Firebase Hector

Firebase Hector
Location:	Bodie Coast
Condition:	Abandoned
Site Information
Owner:	United States Armed Forces
Controlled by:	United States Army
Site History
Built:	2279
In use:	2279 - 2283
Battles/wars:	Acadian Wars

Firebase Hector was a U.S. Army installation located in the Stan River Valley on the Bodie Coast of Roseau, in the Mediana Planetary System. Between January of 2279 and May of 2283, it supported Coalition Forces across the Bodie Coast as part of the Three Cities Campaign. It was abandoned in 2283 after a major ANA counter-attack laid siege to the base for 99 days, an attack that has since entered United States military history.

History

REFLEX BOW Radar Station

The series of hills on the Bodie Coat that Firebase Hector would later occupy was first developed in 2248 during the construction of the AFN-FQMR-13 “REFLEX BOW” tracking array. The site was chosen for its strategic location; high ground roughly equidistant from Roseau’s three largest cities, Leafield, Rosaria and Teagues. Between 2250 and 2274, the array provided fire control, receiving, search and transmitting capabilities to the Acadian Air Force and Navy, throughout the Mediana System.

Breakup of the Acadian Federation

On August 9th, 2274, during the initial stages of the Acadian War, federal forces were deployed to the Stan Valley and took positions in the hills surrounding REFLEX BOW to protect the array from nationalist attack. The 4th Brigade, 2nd Droptroops of the Acadian Army had been specifically chosen for this assignment due to concerns over their loyalty to the Federal government. It was one of many such "unreliable" units redeployed away from the cities, a tactic by the planetary government aimed at avoiding a military coup.

This proved to be a miscalculation. When the Mediana Colonial Republic was declared on December 25th, the units guarding REFLEX BOW universally recognized the nationalist government established in Teagues.

Just weeks later on January 11th, 2275, during an ill-fated Federal counter attack into the star system, REFLEX BOW was targeted from orbit and partially disabled. This coincided with a brief but bloody air-assault, in which the nationalist defenders inflicted staggering losses against dismounted enemy soldiers forced to ascend the unfamiliar, rugged ground.

In 2277, the AFS Davenport, was destroyed in the outer Mediana Star System, using targeting information likely provided by the array.

American Use

In August of 2278, during the US intervention into the Acadian War, American forces retook the Stan Valley, including REFLEX BOW, as part of what would become the Three Cities Campaign. Though thoroughly damaged and now of limited use across the star system, the site was repurposed as a communications hub. The remnants of the array were occupied by the US Signal Corps, and supplemented with new equipment set up in the damaged facility.

American positions in the Stan Valley were further developed into a Forward Operating Base in January of 2279 to support the ongoing fighting in the Three Cities. Of particular concern was the amount of foreign weaponry that had entered the Acadian War through the so called "Bodie Metro" - the final route of an interstellar smuggling network.

A basic weather station and improvised landing strip were initially added, but were later replaced with more permanent structures. That same month, the 434th Assault Support VTOL Company, “Innkeepers”, became one of the first units assigned to the strip. Their craft provided troop and cargo transport, medical evac, recovery capability, and other support as the Three Cities campaign progressed. The modifications and creature comforts the Innkeepers added to the base established a precedent subsequent units deployed to the site would build on. Upon completion, the landing strip site was distinguished within the base as "Hill 1", with the REFLEX BOW array on "Hill 0".

Firebase Hector

Between 2279 and 2281, the base was continually expanded and fortified as the American commitment to the Acadian War intensified. This expansion included a larger garrison, logistic support areas, and eventually batteries of field guns, missile emplacements and layered aerospace denial systems. A wider perimeter to deter enemy attacks was also established. To properly reflect its new role, the base was named Firebase Reflex in the fall of 2281. It was soon renamed to honor Staff Sergeant Isabella Hector, killed in action in the Stan Valley, September 29th, 2281.

During the Three Cities Campaign, personnel based at Hector reportedly fired over 300,000 shells in support of Coalition forces in the cities of Leafield, Rosaria and Teagues.

Amidst a wider strategic realignment of Coalition forces following the Battle of Cartier, personnel were withdrawn from Firebase Hector and its surrounding outposts, from a peak of 34,984 personnel in 2279 down to 11,871 in 2281.

The Siege of Firebase Hector

During the Christmas Offensive, American forces in the Bodie Coast faced a direct assault from seven ANA divisions. The attacking forces had covertly prepositioned equipment and infiltrated the entire region in the months leading up to the attack. Well supplied through their pervasive smuggling networks, ANA objectives were to prevent Firebase Hector from being used as a landing site, and degrade its ability to provide fire support while similar attacks occurred throughout the Three Cities.

The siege of Firebase Hector began on December 28st, 2281, The attacks were focused on Outposts Hitman, Hannibal, and Horseshoe, fortified sites on the outer perimeter that each controlled a surrounding hilltop. Hector itself faced a barrage of rocket fire and artillery attacks from concealed emplacements throughout the Bodie Coast. By January 1st, Hitman and Hannibal had been overrun, while Horseshoe could be only narrowly reinforced and supplied through a single mountain passage. Hector itself had used almost half its stocks of munitions and its own resupply was threatened. With fighting escalating throughout the Three Cities, and American efforts focused there, Firebase Hector was increasingly isolated and vulnerable.

The Mediana Blockade

On Janurary 13rd, 2283, Firebase Hector came under orbital bombardment from warships of the National Acadian Navy. This event marked the first instance in US military history, in which an American unit was subjected to direct fire from hostile craft in high orbit, and fought in a contested interstellar battlespace. During this period, American forces in Firebase Hector endured roughly two days of bombardment before orbital supremacy was re-established. Within the first five days, the entire outer perimeter was overrun or isolated, and ANA forces had entered the central perimeter itself. On the seventh day, Hector’s artillery batteries began providing direct fire with HEKS rounds directly into ANA forces.

On Janurary 16th, a US Navy task force broke the blockade during the over Mediana. During the fighting, anti-orbital munitions fired from Firebase Hector were credited with scoring five kills on ships of the National Acadian Navy. Effective ground fire from the base was further credited with limiting the effectiveness of the Acadian’s orbital superiority.

The base endured severe attacks for the next month, only partially reinforced and supplied while the situation throughout Mediana developed. The siege was effectively broken on March 29th.

Abandonment

Firebase Hector was never fully repaired after the siege, and its personnel had been largely withdrawn from the site by June of that year. This coincided with the final phase of the Acadian War, as the United States began to pursue a negotiated settlement to end the fighting. It was fully evacuated and remaining equipment was destroyed at some point before the end of year.

Significance and Legacy

References

"Firebase Hector", Champlain Group