Schmidt's Petraries

The Schmidt's Petraries were an elite independent company formed under Captain-Marshal Rudolf Schmidt within the Hanseatic Defense Force (HDF) to enhance military effectiveness and tactical acumen. The unit was characterized by its exceptional MechWarriors and innovative training methods, aiming to inspire and elevate the overall performance of the HDF.

Schmidt's Petraries
Formed	3136
Disbanded	3140
Affiliation	Hanseatic League
Parent Command	Hanseatic Defense Force

Notable Unit Members

Commanding Officers

• Captain-Marshal Rudolf Schmidt

Other Officers

• Major Hadubert Fernsby
• Commander Edwina Ramsey
• Commander Mikella Jackson
• Commander Sigmund Sauer
• Commander Willihard Brandt
• Lieutenant Kermit Bloodworth
• Lieutenant Ragnvaldr Jernskjegg

Tactics

• When fighting alongside other HDF units, the Petraries would take over as the command unit for the entire formation. Schmidt’s Befehlslanze ("command lance") leads the full battle, while the other lances take charge of various sub-units within the formation.

• The Brandlanze ("fire/blaze/incendiary lance") of the Petraries were the first unit to use the Surtur BattleMech, and would use a combination of Inferno SRM rounds and flamers to overheat enemy units, forcing shutdowns. This tactic often results in capturing enemy machines and troops and later became the HDF’s standard for the 'Mech.

Composition History

3140

Schmidt’s Petraries TO&E

Befehlslanze (Command Lance) Captain-Marshal Rudolf Schmidt - Awesome AWS-9Q Commander Adelina Leichenberg - Zeus ZEU-9S Lieutenant Isbrand Vormelker - Banshee BNC-5S Lieutenant Oddvarr Gatevold - Stalker STK-3F Aufklärungslanze (Recon Lance) Commander Edwina Ramsey - Phoenix Hawk PXH-3D Lieutenant Hraban Sørpebøl - Locust LCT-3D Lieutenant Ragnvaldr Jernskjegg - Wasp WSP-3M MechWarrior Kriemhild Laksekjønn - Wolverine WVR-7D Schwere Kavallerielanze (Heavy Cavalry Lance) Major Hadubert Fernsby - Marauder MAD-3R Commander Sigmund Sauer - Dragon DRG-1N Commander Uhtric Krämer - Griffin GRF-1N MechWarrior Wulfrun Pohl - Grasshopper GHR-5H Brandlanze (Incendiary Lance) Commander Willihard Brandt - Surtur SUR-T1 Lieutenant Tyge Beck - Surtur SUR-T1 MechWarrior Topaz Luktvasslimo - Surtur SUR-T1 MechWarrior Argenta Fuchs - Surtur SUR-T1 Schmidt’s Grenadiers Die Teufelshunde Inner Sphere Standard Battlesuit Platoon Karl’s Soldaten Achileus Battlesuit Platoon Olsen’s Svärdare Longinus Battlesuit Platoon Der Nachtnebel 2 Infiltrator Mk. II Battlesuit Squads 2 Purifier Adaptive Battlesuit Squads Spacecraft Geist der Liga, Overlord-class DropShip

Color Schemes and Insignia

• Schmidt’s Petraries painted their BattleMechs in a flat steel gray. Sometimes, they added irregular black splotches for a basic camouflage effect. The Hanseatic League insignia would be prominently displayed on both shoulders, just like on the gray HDF uniforms.
• Each battlesuit platoon uses its own paint style:
  • Die Teufelshunde - used black and dark brown, with a fiery demon-dog face painted on their shoulders and helmets, surrounded by red, orange, and yellow flames.
  • Karl’s Soldaten - wore plain olive drab suits with the League insignia on each shoulder, like the BattleMechs.
  • Olsen’s Svärdare - painted their suits to look like old-fashioned chain mail, with no extra markings.
  • Der Nachtnebel - used camouflage patterns that match the terrain of their specific mission.

Notes

• The game rules for this force could be found in Spotlight On: Schmidt's Petraries

Bibliography

• Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade
• Spotlight On: Schmidt's Petraries