The Battle of Volgis was a battle of the Cruentusian War. Shortly after their defeat at the hands of the Srav Federation on Sevastopolitan, the Taung Confederacy moved to try and take Volgis. Invading the Volgland basin, the Taungs initially made moderate progress against the Sravs, who were commanded by kommissar Anatol Kurzak, before Srav heroine Nataska Vergulva turned up with reinforcements and repelled the Taungs.
Battle[]
Opening moves[]
Mandalore the Uniter, knowing that the Srav Federation would not let the Battle of Sevastopolitan go unanswered, had secretly begun evacuating troops from Sevastopolitan, leaving only a token force to maintain the appearance of occupation. Taung Intelligence soon discovered that the Srav were launching a fleet to retake Sevastopolitan, and that this mass build up left several key worlds undefended, including Volgis, an industrial planet.
Knowing, however, that most of the build up was merely for show, Mandalore instead gave the Armada orders to make a thrust through Srav space, and attack Sviat, the capital of the Srav Federation. Not understanding Mandalore's logic, and hoping to gain the position of Mandalore himself, Taung Intelligence General, Tiber Zashash, attacked the Srav held world of Volgis, blatantly ignoring Mandalore's orders.
The Taung Armada quickly emerged from hyperspace, and managed to destroy several Srav vessels and satellites before they managed to get their countermeasures up. The small Srav flotilla above Volgis was destroyed before it could even put up a fight.
Landing[]
Taung Intelligence, under the directive of Tiber Zashash, had infiltrated the planet, and managed to disable the planetary defenses, allowing the Taung to land on Volgis. The Srav quickly gathered their forces and positioned them to defend the Volgland basin, the center of industrial activity on Volgis. Hundreds of Drakuv-class assault tanks and thousands of the Red Militia rushed to the Volgland Basin, and began to prepare for the coming onslaught; they were determined that the Volgland Basin would not fall under their watch.
The Taung landing zones quickly became hives of activity, with dropships landing, and Taung scrambling onto the planet surface. As the Taung Crusaders began to appear on the outskirts of the basin, Srav kommissar Anatol Kurzak ordered the artillery to open fire on the Taung, hoping that none would make it into the basin. Artillery fire rained down on the Taung, but managed only to inflict apparently minor casualties on the Taung, who rushed through the fire and into the outskirts of the Basin.
Taung artillery, hoping to give the Crusaders a chance, returned fire, nearly obliterating the opposing Srav artillery, and giving the Crusaders easy access to the heights surrounding the basin. The Taung Crusaders moved in for the kill. Realizing that his artillery assault had failed, Anatol Kurzak through his tanks into the battle, feeling that if he could not hold the Taung for several more hours than the battle was definitely lost, and there would be no hope of reinforcements reaching Volgis.
The Taung Crusaders came into contact with the Drakuv tanks soon after, and were forced to take cover in the ruined buildings of the Volgland. Desperately trying to destroy the tanks with their rifles, pistols, and bazookas, the Taung were pinned down at the entrance to the Basin, and were being steadily driven back in the face of the greater enemy firepower. Unfortunately for the Sravs, at this time squadrons of Taung fighters flew over the battlefield, obliterating the Drakuv tanks, and once again giving the Taung momentum.
The entrance of the Taung tanks was not considered good for the morale of the Srav forces in the northern basin, in their view. The Drakuv tanks were obliterated, and the Srav forces were constantly driven back, until Anatol Kurzak rallied them, and prepared to hold the remainder of the Volgland. The Taung, taking advantage of the supposed chaos they created with their bombers, shelled the Srav headquarters in the Volgland, forcing the Srav to retreat from the industrial area.
Raging on[]
Anatol Kurzak, showing what he considered to be his impressive command presence, strength, and resolve, managed to forge the retreating Sravs into a cohesive unit, able to fight the Taung using guerrilla warfare as they retreated into the wilderness surrounding the Volgland basin. Taung General, Tiber Zashash, monitoring the battle from his Mandalore-class Cruiser sent orders for his ground forces to stay back, for he had plans for the Srav. The entire Taung Armada above the planet rained missiles and shells down on the retreating Srav, killing thousands before they managed to reach the supposed safety of their forest bases.
Unfortunately for the Sravs, however, the Taung had equipped their cruisers and star destroyers with the advanced technology of the Zhell Battalions, and were able to target the Srav bases in the forests. Taung missiles fell from the sky, and destroyed many Srav bases, and killing hundreds of Sravs. Anatol Kurzak, who had retreated to the main base, which was a crystalline fuel mining facility, was severely injured, along with his troops, when Taung missiles hit the fuel tanks.
At this time; however, Nataska Vergulva, the Srav heroine, arrived in orbit with a massive fleet, and army to reinforce the Srav forces. The two fleets above the planet agreed to remain neutral, while the forces on the ground fought it out. However, as soon as the Taung ships lowered their weapon status, the Srav vessels tore into them, causing them severe damage. Nataska landed on the planet with her forces shortly after. The Srav reinforcements landed in the Volgland basin, and encountering heavy resistance, many were killed; nonetheless, the Sravs managed to gain a foothold on the planet.
Nataska's Drakuv tanks, and Red Militiamen fought it out with the Taung Crusaders, with Vergulva herself downing dozens of Crusader squads. Unfortunately for the Sravs, Nataska Vergulva was mildly wounded when missiles fired from space flew into a nearby fuel tanks, and although she insisted she was still in fighting shape, Kurzak had her pull back.
Divisions of Srav troops plunged through the ruins of Volgland, and many died fighting the Taung Crusaders. The fighting throughout Volgland was considered vicious by future historians. The Sravs attempted to gain the upper hand through the use of their fighters, but were thwarted when Taung anti-air fire was launched with precision and speed that surprised thm, destroying the Srav fighter force.
The Taung held position, driving back most Srav attacks. Desperate, the Taung set up positions, and roadblocks across the Volgland, attempting to confine the Sravs within the western region, but the arrival of the Red Militia, the local occupation force of the Sravs, the Taung were forced back. Srav tanks rolled through the streets shooting down Taung fighters, and destroying buildings.
The fighting intensified, and the main Taung force confronted the superior Srav force at a large four way road in the midst of the Volgland. Here the fighting was considered particularly bloody by all partaking, and the fighting in this quarter dragged on for hours. The greater Srav numbers, however, paved the way for their victory. With more Srav troops landing on the surface, the Taung knew that they could not win, but resolved to fight to the death. Srav fighters finally managed to knock out the Taung artillery, and the Taung were left virtually defenseless against the air attacks of the Sravs.
Tiber Zashash had been waiting for just such a moment. The Taung Hunters were unleashed. The Taung managed to capture almost the entire basin again, driving the Srav out of the basin, and into the far western regions. However, the Srav were not giving up, and massing their forces, they assaulted the main bridge across a river which bordered the basin, and after a fierce battle, that ended up with the bridge being destroyed, the Srav managed to cross the river, and regain a position within the basin. After that the fighting began to deteriorate into every man for himself, and the Sravs eventually managed to overcome the Taung forces.
Aftermath[]
The Taung Armada, which had remained neutral during the battle since the Srav flotilla had arrived, destroyed several Srav ships as revenge, and retreated into hyperspace, leaving the Sravs force in control of another ruined world. Volgis had outlived its use to the Sravs, although the Taung had been shaken by their heavy losses, and the total disregard Tiber Zashash had for Mandalore the Uniter.
Behind the scenes[]
The Volgland Basin is based on the Ruhr in Germany.