Librian Guard push back Tau

General Corchoran, sitting in his command post in Montgate now new the Tau were less than thirty miles from the city. General Du Prez contacted him on the 17th, telling him to relieve the situation or relieve himself of command. If the Imperium could prevent the Tau from taking the city, Imperial intelligence felt that the strength of the Catechism's army would wipe the Tau out, removing one of the three enemies from the planet.

Hardly an inspiring thought, but it was part of the Imperial high command's overall plan on Tarsis. For now however Corchoran had to push back the Tau from Montgate, inflicting as many casualties as he could. Reviewing his forces he chose to counter attack using the veteran Librian 11th regiment, stationed in Montgate. The operation was as simple as the Imperial Guard itself, and the white clad soldiers of Libria advanced on foot, supported by Leman Russ battle tanks and Basilisks, while sentinels scouted ahead, along with elite stormtrooper regiments.

The offensive was a cagey affair as Corchoran's army advanced through the tangled ruins of the outskirts of Montgate. Every house and building was cleared by infantry or by artillery. Unused to fighting in this manner the Tau, led by Commander White Fire, found it difficult to put up a meaningful resistance. The aliens took more casualties than the Imperium and were finding holding ground an unpleasant task. By the end of 2011.008M42 Corchoran's advance had removed the Tau from most of the suburbs and regained the Eastern coastal strip. Even so, some last ditch determined rushes (some suicidal) by Tau mobile units prevented the Imperial Guard from advancing further.