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	Hanse Davion had wanted to launch an attack against the Combine much sooner after the conclusion of the Fourth Succession War, but events in the Inner Sphere necessitated its delay.  The FedCom alliance was still new and politically unstable, with secessionists in both realms agitating against the new order.  Furthermore, ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita had created a neutral buffer state along two thirds of his realm's border with the Steiner realm by granting rebellious border worlds their freedom and allowing the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] (FRR) to form. On the sidelines, this had forced House Steiner to also commit numerous contested worlds on their side of the border to the new state, thus nullifying their gains in the previous war.  The creation of the FRR also caused many Lyrans in the [[Skye March]] to agitate for their independence, requiring leadership in both realms to focus efforts on calming tensions.<ref name=20YU-30>''20 Year Update'', p. 30</ref>		Hanse Davion had wanted to launch an attack against the Combine much sooner after the conclusion of the Fourth Succession War, but events in the Inner Sphere necessitated its delay.  The FedCom alliance was still new and politically unstable, with secessionists in both realms agitating against the new order.  Furthermore, ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita had created a neutral buffer state along two thirds of his realm's border with the Steiner realm by granting rebellious border worlds their freedom and allowing the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] (FRR) to form. On the sidelines, this had forced House Steiner to also commit numerous contested worlds on their side of the border to the new state, thus nullifying their gains in the previous war.  The creation of the FRR also caused many Lyrans in the [[Skye March]] to agitate for their independence, requiring leadership in both realms to focus efforts on calming tensions.<ref name=20YU-30>''20 Year Update'', p. 30</ref>
−	The Combine had also realized such an attack to be a logical consequence of the Fourth Succession War, and ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita had been preparing for it for the past years.  Theodore worked hard to broker an alliance with [[ComStar]], which was not in favor of seeing the Inner Sphere united under the banner of the FedCom alliance, and with the ''[[yakuza]]'' clans which operated within Combine space.  The [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] was able to recuperate from the Fourth Succession War and the [[Ronin War]] much faster than anyone had anticipated, owing in part to a technological renaissance brought about by the [[Helm Memory Core]] and an [[Operation Rosebud|alliance]] with ComStar. New [[BattleMech]] designs such as the ''[[Hatamoto-Chi]]'', the ''[[Daboku]]'' and the CGR-1A9 ''[[Charger]]'' variant had been created in preparation for the expected attack.  ComStar supplied the DCMS with ancient [[Star League]] 'Mech designs from their own stocks as an incentive, including (by error or by design) [[lostech]] equipment that had not been seen in the Inner Sphere for decades, if not centuries.<ref name=20YU-31/>	+	The Combine had also realized such an attack to be a logical consequence of the Fourth Succession War, and ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita had been preparing for it for the past years.  Theodore worked hard to broker an alliance with [[ComStar]], which was not in favor of seeing the Inner Sphere united under the banner of the FedCom alliance, and with the ''[[yakuza]]'' clans which operated within Combine space.  The [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] was able to recuperate from the Fourth Succession War and the [[Ronin War]] much faster than anyone had anticipated, owing in part to a technological renaissance brought about by the [[Helm Memory Core]] and an [[Operation Rosebud|alliance]] with ComStar. New [[BattleMech]] designs such as the ''[[Hatamoto-Chi]]'', the ''[[Daboku]]'' and the ''CGR-1A9 [[Charger]]'' variant had been created in preparation for the expected attack.  ComStar supplied the DCMS with ancient [[Star League]] 'Mech designs from their own stocks as an incentive, including (by error or by design) [[lostech]] equipment that had not been seen in the Inner Sphere for decades, if not centuries.<ref name=20YU-31/>
	While not fully aware of the extent of cooperation between the Combine and ComStar, FedCom leadership was increasingly cognizant that the secretive organization was taking sides against them, from the communications blackouts it instituted during the Fourth Succession War to their suspected role in the attack on the [[New Avalon Institute of Science]] in [[3029]].  When it became clear that the Combine was receiving intelligence only ComStar could have provided them, Hanse Davion instituted [[Operation Flush]], sparking a shadow war between ComStar's [[ROM]] and both the [[Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations]] and the [[Lyran Intelligence Corps]].  This "distraction" would ultimately eat up significant resources which could have been used for the coming conflict and contributed to the war's outcome.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 10</ref><ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 66</ref>  It also increasingly forced them to rely on the [[Black Box]] network created during the Fourth Succession War to circumvent ComStar's monopoly on interstellar communication, a network which had been compromised when the Combine captured several examples and used them to listen in on "secure" communications.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 68</ref>		While not fully aware of the extent of cooperation between the Combine and ComStar, FedCom leadership was increasingly cognizant that the secretive organization was taking sides against them, from the communications blackouts it instituted during the Fourth Succession War to their suspected role in the attack on the [[New Avalon Institute of Science]] in [[3029]].  When it became clear that the Combine was receiving intelligence only ComStar could have provided them, Hanse Davion instituted [[Operation Flush]], sparking a shadow war between ComStar's [[ROM]] and both the [[Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations]] and the [[Lyran Intelligence Corps]].  This "distraction" would ultimately eat up significant resources which could have been used for the coming conflict and contributed to the war's outcome.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 10</ref><ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 66</ref>  It also increasingly forced them to rely on the [[Black Box]] network created during the Fourth Succession War to circumvent ComStar's monopoly on interstellar communication, a network which had been compromised when the Combine captured several examples and used them to listen in on "secure" communications.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 68</ref>
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	The second wave of the invasion was to build on the successes of the first: consolidate forces on worlds already taken, capture worlds bypassed in the initial attacks, and further tighten the noose around key targets like Dieron.<ref name=HW39-69>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 69</ref>  High command sent the "go" order on 3 July via the [[Black Box]] network, which due to interstellar lag reached every unit before or around 12 July.<ref name=HW39-108>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 108</ref>  Before it could truly begin however, Theodore Kurita launched his counterassault.  Perhaps the most daring was an attack by special forces on the headquarters of the Commonwealth Theater, decapitating the command structure, but many recently conquered worlds became the target of DCMS offenses and [[ISF]]-inspired uprisings, causing operations in other theaters to come to a halt.<ref name=HW39-69/>  The scale of the counterattack, consisting of many heretofore unknown 'Mech forces, was only further upstaged when the Combine launched its own counterinvasion into the Federated Commonwealth.  While the allied high commands had seemingly planned for any eventuality, the situation which was unfolding took them completely by surprise.<ref name=HW39-111>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 111</ref>		The second wave of the invasion was to build on the successes of the first: consolidate forces on worlds already taken, capture worlds bypassed in the initial attacks, and further tighten the noose around key targets like Dieron.<ref name=HW39-69>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 69</ref>  High command sent the "go" order on 3 July via the [[Black Box]] network, which due to interstellar lag reached every unit before or around 12 July.<ref name=HW39-108>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 108</ref>  Before it could truly begin however, Theodore Kurita launched his counterassault.  Perhaps the most daring was an attack by special forces on the headquarters of the Commonwealth Theater, decapitating the command structure, but many recently conquered worlds became the target of DCMS offenses and [[ISF]]-inspired uprisings, causing operations in other theaters to come to a halt.<ref name=HW39-69/>  The scale of the counterattack, consisting of many heretofore unknown 'Mech forces, was only further upstaged when the Combine launched its own counterinvasion into the Federated Commonwealth.  While the allied high commands had seemingly planned for any eventuality, the situation which was unfolding took them completely by surprise.<ref name=HW39-111>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 111</ref>
−	The loss of initiative was compounded by Hanse Davion's indecisiveness in the face of the counterassault and the Combine's seemingly endless reserves.<ref name=HW39-69/>  Two weeks after the "go" order had been given, New Avalon sent out a counterorder via [[HPG]] to the theater commanders to halt all operations and for all combat units to remain in place, with additional delays as this order was retransmitted via black box.  Several units, having already arrived at their target systems, were forced to stand by and wait as they watched the enemy build up their defenses, much to the chagrin of their commanding officers.<ref name=HW39-108/>  Eventually, with conflicting intelligence reports and uncertainty as to the nature of the enemy's disposition, Hanse Davion issued the recall order on 5 October, directing all units to withdraw from the Draconis Combine and return to FedCom territory.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 100</ref>	+	The loss of initiative was compounded by Hanse Davion's indecisiveness in the face of the counterassault and the Combine's seemingly endless reserves.<ref name=HW39-69/>  Two weeks after the "go" order had been given, New Avalon sent out a counterorder via [[HPG]] to the theater commanders to halt all operations and for all combat units to remain in place, with additional delays as this order was retransmitted via black box.  Several units, having already arrived at their target systems, were forced to stand by and wait as they watched the enemy build up their defenses, much to the chagrin of their commanding officers.<ref name=HW39-108/>  Eventually, with conflicting intelligence reports and uncertainty as to the nature of the enemy's disposition, Hanse Davion issued the recall order on 5 October, directing all units to withdraw from the Draconis Combine and return back to FedCom territory.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 100</ref>
