5th Deneb Light Cavalry

Brigade Insignia of the Deneb Light Cavalry
5th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT
Formed 2782[1]
Nickname The Sprinter Killers[2]
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Deneb Light Cavalry


The Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT was a Regimental Combat Team in service to Federated Suns, and was the first original Deneb Light Cavalry unit formed by the AFFS during the Succession Wars.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

During the First Succession War, the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry, an original Star League Defense Force unit, helped train and reorganize several regiments in the Rapid Deployment Mixed Arm Forces philosophy, which would become the foundation of the entire brigade. Unlike most RCTs, the Light Cavalry units were formed around a BattleMech regiment made up of light and medium 'Mechs, with two Hovercraft regiments and two regiments of Jump Infantry. Six aerospace fighter wings (three times the standard for an RCT) would provide superior air cover, while enough JumpShips and DropShips were permanently attached to transport the entire RCT. These commands were well-suited to quickly responding to any threat (or opportunity) anywhere. The Fifth Light Cavalry and other units were thus formed to these lines, while the Fifth was the first to become combat operational. The Fifth drew their nickname from a predator native to the plains of New Avalon. Although they saw no action during the First War, they soon made their presence felt in the Second Succession War.[2][3][4]

Like the Fourth and Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry formations, the core of the Fifth lay in the Thirteenth Royal French Demi-Brigade[1] a part of LVI Corps, one of three Corps that formed the Nineteenth Army. The SLDF personnel recruited by the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns to form the Fourth, Fifth and Eighth could all trace the heritage of their unit back to the ancient French Foreign Legion on Terra. The AFFS recruited the Thirteenth in 2782, making it one of the first SLDF formations to be recruited as the Terran Hegemony collapsed.[1][5]

Succession Wars[edit]

The Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry distinguished itself during the Second and Third Succession Wars, winning several major victories and establishing itself as one of the most famous units of the entire AFFS.[4] By the end of the Third War in 3025, the Fifth Light Cavalry were based on the strategic world of Northwind in the Draconis March.[6]

The Fourth Succession War[edit]

The Battle of Northwind[edit]

