Code-named Operation K2,[4][N 1] the Second Battle of Mars was a decisive battle of the Great Garmillas War fought in the vicinity of the planet Mars. Facing the technological superiority of their adversaries, the United Nations Cosmo Navy deployed a large number of warships, and under the leadership of Admiral Juzo Okita, was able to drive the invading Imperial Garmillas Defense Force ships away from the inner solar system.[3] The battle saw the debut of the shock cannons, a new weapon issued by the UNCN capable of easily destroying garmillan vessels.[1]
Prelude[]
Kirishima's axial shock cannon
Following the First Battle of Mars, the Earth had been subjected to six years of non-stop bombing by the Garmillas forces, which had caused the destruction of most United Nations Joint Forces assets. When in 2198 the Garmillas forces appeared to move toward a direct assault on the Earthling homeworld, the leadership of the combined United Nations Cosmo Force readied a UNCN defense fleet. Juzo Okita, hero of the Second Inner Planet War and commander of the first contact Fleet, until his abrupt removal from the position by Cosmo Force General Kotetsu Serizawa, was trusted to lead the new action.[3][6][7]
By this time, the UNCN had developed its first prototype shock cannons, weapons much superior to the older beam cannons equipped on most Earthling ships, which was capable of destroying garmillan vessels in just one hit. However, due to the lack of power in the engines of the Earth's ships, the cannons coud not be fired in rapid succession.[1]
The Battle[]
Okita led the assembled Cosmo Navy fleet from the space battleship Kirishima, which was also crewed by chief engineer Hikozaemon Tokugawa and weapons officer Mamoru Kodai. The forces of the Mars Area Army also participated in the battle.[4][8][5]
The initial encounter near Mars
The two sides encountered near Mars on the 20th of February. As soon as Okita's fleet came in range, the Garmillas forces opened fire resulting in a series of losses on the Earth side. However, taking advantage of the Garmillan vessels still being too far to deal a final blow to their fleet, Kirishima and two Murasame cruisers broke formation and began preparations to fire their axial shock cannons. However, due to the long charging times, the three ships remained still and defenseless, and only managed to fire their cannons thanks to the sacrifice of the Murasame-class Aki and the Isokaze-class Amatsukaze, dealing heavy demage to the opposing fleet.[1]
In the following battle, many UNCN officers and crew were killed, including Okita's own son, and much of the Cosmo Navy fleet was destroyed. Still, Okita's tactical skill enabled the Earthlings to drive the Garmillas from the inner solar system.[1][6][8]
Aftermath[]
The battle raised morale among the people of Earth despite its great cost, demonstrating that victory over their adversary was not impossible.[6] However, the victory was only a tactical one, strategically the UN continued to lose.[1] The battle also elevated the reputation of Admiral Okita, to the jealous irritation of General Serizawa. The general's view of Okita would be tainted for years afterward.[9] Following the massive casualties it suffered during the battle, the Mars Area Army was disbanded and its remaining assets and personnel were transfered to the Homelad Air Defense Corps.[10]
Earth under bombardment following its early victory.
Following its defeat at Mars, the Garmillas military changed its tactics against Earth. The garmillas forces retreated from the inner solar system and continued to bomb the Earth remotely with planet bombs. With a good portion of the planet's surface already bombed to oblivion and its military assets destroyed, the United Nations were left crippled and unable to counterattack against the bombing.[3][6]
A plan to send a small number of survivors into interstellar space to re-start human civilization was thus approved by the UN leadership, but as the plan progressed, Earth was unexpectedly contacted by Queen Stasha of the planet Iscandar with an offer of technology that would revert Earth to its lush, habitable state. The original plan to evacuate and start over was abandoned in favor of the bolder Program Yamato, which aimed to send a space battleship to Iscandar, this was made possible thanks to the alien queen sending an envoy with plans for a Wave-motion Engine, which allows ships to perform faster than light travel.[6][7][11]
Notes[]
- The attacks using planet bombs were initially set as having started as a result of the Earth's victory in the Second Battle of Mars, however, they were later retconned into having started after the First Battle of Mars.[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202
- ↑ For more information, see Yamato 2199 timeline inconsistencies#The First and Second Battle of Mars
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 "A World I Once Saw"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Great Mechanics DX Magazine #23
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Complete Works Vol.1 p.116
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Messenger of Iscandar",
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Out of the Forest of Memory"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Memories of the Blue Planet"
- ↑ Official Space Battleship Yamato 2199 website character data on Kotetsu Serizawa
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Complete Works Vol.1 p.116
- ↑ "Toward a Sea of Stars"
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2199 Model Sheet Design Collection EARTH p.129
- ↑ Some sources, especially earlier ones, often mistake the Code-names Operation K and Operation K2, for example in the theater pamphlet for Yamato 2199 Chapter 1, the Second Battle of Mars is called Operation K
Japanese language information[]
第二次火星沖海戦 Dainiji kasei oki kaisen