Operation Kunai Grass

Operation Kunai Grass
Part of the Siduri War
Quenminese soldiers on the attack
Date 18 Febuary - 9 April 1937 Location Quenmin, Arkoenn Result Common Axis Victory Withdrawal of all Inner Sphere forces from Quenmin
Belligerents
Common Axis Đại Quến Cacertian Empire	Inner Sphere Republic of Syara Arokenn (1934-1937)
Commanders and leaders
Common Axis Đỗ Cà Bình Hao Mạc Hiếu Quang Nguyễn Vạn Thắng Phó Minh Duyên Rosalia Sarissita	Inner Sphere Zdravko Merakovski
Strength
500,000 200,000	600,000
Casualties and losses
27,500 killed 62,000 wounded	45,000 killed 90,000 wounded 65,000 captured

Operation Kunai Grass was a strategic offensive launched by the Common Axis against the Inner Sphere during the Siduri War. Conducted between 18 February to 9 April 1937, the Common Axis successfully repulsed all Inner Sphere forces from Quenmin while making serious inroads into Arkoenn, which eventually led to the collapse of the militarist government and the withdrawal of Arkoenn from the war.

Kunai Grass was devised by Imperial Marshal Mạc Hiếu Quang during the fall of 1936, but was interrupted by Operation Exelasis. During the winter Army Group Epsilon had positioned itself Phan Rang Ngai, Lairang, and Quyen Binh Tong, and were threatining another drive against Cao Khoat. Quang envisioned a major thrust through the Bạch Đặng and Duong Pham provinces by the Northern Imperial Front, supported by secondary assaults by the 1st Central Imperial Front and the Cacertian First Army. Quang hoped to make full use of the 'Töbedar tactics' devised by Phó Minh Duyên to throw Army Group Epsilon into dissarray and route the Inner Sphere entirely from Quenmin. The Cacertians were originally reluctant to endorse the plan, believing it to be too ambitious, but eventually relented and agreed to support the offensive.

Quenminese forces struck on 18 February, employing heavy usage of motorized and armored forces to breach the Inner Sphere's lines north of Phan Rang Ngai. By the end of February the lines of Army Group Epsilon were in dire straits; the drive by the 1st Central Front through the Kon Yên Province threatening the collapse of the Army Group's southern flank led to Field Marshal Zdravko Merakovski ordered a complete retreat westward. Syaran forces attempted to re-establish a defensive line anchored around Dien Bien Phu, but in late March were forced to evacuate entirely from Quenmin and were pursued into Kansdoen which soon fell under Quenminese control. Quang ordered a general halt to the offensive on 8 April to focus on securing northern Kansdoen, marking the end of the offensive.

Kunai Grass was a decisive victory for the Common Axis and a disastorous defeat for the Inner Sphere. Army Group Epsilon was badly mauled in the process, with the Syaran 4th Army and Arkoennite 3rd Army in tatters. The offensive, spearheaded by highly mobile armored and motorized Quenminese units, demonstrated the validity of such tactics while showcasing the increasing inability of the Inner Sphere to handle such armored offensives. Kunai Grass set the stage for the Common Axis's second invasion of Arkoenn in June, which drove it out of the war.