Avalon Hussars

Brigade Insignia of the Avalon Hussars
Avalon Hussars
Formed 2317
Nickname Honored Service
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command AFFS

The Avalon Hussars are the descendants of the Terran Alliance Marines that served on the world of New Avalon in the early age of human extraterrestrial colonization. The unit decided to defend New Avalon after being stranded by the Demarcation Declaration, and pledged their loyalty to Lucien Davion when the Crucis Reach joined the Federated Suns.[1] The First Avalon Hussars - "The Sword Of The Prince" - are the oldest fighting force in the Federated Suns, having formed on that day in 2317 from a Terran armor regiment.[2] Since the Hussars are a large force and usually loyal to House Davion and the Federated Suns, they are well equipped.[3] At its zenith, the Avalon Hussars defended the entire Combine border with 26 BattleMech regiments and 32 conventional regiments.[citation needed]

History[edit]

Founding[edit]

The oldest standing military unit in the military of the Federated Suns, the Avalon Hussars brigade was formed around the Terran Alliance marine brigade that found itself stranded on New Avalon during the withdrawal of the Alliance government following the Demarcation Declaration. The Avalon Hussars were initially founded as a brigade of approximately eight regiments around the time of the founding of the Federated Suns in 2317; the Fourth and Eighth Avalon Hussars were designated as the assault backups to the original brigade, and the first regiment to be founded following the destruction of an existing regiment was the Ninth Avalon Hussars, founded to replace the Third Avalon Hussars, who were destroyed in the 2360s.[4]

Age of War[edit]

The Fourth Avalon Hussars were the lead AFFS unit during the fighting between the Federated Suns and Terran Hegemony in 2449 over control of Kentares IV. The conflict marked the first deployment of the Manatee-class 'Mech transport by the Hegemony, which allowed the Hegemony Armed Forces to make early gains; however, the Fourth took advantage of the light armor and weapons of the Manatees to down several of the DropShips as they attempted to land. The discovery of this flaw by the Hussars led to the Hegemony discontinuing production of the Manatee and the development of new 'Mech transports.[5]

Prior to the end of the Age of War, at least thirty regiments of Avalon Hussars had been created at one time or another[6] - and possibly as many as thirty-three, as the Thirty-fourth Avalon Hussars were founded in the twenty-seventh century.[4] When the Star League formed in 2571,[7] shortly before the Reunification War the Avalon Hussars brigade was fourteen regiments strong, but the ties back to Terra were strong enough that six regiments - the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth, Fifteenth and Eighteenth Hussars - joined the Star League Defense Force when it formed. The Hussars were proud enough of this that the brigade headquarters refused to build new regiments with the numbers of those who had joined the SLDF, instead marking them as simply being on detached duty, and it would be more than half a millennium before new units would be created with the designation of any of these regiments.[4] First Prince Alexander Davion transferred thirty-seven regiments of ground forces to the nascent SLDF, with the Avalon Hussars regiments making up just under a sixth of the total number; the majority of those provided to the SLDF were units of questionable loyalty - the entire of the former Terran Brigade, who had once guarded the Terran March and resented Alexander's reforms after the Davion Civil War, half of the Syrtis Fusiliers, who had stood against Alexander during the Civil War, and a smattering of private regiments, making the Hussars a notable exception among their peers.[7]

Star League Era[edit]

During the Star League Era the Avalon Hussars participated in the Second Hidden War by invading several Draconis Combine systems to draw the DCMS away from the Draconis March.[8] The Avalon Hussars served primarily in the Draconis March, and during the Second Hidden War the First Hussars would serve with distinction, with First Prince Joseph Davion taking personal command of the 1st in at least one battle. Unfortunately the presence of the First Prince would hamper combat actions by the first, and despite performing above expectations the Hussars were unable to prevent Prince Joseph dying in combat.[2] The First Avalon Hussars were then directly involved in Operation SMOTHER, with the Hussars assisting the 160th BattleMech Division on Royal.[9]

