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===History=======Prelude====
====First Taros Intervention====
====Invasion====
====Battle for the Taros System====
====Operation Comet====
====Operation Deathblow====
====Evacuation====
====Other Details====
===Imperial Order of Battle===
====[[Taros Intervention Force]]====
====4621st Imperial Army====
====Imperial Invasion Fleet{{Fn|1h}}====
===Tau Order of Battle===
====[[Tau]] [[Fire Caste]] Army====
====Tau Fleet====
===Related Articles===
=== Sources===
clean up, replaced: Honor → Honour, armor → armour
|Commanders1 = [[Lord Commander]] [[Otto Ivan Gustavus]]<br>[[General|Lord Marshal]] [[De Stael]]<br>[[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] [[Armaros (Avenging Sons)|Armaros]]<br>[[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] [[Orelius]]<br>[[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] [[Kaedes]]<br>[[Commissar]] [[Mordred Van Horcic]]<br>[[Admiral]] [[Kotto]]<br>[[Magos|High Magos]] [[Zadakine Volta]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Princeps]] [[Jernay]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Colonel]] [[Scheja]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Adept|Provisioner-Prime]] [[Nymus Dree]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Imperial Navy Hierarchy|Air Marshal]] [[Denvelt]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Deacon]] [[Gotz]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Adept|Curator Adept]] [[Skel]]{{Fn|1e}}<br>[[Cardinal|Cardinal Astral]] [[Velas]]{{Fn|1e}}
|Commanders2 = [[Commander Longknife]]<br>[[Aun'vre]] (KIA)<br>[[Governor]] [[Aulis]]
|Strength1 = [[Taros Campaign_Campaign#Imperial Order of Battle|See Order of Battle]]|Strength2 = [[Taros Campaign_Campaign#Tau Order of Battle|See Order of Battle]]
|Casualties1 = 10,000 Killed<br>15,000 wounded<br>20,000 Captured<br>350 tanks<br>700 APCs<br>200 artillery pieces<br>1 [[Light Cruiser]]<br>8 [[Escort]]s
|Casualties2 = Thousands<br>1 [[Battleship]]<br>8 [[Escort]]s
The recapturing of Taros was important because it was instrumental for the continued operations of the [[Forge World]] [[Stygies VIII]], which in turn was important in the war against [[Abaddon]]'s [[13th Black Crusade]].{{Fn|1p}}
*{{main|The Denab Incident}}
Prior to the campaign, Planetary Governor [[Aulis]], head of the Taros government, developed friendly trading relations with the Tau, and sought to defect to the [[Tau Empire]] with the support of much of the planetary population.{{Fn|1c}}
When his treachery was unveiled, the [[Avenging Sons]] [[Space Marine]]s were called upon to assassinate Governor Aulis in what was to be the First Taros Intervention. [[Taros Intervention Force]] descented on planet and valiantly fought with the [[Tau]] xenos, but eventually the Avenging Sons were unable to carry out the assignment after suffering tremendous losses including over half of their Terminator contingent and one [[Space Marine Dreadnought|Dreadnought]] - [[Caim]] - at the hands of the Tau forces already assigned to protect the capital '''Tarokeen''' and the governor.{{Fn|1d}} Following the battle the [[Tau]] officially annexed Taros while the Imperium decided on full-scale invasion to rectify the situation.{{Fn|1e}}
Assembling a moderately sized force under the command of [[Lord Commander]] [[Otto Ivan Gustavus]], the bulk of Imperial forces were organized into the 4621st Imperial Guard Army under 'Chief of Arms' [[De Stael]]. Imperial planning was initiated thanks to [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] reconnaissance missions but hindered by bureaucratic red tape and infighting between various Imperial services. The invasion took almost a year to organize and launch.{{Fn|1e}}
As the Imperials continued to slowly advance northwards amid constant skirmishes and water shortages, a pitched tank battle erupted at the Phyrra Heights. After five failed attempts to capture the heights from [[Kroot]] forces the offensive stalled, forcing De Stael to commit a fresh attack elsewhere on the front. In the resulting Battle of Gladamak, the Imperial forces emerged victorious after forcing a Tau withdrawal. In the aftermath of the battle the Tau started to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, using [[Orca]]-dropped Pathfinders and Stealth teams to target the Imperials supply dumps under cover of darkness. By 640998.M41 the Tarokeen Offensive had ground to a halt. The Tau took the initiative, using an elite [[Fire Warrior]] team under [[Shas'el]] [[K'irri]] to destroy Imperial airstrips.{{Fn|1i}}
Meanwhile, a battle began to erupt in the space above Taros itself. A Tau fleet slipped into the Taros system unnoticed, beginning a long game of hide and seek with the Imperial Navy. The first major space confrontation was the Battle of Troop Convoy Alpha-Four, which saw a Tau fleet of Five [[Castellan Class Frigate]]s attack an Imperial supply convoy. In the ensuing battle the Tau were successful at causing heavy Imperial troop transport losses and withdrew, causing more capital ships to give chase to them. Meanwhile the Cruiser ''Righteous Power'' began a hunt for the Tau Battleship ''A'rho'''. After a long pursuit and several skirmishes, the Imperials were successful in destroying the vessel though both sides paid a heavy price.{{Fn|1f}}
