Battle of New Hessen (3144)

Battle of New Hessen (3144)
Part of Operation CELESTIAL REWARD
Start Date 11 November 3144
End Date 6 December 3144
Planet New Hessen
Result Capellan Confederation conquest of New Hessen
Factions
Capellan Confederation Federated Suns
Commanders and leaders
Danai Liao-Centrella Unknown
Forces involved
Second McCarron’s Armored Cavalry;
Fifth Sian Dragoons
Unknown AFFS Commands

Overview[edit]

On 11 November 3144 the Capellan Confederation launched Operation CELESTIAL REWARD, a three pronged invasion of the Federated Sun's Capellan March.[1] The taskforce advancing towards Tikonov was led by Danai Liao-Centrella and contained the Second McCarron’s Armored Cavalry and the Fifth Sian Dragoons, supported by mercenary transport unit Steve's Stevedores.[2][1][3][4] From the start the as-yet unknown AFFS defenders were hopelessly outnumbered, but they did put up a determined resistance and were able to hold out for a few weeks. Sang-wei Flavio Rodriguez and his Koshi-equipped recon company routinely put themselves at risk of the fanatical defenders in order to identify enemy positions and direct allied fire.[5] Danai showed uncharacteristic ferocity in the assault, behavior her troops emulated in killing downed pilots and surrendered AFFS troops. This bloodthirstiness was not a hallmark of Danai or the Second previously, it is unknown what caused them to act this way. Despite this slaughter, Leftenant Margot Calumet was in command of a flight of Garrots who made repeated supply flights into the AFFS positions and evacuated the wounded. These actions earned her the nickname "Angel of Darmstadt" and allowed hundreds of personnel to escape the massacres.[6]

During the campaign a dispute rose at the Landing Zone between Steve's Stevedores and CCAF paymasters. Contracted to carry a battalion of the Second MAC and their supplies, the Capellan paymasters attempted to pay them the same pittance awarded to conscripted merchant ships instead of their agreed upon price. Negotiations became heated but when the CCAF attempted to impound the command Mammoth-class DropShip a hidden cargo bay opened to reveal a lance of Archers. Keeping the Capellans under the guns of their BattleMechs and their DropShips the Stevedores proceeded to loot most of the supplies they just unloaded, demolish the remaining LZ facilities, and seed it with Thunder mines. They then fled Capellan space for the Draconis Combine, with a large bounty placed on their head by Daoshen Liao.[4]

New Hessen was declared pacified on 6 December, and most of the taskforce boosted for their next target, Tikonov.[7] A company of infantry, platoon of Arrow IV Assault Vehicles, and a lance of Gùns were left behind on pacification duty, perhaps Garrett's Gùns under Sang-wei Garrett O’Donnell. This force was tasked with guarding a mining facility. A week after their arrival miners armed with MiningMech, LoaderMech, and a company of assorted vehicles attacked the mine, killing the overseers. The Gùns made short work of the rebels between plasma fire and Arrow IV support. Their probes were vital in flushing the last of the resistance out of their holes.[8]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 35: "Celestial Reward"
  2. Era Report: 3145, p. 87: "Danai Liao-Centrella"
  3. Era Report: 3145, p. 45: "Fifth Sian Dragoons"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 10, p. 6
  5. Technical Readout: 3150, p. 124
  6. Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries, p. 12: "Garrot"
  7. Era Report: 3145, p. 24: "Timeline"
  8. Technical Readout: 3145 Capellan Confederation, p. 26

Bibliography[edit]