Screaming Eagles

Revision as of 12:39, 16 October 2016 by 217.81.114.127 (talk)

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The Screaming Eagles are a Mercenary Unit noted for an illustrious battle record stretching back to their days as the Star League Defense Force’s Regular Army as the Two Hundred-Fiftieth BattleMech Division.

History

Star League

The Division then nicknamed the The Stalingrad Division was assigned in 2764, as a part of the LVIII Corps, Seventh Army, to District 3 of the Capellan Confederation Military Region.

The unit was part of the force that was deployed to the Periphery in 2765, to participate in the offensive to put down second Periphery rebellion. The 250th fought in the Periphery campaign successfully and joined General Kerensky in his campaign to liberation of the Terran Hegemony.

Unlike many of its fellow Seventh Army units, the Division survived the Star League Civil War. However, the unit’s loyalties to Kerensky fractured when he called for the SLDF to take part in Operation Exodus. Only parts of the Division would travel with Kerensky on his Exodus in 2784.[1]

The 555th Honor Guard Brigade and 556th Honor Guard Brigade would remain in the Inner Sphere and entered the service of Federated Suns as the mercenary unit, the Screaming Eagles.[2]

Early Succession Wars

The Screaming Eagles did not fare well during the First Succession War and had been reduced to only two Regiments by the end of the Second Succession War.

The Fourth Succession War

While still in service of House Davion, the unit participated in First Prince Hanse Davion's Operation Rat. The unit was garrisoned on Skepptana prior to beginning of the war.[3]

Pleione

House Davion contracted the Eagles for use both regiments to the House Liao world of Pleione in mid 3028 as part of their first action in the Fourth Succession War.

The Third Battalion of McCrimmon's Light Cavalry was assigned to defend the planet. Initially, the Eagles' AeroSpace Fighter coverage caught the Light Cavalry in the open and decimated them. However, the Light Cavalry survivors fell back to an ancient mountain top SLDF fortress called Thunder Rock. The Fortress had been converted into a supply depot and headquarters. This allowed for the Light Cavalry’s survivors to endure a three week siege to the frustration of the Eagles' Top Commander, Walther Hokala. It was not until the Eagle's managed move one of its smaller units to mountaintop which worked its way though to the entrance and into the base. The fighting reduced the Third Battalion to a single 'Mech company forcing a surrender. With its defenders gone, Pleione's population was easily subdued by mercenaries.

The Eagles then detached two battalions to garrison the planet and moved on to its next objective: Gan Singh.[4]

Gan Singh

On Gan Singh, the planet's Militia fought well against the Eagles, but were defeated because of the Eagles' numerical superiority. The Eagles were backed up by the Fourth Garrison Force consisting of six regiments of garrison troops.[5]

New Canton & Disgrace

During the invasion of New Canton, regiments of the unit were divided to take certain objectives. The world was defended by the 1st Battalion of 4th Confederation Reserve Cavalry and the 3rd Battalion of the Trimaldi's Secutors.

Canton River

The 1st Screaming Eagles, under command of Colonel Opson Mathis, was tasked with hunting down the 4th Reserve who operated in the jungles of the north continent of New Canton. The 1st Regiment, along with its five supporting Almach Food Soldiers, fruitlessly hunted for Capellan units and their supporting infantry. The 4th Reserves took to conducting guerilla warfare against the Eagles. The Capellans' Attack and Fade tactics enraged the 1st Eagles' commander. The 1st Eagles caught the 4th Reserves at the foot of washed up bridge at Canon River. Cornered and unable to retreat the Capellan 'Mech forces surrendered to the Eagles. However, Colonel Mathis, ignoring the House Davion's rules, had the surrendered MechWarriors welded into their cockpits and pushed into raging river. The 7th Almach Foot Soldiers' commander Colonel Roberta Gathos arrived and discovered what happened. She demanded Mathis surrender, although he refused until the entire 1st Eagle walked to Gathos's side did he finally concede and surrender to her custody. The regiment was then temporarily transferred to Benson Yuli, whom originally to sided with Colonel Gathos.[6]

Fight in Blue Dragon Mountains

The 2nd Screaming Eagles, while under command of Colonel Hokala, moved to take out the Secutors whom had been stationed in mountainous regions of the Southern Continent of New Canton. The 2nd Eagles, backed by the 5th Almach Tank & 18th & 21st Almach Foot Infantry Regiments pursued the Capellan forces into the Blue Dragon Mountains. The Secutors had fought well and inflicted heavy damage as they led the Eagle on a merry chase through the mountains.

