Operation Hydroxide

Operation Hydroxide
Part of the Asianna and the Pacific Campaign of the Second Europan War
A Zanarkian Machine Gun team near Songsinan
Date 30 December 1942 - 7 January 1943 Location Songsinan, Central Joyonghea, North Asianna Result Allied victory Archadian Forces break-off their attack at Songsinan Failure for Cavallero to expel the Zanarkian and New Akibander Forces in Joyonghea
Belligerents
Zanarkand New Akiba Joyonghea	Archadia-Archedes Empire of Quenmin
Commanders and leaders
Edward Samegawa Roy Peterson Hikaru Komaki Simmon Denzel Crocker Yuto Takagawa Rang Seong-hun	Hugo Cavallero Marco Aconi Hugo Cavallero
Units involved
9th Zanarkian Division 8th Zanarkian Division 7th Zanarkian Division 8th New Akiba Division 4th New Akiba Division Waikato Highlanders 4th Regiment, 21st Area Division	Archadian Joyonghea Army 26th Alpini Division 6th Infantry "San Marco" Division 5th Bersaglieri 91st Armored Division 55th Armoured Division 17th Folgore Division V Quenminese Constabulary Brigade
Casualties and losses
2,785 killed 20 tanks	9,552 killed 5,000 captured 45 tanks 10 guns

Operation Hydroxide (30 December 1942 - 7 January 1943) was an operation that ZANAC forces under General Edward Samegawa undertook in order to break free from Imperial encirclement caused by the Battle of the Gap. The operation saw the ZANACs attempt the impossible to escape encirclement and at the same time, attempt to relieve Allied forces just 60kms Southwest of Songsinan.

The plan came to fruition after seeing that Archadian Marshal Hugo Cavallero ordered his men to besiege and await for heavy units to arrive to ensure that his men were able to inflict heavy casualties on the ZANACs. Although he committed a handful of skirmishes to harass the besieged ZANAC forces, Samegawa navigated to the weakest part of the encirclement and ordered New Akibander General Hikaru Komaki and elements of Colonel Rang Seong-hun's 4th Joyonghean Regiment to break out of the encirclement and rendezvous with the rest of the Allied forces southwest of their position while the rest who remained in Songsinan fought the Archadians in a bitter counteroffensive. The counteroffensive finally began on the 6 January, when Komaki finally found his way out of the encirclement and fought the Archadians to divert their attention to his forces, allowing Samegawa to commence his move. By 7 January, Songsinan was finally free of the encirclement as Cavallero's forces linked up with Marshal Hồ Danh Sĩ Quốc, a move which spelled the turning point in the battle around Songsinan.

Komaki finally linked up with the elements of the 2st Area Division under the command of General Chae Hwa-young. This move subsequently signalled the end of the encirclement and began the counteroffensive that saw the tide turn in favour of the Allies.