Battle of Lee (2952)
Sarna News
The Battle of Lee in 2953, better known as the Great Lee Turkey Shoot, was a three day long fight between the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, most notable for being as the largest single action during the Third Succession War to involve massed groups of AeroSpace Fighters.This offensive was crushed by the AFFS, severely crippling Capellan forces for years afterwards.
Overview
In the late 30th century, the BattleMech piloting rulers of both the Capellan Confederation and Federated Suns began to build up their aerospace forces for wildly different reasons. First Prince Peter Davion II saw the elevation of AeroSpace pilots as a way to break the power of the feudal MechWarriors aristocrats that plagued his attempted reforms for the FedSun government, while Chancellor Ingrid Liao's affection for AeroSpace Fighters resulted in her deciding to use large massed groups of AeroSpace Fighters to bolster her weakened ground forces with overwhelming air support. Greatly encouraged after intercepting a House Marik raid near Ingersoll in 2952 without a single Liao loss, Ingrid decided to launch a major offensive against the Davion-held world of Lee comprised primarily of almost three hundred AeroSpace Fighters.
After the MIIO learned of the plan, Prince Peter moved to reinforce and direct the planet's defense himself, thanks to their advanced warning the Davion defenders crushed the Capellan attack on and around Lee with relative ease. Davion AeroSpace Fighters, consisting primarily of the sleek and fast Sparrowhawk, crippled over forty of the slower and older Capellan Thunderbird and Eagles, leaving the Liao 'Mechs, tanks and infantry without the full air support the Chancellor's plan required. Prince Peter personally led his 'Mech in pushing the Capellans off Lee with heavy losses.
Aftermath
With the Capellans' dwindling resources, the loss of so many vital AeroSpace Fighters was crippling to both the nation and any future plans involving massed air support. Thereafter Capellan Thunderbird and Eagle was restricted to interior defense duties only, with offensive operations the sole province of the few Thrushes that remained.
The success of the Davion Aerospace forces earned them considerable praise, especially from Prince Peter who credited them with the victory, despite the fact he was on the ground in his 'Mech. Already unhappy at Peter's attempts to raise the standing of AeroSpace pilots and purge those MechWarriors who had opposed his reforms, these disaffected nobles formed the Warrior's Cabal which eventually resulted in killing Peter.