PT-21C system, Insmother region. On the 30th of September at 20:15 EVE Standard Time a large clash between the Drone Regions Federation (DRF) and Red Menace Coalition (RMC) ended with almost 200 ships destroyed and nearly 70 Bil ISK in damages.
Lately, DRF forces (Comprised of Triumvirate. [TRI], SOLAR FLEET [SOLAR] and Legion of xXDEATHXx [X.I.X]) have attempted to spur RMC (Comprised of Red Alliance [RED], Dream Fleet [DRF] and Nerfed Alliance Go Away [NAGA.]) into fighting, hitting sovereignty, infrastructure and even attempting to capture RMC staging at one point. This battle was a product of that provocation, though the circumstances that led to it and its scale are quite amazing.
At first, RMC received information that Triumvirate. was going to form in order to reinforce towers in the Insmother region while other DRF forces would supply a diversion elsewhere. In order to foil their plans, RMC sent a call to arms, planning to squash DRF forces. DRF learned of the operation and called for its own full mobilization leading to the two coalitions squaring off, each waiting for the other to make the first move on the night of the 30th of September.
DRF chose to act first, sending two fleets into Insmother, a Machariel Battleship fleet let by Triumvirate. and a Proteus\Legion Strategic Cruiser fleet formed of Legion of xXDEATHXx and SOLAR FLEET. Though numbers are sketchy, the combined force is believed to have been at least 210 pilots. The fleets made their way to the dead end system of PT-21C, linking up along the way, where they spent time attempting to reinforce towers in order to alert RMC to their location.
RMC obliged them and mustered a Machariel fleet of its own, estimated at 160 pilots including several Triage Carriers, though both sides disagree on the number (RMC claims only 4 were present, DRF claims at least 6, and even 8). This force bridged into the O-9G5Y system and quickly headed towards PT-21C in order to confront the invaders.
Jumping in, RMC forces quickly encountered the DRF fleets who were waiting for them, the Proteus\Legion fleet sitting on the gate while the Machariel fleet maintaining position a 100 kilometers off. This put RMC at a significant disadvantage, as the Proteus Strategic Cruisers quickly had many of its Machariels pointed, shutting off their MicroWarpDrives and preventing them from anchoring properly or maintain range. With the Strategic Cruisers under their guns and the enemy Machariels hammering from optimal distance, RMC forces were in danger of losing their entire fleet.
The two sides started hammering away, at first RMC managing to volley off many of the Strategic Cruisers holding their ships down before DRF managed to return the favor, taking out many Machariels in a string of brutal exchanges, often losing only 1 for 5 or more of RMC’s. And yet, as the fighting wore on DRF forces found themselves worse off. Losing Strategic Cruisers and Machariels, DRF’s damage output lessened, allowing the RMC Triage Carriers to save more and more ships. In order to counter this, DRF attempted to get rid of the Triage Carriers, managing to bring down 2 but in return allowing the RMC Machariels the chance to re-group, which led to further DRF losses as the RMC fleet continued to hammer at the DRF ships.
Click for Killmail
Click for Killmail
Another factor in the fighting was Paisti Syndicate [PSY]. Paisti Syndicate’s Stealth Bomber wing was present throughout the battle, having come in to third party on the proceedings. Their waves of Void bombs did little to no damage, but inadvertently changed the tide of the battle. Void bombs neutralize capacitor, which switched off hardeners, points and even guns on DRF ships. While RMC ships were still effected, their artillery guns required no capacitor to fire, allowing them to take advantage of the sudden vulnerability of the Strategic Cruisers.
Another claim made by RMC pilots was a lack of coordination between the two DRF fleets which led to primaries surviving. The same source further noted that as the battle continued, it seemed as though a breakdown in the discipline of the DRF fleet was occurring. Though the source admitted that a similar breakdown was occurring in the RMC ranks to a lesser extent. If true, this could also explain the trouble DRF forces were having breaking the Triage Carriers and RMC Machariels in later stages of the fighting.
Regardless, after nearly half an hour of an exhausting brawl, DRF forces retreated, abandoning the gate grid to RMC forces. RMC in return chose not to camp the DRF forces in the system, but rather quickly extract, allowing DRF forces to safely exit the Insmother region and return to their staging.
Video of the Fighting from the PoV of the Triumvirate. Machariel Fleet
Battle report for the PT-21C system can be found here.
Alternative battle report can be found here.
All told the battle raged for 30 minutes with local seeing approximately 400 pilots at the peak of the fighting, Time Dilation being a constant companion, staying around 40% for most of the battle.
RMC forces lost 2 Carriers, 30 Battleships and 4 Strategic Cruisers for 32.1 Bil ISK of damage. DRF forces on the other hand lost 2 Battleships and 60(!) Strategic Cruisers for a total of 36.6 Bil ISK damage.
