The Defence of Dakota Minor was a series of conflicts in 884M41, that saw the Imperium defending the Matteus Subsector’s primary food provider against invaders. With only a token battlefleet and planetary defence force to protect it, Dakota Minor was expected to fall to the invaders in less than three months. Fortunately, intervention by local Astra Militarum regiments and the Adeptus Astartes saw the invasion quelled and the planet secured for the Imperium.

The first theatre of conflict was the defence of the city Dakota Primus, which saw the arrival of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter amidst the Ork siege.

The Anvilbreakers (2nd Company 2nd Tactical Squad) charge the greenskins, engulfing them in burning promethium

Salamanders Captain Ikarus R’Keth could not ignore the astropathic plea for assistance for the nearby world. Additionally, their Chaplain Kessus Numastus expressed concern for the lacking faith amongst their battle-brethren after the failure of the Yttrius Crusade. Both saw an opportunity to find atonement and redemption in the defence of Dakota Minor.

Meanwhile, the beleaguered DMDC forces were being overwhelmed at every turn. Even the Ork servant races were proving to be superior to the underequipped and poorly trained PDF soldiers.

DMDC troopers engage a gretchin horde and one of their many scrap-vehicles.

The Salamanders Arrive: Day 14

With their drop pod pool depleted from their previous campaign, the Astartes mobilised to the surface via Thunderhawks and Stormravens. This delayed their efforts to bolster the local defences, taking eighteen hours to fully deploy from orbit.

Their first target of priority was the Orks moving towards the hive centre along St Celestine's Highway. A strike force of Astartes skimmers, bike squadrons and aircraft engage the Ork flyers that had persisted in guerrilla strikes throughout the conflict. Though the Salamanders rack up an impressive kill tally, they exhaust their ammunition quickly. They are forced to withdraw for resupply and are ultimately unable to stop the flow of innumerable Orks through the outer hive districts.

Salamanders Bike Squadron "Quicksliver" (5th Company 9th Assault Squad) engage enemy units along St Celestine's Highway.

The remaining Salamanders units would deploy deeper within the Imperial battlelines. The action is not a tactical one but an inspirational one; to restore the morale of the panicking DMDC forces, who had come to believe they were forsaken by the God-Emperor.

We must turn about this disaster you have set for yourselves. The greenskins are flowing like hot slag through the city. 

We can slow them down here, until their momentum breaks.
- Captain R’Keth, directing the Dakota Minor command staff on the chokepoint strategy.

Captain R'Keth met with the DMDC command staff, and together they devise a strategy to create a series of strategic chokepoints within the city to delay the Ork advances.

The Chokepoints: Day 18 to 45The majority of the chokepoints were positioned on arterial roadways leading from St Celestine's and St Arabella's Highways. Each were designed to funnel the greenskins into Imperial kill-zones. In addition, numerous narrow passages, bridges and tunnels were closed to redirect or delay the Ork advances. In many cases, these access ways were demolished by the DMDC with explosives.

Tactical map of Dakota Primus, displaying Ork and Imperial movements after the implementation of the chokepoint strategem.

With the Salamanders now distributed amongst the local defences, the Imperial forces prepared for prolonged defensive actions. As the Orks confidently marched through the narrow road sections, they are savaged by fusillades of Imperial lascannons and missile launchers. The resulting wreckage formed their own roadblocks against the xenos advance, though it was a double-edged sword: the Imperials were also blocking themselves in.
 

All chokepoints would hold for twenty-five days. The frustrated Orks eventually make a concerted push on foot, abandoning their mechanised assault. The rush of greenskins through the hab blocks, sewer pipes and structures, saw many Imperial chokepoints overrun on the forty-third day. Many Astartes and DMDC armour had depleted their fuel and ammunition, and their crews were forced to abandon their vehicles. As a result, Captain R’Keth ordered a fighting withdrawal towards the city’s centre.

Meanwhile, Imperial air forces were persistent in intercepting Ork flyers, to maintain air superiority over the hive. By the forty-fifth day, they are successful in securing the airspace, but are of limited assistance within the depths and narrow passages of Dakota Primus.

Salamanders Stormhawk Interceptor "Ember One" executes a strafing run on Ork infantry formations

Reinforcing The Bastion: Day 50 to 54

For the next five days, the Imperial forces rallied at the “Bastion”, the central Administratum hub at the heart of the Dakota Primus. Lord-Governor Hastings Freeman convened with the Salamanders Captain and the DMDC command staff, to prepare a last stand. Meanwhile, the greenskins continued to march unto the Bastion on foot…