5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry

5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry
Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry
Formed 27522765[1]
Nickname Xieng Khouang Tigers (2765);[1]
Apprentices of Warlock
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Parent Command Confederation Reserve Cavalry


The Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry is a reserve regiment of the Capellan Confederation that, like its sister units, spends most of its time rotating between homeworlds in a defensive posture.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The Capellan Reserve Cavalry formed during the years between the repeal of the Star League Council Edict of 2650 in 2572 and the eruption of the Amaris Coup. The Capellan Confederation Armed Forces had expanded rapidly, as did the militaries of the other Great Houses, and the Capellan Reserve Cavalry was the last of the CCAF brigades to form (or re-form) prior to the Coup. Between 2572 and 2765 the Reserve Cavalry mustered seven new regiments, with the intention that the Reserve Cavalry would act as rapid reinforcements to other units and as a source of replacement personnel for frontline commands. Like the other regiments within the Reserve Cavalry, the Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry was an odd combination of volunteer corps, training cadre and militia, with standing orders for the junior Colonel in charge of the Fifth to subordinate his command to place it at the full disposal of any frontline command it served alongside. This allowed the Fifth to act as a synergistic part of the superior formation, free of internal power struggles or conflicts.[1]

The Fifth was one of the heavier regiments within the Reserve Cavalry, and was composed almost entirely of new recruits, who were full of patriotism, vigor and fiery enthusiasm.[1]

Third Succession War[edit]

The Fifth was stationed on Tsinghai and Larsha at the end of the Third Succession War.[2]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

Tsinghai was attacked during the Seventh Wave of Operation RAT; in contrast with the thirteen other Capellan worlds annexed with little difficulty during this wave, Tsinghai had a front-line garrison, consisting of a battalion from the Fifth and the First Battalion of Preston's Lancers. Without much time to plan, the Capellan Operations Command of the AFFS attempted to use numbers to compensate for a lack of information and planning time, and deployed two regiments of the Twelfth Vegan RangersGamma and Delta Regiments — and the complete Twentieth Avalon Hussars Regimental Combat Team. The task force landed on Tsinghai on the 8th of December, with the Vegan Rangers targeting the Cavalry while the Twentieth Hussars engaged Preston's Lancers. The Rangers were able to bracket the Cavalry troops in a long valley, using numbers to their advantage and outflanking the Cavalry; the Cavalry had luck on their side, and were able to fight through to their DropShips and abandon Tsinghai after losing only half their strength.[3]

Preston's Lancers were able to avoid being encircled by the Hussars, breaking through the Hussars' line, but were soon being attacked by the Hussars' aerospace fighters and a regiment of hovertanks. The Lancers retreated into the Hornatio Valley, a twisting river valley, with the Hussars in close pursuit. The Lancers launched several ambushes against the more numerous Hussar forces, until the Hussars dispatched a 'Mech battalion and an armored regiment around to the river delta and used their other forces to drive the Lancers towards them. The Hussars' trap was successful, and after two days of combat in the river delta a single company of Lancers managed to escape, leaving the planet under Federated Suns control.[3]

Xin Sheng Campaign[edit]

At some point during the war the 5th Reserve faced off against the 1st Janissaries on either Warlock or Tantara as conflicting accounts of the location exist.[4][5] Warlock is an arctic planet[6] therefore it is likely that it is the correct site for the battle. After heavy fighting the 5th Reserve retreated to await reinforcements but regained the initiative when joined by a regiment of McCarron's Armored Cavalry.

In 3064, the 5th Reserve faced pirates while on regular rotation to Zanzibar. While the regiment was on Zanzibar raiding actions by the Shen-sè Tian pirate band forced the Cavalry to redeploy in battalion strength. A green battalion of the Cavalry subsequently fought two battalions of pirates commanded by Pirate-Major Kerry Wung on Muridox and handily defeated them using combined armed tactics.[4]

Jihad[edit]

During the opening part of the Jihad the Fifth CRC was part of the Capellan counterattack after Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE.[7] They first landed on Imalda and, assisted by elements of the Death Commandos, faced the 21st Illician Rangers from the Illician Lancers mercenary brigade. The 21st Rangers were forced to fight a guerrilla campaign due to lack of supplies, striking back more than once at the more numerous Capellan forces before the supply situation forced them to withdraw to Sendalor.[8] After defeating the Lancers, the Fifth CRC moved on to New Westin, where they defeated the Jie Fang Legion. The fighting took a heavy toll on the Fifth, and they redeployed to new garrison stations on Foot Fall, Mandate, and Remshield after returning to Capellan space.[7]

