Dodgson's World: The Hellfire Campaign (Part 4)

D-Day+2, afternoon
Chastity GHQ

"Sir, we've caught the rebels just south-east of Salvation. Looks like we have them outnumbered. Reports suggest it is their Liberty Battalion without any support."
"Tell the men to hit them hard, Lieutenant."

The Company concentrated its forces in the Salvation area. 26T Infantry Battalion formed an improvised brigade with the Spaceport Defence Company, the remnants of 36R Airmobile and the remnants of the Salvation Gendarmerie.

Part-way through the battle (rebels at bottom of photo)

The battle saw the rebels advance on a small village outside Salvation. Their vehicles tried to stand off and use their superior range to slowly destroy the enemy forces. They quickly took out the Spaceport Defence Vehicle and the transport vehicles of 36R Airmobile were soon knocked out. The infantry proved a tougher nut to crack and it was necessary to dismount the Liberty Battalion's infantry companies. They pressed forward against heavy fire.

The assault was not without cost. Liberty Battalion 2nd Armoured company was almost entirely wiped out and the support section was reduced to just one damaged lorry. Nevertheless, they held the field at the end of the day, but it may prove to have been a Pyrrhic victory.

"Sir, our troops have retreated in the face of the enemy and we have taken heavy casualties. 36R Airmobile and the Salvation Gendarmerie were both wiped out, but we gave the rebels a bloody nose."
"Very good, lieutenant. Plenty more troops where ours came from. If this needs to be a war of attrition, we will win it. No doubt about that."

The general is right. The forces that the rebels lost are ones they can ill afford to lose. If it comes to a straight infantry fight the Company has the numbers and the weapons. We'll have to see how it pans out next time around.

The situation at the end of the afternoon on Day 2

ShortCom Forces (Yellow)
1 26T Infantry Battalion
2 Spaceport Defence Company
3 36R Airmobile Battalion
4 Salvation gendarmerie (1 company)
5 Alacrity gendarmerie (1 company)
6 Joados Marauders (1 company of mercenary Thaugs)
7 Jessop's Regiment (2 troops of armoured infantry with artillery support)

Insurgents (White)
1 Dedicationalist Sect, Fidelis Guard (1 infantry battalion)
2 Liberty Battalion (1 improvised armoured battalion)
3 127 Mobile Brigade (2 infantry battalions)
? Unidentified forces