	Only after the recall went out was it realized that Theodore Kurita had been bluffing the entire time: even with the addition of the new units the DCMS was spread thin defending its territory and its soldiers sold their lives dearly, while the "counterinvasion" was in truth a series of hit-and-run attacks designed to look like full-scale assaults.  It was too late to reverse course however, and the chance for the Draconis Combine to be destroyed was lost, though it would take several more months for the situation to be resolved.<ref name=HW39-69/><ref name=HW39-111/>		Only after the recall went out was it realized that Theodore Kurita had been bluffing the entire time: even with the addition of the new units the DCMS was spread thin defending its territory and its soldiers sold their lives dearly, while the "counterinvasion" was in truth a series of hit-and-run attacks designed to look like full-scale assaults.  It was too late to reverse course however, and the chance for the Draconis Combine to be destroyed was lost, though it would take several more months for the situation to be resolved.<ref name=HW39-69/><ref name=HW39-111/>

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{{InfoBoxConflict | conflict = | partof = | image = | caption = | date = [[Start date::16 April 3039]]<ref name=HWo39-26/> | enddate = [[End date::19 January 3040]]<ref name=HW39-130/> | place = | planet = | result = <br> * Minor territorial changes * House Steiner-Davion fails to cripple Draconis Combine | territory = | faction1 = (Attacker)<br/>[[Federated Suns]]<br>[[Lyran Commonwealth]] | faction2 = (Defender)<br/>[[Draconis Combine]] | faction3 = | commander1 = <br> * [[First Prince of the Federated Suns|First Prince]] [[Hanse Davion]] * [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]] [[Melissa Steiner-Davion]] * [[General of the Armies]] [[Nondi Steiner]] * [[Marshal of the Armies]] [[Ran Felsner]] | commander2 = <br> * [[Coordinator of the Draconis Combine|Coordinator]] [[Takashi Kurita]] * [[Gunji-no-Kanrei]] [[Theodore Kurita]] | commander3 = | forces1 = <br> * [[Armed Forces of the Federated Suns]] * [[Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces]] | forces2 = <br/>[[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] | forces3 = | environment = | conditions = }} The '''War of 3039''' was a major invasion of the [[Draconis Combine]] by the nascent [[Federated Commonwealth]], an alliance between the [[Federated Suns]] and [[Lyran Commonwealth]]. Born in the [[Fourth Succession War]], the alliance between House Davion and House Steiner had delivered a shattering blow to the [[Capellan Confederation]], and [[First Prince]] [[Hanse Davion]] wanted to duplicate this success against the Combine. However when the war began in early [[3039]] the allied forces did not achieve the success they were hoping for, thanks in part to stiffer-than-expected resistance and a daring counterattack launched by ''[[Gunji-no-Kanrei]]'' [[Theodore Kurita (31st c.)|Theodore Kurita]]. By the end of the year, both sides had gained little from the conflict and peace negotiations brought an end to war, though its repercussions would continue to be felt in the years afterwards. ==Background== Hanse Davion had wanted to launch an attack against the Combine much sooner after the conclusion of the Fourth Succession War, but events in the Inner Sphere necessitated its delay. The FedCom alliance was still new and politically unstable, with secessionists in both realms agitating against the new order. Furthermore, ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita had created a neutral buffer state along two thirds of his realm's border with the Steiner realm by granting rebellious border worlds their freedom and allowing the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] (FRR) to form. On the sidelines, this had forced House Steiner to also commit numerous contested worlds on their side of the border to the new state, thus nullifying their gains in the previous war. The creation of the FRR also caused many Lyrans in the [[Skye March]] to agitate for their independence, requiring leadership in both realms to focus efforts on calming tensions.<ref name=20YU-30>''20 Year Update'', p. 30</ref> The Combine had also realized such an attack to be a logical consequence of the Fourth Succession War, and ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita had been preparing for it for the past years. Theodore worked hard to broker an alliance with [[ComStar]], which was not in favor of seeing the Inner Sphere united under the banner of the FedCom alliance, and with the ''[[yakuza]]'' clans which operated within Combine space. The [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] was able to recuperate from the Fourth Succession War and the [[Ronin War]] much faster than anyone had anticipated, owing in part to a technological renaissance brought about by the [[Helm Memory Core]] and an [[Operation Rosebud|alliance]] with ComStar. New [[BattleMech]] designs such as the ''[[Hatamoto-Chi]]'', the ''[[Daboku]]'' and the ''CGR-1A9 [[Charger]]'' variant had been created in preparation for the expected attack. ComStar supplied the DCMS with ancient [[Star League]] 'Mech designs from their own stocks as an incentive, including (by error or by design) [[lostech]] equipment that had not been seen in the Inner Sphere for decades, if not centuries.<ref name=20YU-31/> While not fully aware of the extent of cooperation between the Combine and ComStar, FedCom leadership was increasingly cognizant that the secretive organization was taking sides against them, from the communications blackouts it instituted during the Fourth Succession War to their suspected role in the attack on the [[New Avalon Institute of Science]] in [[3029]]. When it became clear that the Combine was receiving intelligence only ComStar could have provided them, Hanse Davion instituted [[Operation Flush]], sparking a shadow war between ComStar's [[ROM]] and both the [[Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations]] and the [[Lyran Intelligence Corps]]. This "distraction" would ultimately eat up significant resources which could have been used for the coming conflict and contributed to the war's outcome.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 10</ref><ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 66</ref> It also increasingly forced them to rely on the [[Black Box]] network created during the Fourth Succession War to circumvent ComStar's monopoly on interstellar communication, a network which had been compromised when the Combine captured several examples and used them to listen in on "secure" communications.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 68</ref> [[File:Vega (Historical, War of 3039).png|right|thumb|The Battle of Vega (3039).]] ==The War== ===Robinson Incident=== Two weeks before the start of the war, a car was stolen on [[Robinson]] with a briefcase containing detailed invasion plans. An immediate massive security lockdown of the entire planet (including the [[HPG]] going offline for unspecified technical reasons) followed. Within 24 hours the self-proclaimed "patriotic thief", whose identity was never discovered, surrendered the car to be found by the police, with a note assuring officials that the contents of the briefcase had not been copied or shared in any way.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 13</ref> :''(See also: [[Be Not Afraid of Greatness]])'' ===Wave One=== By March of 3039 all [[LCAF]] and [[AFFS]] units were in place for the coming invasion, however the leaders of the alliance still needed a ''casus belli'', if only to placate potential domestic and international protest. The justification eventually seized upon were the violent actions taken by the Combine to suppress protests on former Davion worlds it had conquered; that these protests had been instigated and supported by the alliance was a minor detail. On 15 April Prince Hanse Davion made a public proclamation against this barbaric treatment of worlds it still laid claim to and that "steps must be taken to deal with the Kurita tyranny," even as units were already in transit or had even begun their assaults. The next day, the war officially began when Steiner and Davion units made the jump into Kuritan systems.<ref name=HWo39-26>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 26</ref> Although there had been no strategic surprise in this invasion as during Fourth Succession War, a measure of tactical surprise was achieved thanks to the alliance's use of the commercial-military command circuits to secretly assemble units at their jump-off positions. Additionally, the sheer scope of the assault also caught the Kuritans off guard as eight worlds were invaded in the opening phase of the first wave, most within the [[Dieron Military District]] and targeting in particular [[An Ting]], [[New Mendham]] and [[Vega]]. Native garrison forces often melted away in the face of such serious opposition, while rivalries between frontline and militia units on worlds defended by both led to uncoordinated and ineffectual resistance. The situation worsened in late April as another sixteen worlds were attacked, again most from within the Dieron District, followed in early May when worlds of the [[Galedon Military District|Galedon]] and [[Benjamin Military District|Benjamin]] Districts were struck. By the end of the month, over thirty Combine worlds were either under the control of or in the process of being conquered by the Steiner-Davion alliance.<ref name=HWo39-26/> The DCMS commander structure was also in disarray at this point, and not just from the sheer shock of the assault and mass of fleeing civilians clogging up the shipping lanes. Cooperation was poor and conflicting orders were given by senior officers who supported either the traditionalist views of the Coordinator or the reformist views of his son. Over the next few weeks ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita did his best to blunt the invasion and regain the initiative, facing internal opposition especially in the Galedon and Benjamin Districts. In the meantime, the alliance continued to exploit this confusion by operating freely along the border and preparations were made to begin Wave Two in July.