Editing Battle of Lee (2952)

{{InfoBoxConflict
| conflict = Battle of Lee (2952)<br />"Great Lee Turkey Shoot"
| partof = The [[Third Succession War]]
| image = 
| caption = Great Lee Turkey Shoot
| date = [[2952]], 3 days battle
| place = Lee system
| planet = [[Lee]]
| territory = No changes
| faction1 = Attacker<br>[[Capellan Confederation]]
| faction2 = Defender<br>[[Federated Suns]]<br>
| commander1 = [[Chancellor]] [[Ingrid Liao]]
| commander2 = [[First Prince]] [[Peter Davion (30th c.)|Peter Davion]]
| forces1= Six fighter regiments (over 200 aerospace fighters) including rare [[Land-Air 'Mech]]s and a sizable ground force to the mission<br/>*[[Second Kearny Highlanders]]<ref name=NHp22-23>''Northwind Highlanders'', pp. 22–23</ref>
| forces2= 'Mechs and aerospace fighters, quantities not specified<br/>*[[Fifth Davion Guards]]<ref name=NHp22-23/>
| result = Federated Suns keeps the planet
| environment = Space
| conditions = Normal
}}
The Battle of [[Lee]] in [[2952]], better known as the "'''Great Lee Turkey Shoot'''," was a three-day fight between the [[Capellan Confederation Armed Forces]] and the [[Armed Forces of the Federated Suns]], most notable for being the largest single action during the [[Third Succession War]] to involve massed groups of [[aerospace fighter]]s.
[[Image:GreatLeeTurkeyShoot.jpg|right|thumb|The Great Lee Turkey Shoot]]

==Overview==
In the late [[thirtieth century]], the [[BattleMech]] piloting rulers of both the [[Capellan Confederation]] and [[Federated Suns]] began to build up their aerospace forces for wildly different reasons. [[First Prince]] [[Peter Davion (30th c.)|Peter Davion]] saw the elevation of aerospace pilots as a way to break the power of the feudal [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] aristocrats that plagued his attempted reforms for the government, while [[Chancellor]] [[Ingrid Liao]]'s affection for aerospace fighters resulted in her deciding to use massed groups of aerospace fighters to bolster her weakened ground forces with overwhelming air support.<ref name=HL-50>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 50: "History - The Succession Wars - Shift to Aerospace"</ref><ref name=HD-87>''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', pp. 87–88: "History - Third Succession War - Knights of the Void"</ref><ref name=HHD-67>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 67: "History of the Federated Suns - Third Succession War - Rise of Brotherhoods - The Purge"</ref><ref name=HHL-34>''Handbook: House Liao'', p. 34: "History of the Nation - Third Succession War - The Great Lee Turkey Shoot"</ref>

Greatly encouraged after intercepting a [[House Marik]] raid near [[Ingersoll]] in [[2952]] without a single Liao loss, Ingrid decided to launch a major offensive against the Davion-held world of Lee, site of an [[AFFS]] regional supply center as well as a critical maintenance facility for aerospace fighters and increasingly rare [[Land-Air 'Mech]]s. Hoping to claim the vital facility for the Confederation, Ingrid committed six fighter [[regiments]] (over 200 aerospace fighters) and a sizable ground force to the mission, waiting on [[Sian]] for word of its success.<ref name=TRO3025-134>''Technical Readout: 3025'', p. 134: "AeroSpace Fighters - SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk"</ref><ref name=TRO3025R-152>''Technical Readout: 3025 Revised'', p. 152: "AeroSpace Fighters - SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk"</ref><ref name=HL-50/><ref name=HD-87/><ref name=HHD-67/><ref name=HHL-34/>

The [[MIIO]] however learned of the plan well in advance, giving First Prince Peter plenty of time to reinforce and direct the planet's defense himself. Thanks to their advance warning the Davion defenders met the Capellan forces in space, immediately assuming aerospace superiority. Davion aerospace fighters, consisting primarily of the sleek and fast ''[[Sparrowhawk]]'', crippled over forty of the slower and older Capellan ''[[Thunderbird]]'' and ''[[Eagle (Aerospace Fighter class)|Eagle]]'' fighters, leaving the Liao 'Mechs, tanks and infantry without the full air support the Chancellor's plan required. Prince Peter personally led his 'Mech in pushing the Capellans off Lee with heavy losses.<ref name=TRO3025-134/><ref name=TRO3025R-152/><ref name=HL-50/><ref name=HD-87/><ref name=HHD-67/><ref name=HHL-34/>

===Aftermath===
With the Capellans' dwindling resources, the loss of so many vital aerospace fighters was crippling to both the nation and any future plans involving massed air support. Thereafter Capellan ''Thunderbird'' and ''Eagle'' was restricted to interior defense duties only, with offensive operations the sole province of the few ''[[Thrush]]''es that remained.<ref name=HL-50/><ref name=HD-87/><ref name=HHD-67/><ref name=HHL-34/>

The success of the Davion aerospace forces earned them considerable praise, especially from Prince Peter who credited them with the victory, despite the fact he was on the ground in his 'Mech. Already unhappy at Peter's attempts to raise the standing of aerospace pilots and purge those MechWarriors who had opposed his reforms, these disaffected nobles formed the [[Davion Warriors' Cabal|Warriors' Cabal]] which eventually resulted in killing Peter.<ref name=HD-87/><ref name=HHD-67/>

==Notes==
* The [[Northwind Highlanders (scenario pack)|Northwind Highlanders]] scenario pack dates the Great Lee Turkey Shoot as taking place in [[2953]], this is an error as multiple other sources place the event a year earlier in [[2952]].
* The battle's nickname is a nod to the 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea, colloquially known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot," where U.S. Navy aviators and anti-aircraft gunners won a lopsided victory over the Japanese.

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Handbook: House Davion]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Liao]]''
* ''[[House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)]]''
* ''[[Northwind Highlanders (scenario pack)|Northwind Highlanders]]''
* ''[[House Davion (The Federated Suns)]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3025]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3025 Revised]]''

[[Category:Third Succession War Era Military Operations|Lee (2952)]]