5th Davion Guards

Fifth Davion Guards RCT
Disbanded	early 3065
Nickname	The Bent Sword Brigade
Affiliation	Federated Suns
Parent Command	Davion Brigade of Guards

Unit Description

The Fifth Davion Guards (sometimes known as the Fifth Guards RCT) were originally a BattleMech regiment and later Regimental Combat Team of multiple regiments which served the Federated Suns and Federated Commonwealth as one of its elite combat forces.

History

The traditional homeworld of the Fifth Davion Guards was Alcyone.

The Early Succession Wars

During the First Succession War, the Fifth was a medium-weight BattleMech regiment stationed on Smolensk in 2786. The onslaught of the fighting reduced the unit's fighting strength to 57 percent and it would end up stationed on New Avalon by the war's end in 2821.

The Second Succession War's fighting would be far more damaging than the first, whereby the war's end, the regiment would be reduced to 21 percent of its strength by 2864.

Third Succession War

By the Third War, the Fifth Guards had become a multipurpose Regimental Combat Team, with integrated tank and infantry regiments supporting the Guard's BattleMech regiments.

The Fifth was stationed on Spica in 3017 when the unit was attacked by Capellan Confederation forces secretly led by Candace Liao. The invading forces cut the command battalion off from the rest of the regiment in the city of Valencia. Major William Dobson and Lieutenant Justin Allard broke the siege with a risky plan, injuring Candace and ultimately caused the invasion force to withdraw from the planet.

The War of 3039

The Guards saw action during the War of 3039, where they teamed up with the newly formed Third FedCom RCT to take the world of Sadalbari. Overall command of the Task Force was given to Marshal Vernon Cunningham. The regiment was positioned on the world of David for initial operations into the Draconis Combine.

During the operations in April of 3039, Cunningham launched a daring plan where the Task Force's aerospace fighters would strike the planet's communication centers to disrupt the world's defenders in coordinating their efforts to stop his Task Force as they struck two military reservations where the Kurita was garrisoned. In a night raid, the Task Force's jump troops, backed up by a battalion of recon BattleMechs, would take the garrisons by surprise, preventing them from deploying into action. The Davions were successful in their surprise attack at the Xantal Reservation. Just outside the planet's capital of Solus City, the bulk of the Task Force's troops would in the plains next to the Origian Reservation. Unlike the highly successful capture of the Xantal garrison, the Origian Garrison of Kuritans would be given time to form up due to the commander of the Originan's insistence to wait until his troops were formed up. Elements of the Second Shin Legion would lead several combined arms forces in a counterattack against the Task Force's units. Marshal Cunningham's efforts to attack were repulsed due to running headlong into the Kurita forces. Due to the incompetence of Major General Thomas Davion, the momentum of destroying the Kuritans was lost when Davion ordered his forces to hold the city versus pursuing the DCMS units.

The Shin Legion

Realizing the slowness of the Davion forces, the Shin Legion's commanding officer Tai-sa Coale sent his forces out and overran the HQ of the Task Force, capturing Major General Davion and Marshal Cunningham. Elements of the Third FedCom's First 'Mech battalion, commanded by Major Jack Roberts, arrived too late to prevent the capture of the Task Force's leading generals.

The command of the Task Force fell to Major General Anya Tam and Major Roberts, who devised a plan to try to turn the tables on Tai-sa Coale's forces. Taking advantage of the Task Force's superior numbers, Major Roberts utilized the Guards and FedCom 'Mech forces heavier 'Mech and vehicle elements against the Kuritans. While he pushed the fastest units to strike from the flanks of the enemy and hit vital DCMS staging grounds and would ultimately encircle Kurita's headquarters, causing DCMS troops to panic. Through the efforts of Major Robert and his troops, the Battle of the Amber Plain turned out to be a success, and the Guards were able to rescue the Marshall. For the remainder of the month, Davion forces were in pursuit of Coale and his troops and were hampered by foul weather and rough terrain. After the month, the Fifth and the rest task force had firmly secured control of the planet, the Kuritan forces retreated to the Salas County. Coale had his forces dig in behind the Kotiate Mountain Range where he would hold up in the old base and remains of a Castle Brian.

