Clovis Draconis March Militia

(Redirected from Clovis DMM)
Insignia of the Clovis Draconis March Militia
Clovis Draconis March Militia
Formed 2754[1]
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Draconis March Militia


History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In common with the other March Militias found across the Federated Suns, the Clovis Draconis March Militia or Clovis DMM was formed in 2754 as a result of the Preparedness Act enacted by First Prince Richard Davion in 2735.[2] 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]

Firmly established, the Clovis DMM acted as a mobile reserve for the Clovis 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 Clovis DMM was one of six March Militia brigades founded within the Capellan March in 2754, with the other five being the Dahar, Fairfax, Kilbourne, Robinson and Woodbine Draconis March Militias. In 2765 the Draconis March Militias were engaged in March-wide wargames involving neighboring games to determine which was the best March Militia in the command; two of the Militias were out of the running, and despite the Fairfax DMM being widely tipped to win, the Clovis DMM was still in the running, much to the surprise of observers.[3]

First Succession War[edit]

On the 1st of May 2787 the Draconis Combine launched a massive invasion of the Federated Suns, with the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery troops under the command of Jinjiro Kurita, son of the Coordinator. Jinjiro had learned from the battles on Towne earlier in the First Succession War, and had recognized that interservice cooperation between the different branches of the Federated Suns military had largely been replaced by rivalry, and that the various Combat Regions across the Federated Suns had become dangerously parochial, with units being very protective of worlds within their Combat Region but the staff of the various Combat Regions rarely coordinating or cooperating with each other. Jinjiro's forces took full advantage of that; his first wave attacked worlds along the border, overwhelming many before they had a chance to call for help. Each of the Combat Region commanding officers attempted to deal with the attacks on their own, focused completely on the defense of their own Combat Region with little exchange of information between Regions. Jinjiro's second wave capitalized on this, striking in force against the Clovis Combat Region; despite a dogged, fierce defense by Field Marshal Simons and forces directly under his command such as the First Clovis Guards Regiment on Clovis he was cut off and, after a week, killed when his DropShip attempted to retreat from the planet. The loss of Smith caused organized resistance in the Clovis Combat Region to collapse, and before the other senior officers within the AFFS had realized what happened, DCMS forces poured through the Clovis Combat Region and deep into the heart of the Federated Suns.[4]

It would be thirty years before the AFFS had finally recovered and fought its way back to something approximating the prewar border;[5] the risk posed to the Federated Suns as a result of the entrenched parochialism and separation between Combat Regions highlighted the weaknesses of the system within the Capellan and Draconis Marches, leading the Marshals of the AFFS to restructure both Marches, replacing the Combat Regions with a number of smaller Polymorphous Defensive Zones (PDZs), each with its own March Militia.[6]

Third Succession War[edit]

For a long time, the unit participated in no action until they were allowed to raid Fellanin to destroy the 100-meter-tall monument to Jinjiro Kurita. For three days the unit tried to break the mountain passes, while DCMS units tired to defend the secret aerospace fighter factory built in the same mountain range where the statue was. Only after destroying the statue, did they try to go against the factory, but at that time Combine DropShips had already lifted with most of the usable equipment. The statue was sent in pieces back to Kentares.[7]

The Clovis Draconis March Militia defended the Kentares PDZ. As could be expected, the soldiers of this unit had a burning hatred for the Draconis Combine. They participated in the fighting on Galtor, replacing the 12th Vegan Rangers after the mercenaries were ordered off-world.[8] There they supported the 4th Crucis Lancers, Bremond DMM, and Robinson DMM as they faced the 2nd Galedon Regulars, 8th Galedon Regulars, and 2nd Amphigean Light Assault Group.[9]

Clan Invasion Era[edit]

Whatever specialties the unit had during the Third Succession War were long gone by 3060. Multiple unit members were brought up on charges of conduct unbecoming a member of the AFFS in late 3059, or discharged from the unit completely.[10] As one effort to get the unit under control, a new set of general officers was assigned by the High Command. This resulted in several death threats against the new commanders.[10]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

