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The Battle of Poicters was the ambush and destruction of the Manticoran heavy cruiser HMS Star Knight on patrol in the Poicters System by Havenite forces as part of Operation Perseus.
Prelude[]
With accurate intelligence on Manticoran ship movements because of the Argus network, Rear Admiral Edward Pierre decided to split his command, Battlecruiser Squadron 14, and dispatched two divisions to intercept and destroy HMS Star Knight in the Poicters System. Meanwhile, he and the rest of his command transited to the Talbot System to intercept and ambush the light cruiser HMS Athena on patrol there. (HH3)
Order of battle[]
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HMS Star Knight, CO Captain Seamus O'Donnell
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Detached element of the Battlecruiser Squadron 14, CO Commodore Yuranovich:
- Battlecruiser Division 143
- Battlecruiser Division 144
Course of battle[]
The four Sultan-class battlecruisers of Battlecruiser Divisions 143 and 144 translated on almost a direct intercept course with Star Knight. Unable to evade and heavily outnumbered, Captain O'Donnell rolled his ship to interpose the belly of her wedge between her and her attackers before changing course in a futile attempt to avoid action. Unfortunately, the Havenite divisions separated and each battlecruiser chose an independent vector to come at Star Knight from so many angles that she would be unable to interpose her wedge against any one of them without leaving herself vulnerable to the rest. (HH3)
Aftermath[]
HMS Star Knight was lost with all hands, PNS Barbarossa and PNS Sinjar were damaged badly enough that they required months of repair work. (HH3)
References[]
| Operations of the First Havenite-Manticoran War | |||
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| Battles of the First Havenite-Manticoran War | |||