Operation Sledgehammer (Aka “Sledgehammer Valley”)

The Conflict

Prelude

Sledgehammer Valley was one of the first battles to take place in the Saurian counteroffensive that occurred in the height of the War For Atalan. A naval battle above Syra which resulted in Saurian victory led to Saurian forces landing on the planet in an attempt to take it over. The ill-fated assault on the valley and city of Pundar happened before extensive Saurian recon actions were able to take place, and thus the Butcher Battalion was not fully aware of the strength of the Walren force they were engaging at first. Fortunately, the Saurian Drop Force was able to support them after only around half an hour of combat.

Deployment

Walren forces were well prepared for the assault, dug into fairly extensive trench systems both beyond the city and at the top of the far valley ridge. They also had 3 Hastati platforms and 3 Terminus platoons to hide in the field on the opposite side of the city from the trenches to hopefully catch the Saurians unawares. In addition they had a heavy tank platoon deployed into the heart of the city in hopes to hold it as well as several platoons of outdated Warhammer 2 tanks on their way to the city, though they did not reach it before the battle began. Lastly 2 Walren MBT platoons were located near the trenches that were just past the city.
Saurian forces spotted the Walren troops and mechs “hidden” in the field quickly, dispatching 3 infantry platoons and 2 anti-tank platoons to deal with them, while 3 mechanized platoons were sent to clear out the trenches on the opposite side of the city along with 2 MBT platoons. Meanwhile heavy tanks along with a tank destroyer platoon were sent on the main road into the city to take care of the Walren vehicles located there. Lastly, support was provided by guided mortars set up behind rocks in the flats leading up to the city while self propelled artillery enacted fire support from positions further back from the field of battle.

Battlefield

As the name suggested, Sledgehammer Valley took place in a fairly wide and shallow valley with a surprisingly flat plane at its bottom, the city of Pundar located squarely in its center. 3 decently large agricultural fields also sprawled in the valley along with many large rocks scattered through the whole area.

Conditions

The battle started shortly before sunset, resulting in darkness after only a few minutes. This did not greatly effect either side however due to the use of night vision and thermal cameras. The temperature was 94 degrees and very dry.

The Engagement

Northern Field Above Pundar:
As the Saurian infantry approached the edge of the field, the Walren within opened fire. Undeterred, the Saurians continued to advance while returning fire, mortars and artillery quickly raining explosives down into the field to support the Saurian troops. Saurian infantry took fairly heavy casualties, the largest loss of life in the battle occurring in the first 15 minutes as Walren Terminus opened up on the infantry, quickly turning the engagement into a prolonged firefight. In return the Saurians entirely dispatched all 3 platoons of Hastati in the field as well as 2 out of 3 Terminus platoons with ATGMs, the last platoon being finished off by Saurian MT111-V3 Far-Hunter TD tanks located further south on the road before Pundar.
The City of Pundar:
Walren heavy tanks located at the crossroads in the center of the city were overwhelmed in a matter of minutes by Saurian HT33-V4 Anvilus heavy tanks, all 4 Walren tanks being destroyed to the last by the Anvilus cannons and ATGMs with the Saurian tanks incurring only superficial damage. This relatively quick tank battle was still rough to destroy a dozen buildings, the wreckage and rubble causing a large amount of black smoke to billow into the sky and also blocking any more vehicles from passing through the town for the remainder of the battle.
Southern Trenches Outside Pundar:
Just outside the city Walren Punisher MBTs moved to help their doomed allies inside the city, but were intercepted by Saurian MT226-V13 Ravager MBT platoons coming up from the south-west road. With a few scattered buildings providing concealment, this tank battle continued for the duration of the battle until the Saurian tactical retreat, resulting in the destruction of 2 Punishers and 1 Ravager, with several other tanks receiving damage as well. Meanwhile Saurian mechanized TT224-V2 Kurn APC platoons assaulted entrenched Walren infantry from the southernmost field, wiping out an entire Hastati platoon at the price of a few men and one Kurn APC. On the eastern end of the trench system, a platoon of Saurian SX9-V8 Gladiator mechs landed and engaged the Hastati there, inflicting heavy casualties and losing one mech to a well placed rocket straight into the cockpit.
Western Trenches on the Valley Ridge:
The Walren Romulus 175mm howitzers were not able to fire a single shell before 4 platoons of Saurian Drop Force pods descended in their midst, with a 5th landing too far from the battle to participate due to a system malfunction in their guidance systems. In spite of this, 3 of the 4 Walren howitzers were still quickly destroyed by Drop Force marines, under-barrel grenade launches propelling explosives down the much larger bores of the enemy guns. The last Romulus persevered however, when 2 Walren airmobile platoons dismounted from their Viper drop ships and counter-assaulted the Saurian marines, causing the extermination of one full Drop Force platoon and the routing of another at the price of the deaths of half of the airmobile Hastati. The remaining Drop Force soldiers fell back when the rest of the Saurian Army forces began their retreat.
The Road to Pundar:
Outdated Walren Warhammer 2 tanks were also on their way to the city when drop pods streaked overhead to land behind them, resulting in the 4 tank platoons turning 360 degrees to engage the Saurian SX9-V8 Gladiator mechs. The vastly outnumbered single mech platoon bravely charged the nearest Warhammer 2 platoon, destroying 1 with missiles and physically flipping another onto its turret, before being destroyed to the last man when the remaining Walren 10 Warhammer tanks and 4 Punisher MBTs pushed the mechs back into a rock outcropping and finished them off.

