Kanon Campaign

The Kanon Campaign was a major front of the ZOCU-PACT War involving the Japanese-led PACT invasion of Kanon and various orbital and planetary actions within the rest of the star system. The campaign took place between February 14 and December 10, 2186 and was referred to within PACT forces as Operation Burst Angel. Initially envisioned as a fast-paced operation with overwhelming forces to restore Japanese control over Kanon, the battle for orbital control over Kanon proved extremely costly for PACT with ZOCU light elements able to launch devastating strikes on some divisions while they were still in transit. Once ground operations began, Kanon's terrain, climate and unexpectedly stiff resistance quickly bogged the assault down within a month of its start. ZOCU was also able to run the prototypes and technical blueprints of the then new OMF-06 Hoplite off of Kanon, a success which was to have serious strategic consequences for both PACT and the EU in space. For months, determined resistance on the ground was able to keep PACT forces from delivering a decisive blow despite steady escalation whereas PACT was never able to achieve full orbital supremacy nor completely stem the trickle of reinforcement and resupply to defenders on the ground. ZOCU raiders also inflicted significant losses in the starways behind PACT's front lines, complicating the logistical difficulties already faced by General Takeda. By December, the ZOCU Combined Fleet was once again ready for action and this time dealt a decisive defeat to PACT space forces, leaving ZOCU with control of Kanonian space and over seventy thousand prisoners of war in captivity.

Background

Although relations between ZOCU and the Core had been souring from the start of the 2180's, one of the key indices of tension, the relationship between Japan and Kanon, remained relatively mild. Despite dissatisfaction with apparent insincerity on the Kanonian side of the table, Japan's long tradition of conflict aversion since the Second World War combined with domination of the Diet by a coalition of moderates to form what the Imperial Party later attacked as appeasement. By 2182, the Kanonian and Chosonese cuts of the PACT interstellar catapult network were operational, stimulating some trade and serving as another buffer to cooling relations. For a while, there appeared hope that a deal could be worked out whereby Kanon would promulgate its own self-determiend constitution but continue to recognise the Emperor of Japan. In 2185 however, the harder line Imperial Party secured control of the Diet and at this point, talks broke down, quickly reversing years of gains from their predecessors' careful diplomacy. When Japanese sovereignty over Kanon was publicly asserted throughout late 2185, Kanon responded with the Separation Proclamation declaring complete independence from Japan on New Years Day of 2186. This triggered a series of decisions in Japan and Korea wherein the two mustered their considerable political capital on Earth to pass UN Resolution 11079, green-lighting Japanese and Korean intervention in ZOCU space.

Initial Phase

Operation Burst Angel organised three field corps totalling approximately 168,000 PACT troops of which upwards of 40% were autonomous robotic soldiers. These reinforced the roughly 8,000 troops that were holding a number of prepared UN enclaves against intermittent probing and harassment. The vast bulk of ground forces were provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and Republic of Korea Army with other PACT nations providing only about 4,000 troops total, mostly in support roles. The JSDF had the larger force, but made much heavier use of autonomous robotic soldiers such that the Koreans actually outnumbered the Japanese in terms of humans. By contrast, the ground forces available to the Kanonian Terrestrial Militia consisted of around 20,000 troops, 16,000 reservists, about 16,000 additional emergency volunteers and a small contingent of 3,000 pan-ZOCU volunteers - a 3:1 numerical disadvantage exacerbated by the superior number of semi-autonomous and remote-control drones available to the PACT army.

Unsurprisingly, the normally divisive Kanonian military command agreed unanimously that the only reasonable course of action was to conduct a prolonged defense and wear the war down to a trickle until the logistical balance shifted in Kanon's favor or the Union managed to muster a major counterattack. Despite unexpected losses in space, the PACT ground forces' early gains were rapid. By the middle of March however, the rain season had turned much of the lowlands and rainforests into treacherous morasses. Kanonian sappers destroyed vast lengths of road along the PACT's axis of advance with both explosives and landslides, further hindering fast movement. Partisans equipped with everything from small arms to aquatic mobile suits also quickly made their presence felt. PACT forces did enjoy air superiority however, and would retain that advantage for most of the campaign.

Kanonian Terrestrial Militia

Commanders:
Great Duke Akira Sumeragi
Great Prince Akira
Princess Bellmary Testarossa
Forces:
20,000 KTM troops
16,000 KTM reservists
4,000 pan-ZOCU volunteers
16,000 volunteers
Casualties:
3,500 KTM
4,000 volunteers
500 pan-ZOCU volunteers

Operation Burst Angel

Commanders:
General Ichiro Takeda
Forces:
8,000 UN troops
32,000 Japanese troops
60,000 Japanese robotic troops
60,000 Korean troops
12,000 Korean robots
4,000 pan-PACT troops
Casualties
28,000 lost in space
5,000 humans
21,000 robots

Continuation

The combination of climate, terrain, and PACT's underestimation of their strength allowed the Kanonians to extend the war beyond their opponents' timetables.

Kanonian Terrestrial Militia

Commanders:

Great Duke Akira Sumeragi

Great Prince Akira

Princess Bellmary Testarossa

Forces:

20,000 KTM troops

16,000 KTM reservists

4,000 pan-ZOCU volunteers

16,000 volunteers by November 2186

Casualties:

3,500 KTM

4,000 volunteers

500 pan-ZOCU volunteers

Operation Burst Angel

Commanders:

General Ichiro Takeda

Forces:

8,000 UN troops

32,000 Japanese troops

60,000 Japanese robotic troops

76,000 Korean troops

Casualties

5,000 humans

21,000 robots

Aftermath

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