Operation Return

Operation Return
Part of Dominion War
Date:	2374
Location:	Bajor sector
Result:	Federation victory
COMBATANTS United Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire Dominion COMMANDERS Captain Benjamin Sisko, Rear Admiral Jennifer Douglas, General Martok Gul Dukat STRENGTH 600+ Starfleet vessels and a unknown number of Klingon Defense Force warships 1,254 ships, Deep Space 9 and 2,800 ships from the Gamma Quadrant MATERIAL LOSSES Unknown 2,800+ CASUALTIES Unknown Unknown
CONFLICT CHRONOLOGY
Previous	Next
Raid on Sector 432	Raid on Coridan

For the Pendragon universe version of this engagement, see Operation Return (PDN).

Operation Return was the codename for the joint attack on Deep Space 9 by the Federation and Klingon Empires in 2374. The objective of the mission was to recapture the station and regain control of the Alpha Quadrant side of the Bajoran wormhole so to prevent Dominion reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant.

Planning stage

After several months in control of Deep Space 9 the Dominion had yet to bring down the minefield blocking the entrance to the wormhole. However the longer then remained in control of the station the higher the risk that they would figure a way to bring the field down so Captain Benjamin Sisko came up with a plan to regain control of the starbase.

The plan would involve a joint Starfleet and Klingon Defense Force task force made up of elements from the Second, Fifth, Ninth Fleet and a large contingent of Klingon warships. After getting approval from Starfleet Command the fleets started to rally at Starbase 375.

The fleet departs Starbase 375.

At the same time the Cardassians had finally found a way to bring down the minefield. The resistance force on Deep Space 9 managed to smuggle a message out to Sisko warning about the imminent destruction of the minefield. Unfortunately Sisko was still waiting for Klingon Chancellor Gowron to commit his forces to the operation and the Ninth Fleet would not arrive at the starbase before the field was due to be deactivated. This news forced Admiral William Ross to order Sisko to take the ships they had and fight their way to Deep Space 9 before it was too late. (DS9: "Favors the Bold")

The Ninth Fleet was redirected from Starbase 375 to Deep Space 9, though it would not be able to catch up to the fleet before the battle had already been decided. It was also rumoured that the Tenth Fleet had been dispatched to make its way to Deep Space 9. (Star Trek: Swiftfire: "Rode the 600")

The Dominion was soon aware of the sortie of the large fleet towards Deep Space 9 and Gul Dukat organised a large Dominion force to hold off the attack. Both fleets met each other roughly three hours high warp from the Bajor system. The Dominion fleet formed a defensive bulwark that blocked the Federation fleet. The Dominion only had to delay the Federation fleet and took a defensive stance.

The battle

Fighters attack the Dominion and Cardassian fleet.

Sisko tried to open a hole in the Dominion formation and spent three hours hammering the Cardassian starships with wave after wave of attack fighters. Dukat decided to allow a hole to appear and draw the Federation fleet and destroy it. Sisko recognised the tactic but with time running out had no choice but to take the bait.

The Federation fleet advances.

Once inside the Dominion formation the Federation fleet's formation fell apart due to communications jamming by the Dominion. For two hours the Federation fleet battled on before the surprise arrival of Klingons reinforcements. The Klingons blasted a hole into the Dominion formation allowing the USS Defiant to break through. With time running out and no other ships also through the Dominion lines the Defiant made its way toward Bajor, alone. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

The Majestic and Sitak are hit.

With communications back and the Klingon also involved they tried to get other ships through to join the Defiant but the Federation fleet was too fractured to make any reasonable headway. After an hour it was then far too late for any ships to make it to Deep Space 9 and the Federation and Klingon fleets disengaged to reform and the Dominion fleet did likewise.

Command of the fleet still battling the Dominion fell to Rear Admiral Jennifer Douglas of the USS Venture. Despite the arrival of the Klingons and communications coming back online the Federation fleet's formation had seriously fractured and was ineffective at penetrating the Dominion lines. Admiral Douglas ordered for the fleet to regroup and both fleet briefly disengaged as they adjusted their formations. With the fleet reformed and the Klingons anchoring one of the flanks the Admiral threw the fleet back into the Dominion lines and restarted the battle. (Star Trek: Swiftfire: "Rode the 600")

The Klingons enter the fray.

The Klingons made use of cloaking tactics helped by the added interference of the high amount of weapons' fire and radiation from destroyed ship to make their ships even harder to detect. This kept the Dominion flank on the defensive allowing the Klingons to be more aggressive. The Klingons were eventually successful in turning the Dominion's flank which started a general collapse in the Dominion lines. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels"; Star Trek: Swiftfire: "Rode the 600")

Despite the battle turning against the Dominion fleet the main objective was successful as the minefield was destroyed just as the Defiant arrived, too late to stop it. Captain Sisko then took the Defiant into the wormhole to meet the Dominion reinforcements unmolested by the station thanks to sabotage to the station's weapons by the resistance on the starbase. While in the wormhole Sisko was able to convince the Prophets to intervene and they simply made the vast 2,800 strong fleet vanish. The Defiant exited the wormhole alone, much to the surprise to those on Deep Space 9, and attacked the helpless station. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

The IKS Rotarran and the USS Venture then managed to led a mass breakthrough of the Dominion lines of two hundred ships and immediately headed towards Deep Space 9. The USS Cortéz took charge of the reminder of the fleet as it continued to engage the Dominion fleet. (Star Trek: Swiftfire: "Rode the 600")

Starfleet re-occupies Deep Space 9.

With the lack of Gamma Quadrant reinforcements, Deep Space 9's weapons' array offline and a large enemy fleet inbound the Female Changeling opted to evacuate the station and pull her forces back to regroup. The Dominion fleet disengaged from the battle and retreated, handing the Federation and Klingons victory. Starfleet quickly reoccupied Deep Space 9 and regained control of the Bajor system. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

Following the battle and the retreat of the Dominion fleet Starfleet recovery operations began in the battle zone. Search and rescue teams combed through the wreckage looking for survivors and recovered bodies. Starfleet Intelligence also deployed several teams to investigate the wrecks of Dominion and Cardassians ships in search of classified materials. (Star Trek: Swiftfire: "Unfinished Business")

The victory was a huge morale boost for the allies. Not only did they regain the station but also they defeated a much larger Dominion fleet. It also guaranteed that the Dominion in the Alpha Quadrant would have to fight the war without assistance from the Gamma Quadrant.

Participating starships

Federation

• USS Adams
• USS Aldebaran
• USS Aspen
• USS Beliskner
• USS Bertram
• USS Brisbane
• USS Cartwright
• USS Centaur
• USS Chiron
• USS Cortéz
• USS Covington
• USS Crusader
• USS Cunningham
• USS Daedalus
• USS Dauntless
• USS Defiant
• USS Exeter
• USS Gemini
• USS Hylonome
• USS Kenilorea
• USS Mabo
• USS Magellan
• USS Majestic
• USS Malinche
• USS Mateo
• USS Midas
• USS Midway
• USS Perry
• USS Resolution
• USS Sarek
• USS Sherman
• USS Sitak
• USS Sparrow
• USS Stingray
• USS Swiftfire-A
• USS Trinculo
• USS Vel'dna
• USS Venture
• USS Winston

Klingon Empire

• IKS Rotarran
• IKS Wo'tang

External links

• Operation Return article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Operation Return article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.