Gothic War - Battle of Gethsemane: For the first seven standard years of the Gothic War, the Imperium had been fighting defensively across an extended battlefront. As 150.M41 passed into the year 151.M41, Lord Admiral Ravensburg decided to take the fight to the enemy and claw back what had been taken. Though he knew that the Chaos warfleets were numerically superior, they were divided into many smaller fleets. It was Lord Ravensburg's hope that he could destroy his attackers if he could bring the full weight of Battlefleet Gothic to bear against each of the Chaos fleets individually. This was a very risky ploy, because to amass the entire sector battlefleet in any strength meant weakening convoy escorts, system patrols and squadrons on anti-pirate duties.After numerous aborted attacks and false starts, Ravensburg saw his first real chance in mid-151.M41, when scout vessels reported a Chaos warfleet moving en masse towards the Gethsemane System. Ordering his task force to get underway with all possible speed, Ravensburg took personal command aboard the Divine Right. With 17 capital ships (including 2 Battleships and 2 Battlecruisers) and 20 Escorts under his command, Ravensburg pursued the enemy fleet into the Gethsemane region. Realising their plight, the Chaotic forces attempted to head out-system again to try to get far enough from Gethsemane's star to attempt a Warp jump. Ravensburg detached the fastest vessels in his fleet to pursue and a week-long sternchase ensued. The action that resulted was recorded by Captain Blythe of the Guardian.As the Imperial vessels followed the fleeing Chaos fleet, signals came in warning of another enemy fleet on a closing course. The Imperial starships had been lured into a cunning trap. Bolstered by a further 12 warships, the Chaos fleet turned on the Imperial vessels and it was all they could do to evade the bulk of the enemy. Even in doing so, they lost 3 Destroyers and 4 Frigates in a series of small skirmishes. The enemy losses totaled at least 5 Escorts and maybe as many as 10 or more. With all of the massive warships remaining with Lord Ravensburg's command, there was little else the Imperial vessels could do but run. Blythe and his battlegroup headed back towards the vicinity of Ravensburg's main fleet, but even with his other capital ship, the Imperial forces were still outgunned to a serious degree.For three days the two fleets circled and dodged each other through the system, neither fleet commander prepared to commit the bulk of their ships against an enemy whose exact position was unknown. Three weeks after arriving in-system, Ravensburg's fleet and the Chaos armada clashed. Six Firestorm-class Frigates located the Chaos warfleet near Gethsemane II, using the cover of several dust clouds to avoid being detected themselves. Seizing the opportunity, the Lord Admiral moved his whole fleet in to attack. Ravensburg's Cobra-class Destroyers launched several torpedo salvoes at extreme range. Although they had little hope of inflicting damage, the torpedo attacks forced the Chaotic warships to alter their heading so that they were moving towards the Imperium's capital ships. Forced into a head-on clash with the Imperial fleet, the Chaos vessels came off poorly in the initial exchange of fire.Salvoes of Imperial torpedoes screamed into the Chaos fleet. Some were evaded, others hit home with the blossom of explosions. The Imperial Escorts carefully kept the enemy herded in a compact mass as the other Imperial warships passed through their lines. When Lord Ravensburg gave the order, the Imperial capital ships poured a continuous fusillade into the Archenemy's ships. The stars were thick with the enemy, and the Imperials could not miss at such short range. The Imperial fleet tore through their adversaries, crippling 4 capital ships and destroying 11 Escorts in the initial pass. Rather than turning to fight, the Chaos Warmaster ordered his fleet to continue on their course in a bid to escape. As the faster Renegade vessels accelerated away from Ravensburg's pursuit, it looked as if the Chaos warfleet would once again escape justice.Even as the enemy drew away, more drama occurred, as recorded by Captain Drew of the Fortitude. The Chaotic fleet was suddenly attacked without warning as Eldar warships appeared in front of the Chaos vessels as if from nowhere. Even as the Imperial fleet attempted to haul onto a new heading, their dread became ecstatic happiness as the Eldar attacked the enemy.Caught between the attacking Eldar and Ravensburg's fleet, the Chaos warships were annihilated, although a dozen more of the Emperor's vessels were crippled or destroyed before the victory was finally claimed. Why the Eldar decided to lend their weight to the Imperial cause was never discovered, though it is a common belief that they had finally heard of Abaddon's capture of the Blackstone Fortresses and had seen an alliance with the Mon-keigh as their only chance for survival.Even as the news of Ravensburg's great victory at the Battle of Gethsemane was spread throughout the fleet, even more promising tidings were to come. In the late months of 151.M41, the Warp Storms that had isolated the Gothic Sector began to abate and several warships from neighbouring Imperial battlefleets arrived to reinforce the Lord Admiral's bloodied fleets. The Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers of several Space Marine Chapters also arrived, bringing fresh, elite troops to the fighting. The Imperium's solid defence, though broken in places, had prevented the Chaos warfleets from achieving swift victory, and with the help of the Eldar and Imperial ships from nearby sectors, the Emperor's servants could at last go on the offensive.