45th Shadow Division
Sarna News
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| Forty-fifth Shadow Division | |
| Disbanded | April 3078 (destroyed)[1] |
| Nickname | |
| Affiliation | Word of Blake |
| Parent Command | Shadow Divisions |
Unit Description[edit]
The Forty-fifth Shadow Division was one of the Word of Blake Shadow Divisions, composed of the hyper-elite, cybernetically enhanced Manei Domini. The unit was known for its attacks on the Draconis Combine worlds of Buckminster and Benjamin during the early Jihad.
History[edit]
Raid on Buckminster[edit]
The unit made its first reported appearance in 3070, during an assault on the Draconis Combine world of Buckminster. The Forty-fifth Shadow Division, along with the Twenty-eighth Division, attacked Delta Regiment of Wolf's Dragoons. The Blakist task force inflicted heavy casualties on the elite mercenaries. However, in the course of the fighting the Forty-fifth suffered heavy damage and its commanding officer, Precentor Tunrida, was killed. The Twenty-eighth Division's commander, Precentor XI David Baughman, took over command and ordered a withdrawal from the planet under fire.[2][3]
Rebuild as Arioch's Avengers and Benjamin[edit]
The Forty-fifth Shadow Division was rebuilt by its new commander, Precentor Arioch. The unit re-emerged on the battlefields of Benjamin in May 3072 with the Twenty-eighth Division. Their task force included a small fleet of Pocket WarShips, that were used to destroy a small number of artificial suns orbiting the planet and providing it with normal sunlight. This was followed by capital missile fire at Benjamin's defenders, which included the Second Benjamin Regulars and the Fifteenth Benjamin Regulars.[4] After making their landing on the planet, the battered Benjamin Regulars surrendered to the Twenty-eighth Division. Though they held the planet, guerrilla warfare had broken out and those forces were taking shots at Forty-fifth Shadow's assets.[5][6]
Draconis Combine Counterattack[edit]
In the following months, the Twenty-eighth left the planet to conduct raids while the Forty-fifth remained on Benjamin as a garrison force, reinforced by a single Level III of the Twenty-eighth. The Draconis Combine launched an assault in November to retake the Military District capital, however the Forty-fifth Shadow Division managed to hold. During this time, the Blakist command dispatched a mercenary unit to aid against the guerrilla forces.[5]
In December, Clan Nova Cat Galaxy assaulted Benjamin, with blitzkrieg effort. The Forty-fifth was reportedly nearly annihilated by the Clanners, with only a single Level III escaping the carnage. The Twenty-eighth Division's main force managed to rescue survivors of the battle in January of 3073.[2][5]
Some rogue survivors of the Forty-fifth, who had kept on waging a guerrilla campaign, were finally shattered in 3079.[4]
Operation SCOUR and Destruction[edit]
In April 3078, the Forty-fifth and Forty-seventh Shadow Division arrived at New Home to reinforce the Forty-third Shadow Division and counter Stone's Coalition assault. The three Shadow Divisions came close to capturing Devlin Stone, but a last-minute orbital bombardment from the Aegis-class WarShip NCS Promise destroyed the Forty-seventh.[7][8]
Stone's Lament, Ryuken-roku, the Second Federated Suns Armored Cavalry, the Battle Corps Legion, and Clan Nova Cat's Sigma Galaxy then hunted down the surviving Blakists and destroyed them. The Blakists did not go quietly, annihilating the Ryuken-roku and the Second Federated Suns Armored Cavalry and destroying nearly three-quarters of Sigma Galaxy and the Battle Corps Legion in the process.[9][1]
Officers[edit]
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the Forty-fifth Shadow Division | |||
| Precentor | Tunrida | 3069 – 3070[10] | |
| Precentor | Arioch | 3070[2] | |
Other Officers[edit]
- Zombie Demi-Precentor Delta Kona Jenkins, battle armor trooper during the Jihad.[11]
Tactics[edit]
Unknown.
Composition History[edit]
3070[edit]
Forty-fifth Shadow Division (Division)
- Note: The exact composition of the unit remained unknown.[2]
3073[edit]
Forty-fifth Shadow Division (1 Level III/Veteran)[2][12]
Notes[edit]
- Rules for the Forty-fifth Shadow Division can be found in Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents.[12]
- The unit was rated with SD for its Equipment.[12]
References[edit]
- ↑ a b Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 126: "Shadow Divisions Status"
- ↑ a b c d e f g Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 105: "Forty-fifth Shadow Division"
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 208: "Notable Pilots"
- ↑ a b Total Chaos, pp. 115–116: "Benjamin"
- ↑ a b c Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 100: "Twenty-eighth Division"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 79: "Benjamin Falls"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"
- ↑ Total Chaos, pp. 232–233: "New Home"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 73–74: "Victory at New Home"
- ↑ BattleCorps INN MilSpecs, 28 December 3072: "Word of Blake strikes Buckminster! Dragoons Defeated!"
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3075, p. 24: "Se'irim Medium Battle Armor"
- ↑ a b c Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 142: "Rules Annex"