Raid on Fordyce

The Raid on Fordyce was a military action between a task force of the Royal Manticoran Navy's Eighth Fleet led by Rear Admiral Alistair McKeon aboard HMS Intransigent and Heavy Cruiser Squadron 117 of the Republic of Haven Navy, when the Fordyce System was selected for a deep raid by the RMN as part of Operation Cutworm II.
== Order of battle ==
=== RHN ===
Fordyce System Defence – CO Commodore Desiree Carmouche:
* Heavy Cruiser Squadron 117 – CO Commodore Carmouche
* LAC element, senior COLAC Captain Diego Watson
=== RMN ===
Task force of the Eighth Fleet – CO Rear Admiral Alistair McKeon:
* wall of battle – CO Rear Admiral McKeon
** Battle Division 61.2
** a cruiser squadron of the Light Cruiser Flotilla 18 – CO Gottmeyer
* CLAC force – CO Rear Admiral Corsini
** a CLAC element – CO Rear Admiral Corsini
*** a detached division of the CLAC Squadron 3
*** a detached division of the CLAC Squadron 6
** a cruiser division – CO Atchison
* a destroyer elementincluding HMS Venturer and HMS Mandrake
== Course of encounter==
With the arrival of RMN forces in system in superior numbers, Commodore Desiree Carmouche, CO of Heavy Cruiser Squadron 117 and the senior Havenite officer in system, ordered the withdrawal of the seven heavy cruisers of her understrength squadron from the system and the standing down of its system defense LACs. While her heavy cruisers retreated, her LACs were to return to base, evacuate their personnel planetside, and scuttle using their fusion plants. In addition, she ordered the evacuation of all civilian and military platforms in the system, including the fleet yard and repair station. All civilian starships were to evade the Manticoran units if possible or surrender if evasion was impossible.
The RMN advanced in-system, deploying its cruisers as a screen while launching only its Katana-class LACs in a missile defense role. Admiral McKeon ordered the two SD(P)s under his command, HMS Intransigent and HMS Elizabeth, to destroy every significant platform in the system. ()
==References==
Fordyce
Fordyce