Lyran – Combine Front May 3025

The LCAF continued to increase the tempo of its operations against the DCMS in the Dieron Military District, as well as on the coreward edge of the Rasalhague District.  Although both actions seemed to be trying to draw the attention of the DCMS away from Tamar, the Dragon remained fixated on the world.  The effects of better supplies for the DCMS troops began to show its hand dramatically in May, as several Commonwealth units began collapsing from five months of abuse.

TAMAR FRONT (Operation URIZEN)

Operation URIZEN continued to show success in May, as further Commonwealth worlds fell to the might of the DCMS.  May also saw the debut of the Coordinator’s hidden card: the Ghost Regiments.  Raised from Yakuza and other undesirables, these units looked to be a blessing and a bane for Theodore.  They would bring success on the battlefield, but further enrage the ever strengthening Black Dragon Society.

WORLD:                               SEVERN

ATTACKER:          2^nd Amphigean Light Assault Group, 2^nd An-Ting Legion, Helmut’s Hermits, Lone Star Regiment, 1^st Night Stalkers, 17^th Rasalhague Regulars, 1^st and 5^th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre, 13^th, 22^nd, 36^th and 42^nd Rasalhague Armoured Brigades, 119^th, 311^th, 121^st and 216^th Draconis Aerospace Wings, 150^th and 224^th Draconis Aerospace Wings

DEFENDER:                         8^th Donegal Guards, 26^th Lyran Guards RCT, Tamar Tigers, 280^th Panzer Brigade-12^th Panzer Division, 81^st Loki, Severn Militia, Capital Defence Corps.

RESULTS:                             Despite their efforts, the battle for Severn had been slowly sliding away from the LCAF units on world and May would see their grip slip even farther.  Led by the Night Stalkers, An Ting Legion and 17^th Rasalhague Regulars, the DCMS staged a massive night assault on LCAF positions on the 8^th.  Within hours the LCAF was pulling back and by the 11^th, fully a third of the Lyran forces on worlds were eliminated.

Although the fighting was enough to gut many of the remaining Kurita forces, the LCAF suffered far worse.  Although the acting commander on world, Lieutenant-General Woodruff Peterson of the 26^th Lyran Guards, had his own unit in good order, he saw that the majority of LCAF units were one push away from total annihilation.  On May 17^th, he gave the order to evacuate.

The price of Severn was extensive, with the remaining DCMS forces on world mustering barely 41% of their establishment, with the LCAF forces departing at less than 30% strength and less than a quarter strength when the 26^th Lyran Guards Mech Regiment was not accounted for.

The LCAF forces on world jumped to Vulcan to begin the long process of recovery.

WORLD:                               TAMAR

ATTACKER:                          1st Altenmarkt Militia, Dragon’s Claws, 2^nd Night Stalkers, 8^th Rasalhague Regulars, St Cyr Heavy Assault Group, 11^th, 12^th, 18^th and 20^th Heavy Assault Squadrons, 158^th, 191^st, 269^th and 288^th Draconis Aerospace Wings, 6^th DEST

DEFENDER:                         151^st Aerospace Wing-3^rd Regiment, 153^rd and 221^st Panzer Brigades-12^th Panzer Division, 1^st and 24^th Arcturan Guards, Tamar War College Training Battalion, 13^th Lohengrin, Tamar Militia

RESULTS:                             Lyran successes over the preceding two months saw Tai-sa Lyn Kitabatake take command of the situation on Tamar.  The Coordinator tasked Kitabatake with showing the old guard the best ways to implement the new methods. Although the new Tai-sa was hard pressed to get the action moving for her first two weeks on Tamar, on the 19^th she unleashed her forces around the capital.  Several feints and deep strikes unbalanced the LCAF and saw the DCMS advance into the capital for the first time in the campaign, shattering several LCAF formations.  Despite the severe handling they received, the LCAF forces did not break.  The remainder of the month saw a grinding house to house fight, that more than the losses of early in the month, sapped at the morale of the defenders.  It was now clear that without reinforcements Tamar would fall, however, the LCAF would force the DCMS to pay an even higher price for the world.

