Battle of the Northern Road
| Battle of the Northern Road | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Unification of the Earth Kingdom | |||||||
 Airstrike on Acacian League positions during the battle | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Earth Kingdom | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Ma Chi-ping |
 Yow See † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
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650 cavalry 1 aircraft carrier 6 F-1/N Bosco fighters | 1,925 soldiers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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8 killed 1 fighter damaged (non-combat) |
105 killed 259 captured 1,561 deserted | ||||||
The Battle of the Northern Road was the largest military engagement of the Unification of the Earth Kingdom and resulted in a decisive victory for the Earth Army cavalry, supported by Earth Navy aerial bombardment, over an advance guard of the Kingdom of Omashu Army. The battle effectively ended the military conflict on terms favourable to the Earth Kingdom.
The military conflict began in January 2021 when Earth King Ainin announced a campaign to subdue the independent states of Gaoling, Omashu and Cranefish. After securing the fall of the State of Gaoling in February, the Earth Army remained in Gaoling for several months to rest and reorganize in preparation for a campaign against Omashu. The main body of the Omash'ite Army, personally led by King Fu-dai, dug in around the city of Omashu to take advantage of the highly defensible mountainous terrain instead of advancing into the lowlands to engage the Earth Army. However, two elite Omash'ite regiments were deployed ahead to construct a fortress at the mid-point on the narrow Omashu–Gaoling road to delay the advance of the Earth Army and inflict casualties on the invader.
On 3 July 2021, the Earth Army renewed its northward offensive against the Kingdom of Omashu. Having previously learned of the fort from scouts, the Earth Kingdom cavalry paused out of range of the fort and awaited fire support, which came in the form of a series of devastating airstrikes launched by F-1/N Bosco naval bombers launched by the aircraft carrier ENS Kyoshi. The heavy explosives completely destroyed the fort, taking out nearly all 120 defenders garrisoned within. Faced with this new weapon, the remainder of the Omash'ite forces assembled outside the fort collapsed into a disorganized panic and routed when the Earth cavalry promptly charged. 105 Omash'ites were killed, while over 250 were captured and the remainder fled the field, never reconstituting as a coherent military unit, at a cost of only 8 Earth Kingdom soldiers killed. One of the bombers involved in the raid was seriously damaged in an accidental crash-landing on the deck of Kyoshi upon its return.
The lopsided battle threw open the road to Omashu to the advancing Earth Army. When news of the defeat and rumours about an invincible flying superweapon reached Omashu, the main body of the Omash'ite Army gathered around the city melted away in fear, leaving only a heavily outnumbered force of staunch loyalists led by King Fu-dai to face the full Earth Army. Fearing a similar fate, the Republic of Cranefish unconditionally surrendered on 4 July, resulting in the dissolution of the Acacian League and leaving Omashu to face the Earth Kingdom alone.
Two days later, the Earth Army reached Omashu and defeated the remnants of the Omash'ite Army, killing King Fu-dai and securing the end of the Unification War. The anniversary of the battle is commemorated today in the Earth Kingdom as Army Day.