Michael Tigh
Sarna News
Michael Tigh | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Affiliation | Federated Suns |
| Career | |
| Rank | Colonel[1] |
Michael Tigh was the acting commanding officer of the Eighth Crucis Lancers during the latter half of the War of 3039.[1]
History[edit]
Colonel Tigh was a member of the Eighth Crucis Lancers when the unit, accompanied by the mercenary Laurel's Legion, conquered the Draconis Combine world of Biham in 3039. When Lancers commander Marshal Charles Swaine was hospitalized by an Internal Security Force assassination attempt on 13 July, Tigh became the acting head of the Eighth Lancers just as Biham was invaded by both the Fifth and Sixth Ghost Regiments. Caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of enemy forces immediately after the loss of its commanding officer, the Eighth Lancers fell back on generic tactics in resisting the Ghost Regiments' landing, resulting in light casualties for the unorthodox Combine troops and the loss of the initiative for Tigh. The Ghosts soon began launching numerous hit-and-fade strikes against Eighth Lancers positions all across Biham, causing destruction and then fading away before Tigh's subordinate officers could respond. When Colonel Constance Laurel asked Tigh for permission to leave the Legion's post on the Tiberius Orbital Station, Tigh's overconfidence in his soldiers' abilities and his disdain for a unit that was both formerly Capellan and comprised entirely of women lead him to refuse.[1]
Eventually, Tigh recognized the damage his forces were taking from the Ghosts' irregular tactics and ordered all of his soldiers to withdraw in order to form a defensive perimeter around the planetary capital on 6 August. Not only did this move cede control of the majority of Biham to the Combine, it also left the Eighth Crucis Lancers besieged and with uncertain odds of victory. Matters briefly turned positive for Tigh when, on 9 August, Laurel's Legion disobeyed his initial command and dropped directly behind the Ghosts' siege lines. Due to the dispute between Tigh and Laurel, the Eighth Lancers failed to take advantage of the opportunity this gave them and the Legion would be forced to withdraw from Biham on 23 August after the Sixth Ghost peeled off a significant number of BattleMechs to deal with the mercenaries. Tigh would eventually follow suit, abandoning Biham to the Draconis Combine and taking his Lancers to the world of Murchison on 4 September.[1]
After the conclusion of the War of 3039, Tigh's continued accusations that the Legion had abandoned their posts lead to an official Armed Forces of the Federated Suns inquiry. When it was found that the Legion disobeyed orders to aid the Lancers and that the Lancers subsequently failed to exploit the opportunity this gave them, only Tigh's success on Murchison prevented him from being censured.[1]