During the FedCom Civil War the Clovis DMM attacked several Draconis Combine worlds. They were destroyed on Kentares IV by the 3rd Benjamin Regulars as part of the DCMS Reprisal.[11]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Clovis Draconis March Militia
Major General Nicholas Clement VIII 3025[12][13][14]
Leftenant General Kingsly Philips 3050[15]
Leftenant General Brian Bruning 3054- June 3062[16][17][10]
Leftenant General Jamil Ahmad June 3062-19 October 3062[10][18]
Leftenant General Jackson Pory 19 October 3062 - 29 October 3062[18]
Lord Marcus Roland 29 October 3062 - April 3063[18][19]

Tactics[edit]

The unit has no special tactics.

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Clovis Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[20]

- 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 Clovis DMM was stationed on Alnadal at this point in time.[20][21]

2786[edit]

Clovis Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[22]

- At this point in time the Militia was a medium-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Alnadal.[22] The unit was destroyed during the war.[22]

3025[edit]

Clovis DMM (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[23]

  • CO: (CO: Major General Nicholas Clement VIII)[23]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Cartago.[23]

Regiment TO&E

Regimental BattleGroup
(Four Armor Lances, two 'Mech Lances)
Rymill's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Burke's Company ('Mech)
  • Manson's Company ('Mech)
  • Mount's Company ('Mech)
Ellsworth's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Stanley's Company ('Mech)
  • Peter's Company ('Mech)
  • Lill's Company ('Mech)
Darlington's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Watt's Company ('Mech)
  • Bauer's Company ('Mech)
  • Lawrence's Company ('Mech)

3040[edit]

Clovis DMM (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[24]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Cartago.[24]

3050[edit]

Clovis Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[25]

  • CO: Leftenant General Kmgsly Phillips[25]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Cartago.[25]

3054[edit]

Clovis Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[26]

  • CO: Leftenant General Brian Bruning[26]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Kentares IV.[26]

3062[edit]

Clovis Draconis March Militia (1 Regiment/Green/Reliable)[10]

Clovis DMM Aerospace Wing (1 Wing/Green/Reliable)[10]

Clovis DMM Armor Brigade (2 Regiments/Green/Reliable)[10]

Clovis DMM Infantry Brigade (3 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[10]

Notes[edit]

  • Field Report 2765: AFFS attributes the Preparedness Act of 2735 to both Richard Davion[2] 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.
  • FedCom Civil War incorrectly combined the name of Brian Bruning and his successor Jamil Ahmad as Jamil Bruning. This was confirmed by the Line Developer as an error.[27]

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 Report 2765: AFFS, p. 3: "Strategic Update"
  3. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22: "Condition"
  4. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 62: "The Storm Breaks (PDF edition)"
  5. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 67: "March Militia and Planetary Guard Units (PDF edition)"
  6. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 135: "Deployment of AFFS Forces (PDF edition)"
  7. The Galtor Campaign, p. 41: Clovis Draconis March Militia"
  8. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 13
  9. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 15
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 121: "Militia Profile"
  11. Field Manual: Updates, p. 106
  12. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 136 (PDF version): "Clovis PDZ"
  13. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 6: "Combatants"
  14. The Galtor Campaign, p. 41: "Clovis Draconis March Militia"
  15. 20 Year Update, p. 19: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  16. Objective Raids, p. 13: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  17. Shattered Sphere, p. 27: "Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth"
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 FedCom Civil War, p. 26: "Kentares IV"
  19. FedCom Civil War, p. 82: "Kentares"
  20. 20.0 20.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22: "Regimental Status"
  21. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Armed Forces Federated Suns Deployment Map 2765"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 134: "Federated Suns Deployment Table"
  24. 24.0 24.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 136
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 20 Year Update, p. 19
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Objective Raids, p. 13
  27. https://bg.battletech.com/forums/ask-the-writers/jamil-bruning-or-jamil-ahmad/

Bibliography[edit]