Battle of Greeley (3152)

Operation SOLAR FLARE
Part of The IlClan Era
Start Date From 21 to 26 June 3152 Planet Greeley Result Federated Suns total victory
Factions
(Attacker) Federated Suns	(Defender) Draconis Combine
Commanders and leaders
Erik Sandoval-Groell	Masashi Miura
Conditions
Normal

The Battle of Greely is an early IlClan Era military operation that was undertaken by the Federated Suns against the invader Draconis Combine in June 3152.

Operation Brief

The military operation took place within the planet of Greely exclusively.

Operation History

Factions & Known Units Involved in the Conflict

Federated Suns

• Davion Assault Guards
• Dawn Guards
• 5th Robinson Strikers

Draconis Combine

• Black Sword
• Eleventh Ghost
• Seventh Ghost
• Ryuken-san

Origin of Conflict

The Draconis Combine invasion of the Federated Suns and creation of an occupation zone, the Dragon's Tongue at the end of the Dark Age Era proved to be short-lived. Operation DAWN, the reconquest of New Avalon by the Suns, crippled the Kuritans. Still worse than their losses in troops was the de facto decapitation of them: Kanrei Matsuhari Toranaga was lost on New Avalon, and Coordinator Yori Kurita didn't involved herself in the defense of the remaining occupied worlds. Only a Sho-sa, Masashia Miura wanted to take command. Combining the survivors of New Avalon defenders from the Ryuken and Genyosha, he formed a joint unit, named Black Sword. However, from the start, Black Sword hadn't time to react, as the Federated Suns launched Operation SOLAR FLARE, an all out assault against the Tongue worlds. One by one they fell, with the Kuritan defenders barely delaying the FedSun advance. When the second wave of Solar Flare was launched, it became evident than the Combine positions were doomed... but Miura refused to surrender or retreat: his honor wouldn't allow him to do so.

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Launch of the Operation

Greeley found itself in a key position: the reduced Dragon's Tongue was at its narrowest point there, so its possession was key to both sides. Miura obviously knew that, because the mainstay of the remaining Combine forces began gathering there, and Erik Sandoval, the AFFS commander on the field, concentrated his efforts on taking the world at any cost.

Greeley, an arctic wasteland, became the key battlefield in the campaign, a glorious last stand for the samurai loyal to the dead kanrei and abandoned by their Coordinator. Ironically, the planet itself had little value, posessing neither industry nor resources to justify a great campaign; but its position in the Tongue gave it key strategic value. The main battlefield was Fort Greeley, a former AFFS and Star League base. The base served as Miura's headquarters. Since he had ensconced his troops in the base, Masashi enacted a strict lockdown of the entire planet, stockpiling and rationing supplies, allowing his troops to rest and rearm.

The Suns' assault caught Miura by surprise. Thinking it was merely a raid to destroy supplies, Miura sent only a handful of patrols towards Fort Greeley's surrounding towns, without approaching the capital. The AFFS forces took great care to not disturb the locals' way of life, which made them slightly more welcome while also helping to starve the Kuritans. Within some days, Miura realized food shipments had ceased to arrive at Fort Greeley, and prepared to move his infantry into the nearby city to force the population to obey, but before he could do so, three companies of Davion light 'Mechs moved into the capital. Miura's infantry were forced to retreat back to the fort.

There were more Combine forces in system, but these, the Hikage, under the command of Sho-sho Ikeda, took their time in their approach to the planet. Still worse, before the real battle could begin, Seventh Ghost quietly disappeared. But the survivors of the Ryuken-san and the Eleventh Ghost rallied to Sho-sa Miura and his last Black Sword soldiers. Mustering First Battalion of the Black Sword, he led them towards the capital, but when he began his movements, Erik sent his forces to Fort Greeley. Fearing the loss of his main base, Miura retreated with his forces there and prepared to make a final stand. Taking no chances, Erik brought the fresh Fifth Robinson Strikers to support the assault guards and Dawn Guards. The battle outside the tundra around Fort Greeley lasted only two hours, with the Strikers bearing the brunt of the Combine attacks. The Davion assault, led by Justin Sortek, broke the Combine lines, but before his men could enter the base, Erik ordered him to cease fire: the Hikage had aborted their combat drop. In reality, Ikeda never planned to aid Miura's forces. Ikeda allowed the Davions to crush the remnants of Toranaga's hardliners, letting all blame for the defeat to fall on Miura.

By sunset, the battle was over. Fort Greeley lay in the Suns' hands, and every Black Sword member was dead. Masashi Miura was one of those killed. The few survivors from the Ryuken and Eleventh Ghost requested seppuku from their lords. Soon after, Erik negotiated a deal with Ikeda: he signed a cease fire across all the Tongue's occupied worlds and allowed Ikeda and his forces to retreat back to Kuritan space.

Conflict Conclusion

The battle of Greely signaled the end of Operation Solar Flare and the years-long open war between the Combine and Suns. Both sides were so exhausted that any plans to retake lost worlds from the other side were put aside. The DCMS focused on defensive operations, and the Suns on rebuilding their shattered units and planets. Yori Kurita rebuilt the DCMS, making it loyal to only her, while the victor of the conflict (theoretically, at least) the Federated Suns, was divided between two leaders: Julian Davion and Erik Sandoval. Julian Davion had the advantage of being the -official- supreme commander, but Erik Sandoval was more popular and commanded the most troops. Any conflict between them didn't explode... at least, for the moment. And so a tenuous peace extended through the Combine-Suns border.

Gallery

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  Davion Assault Guards during the last part of the Battle of Greeley

Bibliography

• Dominions Divided
• The Damocles Sanction