Capital Fleets Collide in Venal
E-7U8U, VENAL - Nothern Coalition [NC] and White Noise, Triumvirate, and Friends [WTF] fleets collided around 15:15 today in one of the largest capital engagements in recent memory. Initial reports indicate that upwards of a thousand pilots were present throughout with a peak system occupancy of seven hundred and fifty pilots for the five and a half hour long battle.
While numbers are sketchy at the moment, it is believed that both sides suffered major capital losses. [NC] is reported to have held the field following [WTF]'s hurried retreat as the much larger [NC] fleet began to gain a decisive upper hand.
The engagement began when [WTF] attemped to destroy a previously reinforced Morsus Mihi [RAWR] dyspro mining tower in E-7U8U (having already destroyed one [RAWR] tower over the weekend). It is estimated that the [WTF] fleet initially numbered around three hundred.
As the fleets engaged, losses were spread fairly evenly with a reported twenty to thirty dreadnaughts downed on both sides over the first several hours. However, [NC]'s fleet continued to grow to around five hundred ships while [WTF]'s fleet fell to around two hundred according to [TRI] pilot Darknesss. Total capital losses may reach as high as eighty ships.
"Our support was well and truly overwhelmed and our capitals who had been winning initially had been displaced and were struggling to get back on grid and active," Darknesss recalls.
Overloaded stargates were a major issue for all sides throughout the engagement. Additionally, a large number of pilots indicate that spatial disturbances within E-7U8U caused severe electronic difficulties resulting in tremendous mass confusion that affected both sides.
A full report will be published as details become available.
GalNet Sources:
Battle Updates
Pilot's Discussion
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