"Monday Report"
Posted on Wednesday.
I have re-checked mentions of Battle Dragons.
HG 789-794:
It was Com-500 Sarr Klian who notes that mul Gurthak
has found "two complete talons, and an extra flight
of four yellow dragons."
It was some of us readers who added these numbers,
and computed 76 Battle Dragons.
DW, JE, & JP have told us, several times, that units
on the frontiers are likely to be understrength.
So, did Klian personally count those dragons 1,2,3,
4, ... 71, 72, and 1,2,3,4 Yellows = 76?
Or did he rely on the reports he was getting?
Be that as it may,
on pages 58 - 76 of HHNF,
500 Myr sends the 3012th Strike to attack the Lines.
It has a flight of three (3) Yellows led by Com-100
Geyrsof (who as Senior Officer also commands the Strike),
but the other eight (8) dragons, all Reds, are sent
in first. Four of them (one flight) go against each
Aspect of the Gate. We are shown Com-25 Berhala's
attack on chan Tesh's Aspect. His own Skyfire is hurt
badly by rifle fire and forced to land in the swamp.
It will take many days to heal enough to return to
battle, even if its wounds don't kill it.
Textev mentions both possibilities.
Red Cloudtiger is killed by machinegun,
and pilot 25 Urkora also dies.
The other two reds escape with little harm.
Then Geyrsof leads the 3 yellows against that Aspect.
Yellow Windslasher is killed by rifle-grenades.
On page 86, 1000 Toralk notes that 2 reds were killed,
and three wounded and incapacitated. Presumably the
other death, and the other two injuries, were inflicted
upon the other Red Flight of the 3012th Strike,
at the other Aspect of that Gate.
On pages 104-5 of HHNF, the 3012th survivors are joined
by the 4016th Strike in attacking Fort Shylar. The two
Yellows go in first, this time, do their poisoning,
and then the Reds release sixteen (16) fireballs into
the fort. I compute that 3012 had 3 little-hurt Reds,
plus 1 or 2 of the hurt Reds, to release that many
fireballs (one per dragon), and the 4016th provided
the other 11, 12, or 13 Red Dragons.
The Fort Salby attack begins on pages 331-333, and
continues for the rest of the chapter.
We are told that the Strikes had been rearranged,
to make their numbers more even.
My guess is that that rearrangement involved all six
Strikes at Hell's Gate, before Harshu and Toralk took
three of those Strikes (3012, 2029, 5001, totaling
one {Provisional} Talon), through Thermyn and deeper
into Sharonan Territory.
Others of us might guess that only those three
Strikes were rearranged.
The Machine-gun Ambush in the approach valley to Salby
killed both yellows and 3 reds before the attackers
could react, and then another red, and a black, as
they were trying to get away.
Total seven (7) dead battle dragons in the Ambush.
That left the 3012 with four, all blacks.
I compute that it had started with 2 yellows, 4 reds,
and 5 blacks, total 11 in the rearranged 3012th Strike.
The 2029th. had not been mentioned at this point, yet,
so we were not told if it had accompanied 3012 or not,
but then it is mentioned, very quickly, as present.
It is stated to have 4 blacks, including 100 Desmar's
Thunderclap, and 6 reds, total 10.
Myr has so far lost 1/3rd of his dragons present,
as is also stated in the text. He has 14 left,
including his own. He sends one back to report,
and leads the remainder, from both Strikes,
in a direct attack on Ft Salby.
Textev states, twice, that 8 are shot down and 4 get
away, 2 of which are badly wounded.
That number does not add up; one is not accounted for.
The two wounded may not survive, and anyway won't
return to service for many days, if at all,
so First Provisonal Talon has only three (3) dragons
in Karys fit for duty, plus Com-100 Helika's 5001st
which will be recalled from Carthos-force.
That is Toralk's Battle-Dragon situation at end of HHNF.
Textev in Snippet 4 contradicts that.
Total Battle-Dragons killed:
3 at HG LINEs.
7 at Ambush.
8 (or nine) at Fort Salby.
---
18 (or 19) Total per HHNF
But in Snippet 4 Toralk is 16 short.
HTM
Howard T. Map-addict wrote: {snip - htm}
I must check the books, and my notes,
and report on Monday.
HTM
--------------------------------------
Brnichols noted above that the AEF started with two (2)
whole Talons, six (6) Strikes, plus four Yellows.
Only three Yellows were used attacking the Hell's
Gate Lines, leaving one elsewhere. One Yellow was
killed there, with its pilot.
It seems that Harshu and Toralk took only three of
those Strikes, including two Yellows, and Talon
Commander 500 Myr, with them into New Uromath
and Thermyn. That leaves the other three Strikes,
and presumably one Talon Commander,
behind in Hell's Gate, to be part of the garrison
of the place (it needs a garrison), to chase Simrath's
escapees, and to investigate the other Portals.
Arcana would be foolish not to investigate them!
Those three Strikes (and other garrison units) also
(incidently) constitute a Reserve, which might be
sent forward if needed.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3227 which lists all officers & soldiers,
includes three Strike Commanders:
100 Geyrsof, 3012th Strike,
100 Helika, 5001st " , and
100 Desmar, 2029th " .
The 4016th Strike is also mentioned,
but its commander was not named in HHNF.
{snip - htm}
HTM