Copy to Allied Commanders
From Admiral Chevron
1. During the engagement three Berserker Superbattleships were destroyed, along with their 'Shadow' (pacifier analogue) Units.
2. Martian losses have been detailed separately. In summary one battleship was lost and three carriers damaged. I was sorry to hear of the loss of Admiral Rice-Burroughs. [Subsequent DataNote - Admiral Rice-Burroughs actually survived, but this was not discovered until some days later - JIM9000]
3. Esteeler losses were proportionate to the Esteeler commitment to the battle. Fleet RODGER YOUNG took heavy damage as it had been committed to the first line of BLUE WING, which endured the heaviest and most prolonged Berserker onslaught during the battle. Detailed reports are still being collated, and it is believed that all members of the GF Space Navy carried out their duties with skill and dedication.
DESTROYED:
(BLUE WING)
Battleships: 122 KONGO, 221 BELLHAVEN
Pacifiers: 147 destroyed or severely damaged.
DAMAGED AND MUST RETURN TO PORT FOR REPAIR:
(BLUE WING)
Battleship: 121 YAMATO
Carriers: 112 THREE EDGED SWORD, 113 I SHALL RETURN, 115 NO FURTHER CLAIMS, 116 NO PLAN SURVIVES (was CINCSEVEN flagship; will move to 111 MAKE IT SO), 118 BATON DE MARECHAL
Casualties:
BLUE WING
219 crew members of BELLHAVEN, including Captain Belloc and all her officers, were killed when her Fusion Core detonated before evacuation could be initiated.
161 crew members of KONGO became casualties, of whom 83 were killed including Captain Perez.
YAMATO had 23 casualties.
Blue Wing's Carriers suffered 137 crew casualties, plus 62 Pacifier Pilots killed, seriously injured or missing.
RED WING
REAGAN suffered 40 casualties, including Captain Ratzinger who suffered severe burns.
Red Wing's Carriers lost 9 Pacifier Pilots killed or missing.
Casualties and damaged vessels are being withdrawn immediately unless Admiral Burwasher orders otherwise.
4. Tactical Appreciation
4.1 The use of nuclear warheads from missiles launched by close-range Pacifier attack is effective, although the Berserker vessels are able to absorb an enormous amount of conventional weapon punishment.
4.2 The heavy losses of battleships was due to concentration of Berserker heavy weapons on them. This might seem to indicate employing battleships is a poor tactic; but the Carriers were protected from engagement by the main Berserker weapons by the presence of the battleships and only the relatively ineffective 'shadow' units damaged the carriers. This issue requires further analysis before firm conclusions can be drawn. In the meantime, it appears that the tactics used by Admirals Burwasher, Stipes and Rice-Burroughs at Flypaper were correct and may be employed again if necessary, and if more battleships are available.
Chevron
FLEETCOMD Audie Murphy
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Appendix: Eyewitness Reports
1. Naval Officer aboard Battleship: ESS KONGO [Destroyed after receiving 160+ casualties]
There was little tactical subtlety in this combat, which was a heavy slogging match. Berserker targeting is at least up to human standards and their heavy energy weapons are extremely powerful, I was registering shocks of over 200 megajoules and one blast removed eighty tonnes of hull armour and breached three decks. All personnel fought superbly and discipline was maintained up to the moment of evacuation. I consider this a succesful large-scale action, though I am grieved by the loss and damage of so many superb vessels.
2. Damage Control crewman ESS KONGO
All I heard at the time was an all-hands Damage Control call to Deck Four. Everybody is supposed to get out of our way when we bowl along the corridors in our yellow and red armoured spacesuits. A few minutes after that Berserker HELL hits burst the hull - and the Captain was killed. We were sprayed with crashfoam and open to space, trying to reroute the power feed to the secondaries. At that moment a Pacifier which had been in a dogfight with a Shadow crashed into our cargo deck; we went to clear up the fuel spillage and it was then we got the evac signal. Someone said that a Berserker shadow crashed into hull at Deck Four, same place I'd been working a minute before, but I don't know if that's true.
3. Pacifier Pilot - gunship, Red Wing
It was a crazy series of running dogfights as I was flying gunship escort for Pacs loaded with nukes, so I had to keep the Shadows busy, which was hard, although their tac sense is poor; I reckon I could do better if I could absorb ten gees.. I reckon I hit two Shadows, maybe destroyed one, but my gun camera was destroyed later. The Berserker Fleet was an awesome sight, so big and so… well, alien. My worst moment was on the final run-in, when I mistimed a roll and caught a nuke-flash in my visor, which blinded me for thirty seconds even with the autodimmer engaged, my own fault. I'm still suffering retinal damage. On the return flight I was hit by friendly fire, an overshoot from the Martian fleet, but by the time I docked all enemy vessels had been destroyed.
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