WORLD:                               VERTHANDI

DEFENDER:                         300^th Panzer Brigade

ATTACKER:                          8^th Ghost Regiment

RESULTS:                             With Verthandi pacified, the 300^th planned to take over a world with fond memories of the Commonwealth.  What it got was a brand new DCMS Regiment, right in the face.

Although entering the system at different points, both units headed for the planetary capital, the 8^th to retake it and the 300^th to hold it and wait for reinforcements.  Despite their best efforts, the tankers of the 300^th were hammered to less then 30% strength and forced to withdraw from their first ever engagement.  The world was returned to the Combine and reprisals began.

WORLD:                               CUSSET

ATTACKER:                          9th Rasalhague Regulars, Tooth of Ymir, 57^th Rasalhague Armoured Brigade.

DEFENDER:                         Waco’s Rangers, 54^th independent Aerospace Wing, Cusset Militia

RESULTS:                             The DCMS forces on Cusset had the defenders at a great disadvantage and planned to complete the subjugation of the world as quickly as possible.  Despite their hopes however,  the LCAF put up further stiff resistance, with the DCMS forced to fight hard for any gain.  Nomatter the LCAF’s endeavours, once the Waco Rangers hit the accepted retreat force strength of their contract, they prepared to leave the world.  The Rangers helped their cause by offering the remaining space on their transport to the 54^th Wing before departing, with both units moving to Colmar.

WORLD:                               SHAULA

ATTACKER:                          3^rd and 9^th Pesht Regulars, 99^th Draconis Aerospace Wing

DEFENDER:                         1^st Lyran Guards RCT (Mech Regiment, 12^th Panzergrenadier Brigade and 1^st Aerospace Wing), Hansen’s Roughriders, 100^th and 143^rd Panzer Brigades, Shaula Militia.

RESULTS:                             With the retreat of two units the month before hampered by the surrender early in May of some units, the LCAF were going to be hard pressed to hold the world. Continued heavy fighting late in the month reduced the LCAF force to just 20% of its original strength, forcing it offworld to Biota.

WORLD:                               MAETSU

ATTACKER:                          13^th and 20^th Rasalhague Regulars, 127^th Draconis Aerospace Wing

DEFENDER:                         23rd and 25^th Arcturan Guards, 2^nd Arcturan Guards Conventional Brigade, 295^th Panzer Brigade, Maestu Militia

RESULTS:                             Like many of the other battered forces defending the Tamar Front, the defenders on Maestu were stretched thin and in desperate need of rest and reinforcement.  The DCMS would have none of it however, continuing to press the LCAF hard.

                                                Already is disarray, the 23^rd and 25^th Arcturan Guards Mech Regiments along with the 2^nd Arcturan Conventional Brigade were quickly forced off world.  With the 2^nd Arcturans Conventional Brigade being driven off shortly after, the decision was made to abandon the world before the remaining forces could be devastated.

WORLD:                               LAURENT

ATTACKER:                          15^th Benjamin Regulars, 22^nd Rasalhague Regulars, 118^th Rasalhague Armoured Brigade, 137^th Draconis Aerospace Wing

DEFENDER:                         1^st Lyran Regulars RCT (only 12^th Panzergrenadier and 1^st Aerospace), Laurent Militia

                                                Arriving in May: 2^nd Arcturan Guards Mech Regiment

RESULTS:                             With the worlds either side of it collapsing, Laurent became the last hope for saving Tamar, if Tamar could be saved.  Knowing the need to capture the world was now vitally important, the DCMS troops on world began a massive drive against the defending forces.  Despite their will, the DCMS was unable to force the LCAF off world.  However, they did do enough damage to the defenders to assure themselves of eventual victory.

