1st Janissaries

Stivesjanissaires1st.png
First Janissaries Brigade
Formed 3055[1]
Disbanded Between 3116 and 3145
Nickname The Pride of Tantra
Affiliation Capellan Confederation;
St. Ives Compact (previous)
Parent Command St. Ives Janissaries;
St. Ives Sentinels (previous)


Unit Description[edit]

The First Janissaries is an extensively intermixed Combined Arms Brigade originally formed by the St. Ives Compact and later serving with the Capellan Confederation. The Brigade consisted of three regiments which were composed of vehicles and 'Mechs mixed down to the lance level.[2] It had assigned aerospace fighter and infantry to separate attached forces.[3]

Unit Insignia[edit]

When the unit formed, the Janissaries' insignia was a sword and a spear crossed across a shield with a stallion on its hind legs. Below the Stallion and the two weapons is an ivory colored number 1. While in service to the St. Ives Compact, the shield incorporated golden highlights, but this was removed once the unit was integrated with the Confederation due to the color being associated with Combat units favored by the Chancellor being painted gold.[4]

History[edit]

Formation and Early Years[edit]

Originally conceived by St. Ives Compact Duchess Candace Liao in 3047, she envisioned a new type of combat force to protect her realm. However, the 1st Janissaries Brigade would not be formed for nearly a decade due to the Clan Invasion of 3050. Through the Duchess' investment in her realm's military complex, it was by then would be enough equipment is allotted to form new Corps. The 1st Janissaries were formed in 3055, and commanded by Paul Santini. He would take best and brightest minds from St. Ives military schools to form the brigade and through them they help craft new means to conduct war.

The 1st Janissaries would later be commanded by Tank Commander, Tan MacKenzie, who was the first St. Ives Compact Tank officer to command a BattleMech force. The brigade did not become fully operational until 3060, when it was stationed on the Liao border worlds. The unit would remained untested, until spark that led to war with the Confederation.[5]

The Capellan–St. Ives War[edit]

In 3061, the Capellan Confederation began its aggressive moves try to take over the Compact after it secretly engineered Blackwind Lancers to attack Confederation in previous year. The 1st Janissaries had been stationed on Tantara when Confederation's invasion forces arrived to mark the beginning of the war for the unit. The Brigade moved swiftly against the invaders, striking the 5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry with their signature wave attack which caught the 5th Reserves by complete surprise. The brigade had its forces strike against the Cavalry's rear operation areas, paralyzing its Battle Armor infantry forces and shattering its chain of command. The Janissaries forced the Cavalry to withdraw until they could call for reinforcements, which came to the aid of the less-experienced brigade. Eventually, the Janissaries were forced to abandon their homeworld due to mounting losses they could not sustain. The unit moved to Warlock where they dug in to protect the Compact's military industrial complex there. They held and defended the facilities there until the war had concluded and the Compact surrendered.[6]

Pre-Jihad Years[edit]

After the war and absorption of the St. Ives Compact back into House Liao, the unit began to rebuild from the conflict. Some of the brigade losses include the Combat Command Beta regiment had taken upwards seventy percent damage and 1st Ranger Auxiliaries losing almost 2 battalions' worth of Battle Armor infantry to help bolster other fledgling commands. The Combat Group Gamma regiment had lost a majority of its most experienced troops, which reduced the command's experience rating to Green.[7] Duchess Candace had the Brigade leave its garrison to conduct a patrol of the Commonality with FedSuns. Officially assigned the patrol to keep eye on FedCom/FedSuns border from invaders, but also bolster the Commonality's sense of national pride. By 3067, the Brigade had regained its full strength and assigned to garrison homeworld of Tantara.[8]

Jihad[edit]

In 3068, FedSuns renegade Capellan March Lord, Duke George Hasek launched his invasion of St. Ives and the Capellan Confederation. Despite the split in loyalties of its sister Brigade, the First Janissaries fought alongside other Capellan Confederation troops against the FedSuns invasion.[9] The unit was later sent to Spica where it suffered heavy damage from Word of Blake forces before being forced to retreat off-planet.

By 3079, the 1st Janissaries' St. Ives Janissary Command was disbanded along with its traitorous 2nd Janissaries and it was moved to the St. Ives Sentinels. Due to the betrayal of its sister unit, the Capellan Confederation's High Command refused to allocate resources to rebuild the beleaguered and damaged unit, causing tensions to rise among its members.[10]

In 3085, the unit's longtime commander had been reassigned. The replacement commander reorganized the unit, with each former combat command converted to an augmented armor regiment. Though the total firepower remains the same, this new formation makes the unit more suited for defensive duties instead of the swift raiding the unit was known for. This has only annoyed the soldiers of the unit still more.[11]

Dark Age Era[edit]

Victoria War[edit]

The First Janissaries and Canopian Highlanders arrived on Uravan to face the 7th Crucis Lancers. The Janissaries attacked infrastructure targets at first, then moved to attack the Crucis Lancers directly. The Lancers fought a guerrilla war for several months but the Janissaries and Highlanders inflicted heavy damage on the AFFS unit. Eventually the Lancers were rescued and left Uravan.[12] This fighting cost them approximately a quarter of their strength.[13]

Capellan Crusades[edit]

At the beginning of the Capellan Crusades the First Janissaries were stationed on Tsingtao.[14] During the Capellan Crusades the First Janissaries were stationed on Sarna when the Republic mounted Operation MAGNUS against that world in October 3112. Stone's Trackers ravaged the Janissaries with strikes against their officers, supplies and rear-echelons, before they and Stone's Liberators administered the coup de grâce to the unit in the Great Sarn Forest. This last battle saw the First effectively ended as a combat-effective unit.[15][16][17] The few survivors were evacuated to Quemoy to rest and rebuild.[18]

