Sladden - chapter 5 - Spodilicious

By day 59 of operations on Sladden the offensive was losing momentum on all fronts. As always the 121st. were in the forefront, and the first and second battalions were heavily engaged in fighting for the town of Merskatten. Co-ordination had broken down and the offensive was reduced to piecemeal operations on local initiative, often at very low level. The small action described below exemplifies the situation at this stage. The Meriscane Confederation troops as always showed daring and initiative, but the few Sladden regulars had an effect far beyond their numbers and the local militias which comprised most of their forces often displayed surprising determination. In this nameless skirmish over a half-dozen ruined buildings in a minor town, as in so many engagements, the actions of a handful of soldiers on either side turned the tide.

From The Theoclast's Lost Children: A History of the Meriscane Confederation 121st Infantry Regiment.

Meriscane Confederation regulars:
2 squads of 5 Seasoned with assault rifles
1 squads of 5 Seasoned, four with assault rifles and one with rotary gun.

Sladden local forces:
1 squads of 5 Seasoned with assault rifles
2 squads of 5 Green, three with assault rifles and two with SMGs.

The defenders - regulars in the centre flanked by militia.

The militia defending the right wing.

The militia posted on the left.

The regulars in the centre.

The attackers deploy.

The attack faltered almost at once, as careful aimed fire from the regulars pinned down a couple of squads (below).

The MG squad made poor progress, being repeatedly suppressed by the militia opposite them, and the squad approaching the building on the right took casualties from the militia in the ruins and the regulars firing from the centre. With the attack stalled the remaining Meriscane squad moved wide around their left to outflank. The squad approaching the ruins directly rallied and both squads poured fire into the militia. The militia could take no more and the survivors fled (below).

The outflanking squad was then able to occupy the building and prepared to outflank the regulars (below). In the meantime the regulars kept up a steady fire on the squad in front of the building until they broke.

Over on the Meriscane right the MG squad rallied and kept the militia opposite them suppressed (below).

As the Mericane troops moved through the ruins the regulars opened up at close range and broke them (above). At the same time the survivors of the militia on the left rallied and broke the MG squad as they advanced in the open (below).