The frustrated Colonel Hokala decided to have garrison infantry airlifted ahead of the Secutors' advance into the Blue Mountain Pass. They would act as a holding force while 2nd Eagles came up from the rear and finished the Capellan forces.

As the infantry forces delayed the Secutors' 'Mech forces, 2nd Eagle was attacked by Capellan tank forces. The New Canton Armored Guard conducted a suicidal assault against the Eagles in a bid to delay them. The tank regiment’s sacrifice slowed the Eagles for six days which proved enough time to destroy two-thirds of the Davion infantry forces.[7]

Aftermath of the New Canton

After this action the Eagles were tried and found not guilty of wrong doing, however both actions stained the unit's reputation permanently.[8] This led to the unit’s eventual expulsion from Davion service and Mathis was cashiered from service of the Screaming Eagles.[9]

War of 3039

Mis-Jump to Elidere IV

Still in the service of the now Federated Commonwealth, the unit was contracted to backup 1st Ceti Hussars RCT in the invasion of the Draconis Combine. The units deployed in April of 3039 towards their target world of Elidere IV. During transit the Eagles’ main JumpShip plotted an incorrect jump point and sent the bulk of the forces to a secondary rallying point in an uninhabited system. The Ceti Hussars’ commander of the mission, Marshal Patrick Meldon, thought the bulk of the mercenaries were either lost or dead. The Eagles finally arrived just as Marshal Meldon’s 1st Ceti Hussars finished conquering the planet.[10]

Fight to hold Elidere IV

On 11 July, the 1st Screaming Eagles were assigned to garrison Elidere while Marshal Meldon departed with the 1st Ceti for their invasion of Misery. However, shortly on 26th July, unmarked JumpShips with unmarked military DropShips arrived in system. Reports of Combine forces counter-striking the invasion along the invasion corridor alerted the Eagles’ commanding officer, Colonel Hokala. He drafted a number of plans to try and counter a large attacking force. He decided on a plan to fill the battlefield with an extensive smoke screen to allow a demi-battalion’s worth of 'Mechs to hit the enemy under cover of the smoke.

On August 5th, the unhurried DropShips landed two BattleMech Regiments. Their 'Mechs, painted only in ghostly white, included some ancient designs last fielded by the Star League centuries ago.

The two forces met on the plains outside of Jasco City where the Eagles attempted to employ the smoke screen. The mysterious force’s weaponry outranged their 'mech weapons. Hokala ordered his LRM launchers to fire and fill the plains with smoke. However, the mysterious Combine 'Mechs, in an unprecendented display of precision, shot down the missiles. This left gaps in the smokescreen of the attacking demi-battalion and they were easily destroyed.

Within a half-hour the Screaming Eagles lost half their numbers. Colonel Hokala signaled the mysterious enemy that he was willing to surrender and withdraw. A Hatamoto-Chi BattleMech lifted its arm to signal a halt to hostilities. They allowed the Eagles to recover only their ejected MechWarriors, and destroyed any vehicle attempting to salvage equipment from the battlefield. Shortly after, the Eagles left the planet to what was later named the 9th and 10th Ghost Regiments.[11]

Misery

The 2nd Screaming Eagles regiment was assigned to Marshal Patrick Meldon's task force. They jumped off world of Glenmora to Elidere I. From there they jumped to Misery, where they just missed the Ryuken-roku departing the system for another assault. Before the 2nd Eagles’ task force could move to take the planet they were told to put their invasion plans on hold. The ships of the task force remained in orbit of Misery for three weeks, until returning to their JumpShips and heading back to Glenmora.[12]

In Service of the Periphery and Chaos March

By 3053, the unit found itself in service of the Magistracy of Canopus with whom they signed a long-term defense contract. The unit was loaned out to its Trinity Alliance partner, House Liao, who deployed the Eagles to Chaos March to conduct unspecified tasks for the Alliance.

In 3062 while on Epsilon Eridani the 2nd Screaming Eagles were ambushed by Word of Blake's 1st Division. The Blakist attack shattered the regiment and forced them to retreat. They reached the Capellan world of Kaifeng where landing was refused. The 1st Screaming Eagles abandoned its garrison contract to meet with their near-destroyed comrades on Outreach. The Blakists then exposed a secret decade-long deal between the 2nd Eagles and House Davion to spy for them since 3055. The contract with Canopus was subsequently cancelled based on the charge of spying for a foreign power. This forced them to return to the only realm that would accept them, House Davion.[13]

Return to House Davion and on the Periphery Border

The unit, unable to rebuild itself, consolidated into a reinforced BattleMech Regiment and reinforced combined arms regiment of armored vehicles and infantry. The unit then entered the service of Duke James Sandoval of the Draconis March. The March Lord assigned the unit to garrison the Outworlds Alliance border world of Kilbourne. This prevented the unit’s involvement in the FedCom Civil War.

