Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia

Crucis March Militia -Brigade logo.png
Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia
Formed 2754[1]
Disbanded 2992[2]
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Crucis March Militia


The Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia was responsible for defending the worlds of the Broken Wheel Combat Region and Broken Wheel Polymorphous Defense Zone.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In common with the other March Militias found across the Federated Suns, the Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia or Broken Wheel CrMM was formed in 2754 as a result of the Preparedness Act enacted by First Prince Richard Davion in 2735.[3] Richard established a formal training program aimed at increasing the general readiness level of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns reserve forces and formalized the structure of the March Militias, bringing the planetary militias into a common structure.[1]

Richard established a system whereby each of the Marches within the Federated Suns conducted internal wargames every two years, with those wargames being inspired by the Martial Olympiad conducted by the Star League Defense Force every four years. Each March Militia was formed as an ad hoc brigade drawing on the winners from each planetary militia across each Combat Region. These ad hoc brigades then competed against each other at a March level to earn the title of "Best Prepared" March Militia within each of the three Marches.[1]

The wargames proved to be very popular and by 2750 the prestige that was associated with the "Best Prepared" title inspired troops in every combat region to give their best effort, with some commands making plans years in advance to try and ensure that they were ready. After the close of the 2754 games First Prince John Davion activated all of the combat region commands as federal troops and formed them into the March Militias; while this move was controversial and provoked a flurry of judicial cases opposing the creation of the commands, it also added twenty BattleMech-equipped combat commands to the AFFS in a single stroke. Many of the planets that provided troops for the games were resentful of having their best militia troops pressed into federal service, and it would be 2763 before the last of the cases worked its way through the courts. With the final ruling going in favor of Prince John, he then moved to allay many of the fears expressed by the planets involved by laying down specific instructions that the March Militias wouldn't be deployed outside their home combat regions except under a small number of very rare and clearly-defined exceptions.[1]

Like the other Crucis March Militias the Broken Wheel CrMM was well-equipped, much more so than the average Capellan March Militia or Draconis March Militia, and soon established a constant training regimen. The Broken Wheel CrMM was highly active, leading to a readiness level greater than might have been expected of a militia formation, and acted as a mobile reserve for the Broken Wheel Combat Region and a staging ground through which planetary militia soldiers could move on into the AFFS, while retiring AFFS personnel moved into the March Militia to pass on their knowledge and experience.[1] The Broken Wheel CrMM was one of ten March Militia brigades founded within the Crucis March in 2754, with the other nine being the Anjin Muerto, Bastian, Islamabad, Kestrel, Malagrotta, Marlette, New Avalon, Point Barrow and Tsamma Crucis March Militias.[4]

Third Succession War[edit]

The Broken Wheel CrMM was destroyed in 2992 when the Militia's Monolith-class JumpShip disintegrated during a jump. It would be more than ninety years before the Broken Wheel CrMM was replaced due to the number of higher-priority units that needed funding more urgently, and even when the Broken Wheel CrMM was finally replaced the new Militia was named for the planet Hortense because Broken Wheel was no longer a Federated Suns world, having instead broken away and joined the Filtvelt Coalition during the Jihad.[2]

Jihad[edit]

In October 3069, an unknown pirate band struck the PDZ capital of Broken Wheel. Using a force of light BattleMechs (one Battle Hawk and two other 'Mechs), half a dozen Patron LoaderMechs, and six Plainsman, the pirates where able to hold back metropolitan police forces while they ransacked a total of nineteen banks and currency exchanges in New Porter, leaving prior to the arrival of the Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia. The pirates' DropShip easily outpaced the older aerospace fighters available to the militia.[5]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[4]

- One BattleMech regiment[1]
- Two armor regiments[1]
- Three infantry regiments[1]
- One mobile artillery battalion[1]
- Two aerospace wings, each of eighteen aerospace fighters[1]
- The Broken Wheel CrMM was stationed on Lackland at this point in time.[4][6]

2786–2821[edit]

Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[7]

Note: At this point in time the Militia was a light-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Lackland.[7] In 2821 the unit was operating at just over half-strength.[7]

2830[edit]

Broken Wheel CrMM (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[8]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Broken Wheel with an operational readiness of 123 percent.[8]

2864[edit]

Broken Wheel CrMM (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[8]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Broken Wheel with an operational readiness of 98 percent.[8]

Notes[edit]

  • Field Report 2765: AFFS attributes the Preparedness Act of 2735 to both Richard Davion[3] and Roger Davion.[1] Because other sources indicate that Richard Davion was First Prince in 2735, and that Roger Davion died in 2703, the latter attribution is probably an error.

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 21: "Federated Suns March Militias"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 67: "Hortense Periphery March Militia LCT"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 3: "Strategic Update"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22: "Regimental Status"
  5. BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [31/10/3069]: "Pirates Strike Broken Wheel"
  6. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Armed Forces Federated Suns Deployment Map 2765"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Second Succession War, p. 95

Bibliography[edit]