Taros Campaign - The Battle of Tungusta Station: At first light on the second day, the Tallarn 17th regiment resumed its advance along its entire front. On the command of their officers the men rose from their quickly dug foxholes, whilst tanks gunned their engines and began to grind slowly forwards. Behind them the artillery opened fire from new firing positions, hitting selected targets all along the front. The regiment's three Armoured companies formed the cutting edge of the advance, with squadrons of Leman Russ tanks stretched out across the desert sands. Lacking Chimeras, the advance would be at walking pace. It would be another day of slow, steady gains. As the combined force of Armoured companies and Tallarn infantry moved across the desert they encountered their first enemy. A Hunter Cadre had moved forwards into engagement range. These forces had sped to intercept the Imperium's tank spearheads, guided by Pathfinder teams which were already observing the Imperial Guard's advance from a distance. The faster-moving Tau grav-tanks had arrived in the vicinity of Tungusta Station only minutes before the Imperial advance.Tungusta Station was a small collection of buildings; lean-tos and old mining equipment, abandoned by its operators after the Imperial forces arrived. It had already been scouted and then shelled by the artillery as part of the preparation for the days advance. The surrounding area was pockmarked with Basilisk shell craters.The battle started as the lead tank encountered a hidden Tau Pathfinder unit. The Leman Russ Tank opened fire with its Battle Cannon. Using their Marker Lights and Seeker Missiles, the Tau's return fire immediately knocked out the Leman Russ, which started to burn fiercely as the crew tumbled out of the hatches to the desert floor. Their position compromised, the Pathfinders quickly withdrew on foot. In the distance, on the edge of the Tungusta Station, Hammerhead gunships appeared and opened fire with their Railguns. The whip-crack sound of Railguns soon filled the air. The surviving Leman Russ tanks sought cover, firing off Smoke Launchers and returning fire. Vanquisher and Battle Cannon matched against Railguns in a deadly long-range duel. With the armoured vehicles pre-occupied in their own private battle, the Imperial Guard infantry, led from the front by their commanding officer Lieutenant Kavir, pressed forward towards the buildings.The men of the 1st platoon, 2nd Company, advanced towards the outskirts of Tungusta Station only to encounter Fire Warriors supported by Devilfish troop carriers. A fierce fire-fight ensued. Lieutenant Kavir was killed during the attack as his command section was overrun and annihilated by counter-attacking XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, probably the Cadre’s Shas’el in person. Without close armoured support, the Tallarn platoon was heavily outgunned. They urgently called for reinforcements, and a Storm Trooper squad was ordered forwards to their location. A Thunderbolt fighter was also scrambled to intercept the Tau forces. The arrival of more Tau reinforcements and a low-flying Barracuda strafing the battlefield decisively swung the fight in the Tau’s favour. Outmatched, the 1st platoon fell back with heavy losses, despite the timely arrival of the Storm Trooper reinforcements, speeding to the fight in their Chimeras. The Thunderbolt air support raced low overhead to bomb Tungusta Station. Already three Leman Russes were burning in the desert. In this sector the advance had been stalled for a day.As the Imperial Guardsmen withdrew from Tungusta Station, destructive artillery fire was directed onto the buildings. For several hours Basilisk shells pounded the entire area once more. In the darkness, a patrol was ordered to investigate the ruins of Tungusta Station. They found little remaining. The enemy had already withdrawn to regroup, leaving only the wrecks of a single Hammerhead and a Devilfish troop carrier behind. Next morning, the advance resumed, with 2nd company’s 5th platoon being ordered into the frontline to replace the battle-weary survivors of 1st platoon. Later that morning, 5th platoon’s cautious advance captured the remains of Tungusta Station without further resistance from Tau forces.Tungusta Station was just the first of many such attacks throughout the following days, designed to weaken the frontline units and temporarily stall them. Sudden sharp attacks all along the X Corp’s frontline became a daily hazard.