Battle of Wapakoneta (3028)

Battle of Wapakoneta (3028)
Part of Fourth Succession War
Start Date 17 September 3028 End Date 28 June 3029 Location Sarola River, Banth Forest, Stiverson Pass, Ploven's Fields, Hannibal Planet Wapakoneta Result Draconis Combine pyrrhic victory; Wolf's Dragoons retreat to Crossing Territorial changes Draconis Combine takes the planet for the Combine
Factions
Attacker Draconis Combine	Defender Federated Suns; Wolf's Dragoons
Commanders and leaders
General Tarsus Bodoli, General Bruce Lee Bernstein	Colonel Andrei Shostokovitch; Colonel Kathleen Dumont
Forces involved
Third Proserpina Hussars, Twelfth Galedon Regulars	Beta Regiment, Delta Regiment, AFFS militia forces
Environment
Forests, Mountains, Lakes, City of Hannibal, tunnels
Conditions
Normal

The Battle of Wapakoneta was the invasion of the Federated Suns world of Wapakoneta by the Draconis Combine during the Fourth Succession War. House Kurita was opposed in their invasion by elements of Wolf's Dragoons.

Prelude

The Battle of Misery in April and May of 3028 had left unfinished business between Wolf's Dragoons and House Kurita. The Dragoons, having lost half their warriors and more than half their BattleMechs, continued to burn with hatred for the Draconians when they learned of Warlord Grieg Samsonov's attempted murder of the Dragoon dependents on their way to safety in the Federated Suns.

The Galedon Regulars and other troops of the Galedon Military District, already provoked by the defeat of the Seventeenth and Twenty-first Galedon Regulars on Misery, were sent into a murderous rage on 23 August, when it was reported that Samsonov had been found murdered, presumably by agents of Wolf's Dragoons or House Davion.

On 3 June, the remnants of the Dragoon forces from Misery arrived on Harrow's Sun in the Draconis March of the Federated Suns, landing at Fort Belvoir, an Armed Forces of the Federated Suns base, and conducting a parade for Leftenant General Ardan Sortek, one of First Prince Hanse Davion's closest aides, as well as personnel from the NAIS and Team Banzai. Colonel Jaime Wolf signed a contract that would not only guarantee them another opportunity to fight House Kurita, but would ensure the safety of their families as well. The Dragoon families would travel to Robinson, deep inside Davion territory, where they would be defended by Zeta Battalion and the Dragoons' support units, now reorganized into their new Home Guard command. The Dragoons themselves would then take up defensive positions on Harrow's Sun, Glenmora and Wapakoneta, all key worlds on the Kurita border. Sortek also provided the Dragoons with some replacement equipment, with ten Enforcer 'Mechs and ten Sparrowhawk fighters.

Colonel Jaime Wolf, for his own part, held Coordinator Takashi Kurita personally responsible for the seppuku of his friend, Minobu Tetsuhara, after Misery. On 17 August, he took advantage of the wedding of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner on Terra to present Tetsuhara's swords to the Coordinator, further declaring that the Dragoons were now at war with his House. Though he accepted the mercenary's words stoically, Takashi Kurita was privately enraged at the public insult, and would accept that a feud now existed between the Combine and the Dragoons.

With the start of the Fourth Succession War, four regiments of the Galedon Regulars, and a fifth Kuritan regiment in the elite Third Proserpina Hussars, apparently acted without official orders as they stormed across the border, eager to repay the Dragoons for their insults and crimes, real and imagined.

Combatants

After Misery, Wolf's Dragoons reorganized their entire command, with Zeta Battalion and the bulk of their conventional and aerospace fighter forces forming their original Home Guard, protecting the Dragoon dependents on Robinson. The line regiments, the backbone of the Dragoons, had been reduced to under 50 percent of their previous strength, and were reorganized into provisional companies. Beta Regiment, commanded by Colonel Andrei Shostokovitch, had been restructured into five BattleMech companies with a regimental command lance while Delta Regiment, under the leadership of Kathleen Dumont, now consisted of four companies and the command lance. Although most of their internal formations, down to the lance level, had relatively little experience together, the shared Dragoon doctrine and esprit de corps allowed them to acclimate relatively quickly. Shostokovitch and Dumont emerged from their planning sessions with a strategy that would take advantage of Wapakoneta's small land area, using a guerrilla warfare defense with hidden supply depots. The Dragoons had thoroughly familiarized themselves as much as possible with the terrain, and were well prepared to defend the continent of New Wisconsin, fighting amongst its vast forests. The Wapakoneta planetary militia included three regiments of horse-mounted cavalry who were also available to the Dragoons. The rest of the militia were assigned to defend New Wisconsin's cities to discourage House Kurita from using the civilians as hostages.

