Battle of Fort Zain

### Cause

Increasing weapon trade between factions of the Ghost Empire on Kielle Island and Eznius

### Outcome

Decisive Ghost Empire victory

Commanders| * Gordon DeHathem
* Johnson Machael †
* Catthew

Casualties| * 1,358 total
* 558 killed
* 750 wounded
* 50 captured
* 246 killed
* 880 wounded

The **Battle of Fort Zain** also known as the **Assault on Fort Zain**, was fought on 7 June, 2012, during the Second Ghost War. Lux Republic troops commanded by Gordon DeHathem and Johnson Machael, launched an unsuccessful assault on the Ghost Empire fortress of Fort Zain, which protected Kielle Island, south of Eznius on the planet Suezeus. The battle resulted in the Battle of Renn Khy.

## Background

Fort Zain, or Jinea Zain in Suezi, controlled the southern approaches to Kielle Island. It was commanded by General Gordon DeHathem. An attempt was made on 7 July to assault the fort, but it was repulsed with heavy losses to the attackers because of a trap and ambush set up by the Suezian Army Forces.

The approach to the fort was constricted to a strip of beach 55 m wide with the ocean to the east and the marsh from the Shadow Creek to the west. Upon rounding this defile, the Lux Republic Army Forces was presented with the 230 m south face of Fort Zain, which stretched from Shadow Creek to the Shadow Ocean. Surrounding the fort was a shallow moat riveted with sharpened palmetto logs, as abatis, and the moat on the seaward side had planks with spikes positioned beneath the water.

## Battle

Gordon DeHathem ordered his siege guns and mortars to begin a bombardment of the fort on June 7 and they were joined by the naval gunfire from six monitors that pulled to within 200 metres of the fort. The bombardment lasted a couple of hours, but caused little damage against the sandy walls of the fort, and in all, killed only about 13 men and wounded an additional 24, as the defenders had taken cover in the bombproof shelter.

The British Wolves, an infantry regiment composed of British soldiers from the British Army led by Commander Fauwk Balazer, led the Republic attack at dusk. They were backed by two brigades composed of nine regiments. The first brigade was commanded by General Gordon DeHathem and was composed of the British Wolves, Alpha Force and Grand Army regiments.

The assault began at 7:35 p.m. and was conducted in three movements. The regiments of the British Wolves attacked to the west upon the curtain of Fort Zain, with the remainder of Gen. DeHathem's brigade and Johnson Machael's brigade attacking the seaward salient on the south face. As the assault commenced and bombardment subsided, the men of the Lux Republic. When the British Wolves reached about 100 metres from the fort, the defenders opened up with cannon and small arms, tearing through their ranks. The Grand Army regiments delivered a direct fire into them, as the Alpha Forces fired into their left. The captured Alpha Force unit Alpha III managed to reach the parapet, but after a fierce struggle, including hand-to-hand combat, they were forced back. The British Wolves continued the assault at the weakest point, the southeast, where the Ghost Empire regiments had failed to take their position. General DeHathem quickly rounded up some soldiers to take the position, while the British Wolves and Alpha Force fired obliquely into the assailants. As the Lux Republic assault continued to crumble, due to lack of reinforcements from General DeHathem, Johnson Machael was killed by a blaster fire from a Suezian trooper. The General then ordered the Lux Republic to retreat. The Ghost troops swept over the bastion, killing and capturing the rest of the Lux Republic troops that remained.

By 10 p.m. the bloody struggle had concluded with heavy losses. Gen. Gordon DeHathem was mortally wounded in the thigh by a blaster shot while trying to rally his men. Captain Tyrique Henderson of the British Wolves was mortally wounded in the stomach. The Alpha Force colonel, Johnson Machael, was killed upon the parapet late in the action. Reports claim his body was pierced seven times, with the fatal wound a blaster shot to his chest.