2nd Bolan Guards

(Redirected from 3rd Alliance Guards)
Allianceguards3rd.png
Second Bolan Guards
Formed 3049
Previous Designation(s) Eleventh FedCom RCT

(3049 - 3057)


Third Alliance Guards
(3057 - 3085)

Nickname The Boys from Skye

(3057 - 3085)

Affiliation Federated Commonwealth

(3049 - 3057)


Lyran Commonwealth
(3057 - present)

Parent Command Federated Commonwealth Corps

(3049 - 3057)


Alliance Guards
(3057 - 3085)


Commonwealth Guards
(3085 - present)

Previously known as the Eleventh FedCom RCT and the Third Alliance Guards RCT, the Second Bolan Guards LCT is a military formation that has, over the decades, served the Federated Commonwealth, Lyran Alliance and Lyran Commonwealth's Armed Forces.[1]

History[edit]

Early Years[edit]

Formed in 3047, the Eleventh FedCom RCT was stationed on the world of Skye until 3058 and, unusually for a FedCom Corps unit, drew almost all its recruits from the Skye March itself. These ties ensured that after the secession of the Lyran Alliance in 3057, the RCT remained in the LAAF. The unit was renamed the Third Alliance Guards but was reorganized by the newly formed LAAF High Command, who removed the most ardently pro-Skye troops and replaced them with ones more loyal to the Archon. Due to grumblings about the poor respect given the Alliance Guards and many of the unit's troops still maintaining strong ties to their former homeworld, a spirit that was typified by the Third's nickname of The Boys from Skye, the LIC kept the unit under a close eye.[2]

In mid-3058, the still untried Third Alliance Guard was relocated to the world of Blue Hole on the Jade Falcon border in reaction to the recent invasion of Coventry. Believing they'd finally have a chance to prove themselves, the Third's repeated requests to stage raids on the Clans were refused by Melissia Theater commander Sharon Bryan on the basis of their lack of experience. The unit was also not selected for participation in Operation Bulldog for the same reason, much to its chagrin.[2]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

In May of 3064, while the Third Alliance Guard and the allied Storm's Metal Thunder mercenary unit were embroiled in a shooting standoff with the Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry, Clan Jade Falcon finally attacked. The Third faced down the Turkina Eyrie while Storm's Metal Thunder engaged the First Falcon Swoop. The fighting was so brutal that even the Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry attempted to aid the Loyalist units, although they were only fired upon in exchange for their efforts. Taking heavy casualties, the Third was forced to withdraw to Melissia with only four companies of BattleMechs left standing, leaving the mercenaries to fend for themselves. The Metal Thunder was entirely destroyed save for two solitary 'Mechs that managed to retreat to Melissia.[3] On 16 August, 3064, Clan Jade Falcon reached Melissia and launched an immediate assault on the battered Third. In the resulting fighting, the Third Alliance Guard were almost entirely destroyed by Clan Jade Falcon forces under the command of Khan Marthe Pryde. Only the command staff and a handful of survivors made it off-world, under the command of General Adam Steiner. They fell back to Chapultepec and later took part in some of the engagements there.[4]

After the FedCom Civil War, the Third was slated for deactivation, but remained on LAAF rolls at the request of Hauptmann-General Isadora Agravaine. The pitched fighting against Jade Falcon forces had reduced them to a single battalion of salvaged BattleMechs, supported by two companies of vehicles, and their attempts to rebuild were hindered by the LAAF's emphasis on rebuilding what they considered to be combat worthy units.[5] By 3067, the Third Alliance Guard had returned to Melissia and took up a garrison post there while they slowly rebuilt.[6]

Jihad[edit]

As with the rest of the Alliance Guards, the Third acted as a reserve force during the Word of Blake Jihad, supplementing commands damaged during the occupations of Tharkad and Hesperus II. The unit's sole action of note during the period was an incident during its defense of Timbiqui's famous brewery from pirate raiders. Video footage of a Third Guards Zeus bring sprayed down by a beer truck as it tore a bandit Centurion apart with its energy weapons receiving extensive airplay across the Inner Sphere.[7]

Much of the losses suffered by the Third during the Jihad came not from combat but as troops and matériel were transferred out to recoup the losses of more favored commands, a move by High Command that further damaged the unit's poor morale. Near the end of the quartermaster's supply priorities at the best of times, the Third, like the rest of the Alliance Guards, chose to sacrifice its older equipment in order to prioritize the maintenance of its more modern machines as the Jihad crippled interstellar shipping.[7]

Dark Age[edit]

When the Lyran Alliance was officially renamed back to the Lyran Commonwealth by Archon Adam Steiner,[8] the Alliance Guards were rechristened the Commonwealth Guards. Subsequently, the Third Alliance Guards became the Second Bolan Guards and were restructured as a Davion-style LCT rather than rebuilt to their full RCT size.[1]

On 23 June 3083, after Tamari LaRue of the Inarcs Archonette refused to return her powers to Tharkad, Adam Steiner sent the Second Bolan Guards, along with the First Royal Guards RCT and Yggdrasil, to subdue her. The Second quickly secured the task force's drop zones and easily defeated local militia resistance while the First Royal Guards advanced on the defending Blackstone Highlanders and quickly captured the Duchess. The Second remained behind to secure Inarcs while the First Royal Guards transported Duchess LaRue to stand trial on Tharkad.[9]

