Lohengramm Fleet
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The Lohengramm Fleet was a fleet of the Galactic Empire under the command of Reinhard von Lohengramm.
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During the First Alliance-Imperial War
Battle of Legnica
The Lohengramm Fleet was presumably formed in after the Third Battle of Tiamat in August, 794 UC by the order of Kaiser Friedrich IV upon Reinhard von Lohengramm (then von Musel)'s promotion to full admiral of the Imperial Fleet. (TBT: 'Part Two')
The Lohengramm Fleet went into battle for the first time shortly after arriving at Iserlohn Fortress. Immediately upon its arrival, the fleet was tasked by Imperial admiral Gregor von Mückenberger to assault the Free Planets Alliance 2nd Fleet in the vicinity of the planet Legnica. The FPA fleet commander, Vice Admiral Paetta, thought to use the atmosphere for cover--and at first his plan seemed to work. The initial volleys of fire from the Imperial warships did more to agitate the atmosphere than damage the FPA fleet. However, this was a deliberate tactic on the part of Reinhard von Lohengramm. After stirring up the hydrogen and helium in the atmosphere, Reinhard fired a single nuclear fusion missile into the core of the planet, igniting the atmosphere and incinerating most of the 2nd Fleet. Thus the Lohengramm Fleet accomplished its first (of many) decisive victory. (My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars)
Fourth Battle of Tiamat
Shortly after the Battle of Legnica, the Lohengramm Fleet would participate in the Fourth Battle of Tiamat. Fleet Admiral Mückenberger, in an attempt to get Reinhard von Lohengramm killed in battle, ordered the Lohengramm Fleet to advance on the massed Alliance fleets without any support from the rest of the Imperial forces. Horrendously outnumbered and fully aware of Mückenberger's intention, Reinhard managed to reverse his fortunes by abruptly changing the Fleet's course 90 degrees starboard just oustside of the FPA fleet's effective firing range. The Lohengramm Fleet then effectively paraded in front of the Alliance fleets as an apparent easy target. Dumbfounded by bizarre movement of the Lohengramm Fleet, however, the Alliance fleet commanders failed to attack, fearing that the apparently-suicidal maneuvers were meant to lure them into a trap. The Lohengramm Fleet swiftly arrived by the left flank of the Alliance fleets, who were unable to turn to engage the Lohengramm Fleet because doing so would leave them open to the full might of Mückenberger's main fleets. As the battle commenced in earnest, Reinhard had only to wait for an opportune moment. When it came, the Lohengramm Fleet attacked Alliance fleets' flank with such ferocity that the Imperial fleets were able to surround their enemy.
In order to withdraw the FPA fleets from the Tiamat Starzone, FPA Commodore Yang Wenli volunteered a risky strategy. First, thousands of drones were launched toward Iserlohn Fortress to create the illusion that a massive FPA fleet was en route to assault the fortress. Reinhard von Lohengramm saw through the phantom fleet, but Mückenberger did not. To prevent Mückenberger from withdrawing from battle to pursue the sensor phantoms, Reinhard swiftly dispatched Rear Admirals Mittermeyer and Reuenthal. However, Yang's plan had another component: while the Imperials were distracted by the phantom fleet, he sailed the battleship Ulysses, with a skeleton crew, into the middle of the Lohengramm Fleet and positioned it directly beneath the flagship Brünhild, effectively taking Reinhard hostage. Outraged by Yang's unorthodox tactic, Reinhard ordered his fleet to open fire on the Ulysses without any regard for the his own safety. Then-captain Karl Robert Steinmetz, however, refused to obey such an order and the Lohengramm Fleet was effectively stalled long enough for the main FPA fleets to withdraw from battle. Once the FPA fleets had successfully escaped, Reinhard allowed the Ulysses to leave safely, stating that because the battle had ended there was no need to continue fighting.
