Battle of Lee (2952)
Sarna News
| Great Lee Turkey Shoot (Third Succession War) |
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| Part of The Third Succession War | |||||||||||
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| Attacker House Liao |
Defender House Davion |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||||
| Chancellor Ingrid Liao | First Prince Peter Davion | ||||||||||
| Forces involved | |||||||||||
| Six fighter regiments (over 200 AeroSpace Fighters)inclyding rare Land-Air 'Mechs and a sizable ground force to the mission | AeroSpace Fighters and Mechs, quantities not specified | ||||||||||
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| Normal | |||||||||||
The Battle of Lee in 2952, 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.
Overview
In the late thirtieth 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 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. [1] [2] [3] [4]
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, site of a AFFS regional supply center as well as a critical maintenance facility for AeroSpace Fighters and increasingly rare Land-Air 'Mechs. Hoping to claim the vital facility for the Confederation, Ingrid committed six fighter regiments (over 200 AeroSpace Fighters) and a sizable ground force to the mission, waiting on Sian for word of its success. [5] [6] [1] [2] [3] [4]
The MIIO however learned of the plan well in advance, giving First Prince Peter plenty of time to reinforce and direct the planet's defense himself. Thanks to their advanced warning the Davion defenders met the Capellan forces in space, immediately assuming aerospace superiority. 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. [5] [6] [1] [2] [3] [4]
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. [1] [2] [3] [4]
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. [2] [3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 50 "History - The Succession Wars - Shift to Aerospace"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 House Davion (The Federated Suns), pp. 87-88 "History - Third Succession War - Knights of the Void"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Handbook: House Davion, p. 67 "History of the Federated Suns - Third Succession War - Rise of Brotherhoods - The Purge"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Handbook: House Liao, p. 34 "History of the Nation - Third Succession War - The Great Lee Turkey Shoot"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Technical Readout: 3025, p. 134 "AeroSpace Fighters - SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 152 "AeroSpace Fighters - SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk"