1st Canopian Fusiliers

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History

The First Canopian Fusiliers were formed shortly before the outbreak of the Reunification War. Though administratively they were a regiment-sized unit, in actual practice they were split into battalion sized units stationed along the Free Worlds League/Magistracy of Canopus border.[1]

Reunification War

While facing the SLDF and Free Worlds League forces, the Fusiliers were often heavily outnumbered and outgunned. Despite this the Fusiliers were able to slow the invading troops and tie them down on Magistracy worlds. This allowed the Chasseurs á Cheval and Light Horse regiments to strike at the SLDF's flanks, destroying or capturing troops, supplies, and other logistical points. Unfortunately these hit and run attacks required the Fusiliers to face the SLDF directly, which led to heavy losses.[1]

Butzfleth

Butzfleth was an early target in the initial Star League Defense Force campaign against the Magistracy. Tasked with capturing Butzfleth was the 60th Brigade, one of three brigades that made up the Star League Defense Force 20th Division, supported by two SLDF Independent Regiments, the 402nd and 403rd. The defenders on Butzfleth consisted of a skeleton garrison drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Canopian Fusiliers, who were overwhelmed by the 60th Brigade in a campaign that took just two days, ending on Halloween of 2577.[2][3][4][5]

Aspropirgos

The Star League Defense Force task force commanded by Captain-General Marion Marik launched their attack on Aspropirgos in September 2580 and while the planetary invasion force was smaller than those used during 2578 and 2579, it still consisted of a complete SLDF brigade - the 58th - supported by the 3rd Marik Militia and the 2nd Brigade of the Fusiliers of Oriente. Defending Aspropirgos were the 1st Canopian Fusiliers and the 2nd Canopian Grenadiers, who managed to contest the invasion, stinging the SLDF forces and then retreating before the SLDF could mount an effective pursuit, preserving their strength as part of a general refit and rearmament campaign both sides were conducting.[6][4]

Leyda

Leyda was a Capellan Confederation world during the Reunification War, and was used as a staging area and supply world by the SLDF task force; as part of a campaign to force the SLDF to divert resources to garrisons and supply worlds, the MAF raided a number of worlds outside the border of the Magistracy of Canopus. While the 1st Fusiliers had primarily been a defensive unit up to the war and during the opening years of the campaign, they were tasked with raiding Leyda in 2581. The raid was a success, and Leyda was the farthest spinward world to be raided by the MAF; the range and breadth of the raids conducted by the MAF helped tie up SLDF resources and bought the Magistracy valuable time.[6][5]

Canopus

The 1st Fusiliers were one of six MAF BattleMech regiments that fought to defend Canopus IV when the SLDF invaded the Canopian capital world in 2584. The battle for Canopus IV lasted four weeks, with the Canopian units resisting fiercely and both taking and inflicting heavy losses, despite being outnumbered more than three to one. By early May, all of the defending units had been destroyed or captured, and the Magestrix had surrendered - although she had refused to order the surrender of the Magistracy worlds still unconquered.[7]

Hardcore

Although the 1st Fusiliers were one of the regiments listed among the defenders of Canopus IV in 2584, some records indicate that a battalion of the 1st Fusiliers either survived the Canopus campaign and managed to retreat to the world of Hardcore, or - and more likely, given the previous deployment of the 1st Fusiliers as battalion elements across multiple worlds rather than as a complete regiment - had been stationed on Hardcore while the other two battalions of the 1st had been assigned to Canopus.[1] While the SLDF records indicate that Hardcore was invaded in 2588 by the 56th and 59th Brigades and the 401st Independent Regiment and that local forces put up a token resistance before surrendering,[8][9] other sources indicate that a battalion of the 1st Fusiliers were butchered during the defence of the world.[1]

Star League Era/Succession Wars

The Canopian Fusiliers were rebuilt during the Amaris Civil War, and the Magestrix Command Center quickly began to rely on the First and its sister units. The workhorses of the MAF, the First fought on more worlds than any other MAF unit. Prior to the Jihad their last major combat deployment found them attacking Marian Hegemony troops on Astrokaszy in 3028 to discourage Marian adventurism.[1]

31st Century

In 3064 the First Canopian Fusiliers rotated back to the Magistracy from their assignment in the Capellan Confederation. Taking up station on Bethonolog, the First desperately wanted to fight with the 6th Oriente Hussars, who were stationed just over the border on Eleusis. To probe the FWL unit's defenses, the First Fusiliers masqueraded as pirates and smugglers and conducted several raids in 3067.[10]

Officers

Between 3064 and 3067 the commanding officer is Colonel Darlene McKinnon.[1][11]

Tactics

Specialists in small-unit actions, the regiment tends split in nine smaller commands of around company size and defeat the enemy through harassment.

Composition History

3064

1st Canopian Fusiliers (1 Regiment/Elite/Reliable)[1]

  • CO: Colonel Darlene McKinnon
  • 2nd Battalion: Major Leon Sanchez
  • 3rd Battalion: Major Marie Robson

1st Fusiliers Armor Guard (1 Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)[1]

  • Armor Commander: Major Mathew Prince

1st Fusiliers Horse Infantry Guard (2 Companies/Regular/Fanatical)[1]

  • Infantry Commander: Major Feng Lin

3067

1st Canopian Fusiliers (2 Battalions/Regular/Fan)[11]

  • CO: Colonel Darlene McKinnon

1st Fusiliers Armor Guard (2 Battalions/Green/Reliable)[11]

  • Armor Commander: Major Mathew Prince

1st Fusiliers Infantry Guard (1 Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)[11]

  • Infantry Commander: Major Feng Lin

Notes

Rules

3064

  • The Canopian Fusiliers are drawn from the MAF's best troops; when generating random MechWarrior skills, the player may roll on the Veteran column of the Random Skills Table within the BattleTech Master Rules.[12]
  • The 1st Canopian Fusiliers receive a +1 Initiative Bonus when they field 12 units or less in a scenario.[12]
  • The 1st Canopian Fusiliers receive a -2 Initiative Penalty when they field 13 units or more in a scenario.[12]


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 36, "1st Canopian Fusiliers"
  2. Historical: Reunification War, p. 94, "Reunification War: Magistracy of Canopus Front Deployments (2577)"
  3. Historical: Reunification War, p. 98, "Butzfleth and Vakarel (October-November 2577)"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 148, "Magistracy Of Canopus Front(Jump-Off - 2582)"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 150, "Magistracy Of Canopus Front(Jump-Off - 2582)"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 101, "Gallis, Aspropirgos, Fanardir and Borgan's Rift (January 2580-October 2581)"
  7. Historical: Reunification war, p. 103-105, "Canopus (March-April 2584)
  8. Historical: Reunification War, p. 105, "Mopping Up (2584-2588)"
  9. Historical: Reunification War, p. 149, "Magistracy Of Canopus Front (2583-2588)"
  10. Field Manual: Updates, p. 191
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Field Manual: Updates, p. 201, "Magistracy Armed Forces Deployment Table"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 151, "Canopian Fusiliers"

Bibliography