AAR2: Lyran Attack on Base Station 0803

The second battle of the Lyran attack on Kzinti space involved an attack of the Base Station in Hex 0803.  The Kzinti were able to get a supporting force to the base by the time of the attack, which made this battle much different than the last.

The battle took place in the highlighted square on the map above.

 

The Lyran fleet.

Lyran Forces  (TF 0504)

BC                        DW

CA                        DD

CA                        DD

CC                        FF

CW                       FF

CW                       FF

CW                       SC

The Kzinti fleet.

Kzinti Force

Border Fleet                Base Defence Force

BC                                   BS

BC                                   CVT    

CC                                   MEC

CL                                   FF

CL                                   EFF

CVE                                Pol

DD                                   Pol

DD                                   Pol 

EFF

SC

The battle begins.

The Battle

The Lyran plan was to first engage the Kzinti Fleet, damage it and move to the base, then continue beating up the Kzinti Fleet if it stuck around. As the Lyran fleet approached the base, the Kzinti fleet was deployed to the left of the Lyrans, and their fighters were deployed forward to the right.

The Lyran fleet deviates from their plan and engages

 Kzinti fighters and drones.

In the first turn, the Lyran ships maintained a fleet speed of 20, allowing them to outrun Kzinti drones which were largely negated with ESG fields.  Kzinti forces held steady at speed 10 and unleashed a wave of fighters and drones, with the resulting fire damaging a Lyran Frigate and destroying 21 Kzinti fighters.

The Lyran fleet mixing it up with the Kzinti fighters.  
The Lyrans lost initiative, becoming reactionary from this point on.

During turn two, the Lyrans recharged phasers and continued to negate drones with ESGs and phaser fire. Otherwise they mostly avoided battle with the Kzinti, while the Kzinti fired another volley of drones.

The Lyrans recharging phasers, and trying to reform.

The Lyrans prepare to engage the next volley of drones.

On turn three, the ships finally began to mix it up with largely inaccurate Lyran disruptor and phaser fire resulting in nothing more than shield damage on Kzinti Ships, and the Lyrans losing a Frigate, and suffering shield damage on a couple other ships.

The Lyrans were able to outpace the Kzinti drones, 

but could not maintain order in doing so.

During turn four, the Lyrans largely found their disorganized fleet to be out of position for effective fire, and succeeded in losing another Frigate and a Destroyer.  Also Kzinti drones finally hit a target with a Lyran Heavy Cruiser taking the hits.

The Lyrans lose an FF and a DW.

The Lyrans being "screened" by the Kzinti ships.

Turn five was much as the turn before, with Lyran fire often not hitting the mark, and the loss of the damaged CA, followed by a War Destroyer.  The Lyrans finally destroyed a Kzinti  Destroyer.

The Lyrans frustrated.

The Kzintis engage the Lyrans trying to get to the base.

The Lyrans lose a CA...

... and more.

The last turn, six, started with heavy Lyran fire hitting Kzinti lighter ships, destroying two Kzinti Frigates, and damaging four others.  The Lyrans took more damage, and at this point with seven Lyran ships either destroyed or out of the fight, the Lyrans ended the attack.

The situation near the start of turn six.

A little payback, two Kzinti FFs are destroyed.

The Lyrans admit defeat.

The Kzintis moved back into defensive positions around their base, and the Lyrans withdrew.

The Kzinti regroup.  

This was an expensive battle for the Lyrans, and failure to destroy the base allows the Kzinti to maintain sensor range across much of their border with the Lyrans.