Battle of Hoth

When the Rebels fled Yavin 4 after the battle of Yavin, they attempted to lay low whilst they collect together their resources which were scattered around the galaxy. The rebel command opted to create a base on Hoth, due to its issolation and the fact that it was to cold to be inhabitated. Unluckly one of Lord Vader's Probot droids landed on Hoth and discover proof of the Rebel's base. It was destroyed by Han Solo and Chewbacca but too late as it had already notified the Imperial fleet. Relising that the Imperilas were on their way the Rebels prepared to evacuate. The Imperail fleet came out of hyperspace to late and were to close to the planet, The Rebels promptly rasied their shield so the Star destroyers can no longer orbitally bombard Echo base. They were forced to turn the Battle of Hoth in to a land engangement and landed AT ATs and other ground forces on to the surface.

The Imperial forces consisted of a number of AT ATs bearing Stormtroopers in snow armour flanked by a number of AT STs. The Snowtroopers were also equiped with repeating blasters.

The Rebels were forced to fight off the Inmperial forces on the ground, using a few gun implacements, trenches of troops and barly a dozen snow speeders flown by Rogue squadron. The rest of the rebel forces were grounded because of the extreme cold, however this also restricted the empires use of Tie Fighters as aircover.

The AT ATs advanced steadly despite the rebels defences because their armoured bodies were impervious to the weapon fire. Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antillies were then forced to a bold manover of trying to harpoon the AT ATs legs and forcing them over. This tatic worked and slowed the Imperial Advance, however the Rebels were still out numbered and outgunned.

Mean while the Rebel base was being evacuated by sending out a transport ship at a time. These ships were being guarded by 2 X wing fighters each and a single volley of ion cannon fire from a planet based emplacement. Many ships escaped this way to the rendavous at the edge of the rim.

Eventually the Imperial forces were too close and relectatly the remaining Rebel troops evacuated their postions in to the remaining transports. Rouge squadron scramled their X wings, among them Luke Skywalker who singly handly destroyed one of the AT ATs after his snow speeder went down. However Princess Leia was unable to flee to her ship so she escaped with Han Solo in his Falcon. Snowtroopers now in side the base, the Falcon only just escaped in time.

The Battle of Hoth is the Rebels worst defeat however must of their equipment and troops managed to escape.

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