Second Battle of Herkgen

The Second Battle of Herkgen was fought by the United Earth Republic and Universal Generation during the Galactic War. 
It was the direct follow on to the First Battle of Herkgen which resulted in the destruction of the Herkgen colony and seizure of the planet by the Universal Generation.
The UER carried the day with superior numbers and a last-minute tactical maneuver, but suffered heavy casualties, during the end of the engagement. The conclusion of the Second Battle of Herkgen brought about the opening of the Herkgen Theater.
== Prior to the Events ==
===Fall of Herkgen===
In the Summer of 2147, Herkgen was attacked by the Universal Generation. The colony was partially orbital bombarded with many colonists fleeing on freighters. A UER scout ship and two Frigates were destroyed, along with a Destroyer heavily damaged, in an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the single Universal Generation Destroyer holding the planet's Orbit.
Thirteen months later on March 1, the UER-wide mobilization was under way, with Vice Admiral Peter Cullin assembling a fleet to retake Herkgen. 
During the course of the operation, the U.E.R Battle Group Hell Morg is conceived as the largest ever assembled in human history, ultimately consisted of 40 ships with the admiral commanding from the cruiser URS Showdown.
==Battle==
The UER fleet arrived at Herkgen on March 1st, 2148, and engaged the lone Univeral Generation ship through a slingshot maneuver around the planet. 
Multiple ships, including the URS Sarcor and the URS Howl, were quickly destroyed. U.E.R weapons, including that of nuclear ordnance, had very little effect on the enemy, it was from this particular loss of U.E.R Vessels that Admiral Cullen realized the enemy was using energy shields, like the one previously encountered at the Battle of Jasper, and ordered the fleet to fire all of its weapons simultaneously at the target. 
This new tactic allowed the United Earth Republican's naval power to finally overwhelm the shields and cause severe damage to the unidentified cruiser, where at last destroyed the Universal Generation vessel.
==Aftermath==
The UER victory came at the cost of thirteen warships. Cullin realized the disparity between U.E.R and enemy losses "did not fare well". However, A.N.L Section II propaganda exaggerated the victory to encourage recruitment. 
For their part, the Universal Generation celebrated the "Victory of Torus" through sending a lone Star Arora Cruiser back to Hora in order to spread the word of another Galaxy, and by April 2nd, a new fleet of Universal Generation vessels arrived in the Organic realm, growing the Universal Generation fleet from 4 vessels to 13.
Herkgen continued to be contested. The Universal Generation continued searching for a large quality of organics and refugees who were still trapped on the planet, in hopes of also celebrating their victories by killing them. On the Human side of the course, the U.E.R battalions that were trapped on the planet refused to withdraw as well and continued to hold war for the planet, in the hopes that reinforcements would arrive soon. 
The U.E.R finally prevailed in 2153, but the planet lost its remaining strategic value as the Universal Generation eventually arrived in force by 2158, and began its advance into the Inner colonies by the 2160's.
==Trivia==
Category:Galactic War Era
Category:2148
Category:Battles of the First Era of the Galactic War
Category:The Galactic War