5th Army (ComStar)
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| Fifth Army V-omicron | |
| Nickname | The Mountaineers |
| Affiliation | ComStar |
| Parent Command | Com Guards |
Assigned to the New Home Theater, from 5 to 6 on the Inner Sphere Clock, the ComStar Fifth Army faced multiple Clans during the Battle of Tukayyid and extensive action in the Chaos March, being known as The Mountaineers.
History[edit]
Squashed into one of the narrowest operational areas by the Word of Blake-dominated Free Worlds League, the Fifth Army suffered from the improving relations between the Blakists and the Capellan Confederation, morale bottoming out due to terrorist attacks for which the Blakists and Capellans both denied responsibility.
After stabilizing under Victor Steiner-Davion, the Fifth's morale reversed under Gavin Dow's tenure, with former Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht stepping in to try and troubleshoot the issue, albeit with limited success. [1]
After the beginning of the Jihad the Com Guard Armies were stretched too thin. To counteract this, the Seventh through Twelfth Armies were disbanded and used to reinforce the 1st-6th Armies. This gave each of the newly-reinforced Armies a full six Divisions. The Fifth Army was one of the formations affected, receiving new reinforcements. The Fifth Army was supposed to be deployed in the Free Worlds League, but political realities have kept them in the Lyran Alliance.[2]
During the Jihad the Fifth Army was assigned to the Free Worlds League attack force as a part of Group II, where they fought alongside the Devil's Brigade, Home Guard, and the Seventh Pesht Regulars. Precentor Harris Harvison of the Fifth Army served as a senior field commander to the Free Worlds League front commander, Duchess Alys Rousset-Marik.[3]
Coalition forces invaded Wasat on 10 January 3077 as one of the first two worlds to be targeted during Operation SCOUR.[4] Attacked initially by Group II of the Free Worlds League task force under the command of Duke Leonard Stewart, the defenses on Wasat proved to be more robust and developed than originally expected. The Seventh Pesht Regulars sustained heavy damage[5] and the Home Guard was nearly wiped out[6] during the initial attacks; as a result, the second in command of the Free Worlds League front, Khan Santin West of Clan Nova Cat brought Group III to Wasat to assist Group II. Group III was spearheaded by Clan Nova Cat's Alpha Galaxy with ComStar's Fourth Army and the Twentieth Marik Militia in support. The Blakists on Wasat were unable to coordinate an effective defense against the combined strength of both Group II and Group III, and by 4 March 3077 saKhan West was giving an interview on the liberation of Wasat to Nigel Holmgren of INN.[5]
The Fifth Army and the rest of Group II would face another hard campaign when they were deployed to Elgin on 3 January 3078, where the First Elgin Protectorate Militia Division put up a dogged and determined resistance that made the conquest of Elgin both difficult and moderately damaging for the coalition forces, although Group II ultimately prevailed over the Blakists.[7]
During their assault on Liberty, the Fifth Army and Home Guard were opposed by mercenaries and local resistance groups who had eliminated the Blakist units on their world before the Coalition forces arrived. This fighting quickly turned into a quagmire, with the native troops putting up a determined defense. Fortunately a Coalition negotiator was able to defuse the situation in time for the Fifth to join the Terran assault.[8]
Assigned to attack Sandhurst as part of Alys Rousset-Marik's task force,[9] it took a month for the Coalition troops to capture the facility. They were constantly under attack Blakist guerrilla forces for that entire time.[10] While still very understrength, the Fifth was the only sizable army to survive the liberation of Terra and would serve as the rally point for all Com Guard survivors [11] prior to being rolled into the newly forming Republic of the Sphere's armed forces. [12]
Officers[edit]
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the 5th Army (ComStar) | |||
| Precentor V | Louis Burkenbine | 3050[13] | |
| Precentor VI | Anna Gesicki | 3055[14][15] | |
| Precentor IX | Harris Harvison | 3061 – 3067[1] | |
Other Officers[edit]
- Precentor IV Dirk Clauson, aide to the commander in 3050.[13]
Tactics[edit]
Unknown.
Composition History[edit]
The Fifth operated well with a mix of BattleMechs, armor, and infantry, but with a smaller contingent of aerospace forces than is standard for a Com Guard unit.[14] As of 3050, its estimated strength was 12 regiments, with at least two comprised of BattleMechs and regular experience average.[13] In 3055, its strength was 4 divisions, with a veteran experience average.[15] By 3067, its strength was still 4 divisions, at just over 86% average.[1]
3050[edit]
- 50th Division (Uncluttered Speech IV-sigma, on Teng)[13]
- 207th Division (The Pounders IV-omicron, on Sarna)[13]
- 299th Division (Courtesy Through Thought IV-gamma, on Sian)[13]
- 323rd Division (Negative Communications IV-theta, on Keid)[13]
- 367th Division (Spoken Ideas IV-lambda, on Menke)[13]
- 401st Division (The White Eagles IV-chi, on Betelgeuse)[13]
3055–3067[edit]
- 76th Division (The Battered Wolf-Warriors IV-mu, on Sian and Zurich)[1]
- 379th Division (Hawks of the High Wind IV-pi, on Liberty)[1]
- 394th Division (The White Lions IV-tau, on Hall)[14][1]
- 467th Division (The Jaguar Skinners IV-xi)[1]
Gallery[edit]
Original unit insignia used during the Battle of Tukayyid
References[edit]
- ↑ a b c d e f g Field Manual: Updates, p. 85: "5th Army V-Omicron (The Mountaineers)"
- ↑ Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 210
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 45: "Overview: Alys Marik"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad In Review"
- ↑ a b Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 44: "Wasat Falls?"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 44: "Too Much To Handle?"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 78: "New Year, New Wave"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 80, 87
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 96
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 108
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 106: "What Lies Beneath - The Republic of the Sphere - The Com Guards"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 104: "What Lies Beneath - The Republic of the Sphere - Forces gifted to the Republic"
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i 20 Year Update, p. 70: "5th V-xi"
- ↑ a b c Field Manual: ComStar, p. 28: "5th Army V-Omicron: The Mountaineers"
- ↑ a b ComStar, p. 85: "5th Army V-omicron"