Robinson Draconis March Militia

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

The Robinson Draconis March Militia was responsible for defending the worlds of the Robinson Combat Region and Robinson Polymorphous Defense Zone.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In common with the other March Militias found across the Federated Suns, the Robinson Draconis March Militia or Robinson 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 Robinson DMM acted as a mobile reserve for the Robinson 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 Robinson DMM was one of six March Militia brigades founded within the Capellan March in 2754, with the other five being the Clovis, Dahar, Fairfax, Kilbourne and Woodbine Draconis March Militias.[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]

The Robinson DMM was destroyed in the First Succession War,[7] but subsequently rebuilt.

Third Succession War[edit]

The unit was formed by a company of MechWarriors waiting for 'Mechs to be delivered, a company of battle-hardened MechWarriors from the Syrtis Fusiliers on training duty, a company of very green MechWarriors, survivors of a midair collision that killed a dozen Techs and MechWarriors, and a Light Fire Company in very bad shape. And none of these units had ever fought together.[8]

The Robinson and Clovis DMM landed on Galtor III in September 3025 to replace the 12th Vegan Rangers Alpha Regiment. They only participated in a few skirmishes before the DCMS forces retreated,[9] but they fought well.[8]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

Prior to the FedCom Civil War, the Robinson DMM was split along age lines. The older (and more senior) officers owed fealty to the Duke of Robinson, but most of the younger, junior officers did not. In addition, the soldiers of the Robinson DMM all felt that a new leader would be a good thing for the Federated Suns, but didn't really favor Victor Steiner-Davion or Katherine Steiner-Davion.[10] In 3062 the Robinson DMM was stationed on Le Blanc.[11]

A battalion of the Robinson DMM was stationed on Doneval II when Combine-trained forces attacked the Draconis March. A company of kamikaze Combine MechWarriors landed on the world in October 3062 and attacked a series of highly visible civilian targets like transportation hubs, oil pipelines, power stations and transmission centers. These kamikazes were tracked down and killed by the Robinson DMM and the Doneval Militia.[12] Their relative lack of action left them in good shape after the Civil War ended.[13] After the end of the FedCom Civil War they returned to garrison Robinson.[14]

Dark Age[edit]

The Robinson DMM was rebuilt by volunteers and funds traditionalist families in the Draconis March. Trying to offset the traditional hatred of the Draconis Combine, Tancred Sandoval asked the 2nd Avalon Hussars to train the newly forming LCT.[15]

In 3144 the DCMS attacked Robinson. The DMM was on the world at the time and was destroyed by the 7th and 8th Sword of Light regiments, but inflicted heavy casualties on the elite Combine units.[16]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Robinson Draconis March Militia
General V. E. Fuchs 3024[17]
Major General Andrew Cunningham 3025[18]
Leftenant General Hector Primus 3050[19]
Leftenant General Jennifer Durrett 3054 - 3062[20][10]
Major General Bryce LaGrange 3067[14]
Major General Carl Ito 3085[21]

Tactics[edit]

As a defensive unit the militia is well-versed but the command had difficulty in coordinating with other AFFC units.[10]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[3]

- 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 Robinson DMM was stationed on Alnadal at this point in time.[3][22]

2786[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[7]

- At this point in time the Militia was a medium-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Alnadal.[7] The unit was destroyed during the war.[7]

3024[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green)[17]

  • CO: General V. E. Fuchs

3025[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[18]

  • CO: Major General Andrew Cunningham
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Le Blanc.[23]

Regiment TO&E

Regimental BattleGroup
(Four Armor Lances, two 'Mech Lances)
Meyer's Air Squadron (aerospace fighters)
Preminger's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Mica's Company ('Mech)
  • Orr's Company ('Mech)
  • Huber's Company ('Mech)
Schneider's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Becker's Company ('Mech)
  • Dolen's Company ('Mech)
  • Feingelder's Company ('Mech)
Shubert's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Whitkens's Company ('Mech)
  • Rosen's Company ('Mech)
  • Gutknecht's Company ('Mech)

3040[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[24]

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

3050[edit]

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

  • CO: Leftenant General Hector Primus[25]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Le Blanc.[25]

3054[edit]

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

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Le Blanc.[26]

3062[edit]

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

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

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

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

3067[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia (Green/Reliable)[14]

  • CO: Major General Bryce LaGrange

Robinson DMM Aerospace (Wing/Regular/Reliable)[14]

Robinson DMM Armor Brigade (Green/Reliable)[14]

Robinson DMM Infantry Brigade (Green/Reliable)[14]

3085[edit]

Robinson Draconis March Militia LCT (Regular/Questionable)[21]

Robinson DMM Aerospace (Wing/Green/Questionable)[21]

Robinson DMM Armor Brigade (Regular/Questionable)[21]

Robinson DMM Infantry Brigade (Green/Questionable)[21]

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.

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. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22: "Regimental Status"
  4. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 62 (PDF edition): "The Storm Breaks"
  5. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 67 (PDF edition): "March Militia and Planetary Guard Units"
  6. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 135 (PDF edition): "Deployment of AFFS Forces"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  8. 8.0 8.1 The Galtor Campaign, p. 42: "Robinson Draconis March Militia"
  9. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, pp. 5, 14
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 124: "Robinson Draconis March Militia Profile"
  11. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 136
  12. FedCom Civil War, p. 21
  13. Field Manual: Updates, p. 135
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 140: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3067"
  15. Field Manual: 3085, p. 66
  16. Field Manual: 3145, pp. 21, 58
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Galtor Campaign, p. 32: "Phase Three Units"
  18. 18.0 18.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 136: "AFFS Deployment Table"
  19. 20 Year Update, p. 19: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  20. Objective Raids, p. 13: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 72: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3085"
  22. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Armed Forces Federated Suns Deployment Map 2765"
  23. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 134: "Federated Suns Deployment Table"
  24. 24.0 24.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 20 Year Update, p. 19
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Objective Raids, p. 13

Bibliography[edit]