The fighting on the Kurita-Davion front has had more manoeuvre than either of the Lyran fronts, with both sides ranging deep into the other’s territory, though it appears the DCMS had begun to gain the upper hand as a number of worlds were assaulted by DCMS forces this month. However, the fighting on Marduk reached a new crescendo as the Davions have committed more forces, placing the likelihood of its fall in doubt. As was the case on the Commonwealth front, the effects of better supplies for the DCMS troops began to show its hand dramatically in May, especially on Marduk.
GALTOR FRONT (Operation SHIRO)
Operation SHIRO, like its counterpart on the Tamar Front continued to take worlds from its opponent, this time the Federated Suns. The cutting off of New Aberdden was serious, as was the fall of additional worlds.
WORLD: MARDUK
ATTACKER: 1st and 3rd Light Amphigean Assault Groups, 11th and 17th Benjamin Regulars, 5th Sword of Light, Legion of the Rising Sun, Quint’s Quartet, The Ronin, 55th Benjamin Armoured Brigade, 15th, 16th, 23rd and 25th Assault Squadrons, 240th Draconis Aerospace Wing, 5th DEST
Arrives in May: 8th Benjamin Regulars, Wolf’s Dragoons Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Epsilon Regiments, 3rd and 7th Ghost Regiments.
DEFENDER: Kestrel Grenadiers RCT (Able Brigade and Mech Regiment only), 41st Avalon Hussars RCT, 1st, 3rd and 4th Davion Guards RCTs, 2nd Robinson Rangers, 4th Crucis Lancers RCT, The Black Tigers, 36th and 42nd Federation Armoured Brigades, Marlette, Nunivak, Tsamma and New Avalon CMM Mech Regiments, The Dragonslayers, McBride’s Maulers, 11th, 14th and 15th Fox Teams, 117th, 125th, 127th and 132nd Independent Aero Wings, SOAR, 25th and 26th Assault Dropship Wings, Norse BattleWorks Security, Marduk Militia
Arrives in May: Beaufort’s Cossacks (2 Regiments), Swann’s Cavaliers, 29th, 57th, 60th, 63rd and 69th Assault DropShip Wings, 50th, 77th, 83rd and 88th Independent Aerospace Wings
RESULTS: Both the AFFS and the DCMS recognised Marduk as the pivotal battle of the front, with both militaries sending in even more forces in May. The DCMS dispatched the ever reliable Wolf’s Dragoons, whilst the AFFS sent in additional mercenary forces and a naval flotilla to cut off the DCMS from additional reinforcements.
Over forty Assault DropShips, nearly 500 fighters and close to 150 transport DropShips clashed over Marduk before either force could land, with the incoming Davion ships suffering at the hands of the expertly piloted Wolf’s Dragoons ships and fighters.
With the large number of AFFS forces on world the DCMS need to reorganise it units. Attacked now on two sides, from the Norse Battlworks Facility and from New Pontiac, the DCMS sent Wolf’s Dragoons to face the Davion forces coming from New Pontiac, assisted by the 5th Sword of Light, 8th Galedon Regulars and the 1st and 3rd Amphigean Light Assault Groups. Coming at these forces were the 1st, 3rd and 4th Davion Guards, 1st Robinson Rangers, 4th Crucis Lancers and 41st Avalon Hussars along with The Black Tigers and several other support units. However, despite the redistribution of forces, both DCMS fronts were facing a superior foe.
The advantage in pure numbers held by the AFFS was effective, but something of a phantom, as those numbers were spread across many damaged Regiments. This became apparent early in the month as several of the units in both AFFS task forces began to show what months of wear and tear could do to a formation. Though affected by the same battle exhaustion, the DCMS was in a better position to manage it.
Knowing time was running out, the forces in the Norse Battleworks Facility staged a sudden counter-attack, one which badly damaged several Kurita formations and bought the defenders of the plant some much need breathing room. However, the attempt by the forces from New Pontiac in linking up with the Battleworks strike ended in failure, as the indomitable Wolf’s Dragoons first opened and then shattered the Davion centre, largely redressing the losses suffered by the other DCMS battle group.
Although the 1st Amphigean Light Assault Group was forced to leave the system due to ongoing losses and unit collapse, the AFFS was forces to pull off the 4th Davion Guards Mech Regiment and Able Brigade, the 1st Davion Guards Able and Charlie Brigades and The Black Tigers mercenary unit. All of these units had been in constant heavy conflict for nearly half a year and were no longer combat effective.
By the end of the month, the situation on world was now finely balanced, with the AFFS still holding numerical superiority, but the DCMs having better unit integrity.
WORLD: NEW ABERDEEN
ATTACKER: Ryuken-roku, 56th Galedon Armoured Brigade.
Arrives in May: Ryuken-yon and 10th Ghost Regiment
DEFENDER: 1st Ceti Hussars RCT, 4th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT, Warbirds, New Aberdeen Militia.
RESULTS: The arrival of the 10th Ghost and Ryuken-yon made the battle for New Aberdeen a much closer affair, but did not turn the advantage all the way to the Kurita side, in fact, New Aberdeen could rapidly become a rescue mission instead of a conquest. As on many worlds, the ongoing lack of supplies for the AFFS was the greatest concern, with many units showing the strain by mid-month. Although by month end the AFFS had done greater damage, several units were forced, due to ongoing losses and lack of resupply to depart New Aberdeen. From the DCMS the support Brigade of Ryuken-roku left for Misery and from the AFFS the 1st Ceti Hussars Able and Baker Brigades along with the 4th Deneb Light Cavalry’s Charlie Brigade all fell back to Royal. Despite these departures, the AFFS still held a noticble advantage on the world.
