Editing Operation SCOUR

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	The campaign for [[Quentin]], an important producer of military hardware, was one of the most difficult campaigns for the Draconis Combine task force. Initial landings on the planet went well, but a couple of weeks later in mid-May terrorist bombings struck three task force [[DropShip]]s in tandem with a Manei Domini attack aimed at the task force commanders. Commanding the campaign directly was ''[[Kanrei]]'' [[Kiyomori Minamoto]], who brought in specialist teams from the [[ISF]] and the [[Order of Five Pillars]] to hunt down terrorist operatives while regular forces conducted house to house searches for Blakist insurgents. Complicating an already difficult campaign was the insertion of several more [[Level II]]s of Manei Domini troops onto Quentin by a small Blakist fleet in late May.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The Blakists had taken advantage of a lapse in the air cover provided by the [[AFFS]] over the northern hemisphere; even as the forces on the planet were receiving reinforcements, the [[47th Shadow Division]] revealed its presence by destroying an overextended two-[[Star]] patrol from [[Clan Wolf]] forces.<ref name="JHS:Tp33">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 33: "Official Update 3"</ref> When the Blakist forces began making widespread use of biological weapons against the coalition troops on Quentin Minamoto responded by instituting martial law, which increased the friction between the coalition forces and the local population.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Minamoto's troops managed to finally corner and destroy the [[47th Shadow Division]] on Quentin in late July, when the combined forces of the [[1st Sword of Light]] and Clan Wolf's [[Tau Galaxy (Clan Wolf)|Tau Galaxy]] trapped the Blakist forces in a recently discovered base hidden in the mountains and crushed the bulk of them bar the few survivors who managed to escape to a nearby Blakist [[WarShip]],<ref name="JHS:Tp33"/> only to have the local population rise up against the coalition forces as a result of the heavy-handed treatment dealt out during the campaign. This led to General Belle Lee having to replace Minamoto's garrison forces with elements of the Com Guards to try and reduce tension.<ref name="J:FRp57"/>		The campaign for [[Quentin]], an important producer of military hardware, was one of the most difficult campaigns for the Draconis Combine task force. Initial landings on the planet went well, but a couple of weeks later in mid-May terrorist bombings struck three task force [[DropShip]]s in tandem with a Manei Domini attack aimed at the task force commanders. Commanding the campaign directly was ''[[Kanrei]]'' [[Kiyomori Minamoto]], who brought in specialist teams from the [[ISF]] and the [[Order of Five Pillars]] to hunt down terrorist operatives while regular forces conducted house to house searches for Blakist insurgents. Complicating an already difficult campaign was the insertion of several more [[Level II]]s of Manei Domini troops onto Quentin by a small Blakist fleet in late May.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The Blakists had taken advantage of a lapse in the air cover provided by the [[AFFS]] over the northern hemisphere; even as the forces on the planet were receiving reinforcements, the [[47th Shadow Division]] revealed its presence by destroying an overextended two-[[Star]] patrol from [[Clan Wolf]] forces.<ref name="JHS:Tp33">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 33: "Official Update 3"</ref> When the Blakist forces began making widespread use of biological weapons against the coalition troops on Quentin Minamoto responded by instituting martial law, which increased the friction between the coalition forces and the local population.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Minamoto's troops managed to finally corner and destroy the [[47th Shadow Division]] on Quentin in late July, when the combined forces of the [[1st Sword of Light]] and Clan Wolf's [[Tau Galaxy (Clan Wolf)|Tau Galaxy]] trapped the Blakist forces in a recently discovered base hidden in the mountains and crushed the bulk of them bar the few survivors who managed to escape to a nearby Blakist [[WarShip]],<ref name="JHS:Tp33"/> only to have the local population rise up against the coalition forces as a result of the heavy-handed treatment dealt out during the campaign. This led to General Belle Lee having to replace Minamoto's garrison forces with elements of the Com Guards to try and reduce tension.<ref name="J:FRp57"/>
−	Perhaps the largest operation on the Draconis Combine front in 3077 as a part of SCOUR was the assault to liberate Dieron, which drew in a massive coalition force comprised of Ghost Bear and DCMS forces. The assault began on the 8th of October, but wouldn't be complete for several months. The Blakist forces on Dieron represented one of the largest commitments by the Word of Blake during the Jihad; in terms of ground support the Blakists had deployed a task force consisting of [[Protectorate Militia]] Divisions from [[Acamar]], [[Asta]], [[Fletcher (CC)|Fletcher]], [[Liberty]] and [[Milton]], along with the [[2nd Division (Word of Blake)|2nd]], [[3rd Division (Word of Blake)|3rd]], [[14th Division (Word of Blake)|14th]], [[19th Division (Word of Blake)|19th]] and [[23rd Division (Word of Blake)|23rd]] [[Word of Blake Militia|Militia Divisions]].<ref name="J:FRp127">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 127: "Word of Blake Militia Divisions"</ref> Backing up the ground forces was a substantial naval force - substantial enough that no less than ten Blakist WarShips were destroyed or captured during the campaign, more capital ship losses for the Word of Blake than any other battle of the Jihad save the battle for [[Terra]] in [[3078]]. From their core fleet, the Word of Blake lost three destroyers, the ''[[Baron (WarShip class)|Baron]]''-class [[Light of Glory|WoBS ''Light of Glory'']], the ''[[Essex]]''-class [[Dawning Horizon|WoBS ''Dawning Horizon'']] and the ''[[Lola III]]''-class [[End of Wisdom|WoBS ''End of Wisdom'']].<ref name="J:FRp128OF">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 128: "Original Word of Blake Fleet"</ref> The Blakists also lost seven WarShips from their fleet of vessels suborned from the [[Free Worlds League]] navy: the ''[[Zechetinu]]''-class corvettes [[Karelia|FWLS ''Karelia'']] and [[Tirana|FWLS ''Tirana'']], the ''[[Zechetinu|Zechetinu II]]''-class corvette [[Araneida|FWLS ''Araneida'']], the ''[[Agamemnon]]''-class heavy cruiser [[Aineas|FWLS ''Aineas'']], the [[Eagle (WarShip class)|''Eagle'']]-class frigates [[Mordred (Individual Eagle-class WarShip)|FWLS ''Mordred'']] and [[Tristram|FWLS ''Tristram'']] and the ''[[Thera]]''-class carrier [[Raven's Nest|FWLS ''Sardis'']] - although the latter was captured rather than destroyed, and would be pressed into service by [[Clan Snow Raven]]<ref name="J:FRp128CS">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 128: "Captured Ships"</ref> as the renamed SRS ''Raven's Nest''.<ref name="JHS:Tp68">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 68: "Flight of the Raven"</ref>	+	Perhaps the largest operation on the Draconis Combine front in 3077 as a part of SCOUR was the assault to liberate Dieron, which drew in a massive coalition force comprised of Ghost Bear and DCMS forces. The assault began on the 8th of October, but wouldn't be complete for several months. The Blakist forces on Dieron represented one of the largest commitments by the Word of Blake during the Jihad; in terms of ground support the Blakists had deployed a task force consisting of [[Protectorate Militia]] Divisions from [[Acamar]], [[Asta]], [[Fletcher (CC)|Fletcher]], [[Liberty]] and [[Milton]], along with the [[2nd Division (Word of Blake)|2nd]], [[3rd Division (Word of Blake)|3rd]], [[14th Division (Word of Blake)|14th]], [[19th Division (Word of Blake)|19th]] and [[23rd Division (Word of Blake)|23rd]] [[Word of Blake Militia|Militia Divisions]].<ref name="J:FRp127">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 127: "Word of Blake Militia Divisions"</ref> Backing up the ground forces was a substantial naval force - substantial enough that no less than ten Blakist WarShips were destroyed or captured during the campaign, more capital ship losses for the Word of Blake than any other battle of the Jihad save the battle for [[Terra]] in [[3078]]. From their core fleet, the Word of Blake lost three destroyers, the ''[[Baron]]''-class [[Light of Glory|WoBS ''Light of Glory'']], the ''[[Essex]]''-class [[Dawning Horizon|WoBS ''Dawning Horizon'']] and the ''[[Lola III]]''-class [[End of Wisdom|WoBS ''End of Wisdom'']].<ref name="J:FRp128OF">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 128: "Original Word of Blake Fleet"</ref> The Blakists also lost seven WarShips from their fleet of vessels suborned from the [[Free Worlds League]] navy: the ''[[Zechetinu]]''-class corvettes [[Karelia|FWLS ''Karelia'']] and [[Tirana|FWLS ''Tirana'']], the ''[[Zechetinu|Zechetinu II]]''-class corvette [[Araneida|FWLS ''Araneida'']], the ''[[Agamemnon]]''-class heavy cruiser [[Aineas|FWLS ''Aineas'']], the [[Eagle (WarShip class)|''Eagle'']]-class frigates [[Mordred|FWLS ''Mordred'']] and [[Tristram|FWLS ''Tristram'']] and the ''[[Thera]]''-class carrier [[Raven's Nest|FWLS ''Sardis'']] - although the latter was captured rather than destroyed, and would be pressed into service by [[Clan Snow Raven]]<ref name="J:FRp128CS">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 128: "Captured Ships"</ref> as the renamed SRS ''Raven's Nest''.<ref name="JHS:Tp68">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 68: "Flight of the Raven"</ref>
	In contrast, the campaign to liberate [[Northwind]] in early December was disturbingly easy - the planet was found intact, with the forces of the famed mercenary unit the [[Northwind Highlanders]] intact and no Blakist presence in the system. Northwind's [[HPG]] had been destroyed along with the local satellite communications network and all of the aerospace assets were either destroyed or missing; the population appeared to have been the subject of an extended deception on the part of the Word of Blake that left them isolated and apparently under siege without the Blakists actually garrisoning the system.<ref name="J:FRp58">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"</ref>		In contrast, the campaign to liberate [[Northwind]] in early December was disturbingly easy - the planet was found intact, with the forces of the famed mercenary unit the [[Northwind Highlanders]] intact and no Blakist presence in the system. Northwind's [[HPG]] had been destroyed along with the local satellite communications network and all of the aerospace assets were either destroyed or missing; the population appeared to have been the subject of an extended deception on the part of the Word of Blake that left them isolated and apparently under siege without the Blakists actually garrisoning the system.<ref name="J:FRp58">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"</ref>
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	Complicating operations on the Lyran Alliance and Free Worlds League fronts of Operation SCOUR was an invasion of the [[Duchy of Tamarind]] at the end of August by forces from the Buena Archonette. Despite condemnation from both [[Tharkad]] and the Duchy, several worlds were captured by the Buena Archonette military, drawing attention and resources away from SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> By January 3078 Duchess [[Alys Rousset-Marik]] was demanding that [[Archon]] [[Adam Steiner]] intervene to stop the attacks on the Duchy of Tamarind, citing the invasion as the key reason the Duchy had failed to contribute forces to Operation SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp58"/>		Complicating operations on the Lyran Alliance and Free Worlds League fronts of Operation SCOUR was an invasion of the [[Duchy of Tamarind]] at the end of August by forces from the Buena Archonette. Despite condemnation from both [[Tharkad]] and the Duchy, several worlds were captured by the Buena Archonette military, drawing attention and resources away from SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> By January 3078 Duchess [[Alys Rousset-Marik]] was demanding that [[Archon]] [[Adam Steiner]] intervene to stop the attacks on the Duchy of Tamarind, citing the invasion as the key reason the Duchy had failed to contribute forces to Operation SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp58"/>
−	The first attempt to liberate [[Chara]] in September [[3077]] turned into a bloodbath for the attacking allied coalition forces. Faulty intelligence on the Chara system led to the [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] forces who made up the bulk of the assault force being savaged, with three allied [[WarShip]]s included in the losses, victims of the functioning [[SDS]] network placed in the Chara system by the Blakists.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The plan for attacking Chara was dependent on information from the intelligence operative known as "[[Tempest Stryker|Damocles]]", but the information supplied to the allied coalition forces was either lacking or deliberately misleading. The coalition forces arrived in the system to discover that the Word of Blake had not only placed a functioning SDS network in the system, but that the network was equipped with nuclear weapons. The damage inflicted by the SDS was enough to destroy the flagship of Clan Wolf-in-Exile, the ''[[McKenna (WarShip class)|McKenna]]''-class battleship [[Werewolf (Individual McKenna-class WarShip)|CWS ''Werewolf'']], as well as the largest WarShip in service with the [[Lyran Alliance Armed Forces]], the ''[[Mjolnir (WarShip class)|Mjolnir]]''-class battlecruiser [[Fylgia|LAS ''Fylgia'']], and a ''[[Carrack]]''-class transport operated by [[Clan Nova Cat]] during the initial approach to Chara.	+	The first attempt to liberate [[Chara]] in September [[3077]] turned into a bloodbath for the attacking allied coalition forces. Faulty intelligence on the Chara system led to the [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] forces who made up the bulk of the assault force being savaged, with three allied [[WarShip]]s included in the losses, victims of the functioning [[SDS]] network placed in the Chara system by the Blakists.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The plan for attacking Chara was dependent on information from the intelligence operative known as "[[Tempest Stryker|Damocles]]", but the information supplied to the allied coalition forces was either lacking or deliberately misleading. The coalition forces arrived in the system to discover that the Word of Blake had not only placed a functioning SDS network in the system, but that the network was equipped with nuclear weapons. The damage inflicted by the SDS was enough to destroy the flagship of Clan Wolf-in-Exile, the ''[[McKenna (WarShip class)|McKenna]]''-class battleship [[Werewolf (Individual McKenna-class WarShip)|CWS ''Werewolf'']], as well as the largest WarShip in service with the [[Lyran Alliance Armed Forces]], the ''[[Mjolnir]]''-class battlecruiser [[Fylgia|LAS ''Fylgia'']], and a ''[[Carrack]]''-class transport operated by [[Clan Nova Cat]] during the initial approach to Chara.
