Battle of Thule (3050)
Sarna News
| Battle of Thule (3050) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Clan Invasion | |||||||
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| Factions | |||||||
| (Attacker) Clan Ghost Bear |
(Defender) Free Rasalhague Republic |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| saKhan Theresa DelVillar | Överste Joannie Swigard | ||||||
| Forces involved | |||||||
| elements of: Fiftieth Striker Cluster 304th Assault Cluster Third Bear Striker Cluster |
First Hussars | ||||||
Overview[edit]
First Wave[edit]
Thule was the first planet outside the Periphery invaded by Clan Ghost Bear as part of Operation REVIVAL in March 3050. In accordance with Ghost Bear tradition, a vote was held to determine which of the Ghost Bears' three participating Galaxies – Alpha, Beta or Delta – would have the honor of being first to conquer the planet. After a week of time wasted debating the matter, saKhan Theresa DelVillar finally decreed all three would participate, with one assigned to each of the planet's continents.[1]
The First Hussars' commanding officer, Överste Joannie Swigard, refused to respond when the Ghost Bears announced their presence with a batchall, instead massing her troops in the Fresdon Desert where they had trained extensively to defend their world. As Ghost Bear ships entered the planet's atmosphere, Khan Karl Bourjon decided that each of the three Galaxies would be represented in the upcoming battle. In the resulting bidding war, three Trinaries, one of which was a Supernova, emerged to face off against the Hussars: one each from the Fiftieth Striker Cluster of Alpha Galaxy, the 304th Assault Cluster of Beta Galaxy, and the Third Bear Striker Cluster of Delta Galaxy.[1]
As they landed on the hot plains of the Fresdon Desert, the Clan warriors expected a swift victory. Unfortunately, they had failed to account for the Hussars' greatest advantages: climate and artillery. In the hot climate, many Clan OmniMechs suffered from heat overload and were forced to shut down after firing their initial salvo, leaving them vulnerable to Hussar artillery strikes. An entire Trinary's worth of equipment was lost before the warriors could get their machines working again, and in response the Hussars began hit-and-run attacks with their lightweight BattleMechs to try and force them to overheat again.[1]
Star Colonel François Cote was the first to break his initial bid and call in the rest of his Third Bear Striker for assistance, against which the Hussars launched aerospace fighters to strafe the approaching Ghost Bear forces. In response to these attacks, Star Colonel Stephan Huntsig of the Fiftieth Striker broke his bid by calling in his aerospace forces to provide overhead support as his forces moved in to surround the Hussars. When the defenders were fully enveloped, however, the Ghost Bear forces held off their attack, preferring to wait until nightfall and cooler temperatures. Överste Swigard responded by striking at the enemy's northern flank, maneuvering her troops away from the heavier Ghost Bear units and successfully achieving a breakout. By this point, the Ghost Bears had achieved air superiority, but the Hussars' artillery continued to punch huge holes in their rear lines. Star Colonel Paul Vishio of the 304th Assault was the last to break his bid and called in aerospace reinforcements to finally silence the guns.[1]
Now on the run, the Hussars made for the large river which bisected the Fresdon Plain, sacrificing an entire company in an effort to successfully rendezvous with their naval assets and flee upriver aboard massive cargo ships. As the defenders made their escape, the Ghost Bear warriors found themselves in in a quandary: should they use their aerospace assets to sink the ships and so finish the Hussars off, or simply have these units track them to their final destination and resume battle when the Hussars disembarked? Concluding that sinking the ships went against Clan honor, aerial units were dispatched to follow them until they landed. With the Hussars largely out of the picture, the planet seemed to accept Ghost Bear rule and the Khans declared it conquered, leaving behind the Third Bear Striker's 312th Assault Trinary to garrison the world and destroy the Hussars when they finally landed.[1]
Meanwhile, during the fighting on Thule, Tyra Miraborg and elements of the Flying Drakøns, the aerospace wing of the First Drakøns Regiment, were escorting the Rasalhague Minister of Defense to the nadir jump point. The minister had been on a tour of worlds bordering the Periphery when Clan Ghost Bear began their attack. Piloting a Shilone aerospace fighter and operating from the DropShip Bragi, Tyra and her fellow pilots were engaged by four Ghost Bear fighters. The Rasalhague forces took losses, but drove off their attackers. The Rasalhague forces were able to make it to the jump point without any further interference and left the system shortly thereafter.[2]