Battle of Runikhata

Battle of Runikhata
Part of the Nepali-Bhutania Campaign of the Second Europan War
ERUAC forces marching to Jakar following the Battle of Runikhata
Date 9 August - 12 August 1943 Location Runikhata, Indiae Result ERUAC victory
Belligerents
Erebonian Empire Rubrum	Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance Empire of Quenmin
Commanders and leaders
Brian Regnitz Elliot Testarossa	Alexander Sundermann Alfred Toht Kiesling Benno Vogel Strecker Trương Ngọc Thái Bình
Strength
55,000 troops 120 tanks 100 aircraft 50 guns	80,000 troops 200 tanks 120 aircraft 90 guns
Casualties and losses
Moderate	Heavy

The Battle of Runikhata (9 August - 12 August 1943) was a battle that took place on the eponymous town. It was fought between elements of the 2nd ERUIF and Reichmacht and crack SS divisions. The battle took place as a result of Quenminese Marshal Mạc Hiếu Quang ordering Alexander Sundermann to attempt to halt and bottle up Regnitz relief force from getting into Jakar.

Following Regnitz and Testarossa's isolation of Marshal Trương Ngọc Thái Bình's forces, they moved closer to the Indiae-Bhutania border on the border town of Zhemgang. in hopes of joining Sugiyama's forces. But at 5:00pm in 6 August 1943, the two received a transmission from Sugiyama ordering them to immediately swing south to attempt to reinforce the Bethausians at Jakar. Many of his fellow officers were skeptical of moving the entire army group because of the mountainous terrain and numerous zig-zag roads. When Regnitz asked for an estimate of their arrival to Jakar, he was told that it would take nearly 14 days to move the entire army group south. Regnitz rebutted and told his generals that he would make it less than 6 days. Despite the skepticism of his subordinates, Regnitz nonetheless accepted the task of reinforcing Arkar. By the following day, Regnitz and Testarossa would set off. The ERUAC forces would have difficulty of traversing the mountainous roads and bends that two-way roads turned into one way traffic.

A Luftwaffe reconnaissance plane immediately reported to Marshal Quang about the Allied movement heading to the south. Immediately, he ordered East Europan forces consisting of both Reichmacht and the Waffen-SS to go to Runikhata to attempt to bottle down Regnitz. In August 9, after 3 days of non-stop movement, the ERUAC forces had finally arrived on the lowlands and proceeded to march to Runikhata, the last town before Jakar. But instead, they were greeted by elements of East Europan forces along with elements of crack SS divisions. Regnitz encountered heavy resistance and engaged Imperial forces for the next 2 days at Runikhata. General Alfred Toht Kiesling and his 12th SS Panzer Division attempted to conduct a pincer against Regnitz but the latter pressed the elements of the 6th Erebonian Armoured Division and an ensuing tank clash took place on the western flank of the town. Although the SS offered tough resistance, Erebonian forces had managed to blunt the attempt, allowing the 2nd Rubrumian Division to split from the main force and encircle Reichmacht units on the eastern flank of the town, thereby surrounding at least 12,000 troops. Regnitz pushed the bulk of his army into Runikhata that by the night of 12 August, the East Europan forces were forced off Runikhata, leaving 5,000 encircled troops to be captured by ERUAC forces and continued his march to Jakar. By the morning of the 13 of August, Regnitz and Testarossa were now only 10kms from the frontline at Jakar, and 7kms from the Imperial forces.

The failure of East Europan forces to halt Regnitz at the town not only allowed the latter to relieve the Bethausians at Jakar, but also robbed the Imperial forces of a near victory on the Manas River Offensive.