48th Division (ComStar)

The Forty-Eighth Division were noted for their actions FedCom Civil War.

Clan Invasion to Second Star League

Immediately prior to the Clan Invasion the regular ranked Forty-Eighth Division, then an IV-phi based formation referred to by the nickname of the Open Thoughts, served as the headquarters division of the 12th Army and was based on the Draconis Combine world of Asta.

As part of the Twelfth Army, the Forty-Eighth Division would see combat against Clan Nova Cat during the Battle of Tukayyid. Like many Com Guard Divisions, the Forty-Eighth Division chose a new nickname in response to their efforts on Tukayyid, calling itself The Silver Calvary. Rebuilt as an infantry heavy IV-chi formation, the Forty-Eighth was transfered to recoup the losses the Eleventh Army suffered against Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf, stationed on Yorii in the disputed Lyons Thumb. After the conclusion of the Refusal War the Forty-Eighth was among the divisions of the 11th Army transferred to reinforce the newly formed Lyran Alliance's border with the Clan Jade Falcon Occupation Zone relocating to the Alliance world of Fort Loudon. A large engineering contingent was attached to the Forty-Eighth Division following their transfer to the Eleventh Army, after building defensive emplacements to help resist any Jade Falcon attack, these engineers set about renovating a large underground command and repair facility located on Fort Loudon, believed to be the remains of Star League Castle Brian.

With Fort Loudon in the direct path of any Clan drive to Terra, the Forty-Eighth's CO Precentor Cheryl Raume held few illusions that the static defenses could only do so much, but with her division boasting only a single Level II of BattleMechs she knew she'd be forced to rely upon the other units on-world for mobile strength - the Victor Steiner-Davion aligned Fourth Davion Guards and pro-Katherine Steiner-Davion Fifth Alliance Guards. Well aware of the worsening tensions, Raume requested additional Com Guard troops be transferred into the region.

FedCom Civil War

When open fighting broke out as the FedCom Civil War increased tensions between Allied aligned Fourth Davion Guards, Fifth Alliance Guards and the LAAF employed Knights of St. Cameron mercenary unit, all three units wisely chose to separate their respective units, effectively ceding total control over Fort Loudon's defenses against the Clans to the Forty-Eighth Division.

The Forty-Eighth would be dragged into the Civil War by Autumn of 3063 when the outnumbered survivors of the 4th Davion Guards special forces elements sought refuge in the planet's ComStar HPG compound. Either not realizing or simply not caring where they were attacking, the 5th Alliance Guards burst into the compound in search of the Davion troops, the defending elements of the Forty-Eighth believing themselves under attack and responding with deadly force. Ultimately eleven members of the Alliance Guards and six from the Forty-Eighth Division were killed before the Lyran unit's armor forces arrived to surround the compound and attempt to cut it off from local utilities.

With the bulk of her forces on-world stationed outside the city, Precentor Raume ordered her troops to break through the Alliance cordon to save her trapped colleagues. As her infantry pushed into the city, attempting to keep collateral damage to minimum, Raume received a direct comminque from Precentor Martial Pro-Tem Gavin Dow ordering her to stand down and hand over the Davion troops to the Lyran authorities. While Raume protested Dow's order as a violation of ComStar's neutrality, ultimately the decision was taken out of her hands when the Davion soldiers voluntarily walked out of the compound and into Lyran custody.

Both sides returned to barracks, but tensions remained high between them, and in and effort to avoid further conflict Precentor Martial Pro-Tem Dow ordered the Forty-Eighth Division redeploy to Kelenfold. While this redeployment made tactical sense and helped to secure the Lyran position when the Jade Falcon Incursion occurred, the Forty-Eighth Division saw it as a retreat, damaging its morale.

Jihad

Like many Com Guard divisions, the Forty-Eighth would fight ferociously against the Word of Blake during the Jihad, suffering horrific losses but earning a reputation for fast mobile warfare. Most notable was the efforts of Take the Time III-chi, whose bridging units became experts at moving their Forty-Eighth's heavier elements across obstacles blocking their path while under Blakist fire.

Officers

• As of 3067, the Commanding Officer of the Forty-Eighth Division was Precentor XIV Cheryl Raume. Having commanded the Forty-Eighth since 3050, Raume twice refused promotion to army command, the hands-on leader considering her skills ill-suited to administrative tasks, earning the implicit trust and loyalty of her troops. Like most commanders in the 11th Army, Raume wholeheartedly supported Victor prior to the FedCom Civil War.

Composition History

3050

48th Division (Open Thoughts IV-Phi)

3055

48th Division (The Silver Cavalry IV-chi)

3062

48th Division (The Silver Cavalry IV-chi)

• Inward Bound III-psi: Demi-Precentor V Chris Robb
• Price to Pay III-chi: Demi-Precentor VI Andrew Kostel
• Hook in Mouth III-omega: Dem i-Precentor III Karen Desilvia
• Take the Time III-chi: Demi-Precentor X Julie Voeck
• The Blue Dreamers III-upsilon: Demi-Precentor IX Arthur Swick
• Into the Light III-phi: Demi-Precentor VIII Joan Ausland

3067

48th Division (The Silver Cavalry IV-chi)

Notes

• The Forty-Eighth Divison's post-Tukayyid insignia is a black horse on a silver shield.

Bibliography

• 20-Year Update
• ComStar (sourcebook)
• FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)
• Field Manual: ComStar
• Field Manual: Updates
• Technical Readout: 3085