Defence of Korsis-Magna
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The Defence of Korsis-Magna was a battle between the Imperium and Orks.[1]
Overview
Korsis-Magna was an important military staging post and ammunition storage center at the outer edge of the Octarius Sector in the path of the Ork Warboss Gitkrug's invasion fleet. Even before the Orks arrival, the Death Korps of Krieg garrison on the world had dug themselves in around the primary settlement, Madrikal. They cleared dozens of miles of forests and established a multi-layered defensive barrier that included barbwire, minefields, gun nests, and bunkers.[1]
Gitkrug's invasion ultimately came into the forests north and east of the Imperial lines, infesting the defense woodland and launching repeated assaults. Each wave saw thousands of Orks felled by Krieg fire, but by sheer numbers the Xenos were able to slowly press forward. Moreover, the Orks used their airpower and artillery to pummel the Death Korps from behind their defensive barriers. Waves of attack and counterattacks saw the entrenched positions change hand multiple times.[1]
The arrival of winter rains saw the conflict descend into a true stalemate, with both Human and Ork drowning in toxic mud. Even the Orks could make little progress in these conditions, and after several weeks the dry season saw a period of festering rot that decayed the dead. The 143rd weathered this misery and continued to hold their positions despite months of constant Ork attacks. In the end, no single decisive battle turned the tide of the campaign. The Ork resolve was instead broken. Instead of getting a proper fight, they were instead facing frustration by the Death Korps.[1]
For six local years, the Krieg soldiers lived, fought, and died amongst the decaying corpses of their own fallen. However they had nonetheless earned a hard-fought victory.[1]
Sources
- 1: White Dwarf 509, pgs. 66-67
