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{{InfoBoxConflict | conflict = Battle of New Aragon | partof = Third Succession War | image = | caption = | date = [[3008]] | enddate = | place = | planet = [[New Aragon]] | result = | territory = | faction1 = (Attacker)<br/>[[Federated Suns]] | faction2 = (Defender)<br/>[[Capellan Confederation]] | faction3 = | commander1 = | commander2 = | commander3 = | forces1 = See Units Involved | forces2 = See Units Involved | forces3 = | environment = | conditions = }} ==Overview== This was the battle to reconquer the world of [[New Aragon]] in [[3008]] by the Federated Suns, that they had lost to a Capellan Confederation assault in the same year [[3008]].<ref name=WDsp11a/> ==Preparations== In early [[3008]], Capellan forces attacked and conquered New Aragon. The fall of this heavily industrialized and strategically important world immediately became a concern for the Federated Suns which began massing forces for a counter attack. Raids were conducted on nearby systems to disrupt the Capellan forces. Meanwhile, the Capellan Confederation began to feed reinforcements into the region in preparation for the expected counter attack.<ref name=WDsp11>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 11, "String of Victories"</ref> ==The Battle== On March 29th, 3008, ten regiments - made up of the five regiments of [[Wolf's Dragoons]] and five [[Federated Suns]] [[Regimental Combat Teams]] including elements of the [[Avalon Hussars]], [[Crucis Lancers]], and the [[Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry]] - jumped into the New Aragon system. There they found eight entrenched Liao regiments - the [[First Ariana Fusiliers]], [[Second Ariana Fusiliers]], [[Freemont's Cuirassiers]], [[Trimaldi's Secutors]], [[1st Kearny Highlanders]], [[2nd Kearny Highlanders]], [[Stirling's Fusiliers|McCormack's Fusiliers]] and [[Waco Rangers]] - ready to resist their attack. The Avalon Hussars and Crucis Lancers attacked the equatorial continent where the First & Second Ariana Fusiliers, Freemont's Cuirassiers and Trimaldi's Secutors were waiting for them. Meanwhile, the entire Wolf's Dragoons force with the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry would attack the Monte Estacado area. A region of forests, valleys and swamps where the 1st & 2nd Kearny Highlanders, McCormack's Fusiliers and Waco Rangers were dug in.<ref name=WDsp11a>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 11, "Battle of New Aragon"</ref> The assault encountered difficulties right from the beginning. Capellan aerospace fighters, operating from an unknown airbase in the Estacado foothills, hit the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry as they came in for landing. This attack severely damaged the unit and kept them out of action for a week as they reorganized. The Dragoons also suffered damage, but were able to land and start the offensive. However, the 1st and 2nd Kearny Highlanders were deeply entrenched in the Estacado mountains. They resisted several Dragoon assaults to dislodge them despite heavy artillery bombardment. Only Epsilon Regiment of the Wolf's Dragoons made any progress, but their's was a grueling assault on Hill 714, called "Pillbox Hill" by the attacking Dragoons due to the number of defenses there. It took a night assault to secure the position, but Epsilon suffered heavy losses.<ref name=WDsp11a/><ref name=WDsp12>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 12, "Battle of New Aragon"</ref> Fighting continued as the Dragoons tried to break the defenders, but losses were mounting across all units. The greatest loss was [[Colonel]] [[Travis King]] from Delta Regiment. When he reluctantly ordered a retreat after another failed assault, Capellan aerospace forces attacked the fleeing Dragoons. King's [[Archer]] [[BattleMech]] took a direct hit to the back of his machine which detonated the remaining ammo there, killing him instantly.<ref name=WDsp13a>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 13, "Death of Colonel King"</ref> With losses mounting and the Avalon Hussars and Crucis Lancers attacks also encountering stiff resistance, [[Jaime Wolf]] and his commanders realized they needed a new strategy. They looked at the narrow and rugged El Diablo Pass that provided a route through the mountains. If they could move through the pass, they could flack the Liao defensive positions and take the undefended territory beyond. However, the pass was rugged and heavily defended by the McCormack's Fusiliers and Waco Rangers. The skills of the [[7th Kommandos]] would be called upon again to help solve the problem. They were dropped behind the Capellan defenders with light units from the Alpha and Gamma Regiments. This gave the illusion of a larger assault and the supporting units in defense of the pass were called away to assist. At this time, [[Colonel]] [[Frank Wells]] led his [[Zeta Battalion]] up the pass against the strung out Waco Rangers defenders.<ref name=WDsp13b>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 13, "The Wolf's Gamble"</ref> One of these defenders was [[Lieutenant]] [[John Waco]] in command of a recon [[Lance]]. Using his units' agility to avoid the Dragoons, he and his compatriots did their best to resist the Dragoon attack. The rough terrain allowed the troops of Zeta Battalion to catch up to the defenders where John Waco's [[Wasp]] was torn apart. While John ejected, we was subsequently killed when we was accidentally crushed under the foot of a Dragoon [[Stalker]].<ref name=WDsp13>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 13, "Blood Price"</ref> Once Zeta's attack had cleared the pass, the following Dragoons forces easily routed the defending McCormack's Fusiliers they encountered. They soon seized the cities and farms behind the entrenched Liao troops cutting their supply lines. Sporadic fighting would continue for another two months, but the Capellan troops were surrounded and drive off world by the summer of 3008. One of those retreating offices was [[Colonel]] [[Wayne Waco]]. Upon hearing false rumors that the Dragoons had purposefully killed John Waco, his only son, he and his men declared a blood feud against the Dragoons from that point forward.<ref name=WDsp13/> ==Aftermath== The Federated Suns secured a cease-fire with the Capellan Confederation.<ref name=WDsp13>''Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)'', p. 13, "Departure"</ref> Hanse Davion was appointed military governor of New Aragon in 3011. ==Units involved== ===Federated Suns=== * Five regiments of [[Wolf's Dragoons]] (mercenary)<ref name=WDsp11a/> * Five [[Federated Suns]] [[Regimental Combat Teams]] including elements of the [[Avalon Hussars]], [[Crucis Lancers]], and the [[Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry]]<ref name=WDsp11a/> ===Capellan Confederation=== Eight entrenched Liao regiments: * [[First Ariana Fusiliers]]<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[Second Ariana Fusiliers]]<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[Freemont's Cuirassiers]]<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[Trimaldi's Secutors]]<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[1st Kearny Highlanders]] (mercenary)<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[2nd Kearny Highlanders]] (mercenary)<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[Stirling's Fusiliers|McCormack's Fusiliers]] (mercenary)<ref name=WDsp11a/> * [[Waco Rangers]] (mercenary)<ref name=WDsp11a/> ==References== <references /> ==Bibliography== * ''[[Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)|Wolf's Dragoons]]'' (sourcebook) [[Category:Third Succession War Era Military Operations|Battle of New Aragon (3008)]]