14th Lyran Guards

Lyran Guards brigade logo.png
Fourteenth Lyran Guards
Disbanded By 3145
Nickname The Fearsome Fourteenth
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command Lyran Guards

History[edit]

Early History[edit]

The Fourteenth Lyran Guards were inactive during the majority of the Star League era, having either been casualties of the Age of War or one of the commands deactivated after the founding of the Star League.[1] The Fourteenth was subsequently reactivated at some point between 2765 and 2785.[2]

Succession Wars[edit]

The Lyran Commonwealth invaded Denebola in 2786, deploying the Fourteenth Lyran Guards as the invasion force, accompanied by a naval escort consisting of a pair of Commonwealth-class light cruisers, the LCS Odessa and LCS Porrima. Despite being outgunned, the Free Worlds League naval picket, which consisted of two Vincent-class corvettes gamely attempted to attack the Lyran invasion force, only for the opening volley of laser and missile fire from the Odessa to destroy the FWLS Francisco outright - at which point her sister ship fled the Denebola system, leaving the Thirty-fourth Marik Militia to attempt to resist the invasion without naval support.[3]

The Thirty-fourth was a new and inexperienced unit, and the relatively light garrison on Denebola was a result of how heavily deployed the Free Worlds League Military was at the time - a result of the combined stresses of heavy fighting on the border with the Lyran Commonwealth, the ongoing annexation of former Terran Hegemony worlds, and the invasion of the Capellan Confederation. The Thirty-fourth had taken up residence in the battered facilities that had once been the home base of the SLDF 282nd Mechanized Infantry Division, and were still settling in when the Lyrans invaded. At the request of Colonel Hoshi DeWitt, the commanding officer of the Fourteenth, the Odessa and Porrima moved into orbit above Denebola and subjected the Thirty-fourth's base to a two-hour orbital bombardment that destroyed more than half the Marik forces outright. Having already lost a company of forces to Hegemony guerrillas still active on the planet, two companies of mixed armor and infantry forces from the Thirty-fourth went to ground and would spend months engaged in raids and resistance against the Fourteenth Lyran Guards, but the bulk of the survivors from the Thirty-fourth surrendered within two days of the Fourteenth's landing.[3]

The Fourteenth Lyran Guards defended Alexandria in 2953 and 2955 alongside the Twentieth Arcturan Guards. Their actions against both the Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine in the Third Succession War earned them a Dragon Slayer's Ribbon and an Eagle's Feather. After the Third Succession War, most of their focus was on the Free Worlds League.[citation needed]

In 3047 they attempted to raid the Free Worlds planet Pingree. Two companies of the Fifth Fusiliers of Oriente intercepted them and held them off for two days. The delay allowed the rest of the Fusiliers to deploy effectively and force the Fourteenth off-world.[citation needed]

The Second Battalion of Fourteenth Lyran Guards were defeated while attempting to defend Gienah against a raid by the Third Free Worlds Legionnaires and Second Fusiliers of Oriente in September 3048.[4]

In 3050, the Fourteenth was stationed on Ford.[5] As the political situation on Ford destabilized the Thirtieth Lyran Military Police Regiment (an infantry unit attached to the Fourteenth) played a large role in maintaining order on the world.[4]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

During the FedCom Civil War, the Fourteenth joined with the Free Skye Movement and fought their fellow Guards. After the Civil War ended, the Fourteenth would have been stricken from the rolls, but Duke Kelswa-Steiner was able to talk the High Command into keeping the regiment intact. The other Lyran Guard units shunned the Fourteenth because of their actions.[6]

The Jihad[edit]

In the Jihad the Fourteenth returned to Pingree, easily landing on the world but rapidly coming under continual fire from the defending Free Worlds units. They took heavy losses before the ceasefire. In 3079 they had relocated to Zdice.[7]

As part of Operation SCOUR, the Fourteenth raided Andiron with orders to secure as much Word of Blake technology as they could. The Fourteenth dropped several companies on the world. The Guards struck quickly, but only found conventional forces. After the conventional units had skirmished with the Blakists for two weeks, the Guards BattleMechs and fast vehicles struck the main Blakist repair and supply facility. The Guards seized two companies worth of combat units and tons of supplies, before withdrawing in good order. To reward their success, the LCAF High Command reassigned the Fourteenth to garrison Solaris VII and authorized their expansion to a full RCT.[8]

The Dark Age[edit]

In 3104 the leadership of the shadowy organization known as the Brotherhood of Cincinnatus was destroyed on Gacrux. The Brotherhood's leadership had been targeted by a sustained military campaign conducted by the LCAF at the orders of Archon Adam Steiner following a failed attempt to assassinate Hanse Steiner, the mentally handicapped son of Peter Steiner-Davion and Marie Hussfield, in 3098. Adam led the First Royal Guards and Fourteenth Lyran Guards personally on Gacrux, having received permission from Devlin Stone to cross the border of the Republic of the Sphere in pursuit of the Brotherhood.[9]