[[Image:Aestus map (Taros).jpg|thumb|right|Aestus map on the Taros planet (the focus of all Taros Campaign){{Fn|1o}}]]
After 42 days of war, supply shortages and Tau raiding had stalled the offensive. A new Imperial plan was agreed upon, utilizing [[Elysian Drop Troops]] to seize Taros' hydro-farms and controlling the planets water supply. Dubbed Operation Comet, it was a daring plan fraught with dangers that involved striking deep behind Tau lines. The Elysians and [[Stormtrooper]]s were dropped from [[Valkyrie]]'s to assault Hydro-Processing Plant 23-30. After hard fighting, the plant was captured and on the second day the Tau responded with [[Manta]]s to retake Plant 23-30 as [[Barracuda]] fighters assaulted the Imperial gunships. After a bombardment by [[Tigershark]]s, the Tau made a major armored armoured thrust with [[Hammerhead]]s and [[Devilfish]]. A vicious firefight erupted as the Drop Troops were reinforced by Imperial Navy fighters. A Tau siege of the plant soon set in.{{Fn|1j}}
On the third day of the fighting the Imperial Navy was too bogged down with Tau air elements to assist, and the xenos closed in to finish the job and retake the plant. After the Imperial Colonel [[Balach]] refused a Tau request of surrender, the Elysians were annihilated. However General [[Scykava]] was captured by the Tau, the highest ranking Imperial official taken in the war. Syckava flatly refused the offer of [[Ethereal]] [[Aun'Vre]] to join with the Tau Empire and lead Human auxiliary forces.{{Fn|1j}}
Meanwhile, Raptors Space Marine forces backed by [[Warhound Titan]]s of the [[Legio Ignatum]] began a make offensive to breakthrough the Tau lines and reinforce the forces at plant 23-30. The Titan-led attack was initially successful, but a Tiger Shark's missile and [[Railgun]] barrage managed to destroy the Warhound ''Advensis Primaris''. Nonetheless the Imperial advance was not halted, and as the Space Marines cleared the way Imperial Guard raced forwards. The Guard forces encountered many Tau ambushes, stalling the operation. An attempted Imperial desperate push with fast [[Salamander Scout]] vehicles failed, and the Imperial Guard forces were forced to withdraw.{{Fn|1j}}
Following the failure of Operation Hydra, Lord Commander Gustavus and Lord Marshal De Stael were relieved of command by [[Commissar|Commissar-General]] [[Mordred Van Horcic]]. After having most of the commanders staff arrested the Commissar took command of the war effort himself, shortening the Imperial front to reduce the over-stretched supply lines.{{Fn|1k}}
Targeting the Tau Ethereal in an attempt to decapitate the xenos hierarchy, the Imperials deployed a member of the [[Officio Assassinorum]]'s [[Eversor Temple]]. While Valkyrie-born Stormtroopers assaulted the rest of the headquarters, the berserker assassin managed to self-destruct inside the Tau command bunker, killing [[Ethereal]] [[Aun'Vre]]. However Shas'o [[R'myr]] was directing the bunker defenses personally from outside the bunker and was not killed in the explosion that consumed his Ethereal. Enraged by the loss of their leader, R'myr rallied the surviving Tau as their reinforcements arrived and the Stormtroopers fought to the end.{{Fn|1k}}
Now infuriated, the Tau began an offensive that targeted the falling-back Imperial Guard. The withdrawal of the Tallarn Regiments soon turned into a rout. With the situation collapsing, the Imperial evacuation from Taros was authorized on 718998.M41. The Imperials began to fall back to their landing zone, targeted by Tau patrol and aircraft. The evacuation became chaos, with troops fighting for any available transport space as Commissar and Stormtroopers tried to keep order. The Raptors Space Marines arrived to reinforce the shrinking Imperial perimeter, holding the line until the evacuation was complete.{{Fn|1k}}
With the Imperials having abandoned Taros, the planet was renamed [[T'ros]] by the Tau. The Tau converted the planet into a mining station.{{Fn|1k}}
The badge of the Taros Campaign - crossed spears on a red disk - was presented on the equipment of all Emperor's forces during the campaign (starting from the '''Invasion''' part) and helped identify forces as loyal during conflict. The badges were removed only after conclusion of the campaign.{{Fn|1m}}
The Imperial Order of Battle consisted of:
*[[Avenging Sons]] First and Second Companies{{Fn|1h}}
*[[General|Lord Marshal]] [[De Stael]]{{Fn|1l}}
*[[General|Quartermaster General]] [[Wassily]]{{Fn|1l}}
*Statistician Teams: 42{{Fn|1h}}
'''Capital Ships'''
*[[Overlord Class Battlecruiser]] ''[[Righteous Power]]''
*Transport ''[[Son of Jucha]]''
*[[Heavy Transport]] ''[[Colossia]]''
*Heavy Transport ''[[Piety (Ship)|Piety ]]''
*Heavy Transport ''[[Kagul]]''
*Heavy Tanker ''[[Empress of Svedeg]]''
*Behemoth Class Titan Transport ''[[Honorous Rex]]''
The Tau Order of Battle consisted of{{Fn|1g}}:
*At least 100 [[Hunter Cadre]]s
**8-9,000 [[Fire Warrior]]s
[[Tarosian Mining Work Gangs]]
'''Capital Ships'''
*[[Or'es El'leath Class Battleship]] ''A'Rho''
**5 [[Kir'shasvre]] escorts each
*[[List of Anti-Imperial Rebellions]]
*1: [[Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign]]:
**{{Endn|1a}}: pg. 44