The 5th Sword of Light nearly destroyed the Fifth on Northwind

When the Fourth Succession War came in 3028, the Fifth Deneb was still based on Northwind. Maximilian Liao, Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation, was desperate to blunt the Federated Suns' offensive against his realm. Pleading for aid from his Concord of Kapteyn ally, Coordinator Takashi Kurita, the Draconis Combine leader authorized attacks against House Davion. The Coordinator and Warlord Vasily Cherenkoff of the Dieron Military District recognized Northwind's critical position on the border, concluding that if that world could be taken, many others would soon follow. There was even a chance the Federated Suns could be cut off from their allies in the Lyran Commonwealth. Cherenkoff deployed the elite 5th Sword of Light, the 36th Dieron Regulars and the recently formed Genyosha, an elite, reinforced battalion of MechWarriors commanded by the legendary Yorinaga Kurita. In addition to the Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry and their supporting units, Northwind was defended by Team Banzai and Bradley's Bravos, a mercenary unit commanded by former (and future) Kell Hound Scott Bradley. The Genyosha's presence was due primarily to the ISF misidentifying Bradley's Bravos as the Kell Hounds' Third Battalion. (In fact, they would not formally become part of the Hounds until after the battle.) The AFFS forces were based in and around the capital city of Cromarty on the continent of New Lanark. The DCMS troops landed north and east of the city, and soon began pressuring the Davion forces. The early fighting saw neither side able to win a decisive edge over the other, with the skill of the invading forces matched by the mobility and determination of the defenders. Realizing that a prolonged conflict would delay further attacks and seeking to break the stalemate, Tai-sho Palmer Conti, commander of the Fifth Sword of Light, ordered his troops to release ptomaine poisoning into the reservoir lake that provided water to the city. By the following day, most of the city and half the Fifth Deneb had been inflicted with a deadly disease that proved almost incurable. Thousands of civilians were killed before the water was cut off, and only four 'Mech companies of the Fifth Deneb remained in operation. The mercenaries were unaffected, as they relied on a separate water source. Nevertheless, the strength and morale of the defenders had been devastated. Major Collins was the most-senior officer of the Fifth Deneb not dead or ill, and he assumed command of their remaining Deneb forces. Soon the Thirty-sixth Dieron launched a full-scale assault on the city. The Fifth, though at less than half-strength, seemed to successfully drive the Regulars off, then fell into a pursuit of the Kurita troops. This proved to have been a grave mistake, as the Thirty-sixth's attack and retreat had all been designed to lure the Cavalry from their defensive positions. Fifth Sword of Light ambushed the overextended and outnumbered Light Cavalry, overrunning the Davion forces and forcing them to scatter. Team Banzai attempted to intervene to save the Sprinter Killers, only to find themselves blocked by the Genyosha, who inflicted serious damage on the mercenaries and injuring their commander, Doctor B. Banzai, whose 'Mech was destroyed by Yorinaga Kurita himself. It was here that Takashi Kurita's Death to Mercenaries order came into play, with Kurita soldiers executing many of those mercenaries who were captured, much to the disgust of the Genyosha warriors. The remaining forces of the Fifth Deneb, Team Banzai and Bradley's Bravos retreated north into the Cairngorm Mountains to the rocky terrain of the Rockspires, attempting to regroup. By this point, only two battalions' worth of disorganized mixed troops remained of the Cavalry, which had previously boasted 15 battalions total plus air support. Collins formed the survivors of the Fifth Deneb into provisional companies or "Teams", incorporating his remaining 'Mech and armor assets together. By early January 3029, Tai-sho Conti's forces now boasted a huge numerical advantage over the surviving defenders, an edge he intended to press. On 11 January, a raid by the Blue Blazers battalion of Team Banzai almost destroyed Conti's headquarters while the Fifth Sword was on maneuvers. Their attack was blunted and repulsed by elements of the Genyosha led by Akira Brahe, however, who destroyed a full 'Mech company of the mercenaries. Although the Genyosha departed to pursue their feud against the Kell Hounds, Conti still had more than sufficient troops to complete his victory. The Davion and mercenary troops, meanwhile, prepared for the end, repairing their machines and treating their wounded as best they could. Bradley's Bravos formed themselves into an Omega Company armed with Inferno missiles, preparing to make a suicide attack to buy the other survivors time to escape through the northern passes with the wounded.

The Northwind Highlanders helped rescue the Fifth on Northwind

As the Kuritan forces approached the AFFS forces, intending to finish them off, the sound of bagpipes filled the communication systems of both sides. The four regiments of Northwind Highlanders, which had long been in service to House Liao, were burning fast towards the planet, and directly towards the coming battle. Conti believed the Highlanders had arrived to help finish off the Davion troops, and ordered the DCMS forces onward. The Highlanders, however, contacted the Davion commanders, informing them that they had reached an agreement with First Prince Hanse Davion to return to their ancestral homeworld, and were returning home on the side of the AFFS. This reinvigorated the surviving defenders, with one Deneb provisional company: "Team Cutter", so enthused they conducted an ill-advised charge against advancing elements of the Fifth Swords' first battalion. Fortunately, elements of the 2nd Kearny Highlanders' Dark Watch company soon arrived to reinforce the overeager Davion troops. Recognizing the situation, Conti immediately ordered a retreat, preserving most his own regiment but ordering the Thirty-sixth to cover the retreat, effectively sacrificing a full battalion from the Hungry Ghosts. The defeat on Northwind effectively cowed Warlord Cherenkoff and ended his ambitions against the Federated Suns for the remainder of the war. Although House Kurita made gains elsewhere, none were at the expense of the Coreward combat theater facing Cherenkoff's district. Cherenkoff remained bunkered on Dieron, authorizing only minor raids against House Davion.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

Aftermath[edit]

In need of extensive rebuilding after the battle, the survivors of the Fifth Deneb Cavalry saw no serious action for the remainder of the conflict. Indeed, their losses in men and matériel were so extensive that they were officially considered "destroyed" months later in a summary of the battle by Theodore Kurita.[13]

