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| − | The '''Palmyra Disaster''' was a catastrophic defeat of the Federated Suns forces under a surprise attack of the Draconis Combine in the [[Dark Age]].
| + | #REDIRECT[[Operation MANDRAGORA]] |
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| − | ==Prelude==
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| − | Since [[Caleb Davion]]'s arrival to power as [[First Prince]] of the [[Federated Suns]], began centralizing the AFFS forces and amassing power, and planning a massive invasion of the [[Capellan Confederation]].
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| − | Named Operation SUNSHOWER, it was, without doubt, inspired in his great grandfather, [[Hanse Davion]] invasion in the [[Fourth Succession War]] and was meant to neutralize the Confederation once for all. Fort his, he reserved the blunt of the AFFS for that purpose, neglecting any other front.
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| − | Caleb ignored specially the [[Draconis Combine]] frontier, allowing the [[Wolf's Dragoons]] and [[Ryuken]] to easily conquer the [[Draconis Reach]], a disputed border area, without any opposition, even when the Dragoons made a deep incursion in Federated space.
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| − | At [[3143]], when the [[Draconis March]] Duke Sandoval launched an attack on the Combine and was rejected, and the Combine invaded the Federated Suns by the Periphery Corridor, Caleb was forced to act.<ref>''Field Manual 3145'' p. 20</ref>
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| − | ==Preparations==
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| − | Furious for the audacity of the Combine's attack, Caleb initially was reluctant to give up his original plan, but at the end, either common sense or his advisor's words changed Caleb's mind and the First Prince moved the AFFC to met the Dragon's advance.
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| − | Caleb's plan was named: [[Operation MANDRAGORA]]. His objective was to attack the Draconis Combine capital district of [[New Samarkand]], expecting to draw the Kurita invaders back into the Combine space.
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| − | Caleb chose the planet [[Palmyra]], which was directly in the line of the Combine advance, would be the staging point for the AFFC.
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| − | As the Davion naval fleet was much smaller than the Combine fleet, Caleb extended an invitation to [[Raven Alliance]] Khan McKenna, who Caleb had a relationship with. Khan McKenna promised to send several [[WarShips]] to Palmyra to support Caleb's attack into the Draconis Combine. Caleb would wait for their arrival, however his plan never be realized.
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| − | ==The Battle==
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| − | On 19 June 3144, Caleb's plans came to an end. The Invasion was behind schedule. The Clan Raven Warships failed to arrive... and never would. In their place, House Kurita came in force. A brilliantly executed sneak attack surprised the AFFS on Palmyra and First Prince Caleb. The first loss was the Warship ''Lucien Davion'' which was destroyed to a concentrated attack of [[McFadden's Sky Storm]].
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| − | The destruction of the Davion Warship stranded the Federated Suns forces on Palmyra on the surface, rendering them easy targets. The Combine's [[Pocket WarShips]] after finishing the destruction of the Lucien Davion, would then turn their weapons against the exposed AFFC ground forces, destroying them with impunity.
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| − | After a full day of raining fire upon the Federated troops, the DCMS ground forces landed on Palmyra to finish destroying any survivors. Over the next week,
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| − | thirteen AFFC commands would be destroyed. Most of the remaining survivors would be captured.
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| − | Caleb, however would survive the orbital bombardment and the initial assault. Caleb was away at the headquarters of the [[First Royal Cavaliers]] during the orbital bombardment and initial attack. Caleb would lead a detachment of survivors into the Tower Mountains before the camp was destroyed.
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| − | The Prince and the remaining survivors would last in the mountains for six days avoiding Combine Patrols trying to make their way to a secondary drop port. On 25 June 3145, the Prince was found by a patrol from the [[Fifth Sword of Light]]. Following orders of the ''Kanrei'' not to kill the First Price, the DCMS troops surrounded Caleb's [[Marksman]] tank but did not attack the First Prince. Caleb's tank engaged Kurita [[Shiro]] BattleMech. The mechwarrior in response, kicked the tank, flipping the tank over, crushing the turret and killing First Price Caleb Davion.<ref>''Field Manual 3145'' p. 21</ref>
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| − | ==Aftermath==
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| − | The loss of thirteen regiments was a devastating blow to the Federated Suns. The sudden loss of over 1400 BattleMechs, thirty armor and infantry regiments, and entire aerospace wings took a heavy toll on the AFFS. Among the losses was the AFFS High Command and their Support staff. The [[Prince's Champion]], [[Erik Sandoval-Groell]] , the last remaining part of the Davion High Command would become the leader of the remaining AFFC forces left on Palmyra.
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| − | The DCMS forces exploited their success and in August 3145 took the Draconis March capital, [[Robinson]] . During the attack Duke Sandoval was killed. With the fall of [[New Syrtis]] to the [[Capellan Confederation]] in the following year [[New Avalon]] would fall to the Draconis Combine. The Federated Suns would face the worst period in its over 800 year history. This would leave Caleb's successor, [[Julian Davion]], who was currently on the other side of the Inner Sphere, with the situation of Draconis and Capellan forces pushing deep into Federated space, a greatly reduced and demoralized AFFC, and the loss of both Duke Sandavol-Groell and Duchess [[Amanda Hasek]].
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| − | Much of the disaster would be laid on Caleb's shoulders. Gathering so many units in one location broke all AFFS practices. Caleb ordered the warship ''Lucien Davion'' into a low geosynchronous orbit directly over his command section. This decision made the warship vulnerable to any attack from a higher orbit.
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| − | After the attack, Clan Snow Raven would soon take three Federated Suns worlds after the Palmyra Disaster. The clan may have betrayed Caleb in exchange for being left alone to conquer the Davion rimward worlds.<ref>''Field Manual 3145'' p. 71</ref>
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| − | It is currently unknown how many survivors made it thought the bombardment and the following assault on Palmyra. It is unconfirmed that the Combine's victory was complete in the total destruction of all thirteen mech regiments. It is unknown if some or any remaining elements of the Davion Heavy Guards may have survived on Palmyra escaping into hiding or into fleeing into the wild to fight a guerrilla war against the DCMS.<ref>''Field Manual 3145'' p. 77</ref>
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| − | ==Federated Suns Units Lost in the Disaster==
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| − | * [[2nd Federated Suns Armored Cavalry]]
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| − | * [[1st Federated Suns Lancers]]
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| − | * [[1st Royal Cavaliers]]
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| − | * [[22nd Avalon Hussars]]
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| − | * [[27th Avalon Hussars]]
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| − | * [[5th Ceti Hussars]]
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| − | * [[2nd Crucis Lancers]]
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| − | * [[4th Crucis Lancers]]
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| − | * [[7th Crucis Lancers]]
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| − | * [[Davion Heavy Guards]]
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| − | * [[2nd Davion Guards]]
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| − | * [[3rd Davion Guards]]
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| − | * [[3rd Robinson Strikers]]
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| − | * [[Lucien Davion (Individual Avalon-class WarShip)]]
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | ==Bibliography==
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| − | *''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
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| − | [[Category:Events]]
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