The Twelfth Galedon Regulars were a green-rated unit composed mostly of younger warriors, raised on the stories of Combine glory. The Twelfth were therefore eager and very enthusiastic to face the Dragoons. The Third Proserpina Hussars were one of the elite commands of the DCMS, the lead regiment of the Proserpina Hussars and a troubleshooter unit for the Galedon Military District of this period. Prior to the Battle of Misery, Warlord Samsonov had told Tai-sho Tetsuhara that the Third Hussars would be surprise reinforcements for Tetsuhara on Misery, along with Samsonov's own Fifth Galedon Regulars. The reinforcements would land behind the Dragoons once Wolf had committed his forces. Instead, Samsonov sent the Third Hussars to attack the Dragoon dependents, who were evacuating under their hegira plan. Only the courage of the trainees from the Dragoon Training Command and the Hussars' distaste for killing civilians prevented a wholesale massacre. Their presence on Wapakoneta was seen by many as a sign of Coordinator Takashi Kurita's silent approval of the operation. These 'Mech forces were supported by their formidable aerospace fighter contingents and a battalion of combat engineers.

Battle

Wolf's Dragoons

The DCMS forces arrived in-system on 17 September. The Dragoons broke communication silence, determined to draw the Kurita troops to New Wisconsin to avoid civilian casualties. Both Kuritan regiments dropped on the northern plains of New Wisconsin.

Sarola River

24 September, in the first major action of the campaign, the Dragoons sent Beta's Third Provisional Company, led by Captain Michael Vanduesen, on a desperate mission to attack the DCMS airfield, using the Sarola River for cover. Vanduesen sent two of his lances to attack from the west, fooling the Kuritans into believing a major assault was imminent. Both regiments responded, leaving behind only a token force to defend the airfield. Unfortunately for Vanduesen and his lance, his navigation was faulty, and they emerged from the river ten kilometers from their target. Meanwhile, his other two lances had been wiped out, with some of the Dragoons being effectively executed even after their 'Mechs were destroyed, an act that became typical of the fighting on Wapakoneta. Vanduesen and his warriors arrived at the airfield just after the Kuritans had returned. Rather than flee or open fire on the 'Mechs, Vanduesen's lance recklessly charged the grounded fighters. The Dragoons destroyed two-thirds of the Kuritan aerospace assets - 25 fighters in all - on the ground, but were themselves annihilated when they were trapped, facing the overwhelming force of the two DCMS regiments. Although it was a terrible sacrifice to make, the action did give the Dragoons an advantage in air support for the rest of the campaign.

Battle of Black Statues

Battle of Black Statues

The Kuritans attempted to regain momentum by marching on Garolla, a major city, where they hoped threats against the local civilians would force the Dragoons into open conflict. Traveling through the Banth Forest, two lances were drawn away from the main column by Delta Regiment's Second Provisional Company, led by Captain Ralph Kincaid. The Dragoons attempted to draw both enemy lances into a kill zone, with demolition teams setting off charges to drop trees behind the Kuritans, effectively trapping them. The clash that became known as the Battle of the Black Statues took a dramatic turn when a forest fire broke out from weapons fire. Caught in a forest fire that burned out of control, the Dragoons were ordered to pull out. Kincaid, who had lost his wife and son on Misery, ordered the rest of his company to retreat while refusing to withdraw himself. Two of his warriors remained with him, and though they were hopelessly outnumbered and faced certain death from the fire. Kincaid died in his cockpit, fighting to the bitter end, destroying most of the remaining Combine 'Mechs. Kincaid's stand became such a legend among both the Dragoons and the Kuritans that the invaders would leave the ruined husk of Kincaid's Thunderbolt standing as a memorial, its hand reaching out to "choke" the head of a Galedon Panther.

Guerrilla Warfare

The Dragoons were still badly outnumbered, but they were more familiar with the terrain of the world, and received aid from the local citizens and militia. Also working in their favor was a lack of coordination between the Twelfth Galedon, a green unit that had taken the lead on Wapakoneta, and the elite Third Hussars, who regarded the Galedon Regulars with disdain. With these factors, they continued to wage a guerrilla warfare campaign against the DCMS troops over the course of the next three months. In the weeks that followed, the Dragoons split into company and lance-sized units, using hit-and-run tactics and refusing to give the Kuritans the pitched battle that would allow them to take advantage of their superior numbers. This approach was usually successful for the Dragoons, chipping away at the Galedon Regulars' forces and further undermining their cooperation with the Proserpina Hussars. Unfortunately, as effective as this tactic was in the forests and mountains, it was less so in the flat plains, where the DCMS troops were able to bring greater force to bear. The Dragoons' efforts were aided by the fact that the Regulars' commander, Sho-sho Tarsus Bodoli, kept his forces on the main roads in tightly packed convoys, easy prey for small groups of elite Dragoons. The Proserpina Hussars and their commanding officer, Sho-sho Bruce Lee Bernstein, grew frustrated at this ineffective approach, eventually splitting off his regiment and breaking it into company-sized units.