Outcome

Saurian Army forces fell back from the city of Pundar in the valley to the larger city of Sal where they had reinforcements waiting and fortified positions against the Walren, who pursued and were repelled in turn by now-entrenched Saurian forces. Saurian Drop Force men and mechs fell back in the opposite direction, as the Walren were between them and the Saurian Army. Drop ships were then dispatched from orbit to retrieve them, just in the nick of time to escape more pursuing Walren forces.

Aftermath

Both Saurian and Walren forces entrenched around a mile back from the valley, the Saurians in the city of Sal with the Walren digging trench systems a few hundred meters from its outskirts. The small city of Pundar, which was located in the center of the valley, sustained substantial damage and the largest grain field in the valley also burned entirely to the ground.

 

Included under Conflict

War For Atalan

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Conflict Result

Walren Pyrrhic Victory

Location

Syra

Belligerents

Saurian Forces

• Saurian Army
• Saurian Drop Force

Walren Forces

• Imperial Walren Marines

Strength

Saurian Army:
(Butcher Battalion)
480 men, 48 vehicles:
x4 Rifle Platoons
x2 Mortar Platoons
x2 Anti-tank Platoons
x3 TT224-V2 Kurn APC Mech. Platoons
x2 MT226-V13 Ravager MBT Platoons
x1 MT111-V3 Far-Hunter TD Platoon
x1 HT33-V4 Anvilus Heavy Tank Platoon
x2 S-PA036 Sledge SPA Platoons
Saurian Drop Force:
300 men, 42 vehicles:
x5 Rifle Platoons
x4 SX9-V8 Gladiator Mech Platoons
x1 MX266S-V3 Ghost Mech Platoon

Walren Hastati:
1,020 men, 142 vehicles:
x9 Rifle Platoons
x3 Mortar Platoons
x3 Anti-tank Platoons
x3 Walren Terminus Platoons
x2 SW-4 Marauder Walker Platoons
x2 DC-3 Viper Airmobile Platoons
x3 T-62 Warhammer 2 Tank Platoons
x2 A4-B Punisher MBT Platoons
x1 TB-2 Titan Heavy Tank Platoon
x4 H-500 Romulus Static 175mm Howitzers

Casualties

Saurian Army:
(Butcher Battalion)
112 men killed, 79 men wounded
x2 MT226-V13 Ravager MBTs
x1 TT224-V2 Kurn APCs

Saurian Drop Force:
108 men killed, 22 men wounded
x10 SX9-V8 Gladiator Mechs

Walren Hastati:
369 men killed, 198 men wounded
x71 Walren Terminus
x3 T-62 Warhammer 2 Tanks
x2 A4-B Punisher MBTs
x4 TB-2 Titan Heavy Tanks
x3 H-500 Romulus Static 175mm Howitzers

Objectives

Secure the valley along with the city of Pundar to begin pushing the Walren back and eventually out.

Hold the valley, entrenching to repel the Saurian offensive.