First Battle of Ord Biniir

During the Galactic Civil War, the First Battle of Ord Biniir—also known simply as the Battle of Ord Biniir—took place when a group of Rebel Alliance Y-wing starfighters attacked the Imperial-controlled planet Ord Biniir. The Imperial 233rd Imperial Fighter Group defending Ord Biniir attempted to repel the Alliance attackers, but the Rebel Y-wing starfighters easily defeated them, capturing the planet for the Alliance. However, a few days later, the second TIE Fighter squadron of the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing recaptured the planet in the Second Battle of Ord Biniir.

The battle

During the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance,^[1] the Outer Rim^[4] planet Ord Biniir was under Imperial control. The planet itself was protected by the Imperial 233rd Imperial Fighter Group,^[1] composed of approximately six starfighter squadrons.^[3] However, in that same year, a large amount of Rebel BTL Y-wing starfighters attacked Ord Biniir—in what would later be called the First Battle of Ord Biniir,^[1] or simply the Battle of Ord Biniir^[5]—hoping to capture the planet for the Alliance. The 233rd's starfighters tried to fend off the Y-wing assault, but the Rebel Y-wings decimated the Imperial fighter wing, seizing Ord Biniir.^[1]

Aftermath

The Rebels' capture of Ord Biniir helped prove the usefulness of the Alliance's Y-wings in battle,^[6] and many Y-wing pilot veterans of the battle went on to brag about their exploits at Ord Biniir. However, a few days after the First Battle of Ord Biniir, the Empire dispatched the second TIE Fighter squadron of the 181st Fighter Wing, under the command of Captain Soontir Fel, to retake the planet. During the Second Battle of Ord Biniir, Fel's second squadron defeated the Y-wings stationed on Ord Biniir and retook the planet for the Empire.^[1]

In 4 ABY, four years after the battle, Fel was captured by the Rebel Alliance and, during his interrogation, briefly mentioned the First and Second Battles of Ord Biniir.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The First Battle of Ord Biniir was first mentioned in the Y-wing's entry in The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, published on March 19, 1996. The events of the battle were later expanded upon in the twenty-fifth issue of the Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron comic series, The Making of Baron Fel, published on November 5, 1997.

Appearances

• X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25 (Mentioned only)

Sources

• The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (First mentioned)
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 37 YWI 1-2: Y-Wing Starfighter (as Battle of Ord Biniir)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (Mentioned in multiple entries, but without own entry)
• Y-wing starfighter in the Databank (original site is defunct) (as Battle of Ord Biniir)
• The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 13 YWI 1-2: Koensayr BTL-A4 Y-wing (as Battle of Ord Biniir)

Notes and references