WORLD: ELDIRE IV
ATTACKER: McGee’s Cutthroats, 60th and 85th Galedon Armoured Brigades, 18th and 19th DEST, 160th Draconis Aerospace Wing
DEFENDER: Eldire IV Militia
RESULTS: With the departure of the AFFS line forces, the militia on Eldire surrendered.
WORLD: GALTOR III
ATTACKER: 2nd Benjamin Regulars, 48th Benjamin Armoured Brigade, 296th Draconis Aerospace Wing, 22nd DEST
DEFENDER: 38th Federated Armoured Brigade, 119th Independent Aerospace Wing, Galtor III militia.
RESULTS: The battle for Galtor ground on in May, with the DCMS continuing to improve its position week by week. Without support, Galtor would fall.
WORLD: CROSSING
ATTACKER: Ryuken-San
DEFENDER: Eridani Light Horse (3 Regiments)
RESULTS: The Ryuken chose not to oppose the Eridani Light Horse’s landings, seeing little value is risking their limited air support. Despite their caution, the Ryuken were unable to stop the Light Horse from rampaging across the world, taking moderate causalities, whilst doing little to slow the mercenaries.
WORLD: WAPAKONETA
ATTACKER: Ryuken-yon, 3rd Benjamin Regulars
DEFENDER: Greenberg’s Godzillas, 17th Avalon Hussars RCT
RESULTS: Not expecting to see an enemy task force arrive in system at the same time, both the AFFS and DCMS task forces avoided each other before grounding on the world. Both sides fought an uninspired campaign that had changed the status quo little by month’s end.
WORLD: SCHEAT
DEFENDER: 16th Benjamin Armoured Brigade, Scheat Militia
ATTACKER: Fox Team 3, Scheat Rebels
RESULTS: The rebellion on Scheat was a small one, as many generations had seen little but war and devastation from the Davions. Despite this, a bombing of the main barracks of the 16th Armoured, got the revolution off on the right foot and lead to no ends of troubles for the Combine authorities.
WORLD: LIMA
DEFENDER: Black Lion Co-op, 40th Federation Armoured Brigade, The Black Cats, The Black Lions (co), Lima Militia
ATTACKER: 2nd Galedon Regulars, Wolf’s Dragoons Black Widow Battalion
RESULTS: Of the sixteen aircraft that rose to engage the attacking DCMS forces, only 3 made it back to base, having caused some damage to the inbound transports. Despite giving as good as they got, the defenders were hampered by the damage suffered by the three mercenary units over the preceding few months. Sighting escape clauses, the three heavily damaged Mercenary units pulled of Lima for New Ivaarson, with the line AFFS forces left on their own against huge odds.
WORLD: MCCOMB
DEFENDER: Miller’s Marauders, Fox Teams 2 and 12, McComb Militia
ATTACKER: 21st Galedon Regulars, Wolf’s Dragoons Zeta Battalion
RESULTS: Miller’s Marauders were an experienced unit, but were up against the famous Zeta Battalion supported by the 21st Galedon. Dragoon tactics saw many fighters and Mechs of the defenders fall in the first week of combat and allow the Dragoons to seize the initiative. By month’s end, matters were worsening for the defenders, as their air cover was largely gone and Zeta was closing in.
WORLD: HARPSTER
DEFENDER: Harpster Militia
ATTACKER: 6th Ghost Regiment
RESULTS: In their baptism of fire, the 6th Ghost fought a perfect campaign, even if it was against a weak and limited opposition.
GALEDON FRONT (Operation GROTESQUE EMERALD)
The inappropriately named Operation GROTESQUE EMERALD was intended to draw DCMS forces away from the Raman PDZ, however, three shattered mercenary units and an independent mercenary battalion were not sufficient to distract the Kuritan Warlords form the task at hand.
WORLD: SENORBI
ATTACKER: Lindon’s Battalion
DEFENDER: Senorbi Militia
RESULTS: With a massive sandstorm blowing across most of the capital and its surrounds the mercenaries were unable to locate their target.
WORLD: ALTDORF
ATTACKER: Dismal Disinherited – Plague of Locusts
DEFENDER: Altdorf Militia
RESULTS: Although they managed to beat up some of the militia, there was little of value for the mercenaries to take from the world.
WORLD: KAZNEJOV
ATTACKER: Dismal Disinherited – Hostile LAM’s
DEFENDER: 21st DEST, 78th and 208th Draconis Aerospace Wing, 22nd, 89th and 94th Galedon Armoured Brigade, Kaznejov Militia
RESULTS: The Hostile LAM’s were able to dodge, duck, dive and dodge past the heavy defences to snare ¢2 Million in rare cars, before high tailing it off world.
WORLD: WALDHEIM
ATTACKER: Dismal Disinherited – Krypt Kickers
DEFENDER: 82nd Draconis Aerospace Wing, Waldheim Militia
RESULTS: Despite giving the militia some bloody noses, the Krypt Kickers were unable to get out from under the eyes of the 82nd and were forced to leave the world empty handed.