RH0-EG system, Tenerifis region. In the early hours of the 21st of August, a battle erupted in the system between Circle-Of-Two [CO2] and Phoenix Federation (PF) forces.

The battle was ignited by Circle-Of-Two who attempted to reinforce a Fortizar citadel in the system belonging to a Phoenix Federation member alliance. An estimated 60 pilot Hurricane battlecruiser fleet had been dispatched to the system with four mixed squadrons of capitals and super capitals kept in reserve.

The force and its reinforcements were scouted by elements of Phoenix Federation who mustered a response fleet. A 100 pilot Abaddon battleship fleet assembled on the Fortizar while a large force of dreadnoughts and combat carriers gathered in range of the system, some of the ships drawn from neighboring alliances outside of Phoenix Federation coalition.

The Hurricane fleet entered the system and warped to a ping above the Fortizar. It then warped to the structure and shot at it for a good 20 minutes without eliciting a response from the tethered Abaddon fleet. Deciding to rush things, it lit a cynosural beacon at a ping to allow its reinforcements through and returned to the Fortizar to continue hammering its shields. The Abaddon fleet remained tethered to the citadel all the while, waiting patiently for its dreadnought reinforcements to form. However, Circle-Of-Two was being cautious with its super capital assets and had them aligned to a celestial for a quick withdrawal. Seeing this, Phoenix Federation fleet commanders ordered the Abaddon fleet to warp on top of the super carriers and tackle them. The battleships obliged and did just that. With the battleships landed amid the super capitals, interdictors hurried to deploy warp disruption probes and snare as many ships as possible.

Circle-Of-Two reacted immediately, its Hurricane fleet targeting the battleships alongside its capital and super capital ships. Fighters were recalled from the Fortizar to attack the battleships and combined with the battlecruisers’ artillery barrage rained hell on the defenders. The Abaddons ignored the losses and focused their firepower on the Apostle force auxiliaries in the fleet, managing to destroy two while incurring great losses. The Circle-Of-Two fleet did not only target the battleships but also the interdictors, destroying many, though more streamed in as their pilots re-shipped as fast as they could.

The Abaddon fleet suffered the worse in the exchange. Focusing all its attention on the enemy force auxiliaries and refusing to disengage, allowing Circle-Of-Two to literally tear it apart. After a few grueling minutes, very few mainline ships remained intact as the Hurricanes and their reinforcements kept hammering the fleet unopposed. Finally though, Phoenix Federation’s capitals were ready and the order was given for a cynosural beacon to be lit on the field. The Abaddon fleet executed the order and the beacon blazed up near the stranded super carriers, ushering in dozens of dreadnoughts.

The Phoenix Federation reinforcements materialized on field and set to work immediately. The dreadnoughts entered siege mode and targeted one of the Nyx super carriers, pummeling it with barrage after barrage from their capital guns. The Nyx was slowly caving in to the onslaught but Phoenix Federation fleet commanders decided to divert the fleet’s firepower and focus instead on the remaining force auxiliaries. In rapid succession the few remaining Apostles were removed from the field, removing most of the logistics support for the besieged super carriers. The dreadnoughts took full advantage and hit the Nyx super carriers again, downing three in less than five minutes.

Circle-Of-Two didn’t hold their fire and targeted the dreadnoughts. Fighters, fighter bombers and capital guns fired back at the Phoenix Federation capitals destroying a few in the process but more kept jumping in. The flood of hostile dreadnoughts also ate at the remaining Circle-Of-Two capital force as combat carriers and dreadnoughts fell to the growing firepower of Phoenix Federation.

Circle-Of-Two was in a bad position. Its sub capital fleet was doing its best to clear as much tackle as possible but the super carriers had lost most of their logistics backbone and were stranded too far from any help. Unable to stem the tide of hostile dreadnoughts, the Circle-Of-Two fleet chose instead to disengage. Those super carriers that could, warped off to safety and jumped out as soon as an exit cynosural beacon could be secured. Phoenix Federation forces attempted to hold onto the super carriers but the Hurricane fleet, supported by a Vanguard Coalition (VG) stealth bomber squadrons, was able to clear enough interdictors and warp disruption probes to allow the super capitals to escape. One of the remaining Nyx managed to escape with its armor stripped and its hull taking damage.

Phoenix Federation interdictors tried to follow the fleeing super carriers, even managing to re-capture the damaged Nyx, but the Circle-Of-Two Hurricane fleet chased them away, allowing the ships to safely extract. The remaining Circle-Of-Two capital ships had less luck. Many dreadnoughts were still caught in siege cycles and were obliterated by Phoenix Federation reinforcements along with the few force auxiliaries and combat carriers which were still stranded on the grid.

Having managed to defend the citadel and exact a heavy toll from Circle-Of-Two, Phoenix Federation forces declined to chase the fleeing Circle-Of-Two fleet and instead focused on clearing the grid. Once the last hostile ships were destroyed, Phoenix Federation and its allies looted the field, extracting their capital ships in the process. Once the last wrecks had been salvaged and the surviving dreadnoughts secured, Phoenix Federation stood down, bringing an end to the fighting.

The Battle from the Perspective of the Circle-Of-Two Capital Force

A battle report for the RH0-EG system can be found here.

All told, the battle lasted approximately 54 minutes with Time Dilation not reported and the system hosting an estimated 250 pilots at the peak of the fighting.

Circle-Of-Two lost 70 ships in the fighting including 3 super carriers, 7 dreadnoughts, 8 force auxiliaries, 7 combat carriers and 5 battlecruisers for a total of 143.83 billion ISK damage.

Phoenix Federation and its allies lost 211 ships in the fighting including 30 dreadnoughts, 2 combat carriers and 45 battleships for a total of 127.49 billion ISK damage.

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