One of the worst blunders of the war. If it weren't for General Tylars, it would have been a catastrophe.
—A Sinyan soldier recounting the battle
The Skirmish in Stahlon was an attempt by the Sinyan resistance to capture war supplies in the industrial city of Stahlon. The attack was bungled however, due to tactical blunders on the part of Dak Chamblers, and Srav forces surrounded the Sinyan forces within the city. General Joe Tylars was forced to rescue the Sinyan troops to prevent a complete loss. Following the battle Dak Chamblers was removed from command of the SDF and replaced by Tylars.
Prelude[]
With most of the SDF destroyed by the Srav invaders, Dak Chamblers and other Sinyan commanders felt the need to boost morale among their troops. Chamblers thought the best target would be the industrial city of Stahlon. Along with raising morale, the attack would allow the SDF to seize apparently vital war supplies and possibly recruit more soldiers from the city's citizens. Chamblers' plan was for the SDF troops to be divided into three columns. The first and second would enter the city in different places while the third would capture a fuel depot in the outskirts. Chamblers, however, overlooked the possibility of the Sravs bringing in reinforcements. To his reasoning, the Sravs likely had no nearby troops other then those in the city itself. The Sravs on the other hand, had reserve units located close to the city. These could be called upon quickly in case of trouble. Dispite warnings from many of his subordinates, Chamblers went ahead with his plan.
The skirmish[]
Initial moves[]
These Sravs aren't as tough as we thou...
—A Sinyan officer before being killed
At first the assault proceeded as planned, with both the first and second columns entering the city and encountering little resistance. The rapid advance was soon midway through the ciy where the two columns joined togather. The Sravs, however, had been notified of the attack and dispatched reinforcements. The Sinyan advance began to slowly rapidly as additional Srav soldiers arrived. Despite this, most Sinyan commanders were assured that there was still only a limited number of Srav troops in the city and they would eventually break through. Meanwhile, the third column moved in and took control of the fuel depot. The commander, General Tylars, ordered as many fuel barrels loaded as possible. Srav forces were quick to move however, and a tank unit moved in to engage. In order to give his men time to load, Tylars lead his tanks against the approaching Sravs.
Heavy fighting[]
Curses! How could command not see that this was going to happen?
—Joe Tylars upon learning that the troops in Stahlon had been surrounded
Meanwhile, Sinyan forces fighting in Stahlon had been ground to a complete halt and were now on the defensive. To add the the chaos, Sinyan commander Vince Ergiez made a severe blunder in not securing an escape route out of the city. The Sravs took advantage of this and surrounded the Sinyans. As losses began to pile up, the Sinyans assumed defensive positions in the buildings. In response, the Sravs called in air strikes which had a deadly effect on the Sinyans. Tylars meanwhile, had engaged Srav armor and his men continued to load fuel onto trucks. News of the SDF troops surrounded within the city soon reached Tylars and left him with a tough choice. He decided that he could either call a full retreat in order to save his troops or he cound attempt to rescue the Sinyans in Stahlon. Opting for the latter, Tylars radioed his men to stop loading fuel and prepare to move, while disengaging the Srav armor.
Rescue and retreat[]
Tylars withdrew from the depot, but not before detonating several bombs that destroyed the fuel and slowed down the Srav pursuit. Meanwhile, Sinyan troops in Stahlon were slowly being crushed from all sides by the Sravs, who outnumbered them. When Tylars arrived, he took the Sravs by surprise. Tylars broke through their lines and reached the incircled soldiers. After rescuing as many men on his tanks and trucks as he could, Tylars ordered a full withdrawal.
Aftermath[]
Balestone: “You are the worst excuse for a general I've ever seen!”
Chamblers: “But sir I...”
Balestone: “Shut up Chamblers! You're relieved of your command!”
— Emperor Yen Balestone and Dak Chamblers[src]
Following the battle, Dak Chamblers was removed from his command for his irresponsible actions and Ergiez was found guilty of criminal inefficiency. Chamblers was replaced by Tylars, who had been proclaimed a hero for saving the assault from total disaster. The Sravs had scored another victory although they did suffer more losses then they had during the initial invasion.