4th Proserpina Hussars

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History

Reunification War

The Fourth Proserpina Hussars were one of four regiments assigned by the DCMS to the Draconis Auxiliary Corps[1] formed in the early 2580s as a contribution towards Operation MAILED FIST, the Star League intervention in the Rim Worlds Republic Civil War.[2] The Fourth Hussars were assigned to Task Force MAILED FIST alongside the Second and Seventh Swords of Light and the First Arkab Legion.[1]

The Fourth Proserpina Hussars began operations in the Rim Worlds Republic as a part of Battle Group Timbuktu in 2584 with the campaign to secure Nightwish and the Second Amaris Dragoons.[1][3] The Draconis Combine forces were soon well known for their arrogance, brutality and inhumane methods;[4] unimpeded by the Ares Conventions as a result of the declaration by First Lord Ian Cameron in 2578 that SLDF operations in the Periphery would not be bound by the Conventions,[3] the Fourth Hussars caused carnage on Nightwish, shelling inhabited areas to drive out hidden Rim Worlds Army forces and torturing prisoners for information. When the overall commander of Battle Group Timbuktu, Duke Narinder Selaj of the Principality of Regulus, challenged the DCMS units over their tactics, he was rebuffed with the reply that the tactics were efficient and saved troops and resources. On paper, this was true; the DCMS forces lost 42 personnel - including 7 MechWarriors - in the conquest of Nightwish, whereas casualties on the opposing side exceeded 10,000 people.[5]

The actions of the DCMS force on Nightwish led to them being despised by the Rim Worlds Army, the Rift Republican Army... and their own allies in the SLDF. Soon all of the Task Force MAILED FIST forces were being tarred with the same brush; both the RWA and RRA put the DCMS units on automatic kill lists - with the notable exception of the First Arkab Legion, who in contrast with their DCMS fellows were accorded a grudging respect for their compassion when dealing with prisoners of war[6] - and resistance on Republic worlds increased sharply, both from the various military units and from the growing civilian partisan movements[7] with hidden bunkers and weapon emplacements becoming both increasingly common and increasingly cynical in their placement, not that this prevented the Fourth Hussars from removing such sites through heavy weapons and shelling even as the Republic forces began locating complexes under schools, hospitals and other such sites.[8]

The Draconis Auxiliary Corps fought as a complete formation against local militia forces during the occupation of Milvano in 2586[1] and against the loyalist Seventh Amaris Dragoons on Timbuktu in 2588.[9][10] The conquest of Milvano took more than a year, considerably longer than originally planned, thanks to ongoing bouts of civil unrest despite the brutality with which the Fourth Hussars and other DCMS units put down such actions.[7]

The campaign for Timbuktu saw the Draconis Auxiliary Corps fighting alongside the elite Eleventh Royal Division, an SLDF division from IV Corps, and the combined forces made short work of the defenses prepared by the Seventh Dragoons. Colonel Samuel Macao withdrew his forces to the more sparsely-populated Hades continent, intent on using the mining complexes there for cover, but reports of the harsh treatment of Republic citizens at the hands of the DCMS forces provoked him into strikes that cost him much of his unit; the Fourth Hussars were then subjected to nineteen days of merciless bombardment until the survivors surrendered.[11]

After the campaign to secure Timbuktu was complete the Fourth Hussars were dispatched along with the First Arkab Legion to take the world of Marisura in 2590. This was the first and only time that forces from the Draconis Auxiliary Corps would campaign directly alongside forces from Duke Narinder Selaj's 2nd Marik Auxiliary Corps, operating alongside a brigade of forces consisting of the Second and Sixth Marik Militias and the First Brigade of the Fusiliers of Oriente. The combined Combine and Free Worlds forces overwhelmed the loyalist Seventh Amaris Fusiliers and had secured the world in sufficient time for the Fourth Hussars to be deployed alongside the First Arkab Legion to secure the world of Mahrah in 2590which would be the last campaign of the Reunification War for the Fourth Hussars;[9] the Draconis Auxiliary Corps was withdrawn from Operation MAILED FIST in 2591 as the various District Warlords of the Draconis Combine attempted to compensate for the erratic actions of Coordinator Leonard Kurita.[12]

Third Succession War

In the second decade of the Thirtieth century the Fourth Proserpina Hussars, along with the Second Sword of Light and Twentieth Dieron Regulars, headed a massive multi-regiment assault on the Tamar Pact under the overall command of General Tugima Travison. This assault, which launched in March 2915, took advantage of the defending Steiner forces' paralysis and insecurity. Despite the poor straits the LCAF found itself in the Fourth Hussars and the other DCMS troops were forced off Tamar by October 2915.[13][14][15]

The Eighth Sword of Light and Fourth Proserpina Hussars fought the Davion Heavy Guards in 3002's Third Battle of Harrow's Sun. The Federated Suns ultimately prevailed but not before the Eighth had inflicted serious losses.[16]

Prior to the Fourth Succession War the Fourth Hussars raided the Lyran world of Sevren. The defending Lyran unit, the 26th Lyran Guards forced the Fourth to leave Sevren. This encounter was the first time the DCMS fought the Hatchetman design.[17][18]

Fourth Succession War

While the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces were attempting to consolidate the gains made during Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery launched a wave of counter-attacks. Most of these contested worlds the Commonwealth had captured, but the Fourth Proserpina Hussars launched the most worrying attack for the Lyran High Command - an invasion of La Blon, executed in the final weeks of 3028. La Blon was defended by twenty assorted regiments of infantry and armor, and a single battalion of ageing militia BattleMechs. The Fourth was a front-line 'Mech reigment and arrived with eighteen assorted supporting regiments, exploiting a hole in the LCAF's lines, and swiftly defeated the planetary militia.[19]