Prior to the Council Edict of 2650, additional regiments of the Avalon Hussars had been formed above the brigades Age of War roster, but many commands were deactivated following the edict and the brigade reduced in size down to fourteen active regiments over time. When the Star League Council repealed the Council Edict of 2650 the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns began expanding rapidly, and the Avalon Hussars were the first brigade to undergo a large-scale expansion. Eleven regiments were reactivated by First Prince John Davion; the Prince also authorized the formation of the Fifty-sixth, bringing the brigade up to a strength of twenty-six units by 2765 (and suggesting that prior to the Council Edict of 2650, the regiments of the Avalon Hussars had increased potentially as far as the Fifty-fifth Avalon Hussars). Nine of the eleven regiments known to have been reactivated during the rapid buildup after the repeal of the Council Edict of 2650 were the Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-third, Thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth, Forty-first and Forty-second Avalon Hussars.[4]

During this period of the Avalon Hussars' history the make-up of each unit emphasized two things: flexibility and mobility. The expectation was that any unit of Avalon Hussars could operate on eight hours notice to move, although few units could actually achieve that stringent target. The Hussars largely lacked permanently-assigned conventional units, making it harder to meet this target as they were often forced to rely on conventional units assigned to them for operations or on local planetary forces. Each Hussars unit had an aerospace wing assigned to it, but those units acted primarily as ground support units, making the Hussars highly dependent on the Federated Suns Navy when it came to security during transits.[4]

After the end of the Amaris Civil War, with the Terran Hegemony in a parlous state and numerous Hegemony worlds being annexed by the Great Houses, the AFFS persuaded elements of thirteen different SLDF commands to defect and take up employment with the Federated Suns. A regiment of SLDF personnel recruited from the 200th Jump Infantry Division[10] - previously a part of XLVII Corps,[11] in what had been the SLDF Twentieth Army[11][10] - were folded into the Forty-first and Forty-second Avalon Hussars.[10]

First Succession War[edit]

The Avalon Hussars played a crucial role during the First Succession War when they stalled the Kurita advance into Davion space.[12] The Seventeenth Hussars are notable for destroying huge stocks of Kurita supplies on New Rhodes III.[13] Having mustered twenty-six regiments immediately before the First Succession War broke out, seven regiments were lost in action during the war - the Thirteenth, Sixteenth, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-eighth, Forty-second, Forty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Avalon Hussars.[14]

Third Succession War[edit]

The Fourth Hussars defeated two Kurita Mech regiments on Colia in 2872, which were suffering from severe supply problems. The Second Hussars under the leadership of Joseph Davion II engaged the Third Sword of Light on Robinson during the Third Succession War and forced them off-world.[15] The defeat of the elite Third Sword prompted the assassination of Coordinator Miyogi Kurita.

The first three Succession Wars exerted a heavy toll on the Avalon Hussars; although a number of commands had been rebuilt and reactivated during the three centuries of warfare, by the end of the Third Succession War, the brigade had dwindled from the more than thirty commands that had existed at the introduction of the BattleMech to just eight commands - the Eleventh, Seventeenth, Twentieth, Twenty-second, Thirty-third, Thirty-ninth, Forty-first and Forty-second Avalon Hussars.[6] Of the original eight regiments that formed the Avalon Hussars when the brigade first mustered at the founding of the Federated Suns,[4] none had survived.[6]

Hussar regiments also participated in Operation RAT and the War of 3039. After the siege of New Avalon the Avalon Hussars were in a bad place mentally. At least one regiment fell apart due to internal tensions. The Jihad and the need to focus on a common enemy gave the Hussars new purpose, and by the time the Jihad ended, the Avalon Hussars were back to the skilled force they had been prior to the FedCom Civil War.

Jihad Era[edit]

The Avalon Hussars were the first AFFS unit to undergo the reorganization from RCT to the Light Combat Team. By 3079 they were familiar with the changes needed in tactics and had become the showpiece unit for the new formation.[16] In 3085 the entire Avalon Hussars brigade was organized along the Light Combat Team model and were judged as effective as they had been in the pre-Jihad era.[17]

Dark Age Era[edit]

The Avalon Hussars rebuilt by adding new Light Combat Teams to their rolls. These new units were able to quickly deploy around the Federated Suns, and as such became workhorse formations that saw action in many areas. They had nine units in action by the time the Capellan Confederation and Draconis Combine invaded the Federated Suns. Three units were completely destroyed, but the remaining Hussars units were involved in some of the heaviest fighting along both fronts.[18]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Avalon Hussars
Field Marshal Roger Waters 3056 -
Admiral Solomon D'Angelo [19]

Tactics[edit]

Different per Unit.

