3rd Deneb Light Cavalry

History

The Third Deneb Light Cavalry RCT was a Regimental Combat Team in service to House Davion during the early Succession War era.

Formation

The Third Deneb Light Cavalry was founded at some point after 2765, and by 2786 was one of five regiments within the Deneb Light Cavalry brigade. Like the Ninth Deneb Light Cavalry, the Third was founded by the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns; the other three regiments, the Fourth, Fifth and Eighth had all been recruited from the ranks of the Thirteenth Royal French Demi-Brigade, a unit within LVI Corps of the Star League Defense Force Nineteenth Army.

First Succession War

By 2797 the Goderich system, which had been conquered in the second wave of the massive invasion of the Federated Suns by the Draconis Combine, was back under Federated Suns control and was home to the remains of three regiments who had withdrawn from Kentares or systems nearby: the Third Deneb Light Cavalry, the Seventh Crucis Lancers and the Twentieth Syrtis Fusiliers. When word reached Goderich of the massacre being conducted on Kentares IV by Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita, the three regiments became the first Armed Forces of the Federated Suns units to break ranks and launch furious, vengeance-driven attacks against nearby Combine forces, beginning in October 2797. Other units were soon doing the same, and by November the vengeful AFFS units had broken through the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery defenses on both Logandale and Marlette, returning both systems to Federated Suns control. This was the beginning of a resurgence across the AFFS that would eventually lead to the Combine invasion being turned back, and the majority of the conquered Federation worlds being liberated.

Second Succession War

In 2834, during the Second Succession War, First Prince Paul Davion of the Federated Suns ordered the Third Deneb Light Cavalry to assault Tikonov in the Capellan Confederation. It was the third such AFFS invasion to gain the key Liao world in three years. The operational plan was for the Light Cavalry, using fast units, to secure the major continent and hold it long enough for another the Second Davion Guards of the Royal Brigade of Guards to arrive as reinforcements. The Cavalry executed the plan to perfection, outmaneuvering their slower opponents to seize several key cities, then hunkered down for the expected reinforcements. Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita of the Draconis Combine, apparently anticipating the move, sent raiders to attack the Second Royal Davion Guards RCT on their homeworld of Sanilac. The Guards were caught in the midst of loading their DropShips, and took heavy casulties before they were able to repel the raiders. They were in no position to assist on Tikonov. The Third Deneb, harried by elements of the Northwind Highlanders, were forced to retreat.

At some point prior to 3025, the Third Deneb Cavalry was destroyed or otherwise disbanded.

Officers

During their famed attack on Tikonov in 2834, the Cavalry was commanded by General Jessica Bassner.

Composition History

2786

• Third Deneb Light Cavalry (Green/Reliable)

- At this point in time the Third was a light-weight regiment operating at full strength and was stationed on Ozawa.

2821

• Third Deneb Light Cavalry (Green/Reliable)

- At this point in time the Third was a light-weight regiment operating just under half-strength and was stationed on Chesterton.

Notes

• According to House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), a unit of the Deneb Light Cavalry attacked Acala in 2834, the same year as the Tikonov operation. Given that the entry refers to the series of operations on Tikonov, this article assumes that reference was to the Tikonov assault.
• As of this writing, House Davion (The Federated Suns) has been the only specific publication to mention the Third Deneb Light Cavalry.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: SLDF
• First Succession War
• House Davion (The Federated Suns)
• House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)
• The Star League