Battle of Barlow Gap

Battle of Barlow Gap
Part of Vinyan War
A Kolodorian officer orders an assault.
Date 5 - 8 August 1976 Location Barlow Gap, Tír an Crainn Result Crainnic/Glasic Victory
Belligerents
Tír an Crainn Tír Glas	Kolodoria
Commanders and leaders
Billy Bob Joe Bob III Jr. Hot redhead hopefully	Saulius Cebelis
Units involved
1st Crainnic Reserve Army XIV Corps	Third Army Group
Strength
220,000 troops	200,000 troops
Casualties and losses
6,465 killed 13,129 wounded 1,002 captured	8,873 killed 16,215 wounded 3,160 captured

The Battle of Barlow Gap was a major battle during the Vinyan War fought between the Kolodorian People's Defense Forces and the combined forces of Tír an Crainn and Tír Glas.

The Kolodorian forces of Third Army Group under the command of Lt. General Saulius Cebelis had invaded Tír an Crainn earlier in July as part of Operation Copperhead, a diversionary offensive meant to distract the Vinyan Multinational Force from fighting on the Kolodorian front. Within a few weeks Third Army Group had overran Crainnic defenses along the border and northern mountain ranges, and had captured the major port city of Dunaree on the northern tip of the Sodor Firth. With Crainnic forces still reeling from the invasion, Cebelis ordered a renewed drive towards the capital city of Rossinver, hoping it's capture would force the capitulation of the entire nation. Despite concerns about an increasingly elongated logistical chain, Third Army Group succesfully push south along the central "spine" of the Crainnic peninsula, any by early August were just 150 kilometers from the capital.

Crainnic forces of the First Crainnic Reserve Army, reinforced with elements of the Glasic XIV Corps rushed to Barlow Gap, the only major roadway leading to Rossinver through the central mountain range. The combined Crainnic/Glasic forces hastily entrenched themselves just as Third Army Group arrived in force, resulting in pitching fighting along the valley floor and nearby mountain passes. Despite superiority in armor and artillery the Kolodorians failed to break through the Crainnic/Glasic lines. On 7 August Crainnic reifnrocements from Nad further south launched a counter-attack against Third Army Group's southern flank, threatening to trap the bulk of the Kolodorian forces within Barlow Gap. On 8 August Lt. General Cebelis ordered Third Army Group to withdraw further north, ending the threat to Rossinver.

The victory at Barlow Gap is considered to have marked the end of Operation Copperhead, and became Third Army Group's southernmost extent for the duration of the Crainnic Campaign. Although future offensives would threaten the Crainnic capital, Kolodorian forces never again drew as close as they had in August 1976.