View source for Passage of the Angels

{{DarkAngelsPortal}}
{{Battle
|Name         = The Passage of the Angels
|Image        =
|Image caption=
|Conflict     = [[Horus Heresy]]
|Date         = 012.M31-013.M31
|Location     =  [[Segmentum Tempestus]] and [[Segmentum Ultima]]
|Battles      =
|Outcome      = Traitors in the southern imperium are systematically annihilated
|Combatant1   = [[File:Aquila1transparent.png|30px]] [[Imperium]]
|Combatant2   = [[File:Chaos.png|30px]] [[Traitors]]<br>[[Image:NL Icon.png|20px]] [[Carrion Realms]]<br>[[Image:DG Icon.png|20px]] [[Realm of the Reaper]]
|Commanders1  = [[Image:DA Icon.png|20px]] [[Lion El’Jonson]]<br> [[Image:SW Icon.png|20px]] [[Leman Russ (Primarch)|Leman Russ]]
|Commanders2  =No centralized leadership
|Strength1    = [[Image:DA Icon.png|20px]] [[Dark Angels]]{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:SW Icon.png|20px]] [[Space Wolves]]{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:RG Icon.png|20px]] [[Raven Guard]] contingent{{Fn|2}}<br>[[File:UL Icon.png|20px]] [[Ultramarines]] elements{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:IF Icon.png|20px]] [[Imperial Fists]] elements{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Shattered Legions]]{{Fn|2}}<br><br>[[File:Atarus Icon.png|20px]] [[Legio Atarus]]{{Fn|2}}<br><br>[[File:Imperial Army Symbol.jpg|20px]] [[Imperial Army]]:
*[[Calth High Guard]]{{Fn|2}}
|Strength2    = [[Image:DG Icon.png|20px]] [[Death Guard]]{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:EC Icon.png|20px]] [[Emperor's Children]]{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:IW Icon.png|20px]] [[Iron Warriors]]{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:NL Icon.png|20px]] [[Night Lords]]{{Fn|2}}<br>[[Image:SOH icon.png|20px]] [[Sons of Horus]]{{Fn|2}}
|Casualties1  = Presumably heavy
|Casualties2  = Numerous vital worlds destroyed, including the legion homeworlds of [[Chemos]] and [[Barbarus]]{{Fn|2}}
}}
The '''Passage of the Angels'''{{Fn|1}}, also known as '''The Passage of the Angel of Death''' and the '''Crusade of Vengeance''', was a 012.[[M31]] to 013.[[M31]] [[Horus Heresy]] campaign, that was waged by the [[Dark Angels]]' [[Primarch]] [[Lion El'Jonson]].{{Fn|2}}

===History===
After they took part in [[Second Battle of Davin|destroying]] [[Davin]] and ending the [[Ruinstorm]], the [[Dark Angels]]' were freed from the isolation caused by the giant [[Warp Storm]]. A wrathful [[Lion El'Jonson]], then led the [[Dark Angels]] in wreaking havoc across the southern [[Imperium]] in a campaign of revenge and extermination. It is designed to both punish the traitorous forces of [[Warmaster]] [[Horus]] and destroy their military assets in the region. By doing so, El'Jonson seeks to prevent the Warmaster from creating a "second front" unified against [[Terra]]. The Primarch orders the usage of the Dark Angels' [[Old Night]] weaponry and this results in a trail of blackened, scorched worlds that were loyal to Horus, to be left in their wake. Among those worlds that were destroyed by the Dark Angels, during the campaign were the [[Traitor Legion]] [[Homeworld]]s of the [[Emperor's Children]], the [[Death Guard]]{{Fn|2}} and [[Nuceria]], the adoptive world of the Primarch [[Angron]].{{Fn|3}} 

