Second Invasion of Dai'gor

The Second Invasion of Dai'gor was a major planetary invasion of Dai'gor by the SNLF during the early stages of the Dai'gor Campaign. Centred on the Hirumi Archipelago, the invasion aimed to secure a stable landing site and foothold base on the planet itself, which as an ocean planet has few large landforms to deploy large-scale ground forces. While 75% of the invasion force was lost within the first few days of fighting, the month-long, instrumental battle resulted in the permanent occupation of the Hirumi Archipelago and the first permanent foothold on the planet itself for terrestrial activities.

Bombardment and air battle
Bombing of Hirumi began around midnight local time with over 2,200 aerospace bombers attacking targets on land and in the littoral regions. Nuclear torpedoes were used to clear identified undersea formations. The Imperial Navy ships over Hirumi also contributed with numerous space-to-ground missiles and railgun fire, primarily to keep Nekari response forces from approaching the archipelago. The bombing attacks were largely ineffective at neutralising enemy resistance as the majority of Nekari forces were underwater and largely invisible to sensors.

The Nekari responded to the aerial attack with a mass deployment of fighters from undersea sources, resulting in a major battle for air superiority. Once the landing was commenced, landing craft were accompanied to the surface by sea-penetrating nuclear missiles to deal with the Nekari forces. As air superiority had yet to be established, the landing formations had to be escorted in by large groups of fighters. The sheer amount of enemy aircraft made it extremely difficult to attain air superiority.

The landings
The first landing craft reached the ground at about H6 in local hours, deploying the first SNLF infantry troops to the planet's surface. There was no resistance on the land beyond a few Nekari drones, and the SNLF rapidly secured the central part of the island. Shortly after, however, thousands of Nekari warbodies emerged from the ocean before defensive lines could be established.