11th Lyran Guards

11th Lyran Guards logo.png
Eleventh Lyran Guards
Nickname St. George's Regiment
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command Lyran Guards


The Eleventh Lyran Guards was a combat formation originally centered around a BattleMech regiment. The unit expanded with it becoming part of the Federated Commonwealth into multiregiment combat formation.

History[edit]

Second Succession Wars[edit]

The unit gained its regimental nickname "St. George's Regiment" for its heroic actions against the Draconis Combine during the Second Succession War.[1]

Third Succession War[edit]

In 2932, the Eleventh were involved in the bitter fighting over the world of Kimball II, which had already changed hands repeatedly between the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine. In one notable engagement Hauptmann Lisa Morgan, a Wolverine pilot from the Eleventh commanding a recon company, downed a much heavier BattleMaster 'Mech belonging to the Tenth Rasalhague Regulars during a hazardous night mission. A battalion of the Tenth Rasalhague Regulars had managed to ambush the Eleventh's recon forces and looked set to encircle the lighter Lyran forces in a tightening cordon, but when Morgan's crippled Wolverine killed the enemy pilot the sudden loss of the assault 'Mech threw the Regulars into disarray, allowing the Eleventh's recon elements to escape - taking the fallen BattleMaster as salvage. Hauptmann Morgan was later awarded the BattleMaster as a replacement for her Wolverine.[2]

At the end of the Third Succession War, the unit was stationed on Wyatt on the Free Worlds League border. The Eleventh Lyran Guards and the Seventeenth Arcturan Guards successfully defended the planet against Wolf's Dragoons Beta and Delta regiments in 3016, which were employed by the Free Worlds League at that time. During the battle the Lyran Guards shot down the Overlord-class DropShip Sendalor along with an entire battalion of Beta Regiment when the Dragoons tried to evacuate the planet. [3]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

In October 3028, Wyatt was targeted by the Free Worlds League Military as a part of Operation DAGGER, the offensive planned by Captain-General Janos Marik to seize valuable industrial worlds in the Federation of Skye. Wyatt was a particular target of DAGGER because of the presence of the Eleventh Lyran Guards and Seventeenth Arcturan Guards; while the Fifth Regulan Hussars and Twenty-fifth Marik Militia jumped into the Wyatt system intent on destroying both regiments, other FWLM regiments were capturing the Milton and Phecda systems in an effort to isolate the Lyran forces.[4]

Unfortunately for the two League regiments, the two Lyran regiments had been forewarned of the attack. The Hussars arrived at a pirate point allowing them to make an immediate drop on the surface of the planet, while the Militia appeared at the zenith jump point - only to find the Eleventh Lyran Guards waiting at the jump point, with the 'Mechs embarked on transports and aerospace fighters patrolling. Before the Militia could launch fighters the Eleventh's aerospace fighters began strafing attacks, with pairs of Chippewas and Lucifers each launching a single attack before withdrawing. The cumulative damage destroyed two Unions and a Leopard; worse still for the Militia, one of the DropShips was transporting a battalion command staff, and when it was destroyed, not only were those staff killed, but the DropShip then exploded, damaging a number of neighboring DropShips as they separated from their Invader-class JumpShip. With the Militia forces frantically trying to form up, the Eleventh retrieved its fighters and jumped out to the Alchiba system, while the Arcturan Guards jumped for Cor Caroli.[4] Although the plan to destroy the two Lyran regiments was unsuccessful, the League did capture Wyatt.[5] The information actually came from a mole in the League intelligence service.[6]

The Clan Invasion to the FedCom Civil War[edit]

The Eleventh was moved to garrison Callison at the end of the War of 3039,[7] and remained posted there[8][9] until September 3057 when they withdrew in the face of a FWLM force composed of the Fourth Free Worlds Legionnaires, First Free Worlds Guards and the Silver Hawk Irregulars' Falcons unit during the first wave of Operation GUERRERO.[10]

The Eleventh Lyran Guards participated in the defense of Coventry, forming the Lyran contribution of the multinational Coventry Relief Force.[11] In 3059 they would be chosen to participate as task force of Inner Sphere combat units fighting under the banner of the Second Star League. They later contributed to the destruction of Clan Smoke Jaguar as part of Task Force Serpent.[12][13] They took heavy casualties (at least 50% or more) on the Smoke Jaguar homeworld Huntress in the Kerensky Cluster in 3060.[14] Survivors of the Eleventh Lyran Guards would later join the First Royal BattleMech Regiment in 3061.[15]

Operation Hammerfall and Clan Wolf invasion of the Commonwealth[edit]

