Code-named the 8th Floating Continent Recapture Operation, the Battle of the 8th Floating Continent, also called Battle of 8th Gamilasia, was a joint operation between the Earth Federation and the Greater Garmillan Empire to liberate the 8th Floating Continent from the Gatlantis Empire. It started on December 2, 2202. The battle made Gatlantis discover the position of the Earth, ultimately leading to their invasion of the Solar System. It also saw the debut of the Earth Federation's new flagship, Andromeda, and with it, the culmination of the EF's rush for rearmament, paving the way for the Yamato revolt.
Prelude[]

The 8th Floating continent after months of Gatlantis occupation
The Greater Garmillan Empire and the Gatlantis Empire had been at war for multiple years,[8] but around 2202, Gatlantis started to carry out increasingly aggressive incursions in Garmillan territory. The 8th floating continent, located in the Milky Way Galaxy, deep into Garmillas territory, was occupied by the Gatlantis Vanguard Fleet on October 3, 2202. The Greater Garmillan Empire called the security treaty they had signed with the Earth Federation after the end of the Garmillas War, and the Earth Federation deployed the UN Cosmo Navy's Special Hybrid Fleet to assist in reconquering the captured floating continent.[2]
Additionally, following their takeover of planet Terezart, Gatlantis began production of the Gaizengan Weapons Group, a new series of vessels grown through biotechnology that were substantially more effective than those previously fielded by the empire.[2][9] In turn, the Earth Federation had begun working on their own advanced ships. From 2201,[1] the United Nations Cosmo Force had been building new cutting-edge weapons following the Wave-motion Gun fleet plan: a new operation plan that aimed at creating a fleet armed with powerful wave-motion energy-based weapons. This plan was openly opposed by the former crew of the Yamato, which had played a significant role in the previous war, and their allies. In secret, the EF government built a shipyard inside of a time fault discovered underneath the Earth's surface, allowing them to complete the first Andromeda-class ship, Andromeda, by the time of the recapture operation.[2][10]
The Operation[]
Initial attack[]

Yunagi brute-forces its way through the enemy lines
The Garmillas Frontier Defense Task Force 38 and the Special Hybrid Fleet reached the 8th Floating Continent on December 2. The operation was overviewed directly by General Commanding Director Heikuro Todo and Deputy Commander Kotetsu Serizawa from UNCF headquarters on Earth. The Garmillas fleet, led by Das Lugens,[4] was to serve as a spearhead while the mop-up and recapture of the floating continent's base was entrusted to the Earth forces. Three Zoelluguut-classes carried Walls of Garmillas Subject, creating an anti-warp field and boxing Gatlantis in.[2]
Before the joint fleet reached the mission area, the Gatlantean fleet deployed multiple units from the base, forming a defensive line. The core of the fleet was made out of two Medarusa-classes and various Nazca-class carriers. The Gatlanteans also deployed numerous other ships, most notably a vast number of Lascaux-class Assault Cruiser to defend the larger Medarusas and Nazcas.[11] The UNCF alert observation unit immediately reported the Gatlanteans were fielding battleships equipped with flame strike guns. In the initial exchange of fire, two Gatlantean Medarusa-classes used their flame strike guns, effortlessly destroying one of the three Zoelluguuts and inflicting severe damage to the joint forces. The Gatlantis Vanguard Fleet advanced, laying waste to the Garmillas-Earth fleet. The Kongo Kai-class Battleship Yunagi, under Lieutenant Susumu Kodai, managed to break Gatlantis' lines and sink multiple of their aircraft and vessels, including a Medarusa-class.[2]

The Calaklum fires
Despite having the upper hand and having inflicted heavy losses on their enemy, the Gatlantean forces withdrew and returned to the floating continent. Frontier Defense Task Force 38 began pursuing them. A large rocky, cross-shaped object appeared from behind the Gatlantis' lines, and from it emerged a Gaizengan Weapons Group Calaklum-class Battleship, the first of its class to be revealed to Garmillas and the Earth. The battleship fired its lightning rotation gun, annihilating the advancing Garmillas fleet and destroying units 6 and 7 of the Special Hybrid Fleet.[2]
Plan A[]
As General Commanding Director Todo ordered his forces to retreat to safety, Deputy Commander Serizawa asked his superior to activate Plan A, the secret directive for the deployment of Andromeda. Todo agreed on the condition that all allied ships be allowed to retreat outside the new battleship's line of fire. As the joint fleet retreated to the third alert line, Andromeda appeared on the battlefield and unleashed its dispersion wave-motion gun, destroying the Gatlantean fleet, the 8th floating continent, and its base and inflicting severe damage on a nearby moon. Captain Osamu Yamanami, commander of Andromeda and the Combined Cosmo Fleet, ordered all surviving Garmillas-Earth units to stand down as his battleship carried out the sweep-up operation.[2]
Suicide run[]