	Despite the losses in space, the coalition forces managed to land [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Beta Galaxy]] of Clan Wolf-in-Exile on the surface of Chara. However, rather than facing just the anticipated two Militia units known to be stationed on Chara, the Clan forces found themselves also facing three line regiments from the former [[Free Worlds League]] - the [[4th Free Worlds Legionnaires]], the [[13th Marik Militia]] and the [[Steel Guard]]. Beta Galaxy divided their forces in an attempt to fight against the much more numerous Blakist forces; the [[16th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|16th Wolf Guards]] engaged the 4th Legionnaires and the [[2nd Wolf Legion (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|2nd Wolf Legion]] attacked the Steel Guard, while the remaining Clan Wolf-in-Exile forces concentrated on routing the [[Protectorate Militia]] forces. Despite inflicting heavy losses on the Blakist units, the Wolf-in-Exile forces simply could not hold against the overwhelming numbers, were ground down and forced to retreat. The Clan forces took significant losses, many of whom were not recovered; the highest-ranking casualty was [[Star Colonel]] [[Ranna Kerensky]], slain by a hit to the cockpit of her [['Mech]]. Following the loss of their field commander, Beta Galaxy retreated in some haste, with [[Alexia Rhyde]] assuming temporary control of the Galaxy as the task force retreated to Talitha to regroup and await reinforcements.<ref name="JHS:Tp48+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 48–49: "Chara Operational Report"</ref>		Despite the losses in space, the coalition forces managed to land [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Beta Galaxy]] of Clan Wolf-in-Exile on the surface of Chara. However, rather than facing just the anticipated two Militia units known to be stationed on Chara, the Clan forces found themselves also facing three line regiments from the former [[Free Worlds League]] - the [[4th Free Worlds Legionnaires]], the [[13th Marik Militia]] and the [[Steel Guard]]. Beta Galaxy divided their forces in an attempt to fight against the much more numerous Blakist forces; the [[16th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|16th Wolf Guards]] engaged the 4th Legionnaires and the [[2nd Wolf Legion (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|2nd Wolf Legion]] attacked the Steel Guard, while the remaining Clan Wolf-in-Exile forces concentrated on routing the [[Protectorate Militia]] forces. Despite inflicting heavy losses on the Blakist units, the Wolf-in-Exile forces simply could not hold against the overwhelming numbers, were ground down and forced to retreat. The Clan forces took significant losses, many of whom were not recovered; the highest-ranking casualty was [[Star Colonel]] [[Ranna Kerensky]], slain by a hit to the cockpit of her [['Mech]]. Following the loss of their field commander, Beta Galaxy retreated in some haste, with [[Alexia Rhyde]] assuming temporary control of the Galaxy as the task force retreated to Talitha to regroup and await reinforcements.<ref name="JHS:Tp48+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 48–49: "Chara Operational Report"</ref>
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	:* ''[[Black Lion]]''-class [[Jade Aerie|CJF ''Jade Aerie'']] and [[White Aerie|CJF ''White Aerie'']]		:* ''[[Black Lion]]''-class [[Jade Aerie|CJF ''Jade Aerie'']] and [[White Aerie|CJF ''White Aerie'']]
	:* ''[[Congress]]''-class [[Green Lantern|CJF ''Green Lantern'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>		:* ''[[Congress]]''-class [[Green Lantern|CJF ''Green Lantern'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>
−	:* ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class [[Hawker (Individual Sovetskii Soyuz-class WarShip)|CJF ''Hawker'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>	+	:* ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class [[Hawker|CJF ''Hawker'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>
	:<u>Clan Snow Raven</u>		:<u>Clan Snow Raven</u>
	:* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Blue Quest|CSR ''Blue Quest'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>		:* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Blue Quest|CSR ''Blue Quest'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>
−	:* ''[[Conqueror]]''-class [[Ark Royal (Individual Conqueror-class WarShip)|CSR ''Ark Royal'']]	+	:* ''[[Conqueror]]''-class [[Ark Royal (Conqueror)|CSR ''Ark Royal'']]
	:* [[York (WarShip class)|''York'']]-class [[Corvidae|CSR ''Corvidae'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>		:* [[York (WarShip class)|''York'']]-class [[Corvidae|CSR ''Corvidae'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/>
	:* ''[[Whirlwind]]''-class [[Drake (Individual Whirlwind-class WarShip)|CSR ''Drake'']]		:* ''[[Whirlwind]]''-class [[Drake (Individual Whirlwind-class WarShip)|CSR ''Drake'']]
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	:* ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvettes [[Katherine Steiner (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Katherine Steiner'']] and [[Katrina Steiner (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Katrina Steiner'']]		:* ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvettes [[Katherine Steiner (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Katherine Steiner'']] and [[Katrina Steiner (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Katrina Steiner'']]
	:<u>Clan Diamond Shark</u>		:<u>Clan Diamond Shark</u>
−	:* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Bloodlust (Individual Aegis-class WarShip)|DSS ''Blood Lust'']]	+	:* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Bloodlust|DSS ''Blood Lust'']]
	:* ''[[Nightlord]]''-class [[Terror of the Deep|DSS ''Terror of the Deep'']]		:* ''[[Nightlord]]''-class [[Terror of the Deep|DSS ''Terror of the Deep'']]
−	:* ''[[Potemkin]]''-class [[Kraken (Individual Potemkin-class WarShip)|DSS ''Kraken'']] and [[Red Tide|DSS ''Red Tide'']]	+	:* ''[[Potemkin]]''-class [[Kraken (Vessel)|DSS ''Kraken'']] and [[Red Tide|DSS ''Red Tide'']]
	:<u>Clan Nova Cat</u>		:<u>Clan Nova Cat</u>
	:* ''[[Aegis]]''-class heavy cruisers [[Auspicium (Individual Aegis-class WarShip)|NCS ''Blade'']], [[Chronicle|NCS ''Chronicle'']], [[Path of Honor|NCS ''Path of Honor'']], [[NCS Promise]] and [[Remembrance|NCS ''Remembrance'']]		:* ''[[Aegis]]''-class heavy cruisers [[Auspicium (Individual Aegis-class WarShip)|NCS ''Blade'']], [[Chronicle|NCS ''Chronicle'']], [[Path of Honor|NCS ''Path of Honor'']], [[NCS Promise]] and [[Remembrance|NCS ''Remembrance'']]
	:* ''[[Congress]]''-class frigate [[True Vision|NCS ''True Vision'']]		:* ''[[Congress]]''-class frigate [[True Vision|NCS ''True Vision'']]
	:* ''[[Fredasa (WarShip class)|Fredasa]]''-class corvette [[Future Triumph|NCS ''Future Triumph'']]		:* ''[[Fredasa (WarShip class)|Fredasa]]''-class corvette [[Future Triumph|NCS ''Future Triumph'']]
−	:* ''[[Lola III]]''-class destroyers [[Hunter (Individual Lola III-class WarShip)|NCS ''Hunter'']] and [[Rover (Individual Lola III-class WarShip)|NCS ''Rover'']]	+	:* ''[[Lola III]]''-class destroyers [[Hunter (Individual Lola III-class WarShip)|NCS ''Hunter'']] and [[Rover|NCS ''Rover'']]
−	:* ''[[Vincent (WarShip class)|Vincent Mk. 42]]''-class corvette [[Far Vision|NCS ''Far Vision'']]	+	:* ''[[Vincent|Vincent Mk. 42]]''-class corvette [[Far Vision|NCS ''Far Vision'']]
	:* ''[[York (WarShip class)|York]]''-class destroyer [[Anna Rosse (Individual York-class WarShip)|NCS ''Anna Rosse'']]		:* ''[[York (WarShip class)|York]]''-class destroyer [[Anna Rosse (Individual York-class WarShip)|NCS ''Anna Rosse'']]

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{{Cleanup|reason=review needed|date=September 2023}} '''Operation SCOUR''' was the drive by [[Devlin Stone]]'s allied coalition to destroy the [[Word of Blake]] and liberate [[Terra]], thus ending the [[Jihad]]. {{InfoBoxConflict | conflict = Operation SCOUR | partof = The [[Jihad]] | image = | caption = Operation SCOUR | date = 10 January [[3077]] | enddate = [[3078]] | place = | planet = | territory = | faction1 = Attacker<br />[[Devlin Stone]]'s allied coalition | faction2 = Defender<br />[[Word of Blake]] | commander1 = Devlin Stone | commander2 = [[The Master]] | forces1= | forces2= | result = [[Terra]] liberated; most [[Word of Blake]] forces crushed | environment = | conditions = Normal }} ==Overview== While a number of planets were liberated by coalition forces before the beginning of [[3077]], Operation SCOUR did not begin until the 10th of January 3077, when the forces on the [[Free Worlds League]] front assaulted the worlds of [[Acubens]] and [[Wasat]].<ref name="J:FRp56">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 56: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> A notable exception to Operation SCOUR were any forces from the [[Capellan Confederation]] and their [[Trinity Alliance]] allies, the [[Magistracy of Canopus]]. [[Chancellor]] [[Sun-Tzu Liao]] of the Capellan Confederation and [[Magestrix]] [[Naomi Centrella-Liao]] of the Magistracy stated early in [[3076]] that their respective nations would not be joining the allied coalition assembled by Stone, but that [[CCAF]] and [[MAF]] units would not interfere with coalition efforts to liberate Confederation worlds. As such, while the Capellans and Canopians fought a campaign to liberate a number of worlds, the campaign on the Capellan border of the Word of Blake Protectorate was not a part of Operation SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp55">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 55: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> [[File:Operation Scour 2 (Jihad Hot Spots, Terra).png|right|thumb|Space battle during Operation SCOUR.]] ===Unit Assignments=== This listing represents only those units confirmed as being affiliated with each particular Group during Operation SCOUR; due to the incomplete reporting information available, the makeup of many of the various task force Groups are unknown. ====Draconis Combine Front==== * [[1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs]]<ref name="JHS:Tp31+"/> * [[1st Sword of Light]]<ref name="JHS:Tp33"/> * [[2nd Davion Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp30"/> * [[2nd Dieron Regulars]]<ref name="JHS:Tp68+"/> * [[2nd Genyosha]]<ref name="JHS:Tp32"/> * [[8th Dieron Regulars]]<ref name="JHS:Tp68+"/> * [[19th Arcturan Guards]] (same Group as the 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs)<ref name="JHS:Tp31+"/> * [[Iota Galaxy (Clan Wolf)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp30"/> * [[Tau Galaxy (Clan Wolf)]] (same Group as the 1st Sword of Light)<ref name="JHS:Tp33"/> ====Federated Suns Front==== '''Group I''' * CO: [[Major General]] [[Walter White-Davion]] * [[3rd Free Worlds Legionnaires]]<ref name="JHS:Tp36"/> * [[5th Crucis Lancers]]<ref name="JHS:Tp36"/> * [[15th Arcturan Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp36"/> '''Group II''' * [[1st Davion Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp36FWC"/> * [[Com Guards|Com Guard]] [[2nd Army (ComStar)|2nd Army]]<ref name="JHS:Tp39+"/> '''Group III''' * [[5th Lyran Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp39"/> * [[17th Benjamin Regulars]]<ref name="JHS:Tp39"/> * [[Delta Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp39"/> * [[Drake's Drivers]]<ref name="JHS:Tp71">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 71: "Epsilon Eridani Liberated"</ref> '''Group IV''' * CO: [[Khan]] [[Phelan Ward]]<ref name="JHS:Tp36FWC"/> * [[Iron Guard]]<ref name="JHS:Tp40"/> ====Free Worlds League Front==== * [[Kristen's Krushers]] '''Group