St. Cyr's Armored Hussars

(Redirected from St. Cyr’s Grenadiers)
Capbrigstcyrsamoredhussars.png
St. Cyr's Armored Hussars
Formed 2952
Disbanded 3068
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Parent Command Capellan Brigade


The St. Cyr's Armored Hussars is an amalgam of the St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers and Rivaldi's Hussars, two famously troubled Mercenary units that may have finally turned the corner upon joining the Capellan Brigade.

History[edit]

Throughout their history, St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers suffered repeated runs of bad luck. Formed in 2952, the unit was reduced to 10 percent of their original strength during the "Great Lee Turkey Shoot" in the same year. The remaining members of the unit raised more troops and went back on the front lines in 2985, only to receive a thrashing at the hands of House Davion on the world of Fletcher — a disaster they later redeemed on the world of Thomas in 3011. Having reappraised the Grenadiers’ capabilities, Pavel Ridzik used them as part of the raiding force that captured the planet Redfield, but in the Fourth Succession War, the unit didn't see any action. After the war, the Grenadiers went from world to world, struggling to find the lucky break that would get them a little higher on the Department of Procurement's resupply list.

Considered an inexperienced unit, St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers were one of four chosen by Chancellor Romano Liao for an invasion of the minor border world of Kujari in 3033. The Grenadiers deployed alongside McCrimmon's Light Cavalry, Rivaldi's Hussars, and Steele's Eagles; each of the mercenary units were a battalion in size, and Romano elected to deploy an all-mercenary force to avoid damaging any of her regular CCAF units. Unfortunately for the Grenadiers, Romano's invasion force would face the Black Widow Battalion led by Natasha Kerensky. Acting under the command of Colonel Donovan Steele of Steele's Eagles, the Grenadiers were part of a bold, aggressive plan that was largely predicted by Kerensky from the outset. Despite a contested landing, the four commands managed to link up, but couldn't bring their numbers to bear against the Black Widows, and the campaign finished in defeat when Kerensky deceived many of the mercenaries into believing that her forces had left the planet, only to then launch a decapitation raid against the Eagles. Kerensky prevailed over Colonel Steele in a duel and called on him to surrender; Steele not only surrendered, he also led his unit to defect to the Federated Commonwealth rather than face a vengeful Romano Liao.[1]

Rivaldi's Hussars were raised on Florence in 2985. Once called “the sorriest band of idiots this side of Marshigama's Legionnaires” by the commanding officer of the Red Lancers, the Hussars have suffered from poor coordination, poor supply, and poor leadership, relegating them to garrison duty on various backwater worlds. Their sole battle honors came in 2988 defending Palladaine and again in 3031, both times against the Defenders of Andurien. This combat record earned the unit contempt from more senior regiments. Like the Grenadiers, the Hussars saw no action in the Fourth Succession War.

Things began to change in 3061. Sun-Tzu Liao’s offer of Capellan sponsorship came at a time when Colonel Frieze Rivaldi was looking to retire from active duty but trusted no one enough to take over his unit. In a deal worked out with Major Andrew St. Cyr, the Grenadiers and Hussars merged and accepted sponsorship. Rivaldi then retired, knowing his old command was in good hands. Major St. Cyr tore into the Hussars’ officer corps—forcing retirement on a few he believed undeserving of their rank, promoting others and mingling the two commands to the betterment of both.

Sitting out of the fighting over several years has been detrimental to Armored Hussars. The FedCom Civil War changed them of any chance to fight against House Davion, and as the Sian Commonality held so well against the Free Worlds League, there was no enemy to fight. Requests for rotation were repeatedly denied until the unit finally moved of its own accord to the League border. The Nightriders caught up with them at Kasdach and convinced the unit to turn around.

As a line unit in the Capellan Brigade, the Armored Hussars looked forward to a brighter future free from their former hand-to-mouth existence. The Homeworld of the unit was moved to Sendalor.

It was on Sendalor in 3068, that the Armored Hussars were destroyed during Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE. The Chancellor declared the members of the Armored Hussars to be citizens of the Confederation posthumously, a precedent that was then offered again to a fellow Capellan Brigade unit the Shin Legion, following their destruction three years later during the Jihad.[2]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of St. Cyr's Armored Hussars
Major Amy St. Cyr 3025[citation needed]
Sang-shao Andrew St. Cyr 3063[citation needed]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition[edit]

3025[edit]

Rivaldi's Hussars (1 Battalion/Green/Reliable) - CCAF[3]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Betelgeuse.[3]

St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers (1 Battalion/Green/Reliable) - CCAF[3]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on New Roland.[3]

3050[edit]

Rivaldi's Hussars (1 Battalion/Green/Reliable)[4]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Bandora.[4]

St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers (1 Battalion/Green/Reliable)[4]

  • CO: Major Amy St. Cyr[4]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on New Roland.[4]

3059[edit]

Rivaldi's Hussars (1 Battalion/Green/Reliable)[5]

  • CO: Colonel George Sapir[5]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Bora.[5]

St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers (1 Battalion/Regular/Reliable)[5]

  • CO: Major Amy St. Cyr[5]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Grand Base.[5]

3063[edit]

St. Cyr's Armored Hussars (2 Battalions/Green/Reliable)[6]

  • XO/1st Battalion: Zhong-shao Ian "Manchukiller" Hayes
  • 2nd Battalion: Zhong-shao June Haddock

- Equipped with independent C3 units

Notes[edit]

The new insignia of St. Cyr's Armored Hussars is a Chinese warrior in white armor with a red plume on his helmet, wielding a bloody Chinese kwang sword.

The original insignia when the unit was known as Grenadiers, a white helmet with a plum of red flame against a blue shield.[7]

The unit was seen action as the Grenadiers once again and as mercenary unit. The unit was used in Aerospace Fighter raid against the Republic of the Sphere controlled world of Shensi in 3134.[8]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. More Tales of the Black Widow, pp. 17–19
  2. Field Report: CCAF, p. 17: "Capellan Brigade"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 107
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 20 Year Update, p. 63: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3050"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 107
  6. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 102: "Unit Profile"
  7. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 99: "St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers unit profile".
  8. Fortress of Lies, p. 172: St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers identified by Erik Sandoval-Groell when talking to dying pilot.

Bibliography[edit]