[Concluded Event] RM vs SCRA: Operation Hagel - Omega-48 | Jan 7th, 8:00PM UTC

[Barrier]

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As with all combat operations, the quality of the intelligence apparatus is often the deciding factor. Instead of a prepared battle group escorting a large shipment of supplies, the Kaiserliche Rheinwehr task force found only a loose convoy accompanying a single transport. With forward scouts screening the approach, the taskforce quickly detected a trailing cruiser, which in turn led the other vessels to the larger group.

Upon sighting the Rheinwehr force, the Major nominally in charge of the coalition vessels naturally gave the order to advance, in order to buy the transport time to escape the battlefield. It managed to do so successfully by swinging around the local star, and safely delivered its shipment of high-caliber weapons and ammunition to Ben Warner. Meanwhile, the greatly outclassed coalition force put up a solid resistance, managing to hold out for 13 minutes before all of its capital ships sustained critical damage. With multiple drives and weapons disabled, and with some of the larger ships venting atmosphere, the convoy still managed to stay together and perform an orderly retreat into the Alegranza Cloud.

Reports differ as to whether the transport was actually detected, but careful review of the records from the taskforce forward scouts show that two of the three vessels did pick it up. It is unclear whether a report was made and lost in the chain of command, or if the pilots simply did not notice a blip among the signal clutter of an ongoing engagement. Regardless, the Kaiserliche Rheinwehr Oberkomanndo, while praising Operation Hagel as a complete success, has launched a quiet internal investigation regarding the performance of those involved in the engagement. However, with the von Mayer family possessing significant holding within the Empire, the results of such an investigation are unlikely to see the light of a declassified neural net interface.