15th Lyran Guards

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History

The 15th Lyran Guards gained its regimental nickname for the many times it faced certain death, only to trick fate by surviving. In 2990 they fought elements of the Amphigean Light Assault Group on Sevren.[1] The 15th defended the planet Hesperus II during the Tenth Battle (2997) against elements of the FWLM. The Guards, which were commanded by later Archon Katrina Steiner, performed a dangerous suborbital combat drop on top of the enemy forces. The difficult maneuver was successful, and the 15th Lyran Guards routed the smaller Marik force. Accordingly, they participated in the unsuccessful attempt to invade the planet Kalidasa.[2] The 15th was the main 'Mech force used to drive the 32th Dieron Regulars off of Sakhalin. They inflicted heavy losses on the DCMS unit before forcing them off-world.[3]

The 15th also participated in the Thirteenth (3019)[4][5] and Fourteenth (3057) Battles for Hesperus. During the Thirteenth battle the Guards used the mountains surrounding the Erewhon River floodplain to ambush Delta Regiment of Wolf's Dragoons and hold them in place while the Hsien Hotheads launched quick hit-and-run attacks and other Lyran regiments withdrew to defend the Defiance Industries factories.[6]. The 15th was ultimately successful in slowing Delta Regiment's attempts to ford the Erewhon river and held up the Dragoons' advance long enough for the other Lyran defenders to block the Dragoons' attempts to reach the factories and forced them to withdraw.[7]. The Fourteenth battle was particularly difficult for the Guards, as it involved two-thirds of the unit's members betraying their oaths and declaring Hesperus II part of the Free Star Republic. The remaining elements of the unit were able to run a series of guerrilla operations that prevented the mutineers from attacking Defiance Industries. The LAAF High Command sent reinforcements and the rebels were quickly defeated. The action had been costly though and cost the 15th nearly half their number. Investigations by the Lyran Intelligence Corps reduced the unit still further as disloyal officers were removed.

During Operation Bulldog the 15th served to secure rear areas, but also faced the 27th Garrison Cluster on Lonaconing.[8] Working with the 4th Arkab Legion the 15th was able to maul the Clan unit while avoiding damage.[9]

The Fifteenth Battle of Hesperus found the Guards on world and the target of several orbital bombardments. The Guards defended the main Defiance Industries complex, preventing the Free Skye Movement from taking over the factory.[10] They were vulnerable to these assaults because they had no aerospace assets.[11] They were fired upon by the Avalon-class Simon Davion, which destroyed much of Maria's Elegy spaceport. The spaceport was the home base of the 15th. Two thousand infantrymen and armor crews were killed along with several hundred civilians. Two weeks later the Guards destroyed the 22th Skye Rangers as they assaulted the Defiance complex, but the supporting Gray Death Legion suffered heavy losses.[12][13] With the support of Defiance Industries, the Fifteenth's equipment remained in excellent shape.[14] The 15th maintained heavy pressure on the Free Skye forces until the 36th Lyran Guards and 2th Donegal Guards arrived to reinforce them. The combined LAAF units forced the Free Skye forces to surrender.[15]

During the Jihad the 15th was assaulted by several Light of Mankind teams and paralyzed during the fighting. They were destroyed by the 40th Shadow Division in 3070.[16]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 15th Lyran Guards
Colonel Rafferty Jefferson 3025[17]
Leutnant-General Gina Ciampa[9][18] She was the last commander of the 15th before it was destroyed on Hesperus II during the Jihad.[16] 3054 to 3067

Tactics

Since the battle for Hesperus II in 3057, the 15th Lyran Guards have resorted to conservative, risk-averse tactics.[9]

Composition History

2786 - 2821

15th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable) [19]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Mizar. In 2821 the command was reduced to 46 percent of its strength and was deployed on New Earth. [19]

2830

15th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable) [20]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on New Earth with an operational readiness of 0 percent. [20]

2864

15th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable) [20]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on New Earth with an operational readiness of 27 percent. [20]

3025

15th Lyran Guards (Elite/Reliable) [21]

  • CO: Colonel Rafferty Jefferson

3040

15th Lyran Guards RCT (Elite/Fanatical)[22]

3050

15th Lyran Guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical) [23]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Hesperus II. [23]

3054

15th Lyran Guards RCT (Elite/Fanatical)[24]

3062

15th Lyran Guards (2 Battalions/Elite/Fanatical)[9]

  • CO: Leutnant General Gina Ciampa

Aide: Nana Brennan

15th Lyran Guards Armor Brigade (2 Regiments/Elite/Fanatical)[9]

  • CO: Colonel Talbot Fayan

Aide: Leutnant Colonel Victoria O'Dowd - 816th Lyran Panzer Regiment: Colonel Alan Wedgewood - 11th Hesperus Recon Regiment: Colonel Mazhar Kier

15th Lyran Guards Infantry Brigade (3 Regiments/Elite/Fanatical)[9]

  • CO: Colonel Eva Kalunta

Aide: Leutnant Colonel Bert Atkin - 527th Lyran Mechanized Regiment: Colonel Kaye Harvey - 17th Hesperus Light Infantry Regiment: Colonel Obadina Derek - 283rd Lyran Jump Infantry: Colonel Francis Everidge

- The Aerospace assets were lost in the Fourteenth Battle of Hesperus.

3067

15th Lyran Guards [18]

  • CO: Leutnant General Gina Ciampa

15th Lyran Guards Armor Brigade

  • CO: Colonel Talbot Fayan

15th Lyran Guards Infantry Brigade

  • CO: Colonel Eva Kalunta

Though the 15th Lyran Guards were still Elite troops and fanatically loyal, the severe combat of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Battles of Hesperus reduced the command to one third of its nominal strength.[18]

Reference

  1. Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 34
  2. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 76 "Hesperus revisited"
  3. Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 112
  4. Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook), p. 24
  5. Hector (short story), Ch. 2
  6. Hector (short story), Ch. 7
  7. Hector (short story), Ch. 12
  8. Field Manual: Updates, p. 113
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 80, "15th Lyran Guards Unit Profile"
  10. Field Manual: Updates, p. 170
  11. The Dying Time, p. 39
  12. FedCom Civil War (sourcebook), p. 147
  13. The Dying Time, p. 128
  14. FedCom Civil War (sourcebook), p. 177
  15. FedCom Civil War (sourcebook), p. 178
  16. 16.0 16.1 Jihad Turning Points: Hesperus II, p. 7
  17. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 118, "Deployment table"
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 177
  19. 19.0 19.1 ’’ First Succession War’’, p. 139
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 ’’ Second Succession War’’, p. 99
  21. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth , p. 121
  22. Historical: War of 3039 , p. 137
  23. 23.0 23.1 20-Year Update, p. 27
  24. Objective Raids, p. 19

Bibliography