<ref name=HWo39-26/> ====Commonwealth Thrust - Operation WINTERSCHNEE==== "Operation Winter Snow" was commanded by General [[Nondi Steiner]] and given the task of isolating the Dieron District from the rest of the Combine. It would accomplish this by attacking six worlds in the first wave, including the key Prefecture capitals of Kessel and Vega, eventually linking up with the Dieron Thrust during the second wave to complete the isolation. Because it was the only thrust launched entirely from Commonwealth territory, it quickly became known as the Commonwealth Thrust. It was planned to take three months to complete the conquest of these worlds, and despite fierce resistance these timetables held, pleasing Lyran leadership and setting the stage for further victory.<ref name=HW039-28>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 28</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |15 April - mid-May |[[Alnasi]] |AFFS * [[1st Argyle Lancers|First Argyle Lancers]]<br/> LCAF * [[26th Lyran Guards|Twenty-Sixth Lyran Guards]] |Militia * [[Alnasi Militia]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 25 April,<br /> DCMS attacks continue to mid-May * FedCom units suffer <10% casualties * Low-level guerrilla activity continued into July |- |15 April - late June |[[Kessel]] |LCAF * [[2nd Donegal Guards|Second Donegal Guards]] * [[4th Skye Rangers|Fourth Skye Rangers]] * [[11th Lyran Regulars|Eleventh Lyran Regulars]] |DCMS * [[12th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre|Twelfth Sun Zhang]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed,<br /> military governorship declared 27 April * Lyran units suffer <10% casualties * Twelfth Sun Zhang suffer <40% casualties,<br /> "retreat" offworld * Low-level guerrilla activity continued<br /> into June, becomes active in July |- |16 April - 24 April |[[Alrakis]] |LCAF * [[5th Donegal Guards|Fifth Donegal Guards]] * [[23rd Arcturan Guards|Twenty-Third Arcturan Guards]] |DCMS * [[11th Legion of Vega|Eleventh Legion of Vega]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 24 April * Eleventh Legion suffer <25% casualties,<br /> retreat to [[Dromini VI]] * Twenty-Third Arcturan suffer <10% casualties |- |19 April - 26 June |[[Vega]]<br><br>[[Battle of Vega (3039)|Battle of Vega]] |AFFS * [[3rd Davion Guards|Third Davion Guards]]<br/> LCAF * [[3rd Lyran Guards|Third Lyran Guards]]<br/> Mercenary * [[Snord's Irregulars]] * [[1st Grave Walkers|First Grave Walkers]] * [[17th Recon|Seventeenth Recon]] |DCMS * [[14th Legion of Vega|Fourteenth Legion of Vega]] * [[5th Amphigean Light Assault Group|Fifth Amphigean LAG]] (2 battalions) |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 26 June * FedCom units suffer <10% casualties * Mercenary units suffer <25% casualties * Fourteenth Legion suffer <40% casualties,<br /> retreat to [[Eltanin]] * Fifth Amphigean suffers <60% casualties,<br /> retreat offworld * General Nondi Steiner establishes new HQ on 5 July |- |27 April - 13 June |[[Altais]] |LCAF * [[8th Donegal Guards|Eighth Donegal Guards]] Mercenary * [[Dragonslayers]] * [[Gray Death Legion]] |DCMS * [[1st Ghost|First Ghost]] * [[2nd Ghost|Second Ghost]] |FedCom Victory * Planetary government surrenders 15 May,<br /> Ghost resistance continues to 13 June * First Ghost effectively destroyed * Second Ghost suffer <60% casualties * Ghost regiments retreat to [[Eltanin]] * Eighth Donegal and Dragonslayers suffer <25% casualties * Gray Death suffer <40% casualties |- |28 April - mid-July |[[Konstance]] |AFFS * [[4th Crucis Lancers|Fourth Crucis Lancers]]<br/> LCAF * [[4th Lyran Regulars|Fourth Lyran Regulars]]<br/> Mercenary * [[Mobile Fire]] |DCMS * [[22nd Dieron Regulars|Twenty-Second Dieron Regulars]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 21 May * FedCom units suffer <10% casualties * Twenty-Second Dieron suffer <25% casualties,<br /> begin guerrilla campaign into July |- |} ====Dieron Thrust - Operation STURMHAMMER==== "Operation Storm Hammer", under the command of [[Field Marshal]] [[Vanessa Bisla]], was the second of two thrusts aimed to isolate the Dieron District, striking at worlds in the Al Na'ir and Ashio Prefectures before eventually linking up with the Commonwealth Thrust. While also under Lyran leadership, this 'Dieron Thrust' was instead primarily made up of mercenaries: nine regiments total combined with three regiments each from the AFFS, AFFC and LCAF. Of the nine worlds invaded only one was defended by front-line forces, thus LCAF command did not expect any serious opposition to their conquest. Instead it was important that the invaders quickly dig in for the expected counterattack, after which these worlds were expected to serve as jump-off points for follow-on invasions in the planned second and third waves.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 33</ref> While no invasion was launched against the district capital of [[Dieron]] itself, various covert operations were conducted in and around the planet in preparation for a possible assault at a later date. These included attacks by [[LIC]] agents against military command and transportation infrastructure during the months of May and June. The most serious of these took place in June when companies of Lyran Marines sought to seize control of the system's nadir and zenith point recharge stations. The first attack on 10 June, against the ''[[Olympus]]'' station at the nadir point, was only just repulsed before the marines could take the command deck. The second attack on 13 June was against the zenith-point ''[[Bastion]]'' station, and attempted to use space debris aimed at the station which would force its evacuation. This attack was only thwarted when the station's [[Helm Memory Core|Helm]]-upgraded sensors detected and destroyed the space debris. Had these attempts worked, it was expected that the [[Davion Assault Guards]], [[33rd Avalon Hussars|Thirty-Third Avalon Hussars]], [[17th Donegal Guards|Seventeenth Donegal Guards]], [[3rd Royal Guards|Third Royal Guards]] and [[Wolf's Dragoons]] would've been used to conquer the planet no later than during the third wave.<ref name=HW39-36>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 35–36</ref> With the attacks underway, ''[[Tai-shu]]'' [[Michi Noketsuna]] was ordered by the Coordinator and ''Kanrei'' Theodore to hold the district capital and its attendant worlds at all costs on 29 April. Recognizing that simply waiting for the enemy to attack would accomplish nothing, the warlord interpreted his orders such that he released his ''[[Ryuken]]'' regiments to conduct localized raids into the Terran Corridor linking the Lyran-Davion state. While not inflicting any significant damage, they succeeded in drawing some forces away from the invasion in order to counter them. Noketsuna also activated contingency plans for ISF-backed guerrilla movements to resist the occupation forces and oversaw actions to limit the enemy's covert intelligence operations.<ref name=HW39-36/><ref name=HW39-78>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 78</ref> Some of these covert actions included attempts to infiltrate Field Marshal Bisla's headquarters on [[Caph]], which also served as the primary supply depot for the thrust. However, the headquarters' physical isolation and the population's anti-Combine attitudes severely limited the effectiveness of these operations.<ref name=HW39-78/> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |16 April - 9 May |[[Athenry]] |Mercenary * [[1894th Light Horse]] ([[Blue Star Irregulars|BSI]]) * [[21st Rim Worlds|Twenty-First Rim Worlds]] (BSI) |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Minimal resistance * Lyran authority declared on 27 April * Twenty-First Rim Worlds suffers <10% casualties against militia on 9 May |- |19 April - mid-May |[[Kervil]] |LCAF * [[7th Donegal Guards|Seventh Donegal Guards]] * [[17th Skye Rangers|Seventeenth Skye Rangers]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed mid-May * Lyran units suffer <10% casualties * LIC discovers evidence of [[lostech]] in use by Combine |- |26 April - early June |[[Biham]] |AFFS * [[8th Crucis Lancers|Eighth Crucis Lancers]] Mercenary * [[Laurel's Legion]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Minimal resistance destroyed by early June * Invaders suffer minimal casualties |- |28 April - late June |[[Ancha]] |AFFC * [[6th FedCom RCT|Sixth FedCom RCT]]<br/> Mercenary * [[DeMaestri's Sluggers]], [[Fighting Urukhai]] |DCMS * [[1st Shin Legion|First Shin Legion]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 29 April * First Shin suffers <40% casualties, begins low-level guerrilla activity into July * Sixth FedCom and DeMaestri's Sluggers suffer <25% casualties |- |28 April - late June |[[Telos IV]] |AFFS * [[22nd Avalon Hussars|Twenty-Second Avalon Hussars]] Mercenary * [[Gamma Regiment (12th Vegan Rangers)|Gamma Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 5 May * Invaders suffer <10% casualties * Low-level guerrilla activity through June |- |30 April - 5 May |[[Halstead Station]] |AFFC * [[5th FedCom RCT|Fifth FedCom RCT]] Mercenary * [[Roman's Bar Hounds]], [[Fighting Urukhai]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Minimal resistance destroyed by 5 May * Invaders suffer minimal casualties |- |April - June |[[Sadachbia]] |AFFS * [[8th Deneb Light Cavalry|Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry]] Mercenary * [[Redfield Renegades]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Garrison forces surrender without fight |- |1 May - late June |[[Nashira]] |AFFC * [[1st FedCom RCT|First FedCom RCT]] Mercenary * [[Delta Regiment (12th Vegan Rangers)|Delta Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed by 21 May * Invaders suffer <10% casualties * Low-level guerrilla activity continued into June, becomes active in July |- |12 May - early June |[[Pike IV]] |LCAF * [[30th Lyran Guards|Thirtieth Lyran Guards]] Mercenary * [[Hansen's Roughriders]] |Militia * [[Pike Militia]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed in early June * Invaders suffer <10% casualties |- |} ====Benjamin Thrust - Operation GAHERIS==== Operation GAHERIS was launched in support of the Commonwealth and Dieron Thrusts, keeping Combine forces from coming to the aid of the Dieron District by striking into the Benjamin District. This operation was no less important though as, depending on how the battle went, the worlds conquered here could serve as staging points for an assault on [[Benjamin]] itself. Thus there was some trepidation when [[Field Marshal]] [[James Sandoval]] was given overall command of the Benjamin Thrust. A political appointee, Duke Sandoval nevertheless was a proven commander and made a point to host a gathering of his subordinates at his family estate in improve relations and implement last-minute changes to the plan. Six worlds were attacked in the first wave, and but for minor setbacks their conquest went as planned.