Code-named Terezart Landing Operation, the Liberation of Terezart was a pivotal operation carried out by the UNCN battleship Yamato during the Gatlantis Campaign to free Terezart from the Gatlantis Empire. It was the first multi-domain operation between land and space in human history.[5]
Prelude[]
Terezart's superstructure in the process of being completed
Following their takeover of Terezart, the Gatlantis Empire built an artificial encasement around the planet by carrying there large pieces of crust from other worlds. The crust was used to harness the power of the goddess Teresa, which the empire used to build new powerful weapons.[6] The superstructure was to be completed in March 2203.[1] The Gorland Fleet was stationed in orbit of the planet to defend it and complete the rocky cage, while the Zurvival Land Division was tasked with defending the surface.[7]
Diagram showing the position of the Gatlantean naval forces on Terezart
The battleship Yamato, which had been called to Terezart by Teresa, received a message from the goddess, relaying the planet's situation and the number and positions of Gatlantis warships controlling it. The plan was for a task force of the 7th Space Cavalry Regiment, armed with Type 2 Space Mobile Armors, to jump through the bedrock layer with the help of a warp booster to attack the close-support unit in the area. Yamato would then warp out and use the wave-motion gun to destroy the piece of crust that was being carried to complete the enclosure, causing a shockwave of debris that would have annihilated the remaining ships. This way, Yamato would have defeated its enemy without having to use the wave-motion gun directly against them, maintaining the promise they had enshrined with Iscandar years prior.[2]
Thanks to one of his spies aboard the battleship, the Gatlantis Emperor Zworder discovered Yamato's plans and relayed them to Gorland. For the past months, the Gatlantean commander had been training his larva body, Nol, to succeed him as head of the Gorland Fleet. The coming battle was to be Nol's first campaign.[2]
The Battle[]
Initial fighting[]
The 7th Space Cavalry Regiment atthe start of the Terezart Landing Operation
Operations began as planned on March 26.[1] The 7th Space Cavalry Regiment under Second Lieutenant Saito was joined by Ensign Akira Yamamoto of Yamato's fighter squadron and carried by a Cosmo Tiger II equipped with a warp booster and piloted by Jiro Tsurumi. Immediately after warping out, they engaged the Terezart Close-support Unit. Simultaneously, Yamato warped out in front of the main force of the Gorland fleet and fired its bow torpedoes, immediately sinking four Gostoke-class Battleships. Knowing the battleship would soon perform a short warp to join up with its strike team beyond the crust, Gorland ordered his ships to turn by 180 degrees and to prepare their Annhilation Missiles.[2]
Yamato being steadied by the space cavalrymen
The missiles were fired as soon as Yamato warped behind the enclosure, destroying the piece of crust the Earthlings meant to fire at and creating a powerful gravitational interference. With the battleship rendered immobile by the perturbation, Gorland ordered his fleet to fire their ultra-giant missiles to finish it. Despite Nol's suggestion to spread out the fleet to not make it an easy target for Yamato's wave-motion gun, Gorland was convinced that the battleship would not dare to fire the weapon directly at his fleet. However, in the face of the hopeless situation, Acting Captain Susumu Kodai ordered to prepare the DWIE's firing procedure. Lieutenant Saito hailed the main bridge to ask Admiral Hijikata to fire in Kodai's place, so that he wouldn't have to break his oath. However, Lieutenant Keyman stated that Yamato's crew had to break the promise themselves, otherwise the same situation would present itself over and over again in the future. Hijikata agreed, and at the same time, he accepted Kodai's previous request to become the battleship's official commanding officer. Saito and his men used their Type 2 Space Mobile Armors' thrusters to push Yamato into a stable position. Now with a clear line of fire, Yamato shot its gun, destroying all Gatlantis ships including Goland's flagship, killing the Commander, Nol and all their men in a single hit.[2]
Zurvival's struggle[]
Yamato destroys one of the tanks
Still concerned about the Gatlantean ground forces present on the superstructure, Kodai was granted permission by Hijikata to continue the operation.[2] A group of space cavalry soldiers, headed by the 7th Regiment's Deputy Commander Shiori Nagakura, was dropped on one of Terezart's sea that had previously evaporated due to Gatlantis's attack, while the battleship flew outside the rocky cage to destroy it through their newly developed wave-motion excavation warheads. While leaving, Yamato was engaged by a group of Medarusa-class Battleships converted into tanks, but managed to fly out of their range unharmed. The remaining space cavalrymen were deployed under Saito to the encolsure, and were to use their special equipment to destroy it.[3]
