Hylas: Von Bismork halts imperial advance

The recent ork defeats on Hylas had given the Imperium a much needed morale boost, and General Van Dorn was on a high as 11.014M42 began. However there were already warning signs that his latest offensive had overreached its capabilities. Van Dorn had launched attacks in the north and south, advancing many hundreds of kilometres, but this had the effect of extending his front lines. This was especially true in the plains of the north, made worse by the transfer of Librian regiments in the north to the south, leaving a thin screen of Vannaheim troops to defend the elongated front line now stretching out in front of Sarina.

The inevitable counter attack came on 0911.014M42, with a large force of mechanised orks attacking the Vannaheim regiments outside the city. Over stretched the guardsmen fought well, but were unable to stop the battlewagons and other vehicles of Von Bismork's boyz from reaching, then breaching their lines. In a few hours it became obvious that the front was crumbling, and there was no time whatsoever to redeploy any troops to the north. Reluctantly Van Dorn ordered an organised retreat, but by the time the order had been received, the Vannaheim regiments had already fled and Sarina had fallen once again into greenskin hands.