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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[]
- "Anvil force", CO - Vice Admiral Augustus Khumalo[1] - tactical command over missile pods transferred to Commodore Terekhov
- cruiser element, CO - Commodore Aivars Terekhov, in control of deployed missile pods[2]
- Cruiser Squadron 94, CO - Commodore Aivars Terekhov
- Cruiser Division 96.1, CO - Captain (SG) Prescott Tremaine
- LAC Group 711[3]
- cruiser element, CO - Commodore Aivars Terekhov, in control of deployed missile pods[2]
- "Hammer force", CO - Vice Admiral Gold Peak:
- Battlecruiser Squadron 106, CO - Vice Admiral Gold Peak
- Battlecruiser Squadron 108, CO - Rear Admiral Michael Oversteegen
- Destroyer Squadron 301
SLN[]
- wall of battle - nine battle squadrons, including:
- Battle Squadron 196[4], CO Admiral Dunichi Lazlo
- Battle Squadron 326[5], CO Admiral Keeley O'Cleary
- Battle Squadron 371[6]
- battlecruiser screening element:
- two battlecruiser squadrons of the Battle Fleet
- Battlecruiser Squadron 201, Frontier Fleet, CO Rear Admiral Gordon Nelson
- lighter screening elements:
- heavy cruiser screening element
- light cruiser screening element
- a destroyer flotilla
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[]
- ↑ Flagship - HMS Hercules, CO - Captain Victoria Saunders.
- ↑ Layed by Commander Badmachin's group of ammunition ships.
- ↑ Of Carrier Division 7.1, CO - Rear Admiral Stephen Enderby.
- ↑ including SLNS Andreas Vesalius, the squadron flagship
- ↑ including SLNS Anton von Leeuwenhoek, the squadron flagship
- ↑ including SLNS Charles Babbage, the squadron flagship
- ↑ 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 | |||