The Decisive Battle off Mars, also known as the Battle of the Mars Absolute Defense Area, the Battle of the Absolute Defense Area the Zemuria Assault Battle, or the Invasion of the White Comet, was a major battle fought on Mars during the Gatlantis Campaign. It was the penultimate major battle of the conflict, excluding Supreme Leader Desler's attempt to destroy the battleship Yamato, and the last attempt by the UNCF to put a stop to the Gatlantis Empire's invasion. It started on the 14th of May 2203, and saw the deployement of the Andromeda Black line of automated Andromeda-class battleships and a refitted ZZZ-0001 Andromeda Kai, the most advanced ships in the Earth Federation's arsenal. By the end of the battle, most of the Earth's naval forces were destroyed.
Prelude[]
Burrell's forces take off
As part of Operation S, Mars had been identified by the Earth Federation Defense Force as S3, one of the critical areas to fortify for the defense of the Solar system against the Gatlantis Empire. For this reason, a Garmillas fleet was placed in orbit of the planet. To force the White Comet, Gatlantis's massive mobile capital, to warp to Mars, a series of Walls of Garmillas Subject was deployed at strategic points through the inner Solar system to deviate toward the red planet.[1] On May 14,[1] a force of over 70 Kelkapia-classes headed by Loren Burrell, the Garmillas Empire's Ambassador to the Federation, which also included the four CCC type Andromedas of the Berger Battle Team and the Ludens Fleet, took off from the Earth toward Mars with 10 Garmillas Subjects Walls, setting up an anti-warp field to halt the Gatlantean forces' advance.[1][6] The Garmillas were joined by surviving UNCF forces that had retreated from the Battle of Saturn, which included three other Andromeda-classes, the Aldebaran, flagship of Captain Kozo Tani, Antares and Achilles.[4] Other ships, including manned Dreadnought-classes[7] and Escort Ships,[4] also joined Captain Tani's forces.[6][3]
The Andromeda Blacks heading for Mars
In the meantime, the Earth Federation's plan for the full automatization of its navy took off in full swing. A fleet of Andromeda Blacks, a line of Andromedas completely under the control of command AIs, was launched to fight at Mars. With them, were a series of fully unmanned Dreadnoughts specifically produced to fight at the Mars Defense Front.[6][4][8] Other unmanned Dreadnoughts initially built for the Earth Defense Front[8] where also sent to defend Mars.[4] Meanwhile, the Andromeda, namesake of its class, which had been heavily damaged during the Battle of Saturn, was hastily repaired and refitted inside of the time fault factory, becoming the flagship of a new fleet of Andromeda Blacks under the command of Captain Osamu Yamanami.[6][4]
A diagram showing the placement of the various forces at the beginning of the battle
Two lines of defense were ultimately created around Mars, the first in front, and the second behind the planet. The Burrell Fleet, Ludens Fleet, and Berger Battle Team were all placed along the first line of defense in orbit of Mars. The Andromeda Blacks were stationed along the second defense line in six groups, three on the left and three on the right of the planet, ready to strike at the white comet as soon as it appeared.[1]
Yamato crashlanded on Zemuria
Following the Battle of Saturn, a Garmillas-Earth joint force headed by the Yamato-class ship Ginga continued to hold the line around the destroyed planet.[9] Ginga was a special ship planned to take part in Project G, a last-ditch effort to preserve the Earthling race by turning the vessel over to its command AI and artificially inseminating its all-female crew as Ginga itself searched for a new home planet.[3] After the same battle, the battleship Yamato had crashlanded inside of the White Comet and had fallen onto planet Zemuria. There, the ship's crew retrieved a pair of ancient Zemurian AIs, the Storytellers of Zemuria, who knew about Golem, a secret artifact that would kill all Gatlanteans.[6][3]
The Battle[]
Initial encounter and Zemuria[]
The BBB Squadron was destroyed before reaching the innermost layer of the White Comet