The Guards were part of the chosen military forces selected to invasion of the former Free Worlds League in the 3137 code named Operation Hammerfall. They would be key holding Tamarind, until in 3142 the Eleventh Guard fought in the Fourth Battle of Tamarind. Where they faced the First Tamarind Regulars and ultimately lose control of the planet to Duchy's forces.[16] The Guards would try redeem their lost of holding Duchy's capital world in undertaking mission of aiding Lyran forces caught behind Clan Wolf's growing occupation of both League and Lyran Commonwealth worlds. While undertaking this mission, they would conduct search and destroy missions, destroying any Wolf units they may find. In the process give themselves the nickname "Wolf Hammers". The unit would by 3145 be stationed on Lancaster, where they would be waiting opportunity to claim isolated worlds in the now contested space between the Commonwealth and Wolf Empire.[17]

In 3140, they faced elements of Delta Galaxy and allowed other Lyran units to fall back to friendly lines.[18] They fared less well in 3145 in a raid against the Wolf Empire on Smolnik. Elements of the Eleventh were destroyed by a Binary from the Eighty-eighth Wolf Battle Cluster.[19]

ilClan era[edit]

The Guards continued operations along the Wolf border. One company's attack on Smolnik in late 3151 prompted a Star Commander in the First Wolf Constabulary to request heavier equipment from Star Colonel Othar, as the unit was not equipped to face a line unit.[20]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 11th Lyran Guards
Richard Steiner 2789 - 2791[21]
Leutnant-Colonel Sharon Byres 3025[22]
Marshal Sharon Bryan 3050 - 3060[22]
Leutnant-Colonel Justin Verona 3145[23]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2821[edit]

11th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable) [24]

Note: In 2821 the medium-weight command was reduced to 69 percent of its strength and was deployed on Pressby. [24]

2830[edit]

11th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable) [25]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Pressby with an operational readiness of 93 percent. [25]

2864[edit]

11th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable) [25]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Utrecht with an operational readiness of 65 percent. [25]

3025[edit]

11th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Elite/Reliable)[22]

  • CO: Leutnant-Colonel Sharon Byres[22]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Wyatt. [22]

3040[edit]

11th Lyran Guards (Regiment/Elite/Reliable)[26]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Callison. [26]

3050[edit]

11th Lyran Guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Reliable) [27]

  • CO: Marshal Sharon Byran [27]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Callison. [27]

3054[edit]

11th Lyran guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Reliable) [28]

  • CO: Marshal Sharon Byran [28]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Callison. [28]

3145[edit]

11th Lyran Guards (Elite/Reliable)
CO: Leutnant Colonel Justin Verona[29]

17th Lancaster Guards (Regular/Reliable)
CO: Colonel Paula Clark

2nd Home Guard Brigade (Green/Reliable)
CO: Colonel Howard Parker.[30]

Reference[edit]

  1. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 53, "Regimental Nicknames"
  2. Technical Readout: 3039, p. 290, "WVR-6R Wolverine"
  3. Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook), p. 21
  4. 4.0 4.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 62-63, "Operation DAGGER"
  5. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 63, "Overview"
  6. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 66, "25th Marik Militia Unit Profile"
  7. Historical: War of 3039, p 137, "Deployment Table (LCAF)"
  8. 20 Year Update, p. 27, "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  9. Objective Raids, p. 19, "FedCom Deployment Table"
  10. Shattered Sphere, p. 74, "Operation Guerrero, First Wave"
  11. The Battle of Coventry (scenario pack), p. 12
  12. Twilight of the Clans, p. 8, "Task Force Serpent composition"
  13. The Hunters, pp. 112-113
  14. Era Report: 3062, p. 33 - 11th Lyran Guards are mentioned as part of the task force serpent.
  15. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 101 1st Royal BattleMech Regiment (Morgan's Lions) - 11th Lyran Guard members help form the new SLDF Regiment.
  16. Technical Readout: 3145 Free Worlds League, pp. 4, 40
  17. Field Manual: 3145, pp. 119-120 & 126 Lyran Commonwealth/Andrew & Melissa/Lyran Guards - Unit background in Combat during Hammerfall and update to 3145.
  18. Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth, p. 12
  19. Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth, p. 26
  20. Empire Alone, p. 51 - The Middle of Nowhere
  21. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 49
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 117, "LCAF Deployment Table"
  23. Field Manual: 3145, p.126 - Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces deployment shows unit's new commander being Lt.Colonel Verona.
  24. 24.0 24.1 First Succession War, p. 139
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 Second Succession War, p. 99
  26. 26.0 26.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 20 Year Update, p. 27
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 Objective Raids, p. 19
  29. Field Manual: 3145, p.126 - Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces deployment shows unit's new commander being Lt.Colonel Verona and various attached combat formation to the Guards.
  30. Field Report: 3145, p. 126 - Deployment Listing for the 11th Lyran Guards lists main formation and various attached units to the Guards.

Bibliography[edit]