Post-Crusades and Disbandment[edit]

The First Janissaries continued to serve during the immediate post-Crusade era, mounting raids against Mentasta and Beid. At some point, circa 3116, General Daman Zibler and the Seventeenth Avalon Hussars responded to these raids by attacking the Janissaries on Warlock and severely damaging them.[19]

By 3145 the First St. Ives Janissaries had been disbanded.[20]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 1st Janissaries
Sang-shao Tan MacKenzie 3055 - 3063[21][22]
Sang-shao Lyndon Maitland 3085[23]

Tactics[edit]

When first formed, the three regiments of the brigade would operate together. As part of their standard doctrine, they would attack an opponent in waves as part of means to keep them off-balanced. During these waves, the forces attacking would go in fast and fade to create confusion of the Janissaries true numbers. The Janissaries would use the BattleMechs to pin the enemy forces in places while other forces such as fighters, artillery and infantry would destroy them.[24]

Composition History[edit]

3063 to 3067[edit]

Combat Command Alpha (Combined Arms Regiment)

  • CO: Zhong-shao Frederick Orlando[25]
    • Notes: In 3067, the Unit was rated as Veterans and retains Questionable loyalty rating has regained its full strength/numbers as regiment. It has 90% Star League equipment upgrades with 20% standard B Rated Equipment.[26]

Combat Command Beta (Combined Arms Regiment)

  • CO: Zhong-shao Ping Dansho
    • Notes: In 3063, the unit was down to 70% of its strength.[27] As of 3067, the Unit was rated as Regulars and retains Questionable loyalty rating from 3063. Its strength/numbers of the regiment was rated at 105%, with 80 percent of its forces upgraded with Star League technology.

Combat Command Gamma (Combined Arms Regiment)

  • CO: Zhong-shao Milek Roche

275th Aerospace Wing (Wing)

1st Ranger Auxiliaries (Infantry Battalion/Regiment)

  • CO: Sao-shao Pren Yuan
    • Notes: Prior to Capellan–St. Ives War in 3060, the unit had 2 battalions' worth of Battle Armor enhanced by artillery support. After the conflict in 3063, the unit was barely a battalion with 2 companies' worth armor infantry remaining with some of its artillery support. As of 3067, the Unit was rated as Veterans and retains Questionable loyalty rating and grown to full Regiment.

3079[edit]

First Janissaries (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[28]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Maladar.[28] The brigade's BattleMech force had been reduced to 35% strength from its original regiment's worth of 'Mechs.[29] Its loyal rating remains questionable, its troops are skilled as veterans.[30]

3085[edit]

1st Janissaries Brigade (Veteran/Questionable)[23]

Combat Command Alpha (Veteran/Questionable)[23]

Combat Command Beta (Regular/Questionable)[23]

Combat Command Gamma (Regular/Questionable)[23]

275th Aerospace (Wing/Veteran/Questionable)[23]

1st Ranger (Regular/Reliable)[23]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 110: 1st of the Janissaries formed in 3055 by Paul Santini
  2. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 110: St. Ives Janissaries
  3. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: 1st Janissaries' info
  4. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: 1st Janissaries - unit's insignia's info
  5. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, pp. 110–111: St. Ives Janissaries - Unit's formation and early years leading to Capellan–St. Ives War
  6. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: 1st Janissaries' background info during the Capellan–St. Ives War
  7. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: Regiment notes from losses after war
  8. Field Manual: Updates, p. 29: St. Ives Janissaries
  9. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 42: Hasek Invasion Unravels - 1st Janissaries noted for fighting and remaining loyal to House Liao
  10. Field Report: CCAF, p. 19: Janissaries' status as of 3079, and brief history of its activities
  11. Field Manual: 3085, p. 32
  12. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, pp. 58–59
  13. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 65
  14. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 86
  15. Spotlight On: Stone's Trackers, p. 4
  16. Spotlight On: Stone's Trackers, p. 9: "Auspicious Incident"
  17. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 80
  18. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 87
  19. Era Report: 3145, p. 52: "Seventeenth Avalon Hussars"
  20. Field Manual: 3145, p. 42: "Second St. Ives Sentinels"
  21. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: Commanding officer as of 3063 listed, notes MacKenzie assuming command as of 3055
  22. Field Manual: Updates, p. 34: 1st Janissary Brigade aka 1st Janissaries CO remains the same as in Field Manual: Capellan Confederation
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 Field Manual: 3085, p. 34: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  24. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: Tactics - 1st Janissaries' tactics
  25. Field Manual: Updates, p. 34: Unit Command listed, with same officers for each of the Brigade's commands as found in Field Manual: Capellan Confederation
  26. Field Manual: Updates, p. 34: Unit strength and tech upgrades as of 3067
  27. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: Unit strength noted
  28. 28.0 28.1 Field Report: CCAF, p. 19
  29. Writers of CGL clearify that listing in Field Reports: CCAF only shows 'Mech strength. (dead link)
  30. Field Report: CCAF, p. 19: 1st Janissaries as of 3079
  31. Field Manual: Updates, p. 34: "Capellan Confederation Deployment Table" - Unit listed as 1st Janissary Brigade, not it profile
  32. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 111: Unit name sometimes referred to as Janissary as well as Janissaries
  33. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 131: 1st Janissaries' Force Specific abilities - Optional Scenario rules available for the Brigade

Bibliography[edit]