Changes

When ===Prelude===By 742.M41, members of the [[Tau]] [[Water Caste]] had established trade agreements with [[Imperial fleet reached ]] Worlds on the frontier, near the [[Tau Empire#Tau Septs|septDamocles Gulf]] , and exchanges of goods and technology were common. Alarmed by this, [[Dal'ythInquisition|Inquisitorial]], however, investigation of the crusade ground to worlds in question indeed found evidence of Tau activity. The conclusion was that they represented a bloody stalemate as the formidable numbers major threat and high technology Cardinal Esau Gurney of the [[TauBrimlock]] and their called for a [[KrootCrusade]] allies thwarted every attempt to capture purge the systemaliens. Many months The Crusade was based around a dozen capital starships of the Imperial Navy, five provisional companies of Space Marines, and 19 Regiments of Imperial Guard, seven of terrible fighting ensued them from Brimlock. The first move was towards the Timbra Sub-sector where human colonists had coexisted with nothing gained on either sidethe aliens. The Crusade first reasserted Imperial rule in the rebellious Garrus and Kleist colonies. By 742Individuals implicated in dealing with the Tau were seized and punished at a special assize held before the furious Crusaders.[[M41]] The Imperial Commanders eventually agreed to requests from colonies secured, the Crusade forces moved on and engaged the Water Caste Tau for peace talksthe first time on their own territory in the uninhabited Hydass System.^4a

===Firsts Actions===At the Battle of the Hydass System, the [[Imperial Navy]] would face 7 Tau Cruisers of the [[Air Caste]]. Initially shocked by the range and power of Tau torpedo salvos, the Imperial forces eventually emerged victorious with the help of a [[Space Marine]] [[Strike Cruiser]] and the discovery that Tau ships lacked heavy broadside firepower. Space Marine forces from the [[Scythes of the Emperor]] supported by the [[Brimlock Dragoons]] then landed on [[Syl'kell]], a Tau world of 7 million inhabitants. Finding the Tau forces to be extremely well-equipped mobile infantry and that the [[Hamerhead]] grav-tank was a close match for the Imperial [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russ]], Imperial forces took heavy losses but intervention by the Scythes of the Emperor not only led to victory but avoided an outright massacre. As Imperial forces now made preparations to cross the [[Damocles Gulf]], Imperial ships launched an orbital bombardment of the Tau world of [[Viss'el]] after finding it had no strategic value. The negotiations worlds polar ice caps melted and all life was purged.^4a ===The Dal'yth Campaign===After a five month journey across the Damocles Gulf, the Crusade fleet finally reached the major Tau [[Sept]] of [[Dal'yth]]. Assuming that Tau orbital defenses would be no more formidable than what they encountered at Hydass, Imperial forces were successful shocked to find a far more powerful Tau fleet supported by an array of powerful Orbital Stations as well as [[Kroot]] [[Warsphere|Warspheres]]. Had it not been for Admiral Jallaque's flagship, the [[Retribution Class Battleship]] ''Blade of Woe'' destroying the Kroot Warsphere Imperial forces would have faced destruction. But while the Crusading fleet had emerged victorious, their triumph had been a Pyrrhic one: 4 Capital Ships and 14 Escorts had been lost at the battle over Dal'yth.^4b The action over Dal'yth had earned a new respect for the Tau among some in the Imperial command, and some advocated turning back. However Dal'yth proved too tempting a target in the end. Breaking through the systems Orbital stations in a much more cautious fashion than had been seen previously, the ground assault quickly commenced. Taking advantage of the well-made Tau roads, Imperial forces initially advanced rapidly using [[Titans]] and armored forces as the spearhead. However as they advanced into the rugged hills and woods of the world Tau resistance became more stubborn and their missile fire began to take a heavy toll. Facing Tau jump troops equipped with cloaking fields, the Imperial fleet withdrew spearhead was broken up in 3 separate wedges in the woods of Gel'bryn. The first wedge was made up of Titans from the [[Legio Thanataris]], who found themselves countered by missiles launched from Tau[[Manta]] gunships. The second wedge was predominately made up of veterans from the [[Rakarshan Rifles]] space, primarily due to whose intelligent use of cover kept them out of harms way but who still found themselves bogged down by [[Kroot]] warriors at close range. The third wedge were made up of Space Marines from the impending approach [[Ultramarines]], [[Iron Hands]], and [[Scythes of Hive Fleet the Emperor]] chapters, who found themselves bogged down by the Tau's own elite shock troops: [[BehemothCrisis Battlesuit|Crisis Battlesuits]]. OrAll 3 fronts in the Imperial advance now found themselves stalled int he woods of Gel'bryn.^4c Their advance stalled, Imperial forces under General Wendell Gauge advocated digging in to avoid the worst of Tau firepower. However superior Tau night-vision equipment led to heavy losses in night raids that only Space Marine patrols could alleviate. This was compounded by the constant worry that a new Tau fleet would arrive, depending the Crusade fleet was badly damaged and could barely protect its transports as it was. As the siege ground on , more Tau forces arrived each day.^4c ===Operation Hydra===General Gauge concluded that the Crusade had stumbled onto a major Tau world and the sourceresources allotted to the Crusade were insufficient for the task at hand. As arguments over what to be done emerged in the Imperial command, including those advocating [[Exterminatus]], General Gauge acted. Forming his Titans up with the crusade Brimlock Regiments, he was stopped able to strike at the Tau right flank and trap them against the sea as Imperial Navy fighters struck Tau airfields in costly but effective actions that kept Tau air support from the front. The Imperial strike force achieved their primary objective in 988the first few hours - capturing a town containing a bridge. The Tau responded with [[Battlesuits]] deployed from [[Manta]] Gunships and for the rest of the day a running battle ensued that resulted with the Imperial forces a mere five miles away from trapping tens of thousands of Tau troops. Overnight the Tau forces withdrew and Imperial forces secured the towns starport.^4c Making use of the newly acquired Starport, General Gauge began to evacuate his forces from Dal'yth. Resistance from the [[Inquisition]] and [[Space Marines]] was overruled by [[Inquisitor Kryptman]], who had an express order from Brimlock to return with all forces. The Tau sensibly realized the time to negotiate was now and the [[Water Caste]] began to negotiate a settlement under parlay.M41 The negotiations were successful and the Imperial fleet withdrew from [[Tau]] space, primarily due to the emergent threat impending approach of Hive Fleet [[KrakenBehemoth]].⁶In the end the Damocles Gulf Crusade had resulted in the Imperium gaining a healthy new respect for the fighting abilities of the Tau while the Tau Empire came to understand the true scale of Humanity's power in a Galaxy they had previously thought theirs for the taking.^4c