In June 3029 the Commonwealth launched Operation HOLDUR, a plan devised by the Margrave of the Ryde Theater, General Jack Sphire, to break the deadlock in the region. HOLDUR carried a degree of risk and committed large numbers of troops - including militia forces - in an offensive spearheaded by 'Mech regiments and intended to be swift enough that the DCMS would be unable to counter-attack. Archon Katrina Steiner approved the plan and mobilised additional 'Mech regiments to support HOLDUR, deploying regiments that had previously been held in reserve. When assigning these additional forces, the Archon dictated that these forces had to be used at the Terran end of the Ryde area, so that they could respond to any attacks originating from the Free Worlds League.[20]

For the Archon, destroying DCMS 'Mech forces was as significant a goal as capturing territory;[20] the LCAF was angry at the loss of La Blon, and as a consequence assigned the First Royal Guards and two companies of 'Mechs from the mercenary unit Barrett's Fusiliers to land on La Blon and destroy the Fourth Proserpina Hussars. The Hussars were caught by surprise while they were in the process of relocating their headquarters to Fort Taurus from Fort Minotaur. When the elite Royal Guards dropped two kilometers from Fort Minotaur and attacked, they found it occupied by just a battalion of the Fourth's 'Mechs, and within 28 hours had secured the Fort. Meanwhile, the forces from Barrett's Fusiliers landed on Fort Taurus, overwhelming the small garrison there while the Hussars were still almost seventy kilometers away. Deprived of both Forts the Hussars retreated into the countryside, raiding settlements for supplies while the Royal Guards began launching recon operations to try and pin them down.[21]

The Hussars attempted to lure the Royal Guards out of Fort Minotaur so that they could sneak back in, without success, but were able to avoid getting trapped by the Royal Guards in turn until the Lyrans used falsified communications to lure the Hussars into a direct attack on Fort Minotaur, convinced that the main Guard force was elsewhere. The Hussars attacked in force, not realising that they were facing the entire Royal Guards; after four hours of suffering heavy casualties the Hussars retreated, only to fall straight into an ambush prepared by the Fusiliers. With casualties mounting precipitously the surviving lances from the Hussars abandoned La Blon.[21][22]

Ronin Wars


War of 3039

During the War of 3039 the Fourth Proserpina Hussars regiment was stationed on Fellanin II. The Eridani Light Horse's Seventy-first Light Horse and Twenty-first Striker regiments attacked Fellanin in the first wave of the invasion. After stringing the Light Horse units along for three weeks, the Fourth Proserpina's artillery and a 'Mech-led combined arms battalion attacked the Light Horse's grounded DropShips and AeroSpace Fighters. At the same time, the rest of the Fourth Hussars pinned the Light Horse's 'Mechs in place outside a small city so they couldn't aid their comrades. The Light Horse lost three DropShips, a battalion of 'Mechs, and a wing of fighters were destroyed or disabled. The Hussars lost their artillery and most of the attacking battalion[23][24].

The Fourth Hussars struck again a few hours later, forcing the Light Horse units into retreat. After twelve hours of harassment from the Hussars, the Horsemen re-formed their units and delivered a counter-attack that stopped the Fourth Hussars cold. The Hussars were the pursued, as they organized a series of fighting withdrawals. At last the Hussars tried to make a stand at a local fortress, but were smashed by the 21st Striker regiment. The survivors fled into the wilds of Fellanin II.[25] Less than a battalion of 'Mechs were able to fight, and it wasn't until the arrival of the 2nd Arkab Legion that the Hussars were able to push the 71st Light Horse regiment (now the only AFFS force present) off-world.[26]

Clan Invasion

The Fourth Proserpina Hussars were destroyed in the Clan Invasion. Its surviving materiel and personnel were merged into the Third when that unit was rebuilt to full strength.

Officers

Tactics


Composition History

3025

Fourth Proserpina Hussars (1 Regiment/Veteran)[28][29]

3040

Fourth Proserpina Hussars (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[30]

3050

Fourth Proserpina Hussars (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[31]

  • CO: Tai-sa Wendell Garrison

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Historical: Reunification War, p. 152, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (Jump-Off - 2587)"
  2. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 131, "False Starts (2579-81)"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 21, "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"
  4. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 36, "Second Sword of Light"
  5. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 134, "Helbrent to Nightwish (July 2582 - November 2584)"
  6. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 36, "First Arkab Legion"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 134, "Arlina to Viborg (December 2584 - September 2588)"
  8. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 134A, "Busting Bunkers"
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 153, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (2588-2596)"
  10. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 155, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (2588-2596)"
  11. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 135, "Timbuktu (July 2588)"
  12. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 138, "Leonard the Debauched"
  13. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 72
  14. ↑ Technical Readout: 3026, Revised Edition, p. 8
  15. ↑ Technical Readout: 3039, p. 8
  16. ↑ Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 104
  17. ↑ Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 48
  18. ↑ Technical Readout: 3039, p. 228
  19. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 61, "End of the Offensive"
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 73, "Ryde Theater"
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 76, "La Blon"
  22. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 42, "Barrett's Fusiliers: The Light Musketeers"
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 41
  24. ↑ Technical Readout: 3039, p. 295
  25. ↑ Historical: War of 3039, p. 42
  26. ↑ Historical: War of 3039, p. 92
  27. ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 42
  28. ↑ MechWarrior, First Edition, p. 123
  29. ↑ *House Kurita Sourcebook, p. 146
  30. ↑ Historical: War of 3039 , p. 139
  31. ↑ 20 Year Update, p.42

Bibliography

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