Operation Battle-Axe

For the operation in the Infinity universe, see Operation Battle Axe.

Operation Battle-Axe
Preceding	Operation Judgment
Following	Operation Cannibal
Details
Date	May 28, 1995
Part Of	Belkan War
Locations	Area B7R
Outcomes	Allied Forces victory
Combatants
Allied Forces
Principality of Belka
Commanders
AWACS Eagle Eye
Strength
Galm Team Crow Team Wizard Squadron Sorcerer Squadron Heartbreak One Many other squadrons
10+ MiG-29 Fulcrum 10+ Su-27 Flanker 10+ Su-37 Terminator Various ace squadrons
Casualties
40%+ pilots shot down or killed
All deployed forces

Operation Battle-Axe, an engagement over Area B7R, was the largest battle of the Belkan War, involving the majority of the Belkan Air Force and the pilots of the Allied Forces. It was a decisive loss for Belka and a morale-boosting victory for the Allies. Specifically, this battle gained Cipher infamy as the "Demon Lord of the Round Table".

Background

After the destruction of Excalibur, Belka decided to turn its attention once more to B7R. The area was still rich with natural resources (the main catalyst for the war in the first place), and now that the Allied Forces were on land, they would need control of this air corridor for easy access into South Belka.

Summary

On May 28th, 1995, the Osean Federation - having just withdrawn from a non-aggression treaty - launched a surprise attack on the Belkan pilots stationed in B7R. Belka's pilots were initially caught off-guard but strongly rebounded, and the battle soon tipped into Belka's favor.

The Allied Forces were not about to give up one of their defense lines. They sent in the Galm Team and Crow Team as reinforcements. Even though 40% of the Allied pilots had already been shot down by the time the two mercenary teams arrived, their efforts - especially Cipher's - were key to the battle turning back into the Allies' favor.

Belka had one last chance - they sent in their own reinforcement squadron. Reports vary on which Belkan squadron was sent in, but regardless, they were shot down by Cipher and Pixy. Cipher earned the nickname "Demon Lord of the Round Table" through his actions during the battle.

Result

The Allied Forces, even after losing almost half of their force, were victorious and now had air superiority over B7R, allowing for better air support during the Allies' invasion of Belka. This advantage would prove vital to the success of Operation Cannibal three days later.

Trivia

• This battle was possibly inspired by Operation Battleaxe, a large-scale battle during the North African Campaign in World War II. The beginnings of each battle mirror each other: British forces (mirroring the Allied Forces) attacked the Germans (mirroring the Belkans) with superior numbers, but suffered heavy casualties. The similarity ends there, since Operation Battleaxe was a failure on the British side but Operation Battle-Axe was a victory on the Allied side.