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 39, 41''</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |24 April - 22 July |[[Fellanin II]] |AFFS * Support Brigade ** 2 Mechanized Infantry Regiments<br/>1 Armored Regiment Mercenary * [[71st Light Horse|Seventy-First Light Horse]] ([[Eridani Light Horse|ELH]]) * [[21st Striker Regiment|Twenty-First Striker Regiment]] (ELH) |DCMS * [[4th Proserpina Hussars|Fourth Proserpina Hussars]] |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 22 July * Seventy-First Light Horse suffer <25% casualties<br/>Twenty-First Striker suffer <40% casualties * Fourth Proserpina effectively destroyed |- |May |[[Klathandu IV]] |AFFS * [[7th Crucis Lancers|Seventh Crucis Lancers]] * [[2nd New Ivaarsen Chasseurs|Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs]] |Militia * Citizens Brigade, few 'Mech lances |FedCom Victory * Planetary government surrenders,<br/> arrests and turns over Combine governor |- |17 May - 16 June |[[Marduk]] |AFFS * [[1st Robinson Rangers|First Robinson Rangers]] * [[10th Deneb Light Cavalry|Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT]] * [[93rd Mechanized Brigade|Ninety-Third Mechanized Brigade]] |DCMS * 1 Battalion, [[6th Benjamin Regulars|Sixth Benjamin Regulars]] * Several conventional regiments Militia * Several conventional regiments |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed 16 June * DCMS units effectively destroyed * FedCom units suffer <25% casualties |- |April - July |[[Matar (system)|Matar]] |AFFS * [[1st Kestrel Grenadiers|First Kestrel Grenadiers]] * [[1st Kathil Uhlans|First Kathil Uhlans]] ** Attached: 2 'Mechs. Airborne Infantry regiments * Twenty-Third Federation Primary<br/>Relief Infantry Brigade (reinforcements) |Militia * One Armor regiment |Planet Contested * Organized resistance destroyed,<br/>primary objectives seized by 30 June * FedCom units suffer <10% casualties * Planet contested by hostile population<br/> prior to DCMS counterattack |- |11 April - mid-May |[[New Mendham]] |AFFS * [[Davion Light Guards]] * [[1st Chisholm's Raiders|First Chisholm's Raiders]] |Militia * 2 combined-arms battalions |FedCom Victory * Organized resistance destroyed mid-May * FedCom units suffer <10% casualties |- |15 April - early May |[[Sadalbari]] |AFFC * [[3rd FedCom RCT|Third FedCom RCT]] AFFS * [[5th Davion Guards|Fifth Davion Guards]] |DCMS * [[2nd Shin Legion|Second Shin Legion]] * Several conventional regiments |FedCom Victory * FedCom forces secure majority of world<br/>by early May * Fifth Davion suffers <25% casualties,<br/>Third FedCom suffers <40% casualties * Second Shin suffer <40% casualties, fortify<br/>themselves at former [[Castle Brian]] |- |} ====Galedon Thrust - Operation LAUNCELOT==== The AFFS' thrust into the [[Galedon Military District]] was the least important of the four operations, being assigned just seventeen 'Mech regiments, yet was commanded by Field Marshal [[Ardan Sortek]], most trusted adviser to Hanse Davion. The reason for this is unknown, as well as the true intent for the operation: the aim of the invasion lay along the shortest path to [[Luthien]] itself, and plans were in place to shift units between it and the Benjamin Thrust as needed. Nevertheless, the operation succeeded in achieving its limited goals of taking its six target worlds during the first wave.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 51</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |11 April-June |[[An Ting]] |AFFS * [[1st Davion Guards|First Davion Guards]] * [[17th Avalon Hussars|Seventeenth Avalon Hussars]] |DCMS * Various conventional regiments Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * First Davion suffer <10% casualties * Seventeenth Avalon suffer <25% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed * Low-level guerrilla activity |- |18 May - 27 May |[[Capra]] |AFFS * [[1st Crucis Lancers|First Crucis Lancers]] * [[1st Albion Training Cadre|First Albion Training Cadre]] |Militia * Several battalions |FedCom Victory * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |19 May - July |[[Delacruz]] |AFFS * [[42nd Avalon Hussars|Forty-Second Avalon Hussars]] LCAF * Third Lyran Regulars |DCMS * [[8th Sword of Light|Eighth Sword of Light]] ** 1 battalion * Conventional regiments |FedCom Victory * Forty-Second Avalon suffers <10% casualties * Third Lyran suffers <25% casualties * Eighth Sword effectively destroyed |- |30 April - 11 May |[[Elidere IV]] |AFFS * [[1st Ceti Hussars|First Ceti Hussars]] Mercenary * [[1st Screaming Eagles|First Screaming Eagles]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * First Ceti suffers <10% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |5 April - 15 April |[[Huan]] |Mercenary * [[1st Dismal Disinherited|First Dismal Disinherited]] * [[2nd Dismal Disinherited|Second Dismal Disinherited]] AFFS * Two infantry regiments |Militia * Armored and infantry forces |FedCom Victory * Dismal forces suffer <10% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |2 May - July |[[Thestria]] |Mercenary * [[The Dioscuri]] AFFS * Two infantry regiments |Militia * [[Thestria Militia]] |FedCom Victory * Dioscuri forces suffer <25% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |} ====Davion Mercenary Actions==== A year prior to the war, FedCom special forces had been inserted on several worlds to recruit dissidents into anti-Combine insurgent organizations. When the invasion began, these groups rose up in rebellion, with [[mercenary]] units sent by the AFFC to assist them, in the hopes of drawing DCMS forces away from the main thrusts. The ruse looked to have worked when the Coordinator ordered significant forces away from the Benjamin Military District to put down these rebellions, however the intervention of ''Gunji-no-Kanrei'' Kurita lessened the impact of these reassignments. As such, the rebellions met various levels of success.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 47–48</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |26 February - 12 March |[[Galtor III]] |Mercenary * [[Clifton's Rangers]] * 2 Mechanized Infantry regiments |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Clifton's Rangers suffer <25% casualties. * Defenders effectively destroyed * Planet secured by end of March |- |10 March - 16 March |[[Bergman's Planet]] |Mercenary * [[Lindon's Battalion]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom Victory * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |16 March - Ongoing |[[Harrow's Sun]] |Mercenary * [[Miller's Marauders]] |DCMS * [[Ryuken-yon]] |Stalemate * Miller's Marauders suffer <60% casualties,<br/> stranded on planet * Ryuken-yon suffer <40% casualties * Resistance effectively destroyed,<br/>low-level guerrilla activity continues |- |March |[[Lima]] |Mercenary * [[Simonson's Cutthroats]] |Militia * Several infantry battalions |FedCom victory |- |March - April |[[Royal]] |Mercenary * [[Fuchida's Fusiliers]] * [[New Ivaarsen Volunteers]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom victory * Fuchida's Fusiliers suffer <40% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |March - July |[[McComb]] |Mercenary * [[Martian Cuirassiers]] |DCMS * Several conventional regiments |Stalemate * Martian Cuirassiers suffer <40% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed |- |March - July |[[New Aberdeen]] |Mercenary * [[Cunningham's Commandos]] |Militia * Unknown |FedCom victory * Cunningham's Commandos suffer <10% casualties * Defenders effectively destroyed * Low-level guerrilla activity |- |} ====Lyran Mercenary Raids==== Though focusing the bulk of efforts on Operations WINTERSCHNEE and STURMHAMMER, the Lyran Commonwealth also ordered the [[Killer Bees]] and [[Knights of St. Cameron]] mercenary units to launch deep raids across the neutral Free Rasalhague Republic into the Combine, an attempted distraction to keep the DCMS off-balance and try and prevent troops posted in [[Alshain Military District|Alshain]] and [[Pesht Military District]]s from redeploying quickly to the main front. Setting out as early as a month before the first invasion wave was launched, the mercenaries struck deep in the Combine before finally withdrawing as the second wave faltered in the face of Combine counterattack.<ref name=HWo3039-58>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 58–60: "Wave One - Other Wave One Actions - Lyran Operations"</ref> Inspiring widespread fear in the Combine's civilian population as the mercenaries struck numerous worlds on the most direct paths to important targets such as Pesht and Buckminster, on the surface the raids did succeed in prompting a redeployment of Combine troops to better protect Alshain and Pesht, but in many cases the DCMS merely transferred less seasoned troops into the region as more proficient ones were moved to help repulse the Allies invasion thrusts. The raids also damaged relations between the newborn Free Rasalhague Republic and the Lyran Commonwealth, the Republic ''[[Riksdag]]'' and the [[Elected Prince]] lodging diplomatic protests regarding the Lyrans' violation of their neutrality.<ref name=HWo3039-58/> ====DCMS Counterstrike==== Almost as soon as the first Lyran forces crossed the border, the DCMS enacted several contingency plans to redeploy troops from the interior to counterattack or oppose any further advances, but they were designed more to oppose heavy raids in force rather than full invasion. As the sheer scale of the combined FedCom thrusts became clear, the bulk of the DCMS was shocked into virtual inaction by the overwhelming opposition they faced, practically confirmed by the Coordinator's desperate "Hold at All Cost" defensive orders.<ref name=HWof3039-59>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 59–63: "Wave One - Other Wave One Actions - DCMS Operations"</ref> Not all heeded the Coordinator's orders: a few units choose to adopt an exceedingly liberal interpretation of them and launch offensive strikes to try and convince the Lyran and Davion forces to delay any further thrusts. Similar to the Lyran mercenary deep strikes, the [[4th Arkab Legion|Fourth Arkab Legion]] and the [[11th Alshain Regulars|Eleventh Alshain Regulars]] launched raids in the Lyran Commonwealth that did little material damage but forced the LCAF to expend resources to hunt them down. The most notable however was the counterraids launched by the Dieron based ''[[Ryuken]]'' regiments at the direction of ''Tai-shu'' Michi Noketsuna.<ref name=HWof3039-59/> While the ''Ryuken''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s attacks against New Earth, Procyon and Saffel would prove highly successful, thanks to lackluster intelligence reports their strike against Caph would prove near disastrous after the ''[[Ryuken-ni]]'' and ''[[Ryuken-san]]'' were shocked to discover two additional elite AFFS RCTs and, in possibly the greatest irony of the war, [[Wolf's Dragoons]] were onworld. With the outnumbered ''Ryuken'' quickly surrounded, a bold and risky strike at an isolated AFFS staging base hidden in radioactive wastelands broke the stalemate and gave them to opening to escape offworld. Though little more than a footnote in the history of the war, the fighting did serve a cathartic purpose for both the ''Ryuken'' and the Dragoons, helping to lay the demons of Misery to rest.<ref name=HWof3039-59/><ref name=HWof3039-61>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 61: "Wave One - Other Wave One Actions - DCMS Operations - Healing the Rift"</ref> ===Wave Two and Counterattack=== The second wave of the invasion was to build on the successes of the first: consolidate forces on worlds already taken, capture worlds bypassed in the initial attacks, and further tighten the noose around key targets like Dieron.