Earth Defense Campaign - 2668
| Earth Defense Campaign | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Terran-Kilrathi War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Terran Confederation Free Republic of the Landreich |
Empire of Kilrah | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Admiral Sir Geoffrey Tolwyn President Maximillian Kruger Divisional Commander Duke Grecko |
Crown Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Terran Confederation Navy Third Fleet Landreich Free Corps |
Imperial Fleet First Fleet of the Claw (in reserve) Second Fleet of the Claw Fourth Fleet of the Claw Fifth Fleet of the Claw | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
Third Fleet
at Earth:
|
Jukaga Cruiser group, Hakaga Carrier group
at Earth:
| ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Verdun and Moskva lost Concordia badly damaged
Lexington crippled |
Baron Jukaga nar Ki'ra KIA | ||||||
| Work-in-progress, expect frequent changes. Help and feedback is welcome. See discussion page. |
Overview
The Earth Defense Campaign of 2668 was the Kilrathis attempt at settling the conflict once and for all by launching a massive invasion Confederation space with Earth as it's final target. The long planned assault was built around the newly constructed massive Hakaga Fleet Carriers together with dozzens of supporting capital ships. The Confederation hastily rallied it's ships and attempted to halt the advance at the Battle of Sirius but was forced to retreat with catastrophic military and civilian losses done to Sirius and its protective forces. The remainder of the Confederation fleet made a last stand at the Battle of Earth and finally managed to rout the Kilrathi Hakaga-fleet. Before that, vital defense cities of Earth had been severly damaged by anti-matter rockets and Earth might have been totally destroyed by thermonuclear warheads had it not been for Jukaga nar Ki'ra revolt at the last moment. In the end the campaign resulted in a Kilrathi tactical defeat but left the Confederations infrastructure critically damaged with massive loss of material, infastructure and civilian casualties, it's defence fleets crippled and top military leadership wiped out.
Prelude
False Armistice
For 5 years the Kilrathi under Thrakkaths leadership had in secret been building a new fleet of 12 assault carriers called the Hakaga along with support ships in a far away location in the Hari Sector. The carriers were immensely powerful though also very complex and expensive to make. The project was a massive undertaking that involved building new shipyards and facilities and moving thousands of Kilrathi personnel and in general diverting resources from the regular shipyards. Several hundreds of transports was also appropriated for use with the project which was affecting front line resupply negatively. The enforced secrecy of the project was draconical and not even the eight ruling clans of the Kilrathi Empire (except the Emperors Kiranka-clan) was made aware of the project until 2668. The ultimate goal of the Hakaga-fleet and subsequent offensive was to break through Confederation lines, shatter the defence fleets and hit Earth, either forcing the Confederation to surrender or to destroy the Terran capability to wage war through the destruction of their homeworld. The Kilrathi computer projections of the offensive was favorable: at least half the carriers and ships would break through to strike Earth.
However, in 2668 the Confederation had launched successful strikes at the Kilrathi at Vukar Tag and the Kilrathi homeworld destroying and critically damaged shipyards, facilities, thousands of engineers, support-ships and workers. Around a dozen carriers was also destroyed or crippled by the raids. Faced with the derailment of the Hakaga-fleet and even possibly losing the war, Baron Jukaga, disgraced head of Kilrathi Intelligence and political opponent of Thrakkath and the Emperor, suggested that the Kilrathi make peace with the humans in order to exploit the Terrans war-weariness and alot time to finish the fleet for action. The other council-members scoffed at the idea but the Emperor agreed.
The war-weary Confederation and it's leader formally accepted and work began immediately mothballing the Confederation fleets and releasing it's personnel. The peace treaty was not universally accepted and several (now) former Confederation navy/space force personnel began planning for a deep reconnaissance inside Kilrathi territory were intelligence had hinted at the existance of the Hakaga-fleet.