I''' * [[7th Donegal Guards]] * [[11th Mechanized Cavalry (Clan Hell's Horses)]] * [[12th Atrean Dragoons]] * [[Devil's Brigade]] '''Group II''' * CO: [[Duke]] [[Leonard Stewart]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> * Com Guard [[5th Army (ComStar)|5th Army]]<ref name="JHS:Tp45Z">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 45: "Overview: Alys Marik"</ref> * [[7th Pesht Regulars]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> * [[Home Guard (Free Worlds League)|Home Guard]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44A"/> '''Group III''' * CO: Khan [[Santin West]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> * Com Guard [[4th Army (ComStar)|4th Army]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> * [[20th Marik Militia]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> * [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> '''Group IV''' * [[3rd Lyran Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp45+"/> * [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp45+"/> * [[Marlette Crucis March Militia]]<ref name="JHS:Tp45+"/> ====Lyran Alliance Front==== * Com Guard [[1st Army (ComStar)|1st Army]]<ref name="JHS:T66+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 66–67: "Rest and Refit"</ref> * [[17th Arcturan Guards]]<ref name="FR:LAAFp10"/> * [[Kell Hounds]]<ref name="JHS:T66+"/> '''Group I''' * [[1st Crucis Lancers]]<ref name="JHS:Tp25"/> * [[7th Free Worlds Legionnaires]]<ref name="JHS:Tp25"/> * [[Skye Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp25"/> '''Group III''' * CO: [[Leutnant-General]] [[Thomas Hogarth]]<ref name="JHS:Tp27"/> * [[1st Federated Suns Lancers]]<ref name="JHS:Tp27"/> * [[6th Benjamin Regulars]]<ref name="JHS:Tp27"/> * [[31st Marik Militia]]<ref name="JHS:Tp27"/> ====Independent Assignments==== * [[12th Vegan Rangers]] * [[Battle Corps]] * [[Fox's Teeth]] ====Unknown Assignments==== * [[2nd Federated Suns Armored Cavalry]]<ref name="FR:AFFSp20">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 20: "Irregular Forces"</ref> * [[5th Free Worlds Guards]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[5th Free Worlds Legionnaires]]<ref name="FR:LAAFp14">''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 14: "Alys Rousset Marik's Resistance"</ref> * [[6th Pesht Regulars]]<ref name="FR:LAAFp11">''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 11: "Donegal Guards"</ref> * [[8th Deneb Light Cavalry]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[23rd Arcturan Guards]]<ref name="FR:LAAFp10">''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 10: "Arcturan Guards"</ref> * [[30th Marik Militia]]<ref name="FR:FWLMp11">''Field Report: FWLM'', p. 11: "Tamarind and Abbey Districts"</ref> * [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * Com Guard [[6th Army (ComStar)|6th Army]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Delta Galaxy (Clan Wolf)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Ghost Legion]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 96: "Classified: Eyes Only - Top Secret"</ref> * [[Hansen's Roughriders]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Juggernaut (Free Worlds League)|Juggernaut]]<ref name="FR:FWLMp13">''Field Report: FWLM'', p. 13: "Minor Provinces"</ref> * [[Kentares Draconis March Militia]]<ref name="FR:AFFSp18">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 18: "Draconis March Militia"</ref> * [[Northwind Highlanders]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Ryuken-ni]]<ref name="FR:DCMSp16">''Field Report: DCMS'', p. 16: "Legion of Vega/Ryuken"</ref> * [[Ryuken-roku]]<ref name="FR:DCMSp17">''Field Report: DCMS'', p. 17: "Legion of Vega/Ryuken"</ref> * [[Ryuken-san]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Sigma Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)]]<ref name="JHS:Tp73+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 73–74: "Victory at New Home"</ref> * [[Skye Jaegers]] (primarily as a reserve force)<ref name="FR:LAAFp9">''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 9: "Alliance Jaegers"</ref> * [[Sorenson's Sabres]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Star Seeds]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> * [[Stone's Liberators]]<ref name="J:FRp57"/> * [[Stone's Revenants]]<ref name="JHS:Tp60+"/> * [[Stone's Stalwart]]<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> [[File:Operation Scour (Jihad Hot Spots, Terra).png|right|thumb|Terrestrial battle during Operation SCOUR.]] ===Draconis Combine Front=== In December [[3076]] [[General]] [[Belle Lee]] of the allied coalition announced that Minamoto had been asked to serve as leader of the coalition forces due to begin operating on the Combine front of [[Operation SCOUR]]. In contrast to the other coalition forces, the second in command to Minamoto was also a member of the [[DCMS]]; ''[[Tai-shu]]'' [[Isoroku Kurita]] was selected, having recovered from injuries sustained in the campaign for [[Pesht]]. Minamoto's forces would include not only noted DCMS units, but also such units as the [[2nd Davion Guards]] from the [[AFFS]] and [[Clan Wolf|Clan Wolf's]] [[Iota Galaxy (Clan Wolf)|Iota Galaxy]]. The Combine also assigned four<ref name="JHS:Tp30">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 30: "Official Update"</ref> of the seven surviving Draconis Combine Admiralty WarShips to the task force; the ''[[Kirishima]]''-class cruiser [[Takashi|DCS ''Takashi'']], the ''[[Kyushu]]''-class frigates [[Dieron Star|DCS ''Dieron Star'']] and [[Victory at Wolcott|DCS ''Victory at Wolcott'']] and the ''[[Tatsumaki]]''-class destroyer [[The Lair of Mighty Wyrms|DCS ''The Lair of Mighty Wyrms'']].<ref name="JHS:Tp30A">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 30: "DCA Readiness Report"</ref> ====3077==== The first campaign of the Combine front of Operation SCOUR was the assault on [[Telos IV]], a planet with a long history of passive resistance to occupation.<ref name="J:FRp56"/> Some reports alleged that both the Blakists and the allied coalition forces made liberal use of nuclear weapons during the campaign for Telos IV, including in and around the capital city, Triumph.<ref name="JHS:Tp30ST4">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 30: "Status: Telos IV"</ref> The attack on Asta performed by coalition forces led by elements of [[Clan Ghost Bear]] on the 18th of March led to the surprise rescue of [[General]] [[Andrew Redburn]], the noted [[Federated Suns]] and [[Federated Commonwealth]] officer believed to have been killed during the Word assault on [[Tukayyid]] in the opening stages of the [[Jihad]]. Redburn was rescued from a Word of Blake prison camp located on Asta and joined Devlin Stone's general staff, working alongside [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] initially before taking over as executive officer to [[Belle Lee]].<ref name="J:FRp57">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 57: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> The forces from the Draconis Combine front that liberated Asta were led by ''[[Tai-shu]]'' [[Isoroku Kurita]], and began by securing what was left of the planetary capital, Excaliba, in the face of stiff resistance that finally broke with the arrival of the [[2nd Genyosha]]. The main Combine force then rolled up the remaining Blakist presence on the Balerdo continent while the Ghost Bear forces cleared the Moolai continent. The Combine forces benefited from an uprising in a Blakist reeducation camp near the port city of Logan which had spread through other camps a week or so before the coalition forces arrived. The uprisings, led by General Redburn, weakened and distracted the Blakist forces, something the coalition forces were able to take advantage of, shortening the campaign for Asta by at least a week if not more.<ref name="JHS:Tp32">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 32: "Official Update 2"</ref> While the recovery of General Redburn was a noted success for the Draconis Combine front of Operation SCOUR, the Combine front also saw a tragedy unfold when a miscalculation on the part of the Draconis Combine front field commander saw an orbital bombardment intended to strike at the Word of Blake defenses on [[Nashira]] instead vaporized half of the Kyoto City, the planetary capital. Civilian populations were not just innocent bystanders during the campaigns on the Draconis Combine front, either; at the end of May, the population of the recently liberated world of Sabik rose up and stormed the planetary HPG complex, inflicting critical damage on the transmission equipment and killing the majority of the staff before coalition forces could respond.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The [[DCMS]] attempted to deploy the [[New Samarkand Militia]] along with the [[Toguran Military Garrison]] to the recently liberated worlds of [[Deneb Algedi]] and [[Telos IV]] in March [[3077]]. Contradicting ''Kanrei'' Minamoto's orders, the allied coalition rerouted these forces to garrison two newly freed worlds on the [[Free Worlds League]] front, and assigned militia forces from the [[Federated Suns]] such as the [[Valexa Capellan March Militia]] in their place. This was an act that drew protests from Minamoto to General Lee.<ref name="JHS:Tp30">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 30: "Official Update"</ref> The Draconis Combine also saw a number of incidents of tension - and more than tension - between coalition forces theoretically on the same side for the campaign; perhaps the most infamous of these occurred on [[Styx]] in mid-May, when the commander of the Lyran [[19th Arcturan Guards]] responded to a Blakist ambush that savaged the [[1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs]] by ordering a nuclear bombardment of the Styx Protectorate Militia HQ complex - a complex located in a city, and which saw the entire city destroyed and a number of mines in the local area collapsed. The off-hand remark given by the officer responsible, that "they're just Dracs, nobody important" was widely reported. The words spoken by [[Leftenant General]] [[Lucas Hoffman]] attracted outrage in the local media, and most likely elsewhere. Casualties from the two tactical nukes detonated as airbursts over the capital city of Styx amounted to at least 15,000 civilians.<ref name="JHS:Tp31+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 31–32: "Outrage"</ref> In August, a case of friendly fire saw Com Guard artillery inflict a devastating strike on the [[Ryuken-ni]] regiment, killing the Ryuken commanding officers; the Combine forces responded by launching an immediate attack on their coalition allies.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The campaign for [[Quentin]], an important producer of military hardware, was one of the most difficult campaigns for the Draconis Combine task force. Initial landings on the planet went well, but a couple of weeks later in mid-May terrorist bombings struck three task force [[DropShip]]s in tandem with a Manei Domini attack aimed at the task force commanders. Commanding the campaign directly was ''[[Kanrei]]'' [[Kiyomori Minamoto]], who brought in specialist teams from the [[ISF]] and the [[Order of Five Pillars]] to hunt down terrorist operatives while regular forces conducted house to house searches for Blakist insurgents. Complicating an already difficult campaign was the insertion of several more [[Level II]]s of Manei Domini troops onto Quentin by a small Blakist fleet in late May.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The Blakists had taken advantage of a lapse in the air cover provided by the [[AFFS]] over the northern hemisphere; even as the forces on the planet were receiving reinforcements, the [[47th Shadow Division]] revealed its presence by destroying an overextended two-[[Star]] patrol from [[Clan Wolf]] forces.