Operation Lightfoot: Difference between revisions

Line 64:

=== Movement to the Cape ===

[[File:Arco Paras Pack.png|thumb|Members of Arcerion's 1st Airborne Division pack and prepare for their insertion into the Cape on H-Hour. ]]

[[File:~~Battle of~~ Novasar ~~Airfield~~.~~png~~|thumb|~~Forces as~~ of H-Hour +1 ~~as seen at DZ Alpha (Red) prepared to~~ assault ~~the~~ Novasar Airfield. ]]

[[File:Novasar v3.jpg|thumb|Initial dispositions of Arcer and Cape forces at H-Hour +1 before the assault on Novasar Airfield. ]]

As the night of the invasion approached, Eddis was concerned that weather reports would prevent the accurate landing of his forces on the designated dropzones.

[[File:Hill 220.jpg|thumb|A machinegunner with K Company, 4th Parachute Battalion fights Cape defenders in their hasty positions atop Hill 220, Cape Province, the Cape during the morning at H-Hour +7. ]]

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=== Hill 220 ===

=== Novasar Airfield ===

The fighting at Novasar airfield was particularly fierce. Entrenched there a garrison comprised of units of the Cape's X unit and ~~Y unit~~ held out against Arcer forces that had assembled at DZ Alpha, and had begun their assault before the twilight hours. Despite having no modern night-fighting equipment, the use of artillery-based illumination and handheld pen/rocket flares provided enough light when required for Arco forces to ~~maneouvre~~ onto the airfield itself.

The fighting at Novasar airfield was particularly fierce. Entrenched there a garrison comprised of units of the Cape's Republican Highlanders (2nd Battalion) unit and 4th Armoured Cavalry held out against Arcer forces that had assembled at DZ Alpha, and had begun their assault before the twilight hours. Despite having no modern night-fighting equipment, the use of artillery-based illumination and handheld pen/rocket flares provided enough light when required for Arco forces to maneuver onto the airfield itself. Initial intelligence estimates for the Novasar garrison was 2 understrength reserve companies of soldiers, who were put there to guard the partially-completed airfield and provide local security. In the day before ''Lightfoot'' was to commence, however, the Cape unknowingly moved 2 battalion-strength units to Novasar, drastically increasing the amount of resistance faced by Arco paratroopers.

Fighting would last almost for 2 full days, as the Cape moved local police and security force units in to try and reinforce and relieve the garrison under duress. During the attack, MGen Eddis was usually within mortar range and several times the Division's command post (CP) took near direct hits from Cape mortars as they tried to coordinate the attacks and landings at the other 3 Dropzones.

The fierce fighting also highlighted the effectiveness of the airdropped 105mm recoilless rifles, which when mounted on their man-portable tripod kits were able to effectively engage and destroy almost all of the Cape's armoured vehicles before their withdrawal at H-Hour +53, or as they saw it, on the morning of the third day of fighting. The cost was high, and the two battalions that took the brunt, the 1st and 2nd, had fought and operated understrength as they had some misdrops during the initial drop onto DZ Alpha (Red). However, after replacements and stragglers arrived at the assembly areas, the Battalions were only able to muster between 60-70% fighting strength due to the amount of killed and wounded they had sustained fighting for the key airfield.

=== H-Hour +72 ===

==Aftermath==

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 === Movement to the Cape ===
 [[File:Arco Paras Pack.png|thumb|Members of Arcerion's 1st Airborne Division pack and prepare for their insertion into the Cape on H-Hour. ]]
-[[File:Battle of Novasar Airfield.png|thumb|Forces as of H-Hour +1 as seen at DZ Alpha (Red) prepared to assault the Novasar Airfield. ]]
+[[File:Novasar v3.jpg|thumb|Initial dispositions of Arcer and Cape forces at H-Hour +1 before the assault on Novasar Airfield. ]]
 As the night of the invasion approached, Eddis was concerned that weather reports would prevent the accurate landing of his forces on the designated dropzones.
 [[File:Hill 220.jpg|thumb|A machinegunner with K Company, 4th Parachute Battalion fights Cape defenders in their hasty positions atop Hill 220, Cape Province, the Cape during the morning at H-Hour +7. ]]
@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 === Hill 220 ===
 === Novasar Airfield ===
-The fighting at Novasar airfield was particularly fierce. Entrenched there a garrison comprised of units of the Cape's X unit and Y unit held out against Arcer forces that had assembled at DZ Alpha, and had begun their assault before the twilight hours. Despite having no modern night-fighting equipment, the use of artillery-based illumination and handheld pen/rocket flares provided enough light when required for Arco forces to maneouvre onto the airfield itself.
+The fighting at Novasar airfield was particularly fierce. Entrenched there a garrison comprised of units of the Cape's Republican Highlanders (2nd Battalion) unit and 4th Armoured Cavalry held out against Arcer forces that had assembled at DZ Alpha, and had begun their assault before the twilight hours. Despite having no modern night-fighting equipment, the use of artillery-based illumination and handheld pen/rocket flares provided enough light when required for Arco forces to maneuver onto the airfield itself. Initial intelligence estimates for the Novasar garrison was 2 understrength reserve companies of soldiers, who were put there to guard the partially-completed airfield and provide local security. In the day before ''Lightfoot'' was to commence, however, the Cape unknowingly moved 2 battalion-strength units to Novasar, drastically increasing the amount of resistance faced by Arco paratroopers.
+Fighting would last almost for 2 full days, as the Cape moved local police and security force units in to try and reinforce and relieve the garrison under duress. During the attack, MGen Eddis was usually within mortar range and several times the Division's command post (CP) took near direct hits from Cape mortars as they tried to coordinate the attacks and landings at the other 3 Dropzones.
+The fierce fighting also highlighted the effectiveness of the airdropped 105mm recoilless rifles, which when mounted on their man-portable tripod kits were able to effectively engage and destroy almost all of the Cape's armoured vehicles before their withdrawal at H-Hour +53, or as they saw it, on the morning of the third day of fighting. The cost was high, and the two battalions that took the brunt, the 1st and 2nd, had fought and operated understrength as they had some misdrops during the initial drop onto DZ Alpha (Red). However, after replacements and stragglers arrived at the assembly areas, the Battalions were only able to muster between 60-70% fighting strength due to the amount of killed and wounded they had sustained fighting for the key airfield.
 === H-Hour +72 ===
 ==Aftermath==

Operation Lightfoot: Difference between revisions

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