Dahar Draconis March Militia

Insignia of the Dahar Draconis March Militia
Dahar Draconis March Militia
Formed 2754[1]
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Draconis March Militia


The Dahar Draconis March Militia was responsible for defending the worlds of the Dahar Combat Region and Dahar Polymorphous Defense Zone.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In common with the other March Militias found across the Federated Suns, the Dahar Draconis March Militia or Dahar DMM was formed in 2754 as a result of the Preparedness Act enacted by First Prince Richard Davion in 2735.[2] Richard established a formal training program aimed at increasing the general readiness level of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns reserve forces and formalized the structure of the March Militias, bringing the planetary militias into a common structure.[1]

Richard established a system whereby each of the Marches within the Federated Suns conducted internal wargames every two years, with those wargames being inspired by the Martial Olympiad conducted by the Star League Defense Force every four years. Each March Militia was formed as an ad hoc brigade drawing on the winners from each planetary militia across each Combat Region. These ad hoc brigades then competed against each other at a March level to earn the title of "Best Prepared" March Militia within each of the three Marches.[1]

The wargames proved to be very popular and by 2750 the prestige that was associated with the "Best Prepared" title inspired troops in every combat region to give their best effort, with some commands making plans years in advance to try and ensure that they were ready. After the close of the 2754 games First Prince John Davion activated all of the combat region commands as federal troops and formed them into the March Militias; while this move was controversial and provoked a flurry of judicial cases opposing the creation of the commands, it also added twenty BattleMech-equipped combat commands to the AFFS in a single stroke. Many of the planets that provided troops for the games were resentful of having their best militia troops pressed into federal service, and it would be 2763 before the last of the cases worked its way through the courts. With the final ruling going in favor of Prince John, he then moved to allay many of the fears expressed by the planets involved by laying down specific instructions that the March Militias wouldn't be deployed outside their home combat regions except under a small number of very rare and clearly defined exceptions.[1]

Firmly established, the Dahar DMM acted as a mobile reserve for the Dahar Combat Region and a staging ground through which planetary militia soldiers could move on into the AFFS, while retiring AFFS personnel moved into the March Militia to pass on their knowledge and experience.[1] The Dahar DMM was one of six March Militia brigades founded within the Capellan March in 2754, with the other five being the Clovis, Fairfax, Kilbourne, Robinson and Woodbine Draconis March Militias.[3]

First Succession War[edit]

On the 1st of May 2787 the Draconis Combine launched a massive invasion of the Federated Suns, with the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery troops under the command of Jinjiro Kurita, son of the Coordinator. Jinjiro had learned from the battles on Towne earlier in the First Succession War, and had recognized that interservice cooperation between the different branches of the Federated Suns military had largely been replaced by rivalry, and that the various Combat Regions across the Federated Suns had become dangerously parochial, with units being very protective of worlds within their Combat Region but the staff of the various Combat Regions rarely coordinating or cooperating with each other. Jinjiro's forces took full advantage of that; his first wave attacked worlds along the border, overwhelming many before they had a chance to call for help. Each of the Combat Region commanding officers attempted to deal with the attacks on their own, focused completely on the defense of their own Combat Region with little exchange of information between Regions. Jinjiro's second wave capitalized on this, striking in force against the Clovis Combat Region; despite a dogged, fierce defense by Field Marshal Simons and forces directly under his command such as the First Clovis Guards Regiment on Clovis he was cut off and, after a week, killed when his DropShip attempted to retreat from the planet. The loss of Smith caused organized resistance in the Clovis Combat Region to collapse, and before the other senior officers within the AFFS had realized what happened, DCMS forces poured through the Clovis Combat Region and deep into the heart of the Federated Suns.[4]

It would be thirty years before the AFFS had finally recovered and fought its way back to something approximating the prewar border;[5] the risk posed to the Federated Suns as a result of the entrenched parochialism and separation between Combat Regions highlighted the weaknesses of the system within the Capellan and Draconis Marches, leading the Marshals of the AFFS to restructure both Marches, replacing the Combat Regions with a number of smaller Polymorphous Defensive Zones (PDZs), each with its own March Militia.[6]

The Dahar DMM was destroyed during the First Succession War,[7] and subsequently rebuilt.

Third Succession War[edit]

In 3025, the Dahar DMM was spread between the worlds of Galtor III and Marduk. Only a battalion of the Dahar DMM was on Galtor III, reinforced by the regimental command unit.[8] During that time the Draconis Combine launched a diversionary raid on Marduk and an all-out attack on Galtor III. They faced the 2nd Amphigean Light Assault Group and the 8th Galedon Regulars.[9] The entire Dahar DMM was originally scheduled to arrive on Galtor, but only two battalions were able to arrive. The third battalion was on Marduk when two companies were destroyed when a DropShip exploded.[10] During the siege of New Derry, members of the Lone Wolves mercenary unit began looting the city. General Sir William Dobson, commander of the Dahar DMM, stopped them cold.[11] During this siege, most of the unit's MechWarriors were killed and their 'Mechs destroyed. The surviving members of the unit were able to form a new core around which to rebuild the unit.[12]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

During the FedCom Civil War the Dahar DMM found themselves stripped of JumpShip transports. This left them to sit out most of the Civil War. At this same time, they picked up two more permanent armor regiments.[13]

The Jihad[edit]

The Dahar Draconis March Militia came through the Jihad in good shape, losing few troops. Stationed on Cassias, they were actually over their new Light Combat Team size, so approximately one half of their equipment was reallocated to other units for rebuilding.[14] The unit's commander, Alejandro Betancour, negotiated with every planetary militia in the Dahar PDZ and got them to assign a platoon of conventional units to the Dahar DMM LCT. This allowed the Dahar DMM to double the size of its conventional assets.[15]