<ref name="JHS:Tp33">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 33: "Official Update 3"</ref> When the Blakist forces began making widespread use of biological weapons against the coalition troops on Quentin Minamoto responded by instituting martial law, which increased the friction between the coalition forces and the local population.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Minamoto's troops managed to finally corner and destroy the [[47th Shadow Division]] on Quentin in late July, when the combined forces of the [[1st Sword of Light]] and Clan Wolf's [[Tau Galaxy (Clan Wolf)|Tau Galaxy]] trapped the Blakist forces in a recently discovered base hidden in the mountains and crushed the bulk of them bar the few survivors who managed to escape to a nearby Blakist [[WarShip]],<ref name="JHS:Tp33"/> only to have the local population rise up against the coalition forces as a result of the heavy-handed treatment dealt out during the campaign. This led to General Belle Lee having to replace Minamoto's garrison forces with elements of the Com Guards to try and reduce tension.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Perhaps the largest operation on the Draconis Combine front in 3077 as a part of SCOUR was the assault to liberate Dieron, which drew in a massive coalition force comprised of Ghost Bear and DCMS forces. The assault began on the 8th of October, but wouldn't be complete for several months. The Blakist forces on Dieron represented one of the largest commitments by the Word of Blake during the Jihad; in terms of ground support the Blakists had deployed a task force consisting of [[Protectorate Militia]] Divisions from [[Acamar]], [[Asta]], [[Fletcher (CC)|Fletcher]], [[Liberty]] and [[Milton]], along with the [[2nd Division (Word of Blake)|2nd]], [[3rd Division (Word of Blake)|3rd]], [[14th Division (Word of Blake)|14th]], [[19th Division (Word of Blake)|19th]] and [[23rd Division (Word of Blake)|23rd]] [[Word of Blake Militia|Militia Divisions]].<ref name="J:FRp127">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 127: "Word of Blake Militia Divisions"</ref> Backing up the ground forces was a substantial naval force - substantial enough that no less than ten Blakist WarShips were destroyed or captured during the campaign, more capital ship losses for the Word of Blake than any other battle of the Jihad save the battle for [[Terra]] in [[3078]]. From their core fleet, the Word of Blake lost three destroyers, the ''[[Baron]]''-class [[Light of Glory|WoBS ''Light of Glory'']], the ''[[Essex]]''-class [[Dawning Horizon|WoBS ''Dawning Horizon'']] and the ''[[Lola III]]''-class [[End of Wisdom|WoBS ''End of Wisdom'']].<ref name="J:FRp128OF">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 128: "Original Word of Blake Fleet"</ref> The Blakists also lost seven WarShips from their fleet of vessels suborned from the [[Free Worlds League]] navy: the ''[[Zechetinu]]''-class corvettes [[Karelia|FWLS ''Karelia'']] and [[Tirana|FWLS ''Tirana'']], the ''[[Zechetinu|Zechetinu II]]''-class corvette [[Araneida|FWLS ''Araneida'']], the ''[[Agamemnon]]''-class heavy cruiser [[Aineas|FWLS ''Aineas'']], the [[Eagle (WarShip class)|''Eagle'']]-class frigates [[Mordred|FWLS ''Mordred'']] and [[Tristram|FWLS ''Tristram'']] and the ''[[Thera]]''-class carrier [[Raven's Nest|FWLS ''Sardis'']] - although the latter was captured rather than destroyed, and would be pressed into service by [[Clan Snow Raven]]<ref name="J:FRp128CS">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 128: "Captured Ships"</ref> as the renamed SRS ''Raven's Nest''.<ref name="JHS:Tp68">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 68: "Flight of the Raven"</ref> In contrast, the campaign to liberate [[Northwind]] in early December was disturbingly easy - the planet was found intact, with the forces of the famed mercenary unit the [[Northwind Highlanders]] intact and no Blakist presence in the system. Northwind's [[HPG]] had been destroyed along with the local satellite communications network and all of the aerospace assets were either destroyed or missing; the population appeared to have been the subject of an extended deception on the part of the Word of Blake that left them isolated and apparently under siege without the Blakists actually garrisoning the system.<ref name="J:FRp58">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> ====3078==== In January, the forces on Dieron brought in the [[Northwind Highlanders]] to help secure Dieron after three months of combat operations. In addition to the heavy resistance faced on Dieron, the coalition forces on the Combine front also faced a fierce struggle to capture [[Fomalhaut]] in early February and in late February [[Epsilon Indi]] was liberated after a week-long campaign, but not before Blakist forces poisoned the water supply for several major cities on the planet. In contrast, the battle for [[Altair]] in March saw the world liberated with only minimal resistance offered.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> Media reports circulating in January intimated that all was not well amidst the allied forces contributing to the Draconis Combine thrust of SCOUR; the local [[Drake (News Agency)|Drake]] media outlet on [[Buckminster]] produced a piece on the 22nd of January highlighting the disparity between the official, sanctioned propaganda regarding the victory at Dieron, which portrayed the heroic [[2nd Dieron Regulars|2nd]] and [[8th Dieron Regulars]] liberating Dieron with assistance from the Combine navy and a few Ghost Bears, and what the Drake claimed was the truth, which involved four Galaxies of Ghost Bear troops and a Clan naval flotilla doing the heavy lifting while the DCMS presence was little more than a footnote present by sufferance.<ref name="JHS:Tp68+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 68–69: "Saving Dragon Bacon"</ref> The criticism was not linked solely to partisan interests such as the Drake; [[Orson Tanaka]] of [[INN]] issued an authorized piece on the 22nd of March, indicating that while the public perception was that international cooperation was evident within the allied coalition forces, disparate factions working together against the common foe, the reality on the ground was that friction and factionalism continued to raise problems. DCMS leaders are alleged to have preserved the more glorious missions for DCMS units, causing complaints in particular from the Clans, who grumbled about unworthy targets and dishonorable fights. Federated Suns units complained of a lack of support, from just-in-time spares support and supply through to more mundane but real frustrations that had a toxic effect on morale, such as seeing the same meals served up three times a day, over and over. While the piece was critical of the actions taken and the effects, it was clear in its call for the Dragon to do more, rather than face the threat of the coalition forces separating, with the ultimate goals of SCOUR so close and so much already achieved.<ref name="JHS:Tp69">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 69: "Spirit of Cooperation"</ref> ===Federated Suns Front=== ====3077==== Operations on the Federated Suns wing of Operation SCOUR began inauspiciously on the 1st of February 3077 with an allied assault on the factory world of [[Demeter]]. Unfortunately for the allies, the campaign on Demeter rapidly bogged down into a brutal quagmire, in contrast to the relatively quick starts seen on the other major fronts.<ref name="J:FRp56"/> The [[5th Crucis Lancers]], [[15th Arcturan Guards]] and [[3rd Free Worlds Legionnaires]] were facing not just the local Protectorate Militia divisions but also two [[Level III]]s from the [[9th Division (Word of Blake)|9th Militia Division]], ''Measure of Trust'' and ''Call to the Faithful''. The Protectorate Militia forces retreated to New Demeter City, where the 5th Crucis Lancers and 15th Arcturan Guards faced a brutal battle to defeat them, while the 9th Militia Division forces retreated to a [[Vicore Industries]] complex on Demeter and were promptly encircled by the 3rd Free World Legionnaires. It took a series of orbital bombardments to defeat the Blakist forces, bombardments which destroyed the Vicore Industries facility and allegedly large portions of New Demeter City.<ref name="JHS:Tp36">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 36: "Tragedy on Demeter"</ref> Allied scouts on the Federated Suns front raided the Protectorate world of [[Towne]] on the 12th of February and confirmed the presence of two regiments of Protectorate Militia forces on the planet, as well as a [[DropShip]] facility that the Blakists were using to create [[Pocket WarShips]] from converted civilian vessels. In a harbinger of things to come, the scouts also confirmed the presence of a functioning [[SDS]] network in the Towne system.<ref name="J:FRp56"/> In support of the Federated Suns front the allied coalition launched additional reconnaissance raids on [[Addicks]] and [[Yangtze]], with markedly different results. On Addicks, the [[12th Vegan Rangers]] almost routed the defending Blakist forces single-handedly, leading [[Field Marshal]] [[Katheryn Sandoval-Ito]] to bring plans for the liberation of Addicks by Group IV under the command of [[Khan]] [[Phelan Kell]] of [[Clan Wolf in Exile]] forward four weeks. On Yangtze the Battle Corps Legion found themselves under heavy attack within minutes of landing, losing an entire company in the first half hour. As the surviving elements of the Legion's Alpha Battalion went to ground after taking heavy losses, the CO of Alpha Battalion ordered the Legion's transport vessels to leave immediately;<ref name="JHS:Tp36SOS">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 36: "S.O.S."</ref> those that survived brought vital intelligence to Field Marshal Sandoval-Ito, which was used in the campaign to take Yangtze along with information gathered by those Legion members who had survived on the ground. Sandoval-Ito deployed all three available ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class ships in support of the attack by Group I, and as the coalition's ground forces outflanked the Blakists on the ground the WarShips targeted the strongest concentrations of defending forces with orbital strikes, destroying the largest pockets of resistance.<ref name="JHS:Tp36FWC">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 36: "First Wave Complete"</ref> The third and fourth worlds to be targeted in the first wave of Federated Suns theater attacks were [[Tybalt]] and [[Algot]]. Tybalt was liberated quickly by Group III, leaving the population in the unusual position of having to hold a victory parade that, for the first time in the history of the planet, honored a unit from the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]]. When Group II jumped into the Algot system<ref name="JHS:Tp36FWC"/> it found Capellan forces already present and contesting the world. Following a request from Devlin Stone, the coalition forces withdrew from the Algot system, leaving the battle to the Capellans.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> By the time the orders came to retreat, the [[1st Davion Guards|1st Davion Aerospace Wing]] had acquitted itself well against those CCAF forces that had attacked the Group at the local jump point.