Stiverson Pass

Battle of Stiverson Pass

On 29 November, a company of Wapakoneta militia cavalry were attacked by a straggling company from the Twelfth Galedon Regulars at Stiverson Pass, specifically the Third Company of the Third Battalion. The militia troops signaled to the nearby Dragoons for help, and it came in the form of Beta Regiment's Fourth Provisional Company, commanded by Captain Loan Bassura, which had been hiding in a gully. The Dragoons relieved the militia and had the upper hand when a company from Third Proserpina Hussars - the Third Battalion's Second Company - appeared behind them, responding to a distress call from the Galedon Regulars. Outnumbered two-to-one, only five Beta 'Mechs escaped, and it seemed to become a turning point in the guerrilla campaign, as the Dragoons were forced to retreat more and more in the wake of these new developments.

Fight for Ploven's Fields

Recognizing that the Hussars had countered by breaking up into company-sized units, both Dragoon Colonels recognized that a change in approach was called for or they would be destroyed one company at a time. They successfully used Beta's Fifth Provisional Company, under the command of Captain Danielle Rondema, to lure a battalion of the Proserpina Hussars into a massive ambush, where almost the entirety of the remaining Dragoons attacked, with 60 'Mechs firing on 30. Known as the Fight of Ploven's Fields, Colonel Dumont activated a minefield beneath the Hussars, and a dozen Kuritan 'Mechs were destroyed before they managed to withdraw. The Hussars regrouped with the Galedon Regulars, looking to rest and repair. The Dragoons had lost three pilots and five 'Mechs in the exchange, but they salvaged two of the Kuritan 'Mechs. The lull in the fighting that followed these events coincided with the lull in the Fourth Succession War that seemed to envelop the Inner Sphere at that time.

Hannibal

The Twelfth Galedon Regulars

The Dragoons, meanwhile, had seen their nine original companies reduced to six by the start of 3029. They decided to make a stand in the mining city of Hannibal, high in the mountains with easily defensible terrain.

Bakir

The DCMS troops had anticipated the move, however, and moved to block the mercenaries' passage. The Dragoons found the passage blocked by elements of the Twelfth Galedon Regulars, who had taken the key town of Bakir, through which the only bridge to cross the Bakir River was to be found. The Regulars were well-entrenched, with artillery and aerospace fighter support. With the battle not going well, Colonel Dumont was approached in her 'Mech by an elderly woman, Mavis Greenthorn, who had been an AFFS veteran and who had braved the battlefield to give the Dragoons information about the terrain to help the mercenaries prevail. Revealing a hidden location where the river was shallow enough for 'Mechs to safely cross, the Colonel led the remaining Dragoons across the river, then doubled back to Bakir, where they surprised the Kuritans from behind. The Regulars quickly withdrew, and the Dragoons would blow the bridge, buying themselves a month's worth of time while the DCMS forces found a way around the river.

The Action at Bakir

Reaching Hannibal was not without cost, however, as Beta's Fifth Provisional Company was intercepted by a battalion of Proserpina Hussars. Facing two-to-one odds as they had on Misery, Rondema's Roughnecks attempted to repeat their famous feat from the previous battle. This time, however, fortune was not on their side. Surrounded by nearly two battalions, the Roughnecks were destroyed, killed to the last man. This further reduced the Dragoons' numbers.

Air Campaign

Evacuating the civilian population of the city, the Dragoons had until late April to prepare. After the Kuritans established a secure position outside the city, they began a campaign of bombardment with their remaining aerospace fighters, despite the poor weather conditions. The Dragoon 'Mechs took cover in the city's vast underground mining facilities, avoiding serious damage while the city above was reduced to rubble. Meanwhile, the defenders' fighters were forced to launch from the village of Yaston in the valley below. This village was too far away to respond quickly to attacks, and was also vulnerable to harassment from the Galedon Regulars' conventional forces which had been left behind.

Main Battle

When the Kuritan 'Mechs finally attacked on 9 May after a week of bombardment, the Dragoons used the rubble as natural defensive positions, and the mercenaries and Wapakoneta militia ambushed their enemies repeatedly. Beta's First Provisional Company, led by Captain Susan Flandrey, was able to pick off two recon lances of Kuritans when they were cut off from the main attacking force. The ruins forced the DCMS 'Mechs to "bunch up" their 'Mechs in poorly organized formations, leaving them no warning when the rest of the Dragoons attacked their right flank, destroying several enemy 'Mechs and forcing General Bodoli to order a retreat.

