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

Dodgson's World: The Hellfire Campaign (Part 3)

D-Day+2, morning.
Chastity GHQ
"General, 36R Airmobile and the Alacrity Gendarmerie were engaged on a recon in force. They report an encounter with a large rebel infantry force north of the Thrift Mountains. Initial reports suggest light casualties on the part of our troops and much heavier casualties for the rebels. Our force has withdrawn from the field. They claim to have identified a doolie wagon carrying Prince Bishopette Athaniel Moor."
"That's good news, Comms. Get me Ops on the line and we'll soon have this rebellion crushed."

The Company had deployed two small units to the north-west of Alacrity to scout a single possible enemy force. They found the entirety of 127 Mobile Brigade comprising the 44th (Whistling Joeys) Battalion and the 45th (Staunch in Righteousness) Battalion. The rebel forces deployed quickly in the abundant bad going in the foothills of the Thrift Mountains and waited for the Company forces to come. The Company entered from off table with the gendarmerie marching as fast as they could for the nearest cover. The Airmobile unit dropped its passengers off behind some convenient cover and the transports skedaddled. Steve was taking no chances with his vehicles in this game! His troops took fire from early on, especially from the rebel artillery but the rebels might as well have been firing blanks for all the good it did them. The rebel infantry closed on the Company forces and opened fire. A few casualties were caused but they took many times more in the process. As the rebels massed to assault, the Company forces pulled back. They had done what they came to do. Time to let command know and for GHQ to task a larger force to wipe out these pesky rebels.

The battlefield. Rebel positions marked in blue. Company forces marked in Red

The Gendarmerie retreated in some disarray. I think Steve did not realise half his unit was pointing the wrong way!

The biggest problem that the rebels faced (apart from my dice) was that many were equipped with energy weapons and the Company forces were wearing ablat armour which is designed to stop energy weapons. The other problem they had was that half of them had no armour while the other half were wearing flak armour which is ineffective versus energy weapons. The Company had no such problems. This made this apparently uneven battle much more even.

The situation at the end of the morning turn 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

Dodgson's World: The Hellfire Campaign (The Battle for Salvation)

Meanwhile in Salvation ...

"Sir, there's a motorised column of rebels heading our way."

"Don't worry, lieutenant, The Salvation Town Militia is more than a match for a bunch of scruffy rebels."

"Sir, they outnumber us!"
"I said not to worry, lieutenant. They'll never take the town. We'll fort up here and pick them off as they approach. We have the advantage of terrain and morale. What could they possibly have that could defeat that combination?"

"Sir, the perimeter guards report heavy casualties. The enemy is standing off and shelling us from across the river. We have nothing that can touch them at that range."
"Don't worry, lieutenant. We'll just pull back further into the town. That will negate their advantage and then we can pick them off in the streets."

The comms officer at Chastity GHQ turned to the heavily be-ribboned officer behind him. He licked his lips. The sight of an officer with that much gold braid on him was intimidating and he was not happy to be reporting bad news.

"General, reports are coming in of heavy casualties in Salvation. The town has fallen and the local militia are in full flight. Indications are that the rebels attacked in full strength with a large contingent of heavily armed technicals. They shelled the town from a distance and then drove in to pick up the pieces. The militia took heavy casualties before fleeing. They claim to have put up a brave fight and damaged the rebels badly but the satellite imagery suggests otherwise."

"Thank you, Comms. Get me ADC Kurz. I think we need to do something about these people."