<ref name=HW39-69>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 69</ref> High command sent the "go" order on 3 July via the [[Black Box]] network, which due to interstellar lag reached every unit before or around 12 July.<ref name=HW39-108>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 108</ref> Before it could truly begin however, Theodore Kurita launched his counterassault. Perhaps the most daring was an attack by special forces on the headquarters of the Commonwealth Theater, decapitating the command structure, but many recently conquered worlds became the target of DCMS offenses and [[ISF]]-inspired uprisings, causing operations in other theaters to come to a halt.<ref name=HW39-69/> The scale of the counterattack, consisting of many heretofore unknown 'Mech forces, was only further upstaged when the Combine launched its own counterinvasion into the Federated Commonwealth. While the allied high commands had seemingly planned for any eventuality, the situation which was unfolding took them completely by surprise.<ref name=HW39-111>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 111</ref> The loss of initiative was compounded by Hanse Davion's indecisiveness in the face of the counterassault and the Combine's seemingly endless reserves.<ref name=HW39-69/> Two weeks after the "go" order had been given, New Avalon sent out a counterorder via [[HPG]] to the theater commanders to halt all operations and for all combat units to remain in place, with additional delays as this order was retransmitted via black box. Several units, having already arrived at their target systems, were forced to stand by and wait as they watched the enemy build up their defenses, much to the chagrin of their commanding officers.<ref name=HW39-108/> Eventually, with conflicting intelligence reports and uncertainty as to the nature of the enemy's disposition, Hanse Davion issued the recall order on 5 October, directing all units to withdraw from the Draconis Combine and return back to FedCom territory.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 100</ref> Only after the recall went out was it realized that Theodore Kurita had been bluffing the entire time: even with the addition of the new units the DCMS was spread thin defending its territory and its soldiers sold their lives dearly, while the "counterinvasion" was in truth a series of hit-and-run attacks designed to look like full-scale assaults. It was too late to reverse course however, and the chance for the Draconis Combine to be destroyed was lost, though it would take several more months for the situation to be resolved.<ref name=HW39-69/><ref name=HW39-111/> ====Commonwealth Thrust - Operation WINTERSCHNEE==== On 12 July, General Nondi Steiner and the rest of the command staff for Operation WINTERSCHNEE were in the government center on Vega with the intention of announcing Wave Two of their attack. Before it could begin though, a strike force of [[DEST]] units staged a daring parachute landing atop the complex. While one team fought its way inside, the second rappelled along the outside of the building and, with security forces tied up fighting the first team, entered the briefing room where the senior officers had gathered. General Nondi was seriously wounded before the attackers were finally neutralized, effectively taking her out of the fight.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 66</ref> At the same time, [[ISF]] agents knocked out the local communication network and DCMS troops invaded Vega and other planets captured by the Commonwealth Thrust. With unified command effectively cut off, each world was forced to face these counterattacks alone, giving the DCMS the initiative.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 69, 77</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |12 July - 16 August |[[Vega]] |DCMS * [[2nd Legion of Vega|Second Legion of Vega]] * Fourteenth Legion of Vega * [[2nd Dieron Regulars|Second Dieron Regulars]] |AFFS * Third Davion Guards Mercenary * [[Snord's Irregulars]] * First Grave Walkers |DC Victory * Defenders suffer <40% casualties,<br/> retreat to [[Baxter]] * Second Dieron suffers <40% casualties * Second Legion suffers <60% casualties * Fourteenth Legion effectively destroyed |- |12 July - 13 August |[[Alrakis]] |DCMS * Eleventh Legion of Vega * [[8th Alshain Regulars|Eighth Alshain Regulars]] |LCAF * [[23rd Arcturan Guards|Twenty-Third Arcturan Guards]] |DC Victory * Eleventh Legion suffers <25% casualties * Eighth Alshain suffers <25% casualties * Twenty-Third Arcturan suffers <25% casualties,<br/> retreats 13 August |- |16 July - 9 October |[[Kessel]] |DCMS * [[2nd Sword of Light|Second Sword of Light]] * [[5th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre|Fifth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre]] * [[12th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre|Twelfth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre]] |LCAF * [[2nd Donegal Guards|Second Donegal Guards]] * Eleventh Lyran Regulars * [[4th Skye Rangers|Fourth Skye Rangers]] |DC Victory * Second Donegal suffers <25% casualties,<br/>retreats to [[Ryde]] * Second Sword, Fourth Skye suffers <40% casualties * Fifth Sun Zhang suffers <60% casualties * Eleventh Lyrans, Twelfth Sun Zhang effectively destroyed * Local resistance continues into December |- |July 22 - 11 August |[[Alnasi]] |DCMS * [[6th Alshain Regulars|Sixth Alshain Regulars]] * [[1st Sun Zhang Academy Cadre|First Sun Zhang Academy Cadre]] |LCAF * Twenty-Sixth Lyran Guards |DC Victory * Sixth Alshain suffer <40% casualties * First Sun Zhang suffers <60% casualties * Twenty-Sixth Lyran suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreats 11 August |- |19 August - 12 November |[[Konstance]] |DCMS * [[22nd Dieron Regulars|Twenty-Second Dieron Regulars]] * [[3rd Dieron Regulars|Third Dieron Regulars]] |LCAF * Fourth Lyran Regulars |DC Victory * Fourth Lyran suffers <40% casualties,<br/> retreats 12 November * DCMS forces suffer <40% casualties |- |} ====Dieron Thrust - Operation STURMHAMMER==== The first wave of the Dieron Thrust had succeeded in isolating the district capital: communication with the rest of the district was still possible thanks to ComStar, but with FedCom forces blockading the planet supplies were slowly but inevitably being depleted. Though he had been ordered to hold his worlds at all costs, ''Tai-shu'' Noketsuna gambled on taking part in the counterattack launched by ''Kanrei'' Theodore. Stripping units from worlds which would have come under attack during the FedCom second wave - including Dieron itself - the warlord launched spoiling attacks on FedCom-controlled worlds concurrent with the greater Combine counteroffensive.<ref name=HW39-78/> Noketsuna's counterattacks launched just as Allied forces were readying themselves for their expected Wave Two attacks and achieved the desired effect of ordering the cancellation of the second wave. The [[2nd Davion Guards|Second Davion Guards]] had already attacked and captured the planet [[Altair]] in July when they received recall orders and were forced to return to [[Addicks]].<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', 88</ref> Perhaps the most contentious loss FedCom forces suffered was Kervil, though DCMS forces only targeted the surrounding worlds. As the extent of the counterattack became apparent, Field Marshal Bisla ordered the units stationed there to reinforce its neighbors, leaving the planet undefended when the Combine reoccupied it in December.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 83</ref> In the end Noketsuna's ploy worked, and while his units were bogged down in months of fighting, their sacrifice bought valuable breathing space for the rest of the district.<ref name=HW39-78/> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |13 July - 4 September |Biham |DCMS * [[5th Ghost|Fifth Ghost]] * [[6th Ghost|Sixth Ghost]] |AFFS * Eighth Crucis Lancers<br/> Mercenary * Laurel's Legion |DC Victory * Eighth Crucis suffers <25% casualties,<br/>retreats to [[Murchison]] * Laurel's Legion suffers <40% casualties, retreats * Fifth Ghost suffers <25% casualties * Sixth Ghost suffers <60% casualties |- |14 July - 10 December |Athenry |DCMS * [[12th Dieron Regulars|Twelfth Dieron Regulars]] * [[27th Dieron Regulars|Twenty-Seventh Dieron Regulars]] |Mercenary * 1894th Light Horse (BSI) * Twenty-First Rim Worlds (BSI) |DC Victory * Twenty-Seventh Dieron suffers <40% casualties * Twelfth Dieron suffers <60% casualties * BSI forces suffer <40% casualties,<br/> retreat to [[Lambrecht]] |- |19 July - 26 September |[[Ancha]] |DCMS * First Shin Legion * [[18th Dieron Regulars|Eighteenth Dieron Regulars]] |AFFC * Sixth FedCom RCT<br/> Mercenary * DeMaestri's Sluggers, Fighting Urukhai |DC Victory * Sixth FedCom suffers <25% casualties,<br/> retreats to [[Addicks]] * Eighteenth Dieron suffers <60% casualties * First Shin, Urukhai effectively destroyed |- |19 July - November |Nashira |DCMS * [[1st Genyosha|First Genyosha]] * [[2nd Genyosha|Second Genyosha]] |AFFC * First FedCom RCT<br/> LCAF * Seventh Donegal Guards<br/> Mercenary * Delta Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers |DC Victory * Seventh Donegal suffers <25% casualties,<br/>retreats to Lambrecht * First FedCom, Vegan Rangers suffers <br/><40% casualties, retreats to [[Errai]] * Second Genyosha suffers <40% casualties * First Genyosha suffers <60% casualties |- |19 July - 16 November |Pike IV |DCMS * [[5th Sword of Light|Fifth Sword of Light]] * [[24th Dieron Regulars|Twenty-Fourth Dieron Regulars]] |LCAF * Thirtieth Lyran Guards * Seventeenth Skye Rangers<br/> Mercenary * Hansen's Roughriders |DC Victory * Seventeenth Skye suffers <25% casualties,<br/>retreats to Lambrecht * Thirtieth Lyran suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreats to Lambrecht * Roughriders suffer <60% casualties,<br/>retreats to Lambrecht * Fifth Sword suffers <40% casualties * Twenty-Fourth Dieron suffers <60% casualties |- |20 July - 2 October |Telos IV |DCMS * [[2nd Benjamin Regulars|Second Benjamin Regulars]] * [[41st Dieron Regulars|Forty-First Dieron Regulars]] |AFFS * Twenty-Second Avalon Hussars<br/> Mercenary * Gamma Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers |DC Victory * Twenty-Second Avalon, Vegan Rangers suffer <br/> <40% casualties, retreat to Errai * Second Benjamin suffers <60% casualties * Forty-First Dieron effectively destroyed |- |23 July - 11 December |Sadachbia |DCMS * [[9th Dieron Regulars|Ninth Dieron Regulars]] |AFFS * Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry<br/> Mercenary * Redfield Renegades |DC Victory * Eighth Deneb suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreats to Addicks * Renegades suffer <40% casualties,<br/>retreats * Ninth Dieron effectively destroyed |- |August |Halstead Station |DCMS * [[1st Sword of Light|First Sword of Light]] * [[7th Sword of Light|Seventh Sword of Light]] |AFFC * Fifth FedCom RCT<br/> Mercenary * Roman's Bar Hounds, Fighting Urukhai |DC Victory * Sword of Light forces suffer <40% casualties * Urukhai suffer <40% casualties, retreats * Fifth FedCom effectively destroyed, retreats |- |} ====Benjamin Thrust - Operation GAHERIS==== ''Kanrei'' Theodore took a personal interest in the counterattack against the Benjamin thrust. This included bringing in forces from the [[Galedon Military District]] as well as deploying units of the [[Ghost Regiments]] and [[Amphigean Light Assault Group]]s, while at the same time sending several Benjamin District units to reinforce the Dieron District.