Jihad

In October 3071, the Eagles received orders from Draconis March Intelligence Command, which ordered the unit to strike the Outworlds Alliance planet of Ramora in pre-emptive attack against Blakist forces. Leaving behind the unit’s 4th BattleMech Battalion and the 77th Armor to garrison Kilbourne they attacked.

The units on the strike mission used pirate points to slip by the planet’s would-be Blakist defenders. The unit’s executive officer, Lt. Colonel Lewis, identified the defenders as Clan Snow Raven. Despite their fast entry, the world’s protectors were waiting for them. A trinary from the 6th Raven Battle Cluster and the Outworlds Alliance Borderers moved to engage them in a battle. The Eagles won the day but suffered fifty percent casualties including their lead strategist, Lt. Colonel Lewis.

After salvaging Clan equipment the unit returned to base only to find the rest of the 6th Raven Battle Cluster was striking back at them. The 77th Armor’s artillery assets solely held back the angry Clanners and their Alliance airborne allies. Colonel Lafayette’s battered command managed to tip the balance of the battle and led to the destruction of the entire Snow Raven Cluster.

Shortly after the battle, Lafayette contacted March's intelligence command to report what happened and discovered that command never ordered them to strike the Alliance at all. A false order from unknown parties possibly caused the Eagles to trigger the border war with the newly-arrived Clan.[14]

The Screaming Eagles had lost many of their BattleMechs, but to compensate for this they increased their conventional forces and began deploying battle armor troops. Even though they still need to rebuild nearly forty percent of their forces in 3079, this regiment is stationed on Kentwood as the cornerstone of the Federated Suns' defense against aggression from the Outworlds Alliance and their Clan Snow Raven partners.[15]

Officers

As of 3025 the commanding officer of the unit was Colonel Walther Hokala[16]

As of 3059 the commanding officer of the Unit was Colonel Samuel "Buck" Layette[17]

As of 3061 the commanding officer of the unit was Colonel Tam Lafayette. She is the daughter of Buck Layette, the previous commanding officer of the Eagles. She is weak in strategic thinking and relies on her XO, Lt. Colonel Lewis for advice.[18]

Tactics

3067

The unit practices the use of Combined Arms to better support their infantry and armor units. The unit employs Arrow IV on their Aerospace fighters to devastate an enemy after the main unit softens them up.[19]

Unit Colors & Insignia

The unit maintains its original Star League color scheme of Olive Green. The unit insignia is a diving eagle set on a blue and green background.

Dragoon Ratings

3067

Rated B-

3071

Rated C

Composition History

2750

250th BattleMech Division

2764

250th BattleMech Division

3025

Screaming Eagles (2 regiments)(Regular/Reliable) - AFFS[21]

  • CO: Colonel Walther Hokala [22]
  • 1st Screaming Eagles - CO: Colonel Opson Mathis[23]
  • 2nd Screaming Eagles - CO: Colonel Walther Hokala (Regimental Commander)[24]
The Unit additionally consisted of Aerospace Fighters, Armor & Infantry units.[25]
The Eagles have no DropShips of their own, but do own a JumpShip.

3040

Screaming Eagles

  • 1st Screaming Eagles (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[26]
  • 2nd Screaming Eagles (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[26]

3050

Screaming Eagles

  • 1st Screaming Eagles (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[27]
  • 2nd Screaming Eagles (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[27]

3067

Screaming Eagles (Reinforced BattleMech Regiment) - CO: Colonel Tam Lafayette

  • 1st Battalion - CO & Unit XO: Lt. Colonel Chris Lewis
  • 2nd Battalion CO: Major Alexander Cohen
  • 3rd Battalion CO: Major Louis Chasteen
  • 4th Battalion CO: Tu Faes D'Lihar
All battalions mainly employ Medium Class BattleMechs with only a mixed company of Heavy & Assault Mechs. Additionally, each Battalion has extra Battalion Command Lance & regiment's Regimental Command Lance of BattleMechs.
  • 77th Heavy Armor (Reinforced Armor Regiment) - CO: Lt. Colonel Roger Durling
By 3067, the Unit has folded its two parachute trained Infantry battalions into 77th Heavy. Each of the 77th's Battalions have a platoon of Battle Armor assigned to it. Also assign is a company of Mobile Artillery.
  • Support: the unit now owns enough DropShip and JumpShip assets to be able transport the entire mercenary force.[28]