Yamato fires
Two Murasame Kai-class Cruisers, Saratoga and Defiant, were granted permission to leave the frontline due to heavy damage and head back to the Earth through long-range warp. Suddenly, the heavily damaged Calaklum reactivated its engine and traced the two cruisers' warp signature to follow them. Despite Andromeda's attempt to stop it from warping, the Gatlantean battleship was too fast and managed to avoid being hit directly, only suffering minor damage. The Calaklum warped out just behind Saratoga and Defiant, destroying them both before setting course straight over the Earth Federation capital to destroy it through a suicide run. UNCF headquarters ordered the activation of one of their defense satellites in outer lunar orbit, but the Calaklum easily ran through it without suffering any damage at all. As an emergency evacuation of the capital to the former underground cities was ordered, Yunagi warped out near the Calaklum. After their shock cannons failed to destroy the enemy, captain Kodai ordered Yunagi to push the Calaklum from below, trying to deviate its course. Even pushing at full power, Yunagi failed to sway the enemy ship. Kodai was contacted on a confidential line by Lieutenant Mori of HQ, who switched the line to Lt. Commander Sanada. He and a group of fellow officers had taken control of the Yamato, which was undergoing renovations at an underwater dock. Sanada asked Kodai to give him the trajectory of the Gatlantean vessel to hit it directly with Yamato's more powerful shock cannons. The information was transmitted, and Yunagi pulled away. After reactivating the ship's engine and weapons, Sanada fired Yamato's guns. The Calaklum was successfully destroyed at an altitude of just 18 kilometers.[2]
Aftermath[]

The Eighth Mobile Fleet over the 11th planet
Six days after the battle, Lieutenant Kodai was court-martialed at the Grand Bench courtroom, but was ultimately let go without any repercussion.[3] The debut of Andromeda made the already existing tension between the UNCF leadership and the former crew of the battleship Yamato escalate further, ultimately resulting in the crew going AWOL during the Yamato revolt.[10][12]
One of the Gatlantean soldiers aboard the Calaklum survived the ship's destruction, and was retrieved by the Earth Federation's Science Bureau. The Bureau analyzed the captured alien, but as they had not been told about the Gatlanteans' ability to self-destruct, the personnel studying the prisoner were caught in his explosion.[3]
The Gatlantis Empire traced the position of the lost Calaklum, finally discovering the position of the Earth. The planet caught the attention of Great Emperor Zworder, who decided to send one of his fleet to attack the solar system, leading to the Battle of the eleventh planet and the start of the Gatlantis Campaign.[3][12]
The reconquest of the 8th Floating Continent and six others occupied floating continents led to a temporary energy shortage for the Gatlanteans, forcing the Gatlantis Empire to change its shipbuilding plans and leading to the development of the land variant of the Medarusa-class.[13]
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
The operation's name is given in the first Future Newspaper, a promotional magazine for Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love chapter 1.[14] Two names for the battle are given in Gatlantis Mecha, taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine.[15]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202"
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 2.66 2.67 2.68 2.69 2.70 2.71 2.72 2.73 2.74 2.75 "AD 2202 - Revive, Space Battleship Yamato"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Tension – Reach the Embassy on the Moon"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yamato 2202 BD Volume 1 Special Limited Edition Special Limited Edition Bonus Episode 1 Scenario Collection pp. 5, 16-26
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Complete Works vol.1 p.146
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Bandai 1/1000 Yamato 2202 combined cosmo fleet set
- ↑ Yamato 2202 Mecha data
- ↑ "A World I Once Saw"
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Warriors of Love Chapter 5 Purgatory Theater Pamphlet
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Shock – Legacy of the Cosmo Reverse"
- ↑ Gatlantis Mecha from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Departure to the Unknown!"
- ↑ Gatlantis Mecha taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ “Future News” story from the Yamato 2202 Newspaper
- ↑ Gatlantis Mecha taken from Hachette Collection Japan magazine
Japanese language information[]
- 第8浮遊大陸奪還作戦 Dai 8 fuyū tairiku dakkan sakusen
- 第8浮遊大陸戦 Dai 8 fuyū tairiku-sen
- 第8ガミラシア戦 Dai 8 gamirashia-sen