3rd Free Worlds Guards

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History

Formation

The first Free Worlds League Parliament met in 2272 and allocated funds for ten regiments of armor and infantry. They later went on to become the Free Worlds Guards.[1]

Anton's Revolt

During Anton's Revolt, the 3rd Free Worlds Guards were kept on Atreus, defending the capital. [2]

Fourth Succession War

As of 3025, the Guards were stationed on Zion, near the Capellan Confederation border. [3] It was comprised primarily of medium battlemechs. [4]

They reportedly did not see any fighting during the Fourth Succession War.

Andurien Secession

During the Andurien Secession, the Guards remained on Zion until 3035 when they were relocated to Piriapolis. [5] In 3039, they attacked the Federated Commonwealth world of Hsien, looking to take advantage of the Commonwealth's war with the Draconis Combine. They arrived in July and arrested the ruling Baron. The Baron later died of a heart attack, and the citizens of Hsien thought the Guards had murdered him. This led to a guerrilla movement which resulted in the Guards being harassed day and night. When they learned that Wolf's Dragoons had been contracted to reclaim the world, the Guards returned to their garrison on Irian by early August.[6]

The Guards ultimately took part in the final battle on Andurien, where they saw heavy fighting against the 6th Defenders of Andurien, among others. Despite all of this, they pulled through the conflict with moderate losses. [7]

Clan Invasion

By 3050, the Guards had returned to their homeworld of Zion. [8] They were still based on Zion in 3054. [9]

The Third spent most of the next fifteen years as a training unit: Soldiers and new academy graduates would serve in the Third Guards and gain experience and then rotate into one of the other Guards regiments.[10]In 3066 the Third Guards were heavily damaged during a raid by Ambermarle's Highlanders and the 2nd McCarron's Armored Cavalry.[11] This attack and several other minor raids, led to the Third Guards having a high concentration of green troops. The unit's command staff grew tired of the poaching of their best troops and the Word of Blake exploited this dissatisfaction.[10]

Jihad

The LCCC ordered the Third Guards off of Zion to reinforce the Marik Commonwealth in 3068.[12] In 3070 the Third Guards announced that they would be serving as part of the Word of Blake's army. Their first assignment was to garrison the world of Zion.[13] In addition, several units of the Third Guards transferred in to the Word of Blake's Third Division to make up combat losses.[14] After fighting the 6th Benjamin Regulars and the 1st Federated Suns Lancers for the Word of Blake on Wing,[15] in 3077, the Third Guards landed on Regulus on the 15th of July to pledge their service to the Principality.[16][17] The arrival of the 3rd Guards was a matter of some concern for the Principality; as summarized by General Thomas Orfelt, it was entirely conceivable that the apparent defection of the 3rd Guards was a Blakist conspiracy to establish an operational unit with the Principality, but it was also true that the Principality couldn't turn it's collective back on fellow Free Worlds League countrymen if the 3rd Guards were genuine in their motivations.[16]

After their pledge of loyalty to Regulus, they became members of the Regulan Hussars. It is unclear if they remained together as a unit or were broken up and assigned to different Hussars commands, however.[18]

Dark Age

After the reformation of the Free Worlds League, the various remnant forces of the Army of the Marik-Stweart Commonwealth were combined into one unit as the new Third Free Worlds Guards. The new unit raided Aitutaki in 3140, shattering the 16th Regulan Hussars unit and taking the world for the new League. The Third then defended against a retaliatory strike from the 4th Regulan Hussars, forcing the Hussars to withdraw.[19] As of 3145 they were still the garrison for Aitutaki.[20]

Officers

In 3025 the unit is commanded by Colonel Albrecht Kiel.[21]

As of 3050 to 3059 the commanding officer was Colonel Duane Hanson.[8][22] In 3067 the unit was led by Colonel Ricardo Catere-Jones.[23]

In 3145 the commanding officer is Colonel Natalia Hensley.[20]

Tactics

The Third Guards were skilled at fighting in tight terrain and in small unit actions.[22]

Composition History

3025

Third Free Worlds Guards (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[21]

  • CO: Colonel Albrecht Kiel

3040

Third Free Worlds Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[24]

3050

Third Free Worlds Guards (Regular/Fanatical)[8]

  • CO: Colonel Duane Hanson

3059

Third Free Worlds Guards (1 Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[22]

  • CO/1st Battalion: Colonel Duane Hanson
  • 2nd Battalion: Force Commander Leigh Mallet
  • 3rd Battalion: Force Commander Don Cardy

- The 3rd is a understrenght regiment

Third Guards Aerospace Wing (1 Wing/Regular/Fanatical)[22]

23rd Atreus Heavy Armor Regiment (1 Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[22]

  • Armor Commander: Force Commander Jared Klima

92nd Oriente Infantry Regiment (1 Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[22]

  • Troop Commander: Lt. Colonel Willhelm Wussler

3145

Third Free Worlds Guards (Veteran/Questionable)[20]

  • CO: Colonel Natalia Hensley

Third Guards Aerospace Wing (Veteran/Reliable)[20]

  • CO: Commander Jefferey Mooney

39th Heavy Tank Regiment (Regular/Fanatical)[20]

29th Aitukaian Infantry Regiment (Veteran/Fanatical)[20]

  • CO: Lieutenant Colonel Anastasia Chavez

Notes

The lack of clarity regarding the 3rd's disposition after the Jihad makes it difficult to determine their composition, commanding officer, or baseworld in 3079.[18]

References

  1. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 88
  2. Historical: Brush Wars p. 33
  3. House Marik (The Free Worlds League) p. 108
  4. House Marik (The Free Worlds League) p. 89
  5. Historical: Brush Wars p. 86
  6. Historical: War of 3039, p. 120
  7. Historical: Brush Wars pp. 81-82
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 20 Year Update, p. 56, "FWLM Deployment Table"
  9. Objective Raids p. 37
  10. 10.0 10.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 146
  11. Field Manual: Updates, p. 13
  12. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 78
  13. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 88
  14. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 97
  15. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 65
  16. 16.0 16.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 47-48, "Third Guards Defect"
  17. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 57, "The Jihad in Review"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Field Report: FWLM, p. 9
  19. Field Manual: 3145, p. 102
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Field Manual: 3145, p. 115, "Free Worlds League Military"
  21. 21.0 21.1 House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 108, "FWL Deployment Table"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 46, "3rd Free Worlds Guards Unit Profile"
  23. Field Manual: Updates, p. 159
  24. Historical: War of 3039 , p. 140

Bibliography