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 88–89</ref> When the counterattack started, not as many of the AFFS units were in transit their next targets as few such attacks had been planned for the second wave; attacks on [[Homam]] and [[Irurzun]] which were underway at the time were called off, though only on Homam had combat operations truly begun.<ref name=HW39-98>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 97–98</ref> With the DCMS counterattack underway, the hold order had been given from New Avalon to all offensive operations by the allied forces. However, Field Marshal Sandoval recognized the chance to seize several poorly defended worlds and took it, not only violating standing orders but also requisitioning units from the Dieron operation in his official capacity as commander of the [[Draconis March]]. While Sandoval succeeded in his gamble - and indeed the worlds he took represented some of the few lasting victories the FedCom alliance retained from the war - there was serious political blowback from his maneuvering.<ref name=HW39-98/> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |19 July - 18 October |Sadalbari |DCMS * [[7th Ghost|Seventh Ghost]] * [[8th Ghost|Eighth Ghost]] * Second Shin Legion |AFFC * Third FedCom RCT AFFS * Fifth Davion Guards |DC Victory * Fifth Davion suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreats to [[David]] * Third FedCom effectively destroyed,<br/>retreats to David * Seventh Ghost suffers <40% casualties * Eighth Ghost suffers <60% casualties * Second Shin effectively destroyed |- |19 July - 22 October |New Mendham |DCMS * [[1st Amphigean Light Assault Group|First Amphigean Light Assault Group]] * [[2nd Amphigean Light Assault Group|Second Amphigean Light Assault Group]] |AFFS * Davion Light Guards * First Chisholm's Raiders |DC Victory * Light Guards suffer <40% casualties,<br/>retreat to [[Breed]] * First Chisholm's effectively destroyed,<br/>retreats to Breed * First Amphigean suffers <40% casualties * Second Amphigean <60% casualties |- |1 August - 13 October |Marduk |DCMS * Sixth Benjamin Regulars * [[8th Galedon Regulars|Eighth Galedon Regulars]] |AFFS * First Robinson Rangers * Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT |DC Victory * First Robinson suffers <25% casualties,<br/> retreats to [[Breed]] * Tenth Deneb suffers <40% casualties,<br/> retreats to [[Robinson]] * Eighth Galedon suffers <40% casualties * Sixth Benjamin effectively destroyed |- |4 August - 14 October |Klathandu IV |DCMS * [[3rd Benjamin Regulars|Third Benjamin Regulars]] * [[2nd Galedon Regulars|Second Galedon Regulars]] |AFFS * Seventh Crucis Lancers * Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs |DC Victory * AFFS forces suffer <25% casualties,<br/> retreat to [[Xhosa VII]] * DCMS forces effectively destroyed |- |23 August - 3 September |Fellanin II |DCMS * [[2nd Arkab Legion|Second Arkab Legion]] * Fourth Proserpina Hussars (remnant) |Mercenary * Seventy-First Light Horse (ELH) |DC Victory * Seventy-First Light Horse effectively destroyed,<br/>retreats to [[David]] * Second Arkab suffers <40% casualties * Fourth Proserpina effectively destroyed |- |24 August - 7 September |[[Homam]] |Mercenary * Twenty-First Striker Regiment (ELH) * [[151st Light Horse Regiment]] (ELH) |DCMS * Local Militia |DC Victory * ELH forces suffer <10% casualties,<br/>ordered to withdraw to [[David]] * Local resistance effectively destroyed |- |August |[[Cylene]] |AFFS * [[4th Davion Guards|Fourth Davion Guards]] |DCMS * Local Militia |FedCom Victory * Fourth Davion suffers <10% casualties * Local resistance effectively destroyed |- |30 August - September |[[Markab]] |AFFS * [[5th Syrtis Fusiliers|Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers]] |DCMS * Local Militia |FedCom Victory * Fifth Syrtis suffers <25% casualties * Local resistance effectively destroyed |- |20 September - 4 December |Matar |DCMS * [[11th Ghost|Eleventh Ghost]] * [[12th Ghost|Twelfth Ghost]] |AFFS * First Kestrel Grenadiers * First Kathil Uhlans * Twenty-Third Federation Primary<br/> Relief Infantry Brigade |DC Victory * First Kestrels suffer <60% casualties,<br/> retreats to [[David]] * First Kathil effectively destroyed,<br/> retreats to David * Twelfth Ghost suffers <40% casualties * Eleventh Ghost effectively destroyed |- |September |[[Murchison]] |AFFS * Eighth Crucis Lancers |DCMS * Local Militia |FedCom Victory * Eighth Crucis suffers <25% casualties * Local resistance effectively destroyed |- |September |[[Skat]] |AFFS * [[12th Deneb Light Cavalry|Twelfth Deneb Light Cavalry]] |DCMS * Local Militia |FedCom Victory * Twelfth Deneb suffers <10% casualties * Local resistance effectively destroyed |- |} ====Galedon Thrust - Operation LAUNCELOT==== Although Combine intelligence was unaware of the exact size of the Galedon operation, the presence of Field Marshal Sortek in command convinced the leadership that it could not possibly be a diversionary attack. Significant numbers of frontline troops were routed from the Galedon District's [[Periphery]] border and from the [[Pesht Military District]] to confront this thrust, stopping it and leading to the eventual recall order being issued. While such troops could have arguably been better used in the other theaters of operation, the distances involved meant they would have arrived too late to help.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 102</ref> As elsewhere, many Allied units were en route to or had already begun attacking their Wave Two targets when they began to receive the hold and later recall orders, causing some consternation. The First Crucis Lancers had already arrived at [[Beta Mensae V]] when the hold order came and spent a month waiting at the nadir [[jump point]] before being ordered back to Federation space; the unit chose to take a circuitous route in the hopes of confusing Combine intelligence and raided [[Kaznejoy]] to relieve the pressure on other fronts.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 108–109</ref> The First Ceti Hussars and [[2nd Screaming Eagles|Second Screaming Eagles]] likewise spent several weeks waiting in parked orbit above [[Misery]] before returning [[Glenmora]].<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 111</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |17 July - 17 October |Capra |DCMS * [[5th Galedon Regulars|Fifth Galedon Regulars]] * [[3rd Proserpina Hussars|Third Proserpina Hussars]] |AFFS * First Crucis Lancers ** 1 'Mech battalion, 2 combined-arms<br/> combat commands * First Albion Training Cadre ** 1 'Mech battalion |DC Victory * AFFS forces suffer <25% casualties,<br/>retreat to [[Kesai IV]] * Fifth Galedon suffers <40% casualties * Third Proserpina suffers <60% casualties |- |24 July - 11 August |An Ting |DCMS * [[Ryuken-yon]] * [[Ryuken-roku]] |AFFS * First Davion Guards * Seventeenth Avalon Hussars |DC Victory * Seventeenth Avalon suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreats to [[Cassias]] * First Davion suffers <25% casualties,<br/>retreats to Cassias * Ryuken-yon suffers <25% casualties * Ryuken-roku suffers <60% casualties |- |25 July - August |[[Igualada]] |Mercenary * First Dismal Disinherited * [[3rd Dismal Disinherited|Third Dismal Disinherited]] |DCMS * Local Militia |DC Victory * Mercenaries suffer minimal casualties,<br /> ordered to retreat * Local resistance effectively destroyed |- |26 July - 5 August |Elidere IV |DCMS * [[9th Ghost|Ninth Ghost]] * [[10th Ghost|Tenth Ghost]] |Mercenary * First Screaming Eagles |DC Victory * Screaming Eagles suffer <60% casualties,<br/> retreat to [[Glenmora]] * Ghost regiments suffers <10% casualties |- |3 August - 3 September |Delacruz |DCMS * Eighth Sword of Light * [[2nd An Ting Legion|Second An Ting Legion]] * [[4th An Ting Legion|Fourth An Ting Legion]] |AFFS * Forty-Second Avalon Hussars LCAF * Third Lyran Regulars |DC Victory * Forty-Second Avalon suffers <25% casualties,<br/> retreats to Kesai IV * Third Lyran effectively destroyed,<br/> retreats to Kesai IV * Eighth Sword suffers <40% casualties * An Ting Legions suffer <25% casualties |- |7 August - 25 September |Huan |DCMS * [[32nd Galedon Regulars|Thirty-Second Galedon Regulars]] * [[1st Night Stalkers|First Night Stalkers]] |Mercenary * First Dismal Disinherited * Second Dismal Disinherited * Third Dismal Disinherited |DC Victory * First Dismal Disinherited suffers <25% casualties * Second Dismal Disinherited suffers <60% casualties * Third Dismal Disinherited suffers <40% casualties * Mercenary forces retreat to [[Cassias]] * Thirty-Second Galedon effectively destroyed * Night Stalkers suffer <40% casualties |- |9 August - 7 September |Thestria |DCMS * [[16th Galedon Regulars|Sixteenth Galedon Regulars]] * [[1st Proserpina Hussars|First Proserpina Hussars]] |Mercenaries * The Dioscuri |DC Victory * The Dioscuri suffer <25% casualties,<br /> retreats to [[Cassias]] * Sixteenth Galedon effectively destroyed * First Proserpina suffers <10% casualties |- |26 August - September |[[Kaznejoy]] <!-- Canon ruling on name of Kaznejov/Kaznejoy --> |AFFS * First Crucis Lancers |DCMS * [[17th Galedon Regulars|Seventeenth Galedon Regulars]] |FedCom Victory * First Crucis suffers <25% casualties,<br /> continue on to [[Waldheim]] * Seventeenth Galedon suffers <25% casualties |- |} ====Davion Mercenary Actions==== Unlike the other first wave thrusts, operations on the seven worlds targeted for mercenary-supported revolutions generally succeeded in taking the pro-Davion and underdefended worlds in short order, the only sticking point being the Davion military intelligence's failure to discover the presence of the Ryuken-yon on Harrow's Sun, stymieing all attempts to solidify control. That changed little with Combine counterattack. While the ''Kanrei'' actively directed his troops to strike at every world targeted by the Allies, with the DCMS were already dangerously overextended to support OROCHI, the seven worlds taken by the Davion mercenaries were mostly ignored. Aside from the ongoing fighting on Harrow's Sun, only two came under direct attack, the Combine ultimately successfully in retaking all three.<ref name=HWof3039-98>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 98–102: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Mercenary-Supported Actions"</ref> By the time the Combine had the resource to strike at the others, the War had effectively been concluded and the dug-in and reinforced mercenaries were able to repulse any DCMS raids and keep their charges in Davion hands, save for Galtor III. Miscommunication during the Allies recall resulted in [[Clifton's Rangers]] digging in despite the AFFS believing they had retreated, the FedSun government secretly supporting the world despite it being in Combine-held space after learning of this. However when the Combine realize they had "lost" Galtor III in the midst of sensitive POW negotiations, the FedSun government ordered the Rangers to pull out to try and avoid a diplomatic incident. Refusing to abandon the world, the mercenaries broke contract to remain behind before being destroyed in 3042 after a bitter 15 month defense, one and a half years after the War of 3039 nominally concluded, when the Combine sent three frontline regiments to brutally subjugate Galtor III.