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Slaughter on Dawnbreak

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Slaughter on Dawnbreak
DawnbreakBattle.jpg
The Iron Hands battle Eldar on Dawnbreak
Date 050.M41
Location Dawnbreak
Outcome Dawnbreak scoured of Human life, Iron Hands objective achieved
Combatants
Imperium Eldar
Commanders
Iron Father Kristos
Iron Captain Graevaar
General Dortmund (KIA)
Farseer(KIA)
Strength
4 Iron Hands Companies
Catachan Jungle Fighters
Craftworld Alaitoc
Casualties
All Imperial Guard and civilians, unknown Iron Hands Heavy

The Slaughter on Dawnbreak is the term given to a campaign against the Eldar waged by the Iron Hands and Imperial Guard on the Garden World of Dawnbreak in 050.M41.[1]

Overview

The campaign began shortly after Iron Father Kristos announced that Clan Raukaan was ready for combat for the first time since the Skarvus Ambush. After receiving a distress call informing the Adeptus Mechanicus of an Eldar attack on the Garden World of Dawnbreak, elements from Clan Raukaan, Clan Avernii, Clan Dorrvok, and Clan Garrsak were deployed. By the time the Iron Hands arrived, the 17th Army Group of Catachan Jungle Fighters were already in heavy combat with the Eldar of Craftworld Alaitoc. The invasion itself had begun after Human excavation teams had detected strange machinery beneath the planet's crust.[1]

As the Iron Hands moved in, they used Servo-Skulls deployed in the atmosphere to scan the planet to get a sense of the strategic situation. They found that the Eldar had no orbital support and their ground forces were dispersed into highly mobile airborne battle groups, picking off one human enclave after another. Kristos decided to target the only significant entrenched Eldar position, around the original human excavation site. After an orbital bombardment, the Iron Hands landed via Drop Pod around this position. Despite encountering heavy Eldar fire, the Iron Hands advanced with a grim determination. After landing tanks from Thunderhawks, the Marines were able to take out swift Eldar grav-tanks. Chaplain Dreadnought Furnous was saved from destruction thanks to Kristos' use of the Ironstone. Using this valued relic, Kristos' phalanx of armor was nearly unstoppable as it advanced.[1]

The Eldar choose then to deploy their Seers and Wraithknights. However thanks to close air support provided by Stormraven's, the Iron Hands were able to keep the initiative and Kristos and Iron Captain Graevaar led a final push on the crater. Graevaar managed to slay the commanding Eldar Farseer, sending the xenos forces into confusion. Though the Eldar made several more attempts to retake the crater from the Space Marines, it was futile. Meanwhile, the remaining Eldar on the planet annihilated Catachan and civilian positions - the indifferent Iron Hands providing no assistance. Soon enough the Iron Hands unearthed what the original human excavation team had been searching for, taking it as their own. As the Iron Hands departed, they sent a single message to the commanding Imperial Guard commander on Dawnbreak, General Dortmund.

‘If you are strong you will survive. If you are weak you will not. Fight hard, General, and prove your worth.’[1]

Sources