COMM ID: Gefreiter Alaric Kaufmann
RECIPIENT: Rheinwehr High Command
ENCRYPTION: High
SUBJECT: Assault on Sigma-17 / Capture Report
To: High Command,
Today is a great day for the Kanzler's fleets. I was unable to participate in my Wraith VHF but I attended the action aboard the heavy Kreuzer RNC - Passau during the action and the subsequent follow up.
The Passau was originally in the mothball fleet earlier this week; following the formation of Battlegruppe Ostwind she was recommissioned and re-armed as per standard operating procedure for Fleet Operations. Assigned as the lead Kreuzer of 5th Kreuzer Gruppe along side the 7th and 15th Gruppe. Each Gruppe recieved two Rheinland Gunboats, six Wraith VHF's, and two Rheinland Battleships with Bombers shared amongst the gruppe itself.
Total forces came to:
2x Rheinland Battleships
3x Rheinland Kreuzers
6x Rheinland Gunboats
18x Rheinland Wraith's
4x Rheinland Bombers
At our designated time the Battlegruppe converged on Mainz Storage Facility and formed there, sorting through all the ships each Kreuzer recieved its designated Gruppe load out. Given the move out Order the forces moved onto the [CENSOR] and from there the second battleship joined the Battlegruppe completing our compliment above [CENSOR]. Reforming the Gruppe moved out under correct orders moving into the [CENSOR], minor damages were incured on debri within the field but all vessels reported in successfully on the far side. Moving into our designated jump off point the 5th Kreuzer Gruppe (reinforced) jumped into the Sigma-17 system with all other forces following suit. Regrouping again the Battlegruppe moved off toward the designated target the Kunashir cloud. GMG forces in the area sent several distress calls with locations, the vessels were never found nore recovered.
Upon entering the cloud the first contact was established a Corsair Benitez member was registered to his IFF. The Rheinland pilots maintained good discipline and did not break rank and chase it. As we moved deeper into the cloud the IFF system went crazy as contacts registered at close range. Two Osiris class warships, one Legate dreadnought with several bombers and fighters spread out amongst them. The Kreuzer Deutschland of the 15th Kreuzer Gruppe sounded the attack in the name of Kanzler and Rheinland. Our fighters waited for their bombers to drawn near before they broke, swarming them in pairs as our heavy warships jockied for position against the heavy warships. As the RNC - Hannover opened fire and their Legate exchanged in kind our bombers broke their ranks and swarmed in, the Passau could not register their IFF's amongst the enemy warships but they are all brave men of Rheinland and his Citizens.
Sticking close to the Hannover, the Passau focused its attention on bombers tailing the Hannover and opened fire, destroying one [listed below as confirmed] and chasing down another before a fighter finished it off. As the bombers thinned the Passau broke away from the Battleships engaging the remaining two Osiris's at mixed ranges. Using its mortar equipped to the bow the Passau was able to aide in heavily damaging both remaining Osiris's and in their subsequent destruction. As the skies calmed Battlegruppe Ostwind counted its dead and licked its wounds. With the staggering amount of wreckage, it was an even staggering number of how few we had lost.
One fighter is MIA, with a confirmed loss to a single bomber. Regretfully I must say our second battleship the RNC - Wallenhorst was destroyed. Recovery operations began immedietly, 4321 of her 6000 crew were recovered, the space above planet Kurile is currently being cleared of those that gave their lives for Rheinland, Rheinlander or otherwise. RNC - Hannover suffered heavy damage but the Kreuzer Passau transfered repair equipment and she got under way once more.
Once the battle was concluded Gruppe Ostwind's remaining forces repaired and rearmed, taking up defensive positions around Kurile and within the cloud itself.
![[Image: fzsig1.png]](http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/7642/fzsig1.png)