By July, the Fifth was called up to reinforce Third FedCom as they were trying to fight off the Seventh and Eighth Ghost assault. In the course of the fighting, the FedCom RCT was forced to withdraw from their positions in Origian Reservation. Colonel Roberts' Demi-Brigade would be called to help relieve assault on Third FedCom. However, the combined Ghost Regiments led by Tai-sa Hishu Stonara would destroy Robert's brigade and later disintegrate the Third FedCom. Fifth Guards would enter the field to buy time for Colonel Roberts and Leftenant General Dane Cooper to regroup the Third FedCom as Tai-sa Coale's force emerged from their mountain strongholds and aided in hunting down the elements of the Third. However, efforts to regroup were too late; much of the RCT's strength was lost in the course of fighting the Ghosts and the Second Shin Legion. Much of it to do with Ghost Regiments using lostech equipped battlemechs, which would go on to exhaust Fifth Guards. Marshall Cunningham decided to fall back to the Xantal Military Reservation and fortify their positions and await the arrival of aid arrive. By October, the Fifth and the rest of the Task Force would retreat from the planet and return to the world of David.

Clan Invasion

The Golden Keshik of Clan Wolf

The Fifth Davion Guards were on Bessarabia when the Clan Invasion began. They were forced off that world by Clan Wolf but learned how to counter the massive firepower of the Clan forces. They employed this information against Clan Jade Falcon on La Grave in 3051, but the Falcons had also learned. A star of Elementals assigned to headhunter duty found the Fifth's commanders and killed them. The Falcons then used concentrated fire on several command and support units. This information came at a serious price, however, as the Fifth lost most of their conventional infantry and vehicle support. They were reassigned to Mkuranga to rebuild.

In May 3052, the Fifth Davion Guards assaulted Goat Path, seeking to disrupt Jade Falcon supply lines. Expecting only the Jade Falcon Sixth Provisional Garrison, they found that a front-line Cluster was also on-planet for refit and resupply. The Guards lost five DropShips before they could deploy 'Mechs. Second Battalion (Chamber's) was scattered, losing the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer almost immediately. The battalion held until the rest of the surviving Guards evacuated and then scattered. Over the next few weeks, the survivors fell one by one until only Leftenant Nicole Devereaux, commander of Strike Lance, Bravo Company was left in a battered Lancelot. She challenged her pursuer to a Trial of Possession: if she lost, she would willingly serve as a bondswoman, but if she won the Jade Falcons had to give her access to the planetary HPG to request evacuation from the planet and repair and upgrade her 'Mech with Clan equipment. Overruling Star Commander Russell who had been pursuing her, Star Colonel Phyllis Irons honored her batchall and promised to honor the conditions. Leftenant Devereaux defeated the Star Commander, though she was seriously injured. While recovering in a hospital on Pasig, Hauptmann-General William Galloway promoted her to Hauptmann and gave her command of Bravo Company, which she would be rebuilding.

After guarding the Clan border for two years after the Truce of Tukayyid, the Fifth relocated back to the Capellan March.

FedCom Civil War

Stationed on Alcyone with the Twentieth Avalon Hussars and the Alcyone Capellan March Militia, the Fifth tried to remain aloof from the conflict. When orders from Katherine Steiner-Davion ordered the Fifth offworld, they refused to obey them. The Fifth Davion Guards and Twentieth Avalon Hussars blockaded the Alcyone CMM in their base and proceeded to starve them out. The CMM eventually surrendered after losing 90 percent of their combat forces. The Fifth Davion Guards were then deployed to counter pro–Katrina Steiner forces on Kathil and after fighting for nearly two years on Kathil the Fifth Davion Guards were destroyed. Survivors were absorbed into the Third Davion Guards. Although the Fifth was officially deactivated after the battles with the Eighth FedCom RCT and the Eighth Donegal Guards on New Syrtis, Leftenant General Seth Varnay assembled an ad hoc armored unit formed from survivors of the Fifth and took them to fight on New Avalon.

Officers

Rank	Name	Command
Commanding Officers of the Fifth Davion Guards
General	Sheridan Courtney	3017
Marshal	Kinsley Crossburns	3025
Hauptmann General	William Galloway	3050 – 3054
Colonel	James Allison	3054
Marshal	Linda Archer	3062 - 3065

Other Officers

• Colonel Cole Williams, officer on Bessarabia
• Major William Dobson, officer during the late Third Succession War
• Leftenant Justin Allard, member during raid on Spica in 3017
• Leftenant Alexis Sanders, scout lance commander during the Clan Invasion.

Tactics

The Fifth Davion Guards were skilled in close-quarters combat, particularly in heavily wooded areas.

Composition History

2765

Fifth Davion Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)

- The Fifth Guards were stationed on Smolensk at this point in time.