3071

Screaming Eagles (7 BattleMech Lances) - CO: Colonel Tam Lafayette

  • 77th Heavy Armor (2 Combined Arms Battalions)
Unit Mech forces consist of only a company worth of OmniMechs salvaged from battle with the Snow Ravens’ 6th Battle Cluster. The 77th Heavy Armor is now reduced two battalions of operational equipment.[29]


3079

Screaming Eagles

Though they were reduced to two thirds of their pre-Jihad strength in BattleMechs, the Screaming Eagles compensated for this by increasing the number of tanks and battle armor infantry units they could put in the field.[15]

Notes

Unit Components are only known though the Screaming Eagles’ mercenary profiles. Along with 77th Heavy Armor regiment, a 53rd Battalion belonging to the Eagles’ 2nd Brigade had survived to brigade was heavily damaged in mid thirty-first century. It is not clear which Brigade the battalion belonged to.[30]

The Screaming Eagles disappeared from source books shortly after the Fourth Succession War. The unit was not mentioned in print until Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) was published and updated what the unit was up to.

Game Rules

Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised)

Using Force Specific Rules, the Eagles employ the following abilities for scenarios. They receive A Rated Equipment. The unit may employ bombers. If used, these attacking aerospace fighters allow all the Eagles to receive +3 to their initiative for the entire scenario.

If the Aerospace Fighters/bombers are not used in the scenario the Eagles can receive a +1 to their initiative if they are using combined arms formation consisting of more than one type unit. (Tanks, Infantry, etc.) Should the unit be defenders of the scenario they suffer from a -2 initiative.[31]

Mercenaries Supplemental Update

The unit still uses rules listed from FM: Mercenaries Revised, however their Equipment Rating drops to C.[32]

References

  1. The Star League, p. 154 - "Seventh Army" - Unit Listing between years of 2764 to 2784
  2. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 105, "Two SLDF 250th Division’s 555th and 556th Honor Guard Brigade form the Screaming Eagles"
  3. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 13 - Unit deployment prior to Operation Rat.
  4. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 19 - First Wave - Assault of Pleione.
  5. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 32 - Other Second Wave Actions - Brief info on the conquest of Gan Singh.
  6. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 34 - New Canton - Jungles of Canton River.
  7. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 35 - New Canton - Blue Dragon pass.
  8. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 35 - New Canton - Blue Dragon pass.
  9. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) p. 99 - aftermath of 4th Succession War, it was reported that the unit had been expelled from House Davion service.
  10. Historical: War of 3039 p. 54-55 - First Wave / Elidere IV - Unit actions during invasion, including navigator sending the Eagles’ JumpShip to wrong system.
  11. Historical: War of 3039, pp. 106-107 - The Eagles fight with Star League tech equipped 9th and 10th Ghost regiments, and their defeat.
  12. Historical: War of 3039, p. 111 - Misery & 2nd Screaming Eagles - 2nd Eagles' actions at Misery and recall.
  13. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised), p. 99 - Unit actions in Chaos March for Trinity Alliance and exposed spying mission.
  14. Mercenaries Supplemental Update p. 105 - Screaming Eagle fluff up to 3071.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 20
  16. House Davion (The Federated Suns) p. 138 - Commanding Officer of the unit listed.
  17. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) p. 99 - Unit commander start time and as of 3067.
  18. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) p. 99 - Unit commander information of 3067 and her weaknesses.
  19. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) p. 99 - Tactics as of 3067
  20. Field Manual: SLDF, p. 99, "250th BattleMech Division"
  21. House Davion p.138
  22. House Davion p.138
  23. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 34 - Disgraced 2nd Eagles’ regimental commander named.
  24. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 35 - 2nd Regiment under command of Top Commander of the Eagles, Colonel Hokala.
  25. House Davion (The Federated Suns), pp. 138 & 150 - Some details of unit's status listed.
  26. 26.0 26.1 Historical: War of 3039 , p. 141
  27. 27.0 27.1 20 Year Update, p. 23
  28. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) p. 99 - Unit details in 3067.
  29. Mercenaries Supplemental Update p. 105 - Screaming Eagles - Unit status in 3071 from Merc Update book.
  30. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised) p. 99 - Lost SLDF Armor Battalion, but uncertain of which brigade it belonged to.
  31. Field Manual: Mercenaries p. 135 - Rules - Force Specific Rules for the Screaming Eagles.
  32. Mercenaries Supplemental Update p. 127 - Equipment Rating in Rules section changes, but not abilities from FM:M Revised.

Bibliography