On the 13th of July, Providence Bloc forces saw no less than five separate engagements in the span of four hours in the Catch and Providence regions, resulting in a total of one hundred and eighty-three kills and one hundred and six losses as well as twelve billion ISKs in damages.
The first engagement took place in the 9KOE-A system, Catch region, between Providence Bloc and the THE UNTHINKABLES Alliance. Providence Bloc forces, commanded by corebloodbrothers of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult Alliance, were making their way towards the V-3YG7 system in the Catch region, which serves as Brave Collective Alliance‘s main staging system. They were mainly in Battlecruiser and Cruiser class ships with armor Logistic ship support, some eighty-five pilots in total.
However, their route was blocked in the U-QVWD system, by a THE UNTHINKABLES Alliance fleet of an equal size, mostly in Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruisers . Since THE UNTHINKABLES had the better position, jumping into them was deemed unwise, and a decision was made to retreat, hoping for the enemy force to be lured and jump into the Providence Bloc fleet, thus allowing for a decent brawl.
This was what exactly happened, when THE UNTHINKABLES force gave chase after some time, and caught up to the Providence Bloc forces in the 9KOE-A system, on the 36N-HZ gate. What unfolded was a chaotic brawl, with Providence Bloc losing seventy-five ships, but managing to inflict twenty-eight losses on THE UNTHINKABLES.
Original battle report can be found here
Fixed battle report can be found here
With the bulk of the fleet destroyed, it was presumed that this would be the end of Providence Bloc operations for the day, yet reports of an Affirmative(dot) Alliance Ferox class Battlecruiser gang in the F-YH5B system, Providence region, spurred members of the fleet to re-ship to Rupture class Cruisers. What followed was a one sided engagement between the thirty-five strong Ferox gang and the seventy-two pilot Rupture fleet on the 8P9-BM gate, which was won by Providence Bloc with only minor losses.
Original battle report can be found here
Fixed battle report can be found here
Emboldened by this engagement, Providence Bloc forces made their way back to the V-3YG7 system for a second round. Only this time, a CFC Frigate fleet, a hundred and ten strong mainly in Interceptors and Harpy class Assault ships was encountered in the B-3QPD system, Catch region. The CFC force was jumping into the system from the V-3YG7 system and was caught by the Providence Bloc forces. A brutal engagement quickly happened, with Providence Bloc forces decimating half the CFC fleet, but taking some significant losses themselves.
Original battle report can be found here
In the end, Providence Bloc forces prevailed and entered the V-3YG7 system, however, it seems that remnants of the CFC force decided to give chase, as a second engagement flared on the B-3QPD gate and the station in the system, resulting in more losses to the CFC forces, as well as an Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance Cormorant class Destroyer gang which got caught in the crossfire. This time Providence Bloc losses were minimal.
Original battle report can be found here
What should have marked the last engagement, with Providence Bloc forces happily returning to their staging system, was proven wrong, as a Cult of War Alliance Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruiser gang, with intentions to prey upon the remnants of the Providence Bloc fleet, was sadly mistaken in their estimates, and instead encountered a still formidable fleet compared to their forces. The fighting was carried on the gates linking the U-QVWD and B-3QPD systems, with Cult of War suffering quite a few losses before abondening the field completely.
Original battle report can be found here
This marked the last major engagement before Providence Bloc forces returned to the staging system, reaching five engagements, with four clear victories and one defeat early on.
After a turbulent start for the summer, will this mark a return to normality for the Providence Bloc?
Special thanks are in order for corebloodbrothers and Botia Macracantha, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult Alliance for granting interviews and supplying details.