Gatlantis broke the line of defense at Saturn and immediately warped toward Mars, arriving there on May 14. A massive fleet, initially counting over 20,000 ships, took off from the White Comet and engaged the Garmillas forces. The Andromeda Blacks short-warped inside of the Comet, cutting all communication with UNCF HQ. The fleets were destroyed before they could penetrate the innermost layer of the fortress gaseous camouflage.[3]
Zemuria is destroyed by a Legionnaire Cannon
On May 23,[10] vast number of warships were launched from the time fault to join the ongoing battle, including multiple variants of the Andromeda-class. On Zemuria, the Storytellers revealed the existence of Golem to the Yamato's crew after redeemed Gatlantean spy Toko Katsuragi, who was the copy of a Zemurian, ordered them to do so. Sensing Yamato's discovery through his Cosmo Wave, Emperor Zworder ordered a Legionnaire Cannon to be fired at Zemuria, causing the planet's surface to crack and start to collapse.[3]
Commander-in-Chief Valsey of the Gatlantis Army's Seventh Mobile Fleet took off aboard his Apocalix-class Carrier and launched a vast squadron of Deathvatator fighters at Burrell's flagship, which was carrying the Garmillas Subjects Walls. The Ambassador's ship was protected by Captain Tani's forces, but despite the Earthlings' barrage, some of the Gatlantean fighters got through and threatened to hit their target, if not for three unmanned Dreadnoughts being sacrificed to shield it. Tani asked the Garmillan to break from the walls and fall back to the second defense line behind Mars. Burrell initially objected but decided to comply after being told Yamanami and his fleet were arriving from the Earth.[3]
Battle inside the White Comet[]
The Andromeda Fleet YF 2203 warps out inside of the White Comet
On May 24,[10] Yamanami's fleet warped out inside of the White Comet, just above the tall tower that extended from the top of the gigantic fortress. All ships of his fleet were in TAG formation and under the control of AIs. They were met by a fleet of Calaklum-class Battleships, some of which suicide ran against the Andromeda Blacks. At the Captain's order, the entire formation fired their wave-motion guns at once, but the Ark of Destruction raised its shield, negating the damage completely. Despite this, Yamanami and his Andromeda Kai managed to break through the enemy lines, although the rest of the fleet was sunk. As the battleship approached the White Comet's gravity well to lead a final suicide attack, Yamanami noticed Gatlantis destroying planet Zemuria and caught a glimpse of Yamato trying to escape from its collapse.[3]
Captain Todo retakes control of Ginga
With the losses of the Garmillas-Earth Joint Forces exceeding 50%, Ginga was ordered to steer clear from active combat and retreated to Jupiter to initiate Project G, despite the objections from the former crewmembers of Yamato temporarily stationed on board. At that moment, Yanamanami sent an emergency transmission to all surviving allied ships, asking for help in helping Yamato escape the Comet's gravitational field. Aboard Ginga, Lt. Commander Sanada, Yamato's Executive Officer, suggested using the cruiser's CRS to boost Andromeda's wave-motion gun and destroy Gatlantis's gravity well. However, the AI objected to the proposal since it would have incapacitated Ginga to continue its mission due to the massive strain destroying the Cosmo Reverser. At that moment, both Ginga and Andromeda Kai received a transmission from Yamato's, commander Admiral Ryu Hijikata, urging Yamanami not to throw away his life in a hopeless attack, and instead to live and endure the humiliation as a human, refusing the rush to machinization. After hearing the Admiral's speech, Lt. Commander Todo, Ginga's captain, destroyed the ship's command AI and retook control of the vessel, deactivating Project G and ordering Ginga to warp to Mars.[3]
Andromeda falls into the White Comet
As Andromeda continued its advance, several Eater I suicide ships lunged at it, breaking off the top portion of the bridge. As the battleship prepared to fire its DWIEs, Ginga arrived right behind it, using the Cosmo Reverser's resonance wave to boost the weapons. The resulting shot overloaded the enemy gravity well, destroying the Legionnaire Cannon and allowing Yamato to escape the gravity field and the planetary collapse. Andromeda launched its rocket anchors to tow the damaged Yamato away from the debris field created by Zemuria's destruction, but its systems began failing as the two ships exited the White Comet's gaseous cover. Ginga's fighter squadron immediately scrambled to rescue Captain Yamanami as his flagship collapsed into Gatlantis's mobile fortress, saving him in the nick of time.[3]