Though the Second completed its mission successfully, the fighting on Inarcs only worsened the unit's morale issues. Many personnel in the unit were dismayed at again being forced to fight their own countrymen. In addition, the Second, despite its many name changes and long history as a Lyran-sympathetic unit, still maintained a sizable number of troops originally from the Federated Suns. These troops, already alienated by serving in the Lyran Alliance for so long, felt even more trapped in a foreign unit with this latest name change. The LCAF attempted to combat these loyalty issues by assigning the Second to Bolan alongside the First Bolan Guards in the hopes that garrisoning it there would allow its members to bond with its namesake world and develop pride by serving in its defense.[1]

During the Commonwealth's invasion of the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey in 3137, the Second Bolan Guards were at the forefront of the fighting. Luckily, their advanced position meant that they weren't damaged by Clan Wolf forces as they established the Wolf Empire. During the formation of the Empire, the Second Bolan Guards were able to tie up a large number of Free Worlds League Military forces, which allowed other LCAF units to escape. One of these fighting withdrawals involved a skirmish between the Second and the First Tamarind Regulars.[10]

In 3145, the Second had returned to its station on Bolan.[11] A year later, the unit found itself battling the First Tamarind Regulars once more when that unit invaded Bolan. Although they were initially successful, managing to drive the invaders back, the Second was later stymied and then driven off-world when League reinforcements arrived.[12]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Eleventh FedCom RCT
Hauptmann General Amos Bronson Harrington 3050[13] - 3052
Leutnant-General Martin Andor 3052[2] - 3057
Commanding Officers of the Third Alliance Guards
Leutnant-General Martin Andor 3057 - 3085[2]
Commanding Officers of the Second Bolan Guards
Leutnant-General Conger McConnaugh 3085[14]
Colonel Eli Colt 3145[15]

Tactics[edit]

The Third Alliance Guards, and before that the Eleventh FedCom, trained in a medley of tactics both offensive and defensive, though up until the FedCom Civil War had little chance to put their training into practice.[2]

Composition History[edit]

3050[edit]

Eleventh FedCom RCT (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[13]

  • CO: Hauptmann General Amos Bronson Harrington[13]
  • Base: Skye[13]

3054[edit]

Eleventh FedCom RCT (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[16]

3062[edit]

Third Alliance Guards (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[2]

Third Alliance Guards Aerospace Brigade (Wing)[2]
Third Alliance Armor Brigade (2 Regiments/Green/Reliable)[2]
  • Eleventh Alliance Heavy Armor Regiment
  • CO: Colonel Roberto Huntingdon
  • Ninety-second Skye Light Armor Regiment
Third Alliance Infantry Brigade (4 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[2]
  • Twenty-first Alliance Infantry Regiment
  • Twenty-second Alliance Infantry Regiment
  • Forty-fourth Independent Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • Eleventh FedCom Jump Infantry Regiment

3067[edit]

Third Alliance Guards RCT (Veteran/Reliable)[17]

  • CO: Leutnant-General Martin Andor
  • Base: Melissia
Third Alliance Guards Aerospace Brigade (Wing/Veteran/Reliable)[17]
Third Alliance Armor Brigade (2 Regiments/Veteran/Reliable)[17]
  • CO: Colonel Roberto Huntingdon
Third Alliance Infantry Brigade (4 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[2]
  • CO: Colonel Bill Scathlock

3079[edit]

Third Alliance Guards (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[18]

Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Timbiqui.[18]

3085[edit]

Second Bolan Guards LCT[14]

Second Bolan Guard Aerospace[14]
Second Bolan Armor Brigade[14]
Second Bolan Infantry Brigade[14]

3145[edit]

Second Bolan Guards (Veteran/Questionable)[15]

  • CO: Colonel Eli Colt
  • Base: Bolan
Second Bolan Guard Aerospace (Veteran/Reliable)[15]
Second Bolan Armor Brigade (Regular/Questionable)[15]
Second Bolan Infantry Brigade (Veteran/Questionable)[15]

Unit Colors and Insignia[edit]

  • When the Second Bolan Guards was a member of the Federated Commonwealth Corps RCTs, it primarily used the FedCom Corps crest as its insignia. After being renamed to the Third Alliance Guards, the insignia was changed to the Lyran Mailed Fist on a Skye green disk with the Roman number III emblazoned beneath it.
  • While with the FedCom Corps, the unit wore the colors standard to that formation. After being converted to Alliance Guards, their colors were changed to the Guards' brown and tan scheme, replacing that scheme's black edging with green edging in honor of Skye.

Notes[edit]

  • During its existence as the Third Alliance Guards, the unit's First and Second Battalions were primarily medium and light BattleMech designs of Federated Suns manufacture, such as the Stealth and Fireball. Its Third Battalion had more Lyran produced BattleMechs, generally in the heavy and assault classes, such as the Banshee and Falconer 'Mechs.

Reference[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 99: "Lyran Commonwealth - Commonwealth Guards"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 45: "3rd Alliance Guards Unit Profile"
  3. FedCom Civil War, p. 114
  4. FedCom Civil War, pp. 114, 116
  5. Field Manual: Updates, p. 166
  6. Field Manual: Updates, p. 178
  7. 7.0 7.1 Field Report: LAAF, p. 8: "Alliance Guards"
  8. Field Manual: 3085, p. 94: "The Lyran Commonwealth - General Review"
  9. Field Manual: 3085, pp. 94–95: "The Lyran Commonwealth - Reclaiming Authority"
  10. Technical Readout: 3145 Free Worlds League, p. 42
  11. Field Manual: 3145, p. 123
  12. Shattered Fortress, p. 20
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 20 Year Update, p. 27: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Tables - Skye March - Wyatt Theater - Gacrux Command"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 107: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces (Deployment as of 31 October 3085)"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 132: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - Buena Province"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Objective Raids, p. 19
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 178
  18. 18.0 18.1 Field Report: FWLM, p. 8

Bibliography[edit]