<ref name=HWof3039-98/><ref name=HWof3039-100>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 100–102: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Mercenary-Supported Actions - The Last Battle"</ref> Even with the tragic and contentious loss of Galtor, ultimately the mercenary actions were among the Allies most successful, accounting for three of the seven worlds gained by the Federated Suns.<ref name=HWof3039-98/> ====DCMS Counterinvasion - Operation OROCHI==== Theodore Kurita knew that, if the Combine simply tried to hold the allies at bay as his father originally ordered, eventually their superior reserves would overwhelm them. Operation OROCHI therefore was a bold - if potentially disastrous - ruse designed to convince the FedCom leaders that the Combine's strength was such that it could both defend its borders and invade their territory. The equivalent of ten battalions of 'Mechs, supported by several mercenary units, would penetrate deep into enemy territory and conduct raids on ten FedCom worlds, with the goal of convincing the defenders they were actually full regiments en route to invade [[Robinson]]. Perhaps the most daring of all was that the ''Kanrei'' himself led the attack, operating with the Second Battalion of the [[Ryuken-go]]. Had the operation failed and the allies seen through the ruse, it potentially would have spelled the doom of the Draconis Combine but in the end the operation succeeded beyond anyone's imagination.<ref name=HW39-111/> Vital to the operation's successes was the creation of a command circuit of dragooned merchant JumpShips operating between the uncolonized systems separating Combine and Federation space, the majority of which belonged to the ''yakuza'' clans.<ref name=20YU-31>''20 Year Update'', p. 31</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! '''Date''' ! '''Location''' ! '''Attacker''' ! '''Defender''' ! '''Outcome''' |- |6 July - September |[[Le Blanc]] |DCMS * [[4th Ghost|Fourth Ghost]] ** Third Battalion<br/> Mercenaries * Three battalions<br/> After July, only two Ghost companies<br/>plus mercenary support |AFFS * [[Robinson DMM]] ** Three regiments<br/> * Reinforcements ** [[2nd Ceti Hussars|Second Ceti Hussars RCT]] |FedCom Victory * DCMS forces effectively destroyed,<br/>mercenaries surrender * Second Ceti suffers <10% casualties * Robinson DMM suffers <25% casualties |- |15 July - 4 November |[[Breed]] |DCMS * [[3rd Ghost|Third Ghost]] * Fourth Ghost ** First & Second Battalions |AFFS * [[2nd Robinson Rangers|Second Robinson Rangers]] * [[2nd NAIS Cadet Cadre|Second NAIS Cadet Cadre]] * Ten conventional regiments * Reinforcements (1 Nov) ** [[1st Robinson Rangers|First Robinson Rangers RCT]] ** Second Robinson Rangers |DC Raid Succeeds * Bulk of AFFS 'Mech forces withdraw<br/> 30 July to [[Robinson]] * First Robinson suffers <25% casualties * Second Robinson suffers <40% casualties * Second Cadet suffers <60% casualties * Fourth Ghost suffers <40% casualties<br/>withdraws 7 August * Third Ghost effectively destroyed,<br/>retreats to [[Osmus Saar]] |- |3 August - November |[[Xhosa VII]] |DCMS * [[Ryuken-go]] ** Second & Third Battalions |AFFS * Militia<br/> * Reinforcements (early Nov.) ** [[7th Crucis Lancers|Seventh Crucis Lancers RCT]] ** Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs |DC Raid Succeeds * Second Battalion suffers <25% casualties,<br/>continues to [[Exeter]] * Third Battalion suffers <60% casualties,<br>retreats to [[Fellanin II]] * Seventh Crucis suffers <25% casualties |- |11 August - 5 September |[[Clovis]] |DCMS * [[Ryuken-go]] ** First Battalion |AFFS * [[Clovis DMM]] ** Training cadre (3 regiments) |DC Raid Succeeds * Ryuken-go suffers <10% casualties,<br />continues to [[Doneval II]] |- |September |[[Dobson]] |DCMS * Fourth Ghost ** Third Battalion (one company<br/> and mercenaries) |AFFS * [[2nd Chisholm's Raiders|Second Chisholm's Raiders]] |FedCom Victory * Second Chisholm's suffers <25% casualties * Third Ghost suffers suffers <25% casualties,<br/>continues to [[New Ivaarsen]] |- |21 September - 28 September |[[Cartago]] |DCMS * [[9th Benjamin Regulars|Ninth Benjamin Regulars]] ** One Battalion |AFFS * [[Clovis DMM]] ** Three infantry & light armor regiments |DC Raid Succeeds * Ninth Benjamin suffers <25% casualties,<br/>withdraws to [[Proserpina]] |- |September - October |[[Doneval II]] |DCMS * [[Ryuken-go]] ** First Battalion |AFFS * Doneval Militia * Reinforcements (late Oct.) ** [[15th Deneb Light Cavalry|Fifteenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT]] |FedCom Victory * Ryuken-go suffers <60% casualties,<br/> retreats to [[Fellanin II]] * Fifteenth Deneb suffers <10% casualties |- |September - October |[[Exeter]] |DCMS * [[Ryuken-go]] ** Second Battalion |AFFS * Militia<br/> * Reinforcements (late Sept.) ** [[1st NAIS Cadet Cadre|First NAIS Cadet Cadre]]<br/> * Reinforcements (early Oct.) ** [[4th Davion Guards|Fourth Davion Guards RCT]] |DC Raid Succeeds * Ryuken-go suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreats to Fellanin II * First NAIS suffers <25% casualties * Fourth Davion suffers <10% casualties |- |August - October |[[New Ivaarsen]] |DCMS * Fourth Ghost ** First & Third Battalions and mercenaries |AFFS * [[1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs|First New Ivaarsen Chasseurs]] |FedCom Victory * DCMS forces effectively destroyed,<br/>retreat to [[Osmus Saar]] * First New Ivaarsen suffers <25% casualties |- |August - October |[[Rochester]] |DCMS * Fourth Ghost ** Second Battalion |AFFS * None<br/> * Reinforcements (late Oct.) ** [[3rd Ceti Hussars|Third Ceti Hussars RCT]] |FedCom Victory * Fourth Ghost suffers <40% casualties,<br/>retreat to [[Osmus Saar]] * Third Ceti suffers <10% casualties |- |} ====Dieron Counterstrike Continued==== Coinciding with the ''Kanrei''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Operation OROCHI, ''Tai-shu'' Noketsuna on Dieron received intelligence that Operation STURMHAMMER commander Field Marshal Vanessa Bisla had ordered additional forces advance from their bases in the Terran Corridor to join the Dieron thrust, prompting him to send forces to take advantage of the redeployments. More a continuation of the Dieron raids launched during the first wave than a direct adjunct to Operation OROCHI, the strikes against the high-risk targets of [[Fomalhaut]] and [[Quentin]] would prove wildly more successful than expected, with the [[36th Dieron Regulars|Thirty-Sixth]] and [[40th Dieron Regulars|Fortieth Dieron Regulars]] able to capture and hold both planets until the conclusion of the War and the signing of the Exeter Accords. The capture of Quentin and [[Independence Weaponry]], the seat of the Federated Suns assault 'Mech manufacturing, would prove to be the Combine's biggest prize of the conflict and more than mitigate the worlds lost to the FedCom forces.<ref name=HWof3039-119>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 119–120: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Other Wave Two Actions - Combine Operations - Fomalhaut (July) - Quentin (July)"</ref> ==Secondary Factions== While not directly involved in the defense of the Combine, the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation both sought to take advantage of Lyran and Davion preoccupation elsewhere to launch raids and strikes against the future Federated Commonwealth. ===Free Worlds League Operations=== As the War of 3039 officially began, the Free Worlds League was in the final stages of the ten-year [[Andurien Secession]], the bloody conflict to bring the Anduriens back into the fold helping to foster an increased sense of pride and nationalism in many League units. With this increased pride also came a desire to avenge the League's embarrassing defeats in the Fourth Succession War, making the raids that followed a foregone conclusion.<ref name=HWof3039-63>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 63: "Wave One - Other Actions - Free Worlds League Operations"</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! width="100pt" | FWLM Wave One ! width="100pt" | FWLM Wave Two |- |[[Menkalinan]] |[[Hsien]] |- |[[Phact]] |[[Alioth]] |- |[[Old Kentucky]] |[[Cor Caroli]] |- |[[Raballa]] |[[Callison]] |- |[[Chamdo]] |[[Marcus]] |- |[[Capella]] |[[Hall]] |} ====Wave One==== Still heavily engaged in the Andurien conflicts, the initial League strikes were relatively small scale raids within the final weeks of the Allies first wave, the most extensive and successful being the recapture of Menkalinan. In a rare intelligence coup, [[SAFE]] alerted the FWLM to the withdrawal of the LCAF garrison on [[Menkalinan]] shortly before the outbreak of war, FWLM troops retaking the world within six days. While SAFE ensured the recapture of Menkalinan, it failed the [[2nd Oriente Hussars|Second Oriente Hussars]] on their so-called "Phact Finding" mission. Striking Old Kentucky, Chamdo and Raballa after the transfer of their frontline forces to the Kurita front, the Hussars ran into a frontline LCAF RCT on Phact itself, resulting in an epic three week chase before they could escape on July 10, 3039.<ref name=HWof3039-63/> The most surprising of these raids however was the [[9th Marik Militia|Ninth Marik Militia]]'s impromptu strike against the important Liao world of Capella on July 12th. Deployed to extricate the Second Oriente Hussars from Phact, when the Hussars escaped on their own, the Ninth's CO decided to launch "raid in force" against regional capital, inflicting heavy losses against the unprepared [[Blandford's Grenadiers]] before withdrawing in good order.<ref name=HWof3039-63/> ====Wave Two==== Emboldened by the relative success of their raids during the Allies first wave, the FWLM High Command made the fateful decision to launch invasions against six additional worlds during the FedCom forces planned second wave, seeking to capture or recapture them for the League. Unfortunately the League military incorrectly assumed they would face minimal to no resistance, unaware of the DCMS counterattack and that the Allies postponement of many of their strikes had freed up numerous units to repulse their attacks.<ref name=HWof3039-120>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 120–122: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Free Worlds League Operations"</ref> In most respects the Hsien, Alioth and Cor Caroli invasions of July to September 3039 were relatively successful, and the troops assigned able to flee ahead of the returning LCAF and AFFS forces. The League forces that assaulted Callison and Marcus were not so lucky, grossly outnumbered and outclassed, they suffered heavy losses as they were ejected by October. The most infamous however was the reborn [[Black Widow Battalion]]'s total rout of the [[18th Marik Militia|Eighteenth Marik Militia]] on Hall on Christmas Day 3039. Cementing again [[Natasha Kerensky]]'s fearsome reputation, though nobody in the [[Inner Sphere]] realized it at the time, the fighting on Hall was a preview for the future, the first instance of a [[Clan]]-style [[Cluster]] defeating a Star League-configured regiment.