299th Division (ComStar)

299th Division IV-lambda
Nickname Courtesy Through Words (3050);
The Battle Smokers (3062)
Affiliation ComStar
Parent Command Third Army


Noted for its actions against Clan Smoke Jaguar during the Battle of Tukayyid, the 299th Division was unwillingly dragged into the FedCom Civil War and ultimately destroyed.

History[edit]

Prior to the Clan Invasion, the regular ranked 299th Division was known by the nickname of Courtesy Through Words with its headquarters on the Capellan Confederation capital world of Sian.[1]

Along with the rest of the Fifth Army, the 299th was assigned to combat Clan Smoke Jaguar during the Battle of Tukayyid and along with the 323rd Division were hidden inside the Dinju Pass, the only path to the Jaguar's Alpha Galaxy target city of Dinju Heights.

Viewing the seemingly undefended pass as too good to be true, the un-Clanlike caution of Jaguar Grenadiers commander Star Colonel Brandon Howell led him to suspect it was an ambush, sending a probing action to smoke out any hidden Com Guard troops while ordering the rest of his OmniMechs to run along the pass walls at flank speed. While almost completely obliterating the probe force, the 299th could only engage the bulk of the Grenadiers briefly before they raced past, inflicting heavy losses but unable to prevent a sizable portion of the Jaguar unit making it through.

However when the Sixth Jaguar Dragoons attempted to make their own run, the 299th and 323rd Division had emerged from hiding and were crowding the floor of the pass, creating a gauntlet of overwhelming firepower and devastated the Dragoons. With Jaguar Khan Lincoln Osis seemingly killed during this melee and the death of their saKhan Sarah Weaver in the Racice River Delta, ilKhan Ulric Kerensky ordered Clan Smoke Jaguar to retreat from Tukayyid. Viewing this as a Clan Wolf attempt to dishonor them, the Dragoons refused and kept advancing, but the numerical superiority of the 299th and 323rd allowed them to completely overwhelm and destroy the Jaguar unit.[2][3]

Like many Com Guard Divisions, the 299th chose a new nickname after that climactic battle, calling itself The Battle Smokers, being transferred from Fifth Army to the Third and making its headquarters on the Federated Suns capital of New Avalon.[4] While many Com Guard divisions felt that Victor Steiner-Davion's appointment to the role of Precentor Martial damaged ComStar's professed neutrality, the 299th was much more vocal than most as their station on New Avalon would ensure that any armed conflict between Katherine Steiner-Davion and her brother would drag them into it.[5]

The 299th's misgivings proved justified when the so-called FedCom Civil War burst into open war. As the pro-Victor Allied forces massed to assault New Avalon, Katherine requested the 299th aid her defense as the lawful ruler of the world. Feeling betrayed by Victor Steiner-Davion's hollow promises of staying out of any conflict and interrupting Precentor Gavin Dow's orders for Com Guard Divisions to assist in defending any world on which they were stationed against outside invasion, the 299th agreed.[6]

Field Marshal Jackson Davion assigned a Level III from the 299th to bolster the Loyalist forces unsuccessful attempt to keep Ardan Sortek's newly landed units from linking up with Tancred Sandoval's force. After Victor and the main Allied force landed, the bulk of the 299th was assigned to defend Avalon City. Initially decimating the 1st NAIS Cadre with heavy artillery barrages, after the 22nd Avalon Hussars retreated the Allies tore into the flanks of the 19th Arcturan Guards and the 299th, destroying both units.[7]

While harboring a strong dislike for Victor, thanks to the phrasing of their intention to aid in the defense of New Avalon instead of siding with Katherine, the 299th was spared the outright disgrace and excommunication ComStar meted out to the 244th Division.[8] Because of the heavy losses suffered by the division, it was decided to disband rather than rebuild the 299th, with those survivors choosing to remain with the Com Guards transferred into their companion unit from Tukayyid, the 323rd Division.[9]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 299th Division
Precentor Peter Fedt Clan Invasion - Until Demotion after the Battle of Tukayyid[1]
Demi-Precentor Peter Fedt 3066[1][4]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3050[edit]

299th Division (Division/Regular)[10]

Note: At this point in time the 299th Division was stationed on Sian.[10]

3055[edit]

299th Division (Division/Regular)[11]

Note: At this point in time the 299th Division was stationed on New Avalon.[11]

3062[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • The insignia of the 299th Division shows the black silhouette of a Raijin standing in front a stylized gray cloud.[5]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 20 Year Update, p. 70: "5th V-xi"
  2. Tukayyid, pp. 29, 35: "Campaign: Clan Smoke Jaguar"
  3. Invading Clans, p. 61: "Tukayyid: The Crucible"
  4. 4.0 4.1 ComStar, p. 85: "3rd Army V-lambda"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Field Manual: ComStar, pp. 24–25: "3rd Army V-lambda: The Emerald Falconeers"
  6. FedCom Civil War, p. 168: "Wave Seven - New Avalon"
  7. FedCom Civil War, pp. 170–171: "Wave Seven - New Avalon"
  8. Field Manual: Updates, p. 83: "ComStar - Overview"
  9. Field Manual: Updates, p. 85: "3rd Army V-Lambda (The Emerald Falconeers)"
  10. 10.0 10.1 20 Year Update, p. 70
  11. 11.0 11.1 ComStar, p. 84

Bibliography[edit]