Second Battle of Adler

The Second Battle of Adler was fought between the Manticoran Alliance picket and the People's Navy's task group under the command of Rear Admiral Lester Tourville.
== Prelude ==
Ordered to do a reconnaissance sweep of Sallah, Adler, and Micah, Tourville wanted to check out Adler first, since it was known to be occupied by Manticoran forces, and likely to be picketed by a composition of forces his task force could handle. But he first swept through Sallah, just to ensure that the RMN had not taken it since the last update from local forces. Tourville managed to convince Admiral Thomas Theisman to supply him with fifty-six of the new missile pods the PN had recently developed, after being decimated by Manticoran pods in previous engagements. ()
== Order of battle ==
=== Manticoran Alliance ===
Task Group Adler, Commanding Officer - Commodore Frances Yeargin:
* a heavy cruiser squadron6 units, including HMS Enchanter, Commodore Yeargin's flagship
* a light cruiser element3 RMN and 7 GSN units
* a destroyer squadron9 units on the Samovar's orbit and 3 units, that didn't participate in the battle: HMS Windsong, Rondeau and Balladeer
=== People's Navy ===
Light task group, command team: People's Commissioner Everard Honeker and Rear Admiral Lester Tourville, Commanding Officer:
* Rear Admiral Tourville's battlecruiser squadron:
** first division,
** fourth division,
* Cruiser Squadron 50,
* Light Cruiser Squadron 121supposition.
== Course of battle ==
Figuring that there had not been enough time for the RMN to deploy a full system-wide sensor net, Tourville brought his ships in under stealth through the exposed periphery, sneaking up on the Manticoran picket force which was sitting in orbit around Samovar. The crew of HMS Enchanter barely caught a glimpse of Count Tilly before the PN force launched all its missiles. The RMN forces were caught completely unawares, and annihilated. Only Commander Jessica Dorcett's destroyer division, which was away from Samovar guarding the asteroid mining facilities, was spared. ()
== Aftermath ==
The remaining RMN forces, a single destroyer division, split up to try to warn off expected Manticoran reinforcements and supply trains expected to arrive in Adler piecemeal. HMS Rondeau was sent to Quest, HMS Balladeer to Treadway, and Commander Dorcett's own HMS Windsong left for Clairmont.
Unfortunately, Windsong arrived too late to warn off the Joint Navy Military Transport Command convoy headed to Adler, and it encountered Tourville's forces in the system. Most of the convoy escaped back into hyper upon arrival, but its scout ship, HMS Prince Adrian was captured, resulting in Commodore Honor Harrington and her staff being sent to the prison planet Hades. ()
== References ==
Adler, Second Battle of
Adler, Second Battle of
Adler, Second Battle of