Battle of Talbot

The Battle of Talbot was supposed to have been an ambush of a Manticoran light cruiser on patrol in the Talbot System by Havenite forces as part of Operation Perseus.
The unexpected presence of the dreadnought HMS Bellerophon resulted in the complete destruction of all four Havenite participators, including Rear Admiral Pierre's flagship, while no Manticoran ships were lost.
==Prelude==
Rear Admiral Edward Pierre's plan was to use half his squadron, Battlecruiser Divisions 141 and 142, to attack the Talbot System and ambush the light cruiser HMS Athena, which had been observed by the Havenite Argus Net system performing routine patrols. The other half of his squadron was to ambush the heavy cruiser HMS Star Knight in the Poicters System, an event later known as the Battle of Poicters. ()
== Order of battle ==
=== Royal Manticoran Navy ===
HMS Bellerophon (DN), OOD Lieutenant Commander Avshari The light cruiser HMS Athena was an observer and the planned victim.
=== People's Navy ===
Detached element of the Battlecruiser Squadron 14, CO Rear Admiral Edward Pierre:
* Battlecruiser Division 141including PNS Selim, squadron flagship
* Battlecruiser Division 142
== Course of battle ==
Unknown to Pierre, the dreadnought HMS Bellerophon was heading out of system at that point, passing near HMS Athena, and Pierre's forces translated out of hyper within 575,000 KM of Bellerophon. Pierre ordered all batteries to fire, but Bellerophon was able to raise her sidewalls up in time, and escaped without any damage save for a few superficial hits.
Lieutenant Commander Avshari, the Communication Officer who was Officer of the Deck at this moment, ordered his tactical officer to return fire, and Bellerophons salvo destroyed both battlecruiser divisions, with all hands lost. ()
== Losses and aftermath ==
All four Havenite ships were lost with all hands. Bellerophon suffered only minor superficial hits. The death of Admiral Pierre was what turned the battle into a historical event, for it was one of the main reasons for his father, the politician Rob S. Pierre, to finally move against the Legislaturalist regime. ()
==References ==
Talbot, Battle of
Talbot, Battle of