Battle of Klendathu

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The Battle of Klendathu
Part of Terran Federation - Arachnid Conflict

Trooppers landing on Klendathu
Date 24th century
Location Planet Klendathu
Result Arachnid victory
Resignation of Sky Marshal Diennes
Belligerents
Terran Federation Arachnids
Commanders
Sky Marshal Dienes Brain Bug
Strength
~200,000 Millions
Casualties and losses
More than 100,000 and multiple injured (308,563 in the film) Minimal
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The Battle of Klendathu, also known as The First Battle of Klendathu, Operation Bughouse, or Operation Madhouse, was a fictional military engagement in the novel and movie Starship Troopers. It was the first battle of the Bug War between the Terran Federation (the United Citizen Federation in the film) and the Arachnids of Klendathu.

Contents

[edit] Battle

[edit] Novel

In the novel, all knowledge of the battle comes from the memoirs of Johnnie Rico. According to him, the Bug War had already begun prior to the destruction of Buenos Aires, but it was the attack on "B.A." that convinced the civilians ("groundhogs") that decisive action was needed. While the civilians wanted to pull everyone back to Terra, the Federation instead decided to launch an immediate assault on the Arachnids' home planet of Klendathu. The plan called for several squadrons of approximately fifty ships each to simultaneously emerge from their Cherenkov drives in orbit around Klendathu. They would immediately drop their Mobile Infantry contingents, who would then secure key targets on Klendathu and establish a beachhead for heavy reinforcements to arrive. The ultimate objective was to capture or pacify the entire planet.

The battle itself was very brief, some eighteen hours according to Rico. Nothing went right (hence the nickname "Operation Madhouse"). His unit was dropped in the wrong landing zone, and lost most of its men in the collision between the transport Valley Forge and the Ypres. The attack was also hindered by the initial terror experienced upon encountering the Arachnids (the K-9 Corps was decimated when most of the genetically enhanced Caleb dogs committed suicide). Rico's portion of the battle lasted about eighteen hours from the drop to the evacuation, and he gives no evidence that this was unusual. The commander of the operation, General Diennes, led the assault personally and died in a diversionary attack that enabled many Mobile Infantrymen to escape.

The Battle of Klendathu bears a resemblance to the World War II raid by Canadian forces on Dieppe, France, an operation which went wrong due to stronger German resistance than expected. The names 'Dienes' and 'Dieppe' bear a strong resemblance.

[edit] Movie

After the Bugs destroyed Buenos Aires with an asteroid, the Federation declared war against the Bugs. In an act of retaliation, the Federation sent a large detachment of troops and ships to Klendathu. The plan was merely to kill "anything with more than two legs." Also Sky Marshall Diennes did not lead the assault personally, coordinating the attack from Earth. When the military arrived, the Bugs made short work of the orbiting starships with land-based plasma barrages that analysers indicated would be scattered and random. The analysers proved false when the navy established an orbit around the planet. Thousands of troops were dispatched to the surface, thinking that the bugs were less active at night. While this was true, the humans were unprepared for the sheer number of Bugs still active on the surface. 100,000 soldiers were killed in less than an hour, and more than the same number again were injured. After 3 hours, a general retreat of all Terran forces was ordered.

[edit] Aftermath

[edit] Novel

Rico stated in regard to the battle, "I've heard it called a 'strategic victory', but I was there and I claim we took a terrible licking." Terran Federation losses are never described in detail, but Rico says they lost so many ships and men that the Federation was reduced to mounting hit-and-run raids while they rebuilt their strength.

[edit] Movie

After the battle, which was an undoubted defeat, Sky Marshal Dienes resigned voluntarily and was replaced by Tehat Maru. The war strategy was changed to a gradual conquest of outlying Arachnid planets and attempts were made to capture specimens to optimize their combat techniques.