The space cavalry faces off against the Medarusa tanks
On the surface, the Cosmo Marines formed a perimeter around the damaged Cosmo Tiger II, where an injured Tsurumi was resting, and began fending off multiple waves of Needleslaves. The group was soon faced by a large squadron of Medarusa tanks, and Yamamoto was asked to leave with the wounded while the space cavalry held position. Nagakura's unit was faced with an enemy far outnumbering them, but were saved by Saito's swift intervention. The regimental Commander used his Mobile Armor to detatch a piece of Terezart's enclosure and drop it over the incoming tanks. Meanwhile, Kodai and Lt. Commander Shiro Sanada left Yamato to place the wave-motion excavator on the crust and use it to blow the entire superstructure. From the bridge of his flagship, Helvestia, Zurvival fired a Garmillas-made Reflective Satellite Cannon at Kodai and Sanada, but due to Yamato's previous usage of the wave-motion gun destroying half of the reflective satellites, his shots missed multiple times in a row. Yamato immediately recognized the weapon, and as he was the only Garmillan on board, Hijikata ordered Keyman to go out escorted by Yamato's fighter squadron to hack into the control satellite. As the Gatlantean tried to fire it again, Keyman used the control satellite to deflect the blast toward the remaining tanks. Still not defeated, Zurvival fired the cannon directly at the 7th Regiment without using the satellites, killing two of their soldiers.[3]
Saito mortally wounds Zurvival
With all explosives set up, the wave-motion excavator was detonated and the rosky superstructure began falling apart. The 7th Regiment fell back to Yamato due to their weapons' output being interfered with by the wave-motion resonance, but Saito stayed behind to confront Zurvival one-on-one. The Cosmo Marine took his damaged Mobile Armor to break into the Helvestia, which was now hovering in mid air. He then jumped out of his suit and engaged Zurvival in hand-to-hand combat after disarming him of his gun with a kick. The two introduced themselves, but were thrown off by the ship being hit by floating debris from the destroyed crust. The fist fight resumed, and Saito was ultimately defeated and left laying on the ground as his opponent picked up his gun. However, at the last moment before being shot, Saito managed to move, pick up a dagger and throw it at Zurvival, planting it in his chest. The Gatlantean tried to pull Saito close to him to check if his body had recognized the situation as a defeat. When his self-destruct sequence started, Saito grabbed him and plunged both of them out of the bridge. Now sure his fate had been sealed, Zurvival threw himself down from his flagship, killing himself while going out on his own terms instead of bringing his enemy with him.[3]
Aftermath[]
The Desler fleet blockades Terezart
After the end of the battle a small landing team composed of Saito, Kodai and Sanada entered the Terezarium to finally meet with Teresa. Their meeting was however interrupted by Supreme Leader Abelt Desler, whose forces had taken the opportunity to impose a blockade around Terezart. Desler hoped to use the planet as a bargaining chip with Zworder, to convince the Emperor to reinstate him on his throne on Garmillas.[3][4]
The death of both Type Gorlands meant that a new Nol needed to be grown as soon as possible. In accordance with Gatlantean procedure, this new clone was entrusted to the older Gorland Type, Zaizen.[8]
Following the injuries he reported during the landing, Tsurumi was carried aboard Yamato where he recieved medical care. However, he died of wounds not long after.[3][9] His soul would appear to Kodai and Lieutenant Mori months later during the Battle of the Comet City Empire as a messanger of Teresa.[10]
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
The operation's name is included in the title of episode 13 of Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love.[2] The battle's name is first used in The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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 "The Terezart Landing Operation – Crush the Enemy Missile Fleet!"
- ↑ 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 "Zurvival's Fierce Assault - Find Teresa"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "O Teresa, Cry for Desler!"
- ↑ Yamato mecha taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ Space Battleship Yamato 2202 Complete Works vol.2 p.007
- ↑ "Bewitching - The Space Fireflies Beckon a Crisis"
- ↑ "Battle off the Coast of Saturn - Gather the Wave Motion Gun Fleet!"
- ↑ "Farewell, Teresa! Flowers for Two Deslers"
- ↑ "Farewell, Space Battleship Yamato"
Japanese language information[]
- テレザート上陸作戦 Terezāto jōriku sakusen (Terezart landing operation)
- テレザート解放戦 Terezāto kaihō-sen (Liberation of Terezart)
| Gatlantis Campaign Battles | |||||||||
Battle of the eleventh planet · Battle on Planet Stravase · Battle in Subspace · 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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