Difference between revisions of "Operation Return"

Earlier in the Dominion War, the Federation had deliberately gambled the station in order to buy time for a strike on Dominion shipyards. At the time, it was believed that the improvised minefield guarding the wormhole would be sufficient to stop the Dominion from bringing in reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant; however, intelligence from a resistance cell on the station revealed that the Cardassians had devised a way to disable the mines.

The Battle

With insufficient time to gather the required forces, a 600-strong Federation fleet departed for DS9, hoping to rendez-vous with Klingon reinforcements along the way. In response, the Dominion deployed a 1254-strong fleet of Jem'Hadar and Cardassian vessels, leading to a stand-off several light years from the station. Taking advantage of a Cardassian feint intended to draw Federation vessels into the Dominion line, the Defiant pushed through the Dominion fleet, quickly losing it's escorting vessels due to enemy fire. The unexpected arrival of a small Klingon fleet allowed the Defiant to break through the line and head to DS9, where the ship entered the wormhole in a desperate bid to stop the Dominion reinforcements from reaching the Alpha Quadrant.

Due to an intervention by the so-called wormhole aliens, the Dominion reinforcements were wiped from the wormhole. Their loss, combined with the imminent victory of the Federation/Klingon fleet, prompted the Dominion to abandon DS9.

Aftermath

While the recapture of DS9 did not end the war - and indeed, the following months would prove to be militarily disastrous for the Federation - it did provide an invaluable psychological advantage to the demoralised Federation, as well as cutting off the Dominion forces in the Alpha Quadrant from further reinforcements.

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-With the loss of Deep Space Nine to the Dominion, the Federation-Klingon alliance was placed in an increasingly precarious position. Although the entrance to the wormhole was mined, the Dominion was known to be working on methods to clear the obstruction and bring heavy reinforcements through from the Gamma Quadrant - a move that would surely make the war unwinnable.
+{{Infobox Battle
+|prev=[[Battle of Tyra]]
+|conc=
+|next=[[First Battle of Chin'toka]]
+|name=Operation Return
+|image=[[Image:Sacraficeofangels091.jpg|300px]]
+|conflict=[[Dominion War]]
+|date=2374
+|place=just outside the Bajor system
+|result=Federation victory
+|side1=[[United Federation of Planets]]
+|side2=[[Dominion]]
+|commanders1=[[Benjamin Sisko]]
+|commanders2=[[Gul Dukat]]
+|forces1=*600 Federation starships
+*unspecified [[Klingon]] reinforcements
+|forces2=*1254 Dominion and [[Cardassian]] starships
+|casual1=*Heavy losses
+|casual2=*Unspecified losses
+}}
+'''Operation Return''' was the name of a [[Federation]] plan to retake [[Deep Space Nine]] from the [[Dominion]].
-Captain Sisko developed a plan to attack and recapture Deep Space Nine using elements from several Federation fleets bolstered by a contingent of Klingon ships. These forces began to gather at Starbase 375 in preparation for the attack, but word was recieved from Deep Space Nine that the Cardassians had in fact discovered a method of disabling the minefield. Starfleet had only six hundred ships ready to go, while the Klingons had not yet committed any forces to the plan. Nevertheless, faced with the imminent arrival of Dominion forces from the Gamma Quadrant, Captain Sisko took what forces he had to hand and headed for Deep Space Nine.
+==Prelude==
+Earlier in the [[Dominion War]], the Federation had deliberately gambled [[Deep Space 9|the station]] in order to buy time for a [[Raid on Torros 3|strike on Dominion shipyards]]. At the time, it was believed that the improvised [[mine|minefield]] guarding the [[wormhole]] would be sufficient to stop the Dominion from bringing in reinforcements from the [[Gamma Quadrant]]; however, intelligence from a resistance cell on the station revealed that the [[Cardassians]] had devised a way to disable the mines.
-Unfortunately, the Federation fleet was intercepted on route by a Dominion fleet of over twleve hundred ships. Outnumbered two to one, the deadline set by the events at Deep Space Nine forced Captain Sisko to attack the Dominion fleet head on in an attempt to get whatever forces he could to the station before the minefield fell.1
+==The Battle==
-Initially the Federation forces concentrated their attacks on the Cardassians, hoping to split them from the Jem'Hadar and divide the enemy. In the event the Dominion fleet offered such an opening only as a trap; nevertheless Captain Sisko threw every ship he had into the breach in an all out assault. The attack rapidly disintergrated into chaos; the Dominion pressed home their numerical advantage, inflicting massive losses on the Starfleet forces.
+With insufficient time to gather the required forces, a 600-strong Federation fleet departed for DS9, hoping to rendez-vous with [[Klingon]] reinforcements along the way. In response, the Dominion deployed a 1254-strong fleet of [[Jem'Hadar]] and Cardassian vessels, leading to a stand-off several [[light year]]s from the station. Taking advantage of a Cardassian feint intended to draw Federation vessels into the Dominion line, the [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)| ''Defiant'']] pushed through the Dominion fleet, quickly losing it's escorting vessels due to enemy fire. The unexpected arrival of a small Klingon fleet allowed the ''Defiant'' to break through the line and head to DS9, where the ship entered the wormhole in a desperate bid to stop the Dominion reinforcements from reaching the [[Alpha Quadrant]].
-The Federation fleet was beginning to crumble when the Klingons finally arrived; catching the Dominion unawares, a large fleet under General Martok smashed into the enemy flank. The Defiant used this oppurtunity to blast her way through the fleet and headed for Deep Space Nine at maximum warp speed.
+Due to an intervention by the so-called [[prophets | wormhole aliens]], the Dominion reinforcements were wiped from the wormhole. Their loss, combined with the imminent victory of the Federation/Klingon fleet, prompted the [[Dominion]] to abandon DS9.
-The Defiant arrived at Deep Space Nine just in time to see the minefield detonated by the Cardassians; Captain Sisko took his ship into the wormhole to try and at least hold up the Dominion reinforcements. At this point the wormhole aliens intervened, apparently curious about Siskos motivations. The Captain convinced the aliens to intervene in the war, and they deleted the oncoming fleet shortly before it reached the alpha quadrant.
+==Aftermath==
+While the recapture of DS9 did not end the war - and indeed, the following months would prove to be militarily disastrous for the Federation - it did provide an invaluable psychological advantage to the demoralised [[Federation]], as well as cutting off the Dominion forces in the [[Alpha Quadrant]] from further reinforcements.
-The Defiant emerged from the wormhole to learn that the Federation-Klingon fleet had won a stunning victory over the Dominion, forcing them into retreat. Faced with a mass assault on the station which would endanger the life of a Founder, the Dominion evacuated the station and pulled its forces back to Cardassian space. Gul Dukat, the Cardassian leader, became mentally unbalanced at the magnitude of his defeat and was left behind on the station. Captain Sisko won a bet by setting foot on Deep Space Nine's promenade a full ten seconds before General Martok, to a rapturous welcome from the Bajorans.
 [[Category: Star Trek]]
-[[Category: Wars, Battles and Conflicts]]
+[[Category: Battles]]

Difference between revisions of "Operation Return"

Latest revision as of 00:48, 28 May 2009

Prelude

The Battle

Aftermath

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