<ref name="JHS:Tp36FWC"/> Fighting on the Federated Suns front of Operation SCOUR was fierce, and the destruction of one of the few WarShips left to the Federated Suns Navy, the ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class [[WarShip]] FSS ''Indefatigable'', to a fully operational SDS network in the [[Hean]] system in late May confirmed that the Word of Blake were deploying SDS networks in multiple systems, adding credence to reports that the Capellan Confederation had lost the ''[[Feng Huang]]''-class CCS ''Franco Martell'' to a similar SDS in the [[Halloran V]] system earlier in the year.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> While the Capellan Chancellor had stated that CCAF forces would not interfere with allied coalition efforts to liberate Protectorate worlds, this was not the case for Capellan resisters, insurgents and nationalists on worlds within the Protectorate; this was brought home to the allied coalition when the allied assault on Tigress saw both the Protectorate forces and [[Clan Nova Cat]] forces take massive casualties when several dirty nuclear devices were detonated along a major transportation hub on the planet, as well as several nearby cities. It was originally believed that the indiscriminate use of nuclear devices was an act by Blakist forces, until an investigation revealed that Capellan guerrillas were responsible.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The campaign for Achernar in June saw the planetary governor surrender in the face of inbound allied coalition troops, only to have the Protectorate Militia mutiny and take up fortified positions in and around the West Fabrication Facility, an [[IndustrialMech]] plant owned by [[Achernar BattleMechs]] that the Word of Blake had upgraded to produce BattleMechs. The Federated Suns front task force was forced to fight the Militia within the factory complex itself, which resulted in the facility being destroyed.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> In addition to the unknown number of Blakists killed when the factory was destroyed, two companies of the [[Iron Guard]] were confirmed to have been wiped out.<ref name="JHS:Tp37">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 37: "Liberated Achernar"</ref> Media outlets within the Federated Suns credited Field Marshal Sandoval-Ito with leading the assault on Achernar personally from her ''[[Devastator]]'' and with leading the critical tipping point in the battle for the planet.<ref name="JHS:Tp40">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 40: "Sandoval-Ito: A Study in Success"</ref> In contrast with the difficult campaigns for Achernar and Hean, the arrival of Devlin Stone and [[Stone's Liberators]] on Buchlau on the 1st of September saw the world surrender without a shot being fired.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> [[Ankaa]], [[Small World]] and [[Woodstock]] are also noted as having been liberated in near-bloodless victories for the Federated Suns front forces in mid to late 3077.<ref name="JHS:Tp40"/> Just as forces on the Federated Suns front of Operation SCOUR had found themselves battling for a system at the same time as forces from the Capellan Confederation when they attempted to liberate Algot, they faced a similar situation on [[Nanking]] on the 30th of September. The Capellan and SCOUR forces proved incapable of coordinating with each other.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> The Capellan forces had begun their assault by pushing their [[DropShip]]s to maximum speed, traveling from the jump point to Nanking in two-thirds of the normal time, but at a punishing 2.5 gravities - a rate of speed that caused numerous injuries amongst the Capellan personnel, from sprains to outright heart attacks and gave them little opportunity to rest prior to the attack. The result of this punishing approach was that the forces led by [[Warrior House Fujita]] were exhausted before landing, and when they deployed the Nanking Protectorate Militia managed to keep the Capellan forces confined to their initial landing zone.<ref name="JHS:Tp39">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 39: "War to the Knife"</ref> FedSuns Group III arrived on Nanking a day after the Capellan forces, having made the transit to the planet at a more manageable rate of 1.5 gravities. The various elements of Group III executed a combat drop behind the Protectorate Militia forces and proceeded to savage the Blakist forces with a combined attack, [[Clan Nova Cat|Clan Nova Cat's]] [[Delta Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)|Delta Galaxy]] and the [[17th Benjamin Regulars]] harrying the Militia with ranged fire before the [[5th Lyran Guards]] made a devastating assault. Having broken the Blakists, Group III found itself faced with demands to withdraw from Nanking issued by the Capellans. When Group III pointed out that there were still Blakists active on Nanking and cited that as a reason to remain on the planet, House Fujita launched nuclear strikes against the 5th Lyran Guards; it was at this point that the coalition forces elected to withdraw.<ref name="J:FRp58"/><ref name="JHS:Tp39"/> One of the last worlds to be liberated in 3077 on the Federated Suns front was [[Genoa]], which was liberated on the 31st of October.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> Another noted success for the Federated Suns front was the liberation of [[Fletcher (CC)|Fletcher]] by the [[1st Davion Guards]] and [[2nd Army (ComStar)|ComStar's 2nd Army]]. Operating as a part of Group II, the 1st Davion Guards were commanded by [[Connor Sortek]], while [[Galen Cox]] led the Com Guard forces; the campaign for Fletcher is recorded as having been brief by the media in the Federated Suns, with the allied coalition forces delivering far more damage than they received, crushing the defending Blakist forces.<ref name="JHS:Tp39+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 39–40: "Ingress, Fletcher Fall"</ref> [[Ingress]] was liberated by forces on the Federated Suns front by December; the forces that landed on Ingress were drawn from Group I, under the command of [[Major General]] [[Walter White-Davion]] of the [[5th Crucis Lancers]]. Leading the [[Fox's Teeth]] had recently undergone a change in command, with [[David McKinnon]] leading following the death of [[Ross McKinnon (31st c.)|Ross McKinnon]] early in the year. The resulting campaign was nearly bloodless, with the Fox's Teeth playing a pivotal, although unspecified, role in making it so.<ref name="JHS:Tp39+"/> Major General White-Davion had contacted Field Marshal Sandoval-Ito in July to express his concerns over the plan to attack [[Bharat]]. Citing the report given by [[Colonel]] [[Jasmine Cross]] of the AFFS Engineering Corps on the fall of the Fox's Den on [[New Avalon]] to the Word of Blake earlier in the [[Jihad]], White-Davion argued that the fortress established by the Word on Bharat would take far more by way of heavy equipment and engineering specialists to breach than was currently available, and risked turning into a military disaster if the task force was not correctly prepared.<ref name="JHS:Tp39BR">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 39: "Bharat Roadblock"</ref> It was subsequently noted in media outlets within the Federated Suns that Bharat had been liberated by the end of 3077 despite the determined resistance offered by the Blakist forces on the planet; allegedly, the first [['Mech]] to breach the walls of the fortress on Bharat that Major General White-Davion had flagged was Field Marshal Sandoval-Ito, piloting her ''Devastator'' once again.<ref name="JHS:Tp40">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 40: "Sandoval-Ito: A Study in Success"</ref> On the 9th of November 3077 the Word of Blake news service, [[Voice of Truth]], issued a broadcast alleging that the allied coalition forces on Bharat had deliberately shelled a refugee camp during the battle for the world.<ref name="JHS:Tp53+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 53–54: "Stone's Evil Stain"</ref> ====3078==== In January, the Federated Suns launched an assault on the occupied world of [[Acamar]], during which [[Marshal (rank)|Marshal]] [[Katheryn Sandoval-Ito]] was killed; her successor was [[Jon Davion]], who took command of the group and successfully prosecuted the week-long campaign for [[Epsilon Eridani]] that saw the world liberated on the 22nd of February. Then, in March, forces operating on the Federated Suns front encountered another functioning Blakist SDS system, this time protecting the [[Bryant]] system. Once again, the SDS network would prove deadly; this time, the casualties were [[Clan]] WarShips - the Nova Cats lost two ships, the ''[[Vincent]]''-class corvette [[Spirit Vision|NCS ''Spirit Vision'']] and their flagship, the ''[[Black Lion]]''-class battlecruiser [[Severen Leroux (Individual Black Lion-class WarShip)|NCS ''Severen Leroux'']].<ref name="J:FRp58"/> Also fighting in the Federated Suns region in March was the alliance command group under the direct command of Devlin Stone. The command group found themselves fighting the [[43rd Shadow Division]] on [[New Home]], working against the delaying tactics being used by the Blakists, who were turning the liberation of New Home into a deadly cat and mouse game.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> ===Free Worlds League Front=== ====3077==== The first strikes of Operation SCOUR were those made on the Free Worlds League front, when allied forces hit the worlds of Acubens and Wasat on the 10th of January 3077.<ref name="J:FRp56"/> Coalition forces invaded Wasat on the 10th of January [[3077]] Attacked initially by Group II of the Free Worlds League task force under the command of [[Duke]] [[Leonard Stewart]], the defenses on Wasat proved to be more robust and developed than originally expected. The [[7th Pesht Regulars]] sustained heavy damage<ref name="JHS:Tp44"/> and the [[Home Guard (Free Worlds League)|Home Guard]] was nearly wiped out<ref name="JHS:Tp44A">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 44: "Too Much to Handle?"</ref> during the initial attacks; as a result, the second in command of the Free Worlds League front, [[Khan]] [[Santin West]] of [[Clan Nova Cat]] brought Group III to Wasat to assist Group II. Group III was spearheaded by [[Clan Nova Cat|Clan Nova Cat's]] [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)|Alpha Galaxy]] with [[ComStar|ComStar's]] [[4th Army (ComStar)|4th Army]] and the [[20th Marik Militia]] in support. The Blakists on Wasat were unable to coordinate an effective defense against the combined strength of both Group II and Group III, and by the 4th of March 3077 saKhan West was giving an interview on the liberation of Wasat to [[Nigel Holmgren]] of [[INN]].<ref name="JHS:Tp44">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 44: "Wasat Falls?"</ref> Following their retreat from [[Wasat]] in [[3071]] the [[Blackhearts]] mercenary unit had retreated in secret to [[Zion]], foiling any attempts to track their movements. Under the command of [[Colonel]] [[Glen Stryker]] the Blackhearts rebuilt and began infiltrating the government and strategic facilities and organizations across Zion. The Blackhearts also began recruiting and training a resistance movement on Zion, based around independent insurgent units that could operate against the Word of Blake and their sympathizers. When Operation SCOUR began in early [[3077]], Stryker had the insurgency rise up, and between the Blackhearts' infiltration of the fabric of Zion's government and the resistance movement it took just two months for the Word of Blake and their sympathizers to be driven from Zion - or executed, in the case of all those captured.