Units of the Avalon Hussars[edit]

Unit Notes[edit]

  • The 1st Hussars participated in Operation Roland’s Horn in 2930.[20] Revived as an LCT during the Jihad.[16]
  • The 2nd Hussars was destroyed during the 3rd Succession War, revived as an LCT during the Jihad.[16][21]
  • The 3rd Hussars was destroyed in the 2360s[4]
  • The 4th Hussars attempted to recapture Kentares IV from the Terran Hegemony in 2449.[22]
  • The 5th Hussars joined the Star League Defense Force,[4] active during the Dark Age era.
  • The 6th Hussars joined the Star League Defense Force.[4]
  • The 7th Avalon Hussars joined the Star League Defense Force[4]
  • The 8th Avalon Hussars was active during the Dark Age era.
  • The 9th Avalon Hussars]] - Destroyed during the Second Succession War[23]
  • The 10th Hussars joined the Star League Defense Force[4] active during the Dark Age era
  • The 12th Hussars was destroyed during the Second Succession War.[23][24]
  • The 13th Hussars was destroyed during the First Succession War[14][25]
  • The 14th Hussars was destroyed during the Second Succession War[23][26]
  • The 15th Hussars joined the Star League Defense Force[4][27]
  • The 16th Avalon Hussars]][28] - Destroyed during the First Succession War[14]
  • The 17th Hussars was active during the Dark Age era.
  • The 18th Hussars joined the Star League Defense Force[4]
  • The 20th Hussars was active during the Dark Age era.
  • The 23rd Hussars was destroyed during the Second Succession War[23][29]
  • The 26th Hussars was destroyed during the Second Succession War[23]
  • The 27th Hussars was active in 2765
  • The 28th Hussars was destroyed during the First Succession War[14]
  • The 33rd Hussars was destroyed during the Clan Invasion
  • The 34th Hussars was destroyed during the Second Succession War;[23] and reorganized into the 42nd Hussars[30] rebuilt and then destroyed during the Third Succession War, and reorganized into the 42nd Hussars[6]
  • The 35th Hussars was active in 2765.
  • The 36th Hussars was destroyed during the Third Succession War and reorganized into the 42nd Hussars[6]
  • The 38th Avalon Hussars was destroyed during the First Succession War[14][31]
  • The 39th Hussars was destroyed at Talon by Capellan forces[32]
  • The 42nd Hussars was destroyed during the First Succession War;[14] reactivated during the Third Succession War[6]
  • The 45th Hussars was destroyed during the First Succession War[14]
  • The 56th Hussars was destroyed during the First Succession War[14][33]

Uniforms[edit]

Color Scheme[edit]

The Hussar use light gray and unit-specific highlights for ceremonial duties.

Unit Insignia[edit]

Notes[edit]

It was noted by one of the BattleTech Developers that the Avalon Hussars have served the Federated Suns since 2399:

Honestly, not that big. The original House Books does list some figures for a couple of Houses during their peak at the 1st Succession War. Remember that the Avalon Hussars has served from the Age of War (2399) to now, which leaves room for a lot of units to be destroyed and created.
  — Øystein Tvedten, BattleTech Developer, 13 Jul 2012

References[edit]

  1. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138
  2. 2.0 2.1 Era Report: 2750, p. 46: "First Avalon Hussars"
  3. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 8: "Avalon Hussars"
  5. Technical Readout: 3026, Revised Edition, p. 108: "Manatee"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 140: "Avalon Hussars"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 32: "Integration with the SLDF"
  8. Era Report: 2750, pp. 18, 29
  9. Era Report: 2750, p. 31: "Succession War"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 First Succession War, p. 33: "Those Left Behind"
  11. 11.0 11.1 The Star League, p. 158: "Twentieth Army"
  12. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138
  13. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 62
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  15. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 80
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Field Report: AFFS, p. 9
  17. Field Manual: 3085, p. 57
  18. Field Manual: 3145, p. 74
  19. Field Manual: 3085, p. 57
  20. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 85
  21. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 80
  22. Technical Readout: 3075, p. 190: "Manatee"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 Second Succession War, p. 94: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  24. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 104
  25. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 61
  26. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 68
  27. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 182
  28. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 116
  29. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 70
  30. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138
  31. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 62
  32. Field Report: AFFS, p. 9
  33. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 60

Bibliography[edit]