Honorverse
Register
Advertisement
Battle of Spindle
Talbott cluster
ConflictSolarian-Manticoran War
Datebeginning of February 1922 PD
PlaceSpindle System
ResultManticoran victory
Combatants

Royal Manticoran Navy
Tenth Fleet

Solarian League Navy
Task Force 496

Commanders

Vice Adm. Augustus Khumalo

Flt Adm. Sandra Crandall (†)
Adm. Keeley O'Cleary

Strength
  • 1 SD
  • 14 BC
  • 12 CA
  • 5 DD
  • 4 CLAC with more than 400 LAC
  • 71 SD
  • 24 BC
  • 12 CA
  • 23 CL
  • 18 DD
Casualties

none

  • 23 SD destroyed
  • remaining units surrendered
  • more than 400,000 prisoners taken

The Battle of Spindle was an armed engagement between the Royal Manticoran Navy's Tenth Fleet and the Solarian League Navy's Task Force 496.

Prelude[]

Following the New Tuscany Incident, a Manticoran diplomatic mission was sent to the Office of Frontier Security's Commissioner in the Madras Sector. The mission was terminated due to information received by the Talbott Quadrant government about a large SLN force observed in the Meyers System. After being notified of Admiral Josef Byng's death in the Second Battle of New Tuscany, Admiral Sandra Crandall led Task Force 496 to the Spindle System to demand the surrender of Admiral Gold Peak and every officer and ship involved in the New Tuscany Incident. (SI2 , HH12)

Order of battle[]

RMN[]

SLN[]

Course of battle[]

Enormous Solarian losses were caused by only one salvo of 12,228 Mk. 23 missiles, fired at a range of 53 million km and controlled by the cruiser force. The next identical salvo was detonated before it reached the enemy, as the "Exclamation Point" of the battle. After that the Solarian ships struck their wedges, before an equally massive third salvo was needed.

Due to Fleet Admiral Crandall's unexplained death as well as second in command Admiral Dunichi Lazlo's demise, Admiral Keeley O'Cleary represented the SLN during the formal surrender. (HH12)

Aftermath[]

The more than 400,000 surviving crewmembers of TF 496 were transferred to Flax as prisoners[7]. Vice Admiral Gold Peak decided to treat them as prisoners of war, a courtesy she wasn't required to undertake, as due to the lack of any formal declaration of war by the Solarian League, TF 496 could have been considered pirates.

Admiral O'Cleary was released to personally report to her superiors back on Earth.

Eleventh Fleet, SLN, was sent to the Manticore System to demand surrender from the Star Empire of Manticore. (HH12)

References[]

  1. Flagship - HMS Hercules, CO - Captain Victoria Saunders.
  2. Layed by Commander Badmachin's group of ammunition ships.
  3. Of Carrier Division 7.1, CO - Rear Admiral Stephen Enderby.
  4. including SLNS Andreas Vesalius, the squadron flagship
  5. including SLNS Anton von Leeuwenhoek, the squadron flagship
  6. including SLNS Charles Babbage, the squadron flagship
  7. 90% of complements, including all Marines, were ordered to do it themselves using their small craft and lifepods
Operations of the Solarian-Manticoran War

Lacoön | Buccaneer | Raging Justice | Fabius | Nemesis

Battles of the Solarian-Manticoran War

First New Tuscany | Second New Tuscany | Spindle | Zunker | Saltash | Second Manticore
Mobius | Prime-Ajay | Hypatia | Bryant | Swallow | Meyers | Golem | Kumang | Włocławek | Beowulf | Sol

Advertisement