1st Oriente Provincial Squadron
First Oriente Provincial Fleet | |
Disbanded | 2789 |
Affiliation | Free Worlds League |
Parent Command | Free Worlds League Navy |
Contents
History[edit]
Star League Era[edit]
The First Oriente Provincial Fleet was a part of the provincial black water navy of the Duchy of Oriente. Not considered a part of the official Free Worlds League Navy fleet during the Star League era, the First Oriente Provincial Squadron was the larger of two naval squadrons maintained by the Duchy of Oriente at the time. Under the terms of the restrictions placed on the militaries of each Great House by the Star League Council the First Oriente Provincial Squadron was intended to operate in a purely defensive role, repelling bandits and driving away unmarked or unregistered ships.[1]
First Succession War[edit]
In March 2789 Chancellor Barbara Liao ordered a major strike at the Calloway VI system, an attempt to strike a decisive counterblow against the Free Worlds League, which had been prosecuting a hugely successful campaign against the Confederation. Following on the heels of the massacre conducted on New Delos in 2788, the strike at Calloway VI was intended to break the League's morale and willingness to fight. The task force assembled to assault Calloway IV, dubbed Task Force Devlin, consisted of thirty WarShips, fifty attack DropShips, fifty-six transport DropShips, numerous transport JumpShips and seven regiments of 'Mech forces. The 'Mech forces included the Red Lancers, which the Chancellor had dictated she would be leading in the field, as well as the Ares Titans, another elite formation - and which ensured that both of Barbara's sons, Major Barnabus Liao and Baltazar Liao. In addition to the Red Lancers and the Ares Titans the CCAF deployed the First and Second Sian Dragoons, the Fourth Capellan Chargers, the Third Confederation Reserve Cavalry and the Fifth Liao Lancers. The overall command of the Task Force fell to Colonel Jacen Devlin aboard his flagship, the Du Shi Wang-class battleship CCS Sundermann Liao.[2]
Unfortunately for the Capellans, the battle for Calloway was a disaster. Unlike the earlier action at New Delos, the Maskirovka didn't have cracked Free Worlds League codes to supply to the CCAF, so the Task Force was going in blind; the Task Force had also been betrayed by a traitor within the naval fleet, who had been sickened by the massacre on New Delos and who passed word of the impending attack to League agents at Propus while the task force was being assembled. Also working against the fleet was the presence of Barbara Liao - who was able to order the Task Force to continue the attack against the advice of her subcommanders when things began going wrong, and whose very presence sapped resources away from the main Task Force because of the need to keep her safe... something that began almost immediately.[2]
When the Task Force jumped into the Calloway system, it found the First Oriente Provincial Squadron waiting for it at the zenith jump point, while waiting on Calloway VI were four provincial regiments - the First Fusiliers of Oriente, the Third and Eighth Oriente Hussars and the Helm Cuirassiers - complete with an attached group of attack DropShips and a number of wings of aerospace fighters. The First Oriente Provincial Squadron didn't waste any time attacking, but despite being outnumbered, deliberately did everything they could to target transport ships, rather than escorts. By the time the two Atreus-class battleships and the four League II-class destroyers had been destroyed, Task Force Devlin had lost a quarter of its transport JumpShips and more than a regiment each of aerospace fighters and 'Mechs. Wounded in the engagement was Barnabus Liao, whose Overlord-class DropShip had been crippled in the battle.[2]
Officers[edit]
Rank | Name | Command | |
---|---|---|---|
Commanding Officers of the 1st Oriente Provincial Squadron |
Tactics[edit]
Unknown.
Composition History[edit]
2765[edit]
First Oriente Provincial Squadron
- - At this point in time the First consisted of three WarShips plus attached supporting vessels and was commanded by the FOS Alexandria.[1]
2789[edit]
First Oriente Provincial Squadron
- - At this point in time the First consisted of four Atreus-class battleships and four League II-class destroyers.[2]