<ref name="JHS:Tp45">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 45: "Zion Freed"</ref> The Free Worlds League front was particularly active during mid 3077, with campaigns seeing the liberation of [[Shiloh]], [[New Hope]], [[Wing]] and [[Kalidasa]] in the space of a few weeks. Shiloh was liberated by allied forces which included elements of [[Clan Jade Falcon]] and [[Clan Wolf]], while the Com Guard led the assault that recaptured Kalidasa. The campaigns for Wing and New Hope were particularly quick campaigns - the government on New Hope had already overthrown their Blakist rulers when allied coalition forces arrived to liberate the world, while the defending [[3rd Free Worlds Guards]] on Wing chose to defect to the [[Principality of Regulus]] when faced by an imminent allied coalition assault.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Talitha was liberated by forces from the [[Free Worlds League]] front in a brief campaign in May [[3077]]. Backed up by the [[Clan Nova Cat]] ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[WarShip]] [[Auspicium (Individual Aegis-class WarShip)|NCS ''Blade'']], Group IV of the Free Worlds League task force rolled over the defenders; with [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Beta Galaxy]] of [[Clan Wolf in Exile]] working closely with the [[3rd Lyran Guards]] and the [[Marlette Crucis March Militia]] on the ground, Group IV quickly achieved dominance in the air before crushing the Blakist ground forces.<ref name="JHS:Tp45+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 45–46: "Talitha, Berenson Capitulate"</ref> Berenson was initially targeted by Group I under the direct command of Rousset-Marik, but discovered that the defenses on the planet were tougher than had initially been expected. Rather than be drawn into a damaging conflict, as had happened elsewhere on the Free Worlds League front, Rousset-Marik withdrew until Group II reinforced Group I, and then the combined forces of both Groups assaulted Berenson, conquering the planet quickly.<ref name="JHS:Tp45+"/> There were also reversals on the Free Worlds League front; one such case was the deployment of a mixed force of mercenaries and pirates to [[Marcus]] implemented by the Word of Blake. This mixed force managed to quickly recapture a world that the allied coalition forces had only recently liberated, forcing the coalition troops to retreat back to the world of [[Dieudonné]] in August.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Forces from the Free Worlds League arrived to liberate Stewart in May [[3077]]. The first forces on the ground were [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)|Alpha Galaxy]] of [[Clan Nova Cat]], who quickly moved the [[1st Nova Cat Guards (Clan Nova Cat)|1st Nova Cat Guards]] to the city of New Edinburgh; [[Star Colonel]] [[Kalvin Rosse]] then broadcast a demand to the planetary government that all Blakist forces and sympathizers on Stewart surrender within two hours. Under the command of [[Captain]] [[Jonathan Wells]], the local [[Protectorate Militia]] garrison refused to surrender and marched out of New Edinburgh to battle the Nova Cat forces, only to learn that the Nova Cats were not prepared to extend ''[[zellbrigen]]'' to the Word of Blake forces - Rosse declared that the Word of Blake was subject to a [[Trial of Annihilation]]. Over the next two hours the Nova Cats hunted down and killed the Militia forces, executing those who attempted to surrender.<ref name="JHS:Tp46">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 46: "Slaughter on Stewart"</ref> As of the end of May, local news broadcasts issued by [[Kristina Greenberg]], an anchor for a local [[Voice of Truth]] affiliate, declared that the campaign on Stewart was currently an uneasy stalemate. Following the battle around New Edinburgh a number of locals apparently seized a number of [[Planetlifter]] aircraft and turned them into kamikaze aircraft by packing them with explosives and attempting to fly them into the allied coalition transports gathered around the initial landing zone. Only one such Planetlifter was believed to have managed to actually hit one of the coalition [[DropShip]]s, but this was enough to pull the Nova Cat forces back into a defensive formation around the target landing zone.<ref name="JHS:Tp46"/> Complicating operations on the Lyran Alliance and Free Worlds League fronts of Operation SCOUR was an invasion of the [[Duchy of Tamarind]] at the end of August by forces from the Buena Archonette. Despite condemnation from both [[Tharkad]] and the Duchy, several worlds were captured by the Buena Archonette military, drawing attention and resources away from SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> By January 3078 Duchess [[Alys Rousset-Marik]] was demanding that [[Archon]] [[Adam Steiner]] intervene to stop the attacks on the Duchy of Tamarind, citing the invasion as the key reason the Duchy had failed to contribute forces to Operation SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> The first attempt to liberate [[Chara]] in September [[3077]] turned into a bloodbath for the attacking allied coalition forces. Faulty intelligence on the Chara system led to the [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] forces who made up the bulk of the assault force being savaged, with three allied [[WarShip]]s included in the losses, victims of the functioning [[SDS]] network placed in the Chara system by the Blakists.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The plan for attacking Chara was dependent on information from the intelligence operative known as "[[Tempest Stryker|Damocles]]", but the information supplied to the allied coalition forces was either lacking or deliberately misleading. The coalition forces arrived in the system to discover that the Word of Blake had not only placed a functioning SDS network in the system, but that the network was equipped with nuclear weapons. The damage inflicted by the SDS was enough to destroy the flagship of Clan Wolf-in-Exile, the ''[[McKenna (WarShip class)|McKenna]]''-class battleship [[Werewolf (Individual McKenna-class WarShip)|CWS ''Werewolf'']], as well as the largest WarShip in service with the [[Lyran Alliance Armed Forces]], the ''[[Mjolnir]]''-class battlecruiser [[Fylgia|LAS ''Fylgia'']], and a ''[[Carrack]]''-class transport operated by [[Clan Nova Cat]] during the initial approach to Chara. Despite the losses in space, the coalition forces managed to land [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Beta Galaxy]] of Clan Wolf-in-Exile on the surface of Chara. However, rather than facing just the anticipated two Militia units known to be stationed on Chara, the Clan forces found themselves also facing three line regiments from the former [[Free Worlds League]] - the [[4th Free Worlds Legionnaires]], the [[13th Marik Militia]] and the [[Steel Guard]]. Beta Galaxy divided their forces in an attempt to fight against the much more numerous Blakist forces; the [[16th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|16th Wolf Guards]] engaged the 4th Legionnaires and the [[2nd Wolf Legion (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|2nd Wolf Legion]] attacked the Steel Guard, while the remaining Clan Wolf-in-Exile forces concentrated on routing the [[Protectorate Militia]] forces. Despite inflicting heavy losses on the Blakist units, the Wolf-in-Exile forces simply could not hold against the overwhelming numbers, were ground down and forced to retreat. The Clan forces took significant losses, many of whom were not recovered; the highest-ranking casualty was [[Star Colonel]] [[Ranna Kerensky]], slain by a hit to the cockpit of her [['Mech]]. Following the loss of their field commander, Beta Galaxy retreated in some haste, with [[Alexia Rhyde]] assuming temporary control of the Galaxy as the task force retreated to Talitha to regroup and await reinforcements.<ref name="JHS:Tp48+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 48–49: "Chara Operational Report"</ref> The heavy losses taken in the attempt to liberate Chara led to widespread questioning of Damocles' loyalty, identity and motivations, with some claiming in public that he was a Blakist double agent, intentionally feeding the coalition false intelligence.<ref name="JHS:Tp48">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 48: "Chara, Damocles and Trust"</ref> The second allied coalition assault on Chara was launched on the 16th of October and led personally by [[General]] [[Belle Lee]]; even though the Blakists resorted to the use of WMDs to try and prevent the liberation of Chara, the combination of damage taken during the abortive first allied assault and insufficient supply lines led ultimately to the Word of Blake forces surrendering.<ref name="J:FRp58">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> The fierce resistance put up by the Blakist forces led to General Lee authorizing the use of orbital bombardment, but it was not enough to prevent a number of coalition units from being badly mauled; General Lee ended up disbanding a number of allied commands and folding the survivors together into a new unit, which was given the name [[Stone's Revenants]]. The damage inflicted on Chara by the combination of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as well as orbital bombardments left the planetary infrastructure badly damaged and created a significant humanitarian crisis unfolding.<ref name="JHS:Tp60+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 60–61: "Chaos Eternal: Charred Victory"</ref> While the bulk of the Word of Blake forces left Chara, a large portion of the Protectorate Militia managed to escape into the wilderness while continuing to contest the advance of the coalition forces into the Myanmar Highlands and maintain control over the Scarlet Sea. Prompted by the Word of Blake ROM, the local Blakist forces used a natural disaster - a large earthquake which struck near the port city of Charon - to create a bastion from which the Protectorate forces could continue to operate. The recently deployed [[Chaffee|Chaffee Militia]] dispatched a relief column to Charon, but the Blakists intercepted and engaged the column, destroying it and the only major bridge connecting the coalition forces to Charon. The Word of Blake then endeared itself to the locals by flying in relief supplies on [[Karnov]]s and [[Planetlifter]]s, securing their base of operations for the near future.<ref name="JHS:Tp61+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 61–62: "Chaos Eternal: Bridge to Oblivion"</ref> It was forces operating on the Free Worlds League front that liberated [[Outreach]] in November; with Duchess [[Alys Rousset-Marik]] leading the force that retook the system on the 21st, finding the planet to be a scorched and ruined world.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> The industries that had made Outreach one of the most technologically advanced worlds in the [[Inner Sphere]] had been destroyed, the Outreach of 3077 had trouble producing twenty-first-century items. The population was a fraction of its number a decade before, but despite savage Blakist repercussions against the citizens of Outreach, the population had constantly resisted attempts to bring Outreach into the Word of Blake Protectorate. The Blakists had singularly failed to build a functioning government, and had instead resorted to trying to destroy every vestige of [[Wolf's Dragoons]].<ref name="JHS:Tp53">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 53: "Outreach Freed"</ref> Reports from the planet indicated that the civilian population had resisted the Word of Blake right down to the individual level; men and women questioned by the Blakists would invariably give their name as "Jaime Wolf" or "Natasha Kerensky", while [[Wannamaker's Widowmakers]] - the Blakist garrison on Outreach for years - suffered heavy casualties over the course of a decade at the hands of a rebel group named the Four Horsemen, led by an individual using the name [[Tara Lucas (31st c.)