The Dark Age[edit]

In 3145 a small group of DCMS forces landed on the world for reconnaissance. Elements of the Dahar DMM tracked the DCMS troops, and coordinated a counterattack by the 4th Robinson Strikers that drove the DCMS troops off-world.[16][17]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Dahar Draconis March Militia
General William Dobson 3025[9][18]
Leftenant General Brian De Waters 3050 - 3062[19][20][21]
Major General Sarah Zibler-Trent 3067[22]
Leftenant General Alejandro Betancour 3085[23]
Colonel Dante Sandoval-Ito 3145[24]

Tactics[edit]

In 3025 the Dahar DMM were skilled city fighters.[9] But in the open terrain they lost any specialty and were confused sometimes.[21]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[3]

- One BattleMech regiment[1]
- Two armor regiments[1]
- Three infantry regiments[1]
- One mobile artillery battalion[1]
- Two aerospace wings, each of eighteen aerospace fighters[1]
- The Dahar DMM was stationed on Harrow's Sun at this point in time.[3][25]

2786[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[7]

- At this point in time the Militia was a medium-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Harrow's Sun.[7] The unit was destroyed during the war.[7]

3025[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[18][26][27]

  • CO: General William Dobson
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Tishomingo.

Regiment TO&E[28]

Regimental BattleGroup
(Four Armor Lances, two 'Mech Lances)
Thomas' Air Squadron (aerospace fighters)
Pope's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Horshaw's Company ('Mech)
  • O'Malley's Company ('Mech)
  • Garcia's Company ('Mech)
Sumner's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Custer's Company ('Mech)
  • Burn's Company ('Mech)
  • Bean's Company ('Mech)
French's Battalion
  • Battalion Headquarters ('Mech)
  • Donna's Medium Company ('Mech)
  • Engelmann's Fire Company ('Mech)
  • Ross's Light Company ('Mech)

3040[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[29]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Tishmingo.[29]

3050[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[30]

  • CO: Leftenant General Brian DeWaters[30]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Tishomingo.[30]

3054[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[31]

  • CO: Leftenant General Brian DeWaters[31]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Dahar IV.[31]

3062[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[21]

Dahar DMM Aerospace Wing (Wing/Veteran/Reliable)[21]

Dahar DMM Infantry Brigade (Eight Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[21]

3067[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia (Regular/Reliable)[22]

  • CO: Major General Sarah Zibler-Trent

Dahar DMM Aerospace (Wing/Veteran/Reliable)[22]

Dahar DMM Armor Brigade (Regular/Fanatical)[22]

Dahar DMM Infantry Brigade (Regular/Reliable)[22]

3079[edit]

Dahar Draconis March Militia RCT (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[32]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Cassias.[32] Though the Dahar Draconis March Militia RCT was at nearly two-thirds of their pre-Jihad strength, their new designation as a Light Combat Team meant that half their troops may be reassigned to other units.[14]

3085[edit]

The Dahar DMM's Armor and Infantry Brigades are twice the size of a standard LCT's.[15]

Dahar Draconis March Militia LCT (Regular/Reliable)[23]

Dahar DMM Aerospace Brigade (Green/Questionable)[23]

Dahar DMM Armor Brigade (Regular/Reliable)[23]

Dahar DMM Infantry Brigade (Green/Reliable)[23]

3145[edit]

Dahar DMM (1 Battalion/Regular/Reliable)[24]

Aerospace Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[24]

Armor Brigade (Regular/Questionable)[24]

Infantry Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[24]

Notes[edit]

  • Field Report 2765: AFFS attributes the Preparedness Act of 2735 to both Richard Davion[2] and Roger Davion.[1] Because other sources indicate that Richard Davion was First Prince in 2735, and that Roger Davion died in 2703, the latter attribution is probably an error.
  • Special rules for playing the Dahar DMM can be found in Historical Turning Points: Galtor.[33]

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 21: "Federated Suns March Militias"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 3: "Strategic Update"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22: "Regimental Status"
  4. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 62 (PDF edition): "The Storm Breaks"
  5. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 67 (PDF edition): "March Militia and Planetary Guard Units"
  6. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 135 (PDF edition): "Deployment of AFFS Forces"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  8. The Galtor Campaign, p. 9
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 13
  10. The Galtor Campaign, p. 13
  11. The Galtor Campaign, p. 18
  12. The Galtor Campaign, p. 38
  13. Field Manual: Updates, p. 135
  14. 14.0 14.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 18
  15. 15.0 15.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 66
  16. Technical Readout: 3145 Federated Suns, p. 10
  17. Technical Readout: 3150, p. 26
  18. 18.0 18.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 136 (PDF edition): "Dahar PDZ"
  19. 20 Year Update, p. 19: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  20. Objective Raids, p. 13: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 121: "Dahar Draconis March Militia Profile"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Field Manual: Updates, p. 141: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3067"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 72: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3085"
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 93
  25. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Armed Forces Federated Suns Deployment Map 2765"
  26. The Galtor Campaign, p. 13: "Phase One Units"
  27. The Galtor Campaign, p. 38: "Dahar Draconis March Militia"
  28. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 134: "Federated Suns Deployment Table"
  29. 29.0 29.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 20 Year Update, p. 19
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 Objective Raids, p. 13
  32. 32.0 32.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 17
  33. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 6: "Draconis March Militia"

Bibliography[edit]