Operation Featherlite: Difference between revisions

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The assault on Swindon caught the Kelekonan defenders by surprise. A and B Companies, 1st Battalion, Royal Arcerion Regiment quickly took over key objectives on the city's outskirts, and air strikes and naval gunfire from offshore Arcer naval vessels quickly overwhelmed the Kelekonan defenders, which were unprepared and many were caught sleeping or killed as they hastily attempted to occupy fighting positions. A final wave of helicopters landed C Company 1 RAR and additional troops from the Kinnaird Grenadier Guards, which secured Grey Beach, a popular tourist beach on the city outskirts. Kelekonan forces inside the Grey Resort had garrisoned it, and held it for most of the morning despite a heavy volume of mortar and machinegun fire. Eventually the deputy commanding officer for the 711th Motor Rifle Regiment surrendered the town, and the Task Force moved to the shoreline and began the process of landing additional troops.

Engineers and signals personnel quickly set up command posts and cleared minefields laid by the Kelekonans, and two battalions of the Royal Easthampton Borderers moved Northwest inland to engage in a running battle with the battered elements of the 712th Motor Rifle Regiment which were retreating to the smaller port town of Golworth on the island's North shore. 1 Rifle Brigade continued to mop up around Swindon as small pockets of Kelekonan regular troops were in the surrounding foothills and harassed the town with mortar fire. Overhead, the Arcer Air Force had prevented the Kelekonan People's Air Force from engaging forces as they were vulnerable during landing, and a naval detachment (TF 86.1) had landed a company of the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Engineers (RRAE) to repair the damaged runway at Farnsworth, which would be operational by October 12th.

Engineers and signals personnel quickly set up command posts and cleared minefields laid by the Kelekonans, and two battalions of the [[Royal Easthampton Borderers]] moved Northwest inland to engage in a running battle with the battered elements of the 712th Motor Rifle Regiment which were retreating to the smaller port town of Golworth on the island's North shore. 1 Rifle Brigade continued to mop up around Swindon as small pockets of Kelekonan regular troops were in the surrounding foothills and harassed the town with mortar fire. Overhead, the Arcer Air Force had prevented the Kelekonan People's Air Force from engaging forces as they were vulnerable during landing, and a naval detachment (TF 86.1) had landed a company of the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Engineers (RRAE) to repair the damaged runway at Farnsworth, which would be operational by October 12th.

=== Gramsby ===

Kelekonan High Command had reacted poorly to losing Swindon, and managed to use civilian boats and fishing trawlers illegally taken from the local Arcer populace to ferry their troops under the cover of darkness from Swindon to Gramsby, to the East. The 71st, now at half strength, began digging in and preparing for a more deliberate defensive battle as Arcerion no longer had the element of surprise. Van der Berg and Thistle worked with the Arcer General Staff to establish what conditions would allow for a quick movement to Gramsby. A date for the next island hop was set for October 16th, and van der Berg tasked the Royal Easthampton Borderers to conduct a daring night air assault against the island's southern shore. Engineers had constructed a hasty air landing strip on Swindon, and in the early morning 1st Battalion, REB loaded onto medium helicopters to be inserted under the cover of darkness. Elements of both the Arcerion Parachute Regiment's Pathfinder Company, as well as the Arcerion Commando Regiment had conducted over-the-beach infiltration of the island and assisted with siting and marking landing zones. It also represented the confirmation of night vision capabilities, as the entire operation was undertaken under the cover of darkness.

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== Aftermath ==

[[File:Long march at larton picture.jpg|thumb|3rd Battalion, Royal Easthampton Borderers march inland during the Long March at Larton on October 28th, 1986. ]]

== Cultural Impact ==

[[Category:Arcerion]]

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 The assault on Swindon caught the Kelekonan defenders by surprise. A and B Companies, 1st Battalion, Royal Arcerion Regiment quickly took over key objectives on the city's outskirts, and air strikes and naval gunfire from offshore Arcer naval vessels quickly overwhelmed the Kelekonan defenders, which were unprepared and many were caught sleeping or killed as they hastily attempted to occupy fighting positions. A final wave of helicopters landed C Company 1 RAR and additional troops from the Kinnaird Grenadier Guards, which secured Grey Beach, a popular tourist beach on the city outskirts. Kelekonan forces inside the Grey Resort had garrisoned it, and held it for most of the morning despite a heavy volume of mortar and machinegun fire. Eventually the deputy commanding officer for the 711th Motor Rifle Regiment surrendered the town, and the Task Force moved to the shoreline and began the process of landing additional troops.
-Engineers and signals personnel quickly set up command posts and cleared minefields laid by the Kelekonans, and two battalions of the Royal Easthampton Borderers moved Northwest inland to engage in a running battle with the battered elements of the 712th Motor Rifle Regiment which were retreating to the smaller port town of Golworth on the island's North shore. 1 Rifle Brigade continued to mop up around Swindon as small pockets of Kelekonan regular troops were in the surrounding foothills and harassed the town with mortar fire. Overhead, the Arcer Air Force had prevented the Kelekonan People's Air Force from engaging forces as they were vulnerable during landing, and a naval detachment (TF 86.1) had landed a company of the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Engineers (RRAE) to repair the damaged runway at Farnsworth, which would be operational by October 12th.
+Engineers and signals personnel quickly set up command posts and cleared minefields laid by the Kelekonans, and two battalions of the [[Royal Easthampton Borderers]] moved Northwest inland to engage in a running battle with the battered elements of the 712th Motor Rifle Regiment which were retreating to the smaller port town of Golworth on the island's North shore. 1 Rifle Brigade continued to mop up around Swindon as small pockets of Kelekonan regular troops were in the surrounding foothills and harassed the town with mortar fire. Overhead, the Arcer Air Force had prevented the Kelekonan People's Air Force from engaging forces as they were vulnerable during landing, and a naval detachment (TF 86.1) had landed a company of the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Engineers (RRAE) to repair the damaged runway at Farnsworth, which would be operational by October 12th.
 === Gramsby ===
 Kelekonan High Command had reacted poorly to losing Swindon, and managed to use civilian boats and fishing trawlers illegally taken from the local Arcer populace to ferry their troops under the cover of darkness from Swindon to Gramsby, to the East. The 71st, now at half strength, began digging in and preparing for a more deliberate defensive battle as Arcerion no longer had the element of surprise. Van der Berg and Thistle worked with the Arcer General Staff to establish what conditions would allow for a quick movement to Gramsby. A date for the next island hop was set for October 16th, and van der Berg tasked the Royal Easthampton Borderers to conduct a daring night air assault against the island's southern shore. Engineers had constructed a hasty air landing strip on Swindon, and in the early morning 1st Battalion, REB loaded onto medium helicopters to be inserted under the cover of darkness. Elements of both the Arcerion Parachute Regiment's Pathfinder Company, as well as the Arcerion Commando Regiment had conducted over-the-beach infiltration of the island and assisted with siting and marking landing zones. It also represented the confirmation of night vision capabilities, as the entire operation was undertaken under the cover of darkness.
@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 == Aftermath ==
 [[File:Long march at larton picture.jpg|thumb|3rd Battalion, Royal Easthampton Borderers march inland during the Long March at Larton on October 28th, 1986. ]]
 == Cultural Impact ==
 [[Category:Arcerion]]

Operation Featherlite: Difference between revisions

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