This systematic annihilation of resource rich worlds, deprived [[Horus]] of precious materials he needed in order to maintain a lengthy [[Siege of Terra|siege]] of [[Terra]]. This ultimately forced the [[Warmaster]] to hasten his planned invasion of the [[Sol System]]. Other [[Imperial]] forces also took part in the [[Dark Angels]]' campaign as well. Some Imperials, however, had no choice but to fight beside the Dark Angels or else they would earn [[Lion El'Jonson|El'Jonson]]'s wrath, for showing what he perceived as disloyalty to the [[Emperor]] and the Imperium. The Primarch was so intent on his vengeance, though, that El'Jonson would refuse to allow the Dark Angels to directly aid or take part in any Imperial battles, that would deviate from his main objectives. The devastation that was left in El'Jonson's wake, as his forces quickly moved on to their next target, also aided the [[Night Lords]] in creating numerous [[Carrion Realms]] across the southern realm of the [[Galaxy]].{{Fn|2}} 

The Lion eventually made for [[Deliverance]], linking up with the [[Raven Guard]] and [[Space Wolves]] as well as their respective Primarchs [[Corvus Corax]] and [[Leman Russ (Primarch)|Leman Russ]]. The Lion is quick to question the Raven Lord's absence from major fronts of the war, but is ire is put to rest by Russ, who points at the survival of his own legion as evidence of their worth. Russ declares he will join The Lion's Crusade of Vengeance, including warriors equipped with new [[Mark VI Power Armour]] produced on [[Kiavahr]]. Corax however is cautious to commit his bloodied Legion to what he sees as a needlessly spiteful waste, and only assigns a small expeditionary force of his Raven Guard to The Lion's forces. Even in this role, Corax's forces will be used to eliminate key enemy targets ahead of the main Dark Angels fleet in order to spare entire worlds from annihilation.{{Fn|2}}

===Known Battles===
*[[Death of Chemos]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Liberation of Saronican]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Fall of Luth Tyre]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Thassos Incident]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Wolf King's Fury]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Thassos Incident]]
*[[Ydursk Incident]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Dawn of Desolation (Battle)|Dawn of Desolation]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Ghosts of Zhao-Arkhad]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Siege of Barbarus]]{{Fn|2}} 
*[[Nuceria|Destruction of Nuceria]]{{Fn|3}}
*[[Halting of Vramon Muster]]{{Fn|5}}
*[[Siege of Cthonia]]{{Fn|4}}

===Related Incidents===
*[[Siege of Inwit]]{{Fn|2}}
*[[Burning of Vrexor]]{{Fn|2}}

===See also===
*[[Battles of the Horus Heresy (List)]] 

===Sources===
*{{Endn|1}}: [https://thehorusheresy.com/explore-the-galaxy Horus Heresy Website: Explore the Galaxy - The Passage of the Angels (posted 02/06/2022)] ''(last accessed 02 June 2022)''
*{{Endn|2}}: [[White Dwarf 478]], pgs. 102-109 - ''Horus Heresy: The Passage of the Angel of Death'' 
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Saturnine (Novel)]], Epilogue  
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Postulant (Short Story)]] - [[Cthonia's Reckoning (Anthology)]]
*{{Endn|5}}: [[Campaigns of the Age of Darkness: The Siege of Cthonia]], pg. 10 — ''The Halting of Vramon Muster''

{{HHBattles}}

[[Category:Battles (Alpha Legion)]]
[[Category:Battles (Dark Angels)]]
[[Category:Battles (Death Guard)]] 
[[Category:Battles (Emperor's Children)]] 
[[Category:Battles (Horus Heresy)]]
[[Category:Battles (Imperial Fists)]] 
[[Category:Battles (Iron Hands)]]
[[Category:Battles (Iron Warriors)]]
[[Category:Battles (Raven Guard)]]
[[Category:Battles (Salamanders)]]
[[Category:Battles (Sons of Horus)]]
[[Category:Battles (Space Wolves)]]
[[Category:Battles (Thousand Sons)]]
[[Category:Battles (Ultramarines)]]
[[Category:Battles (World Eaters)]]

[[fr:Le Passage des Anges]]