Fan Fiction/Labor Day 2009/AF: Beta Report
The following is a report filed by Col. Charles Shananaquet.
7th Armored Cavalry Regiment, After Action Report of Operation Rahab on Atbar VI
0455 Local Space Time
Normad and Outlaw Troops of Longknife Squadron were assigned to do an aero recon of the 27th Guards Stronghold on Atbar VI to gain a better intelligence of what the 27th Guards had stationed around their main stronghold on the planet. The recon flight found out that there was an infantry regiment, tank battalion, combat engineer battalion, and artillery battalion that were stationed at this position. They also found that they had built major mine and anti-armor emplacements to prevent any major armored combat against the stronghold. The recon flight returned to base and reported that they have taken very light anti-aircraft fire from the stronghold and they believe that most of the 27th Guards forces have pulled out besides the units that had been found there.
0515 Local Space Time
The 66th Military Intelligence Company reported that after they had looked over the sensor readings for the recon flight they have found that the 7th Armored Cavalry Regiment will be facing the Cardassian’s 702nd Infantry Regiment, 360th Combat Engineer Battalion, 121st Tank Battalion, and 92nd Artillery Battalion. These units have been on a current combat ration between Cardassia Prime and other troubled areas in the Cardassian Union. The units would be made up of combat hardened veterans that would hold and fight to the last Cardassian. So, the 7th ACR would be in for a long haul against their foe.
0530 Local Space Time
Colonel tr’Lhoell, Regimental Commander of the 7th Armored Cavalry Regiment ordered that King, Lion and Regulator Batteries to open fire on the 27th Guards Stronghold. At the same time that this bombardment was happening Tiger Squadron took their positions in eastern approach and Saber Squadron moved to the western approach of the Stronghold. Thunder Squadron moved into position for a frontal assault on the Stronghold. About this time the 7th’s Artillery started to get return fire from the howitzers of the 92nd Artillery Battalion. Before the firing had stopped the 7th’s Artillery had taken the loss of 4 Self-Propelled Howitzers and their gun crews as the Regiment’s first combat loses.
0600 Local Space Time
Quicksilver and Renegade Troops, Longknife Squadron launched strike on the Cardie’s observation posts that had been placed 4 kilometers in front of the Stronghold and this would also help prevent them from informing the main line of resistant of the coming of the 7th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
0615 Local Space Time
1st and 2nd Platoons, Mad Dog Company began an attack on two companies of Cardie tanks that were in the path of Thunder Squadron. The battle between 1st Platoon and what was believed to be the 3rd Company of the 121st Tank Battalion. M4A2 started to open fire with their 90mm High Velocity Guns at 3.5 kilometers out on the Cardie tanks and they had taken out 4 tanks before the Cardies knew what hit them. The Cardies started to open fire on the 1st Platoon’s M4A2 tanks. The M4s were taking a lot of fire and requested the help of the 3rd Platoon, Mad Dog Company to be moved into the area as to help suppress the Cardie tank and they were also being reinforced by Cardie infantry with anti-armor weapons. In this battle the Cardies started to take a lot of combat losses and they started to retreat towards the stronghold. This was going on about the same time that 2nd Platoon, Mad Dog Company had started to attack the 2nd Company, 121st Tank Battalion. When 2nd Platoon began their attack they came under fire from the Cardie Artillery and Tanks at the same time as they had been tipped off by Atbar VI Militia. With 2nd Platoon seeing that Atbar VI Militia was working with the Cardie’s 27th Guards they began to open fire but 2nd Platoon has already started to take fire and had lost two tanks. With these losses the Platoon Leader of 2nd Platoon requested and was granted 4th Platoon, an tank platoon from Lighting Troop, Thunder Squadron to be pushed forward to help with the fight. Also at the same time the Regimental Commander assigned a fire mission from Regulator Battery to begin firing on the 2nd Company, 121st Tank Battalion and onto the Cardie Artillery to help ease the strain on 2nd Platoon, Mad Dog Company.
