1st Robinson Rangers

Insignia of the 1st Robinson Rangers
First Robinson Rangers
Formed 2765-2786
Nickname The Vols
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Robinson Rangers

History[edit]

The homeworld of the First Robinson Rangers is Robinson.

Formation[edit]

The First Robinson Rangers and a sister regiment, the Second Robinson Rangers, were formed or reactivated at some point between 2765[1] and the outbreak of the First Succession War in 2786. Both regiments were subsequently destroyed before the end of the First Succession War.[2]

Mallory's World[edit]

The Robinson Rangers arrived on Mallory's World to reinforce the AFFS forces there. Though they missed most of the fighting, they did fight the 9th Benjamin Regulars outside the city of Harrison's Ferry. The order to retreat offworld reached the Regulars but the Rangers pursued them all the way to their landing zones, and continued firing on the Combine unit until their DropShips left the world.[3]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

During the Fourth Succession War the First Robinson Rangers moved to Edwards to counter expected Draconis Combine activity. With Takashi Kurita focusing on destroying Wolf's Dragoons, the Rangers did not see any combat on that world.[4]

War of 3039[edit]

During the War of 3039, the 1st Robinson Rangers, along with the Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT and 93rd Mechanized Brigade, formed part of a taskforce led by Field Marshal James Sandoval to recapture the important BattleMech producing world of Marduk, lost to the Draconis Combine during the Fourth Succession War. The AFFS taskforce greatly outnumbered the local militia and battalion of Sixth Benjamin Regulars defending the world, capturing the planet with relative ease.[5]

Digging in in the face of an anticipated counterattack, AFFS forces outnumbered the remains of the Sixth and Eighth Galedon Regulars sent to retake the planet, inflicting heavy losses thanks to the old-school Kurita tactics practiced by both units. Trapping the Combine forces in the remains of a Succession Wars era fort, the Rangers only withdrew when First Prince Hanse Davion recalled the FedCom forces, but not before they stripped machinery and materials from the manufacturers onworld.[6]

Clan Invasion[edit]

The First Robinson Rangers were one of many Draconis March units deployed to the Lyran Commonwealth during the Clan Invasion. They took up station on Kooken's Pleasure Pit and fought Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Steel Viper forces.[7]

Operation Bulldog[edit]

During Operation Bulldog the First Robinson Rangers were part of the multinational force that attacked Clan Smoke Jaguar. Stationed on Wolcott along with several Capellan Confederation and Draconis Combine units, the Rangers protected the world from Smoke Jaguar attacks.[8] Though there were some minor incidents between the Combine warriors and the Rangers, the Rangers were never cited as the cause of the disturbance.[7] Shortly thereafter they traveled to Clan space with Victor Steiner-Davion and returned.[7]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

During the FedCom Civil War the First Robinson Rangers were a key unit in Duke Sandoval's attack on the Draconis Combine. They attacked Proserpina along with the 8th Crucis Lancers and Robinson Battle Academy Training Battalion. There they destroyed the 9th Benjamin Regulars.[9] Later the Rangers attacked Ashio and faced the 46th Dieron Regulars. The 46th and the Robinson Rangers inflicted heavy losses on each other, but eventually the 46th's command of the local terrain led Mai Fortuna to relocate to a new city on Ashio.[10] What the Rangers didn't know was that the city was controlled by yakuza, and the Rangers soon found themselves dealing with a guerrilla war. The yakuza held no love for the Combine, but they did want to control the planet and used the conflict to their own advantage. Eventually the Rangers lost patience when they couldn't find the parties responsible, and began leveling whole buildings in the city. The final straw was a conflict at a munitions factory that was being guarded by the Robinson Battle Academy cadets attached to the Rangers. The yakuza lured elements of the Dieron Regulars to the factory and started a fight between the two forces. When the cadets and Regulars were fully committed, the yakuza blew up the munitions plant. The resulting explosion killed every cadet and most of the Regulars who were involved in the battle. The Rangers and Regulars fought even harder, believing that the other side was responsible for the bombing. This pushed the 1st Robinson Rangers over the edge and they committed war crimes; it is implied they razed a city and killed the civilian population.[11] When the 12th Dieron Regulars arrived to reinforce the survivors of the 46th, however, the Robinson Rangers had no choice but to withdraw from the planet. They went to Mallory's World.[12] However, the evacuation DropShips had insufficient capacity and some elements had to be left behind to be overrun, adding to the overall misery.[11]