|Tara Lucas]]. Evidence of the lengths the Word of Blake went to as they tried to break the spirit of the population were found everywhere on Outreach; one example quoted in the interstellar media was of a reeducation facility north of New Wyatt, where the prisoners labored day in, day out digging a trench that spiraled outwards from the reeducation camp, into which the bodies of the dead were thrown and left unburied. The media described the sheer volume of remains found at the site as "mind numbing."<ref name="JHS:Tp53"/> ====3078==== The Free Worlds League task groups were very active in January 3078, striking at [[Asuncion]], [[Chertan]], [[Dubhe]] and [[Elgin]]. Shortly after allied coalition forces landed on [[Hsien]] and began battling the local Word of Blake forces, a task force from the Capellan Confederation arrived in-system; a three-way battle for control of the planet then erupted as the Confederation forces promptly attacked both the Blakists and the coalition forces.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> In March, the Free Worlds League groups seized two worlds; [[Graham IV]] and [[Pollux]]. The liberation campaign on Pollux received assistance that hadn't been anticipated due to a popular revolt which erupted on the planet. This was followed by the campaign for [[Liberty]], which in early April saw more clashes between allied coalition forces and Capellan forces, with neither side willing to relinquish the world; the allied forces called for an independent negotiator to try and resolve the conflict without further bloodshed.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> ===Lyran Alliance Front=== ====3077==== The first assaults on the Lyran Alliance front of Operation SCOUR began with Duke [[Robert Kelswa-Steiner|Robert Kelswa-Steiner's]] forces assaulting [[Cor Caroli]] on the 21st of January [[3077]]; the planetary assault took less than a week to liberate Cor Caroli, and was rapidly followed by an assault on [[Gacrux]].<ref name="J:FRp56"/> The allied coalition forces assigned to the attack on Cor Caroli consisted of the [[Skye Guards]], the [[1st Crucis Lancers]] and the [[7th Free Worlds Legionnaires]]; Duke Kelswa-Steiner's campaign involved the Guards and the Lancers attacking the Blakist forces head on outside the city of Manovota, with the Legionnaires providing cover. The Blakists retreated after taking approximately 20% losses, with another 30% of their strength being lost in subsequent skirmishes. Down to half strength, the Word forces evacuated Cor Caroli, leaving the planet in coalition hands after only a week. A victorious news broadcast covering the liberation of Cor Caroli was issued by [[Myra Kellison]] of [[Tharkad Media Associates]].<ref name="JHS:Tp25">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 25: "Victory at Cor Caroli"</ref> Attacked by Group III, the attack on Gacrux nearly stalled when the commanding officers of the [[6th Benjamin Regulars]], [[1st Federated Suns Lancers]] and [[31st Marik Militia]] were all killed in a targeted strike by the Word of Blake intended to remove the command organization of Group III.<ref name="JHS:Tp27">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 27: "We Have Met the Enemy"</ref> The attack by [[Manei Domini]] assassins<ref name="J:FRp57"/> left [[Leutnant-General]] [[Thomas Hogarth]] in charge of Group III, and under Hogarth the Group liberated Gacrux by May, although Hogarth was reticent to confirm details of how or what the next objective for Group III would be when interviewed later by the press.<ref name="JHS:Tp27">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 27: "We Have Met the Enemy"</ref><ref name="J:FRp57"/> Allied coalition forces on the Lyran front of began landing on [[Mizar]] in March [[3077]]. The campaign to free Mizar was long and damaging for the combined [[LAAF]], [[DCMS]] and [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] forces despite being able to draw on battlefield salvage from earlier battles on [[Yorii]].<ref name="JHS:Tp64+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 64–65: "3077: War in Review"</ref> It was reported in the Lyran media in late March [[3077]] that Blakist forces, led by the [[4th Division (Word of Blake)|4th Word of Blake Militia]], had assaulted Yorii and recaptured the planet after destroying the defending garrison forces, which consisted largely of [[Lyran Alliance]] infantry and armor.<ref name="JHS:Tp28">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 28: "Just a Setback"</ref> [[Sabik]] was finally liberated by Lyran and Combine special operations troops.<ref name=DARW23>''Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130)'', p. 23: "Sabik"</ref> However, according to later media reports many Blakists simply blended in with the local population and carried on the battle as insurgents.<ref name="JHS:Tp64">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 64: "Pandemic on Sabik"</ref> Shortly after Sabik had been liberated the local population rose up and stormed the planetary HPG station, critically damaging the transmission equipment and killing most of the staff before the coalition forces could respond.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> After the liberation of Sabik in March, the allied coalition deployed various units to garrison the planet, units which included the [[9th Sword of Light]] and the [[Carnwath Militia]]. [[Colonel]] [[John Mather]] of the Carnwath Militia subsequently filed a report in early [[3077]] with Lyran intelligence alleging that the 9th Sword of Light committed atrocities against the prisoner of war population.<ref name="JHS:Tp27"/> [[Wing]] attracted the attention of the Lyran front forces as a target for liberation in July [[3077]]. The [[3rd Free Worlds Guards]] were the garrison unit assigned to defend Wing at this point, but as the likelihood of an assault from the coalition mounted, the 3rd chose to defect to the [[Principality of Regulus]].<ref name="J:FRp57"/> The inevitable assault by forces from the Lyran front of SCOUR saw Group III land on Wing, only for the 3rd Free Worlds Guards to savage the 6th Benjamin Regulars while the 1st Federated Suns Lancers failed to support the Combine forces. It would take several more weeks before the 3rd Free Worlds Guards followed through with their earlier decision and left for [[Regulus]].<ref name="JHS:Tp64+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 64–65: "3077: War in Review"</ref> Lyran front forces including elements from [[Clan Jade Falcon]] and [[Clan Wolf]] liberated [[Shiloh]] on the 10th of June [[3077]].<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Shiloh was considered significant enough that the Duke Kelswa-Steiner assigned two complete Groups to the attack on the world. In addition to the Protectorate Militia forces, the Blakists had also moved the [[6th Free Worlds Legionnaires]] and a contingent from one of the [[Shadow Divisions]] onto Shiloh; as a result, when the Lyran front forces landed, the Com Guard [[1st Army (ComStar)|1st Army]] suffered heavy losses at the hands of the ''Manei Domini''. The ''Manei Domini'' used civilians as unwitting suicide bombers, and as the Com Guard forces reeled, used the advantage to drive the attacking forces back off Shiloh.<ref name="JHS:Tp29">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 29: "Shiloh Falls"</ref> Following the retreat from Shiloh, forces from Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon worked together, initially using one of Shiloh's moons as a rallying point; the two Clans set aside their traditional rivalry and antagonism to execute a combined drop onto the main Word of Blake base of operations on Shiloh. They then held the drop zone in the face of Blakist counterattacks and two tactical nuclear strikes, allowing the remaining Lyran forces to land. The successful liberation of Shiloh was announced in a news broadcast by Myra Kellison on the 18th of July 3077, who hailed the remarkable situation of rival Clans working together to protect Lyran forces against a common enemy as a tantalizing sign of hope that a peaceful coexistence between opposing factions may be possible.<ref name="JHS:Tp29">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 29: "Shiloh Falls"</ref> Complicating operations on the Lyran Alliance and Free Worlds League fronts of Operation SCOUR was an invasion of the [[Duchy of Tamarind]] at the end of August by forces from the Buena Archonette. Despite condemnation from both [[Tharkad]] and the Duchy, several worlds were captured by the Buena Archonette military, drawing attention and resources away from SCOUR.<ref name="J:FRp57"/> Duchess Rousset-Marik cited the ongoing conflict as the reason for the Duchy not contributing any troops to Operation SCOUR when she demanded that the Archon intervene in the local war in January 3078.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> In [[3076]] the Word of Blake had deployed the [[1st Zosma Protectorate Militia Division]] to [[Dyev]] as part of a counterassault against invading forces from Clan Ghost Bear. The apparent destruction of the various Divisions assembled on Dyev by the Word of Blake<ref name="J:FRp126">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 126: "Word of Blake Militia"</ref> may explain why, when the [[17th Arcturan Guards]] attempted to raid [[Zosma]] in the second half of 3077, they found the planet to be almost undefended. As a result, the brief raid turned into an all-out conquest in which the Guards quickly crushed the defending forces, an unanticipated success for the Lyran front.<ref name="JHS:Tp64+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 64–65: "3077: War in Review"</ref> Also deployed to Dyev by the Blakists, was the [[1st Lipton Protectorate Militia Division]]<ref name="J:FRp126"/> which doubtless aided the allied coalition forces operating on the Lyran front, as forces led by Duke Kelswa-Steiner struck at [[Lipton]] in November [[3077]], quickly crushing any resistance on the planet.<ref name="JHS:Tp64+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 64–65: "3077: War in Review"</ref> On the 31st of December [[3078]] an opinion piece broadcast by RNS detailed that Clan Ghost Bear had apparently used orbital bombardment on the cities of Fell's Fort, Grummon and Lent on [[Thorin]], believing that [[Shadow Divisions]] were operating from those locations. The article was obviously highly critical of the Ghost Bear campaign for Thorin.<ref name="JHS:Tp54">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 54: "Thorny Thorin"</ref> Group III from the Lyran front had been on Thorin at the time, locked in combat with the Blakists but making little headway due to the damage the 6th Benjamin Regulars had taken on [[Wing]]. The Ghost Bear attack damaged the defending forces enough that Group III was able to press forward and liberate Thorin. By the end of 3077 Thorin was in allied coalition hands, and it was from Thorin on New Year's Day [[3078]] that the journalist [[Myra Kellison]] gave a broadcast detailing the campaigns the Lyran front of SCOUR had seen during the past twelve months.<ref name="JHS:Tp64+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 64–65: "3077: War in Review"</ref> In contrast with the brutal battles for Chara, Lee's forces went on to capture [[Hall]] on the 20th of November without a shot being fired, and Lyran front forces then captured [[Zaniah]] on the 25th of December after the planet surrendered peacefully.