Battles of the ZOCU War (old)

While the majority of the five-year hot war was characterized by skirmishes and raids, a few major fleet battles occured which had significant effects on the course of the war.

The Battle of Londinium

August 2185
Result: ZOCU forces successfully defended their primary shipbuilding center

Forces

ZOCU Combined Militia
Commanding Officer: Lord Dorington, Londinium Militia

??

EU Deep Space Fleet
Commanding Officer: Admiral Mackenzie, Garun

??

Losses

ZOCU Combined Militia

Spartacus-class Heavy Cruiser Dreadnought

Mixed mobile suits and aerospace

EU Deep Space Fleet

4 Battleships

1 Carrier

Mixed aerospace

Aftermath

The EU fleet suffered heavy losses at the hands of the ZOCU defenders, due to various factors including poor operational intelligence, institutional training gaps and the tenacity of the ZOCU soldiers and pilots. The unexpectedly heavy losses at Londinium put a freeze on any major EU offenses for several years, with operations focussing on containing any ZOCU counterattacks and supporting existing landing operations on New Mercia and Haraway's World.

While ZOCU managed to protect the vital Londinium shipyards, the battle also demonstrated the sheer weight of numbers that the EU could put into even a deep strike. With a distinct inferiority in fleet, ZOCU remained cautious with its fleet assets.

The Battle of Aldebaran

September 2187
Result: Indecisive battle; both sides claimed victory

Forces

ZOCU Combined Militia
Commanding Officer: Lord Dorington, Londinium Militia

??

EU Deep Space Fleet
Commanding Officer: Admiral Sarah Ashmore, Earth

??

Losses

ZOCU Combined Militia

Palada-class Battleship Boadacea

Multiple smaller ships

Mixed mobile suits and aerospace

EU Deep Space Fleet

3 Battleships

Multiple smaller ships

Mixed aerospace

Aftermath

An attempt by Lord Dorington to break the stalemate that had characterized the EU-ZOCU border and cut off a significant forward EU base, the Battle of Aldebaran was the largest fleet battle in two years. It was also the first time that ZOCU and EU battleships met in division strength, with the Pallada flagship Boadacea being destroyed by combined fire from the EU 5th Battleship Division. However, no less than three EU Drakes were destroyed - the Revenge, the Rodney and the Lützow and afterwards both sides claimed the battle as a victory.

The Battle of UNSO-019 (Rapture)

April 2188
Result: ZOCU and aligned forces halt PACT advance

Forces

ZOCU Combined Militia
Commanding Officer: Admiral Aramaki Haruhi, Kanon

??

SIYAN Combat Force
Commanding Officer: Battle Commander Claus Amenthus, Erebus

??

PACT Unified Command
Commanding Officer: Admiral Michael Konde, Earth

??

Losses

ZOCU Combined Militia

??

SIYAN Combat Force

??

PACT Unified Command

1 Carrier

Aftermath

With the capture of several catapult routes early in the war, ZOCU and its ally SIYAN cut off the flow of reinforcements to the attack on Kanon and gained control of a rapid logistics route for further strikes further down the Pac-Am arm. While these attacks never went beyond disruption raids, the seventy thousand PACT soldiers held in Kanon POW camps was a strong incentive for PACT to counterattack. Delayed until 2188, the campaign began to push ZOCU back out of the arm, until the battle in the unincorporated system of UNSO-019, known locally as Rapture. Here, ZOCU lines had been heavily reinforced with new cruisers, Sarissa mobile suits, SIYAN warcraft and concealed fixed weapons. ZOCU also deployed a 'solar ray' system, which while doing no damage provided a distraction at a critical moment, allowing for a rapid strike on the US supercarrier Ronald Reagan, destroying it.

The Battle of Haraway

December 2189
Result: EU victory leading to political settlement

Forces

ZOCU Combined Militia
Commanding Officer: Admiral Saffron Kimmel, Haraway Militia

lots

EU Deep Space Fleet
Commanding Officer: Admiral Anton Zweiker, Earth

lots

Losses

ZOCU Combined Militia

lots

EU Deep Space Fleet

lots

Aftermath

The largest space battle in human history, the Battle of Haraway was a three-day slugging match that ultimately crippled half of the ZOCU fleet and decimated the EU forces. While a victory for the EU and a vindication of the new training and technology that Admiral Zweiker had pushed for, the battle sent ZOCU to be bargaining table before the EU could properly capitalize on their new position.

The Armistice went into effect at 11:59, December 31st, 2189.

Many postwar analysts believe that had ZOCU not called for an armistice after the Battle of Haraway and had the EU continued its offense, they could have forced favorable terms upon ZOCU. However, despite the misgiving of many Core policy-makers, the Treaty of Sirius enabled an 'honorable peace' and is likely to prove more durable over the long term.