Kanon Campaign
The Kanon Campaign was a major front of the early ZOCU War involving the pan-PACT invasion of Kanon and various orbital and planetary actions within the system. The campaign took place between February 14 and December 24, 2185 and was referred to within the pan-PACT forces as Operation Burst Angel. Envisioned as a fast-paced operation to deprive ZOCU of a key research and production center and a significant chunk of its Theta dust reserves, the PACT arrived with overwhelming forces in an attempt to achieve a quick victory. Kanon's terrain, climate and unexpectedly stiff resistance bogged the assault down within a month of its start. ZOCU was also able to run the prototypes and technical blueprints of then new OMF-06 Hoplite off of Kanon, a success which was to have severe strategic consequences for the Core. For several months, determined resistance on the ground was able to keep the pan-PACT forces from delivering a decisive blow despite steady escalation and reinforcement. ZOCU raiders also inflicted significant losses in the starways behind PACT's front lines and complicated the logistical difficulties faced by General Rivalino. The EU's heavy defeat at Londenium in August greatly improved ZOCU's strategic position. Within months, the alliance had regrouped sufficient forces from the Euro front for a general counteroffensive. Despite ample warning and time to prepare, it proved to be the Americans' turn to feel the sting of ZOCU's mobile weapons technology. The result was a ZOCU victory and the expulsion of PACT forces from the system, leaving over seventy thousand prisoners of war in Kanonian captivity.
Forces
Kanonian Earthly Militia
Commanders:
- Duke Akira Sumeragi
Forces:
- 20,000 KEM troops
- 16,000 KEM reservists
- 3,000 pan-ZOCU volunteers
- 2,000 pan-ZOCU (Cosmos Glide)
- 300,000+ volunteers by November 2185
Losses:
- 18,000 KEM
- 30,000 volunteers
- 1,500 pan-ZOCU volunteers
Operation Burst Angel
Commanders:
- General Rivalino
- Admiral Lind Sayers
Forces:
- 8,000 UN troops
- 100,000 pan-PACT troops
- 34,000 reinforcements through September 2185
Lossess
- 20,000 killed
- 70,000 captured
Background
The adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 11079 on January 30th, 2185 officially marked the start of the war between the ZOCU organization and the major Earth power blocs. While military skirmishing had been ongoing for the previous four years, this was the first time full and unlimited powers were granted to restore peace and security to the Expanse. The first world that 'Resolution 079' forces landed on was Kanon. Identified as a linchpin in the overall ZOCU structure, removing Kanon from the conflict early would deprive ZOCU of one of its primary R&D and production centers along with the majority of the theta dust used in ZOCU warships. To that end, Operation Burst Angel organised two field corps totalling approximately 100,000 pan-PACT troops supported by the American 3rd, 6th and 7th Fleets arrived in-system on February 14th and immediately began landing operations. These reinforced the roughly 8,000 troops that were holding a number of prepared UN enclaves against intermittent probing and harassment.
The ground forces available to the Kanonian Earthly Militia consisted of around 20,000 troops, 16,000 reservists, and a small contingent of 3,000 pan-ZOCU volunteers - nearly a 3:1 numerical disadvantage exacerbated by the greatly superior number of autonomous and semi-autonomous drones and telesoldiers available to the pan-PACT army. The disparity was even greater in space and the entirety of Kanon's space forces were compelled to retreat and await opportunities. Unsurprisingly, 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 strategic situation for the alliance shifted sufficiently to allow relief to arrive from offworld.
While the PACT's early gains were rapid, by the middle of March the local rainy season had begun, turning 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. The USASF still controlled the skies however and kept the Kanonian fleet or any offworld ZOCU reinforcements from moving inwards from the Robe, the vast debris field that filled the outer system.
Flight of the Bamboo Cutter
With its large R&D complex and industries already geared up to produce mobile suits including variants on the OMF-04 Peltast and the locally-developed KMF-055 Marin amphibious frame, Kanon had been a natural place to develop ZOCU's next mainline combat frame, the OMF-06 Hoplite. The PACT invasion nearly set ZOCU back years on the development of the new frame and sent shockwaves of panic through the combined militias; even if Kanon could be relieved, any delay in getting new weapons out of the lab and into the field could have serious repercussions.
The 16th Mobile Volunteer Battalion of Unified Militia, and both branches of the Kanonian Militia all immediately prepared plans to smuggle the prototypes and plans of the OMF-06 offworld, but with communications insecure, could only trust in rough pictures of what each of the others would do. The 16th MVB finally sprung the operation on April 22 as setbacks on the ground compelled PACT commanders to devote more resources to ground support. Attempts at operational security were unsuccessful however, and the Americans in orbit quickly responded in force, turning a risky but quiet operation into a desperate battle for survival. Through the sacrifice of the Kanonian cruiser Mystic Square to cripple American carrier Gerald R. Ford and a daring action by the 16th, ZOCU managed to evacuate the Hoplite prototypes during the confusion, saving ZOCU from relying on the increasingly-obselete Peltast for the rest of 2185.
The attack on the Ford was the first time an American carrier had ever been seriously threatened with destruction and shocked the USASF out of its complacency and belief in its invulnerability. It amply demonstrated the ability of skilled ZOCU navigators with advanced FTL drives to put gunships within striking range of lightly-armed carriers. If ZOCU was to move into Kanon in force, the USASF could potentially lose one or more of its capital ships to the enemy's destroyers and cruisers. Even the reactivation and deployment of old MacArthur system control ships could not guarantee their protection. As a consequence, the United States leaned heavily on the European Union to take a more aggressive posture to ensure that ZOCU would not have the opportunity to prepare for a counterattack.
Continuation
The combination of climate, terrain, and PACT's underestimation of their strength allowed the Kanonians to extend the war beyond their opponents' timetables.