14th Syrtis Fusiliers

Brigade Insignia of the Syrtis Fusiliers
Fourteenth Syrtis Fusiliers
Formed 2755-2765
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Syrtis Fusiliers

History[edit]

Having survived the Davion Civil War as a brigade and been given clemency by First Prince Alexander Davion, the Syrtis Fusiliers remained at a consistent strength of ten regiments from the formation of the Star League Defense Force at the end of the Age of War through the twenty-seventh century. The issue of the Council Edict of 2650 that limited the size of the military of each of the Great Houses had no effect on the Fusiliers,[1] but the repeal of the Edict in 2752[2] led to a sharp and dramatic increase in size of the brigade.[1]

That expansion began in 2755 following authorization from First Prince John Davion and saw ten new regiments including the Fourteenth Syrtis Fusiliers founded over the next ten years.[1] All was not well within the new regiments, however; the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns was an army based on volunteers, not conscription or drafting, which generally resulted in the AFFS being staffed by loyal soldiers who shared a common vision. This wasn't the case with the new Syrtis Fusiliers regiments; the personnel of the Fourteenth and her newly-formed sister regiments reflected the hostility towards the Capellan Confederation espoused by a large portion of the population, and this resulted in a number of discipline issues as well as constant agitation to be allowed to strike at the Confederation in retaliation for the pirate and bandit raids believed to be funded or conducted by Capellan forces.[3]

The ten new regiments were almost identical in composition when founded; each consisted of ten companies of 'Mechs, with those ten companies being comprised of five companies of assorted heavy and medium weight 'Mechs - predominantly Archers, Dervishes, Warhammers and Wolverines - three companies of lightweight designs (typically Locusts and Wasps) organized as a recon battalion and two assault companies equipped mainly with BattleMasters.[1]

Second Succession War[edit]

In mid-2828 Capellan Confederation Armed Forces units attacked Mendham, with the First Centauri Guards and Sixth St. Ives Lancers surprising both the Fourteenth and the other major defending unit, the Twenty-sixth Avalon Hussars. Despite their initial surprise at the attack, which was part of Operation CELT - an offensive aimed at recapturing Chesterton - the two AFFS units fought back hard, making a number of attempts to crush the CCAF landing zone at Munnings. Although the two AFFS regiments couldn't overwhelm the entrenched forces in the landing zone, they did prevent the Guards and Sentinels from breaking out, and all four units were battered by the time the CCAF units withdrew in late June.[4]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 14th Syrtis Fusiliers

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Fourteenth Syrtis Fusiliers (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[5]

- At this point in time the Fourteenth were stationed in the Pleiades Cluster.[5]

2786–2821[edit]

Fourteenth Syrtis Fusiliers (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[6]

- At this point in time the Fourteenth was a medium-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Electra.[6] In 2821 the unit was operating at just over one-quarter of full strength, and was based on Mendham.[6]

2830[edit]

14th Syrtis Fusiliers (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[7]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Mendham with an operational readiness of 89 percent.[7]

2864[edit]

14th Syrtis Fusiliers (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[7]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Mendham with an operational readiness of 26 percent.[7]

Notes[edit]

The Fourteenth Syrtis Fusiliers was most likely a casualty of the Succession Wars.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 18: "Syrtis Fusiliers"
  2. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 3: "Strategic Update"
  3. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 19: "Morale"
  4. Second Succession War, p. 24: "The Suns-Confederation Front"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 19: "Regimental Status"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 First Succession War, p. 135: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Second Succession War, p. 95

Bibliography[edit]