When the DCMS attacked again two weeks later, it came after another bombardment campaign, and approached in lance-sized units, each approaching the city from a different direction. The Dragoons split their remaining forces into three groups; Red Fire, Orange Fire and White Fire. Colonel Shostokovitch commanded Orange Fire with Beta's command lance, the survivors of Beta's Fourth Provisional Company, and Delta's First and Second Provisional Companies. Colonel Dumont, her command lance and Delta's Third and Fourth Provisional Companies would form White Fire. Captain Flandrey would command the Red Fire Group, leading the remnants of Beta's First and Second Provisional Companies.

Orange and White Fire would hold the line above, attempting to pick off individual Kuritan lances. Red Fire attached their 'Mechs to the underground trains and effectively creating a rapid response force that could strike at the attackers from below. The size of Colonel Dumont's 'Mech and several other heavy machines made this difficult, however, as the tunnels had never been designed for their size. This delayed their deployment when the fighting began to turn against the Orange and White Fire Groups. Pursued by the lances of the Proserpina Hussars, Red Fire was chased into the underground caverns. Captain Ramon Magdaleno and his Second Provisional Company led the pursuing Hussars into a side tunnel, where explosives had been set. Realizing they were being set up, the Hussars broke off their pursuit, forcing the Dragoons to detonate earlier than intended. Although they destroyed eleven Hussar 'Mechs, three Dragoons, including Captain Magdaleno, were lost. Magdaleno's last stand allowed most of his remaining warriors to make it out. Demoralized, the Hussars retreated.

Meanwhile, Delta's First Provisional Company, led by Major Benjamin Schwartzkopf, led Orange Fire's defense against the Galedon Regulars. Schwartzkopf ambushed a battalion of 'Mechs, using position, experience and surprise to good advantage. Unfortunately, the rest of the Dragoons were unable to reinforce Delta First, and Schwartzkopf and most of the company were killed. The White Fire group was able to save Orange Fire when they appeared behind the Galedon Regulars, leading the Twelfth to pull back as well.

Although the Dragoons had again taken heavy losses, they remained alive and in control of Hannibal. In the aftermath of the battle, weather conditions made any further Combine attacks impossible for more than a month, with supplies for both sides running low. Using the winter storms as cover, the Dragoons withdrew through the underground tunnels and reached their DropShips, which they used to escape the planet. By the time the Kuritans moved on Hannibal again on 28 June, the mercenaries were long gone.

Aftermath

The Battle of Wapakoneta, like the battles on Harrow's Sun and Glenmora, devastated the Dragoons' already depleted ranks. Of the 64 MechWarriors of Beta Regiment who had begun the battle, 43 had been killed. Delta Regiment had lost 26 of their 51 warriors, and 27 of their 'Mechs. The surviving members of both regiments retreated to Crossing where they rejoined the rest of the Dragoons. Wapakoneta would go down in Dragoon lore as one of the greatest battles in their history.

Both Kuritan regiments took very heavy casualties on Wapakoneta. For the Third Proserpina Hussars, Wapakoneta would represent the end of their involvement with House Kurita's feud against Wolf's Dragoons. For the Twelfth Galedon Regulars, however, it was only the beginning. Like their fellow Galedon Regular units, they were quickly brought up to strength with trainees pressed into service prematurely, and they would face the devastation of the Battle of Crossing.

Years later, the Dragoons would create the Kincaid Honorname in the Captain's memory, with Lieutenant Jacob Kincaid of the reborn Black Widow Company becoming the first to carry the name. Likewise, Captain Magdaleno's sacrifice was so honored among the Dragoons that Magdaleno became an Honorname, producing trueborn warriors using Magdaleno's genetic material with their Iron Womb program.

Notes

• According to multiple sources, the Dragoons employed aerospace fighters on Wapakoneta. It is unclear which units these were, as according to the unit rosters in Wolf's Dragoons, all the Dragoon fighters were assigned to their Home Guard forces.

• The scenario "Hunting the Predator", published in The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One, features the clash at Stiverson Pass between Bassura's Company against the Galedon Regulars and Proserpina Hussars.

• In an apparent oversight, the destruction of Rondema's Roughnecks—Beta's Fifth Provisional Company—on the way to Hannibal is not mentioned in the NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2. It is described exclusively in the Wolf's Dragoons sourcebook.
• Likewise, the destruction of Schwartzkopf's First Provisional Company is also unmentioned in the NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2.

Bibliography

• The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2
• Operational Turning Points: Death to Mercenaries
• Starterbook: Wolf and Blake
• Wolf's Dragoons
• Wolves on the Border (novel)