his coreward border.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Although his subsequent victory at Marlette finally ended the Capellan invasion with a ceasefire, Julian Davion then found himself officially taking control of a realm in a very precarious state. With New Avalon and Robinson both occupied by the Combine, and New Syrtis under Capellan rule, Davion needed to give his military and people a major victory to begin reversing his nation's ill fortunes. Deciding for the moment to have Operation PERCEVAL chip away at the Combine-occupied regions with raids, Julian approved Operation CERBERUS, which would see the AFFS' efforts focused upon reclaiming New Syrtis and the salient of worlds leading to it.[5] [6] [7]
Operation CERBERUS
CERBERUS began in early November 3147 and was carried out by three task forces, each comprised of a mixture of AFFS and mercenary units with the latter being assembled into ad-hoc forces designated Fortune Able, Baker and Charlie.[8]
Task Force Chimera
Task Force Chimera, made up of the Dawn Guards and Fortune Able, first struck Hobson on November 2nd. Unable to engage the attackers in a stand-up fight, the defending Warrior House Kamata opted to wage guerilla warfare instead. While unable to score any decisive success against their opponents, the Kamata warriors managed to delay Chimera's units for two weeks before finally leaving the planet.
Chimera's next target was Taygeta, which was invaded on November 16. Capellan aerospace fighters crippled two of Fortune Able's DropShips, forcing the mercenaries' BattleMechs to drop all over Taygeta's primary continent. The Dawn Guard engaged the Dynasty Guard even as Warrior House Tsang Xiao hunted the mercenaries across Taygeta. In the end the Dawn Guard and remaining mercenaries managed to link up for an assault on Taygeta's capital but both Capellan units withdrew on the Chancellor's orders, ceding the planet to the Federated Suns.[9]
Task Force Orthus
Comprised of the Fifth Crucis Lancers and Fortune Baker, Task Force Orthus first attacked Beenleigh in early November. The defending Harloc Raiders used ambush tactics and aerospace strikes to whittle away at Orthus' units as they advanced on the planetary capital, until its fall led to the Raiders abandoning Beenleigh. However, as Orthus' DropShips made their way to their JumpShips, the Harloc Corsairs unexpectedly struck, destroying two Crucis Lancers' DropShips before being driven off.
On Jaipur, Orthus' next target, Lockhardt's Ironsides hammered the FedSuns landing zone as soon as they had touched down, forcing their DropShips to leave. The stranded Lancers and Fortune Baker found themselves under constant attack as they attempted to secure another landing site; when they finally did so, the Ironsides' aerospace contingent destroyed over half of Orthus' DropShips. The task force units set up a defensive position around their remaining transport and the fighting on Jaipur turned into a low-key stalemate throughout December.[10]
Task Force Hydra
New Syrtis
Aftermath
References
- ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 21-22
- ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 35
- ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 24-25, "Timeline of Events (cont.)"
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 17-18
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 22-23, "The Marlette Deception"
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 31, "Searching for the Grail"
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 39, "The Three-Headed Dog"
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 39-41
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 39-40, "Chimera"
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 40, "Orthus"