A second line of defense was created by the 248th fleet joining the ships already fighting at the front, however, after days of fighting, the anti-warp field was broken on June 2.[4][2][11]
Aftermath[]
Yamato and Ginga at the Temporary Docks off Mars
On June 2, Gatlantis broke through the defense lines at Mars and reached the Earth, declaring full control of the planet.[2][11] All surviving ships from the battle had set up an emergency drydock over the red planet on May 29, where the Yamato underwent a complete overhaul using components from Ginga in preparation for the final battle. The battleship had left the drydock and headed for the Earth, but on June 1,[2] it was ambushed by Supreme Leader Abelt Desler, once again working with the Gatlantis Empire.[4]
Yamanami was gravely injured and exited combat for the remainder of the war. Similarly, Todo stayed behind on the now immobilized Ginga.[4] Burrell's forces survived the battle and retreated to take on the defenses of the Earth. The bulk of the Great Garmillas Empire's naval forces was on its way and would join the Ambassador's fleets in the Comet City Empire Conquest Battle.[12]
Behind the scenes[]
The 2024 official calendar Trajectory of YAMATO states that the Burrell Fleet was launched toward Mars on May 16, however, fleet diagrams for the battle included in The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202, as well as the events shown on screen, state that the fleet was already there by the start of the battle on May 14.[10][2]
The battle has been given various names by different sources. "Decisive Battle off Mars" is used in the Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Complete Works,[13] "Invasion of the White Comet" is used by the official yamato-starblazers.net entry for the Andromeda-class in Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199,[14] "Battle of the Absolute Defense Area" is used in the Yamato 2202 Chapter 6 program book,[15] while "Battle of the Mars Absolute Defense Area"[16] and "Zemuria Assault Battle" are used in the Yamato 2202 Mechanic Encyclopedia, taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine.[17]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202" theatrical program book p.27
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 3.47 3.48 3.49 3.50 3.51 3.52 3.53 3.54 3.55 3.56 3.57 3.58 3.59 3.60 3.61 3.62 3.63 "Escape from the Nightmare!"
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 "The Fated Showdown!"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Yamato 2202 mecha data
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Gatlantis, the Cursed Children"
- ↑ Yamato 2205 Character data for Namio Sakamaki
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Yamato 2202 mecha data for the Dreadnought-class
- ↑ "Heir to the Yamato, Her Name is Ginga"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Trajectory of YAMATO official 2024 calendar
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Warriors of Love"
- ↑ "Yamato, Attack the Comet Empire!"
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Complete Works Vol.2 p. 17
- ↑ starblazers-yamato MECHANIC Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199 entry for the Dreadnought-class Mars camouflage specifications
- ↑ Yamato 2202 Chapter 6 program book p.16
- ↑ Andromeda class taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ Yamato Engine & Hangars taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
Japanese language information[]
- 火星沖での決戦 Kasei oki de no kessen (decisive battle off mars)
- 絶対防衛圏の戦い Zettai bōei-ken notatakai (battle of the absolute defense area)
- ゼムリア突入戦 Zemuria totsunyū-sen (zemuria assault battle)
- 特白色彗星の侵攻 Toku hakushoku suisei no shinkō (invasion of the white comet)
| Battles of the Gatlantis Campaign | ||||||||
Battle of the eleventh planet · Battle on Planet Stravase · Battle between Dimensions · Encounter with the White Comet Empire · Terezart Landing Operation · Blockade of Terezart · Battle of Saturn · Attack on the annihilation missile fleet · Decisive Battle off Mars · Battle against Neu Deusura · Final Battle Over Earth
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