Taros Campaign - Campaign Analysis of the Tau Defensive Strategy on Taros: Subsequent analysis of the campaign on Taros through a study of events, interrogation of captured combatants, signals intercept data and other (classified) sources has revealed much of how the Tau planned to defend Taros. This information was collected and collated by Colonel Scheja and was submitted to the Administratum and the Office of the lord Commander Militant during the campaign, until the Colonel was killed in action.For the Tau Shas’ar’tol (High Command), their fundamental problem on Taros was simple. After being invited to help defend Taros, their subsequent swift conquest meant they had more new territory than they could effectively defend. The entire planet was at their mercy, but it also meant they would be hard-pressed to react and counter-attack if the Imperium assaulted. The Tau could not occupy every inch of the planet, and therefore the Imperium could land just about anywhere and get a strong foothold on the surface. The size of an expected attack was also a concern. To alleviate their manpower problems, it has been ascertained that the Tau arranged to induct as many of the old Planetary Defence Force as they could. The Tau were already well used to using such ‘foreign’ troops, and rather than waste them as cannon fodder, actually respected their fighting qualities and treated them fairly and well. After some time in Tau service, many such traitor units became keen to aid the so-called Greater Good and fought well for their new alien commanders. This was contrary to initial expectations of poor morale amongst indentured troops.It can be surmised that long discussions took place on T'au about the situation on Taros. Many councillors argued that in order for the conquest of Taros to be successful any Imperial invasion must be immediately hurled back, causing maximum damage. Such a heavy defeat would persuade the Imperium of Man never to try and invade again. On the ground, and in space, the Tau should match force with force. These commanders also argued that by the time the Imperium could organise another invasion attempt, the situation on the Empire's frontier would have moved on. The next planet would already have been targeted, and the Imperium's focus would have to shift to its defence; Taros would be forgotten. In their opinion, what the situation on Taros needed was a rapid build-up of more Hunter Cadres and more Kroot mercenaries. Militarise the system, build defence stations in orbit and make a show of strength that the Imperium might baulk at.But the commander of the Tau's military forces already on Taros, identified as Shas'O R'myr, [codenamed: Commander 'Longknife'], guided by the Ethereal identified as Aun'Vre, was already planning a different strategy to defeat any attack. Rather than rely on more troops and a large fleet presence in system, O'R'myr was more conservative in his plan. He already had lots of experience fighting against Imperial Guard forces, and had learned something of their strengths and weaknesses. Shas'O R'myr believed that to try and defeat the Imperium in open battle was a mistake. He had little doubt his forces could achieve a victory this way, but only at a heavy cost: perhaps greater than the Empire should pay for the conquest of Taros. If it came to a pitched battle, the Imperium would send more forces and the battle would escalate. More ships, more men and more tanks would follow the first wave, and the Tau might destroy them, but victory would not be quick and the cost in lives would be great. Worse still, O’R’myr was concerned that the Tau fleet was not capable of inflicting a decisive defeat on the Imperium's ships if it came to a fleet engagement. The vast firepower of Imperial ships would always give them the advantage in a straight fight. To his mind the Tau fleet was not a war fleet but a colonisation fleet. To stand and fight in space would be a mistake, and cost the Tau fleet heavily. Instead, they should offer minimal resistance and allow the Imperium to gain orbit and land its troops. In O’R’myr’s plan, the war for Taros could be won on the ground in the scorching deserts, not in the cold depths of space.For his strategy, Shas’O R’myr was using the Tau doctrine of Kauyon – the patient hunter. This time the hunter’s lure would be the absence of Tau forces. They should allow the Imperium onto Taros, draw them deeper into the deserts before striking and cutting off the Imperium’s lifeline of supplies. This was the Imperium’s ultimate weakness. Their soldiers would need food, ammunition and water to fight, and if his forces could target these supplies, he believed it would bring rapid success. Once battle was joined on the surface, O’R’myr would turn to the Tau doctrine of Mont'ka – the killing blow. The Tau’s ground war would have two separate but linked missions.First, having used the absence of troops as a lure to draw the Imperial forces into the open out of their defensive positions and into the deserts, O’R’myr would strike, targeting the forward Imperial units with the long-range firepower of his Hammerheads and XV88 Broadside Battlesuits. Rapid strikes by mobile armoured Hunter Cadres hitting the Imperial forces hard and then quickly withdrawing and dispersing should slow any advance and sap Imperial manpower and morale. In the open desert he would be maximising his advantage in range and avoiding expensive close quarters battle. He would give ground before the advance, never standing to fight for more than a localised counter-attack. This way he would be stretching Imperial supply lines whilst making them pay daily in manpower and fighting machines. When the Imperium’s attack was over-extended and weary from weeks of combat the second phase would commence. Next, using Mantas and Orcas, O’R’myr would launch a series of stealthy, fast Hunter Cadres deep behind enemy lines to attack rear installations and supply columns. He would put his most vigorous Shas’el commanders in charge of this operation. Making wide use of Stealthsuits, Pathfinders and aircraft, the teams would locate and attack supply dumps and convoys, airbases and headquarters, sowing confusion and denying the frontline security for its supply lines. Combined with the new fleet operations in the system specifically targeting the Imperial transport vessels, he hoped to cut off the Imperial Guard’s lifeline of supplies, support and reinforcements, leaving them stranded in the desert. The Imperium’s weakness was its huge logistical tail, and that would be place for his forces to concentrate their efforts.From interrogations, it is now known that many Tau Hunter Cadre commanders in the Shas’ar’tol through the plan was overly defensive and too easily handed the initiative to the Imperium. The Imperium would be at its weakest during its planetary landings; smash them with a large counter-attack and the war would be over before it started. They did not want to give the Imperium's war machine a chance to start moving, because with their seemingly endless resources it might become unstoppable. This theory was sound enough, but in practice, given the planet’s size and the Imperium’s perceived dominance of the space lanes, how could O’R’myr stop an invasion? Try to anticipate the possible landing site, or sites? Once in low orbit the Imperium would have the entire planet to choose from. Certain areas could be ignored, like the inhospitable deserts and mountains, but the area to be defended was still vast. Only by spreading their forces thinly would there be any likelihood of forces being available for an immediate counter-attack, and thinly spread forces would mean not enough firepower to overrun the landing zones. They could concentrate forces and take a guess at the most likely landing site, but it would only be a guess. Concentrating forces too early would also present the Imperium with a good target for its heaviest weapons: orbital bombardment. This would be a huge risk as a sustained orbital bombardment might tear Tau forces before battle even started. Finally, O’R’myr reminded his fellow Shas’el commanders that “He who defends everything, defends nothing!”. The argument was one; Shas’O R’myr got his way. The Tau Commanders on Taros would play the patient hunter and wait, before striking their two killing blows. The effectiveness of this strategy can be seen in the result of the campaign.