WORLD:                               NEW CALADONIA

ATTACKER:                          1^st Regiment, Winfield’s Brigade, 30^th Lyran Guards, 4^th Donegal Guards, 18^th Lohengrin

DEFENDER:                         4^th Ghost Regiment, New Caledonia Militia

RESULTS:                             Following the success in taking Verthandi the previous month, the LCAF planned to take New Caledonia from the Dragon as well.  3 Mech units and their supporting forces dropped onto New Caledonia, as did the 4^th Ghost Regiment, who were not prepared to face such a force in their first combat.

The engagement at the Nadir jump Point saw nearly half the Ghost wiped out and the remainder jump to Verthandi as quickly as they could, leaving the militia to face the juggernaught alone.

Despite being against orders, the LCAF units on world took possession of New Caledonia, declaring that it was a down payment on plans to retake the worlds already lost to the Combine.  Although the action of the units annoyed the LCAF High Command, it played well with the people of Tamar.

KESSEL FRONT (Operation SEVERE FIST)

The LCAF was desperate to take the pressure of Tamar and so began an ambitious series of raids and strikes into the Kessel Prefecture of the Dieron Military District.  The LCAF was moderately successful on most worlds, but overwhelmingly so on two worlds, were heavy raids turned into full planetary occupations.

WORLD:                               KIMBALL II

DEFENDER:                         Kimball II Militia

ATTACKER:                          10^th and 44^th Lohengrin, Kimball Rebels

RESULTS:                             Kimball II erupted into rebellion in May, as did Dromini VI, the scale of the revolt taking the local defenders by surprise.  Depsite the fuss, all that was really accomplished was a lot of noise making, despite the large number supporting the rebellion.

WORLD:                               CEBELARI

DEFENDER:                         65^th Dieron Armoured Brigade, Cebelari Militia

ATTACKER:                          12^th Star Guards (Four Regiments)

RESULTS:                             The 12^th Star Guards wiped out the defenders air support as they approached the world and then proceeded to smash the defenders into surrendering before preparing to move on.  Cebalari was taken and its integration back into the Lyran commonwealth began.

WORLD:                               DROMINI VI

DEFENDER:                         46^th Dieron Armoured Brigade, Dromini Militia

ATTACKER:                          5^th LOKI, Dromini Rebels

RESULTS:                             The rebels on Dromini faced a harder time than those on Kimball II.  Although they held many lesser centres, they had little success at taking any major cities or bases,

WORLD:                               KORNEPHOROUS

DEFENDER:                         38th Draconis Aerospace Wing, Kornephorous Militia

ATTACKER:                          4^th Skye Rangers

RESULTS:                             Despite a moderately opposed in run, the elite 4^th were more than a match for the forces defending Kornephorous.  The 4^th destroyed all defending forces inside of a week and prepared for their next assignment.  Kornephorous was taken and its integration back into the Lyran Commonwealth began.

WORLD:                               IMBROS III

ATTACKER:                          6^th Syrtis Fusiliers RCT, Cranston Snord’s Irregulars

DEFENDER:                         33^rd Dieron Armoured Brigade, Imbros Militia

RESULTS:                             The 6^th did not so much as raid Imbros III, as pillage it old style, giving a bad name to Vikings everywhere.  The hapless defenders, caught between the 6^th in front and the mad Irregulars behind the line, simply folded up and let the Davion unit and Steiner Mercenaries take ¢5 Million in Germanium reserves.

WORLD:                               BANGOR

ATTACKER:                          Blacknovas, 12^th Loki

DEFENDER:                         Bangor Militia

RESULTS:                             For May, Operation PEST took in the wonderful sights of the world of Bangor, an out of the way gem rarely visited by the likes of the Blacknovas, a heathen mercenary circus which only just getting into full gear.

The Blacknovas were suitably impressed with the Militia, who stood up the the rampaging mercenaries, but were more than willing to show honour to their opponents.  The mercenaries lifted off world after three days, leaving the spoils they had captured, believing the world had earned it.