<ref name=HWof3039-120/> ===Capellan Confederation Operations=== Much like the Free Worlds League, the Capellan Confederation had regained a measure of pride when it successfully repulsed the combined Andurien-Magistracy invasion and also considered taking advantage of the distraction of the invasion of the Combine to launch raids into Davion-held space. Unfortunately the increased paranoia in the wake of [[Chancellor]] [[Romano Liao]]'s ascension left the [[Strategios]] too scared to take its own initiative, fearful the Chancellor would either order their execution for their presumption if the raids failed or rashly order a full invasion of the Federated Suns if they proved successful. Recognizing they needed somebody with both a good personal relationship with the Chancellor as well as the wherewithal to actively launch the raids, the Strategios approached [[Archibald McCarron]] of the famed [[McCarron's Armored Cavalry]]. With the Big MAC uneasy at the restful period following the Andurien invasion, McCarron needed little prompting to be convinced to launch a series of deep raids into Davion space in May 3039.<ref name=HWof3039-122>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 122–124: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Capellan Operations - The Mac Attack"</ref> {| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center; |- ! width="100pt" | Planets raided by McCarron Armored Cavalry ! width="100pt" | Planets struck as part of CASE JULIET |- |[[Alcyone]] |[[Grand Base]] |- | [[Addicks]] | [[Victoria (CC)|Victoria]] |- | [[Andro]] | [[Menke]] |- | [[Bethel]] | [[Ares (system)|Ares]] |- | [[Gallitzin]] | |- |[[Kathil]] | |- | [[Monhegan]] | |- |[[Monongahela]] | |- | [[Orbisonia]] | |} ====Attack of the MAC==== In total eight relatively minor Federated Suns worlds were targeted over the next several months as the Cavalry's hit-and-run raids extended deeper into the Davion space towards the important factory world of Kathil. Spending little over a week on each world inflicting as much damage as possible, initially the AFFS forces assumed the MAC would attempt to hold their worlds, leading to a confused response. However, after the AFFS realized the goal of Big MAC's strike was Kathil, Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion dispatched CASE JULIET, his own counterinvasion force, and set a trap for the mercenary unit onworld.<ref name=HWof3039-122/> Landing first on September 2nd, [[2nd McCarron's Armored Cavalry|Barton's Regiment]] were outnumbered but unconcerned, striking at the seemingly sluggish [[8th Syrtis Fusiliers|Eighth Syrtis Fusiliers]] while awaiting the other MAC regiments. Holding back until after the [[1st McCarron's Armored Cavalry|First]] and [[3rd McCarron's Armored Cavalry|Third MAC]] landed, the Davion forces sprung their trap, revealing the [[Alcyone CMM]] and [[1st Kittery Borderers|First Kittery Borderers]] were also onworld. Now heavily outnumbered, the shocked MAC held out for few more days before conceding they were overmatched. As the fighting on Kathil bogged down, Archie McCarron learned of the FedCom strike against their homeworld of Menke and immediately recalled the bulk of his troops, but gave an unsatisfied Colonel [[Marcus Barton]] authorization to continue to operate behind enemy lines as he saw fit.<ref name=HWof3039-122/><ref name=HWof3039-122/><ref name=HWof3039-126>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 124–125: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Capellan Operations - Kathil (September)"</ref> Barton ultimately opted for a totally unexpected and highly questionable attack against Addicks, the command center of the entire [[Addicks PDZ]]. With Addicks a major staging point for units taking part in the invasion of the Combine, Barton easily concealed his two 'Mech Battalions among the multiple [[RCT]]s and regiments onworld. Painting his forces to resemble some of the Davion units stationed on Addicks, Barton's forces launched their attack on November 14th, rampaging through the spaceport for three and half hours before making a break for their DropShips, escaping but suffering extremely heavy losses in the process, most notably a ''[[Union]]''-class DropShip with all hands and a JumpShip whose [[KF drive]] burned out after a desperate quick-charge.<ref name=HWof3039-122/><ref name=HWof3039-124>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 124–125: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Capellan Operations - Addicks (November)"</ref> After their eventual return, McCarron's Armored Cavalry were hailed as heroes by the Capellan media, boosting the morale of the Capellan military at the cost of the AFFS counterinvasion and the damage it inflicted.<ref name=HWof3039-122/> ====AFFC Counterassault (Case Juliet)==== While the McCarron Armored Cavalry raids reaching as deep as Kathil came as a surprise, [[Capellan March]] commander [[Duke]] [[Morgan Hasek-Davion]] had been making preparations for CASE JULIET since [[3038]] in case the Capellans chose to test if the AFFS had weakened itself to strike House Kurita. Originally a retaliatory strike against vital manufacturers on Grand Base, Victoria and Menke, [[Sarna March]] commander [[General]] [[Roman Steiner]] also prepared to target [[Ares (system)|Ares]] after consulting with Hasek-Davion and the AFFS high command as well.<ref name=HWo3039-127>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 127: "Wave Two and Counterattack - Capellan Operations - Countering the Big MAC"</ref> Though highly risky as JULIET involved almost all the available Capellan March defenders, Duke Hasek-Davion and General Steiner knew a simultaneous strike of this magnitude would send a clear message to the Chancellor and rebuke McCarron for his raids. Demonstrating to the CCAF the weakness of its defenses, a lesson some considered possibly better saved for a renewed war against the Confederation, Hasek-Davion considered it a price well paid to prevent a larger Capellan strike during the War of 3039.<ref name=HWo3039-127/> The Confederation however found the price bitter indeed, suffering much greater physical losses compared to those inflicted by the Big MAC on the Federated Suns. The Capellan leadership would spin MAC's victories for a morale boost: "proving" that the Davion military was not invincible, publicly hiding the fact that military production on all four worlds had been crippled for months if not years.<ref name=HWo3039-127/> ==Aftermath and Legacy== The bulk of combat operations had died down by December 3039 with a few exceptions (most notably on [[Galtor III]] where fighting would continue into [[3042]])<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 100–102</ref> as FedCom units largely withdrew back to their territory. Though many within the allied high commands still lobbied for the renewal of hostilities, arguing that the Combine had reached its military limit, the risk of getting bogged down in attrition warfare against an enemy who had displayed surprising strength seemed too high. On 19 January 3040 the [[Exeter Accords]] were signed, officially suspending all hostilities between the Federated Commonwealth and Draconis Combine. In the end a paltry number of planets had exchanged hands, with [[Cylene]], [[Lima]], [[Royal]], [[Murchison]], [[Markab]], [[Skat]] and [[McComb]] taken by the Federation while the Combine had conquered [[Fomalhaut]], [[Saffel]] and [[Quentin]].<ref name=HW39-130>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 130</ref> The failure of the LCAF and AFFS to properly coordinate their offensive led to the decision to integrate the military forces of the two nations well before they officially became one nation. The [[Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth]] officially came into existence in [[3041]], with the next years spent unifying the two militaries into one whole. Likewise the intelligence agencies for the two allies, the [[LIC]] and [[MIIO]], came under the oversight of the [[Intelligence Secretariat]] to better coordinate their covert operations.<ref name=HW39-134>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 134</ref> The victory of Combine forces helped to restore pride and honor lost during the Fourth Succession War and improve the public image of House Kurita in the Inner Sphere. The daring victory also helped smooth over the rocky relationship between ''Kanrei'' Theodore and his father the Coordinator, allowing them to present the public image of a unified front to their House's enemies.<ref name=HW39-134/> House Kurita also won a symbolic victory with their conquest of Quentin, where [[Independence Weaponry]] produced the Davion-favorite ''[[Victor]]'' assault 'Mech. Following the loss of that factory world, the AFFC had to import their ''Victor''s from the [[St. Ives Compact]] where [[HildCo Interplanetary]] had recently rebuilt a ''Victor'' production line.<ref>''Technical Readout: 3039'', p. 158</ref> But the Combine victory was not without cost. Though the ''Kanrei''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s dragooning of the Combine's merchant shipping made Operation OROCHI possible, it had a devastating effect upon the realm's economy which would take years from which to recover.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 114</ref> The War of 3039 was notable for being the first conflict in decades, if not in centuries, where vintage Star League-era technology provided by ComStar as well as new or rediscovered technologies were employed on any significant scale. Thanks to the [[Helm Memory Core]] both sides had begun the process of resurrecting many weapons and devices which had become extinct, and while some were still in the prototype stages others had achieved full functionality, though their scarcity still limited them to certain elite units only. Both sides had access to primitive versions of [[double heat sinks]], [[ER Large Laser]]s, [[Medium Pulse Laser]]s, [[ferro-fibrous armor]] and [[Endo Steel]], as well as complete examples of [[CASE]], [[Target Acquisition Gear|TAG]], [[Narc Missile Beacon]]s and [[Guardian ECM]]. The Federation also fielded prototype versions of the [[UAC/5]] and [[LB 10-X]] autocannons and [[Gauss rifle]]s, as well as [[Triple Strength Myomer]], while the Combine also had access to [[Beagle Active Probe]]s. The allies also fielded new [[Listen-Kill Missile]]s among their units, although the Combine was able to quickly render the technology ineffective.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 144–145</ref> ==References== <references /> ==Bibliography== * ''[[20 Year Update]]'' * ''[[Blood Legacy]]'' (novel) * ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]'' (novel) * ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]'' * ''[[Technical Readout: 3039]]'' [[Category:Wars]]

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