17th Skye Rangers

Skye Rangers 17th logo.png
Seventeenth Skye Rangers RCT
Nickname The Boys of Summer
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command Skye Rangers

History[edit]

Star League Era[edit]

The Seventeenth Skye Rangers were stationed on New Kyoto in 2765. They were raised on Summer at the same time as the 16th Skye Rangers. At the time of their formation the unit had more men than women, which gave them their nickname. The LCAF High Command also made sure to rotate the unit back to Summer every few years.[1][1]

Second Succession War[edit]

In 2838 the Free Worlds League Military was struggling under the combination of the ComStar interdiction of the Free Worlds League and Parliament's efforts to choke off funding to the military. Both the Capellan Confederation and Lyran Commonwealth had taken advantage of the League's woes to make military gains, with the LCAF expanding two major salients into the League with ruthless efficiency. However, in 2838 the FWLM forces fighting a tenacious defense in the League systems of the former Terran Hegemony found their LCAF opponents being hampered by expeditions from the Draconis Combine and Federated Suns, both looking to make gains of their own from the weakened League. Castor was one of the systems caught up in this - the LCAF had landed the Seventeenth Skye Rangers on the planet to destroy the defending FWLM garrison and occupy the world, only to have the Third Ceti Hussars land on the world later to try and claim it for the Federated Suns. Although the LCAF managed to rebuff the Ceti Hussars and finally claim Castor in spring 2839, by the time they had secured the world the interdiction had ended.[2]

Third Succession War[edit]

In 2893 the Seventeenth defended Skye from a DCMS attack. They infiltrated Bannockburn Bogs to ambush the Kuritan forces and drove them off world.[3]

In 3020 the Seventeenth engaged in a two day duel with the 1st Regulan Hussars at the Battle of Kendrew's Crossing on Amity that nearly destroyed both regiments. The Skye Rangers were able to gain the upper hand, forcing the Hussars to stage a fighting retreat off world.[4][5][6]

Clan Invasion[edit]

The entire unit was almost destroyed during the Clan Invasion.[7] The Seventeenth fought valiantly on Barcelona and Black Earth, but they sustained heavy losses against Clan Jade Falcon. The unit was able to withdraw from Barcelona only because a JumpShip captain disobeyed orders. The withdrawal forced the Seventeenth to leave most of their supporting infantry and armor brigades behind however. This pointless waste of their RCT caused many of the survivors to develop a pro-Free Skye stance. The unit retained their combat effective status, but then the LAAF High Command transferred most of their skilled officers and soldiers to other units to break up the "disloyal" troops who were pro-Free Skye. The LAAF High Command then used the Seventeenth as a dumping ground for soldiers who were discipline cases, held pro-Victor loyalties, or petty criminals.[8]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

During the FedCom Civil War, the Seventeenth Skye Rangers were pro-Victor. They were defeated on Lost and the survivors tried to join Victor's forces on York. Their presence would have enabled Victor to utilize York as a fallback position should his assault on Alarion fail.[9] However General Maria Esteban pulled a political trick and talked Robert Kelswa-Steiner into ordering the Seventeenth to return to Skye instead.[10]

In 3065, the Fourth Skye Rangers, the Seventeenth Skye Rangers, the Twenty-second Skye Rangers and the Thirty-second Lyran Guards tried to conquer Hesperus II, but were beaten back by the Gray Death Legion, Fifteenth Lyran Guards and Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards. The Skye forces had to surrender following the arrival of General Caesar Steiner and the Second Donegal Guards.[11]

The Seventeenth was practically destroyed late in the campaign, with barely a company surviving. While the survivors managed to keep their unit from being disbanded, the Seventeenth was effectively reduced to a paper regiment, and with resources diverted to rebuilding more combat-effective Skye regiments, this state of affairs looked unlikely to change in the near future.[12]

Jihad[edit]

At barely company-strength, the Seventeenth was unable to contribute much to the subsequent war against the Word of Blake. Its only operation of note was supporting humanitarian relief efforts and maintaining order on Summer after that world's liberation. The addition of one battalion from the Nekkar Skye Province Militia helped saved the regiment from disbandment.[13]

Republic Era[edit]

The Seventeenth were gifted to the Republic of the Sphere by LAAF, for the creation of the RAF[14]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 17th Skye Rangers
Colonel Bruce LaBlonc 3025[15]
Lieutenant General Mitchell Simons 3050[16]
Colonel Karl Prafol 3059 - 3062[8]
Colonel Ballade Randonee 3067 - 3081[17][18]

Tactics[edit]

In the lead-up to the FedCom Civil War the Seventeenth, having lost its aerospace units on Black Earth, was forced to rely upon its Lightning Company (in reality only two lances) for scouting duties. Despite this serious handicap, the regiment was nonetheless trained for a variety of offensive operations.[8]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[1]

- At this point in time the 17th Rangers was stationed on New Kyoto.[1]

2786 - 2821[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[19]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on New Kyoto. In 2821 the command was reduced to 45 percent of its strength and was deployed on New Hope.[19]

2830[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[20]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on New Hope with an operational readiness of 105 percent.[20]

2864[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[20]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Summer with an operational readiness of 80 percent.[20]

3025[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Elite/Questionable)[15]

  • CO: Colonel Bruce LaBlonc
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Summer. The unit was listed as the "house troop of Duke Aldo Lestrade."

3040[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Elite/Questionable)[21]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Barcelona.[21]

3050[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Elite/Questionable)[22]

  • CO: Leftenant General Mitchell Simons[22]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Barcelona.[22]

3054[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Elite/Questionable)[23]

  • CO: Leftenant General Mitchell Simons[23]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Barcelona.[23]

3062[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[8]
CO: Colonel Karl Prafol
Aide: Leutnant Colonel Antonia Roman

3067[edit]

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[24] CO: Colonel Ballade Randonee

3079[edit]

Seventeenth Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[25]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Blue Diamond.[25]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Report 2765: LCAF, pp. 18–19: "Skye Rangers" - Regimental Status
  2. Second Succession War, p. 44: "The Four-Front War: Operation COOKIE JAR and the ComStar War (2837-2842)"
  3. House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), pp. 79–80
  4. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 104
  5. Rolling Thunder, p. 12: "Tomaso Kinchuhara"
  6. Technical Readout: 3025, p. 86: "CRD-3R Crusader"
  7. Technical Readout: 3050, p. 6
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 101: "17th Skye Rangers Unit Profile"
  9. Storms of Fate, ch. 5
  10. Storms of Fate, ch. 9
  11. The Dying Time
  12. Field Manual: Updates, p. 173: "Seventeenth Skye Rangers"
  13. Field Report: LAAF, p. 15: "Skye Rangers"
  14. Field Manual: 3085, p. 167: "Forces gifted to the Republic"
  15. 15.0 15.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 119 (PDF version): "Unit Deployment Table"
  16. Overrun (CCG - CommandersEdition)
  17. Field Manual: Updates, p. 177: "Lyran Alliance Armed Forces Deployment Table"
  18. Field Manual: 3085, p. 17: "The Paladins"
  19. 19.0 19.1 First Succession War, p. 139
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Second Succession War, p. 99
  21. 21.0 21.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 138
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 20 Year Update, p. 24
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Objective Raids, p. 22
  24. Field Manual: Updates, p. 177: "Skye Province"
  25. 25.0 25.1 Field Report: FWLM, p. 15

Bibliography[edit]