Jade Falcon Incursion (3058)


Jade Falcon Incursion (3058)
Part of the Clan Invasion
Start Date 30 January 3058
End Date 15 June 3058
Planet Engadine, Willunga, Neerabup, Bucklands, Australia, Recife, Ellengurg, Guatavita, Coventry
Result Draw: Clan Jade Falcon blooded its forces while the Lyran Alliance saved its planets
Territorial
changes
No Change
Factions
(Attacker)
Clan Jade Falcon
(Defender)
Lyran Alliance
Coventry Expeditionary Force
Commanders and leaders
Khan Marthe Pryde Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion
Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht
Conditions
Normal


The Jade Falcon Incursion was a Clan Jade Falcon military campaign which was launched 30 January 3058 into the Lyran Alliance. This would be the first of many such incursions by the Falcons into Lyran space, and is also known as the Battle of Coventry.

Brief[edit]

In late 3057, Clan Jade Falcon engaged in the Refusal War, a massive Trial of Refusal against former ilKhan Ulric Kerensky and his Clan Wolf, fought within Clan Jade Falcon's Occupation Zone in a series of brutal combat engagements. In its wake, the bulk of Clan Wolf was defeated and absorbed, but at a steep cost to Clan Jade Falcon, the Wolves having gutted the Falcon touman of valuable combat forces in the process. With their armed forces reduced to a mere shadow of their pre–Refusal War strength, the Falcons were left increasingly vulnerable to potential Absorption by other Clans. Shortly after the war, the Clan would also go through an upheaval of its leadership. With both Khans dead and Clan Wolf reborn from its very ranks, Marthe Pryde emerged as the Jade Falcons' new supreme leader. She began a crash course of ramping up her sundered military. The ranks of her depleted Clusters would be filled with inexperienced cadets graduated early from their schools. She brought these would-be warriors to the Falcons' Occupation Zone border. There she selected units that would assemble an expeditionary force consisting of these unblooded troops. The expedition's aim would be to gain experience for these unblooded warriors at the cost of Lyran troops, while proving to all factions that the Falcons were still a force to be reckoned with.

On 30 January 3058, her task force of combat units crossed the border and made their way down from the Occupation Zone to their final destination, Coventry.[1][2]

Forces[edit]

Clan Jade Falcon Expedition[edit]

Inner Sphere Forces[edit]

Lyran Alliance[edit]

Coventry Expeditionary Force[edit]

Campaign History[edit]

Crossing the Alliance[edit]

Coventry (The Battle of Coventry).png

In 30 January 3058, Khan Marthe Pryde organized her expedition into four task forces, which would travel independently into the Lyran Alliance. As they proceeded into the Alliance's interior, these Task Forces would conduct a series of strikes against Lyran worlds. These worlds leading to Coventry did not usually have significantly strong garrison forces to challenge these mostly unblooded warriors of the Clan.

In 3 February, elements of the Jade Falcon Expedition arrived on Engadine, where they fought the 22nd Skye Rangers. The Rangers regiment was conducting training exercises with a local non-'Mech militia. The Falcons chose to deploy their 2nd Falcon Jaegers and 7th Falcon Regulars against the Lyran defenders. With barely time to prepare, the Rangers and militia engaged in a running six day battle around the frigidly cold waters of Manistuque Lake. Hoping to hold out for reinforcements to arrive, the Lyran forces were able to bloody the Regulars as they pursued them. The Lyrans were caught off guard by the Jaegers' arrival when they conducted a combat drop on top of their position during a snowstorm. The Rangers and Militia were brutally smashed by Clan forces. The Falcons forced worthy bondsmen to join them and killed those who would not surrender.[4]

On 10 February, Neerabup was visited by a task force of Falcon JumpShips. Its commanders chose to deploy some of their ground forces to challenge the locally stationed Periphery March Militia unit. Determined to fight the Falcons, the Neerabup PMM answered the Clan's batchall and chose their military compound, Fort Dresden, as their battlefield. The Falcons chose to deploy their 5th Battle Cluster against the Militia unit, believing that the Trial would be an easy fight. To the surprise of the Cluster, the Neerabup Militia turned out to be a serious opponent. From their hardened positions in their base, the Neerabup PMM put up a tremendous fight for the unblooded Falcon attackers, impressing them with their courage. The militia was unable to prevail against the 5th Battle Cluster and was defeated. Despite the regional militia's defeat, the Falcons took a number of bondsmen for their depleted ranks.[5][6]

On the 12th, Bucklands was threatened by Marthe Pryde's task force. The Khan chose to deploy her unblooded warriors to gain some experience against the planet's local militia. They had not expected that the Bucklands Militia would be little more than a social club for retired veterans. Retirees, taking this threat seriously, cobbled together a force of armed IndustrialMechs. In less than an hour's time on the Coursey Plains, the Bucklands Militia was wiped out by the 3rd Falcon Talon Cluster.[7][8]

Battle of Coventry[edit]

Main Article Battle of Coventry (3058)

Coventry quickly became a meatgrinder for Inner Sphere forces. Despite being bolstered by Coventry Expeditionary Force, Lyran and mercenary forces were soundly defeated. The tactical situation was salvaged with the arrival of the multinational Coventry Relief Force led by Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht with First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion as second in command. Though possessing a massive force, it far from overwhelmed the combined Jade Falcon forces and both sides were faced with a costly battle for little strategic gain. Khan Pryde had received a communication from Khan Vlad Ward of Clan Wolf stating his intention to strike at the under-defended Falcon Occupation Zone, making the surprising offer of hegira from the Relief Force an easy decision to make. After bondsmen and prisoners were exchanged the two sides parted, with the Falcons returning to their Occupation Zone.

Aftermath[edit]

The coalition efforts proved that the Inner Sphere factions could work together, leading to the first Whitting Conference, the formation of the Second Star League and a war to destroy Clan Smoke Jaguar. [9][10]

Notes[edit]

  • Inner Sphere and Falcon combat units mentioned in this article are units which were from the original and later PDF scenarios. Other combat forces were later mentioned in other sourcebooks but were not listed as major combatants and are not listed here.

Map[edit]

Jade Falcon Incursion

References[edit]

  1. The Battle of Coventry, p. 6: Learning to Fly - The original sourcebook's description of events leading to the Falcons' expedition to Coventry.
  2. Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 8: newer scenario pack indirectly calls the event the Falcon Incursion
  3. The Battle of Coventry, pp. 10, 44–45, 47–48
  4. Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 18: Touchpoint: Engadine
  5. Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 19: Touchpoint: Neerabup
  6. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 117: Neerabup MTM
  7. Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 20: Touchpoint: Bucklands
  8. The Battle of Coventry, p. 6: Proving Grounds - Bucklands Militia and its cobbled together industrialMech force is noted in the original campaign history
  9. The Battle of Coventry, p. 13: "Endgame", "Aftermath"
  10. Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 8

Bibliography[edit]