Battle of Minos Crossing
| |||
The Battle of Minos Crossing took place during the Second War for Armageddon, as the Orks of Waaagh! Ghazghkull broke out of the Equatorial Jungle and invaded the eastern continent of Armageddon Secundus. Remnants of several Armageddon Steel Legion and Armageddon Defence Force units, including survivors from Armageddon Prime, made a stand at Minos River. They managed to locally delay the Ork breakthrough and were able to retreat in good order.
Contents
Prelude
After the western continent Armageddon Prime was overrun by Waaagh! Ghazghkull, Overlord Herman von Strab decided to gather his forces across Armageddon Secundus for a grand counter-offensive. Von Strab was confident that the Orks would be unable to cross the Equatorial Jungle, ignoring warnings by Princeps Prime Kurtiz Mannheim that three Ork tribes were unaccounted for and were potentially preparing an offensive into Armageddon Secundus.[2]
Meanwhile, survivors of Armageddon Prime crossed the Equatorial Jungle despite constant Ork attacks, gradually moving into Armageddon Secundus.[1b] At an important crossing of the Minos River, Captain Corone gathered the remnants of his unit. He welcomed retreating forces from the west, including a group led by a 4th Armageddon Regiment commander. Knowing that the Orks were already in the jungle, Corone decided to make a stand at the Minos River, hoping to delay the upcoming Xenos advance.[1a]
Battle
With the onset of the Season of Shadows, the Ork hordes broke out of the Equatorial Jungle and crashed into the thin Imperial lines at Armageddon Secundus.[2] At the Minos Crossing, Corone's forward units at the jungle's edge were easily overrun. At the second line in front of the Minos Crossing, however, the Imperials had dug in and were able to initially hold off the assaults.[1a]
As the numbers of Ork attacks increased and the invaders were reinforced by heavier tanks and walkers, the Steel Legion commanders ordered their troops to orderly retreat across the Minos River and man the third line of defences. Even though the Orks continued to charge across the Minos Crossing, they suffered heavy losses.[1a] Eventually, Corone learned that the Orks had broken through at multiple locations in other sectors. As the rest of the Imperial frontline disintegrated, the Minos Crossing position became the last regional holdout. To prevent them from being encircled, Corone and the other officers ordered an orderly retreat.[1c]
Aftermath
As the Imperial defenders of Minos Crossing pulled back, they encountered a counter-offensive by Legio Metalica under Princeps Mannheim. The latter had been ordered to attack the advancing Orks with almost no support (aside of the Armageddon 1st Armoured Tank Division).[1c][2] This suicidal operation paved a way for Corone and his comrades to retreat into the Palidus Mountains,[1c] even as Mannheim's force was slaughtered by the Xenos.[2]
Sources
 |
- 1: Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon:
Classics
- 2: Epic Armageddon Rulebook, pgs. 63-67