The Fifth Reserve Cavalry is unique among its peers in that every battalion has been reorganized into the Capellan Augmented Battalion formations (other CCAF units typically have a single Augmented Battalion). This provides a great deal of tactical flexibility.[9] In 3085 the Fifth Reserve Cavalry was garrison for Jonathan.[10]

Dark Age[edit]

As part of Operation CELESTIAL SPEAR the Fifth was assigned to Wei alongside the 6th Confederation Reserve Cavalry, 4th McCarron's Armored Cavalry, and Warrior House Kamata to try to disrupt Kai Allard-Liao on his parade of vengeance.[11]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry
Colonel Romanov 2996[12]
Colonel Odelia Mitschke 3050 - 3054[13][14]
Sang-shao Ariana "Rhi" Song 3063 - 3085[5][15][10]

Tactics[edit]

During the fight on Warlock, the 5th Reserve placed hidden infantry units on the field of battle which revealed themselves at the height of the main attack and hit the distracted enemy from an unexpected quarter.[5]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[1]

- At this point in time the Fifth was stationed on Repulse.[1]

2786–2821[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[16]

- At this point in time the Fifth was a heavy-weight regiment operating at full strength and was stationed on Repulse.[16] In 2821 the unit was operating at half-strength, and was stationed on Lurgatan.[16]

2830[edit]

5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[17]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Lurgatan with an operational readiness of 104 percent.[17]

2864[edit]

5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[17]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Lurgatan with an operational readiness of 77 percent.[17]

3025[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (2 Battalions/Green/Reliable)[2]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Tsinghai and also on Larsha.[2]

3028[edit]

5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry (2 Battalions/Green/Questionable)[18]

Note: At this point in time the command were stationed on Tsinghai and Larsha.[18]

3050[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (2 Battalions/Green/Reliable)[13]

  • CO: Colonel Odelia Mitschke
Note: The command was deployed at Yuris[13] and Larsha.[13]

3054[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (2 Battalions/Green/Reliable)[14]

  • CO: Colonel Odelia Mitschke

3063–3067[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (The Wardens) (1 Regiment/Green/Reliable)[5][15]

  • CO/1st Battalion: Sang-shao Rhi Song
  • XO/2nd Battalion: Zhong-shao Richard Ashington
  • 3rd Battalion: Zhong-shao Makura Masushta

- No separate Command Company

Fifth Reserve Air Corps (1 Flight/Regular/Reliable)[5][15]

Fifth Reserve Armor Corps (Dalia's Shield) (1 Regiment)[5][15]

  • Armor Commander: Zhong-shao Dalia Jo Raihn

Fifth Reserve Auxiliary Forces (1 Battalion/Green/Reliable)[5][15]

  • Infantry Commander: Sao-shao Que Dim Pahn

- Two Companies of anti-'Mech trained Jump troops, 1 Artillery Company
- All Jump troops skilled as artillery spotters

3079[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[19]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Foot Fall, Mandate and Remshield.[19] The fighting during the Jihad claimed approximately one quarter of the Fifth's strength.[7]

3085[edit]

Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry (Regular/Reliable)[10]

  • CO: Sang-shao Rhi Song

Fifth Reserve Air Corps (Flight/Veteran/Fanatical)[10]

Fifth Reserve Armor Corps (Regular/Reliable)[10]

Fifth Reserve Auxiliary Forces (1 Battalion/Regular/Reliable)[10]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Report 2765: CCAF, p. 16: "Confederation Reserve Cavalry"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation, p. 105: "Regimental Deployment Table - 3025"
  3. 3.0 3.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 59: "Tsinghai"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 22: "5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 72: "5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry Unit Profile"
  6. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation, p. 152: Warlock
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Field Report: CCAF, p. 11
  8. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 73: "Illician Lancers"
  9. Field Manual: 3085, p. 28
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Field Manual: 3085, p. 34: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  11. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 23
  12. High-Value Target
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 20 Year Update, p. 62: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3050"
  14. 14.0 14.1 Objective Raids, p. 41: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3054"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Field Manual: Updates, p. 32: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 First Succession War, p. 135: "Capellan Confederation Armed Forces (CCAF) - Deployment Table"
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Second Succession War, p. 95
  18. 18.0 18.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 88
  19. 19.0 19.1 Field Report: CCAF, p. 11

Bibliography[edit]