The Fourteenth were among the units destroyed by Clan Wolf during their invasion of the Commonwealth.[10]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 14th Lyran Guards
Colonel Hoshi DeWitt 2786[3]
Colonel Dale Barrows 3025[11]
Marshal Emily Stevens 3050 - 3057[5][12]
Leutnant-General Katinka Porter 3057 - 3067[4][13]
Leutnant-General Pendragon Botov 3085[14]

Tactics[edit]

The Fourteenth is a classic Lyran heavy assault unit. Unlike most of these regiments, the Fourteenth lacks the Lightning Companies common after the Fourth Succession War. The heavy 'Mechs are supported by lighter, more mobile armor units.[4]

Composition History[edit]

2786–2821[edit]

14th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[2]

CO: Colonel Hoshi DeWitt[3]
Note: At this point in time the Fourteenth was an assault-weight regiment and was operating at full strength.[2] In 2821 the unit was operating at just below half strength.[2]

2830[edit]

14th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[15]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Denebola with an operational readiness of 106 percent.[15]

2864[edit]

14th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[15]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Denebola with an operational readiness of 37 percent.[15]

3025[edit]

14th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[11]

  • CO: Colonel Dale Barrows
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Ford.

3040[edit]

14th Lyran Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[16]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Ford.[16]

3050[edit]

14th Lyran Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[17]

  • CO: Marshal Emily Stevens[17]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Ford.[17]

3054[edit]

14th Lyran guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[18]

  • CO: Marshal Emily Stevens[18]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Ford.[18]

3062[edit]

14th Lyran Guards (1 Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[4]
CO: Leutnant General Katinka Porter
Aide: Colonel Quentin Springall

14th Lyran Guards Armor Brigade (3 Regiments/Veteran/Reliable)[4]
CO: Colonel Imogen Ackerman
Aide: Leutnant Colonel Luther Steiner-Brewer
360th Lyran Armored Cavalry Regiment: Colonel Alexii Gosness
274th Lyran Armored Cavalry Regiment: Colonel Sinclair Chadwick
4th Ford Artillery Group: Colonel Maxwell Jafree

14th Lyran Guards Infantry Brigade (5 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[4]
CO: Colonel Faustine Giron
Aide: Leutnant Colonel Julious Verma
98th Lyran Mechanized Rifles: Colonel Somerset Schmidt
15th Ford Mechanized Infantry Regiment: Colonel Prudence Moikal
16th Ford Mechanized Infantry Regiment: Colonel Noah Weekes
393rd Lyran Heavy Infantry Regiment: Colonel Adora Rastern
30th Lyran Military Police Regiment: Colonel Greville James

3067[edit]

14th Lyran Guards RCT (Veteran/Reliable)[13]
CO: Leutnant General K. Porter

14th Lyran Armor Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[13]
CO: Colonel Luther Steiner-Brewer

14th Lyran Infantry Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[13]
CO: Colonel Faustine Giron

3079[edit]

Fourteenth Lyran Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[19]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Zdice.[19] The unit lost 60% of its forces during the Jihad.[7]

3085[edit]

14th Lyran Guards LCT (Veteran/Questionable)[14]
CO: Leutnant General Pendragon Botov

14th Lyran Armored Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[14]
CO: Colonel Chesley Elwyn

14th Lyran Infantry Brigade (Veteran/Questionable)[14]
CO: Colonel Shinobu Tar

Notes[edit]

  • The Fourteenth got their nickname from the time when the entire unit was painted in black, red and grey for combat on the dark world of Baxter. The color scheme is also painted like a regimental patch on the upper arms of the unit's BattleMechs.[20]

Reference[edit]

  1. Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 13: "Lyran Guards"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 First Succession War, p. 139: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces (LCAF)"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 First Succession War, p. 29: "Lyran Commonwealth Gains"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 79: "14th Lyran Guards Unit Profile"
  5. 5.0 5.1 20 Year Update, p. 27: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  6. Field Manual: Updates, p. 170: "14th Lyran Guards"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Field Report: LAAF, p. 12
  8. Field Manual: 3085, p. 101
  9. Field Manual: 3145, p. 119: "Reconstruction"
  10. Field Manual: 3145, p. 126
  11. 11.0 11.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 119 (PDF version): "Unit Deployment Table - 3025"
  12. Objective Raids, p. 19: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Field Manual: Updates, p. 177: "LAAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Field Manual: 3085, p. 107: "LAAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Second Succession War, p. 99
  16. 16.0 16.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 20 Year Update, p. 27
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Objective Raids, p. 19
  19. 19.0 19.1 Field Report: FWLM, p. 12
  20. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 53

Bibliography[edit]