War of 3039[edit]

In the mid-3030s, Hauptmann General Andrew Terlecki Jr. took command of the Fifth. The son of Marshal Terlecki was the son of Andrew Terlecki Sr., the commanding officer of the entire Deneb Light Cavalry brigade.[14] When the War of 3039 finally broke out in 3039, the Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry, though having been rebuilt to full strength and of good quality, were left on the sidelines, defending the planet Nanking in the Sarna March. Only after the conflict had ended was the RCT rotated to garrison the recently conquered world of Murchison.[15]

Clan Invasion and Sudeten[edit]

Losses to Clan Jade Falcon ended the Fifth's proud history

At the dawn of the Clan Invasion in 3050, the Fifth Light Cavalry was still based on Murchison.[16] Along with dozens of other Davion regiments, the Fifth Cavalry was transferred to the Lyran Commonwealth-Clan front to meet the threat of the seemingly invincible invaders. The Fifth saw little action until after the Battle of Tukayyid, however, and soon found themselves involved in "border raiding" against Clan Jade Falcon.

In 3053, the Fifth was chosen along with the 12th Deneb Light Cavalry, a "free" 'Mech regiment, to conduct a daring raid on the occupied world of Sudeten. AFFC Intelligence had identified Sudeten as a major supply depot for Falcon operations, as well as reporting the presence of a large encampment of POWs. Accompanied by the 81st FedCom and 403rd Lyran Independent Aero Regiments along with their own support and a number of assault DropShips, it was believed the Deneb Light Cavalry forces would have ample support to succeed in their mission. True to form, the Cavalry employed a Pirate Point to reach their destination, hoping to catch the Falcons by surprise. Unfortunately, the Intelligence services had severely underestimated Clan opposition for the mission, as the CJF Jade Talon, an Aegis-class WarShip, was in orbit over the planet, and more than a Galaxy of Falcon troops were on the surface. By chance, various Jade Falcon Clusters had been temporarily assigned to the important world. The AFFC troops were forced to commit their entire aerospace contingent to holding off the WarShip and the Falcons' own aerospace forces while the ground troops made their drop. The Fifth was assigned to rescue the POWs from the camp, where they took devastating casualties, but were nonetheless able to free hundreds of prisoners. The Twelfth, meanwhile, had landed directly on the supply factories, and the defending 8th Falcon Regulars. Although the Fifth attempted to send their hovercraft to help reinforce the beleaguered Twelfth, the Falcons received their own reinforcements in the 12th Falcon Regulars. The Twelfth Deneb retreated without having even damaged the targeted facilities. The Fifth fled Sudeten having taken 80 percent casualties, while only a third of the Twelfth made it off the planet. The aerospace forces had suffered similar losses, with only 27 of 120 fighters surviving the battle with the Jade Talon. Although some prisoners had been rescued, the entire operation was considered a debacle.[17][18]

In the aftermath, it was decided that the Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry would be disbanded, with its surviving officers and soldiers transferred to the other DLC commands. The lion's share of these seemed to join the understrength Twelfth Deneb, including two companies of armor and three companies of infantry, which had been all that was left of the Fifth's conventional forces. This gave the Twelfth a permanently attached auxiliary battalion.[19]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Time Period in Command
Commanding Officers of the 5th Deneb Light Cavalry
Marshal Lovis Yolis 3025[6]
Major Collins 3029[7]
Hauptmann General Andrew Terlecki Jr. 303? - 3053[14]

Tactics[edit]

Like most Deneb Light Cavalry units, the Fifth specialized in rapid deployments, using lighter and faster 'Mechs, along with hovercraft and mobile infantry for their conventional forces.[3] Although effective in many situations, when forced into a stand-up fight against large numbers of Jade Falcons without their air support, they lacked the strength to survive.[17]

Composition History[edit]

2786 - 2821[edit]

Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[20]

- At this point in time the Fifth was a medium-weight unit operating at full strength, and was based on New Florence.[20] In 2821 the unit was operating at just below half-strength, and was based on Edwards.[20]

2830[edit]

5th Deneb Light Cavalry (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[21]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Edwards with an operational readiness of 115 percent.[21]

2864[edit]

5th Deneb Light Cavalry (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[21]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Klamriz V with an operational readiness of 90 percent.[21]

3025[edit]

5th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT (Regimental Combat Team/Regular/Reliable)[6]

  • CO: Marshal Lovis Yolis
  • BattleMech regiment
  • Two hovercraft regiments
  • Two jump infantry regiments
  • Six aerospace wings
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Northwind.