For their parts in the battle, Reinhard was promoted to High Admiral alongside several of his subordniates. Mittermeyer and Reuenthal were both promoted to vice admirals (still under Reinhard's overall command) and received command of their own fleets. (My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars)
Battle of Astarte
To test his resolve and ability, the Lohengramm Fleet had its chief commanders temporarily reassigned and replaced with older fleet commanders who, it was hoped by the three Military Chiefs, would be opposed to Reinhard and hinder his efforts with lacklustre performances or the questioning of orders. This reshuffling of staff within the Lohengramm Fleet would forever rob it of some of its most capable commanders which would prove costly in later campaigns. Only Admiral Merkatz and Rear Admiral Fahrenheit seemed to completely adhere to Reinhard's tactics, which would be enough to lead to the overall victory during the Battle of Astarte. This would be the last direct action the Lohengramm fleet would take part in until the closing phases of the Imperial Civil War, as Reinhard was promoted to Fleet Admiral and formed an admiralty of his own. (Overture to a New War) (LOGH: 'In the Eternal Night', 'The Battle of Astarte')
Battle of Amritsar
During the Alliance's invasion of the Empire at the climax of the FPA-Imperial War, the Lohengramm Fleet, now having an entirely new staff, albeit one of Reinhard's choosing, would take on the role of command fleet, meaning that it did not directly engage in combat but rather protected its brilliant commander as he directed other fleets under his command. This role was clear during the Battle of Amritsar, where the remainder of the Alliance invasion forces were decisively defeated. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone')
During the Imperial Civil War
Assault on Geiersberg Fortress
and the fleet would continue in this role throughout the following Imperial Civil War. As mentioned, at the very end of this campaign, when the Lippstadt League's fleets were already beyond possessing any meaningful combat potential, the Lohengramm Fleet again was directly engaged with the High Nobles remaining forces during the latter's final sortie, although this was more of a mop up operation than an actual battle. (LOGH: 'Courage and Loyalty', 'The Fall of Goldenbaum')
During the Invasion of the Free Planets Alliance
Battle of Rantemario
The Lohengramm Fleet would again see action at the Battle of Rantemario, during the Imperial invasion of the Alliance. (LOGH: 'The Two-Headed Snake: The Battle of Rantemario')
Battle of Vermillion
After consecutively winning battle after battle, it suffered its only defeat at the hands of the brilliant tactician and strategist, Fleet Admiral Yang Wen-li, at the Battle of Vermilion during the Imperial invasion of the Alliance. Although the rest of the fleets under Reinhard's command, some led by former staff from the Lohengramm Fleet, were able gain the strategic victory by subjugating the Alliance, forcing their surrender just before the Brünhild was fired upon by the Yang Fleet, it was still tactical defeat suffered in the field. This battle also showed how loss of the Lohengramm Fleet's capable staff in years past had crippled the fleet's once well disciplined force. Mistakes by the fleet's commanders caused numerous unforeseen complications for Reinhard that would prove to be too much to overcome, culminating in their defeat. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part One)', 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part Two)')
During the Second Alliance-Imperial War
Battle of Mar-Adetta
Once Reinhard had ascended to the throne, it became the Kaiser's personal fleet in the New Galactic Empire. After the terms of the Treaty of Ba'alat had been deemed to be violated by the Alliance, the Second Alliance–Imperial War began. At the Battle of Marr-Adetta, Fleet Admiral Bewcock led a desperate but well organized last stand of the Alliance Fleet. The goal of Bewcock was the same as Yang's in the Battle of Vermilion: do whatever was needed to kill Reinhard and throw the Imperials into disarray. Because of his brilliant use of tactics, Bewcock's forces were able to threaten Kaiser Reinhard and force the Lohengramm Fleet into direct combat to prevent the Brünhild from coming under fire. After giving it every effort possible, the Alliance attack failed and Bewcock ordered his remaining forces to retreat and join up with the now rogue Yang Wen-li. The battle ended with a final message directly from Bewcock to Reinhard, after which all surviving Alliance ships that stayed behind were destroyed. Reinhard ordered all fleets to salute and gives full honours to the wreckage of the last Alliance fleet ever mustered. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Marr-Adetta Starzone (Part One)', 'The Battle of Marr-Adetta Starzone (Part Two)')
Battle of the Corridor
The Lohengramm fleet would see itself again confined to the role of command fleet during the Battle of the Corridor, the first and only battle between the El Facil Revolutionary Reserve Force and the Imperial Fleets. During this time, Reinhard's health was beginning to show troubling signs, and while his own forces were exhausted, he missed an opportunity to once and for all defeat his longtime rival, Yang Wen-li, whose forces were now at the breaking point. This lack of action on the part of Reinhard was presumably due to a vision he had received, upon collapsing, of his best friend, the now deceased Siegfried Kircheis, who told him to befriend his rival. Taking this to heart, he offered a ceasefire, which was readily accepted by Yang. (LOGH: 'The Battle of the Corridor: Kaleidoscope', 'The Battle of the Corridor: End of the Campaign')
Battle of Shiva
The Lohengramm Fleet would see its final action during the Battle of Shiva, where the now illness prone Kaiser was nowhere near his capacity and collapsed soon after the battle started. The Imperials were so flustered by the event that they failed to see even the most basic of feints and the Iserlohn Republic's forces, under the command of Yang's protégé, Julian Minci, were able to land a boarding party on the Brünhild, damaging the ship for the first time in its history. After the melee onboard, Julian is able to make his way to the Kaiser's quarters and is given a ceasefire and the right to negotiate on equal grounds, thus ending all major conflicts within the galaxy. (LOGH: 'The Crimson Star Road', 'The Beautiful Maiden Wants Blood')
Notable Battles
- Battle of Legnica
- Fourth Battle of Tiamat
- Battle of Astarte
- Battle of Amritsar
- Assault on Geiersberg Fortress
- Battle of Rantemario
- Battle of Vermillion
- Battle of Mar-Adetta
- Battle of the Corridor
- Battle of Shiva
| v•d•e | |
|---|---|
| Free Planets Alliance | 1st Fleet • 2nd Fleet • 3rd Fleet • 4th Fleet • 5th Fleet • 6th Fleet • 7th Fleet • 8th Fleet • 9th Fleet • 10th Fleet • 11th Fleet • 12th Fleet • 13th Fleet • 14th Fleet • 15th Fleet • Yang Fleet |
| Galactic Empire | Black Lancers • Braunschweig Fleet • Eisenach Fleet • Fahrenheit Fleet • Kempff Fleet • Lohengramm Fleet • Merkatz Fleet • Mittermeyer Fleet • Müller Fleet • Reuenthal Fleet • Wahlen Fleet |