0630 Local Space Time
Elements of Thunder Squadron began to run into anti-armor minefields, so with this going Col. tr’Lhoell brought up the Assault and Obstacle and 3rd Engineering Platoons to begin mine clearing operations to allow Thunder Squadron to proceed on mission against the stronghold. With the hold of Thunder Squadron by the minefields, the Cardies started to open fire with artillery and mortars on Thunder Squadron. As this bombardment started on Colonel tr’Lhoell called in Longknife Squadron’s Attack VTOL Troops to begin making runs against the Cardie artillery and mortars before allowing Thunder Squadron to move on with their attack. As the Cardies didn’t have any anti-aircraft or anti-spacecraft weapons on the planet to defend against aircraft or spacecraft. So, the VTOLs went with out be brought down by any major triple A. AH-49D Sparrowhawks where on station to bring much needed fire power to bear on any Cardie forces. During this time Thunder Squadron started to take losses from the minefield. With being held up by the minefield and also taking indirect fire from the Cardie Stronghold. Thunder Squadron had lost 6 tanks, 10 CVRs and 3 Mortar Carriers which totaled to 83 Troopers, that doesn’t include the loses of the engineering personnel that was helping clear the minefield away for Thunder Squadron. Losing 15 Combat Engineers were going to hurt 7th a bit but not by much. Colonel tr’Lhoell had his Tiger and Saber Squadrons attack the stronghold fifteen minutes after the start of Thunder Squadron began to throw off the Cardassians their game and only think that they were being attacked by one Cavalry Squadron.
0645 Local Space Time
At this time under the cover of the frontal attack of Thunder Squadron, is when Tiger and Saber Squadrons started their attacks against the Cardassians’ Stronghold in order to breach and stop the attack on Maquis systems and ships in the area. In the pitch of battle both Squadrons started to take incoming fire from concealed infantry anti-armor teams that blocked the way to the western and eastern parts of the Stronghold. In this attack though 1st Platoon working with Saber Squadron had moved up and started to clear the mines and anti-vehicle obstacles from in the way of Saber Squadron. Saber Squadron started to take loses of 9 tanks, 7 CVRs, 2 SPHs, and 77 Troopers, while 1st Platoon, 43rd Combat Engineers Company took 5 loses. Tiger Squadron attacking from the east also sent their attached engineers first and they took fire and lost 7 Engineers from the clearing of the minefield and breaching the anti-vehicle traps in front of Tiger Squadron. Tiger Squadron was fighting the rest of the 121st Tank Battalion and part of the 702nd Infantry Regiment. Tiger Squadron loses where 9 tanks, 8 CVRs, 2 SPHs, and 82 Troopers.
0700 Local Space Time
About this time all three Squadrons and Stetson Troop, Longknife Squadron started to breach and land Scout Teams into the Stronghold to finish off the rest of the Cardie forces. With most of the Cardie forces in full retreat and surrender to the 7th, Colonel tr’Lhoell started to order the execution of all Cardassian Military Personnel in the Stronghold. This last Cardie soldiers were executed 45 minutes after the fall of the Stronghold that was at 0800 hours Local Space Time.
0805 Local Space Time
When things started to be mopped up is when the 7th, 8th and 9th Atbar Militia Infantry Regiments started a counter-attack on the newly acquired Stronghold. So, a pitched battle started as all the Militia forces didn’t have any major tank support. They only had light armor vehicles to fight against a well armed and equipment Marine Cavalry Regiment. With three Militia Infantry Regiments being thrown at the 7th, the Regiment started to take losses from this counter-attack before Quicksilver and Renegade Troops, Longknife Squadron started to make attack runs and King, Lion and Regulator Batteries started to open fire on the Militia forces. After the counter-attack was suppressed the losses to the 7th Armored Cavalry Regiment was 405 troopers that fought dismounted against the Atbar Infantry Forces.
0855 Local Space Time
This was when the Regiment started to conduct non-combat patrols of the surrounding area of the Stronghold.
Fsithfully submitted,
M’Narth i’Ramnau tr’Lhoell
Colonel, Regimental Commander, 7th Armored Cavalry Regiment
Ground Commander Atbar forces, Operation Rehab
