104th Division (ComStar)

104th Division IV-chi
Nickname The Rhinos (3050)
Smoke and Mirrors (3062)
Affiliation ComStar
Parent Command 12th Army


Suffering grievous losses at the hands of Clan Jade Falcon on Tukayyid, the 104th Division saw heavy action against the Word of Blake in the opening stages of the Jihad.

History[edit]

Prior to the initial Clan Invasion, the green rated 104th Division was known by the nickname of The Rhinos and was assigned to the 4th Army. Then a IV-lambda based formation, the 104th's headquarters world was St. Ives.[1]

Battle of Tukayyid[edit]

Along with the rest of the Fourth Army, the 104th was assigned to assist the First Army in combat against Clan Ghost Bear during the Battle of Tukayyid. Concerned that the green units of the Fourth like the 104th would break during combat against the Bears, despite protests from the Fourth Army's commander Precentor Aryon Tolliver, the First Army commander Katherine Luarca ordered the Fourth to stay on station around the secondary target city of Luk while the First led the charge against the Bears.

When Luarca's decision weakened the defense of the primary target of Spanac and allowed the Ghost Bears to capture it, two divisions from the Fourth unsuccessfully attempted to pin them down in the city with artillery fire to prevent them moving on their brothers back at Luk. With the Bears' elite Alpha Galaxy shrugging off this assault and tearing into the Fourth Army as Luarca had feared, Luk and the divisions of the Fourth were saved when Luarca ordered the 103rd Division along with the remains of the 308th Division to sack Alpha's main supply depot. Guarded only by Freebirth warriors in second line 'Mechs and with Alpha's losses mounting, the Bears pulled back to reinforce and safeguard Spanac, earning a marginal victory against the Com Guards.[2][3][4][5]

With the withdrawal of the Ghost Bears, both the First and Fourth Armies were transferred to assist the Eleventh and Third Armies in their battle against Clan Jade Falcon. Initially the 104th was held back as Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht assigned the bulk of the Fourth to assist the 388th and 214th Divisions' assault against the Falcon's repair and resupply depots at Plough Bridge and Robyn's Crossing until a lucky Com Guard aerospace fighter strike succeeding in destroying the Falcon's main supply depot.[6][7][8][9]

With Clan Jade Falcon now reluctantly preparing to withdraw off-world still under fire from the Com Guards, just as the Falcon troops drew within sight of their landing zones, two Overlord-class DropShips carrying the 104th Division attempted to land behind Jade Falcon lines in an attempt to catch the Clan forces in a pincer movement and cut off their retreat. Unfortunately, a group of Falcon Elementals were able to attack the Com Guard DropShips moments after landing, successfully destroying one and tying up the other before they could deploy their 'Mechs. While the 104th fanatically threw themselves at the Falcons in a desperate attempt to stop them, the Falcon Guards beat back the attackers and allowed their fellows to board and escape. Remaining behind to allow the escape of wounded troops, Falcon Guards CO Star Colonel Aidan Pryde would defeat over two 'Mech Level IIs from the 104th before he finally fell.[6][7][8][9][10]

Post-Tukayyid[edit]

Heavily rebuilding with Infantry to become a IV-chi formation in the aftermath of Tukayyid, the now regular rated 104th returned to active duty in October 3057, previously being assigned as part of Terran Defense Force as it spent five long years returning to full strength.[11] In the process of transferring to the 12th Army to bolster the Com Guard presence in the Free Rasalhague Republic to guard against a renewed Clan attack, the 104th could only watch in horror as the Word of Blake launched Operation Odysseus to capture Terra.[12]

While the unit fomented to reverse course and single-handedly led the vanguard of Com Guard liberation of the world, the Precentor Martial instead ordered the 104th to continue on to Republic capital of Orestes to drill the KungsArmé's newly reborn 1st Tyr Regiment in preparations for its raids against the Clans. Though dutifully performing their duty, with Orestes the Republic world most opposed to ComStar's presence in the small nation, the 104th found itself constantly snubbed and insulted by its inhabitants.[12][13]

Jihad[edit]

After the Word of Blake dealt a devastating blow against the Com Guard forces on Tukayyid, under the command of ex–Precentor Martial Focht elements of the 104th would run the Blakist blockade of Tukayyid aboard the Dante-class CSV Bordeaux, succeeding in evacuating Primus Sharilar Mori and other senior Com Guard officers to Orestes with only minor losses.[14][15][16][17]

In the first week of November 3068, the Blakist forces would then strike at the ComStar presence on Orestes, with the 104th and 1st Tyr taking extremely heavy losses before eventually pushing the Blakists into retreat.[16][17]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 104th Division (ComStar)
Precentor Lyon Francolynner 3049[1]
Precentor Marietta Winger 3055 - 3067[11][12][18]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3050[edit]

104th Division (Division/Green)[19]

Note: At this point in time the 104th Division was stationed on St. Ives.[19]

3055[edit]

104th Division (Level III/Regular)[20]

Note: At this point in time the 104th Division was stationed on Terra.[20]

3062 to 3067[12][18][edit]

Notes[edit]

  • The 104th's insignia was an infinite maze of passages formed by mirrors.[12]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 20 Year Update, p. 70: "4th V-nu"
  2. Tukayyid, pp. 48–56: "Campaign: Clan Ghost Bear"
  3. Invading Clans, p. 29: "Tukayyid: World of Fate"
  4. Wolf Clan, pp. 48–49: "Days of Armageddon - Ghost Bear"
  5. ComStar, pp. 69–72: "Battle of Tukayyid"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Tukayyid, pp. 58–59: "Campaign: Clan Jade Falcon"
  7. 7.0 7.1 ComStar, pp. 70–71: "Battle of Tukayyid"
  8. 8.0 8.1 Wolf Clan, p. 50: "Days of Armageddon - Jade Falcon"
  9. 9.0 9.1 Jade Falcon Sourcebook, pp. 30–32: "Battle of Tukayyid"
  10. Tukayyid, pp. 66–67: "Pryde's Pride [20]"
  11. 11.0 11.1 ComStar, p. 85: "Terran Defense Force V-Gamma (The Home Guard, Sol star system)"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Field Manual: ComStar, p. 43: "12th Army V-Beta: The Broadsword and Shield"
  13. Field Manual: Updates, p. 88: "12th Army V-Beta: The Broadsword and Shield"
  14. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 121: "Daring Rescue"
  15. Blake Ascending, p. 121: "Daring Rescue"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, pp. 17–18
  17. 17.0 17.1 Blake Ascending, pp. 177–178: "Timeline"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 99: "Com Guard (Deployment as of 1 October 3067) - 12th Army V-Beta: The Broadsword and Shield"
  19. 19.0 19.1 20 Year Update, p. 70
  20. 20.0 20.1 ComStar, p. 85

Bibliography[edit]