Päl Wyndham-Sandoval served in the unit under Captain Falcot during the nightmarish Ashio campaign. Like most of his fellow soldiers, he had to be treated for drug addiction afterwards. Dags Honor was one of the MechWarriors left behind when the unit evacuated.[11]

Jihad[edit]

After incorporating the survivors of the Second Robinson Rangers into the unit, the First Robinson Rangers liberated Robinson from the Word of Blake forces that held it. They then proceeded to defend the world throughout the rest of the Jihad. After that conflict ended, the First was downsized into a Light Combat Team that was assigned to defend McComb. By reassigning two of the First Robinson Rangers battalions to form the 1st and 2nd Robinson Strikers, the AFFS High Command both rebuilt the defenses on Robinson and prevented the Rangers from going rogue.[13]

The First Robinson Rangers were recalled to garrison Robinson in 3082. There they assumed command of the defense of the world, but were not authorized to train the newly built Robinson DMM LCT. Instead the 1st Avalon Hussars oversaw that training. The Rangers resent this but are smart enough to realize that they could find themselves transferred to another border world away from their namesake planet and so remain silent. At this time Duke Tancred Sandoval hasn't authorized any replacement 'Mechs, so the First Rangers are at half their nominal strength.[14]

Dark Age[edit]

The First was stationed on Royal and was effectively destroyed on that world.[15]

ilClan[edit]

Colleen Sandoval announced the re-formation of the unit in 3151. Much of the unit was made up of the former Second Davion Irregulars, after the officers were promised titles and land grants for their service. Almost the entire unit of Irregulars joined the Rangers.[16]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 1st Robinson Rangers
Field Marshal Aaron Sandoval 3013 - 3025[17][18]
Hauptmann General Mai Fortuna 3050 - 3063[19][20][7]
Leftenant General Jerome Dorant 3067[21]
Major General Deann Feff 3085[22]

Tactics[edit]

The First Robinson Rangers are skilled in open field battles.[7]

Composition History[edit]

2786[edit]

First Robinson Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[2]

- At this point in time the First was a medium-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Robinson.[2]

3025[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[18]

  • CO: Field Marshal Aaron Sandoval
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Robinson.

3040[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[23]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Robinson.[23]

3050[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[24]

  • CO: Hauptmann General Mai Fortuna[24]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Robinson.[24]

3054[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers RCT (/Veteran/Fanatical)[25]

  • CO: Hauptmann General Mai Fortuna[25]

-2nd Battalion CO: Kommandant Strom[26]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Kooken's Pleasure Pit.[25]

3062[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers (1 Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[7]

- Two Battalions with a mix of various class

1st Robinson Rangers Air (1 Reinforced Wing/Regular/Reliable)[7]

3067[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers (Veteran/Reliable)[21]

1st Robinson Rangers Air (Wing/Elite/Reliable)[21]

3079[edit]

The First Robinson Rangers had been reduced to thirty-five percent of their pre-Jihad strength, but most of this was due to the loss of two of the formation's battalions to other units. The First Rangers kept the aerospace assets of the 2nd Robinson Rangers, giving them a huge amount of air support.[13]

3085[edit]

1st Robinson Rangers (Regular/Reliable)[22]

1st Robinson Rangers Air (Wing/Green/Reliable)[22]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Field Report 2765: AFFS
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 First Succession War, p. 135: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  3. Historical Turning Points: Mallory's World, p. 19
  4. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 11
  5. Historical: War of 3039, pp. 42–44
  6. Historical: War of 3039, pp. 91–92
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 101: "1st Robinson Rangers Unit Profile"
  8. The Dragon Roars, p. 11
  9. Field Manual: Updates, p. 106
  10. FedCom Civil War, p. 90
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Epaulet Mate
  12. FedCom Civil War, pp. 106–107
  13. 13.0 13.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 14
  14. Field Manual: 3085, p. 62
  15. Technical Readout: 3145 The Clans, p. 36
  16. Dominions Divided, p. 58
  17. Historical Turning Points: Mallory's World, p. 8
  18. 18.0 18.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 136 (PDF version): "Robinson PDZ"
  19. 20 Year Update, p. 19: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  20. Objective Raids, p. 23: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 140: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3067"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 71: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3085"
  23. 23.0 23.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 136
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 20 Year Update, p. 19
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 Objective Raids, p. 23
  26. Scapegoats

Bibliography[edit]