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> ====3078==== The various Lyran front groups began 3078 by capturing the worlds of [[Milton]], [[Phecda]] and [[Wyatt]] in January, although the senior officer commanding the front, Duke [[Robert Kelswa-Steiner]], was critically injured on Phecda and had to be replaced by [[Gregory Kelswa-Steiner]]. Four [[Galaxy|Galaxies]] of Clan troops dropped onto [[New Earth]] on the 8th of February, meeting dogged resistance from the defending Blakist forces.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> ==Liberation of Terra== ===Task Force CRONUS=== '''Coalition Forces''':<ref name="JHS:Tp95">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 95: "Classified: Eyes Only - Top Secret"</ref> :<u>Draconis Combine</u> :* ''[[Tatsumaki]]''-class DCS [[The Lair of Mighty Wyrms|''The Lair of Mighty Wyrms'']] :<u>Ghost Bear Dominion</u> :* ''[[Leviathan II]]''-class [[Great Bear|CGB ''Great Bear'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 98: "Terror at Titan"</ref> :* ''[[Nightlord]]''-class [[Ursa Major|CGB ''Ursus Major'']] :<u>Lyran Alliance</u> :* [[Fox (WarShip class)|''Fox'']]-class [[Robert Marsden (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Robert Marsden'']] :<u>Clan Jade Falcon</u> :* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Blue Talon|CJF ''Blue Talon'']] :* ''[[Black Lion]]''-class [[Jade Aerie|CJF ''Jade Aerie'']] and [[White Aerie|CJF ''White Aerie'']] :* ''[[Congress]]''-class [[Green Lantern|CJF ''Green Lantern'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/> :* ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class [[Hawker|CJF ''Hawker'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/> :<u>Clan Snow Raven</u> :* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Blue Quest|CSR ''Blue Quest'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/> :* ''[[Conqueror]]''-class [[Ark Royal (Conqueror)|CSR ''Ark Royal'']] :* [[York (WarShip class)|''York'']]-class [[Corvidae|CSR ''Corvidae'']] (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/> :* ''[[Whirlwind]]''-class [[Drake (Individual Whirlwind-class WarShip)|CSR ''Drake'']] :<u>Clan Wolf</u> :* ''[[Black Lion]]''-class [[Stealthy Kill|CW ''Stealthy Kill'']]<ref name=JHST-95>''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 95</ref> (destroyed at the Titan Yards)<ref name="JHS:Tp98"/> Consisting primarily of Clan WarShips and under the overall command of Admiral [[Alex Douglas]], Task Force CRONUS was charged with the neutralization of the Blakists' [[Titan Yards]]. While viewed by many as a relatively easy precursor for the heavy fighting to come, the seat of the Word's WarShip and aerospace production and maintenance facility in the Terran system was equipped with a fully functional [[Caspar II]] Drone network and a number of the deadly [["Dragon's Breath" Multiple Capital Missile Launch System]]s. Jumping into a Pirate Point near the yards, with the Lyran and Combine vessels serving as reserve command ships and the Clan forces split into two naval "[[Star]]s", one consisting of the Ghost Bears and Ravens, the other the Jade Falcons and Wolves, the Coalition forces came under attack almost immediately. Initially facing waves of manned and drone aerospace fighters and long-range missile attacks, the Coalition ships soon came under fire from a horde of manned and drone Pocket WarShips, as well as the ''[[Essex]]''-class destroyer [[Deathblow|WoBS ''Deathblow'']], the ''[[Dante (system)|Dante]]''-class frigate [[Narbonne|WoBS ''Narbonne'']] and the ''[[Suffren]]''-class destroyer [[Manchester|WoBS ''Manchester'']] - three Com Guard WarShips salvaged from Case White. While losing the ''Blue Quest'' and ''Green Lantern'' during the height of the initial Caspar drones' assault, the Coalition forces were able to steadily advance on the shipyard's facilities with the Combine's ''Lair of Mighty Wyrms'' and Dominion's massive ''Great Bear'' able to get their fighters within striking distance of the main aerospace docks. Unfortunately, what appeared to be the crippled remains of an ore processing facility was in fact the Blakists' attempt to take their Q-Ship concept to the next level, with a "Dragon's Breath" multi-missile station unleashing multiple waves of nuclear-tipped and ECM-equipped [[Killer Whale#Variants|Peacemaker]] missiles at virtually point-blank range, with the mighty ''Leviathan'' overwhelmed and destroyed within moments. With the Coalition continuing its assault, the ''Hawker'' fell prey to another hidden station, while the ''Corvidae'' and ''Stealthy Kill'' went down in the face of continued Caspar drone attack groups. While ultimately successful and providing valuable experience for the assault around Terra, Task Force CRONUS paid a heavy price. Lasting a little over four hours, over half a dozen ships were destroyed and the survivors suffered heavy damage. Hopes were totally dashed that ships of the CRONUS task force would be able to assist those of Taskforce Earthbound.<ref name=JHST-97>''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', pp. 97–99</ref> ===Task Force EARTHBOUND=== '''Coalition Forces''':<ref name="JHS:Tp95"/> :<u>ComStar</u> :* ''[[Cameron (WarShip class)|Cameron]]''-class battlecruiser [[Invisible Truth|CSV ''Invisible Truth'']] :<u>Coalition</u> :* ''[[Zechetinu#Variants|''Zechetinu II'']]-class corvette [[Excalibur (Individual Zechetinu-class WarShip)|ISS ''Excalibur'']] :<u>Draconis Combine</u> :* ''[[Kirishima]]''-class cruiser [[Takashi|DCS ''Takashi'']] :* ''[[Kyushu]]''-class frigates [[Dieron Star|DCS ''Dieron Star'']] and [[Victory at Wolcott|DCS ''Victory at Wolcott'']] :<u>Federated Suns</u> :* ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvettes [[Indomitable (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|FSS ''Indomitable'']] and [[Admiral Michael Saille|FSS ''Admiral Michael Saille'']] :<u>Ghost Bear Dominion</u> :* ''[[Leviathan II]]''-class battleship [[Rasalhague (Individual Leviathan-class WarShip)|CGB ''Rasalhague'']] :<u>Lyran Alliance</u> :* ''[[Tharkad (WarShip class)|Tharkad]]''-class battleship [[Invincible (Individual Tharkad-class WarShip)|LAS ''Invincible'']] :* ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvettes [[Katherine Steiner (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Katherine Steiner'']] and [[Katrina Steiner (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LAS ''Katrina Steiner'']] :<u>Clan Diamond Shark</u> :* ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Bloodlust|DSS ''Blood Lust'']] :* ''[[Nightlord]]''-class [[Terror of the Deep|DSS ''Terror of the Deep'']] :* ''[[Potemkin]]''-class [[Kraken (Vessel)|DSS ''Kraken'']] and [[Red Tide|DSS ''Red Tide'']] :<u>Clan Nova Cat</u> :* ''[[Aegis]]''-class heavy cruisers [[Auspicium (Individual Aegis-class WarShip)|NCS ''Blade'']], [[Chronicle|NCS ''Chronicle'']], [[Path of Honor|NCS ''Path of Honor'']], [[NCS Promise]] and [[Remembrance|NCS ''Remembrance'']] :* ''[[Congress]]''-class frigate [[True Vision|NCS ''True Vision'']] :* ''[[Fredasa (WarShip class)|Fredasa]]''-class corvette [[Future Triumph|NCS ''Future Triumph'']] :* ''[[Lola III]]''-class destroyers [[Hunter (Individual Lola III-class WarShip)|NCS ''Hunter'']] and [[Rover|NCS ''Rover'']] :* ''[[Vincent|Vincent Mk. 42]]''-class corvette [[Far Vision|NCS ''Far Vision'']] :* ''[[York (WarShip class)|York]]''-class destroyer [[Anna Rosse (Individual York-class WarShip)|NCS ''Anna Rosse'']] Commanded by [[Precentor-Admiral]] [[Alain Beresick]] from the [[Invisible Truth|CSV ''Invisible Truth'']], the various forces that made up Task Force EARTHBOUND were charged with removing the naval defenses around Terra and then securing landing zones so that the various ground-based Task Forces could deploy.<ref name="JHS:Tp95"/> ===Task Force SICKLE=== Task Force SICKLE was led by Devlin Stone, using the title "Commanding General". SICKLE initially consisted of seven groupings, six with targets on Terra and one responsible for the attack on [[Terra|Mars]]. The SICKLE forces were charged with neutralizing the command center controlling the Blakist SDS networks and eliminating the Word of Blake's command and control functions. The initial targets on Terra for SICKLE were Geneva, [[Hilton Head]], the Pacific Northwest, Rio de Janeiro, Sandhurst, and the Texas Highlands.<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> ====Unit Affiliations by Target==== :<u>Geneva</u> :* CO: General [[Andrew Redburn]] :* [[5th Lyran Guards]] :* [[6th Army (ComStar)|Com Guard 6th Army]] :* [[Fox's Teeth]] :* [[Home Guard (Free Worlds League)|Home Guard]] :* [[Stone's Liberators]] :<u>Hilton Head</u> :* CO: Commanding General [[Devlin Stone]] :* [[3rd Free Worlds Legionnaires]] :* [[7th Pesht Regulars]] :* [[25th Arcturan Guards]] :* [[Ghost Legion]] :* [[Ryuken-ni]] :<u>Pacific Northwest</u> :* General [[Connor Sortek]] :* [[3rd Lyran Guards]] :* [[17th Benjamin Regulars]] :<u>Rio de Janeiro</u> :* CO Marshal [[Jon Davion]] :* [[5th Crucis Lancers]] :* [[20th Marik Militia]] :* [[Iron Guard]] :<u>Sandhurst</u> :* CO General [[Alys Rousset-Marik]] :* [[7th Donegal Guards]] :* [[12th Atrean Dragoons]] :* [[5th Army (ComStar)|Com Guard 5th Army]] :* [[Devil's Brigade]] :<u>Texas Highlands</u> :* CO General [[Galen Cox]] :* [[1st Davion Guards]] :* [[12th Vegan Rangers]] :* [[15th Arcturan Guards]] :* [[Hansen's Roughriders]] :* [[Marlette CrMM]] :<u>Mars</u> :* [[7th Donegal Guards]] :* [[11th Mechanized Cavalry (Clan Hell's Horses)]] :* [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)]] :* [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)]] :* [[Stone's Liberators]] ===Task Force MALLET=== Led by General Belle Lee, Task Force MALLET was responsible for neutralizing enemy forces, denying Terra's infrastructure to the Blakists and capturing various Castles Brian across Terra. The units in Task Force MALLET were grouped into 8 groupings, each responsible for a particular target on landing; the initial targets on Terra selected were Athens, Babylon, Cairo, Moscow, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo, with a separate strike against the Blakist facilities on Luna.<ref name="JHS:Tp96"/> ====Unit Affiliations by Target==== :<u>Athens</u> :* CO ''Tai-sa'' [[Albert Benton]] :* [[Battle Corps Legion]] :* [[Sorenson's Sabres]] :<u>Babylon</u> :* CO: General [[Leandro Amurri]] :* [[6th Benjamin Regulars]] :* [[30th Marik Militia]] :* [[Juggernaut (Free Worlds League)|Juggernaut]] :<u>Cairo</u> :* CO: ''[[Gunji-no-Kanrei]]'' [[Kiyamori Minamoto]] :* [[1st Sword of Light]] :* [[2nd Dieron Regulars]] :* [[Kell Hounds]] :* [[Stone's Revenants]] :<u>Moscow</u> :* CO: Duke [[Robert Kelswa-Steiner]] :* [[7th Free Worlds Legionnaires]] :* [[31st Marik Militia]] :* [[Skye Guards]] :<u>Singapore</u> :* General [[Thomas Hogarth]] :* [[2nd Davion Guards]] :* [[5th Free Worlds Guards]] :* [[1st Army (ComStar)|Com Guard 1st Army]] :* [[Kentares DMM]] :<u>Sydney</u> :* General [[Belle Lee]] :* [[1st Federated Suns Lancers]] :* [[1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs]] :* [[8th Deneb Light Cavalry]] :* [[8th Dieron Regulars]] :* [[17th Arcturan Guards]] :* [[Northwind Highlanders]] :* [[Ryuken-san]] :* [[Stone's Stalwart]] :<u>Tokyo</u> :* CO ''Tai-shu'' [[Isoroku Kurita]] :* [[1st Crucis Lancers]] :* [[2nd Genyosha]] :* [[23rd Arcturan Guards]] :<u>Luna</u> :* CO: Colonel [[Marcel Webb]] :* [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)]] :* [[Delta Galaxy (Clan Wolf)]] :* [[DEST]] :* [[Star Seeds]] ==References== <references /> ==Bibliography== * ''[[Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130)]]'' * ''[[Field Report: AFFS]]'' * ''[[Field Report: DCMS]]'' * ''[[Field Report: FWLM]]'' * ''[[Field Report: LAAF]]'' * ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]'' * ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]'' [[Category:Jihad Era Military Operations]]

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