2786–2821

Fifth Davion Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)

- At this point in time the Guards were a medium-weight regiment stationed on Smolensk and were operating at full strength. In 2821 the unit was regiment stationed on New Avalon and had been reduced to just over half-strength.

2830

Fifth Davion Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)

- At this point in time the Guards were a medium-weight regiment and had rebuilt to almost full strength. The Guards were stationed on New Avalon.

2864

Fifth Davion Guards (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)

- At this point in time the Guards were a medium-weight regiment stationed on New Avalon and had been reduced to a fifth of full strength.

2952

Fifth Davion Guards (partial)

• First Air Wing

• Alpha Squadron

• Command Air Lance

• CO: Light Commodore Frank Lapine - Sparrowhawk
• Leftenant Bruno Lundgren - Sparrowhawk

• Support Air Lance

• Leftenant Cesar Orantes - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet Bruce Massel - Sparrowhawk

• Pursuit Air Lance

• Leftenant Anna Rudd - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet Carrie Saylor - Sparrowhawk

• Beta Squadron

• Command Air Lance

• CO: Captain David LaPlaca - Sparrowhawk
• Leftenant Craig Jacker - Sparrowhawk

• Support Air Lance

• Leftenant Marilyn Gonski - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet Drew Dawson - Sparrowhawk

• Pursuit Air Lance

• Leftenant Rose Bridges - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet Marvin Berz - Sparrowhawk

• Charlie Squadron

• Command Air Lance

• CO: Captain Doug Drysdale - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet Eugene Erbach - Sparrowhawk

• Support Air Lance

• Leftenant Osby Gordon - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet John Goosherts - Sparrowhawk

• Pursuit Air Lance

• Cadet Sarah Hagan - Sparrowhawk
• Cadet Mary Lynn Hendrickson - Sparrowhawk

3025

Fifth Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)

• CO: Marshal Kinsley Crossburns

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Lee.

3040

Fifth Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Lee.

3050

Fifth Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)

• CO: Hauptmann General William Galloway

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Bessarabia.

3054

Fifth Davion Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)

• CO: Hauptmann General William Galloway

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Mkuranga.

3062

Fifth Davion Guards (1 Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)

CO: Marshal Linda Archer

Aide: Colonel Tasset Rinnaldi

- Two Companies standard OmniMechs and a full lance of heavy and assault OmniMechs

Fifth Davion Guards Aerospace Brigade (2 Wings)

CO: Rear Admiral Nech MacAllister

• Fortieth Avalon Ravens Wing
• 294th Attack Wing

Fifth Davion Guards Armor Brigade (3 Regiments/Veteran/Fanatical)

CO: Major General Connor K'Tenga

Aide: Leftenant Colonel Fred Korleon

• 197th New Avalon Panzer Regiment: Leftenant General Dana Han-Pehn
• Forty-third Albion Grenadiers: Colonel Seth Roman Varnay
• 225th Recon Regiment: Colonel T.J. Bathe
• 2748th Federation Artillery Battalion: Leftenant Colonel Pan Ti DeGalley

- Equipped with new vehicle designs, and one platoon with Kuritan Tokugawas

Fifth Davion Guards Infantry Brigade (4 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)

CO: Major General Claude Raines

Aide: Colonel Marcus Tovovich

• Twenty-third F-C Battle Armor Battalion: Leftenant General Rolf von Gath
• 449th McHenry Rifles: Leftenant General Glenn Hutchissen
• Ninety-eighth Galax Jump Regiment: Colonel Sabin Fang
• 199th Mechanized Rifles: Colonel Yvonne Courrinas

Color Scheme and Insignia

The Royal Brigade most often employed appropriate camouflage schemes tailored to their assignments. For ceremonial and parade use, however, the Brigade used the colors of the royal Davion family: striped red, blue, and white.

As with most other Royal Brigade RCTs, the Fifth's insignia was a modified Federated Suns crest. The Fifth's included a parody of the Capellan Confederation's dao sword standard, bent and broken.

Bibliography

• 20 Year Update
• FedCom Civil War
• Field Manual: Federated Suns
• Field Manual: Updates
• Field Report 2765: AFFS
• First Succession War
• Force Manual: Davion
• Historical: War of 3039
• House Davion (The Federated Suns)
• Jade Falcon Sourcebook
• Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers
• No Rest For The Wicked (short story)
• Northwind Highlanders
• Objective Raids
• Second Succession War
• Technical Readout: 3067
• Warrior: En Garde (novel)
• Warrior: Riposte (novel)
• Wolf Clan Sourcebook