3040[edit]

5th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT (Regimental Combat Team/Regular/Reliable)[22]

CO: Hauptmann General Andrew Terlecki Jr.
  • BattleMech regiment
  • Two hovercraft regiments
  • Two jump infantry regiments
  • Six aerospace wings
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Murchison.[22]

3050[edit]

5th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT (Regimental Combat Team/Regular/Reliable)[16]

CO: Hauptmann General Andrew Terlecki Jr.
  • BattleMech regiment
  • Two hovercraft regiments
  • Two jump infantry regiments
  • Six aerospace wings
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Murchison.[16]

Insignia and Color Scheme[edit]

Like the rest of the Deneb Light Cavalry, the Fifth used a rectangle of black surrounding the bust of a white horse upon a square of gold as its insignia; with the roman numeral "five" appearing within the square to designate the Fifth. In deference to the Light Cavalry's origins as a Star League Regular Army command, the Fifth uses a light tan paint scheme.[3][23]

Notes[edit]

  • Although the Fifth Deneb primarily employed light and medium 'Mechs and did not normally use heavy tanks at all, the sample provisional company listed in the NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 featured several heavy and assault 'Mechs along with heavy tanks.[9] This may be put down as either an aberration or the perhaps the equipment came from a planetary militia unit absorbed into the Cavalry.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 First Succession War, p. 33: "Those Left Behind"
  2. 2.0 2.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 141: "Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT: The Sprinter-Killers", the Fifth's nickname is given and explained
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 141: "Deneb Light Cavalry", the Deneb Light Cavalry formations and training are described
  4. 4.0 4.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 141: "Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT: The Sprinter-Killers", the Fifth is described, particularly their Succession Wars successes
  5. Field Manual: SLDF, p. 223: "LVI Corps"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 136: "Federated Suns Deployment Table - 3025", the Fifth DLC's homeworld, commander, experience and loyalty ratings
  7. 7.0 7.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, pp. 78–79: "Northwind", the battle of Northwind
  8. The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One, p. 37: "A Dirty Little War", the battle of Northwind
  9. 9.0 9.1 The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One, p. 36: "Of Treason and Heroes", Team Cutter attacks
  10. Warrior: Riposte, pp. 276–281: the Genyosha blunts the Blue Blazers' attack, reacts to mercenary executions
  11. Warrior: Riposte, pp. 282–286: Scott Bradley and Tommy Lester discuss the Northwind Campaign, Highlanders arrive
  12. Warrior: Coupé, p. 183: Conti orders the Thirty-sixth Dieron to cover the retreat of his own Fifth Sword of Light
  13. Warrior: Coupé, p. 182: Theodore Kurita names the Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry as destroyed by the Fifth Sword of Light
  14. 14.0 14.1 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 84: "Deneb Light Cavalry
  15. Historical: War of 3039: "Deployment Table - Armed Forces of the Federated Suns", the Fifth DLC's disposition and movements during and after the War of 3039
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 20 Year Update, p. 19: "Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth (Deployment as of 3050)", the Fifth DLC is based on Murchison and commanded by Hauptmann General Andrew Terlecki
  17. 17.0 17.1 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 84: "Commanding Officer", the fateful raid on Sudeten effectively ends the Fifth's existence
  18. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 88: "12th Deneb Light Cavalry: The Blur-Snakes", the raid on Sudeten goes badly for the Deneb Light Cavalry
  19. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 88: "12th Deneb Combat Auxiliary", the Fifth's conventional forces join the Twelfth
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Second Succession War, p. 95
  22. 22.0 22.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 136
  23. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 84: "Colors and Insignia", the brigade and unit insignias are described

Bibliography[edit]