Battle of Argenluçon
The Battle of Argenluçon was a major battle in the Counteroffensive Phase of the Circum-Courlès War. The conflict was also known as the Battle within the Flames given the sheer volume of flames ignited by the Ruzhite Imperial Army against the Argenluçon oil fields and the adjacent forest.
The Battle of Carcappes forced the Ruzhites to retreat westward, with Wolfram Mecklenberg's Task Force splintering from that of Theophilus Breytenbach. Task Force Mecklenberg was pursued by a Coalition force comprised of Trabians, Joyongheans, Quenminese, Concordians, Rubrumians, Jutlanders, Erebonians, Bacitueans and Lhossans, designated Battlegroup Germaine. Stopping at the refinery town of Argenluçon by 4 August, the Ruzhites set up a defense perimeter. On 5 August, the two forces clashed, and although the Ruzhites were able to hold out on the first day, they were pushed out of the town by the second day. Noting the dire situation, Mecklenberg ordered his troops to destroy the oil fields and pollute the nearby Cazal River at four in the morning to cover his left flank's retreat. Fighting resumed the next day, and the Ruzhites extended the fires further onto the forest, sparking fires in sporadic locations despite the intention that they were ignited in a consecutive line. By 8 August, the Ruzhites retreated, still remaining combat effective.
The battle resulted in one of history's worst environmental disasters, with 300 hectacres of natural land destroyed and a majority of river wildlife deceased.