19th Arcturan Guards
Sarna News
Contents
History
Formation
The Nineteenth Arcturan Guards was founded after the initial founding of the Arcturan Guards brigade, and in common with the later-founded regiments, didn't bear a name based upon a Muse from mythology.[1]
Star League Era
Like the other regiments of the Arcturan Guard, the Nineteenth struggled with boredom and ennui during the closing years of the Star League era; the Star League Defense Force acted as an effective deterrent in the main, making large-scale military deployments for the Nineteenth a rarity, and leaving the regiment to occupy itself with training exercises and garrison duty.[1]
In 2765 the Nineteenth was deployed to secure Al Jafr during Operation CATALOG, a wide-scale crackdown on corruption and interstellar criminal gangs within the Lyran Commonwealth. The Ninteenth faced a stiff fight, as the criminal gangs were operating a puppet government on the planet and had secured a number of BattleMechs - far more 'Mechs than the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces had anticipated, and 'Mechs which it was presumed had been acquired from illicit sources in the Rim Worlds Republic. The Nineteenth also faced problems internally - the rebel forces successfully managed to convinced two dozen MechWarriors to turn against the rest of the regiment, either by misleading or bribing them, adding the problem of fratricidal conflict to the campaign.[1]
The Nineteenth was still waiting for replacements to allow it to rebuild in 2765, and was generally discontented with the presence of the Khan Dragoons on Al Jafr. The Dragoons had been deployed by Margrave Lionel Khan, officially to bolster the defenses on Al Jafr, but the Nineteenth believed that the Dragoons were there more to watch the Guards than to support them. The deployment of the Dragoons may well have been to keep a watching eye on the Nineteenth, given that many reports of the Guards resorting to savage tactics such as burning entire villages to try and smoke out rebels and criminals during the fight for control of the planet.[1]
Third Succession War
The Nineteenth Arcturan Guards was one of the LCAF's most prestigious units before a series of encounters with DCMS troops in the 2900's shattered the unit. New troops were transferred in, but these replacements were mostly the sons of wealthy industrialists and nobles. These "social officers" were uninterested in anything beyond the proud history of the unit, and performance continued to decline.
Fourth Succession War
During the Fourth Succession War the Nineteenth was used for cleanup and garrison duties. In fact they only faced one Combine unit directly: The 5th Rasalhague Regulars and the Nineteenth clashed on Jabuka. This minor skirmish did little to improve their skills.
For most of the mid-31st Century the Nineteenth was seen by fellow Arcturan Guards regiments as a unit that was filled with well-meaning individuals who simply weren't good soldiers. The AFFC High Command apparently thought the same thing, posting the unit to Armington[2] on the border between the Federated Suns and the Periphery. In an attempt to change their reputation, the Nineteenth launched an unauthorized attack on the Pirates Haven cluster. Unfortunately the unit was not successful, losing a large amount of supplies and two lances of 'Mechs.
In 3054 the Nineteenth was broken up into battalion-sized formations and stationed on multiple worlds. This allowed them to cover a wider area, dissuading pirates. The battalions garrisoned Delavan, Talcott, and Salem.[3]
During the FedCom Civil War the Nineteenth was stationed on New Avalon. Fiercely loyal to Katherine Steiner-Davion, the Nineteenth fought the Allied forces valiantly, but eventually they were overcome. Barely a third of them survived the fighting.[4]
The Jihad
During Operation SCOUR, the liberation of the Word of Blake Protectorate by allied forces assembled into a coalition by Devlin Stone, the 19th served as a part of the command advancing on the Draconis Combine front against the Protectorate. After the 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs had been mauled in a Blakist ambush in May 3077, the 19th earned an infamous reputation when the commander of the regiment authorised the use of a tactical nuclear bombardment on the home base of the Styx Protectorate Militia; the bombardment collapsed several mines and destroyed the capital city of Styx, but when confronted over the number of lives lost, the commander of the 19th remarked "they're just Dracs, nobody important."[5] The offhanded words spoken by Leftenant General Lucas Hoffman attracted outrage in the local media, and most likely elsewhere. Casualties from the two tactical nukes detonated as airbursts over the capital city of Styx amounted to at least 15,000 civilians.[6]
Officers
In 3025 the unit was commanded by Leutnant-Colonel Yvonne Deltra.[7]
The commander of the Nineteenth Arcturan Guards was Leftenant General Jadwiga Poole in 3050.[2]
As of 3062, the commanding officer was Leftenant General Gloria Bishop.[8]
The commanding officer of the Nineteenth Arcturan Guards as at May 3077 was Leftenant General Lucas Hoffman.
Tactics
The social structure of the regiment's commanders hampers the ability of the unit to fight in large scale battles. Individual soldiers have excellent skills and function well in small engagements.[8]
Composition History
2765
Nineteenth Arcturan Guards (Regular/Questionable)[9]
3025
Nineteenth Arcturan Guards (Green/Questionable)[7]
- CO: Leutnant-Colonel Yvonne Deltra
3040
Nineteenth Arcturan Guards (Green/Questionable)[10]
3062
Nineteenth Arcturan Guards (1 Regiment/Green/Questionable)[8]
- CO: Leftenant General Gloria Bishop
- Aide: Kommandant Victor Goldstein
Twenty-seventh Arcturan Air Wing (1 Wing/Green/Questionable)[8]
- CO: Kommandant Ruth Codari
3067
Nineteenth Arcturan Guards (1 Regiment/Regular/Questionable)
- CO: Leftenant General Gloria Bishop
- CO: Leftenant General Gloria Bishop
The 'Mech unit was reduced to a third of its nominal strength. Note: Advanced IS technology: 65 percent | Omnis: 10 percent [11]
Twenty-seventh Arcturan Air Wing (1 Wing/Regular/Questionable)[11]
- CO: Kommandant Ruth Codari
- CO: Kommandant Ruth Codari
Note: Advanced IS technology: 30 percent
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Report: Lyran Commonwealth 2765, p. 8-9, "Arcturan Guards"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 20 Year Update, p. 22
- ↑ Objective Raids, p. 15
- ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 168
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 57, "The Jihad In Review"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 31-32, "Outrage"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 118 (pdf version), "Unit Deployment Table"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 58, "19th Arcturan Guards Unit Profile"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Field Report: Lyran Commonwealth 2765, p. 9, "Regimental Status"
- ↑ Historical: War of 3039 , p. 137
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Field Manual: Updates p.178