Battle Report: OPERATION THUNDER SPEAR - The Tenebrine War

 

Battle of Junerva, 2338

OPERATION: THUNDER SPEAR
Commander: General Brooke
19^th June 2338

At 7.30 a.m., our army of 200 tanks and 26,700 men begin their assault on Fort Junerva.

Members of the 3^rd Regiment, with around 300 men charged into the fray with support from the armored div., attacking the right flank of the Fort with the sole purpose of disabling the anti-armor weapons that our scouts have identified. Accompanied by two squads from the Shock Trooper Division (the ‘Hell Brigadiers’ and the ‘Scornful Bastards’), their mission is to clear a path for the other forces – especially our tanks – to begin the second phase of the operation.

By 7.50 a.m., they were under heavy fire from the machine gunners holed up in their nests and were pinned if not for the coordinated attack by the Shock Troopers. Even with the use of the ‘female’ Griffin type tanks, they are suffering heavy casualties under constant bombardment by the anti-armor weapons.

The two Shock Trooper Squads maneuver their way into the anti-armor emplacements while the rest of the force distracted the enemy and drawing their attention towards them. By 7.55 a.m., the ‘Hell Brigadiers’ have successfully disabled the first cannon with the use of heavy weapons and by 8.00 a.m., the ‘Scornful Bastards’ disabled the other, securing the way for the army to advance.

Meanwhile the left wing of the fort is suffering heavy losses with more than 500 troops and 10 Chimera type tanks were ordered to charge across the sands. While mortar teams provided sufficient covering fire with the combined use of high explosive shells and smoke shells, they came under constant cross machine gun fire which halts the advance.

It wasn’t until one of the tanks named the ‘Crimson Horse’ managed to disable a significant portion of the fort’s left defenses that they managed to push through.

As we inched ever closer to the main fortress itself, the Imperials ordered a large number of their own tanks to meet our assault. They were numbered around 120 tanks, most of which were the Stormcaller types – fast, small and agile but a well-placed shot may disable it.

Their sudden advance out of Junerva pushed our forces back to the middle of the battlefield, accompanied by constant bombardment from the artillery units holed up in the fort. By 8.15 a.m., we are locked in a standstill for two hours while rows of destroyed vehicles eventually became cover for the troops that advanced for both sides. General Brooke was ordered to utilize the entirety of the 19^th Eiselmond from the 41^st Tenebrine ‘Braveblades’ to advance past the ‘Row of Metal’. The 19^th Eiselmond pushed through the Row of Metal and suffered heavy losses in the ensuing charge, engaging in a fierce melee with the defending forces that sallied out to meet their attack. By 9.13 a.m., only a quarter of the 19^th Eiselmond survived and returned to base while the 4^th Edelheim Brigade relieved them and continued the battle.

The stalemate continues for the next few hours with our forces gaining little by little ground despite our heavy losses. At 11.00 a.m., the 13^th Armored Division pushed through the Row of Metal and engaged with the enormous amount of tanks that the enemy have prepared for us. Coupled with the constant bombardment from the artillery units, the offensive attack is a chaotic battle which resulted in a miraculous victory for our side.

We continued forth, initiating the third phase of our assault. General Brooke sends the 11^th Tenebrine ‘Iceheart’ Regiment and the 14^th Tenebrine ‘Dragonbane’ Regiment to storm the fort, supported by the remnants of the 13^th Armored Division while mortar teams continuously provide supporting fire at 12.00 p.m.

Pegasus Type tanks became the spearhead of the assault, followed by flamethrower units to destroy any remaining survivors at the walls. Mortar teams shelled the defenders without cease and Shock Troopers assisted in disabling the artillery emplacements on the walls under the command of the Scornful Bastards squad.

Storming through fort Junerva is another challenge in and of itself; infantrymen were forced to fight in its tight corners where strategically placed machine gun nests slaughtered our men with ease. The Dragonbane Regiment took the brunt of the damage during the assault but at 2.00 p.m., our forces managed to control three quarters of the fort and the remaining hostiles surrendered unconditionally.

 

REASONS FOR SUCCESS

• Continuous fire support from adequate and tenacious men on the field.
• Unwavering leadership from several commanding officers, particularly Corporal Adam Grayson and his tank crew on the Crimson Horse during the “Battle of Steel” as the infantrymen called it.
• The successful attacks carried out by the Shock Trooper Squads against machine gun nests and artillery units on top the walls.
• The brave charge of the 19^th Eiselmond Infantry Brigade against enemy forces at the Row of Metal, allowing the army to push through and secure control of the middle portion of the battlefield.

DISCIPLINE AND MORAL

• The behavior of troops in constant pressure is perfect; showing little signs of routing during the entire operation was carried out.
• The exemplary actions of several units have undoubtedly assisted in riling up the spirits of our men to continue fighting – especially those of the 13^th Armored Division, the Eiselmonds and the Shock Troopers.

CASUALTIES

• In the day’s action, our forces have suffered 4,706 casualties and among them were 176 officers.

"We shall stand against all odds,
We shall stand against the world if we need to,
For we are the sons of Tenebrine,"

~The Oath of Tenebrine