20th Army (Star League)
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| Twentieth Army | |
| Affiliation | Star League |
| Parent Command | Star League Defense Force |
The Star League Defense Force's Twentieth Army was assigned to operations within the Rim Worlds Republic Territorial State.
History[edit]
Formed in the great expansion of the SLDF, the Twentieth Army replaced the IV and VI Corps who had defeated and garrisoned the Rim Worlds Republic since the Reunification War. At its peak the Twentieth consisted of twenty-five divisions which included seven BattleMech divisions, fifteen infantry divisions and thirty independent regiments. [1][2]
Due to Stefan Amaris's public loyalty and friendship with the young Richard Cameron and the fact that the Republic was almost totally peaceful while the other Periphery realms were on the verge of exploding into rebellion, as part of the Birthday Proclamations the future First Lord agreed to Amaris' request to withdraw the Twentieth Army from the Republic in 2755; the various divisions were transferred to bolster the other Territorial State armies[3] in the Draconis Combine and Lyran Commonwealth.[2] The withdrawal process started in 2755 and was completed by 2757.[4]
Despite being ordered to move to the Outworlds Alliance in 2760 the Twentieth Army remained near the Rim Worlds Republic and subcommands occasionally conducted reconnaissance-in-force operations into the Republic. This kept the combat units in fighting trim, but the army as a whole was unable to operate effectively. This was largely due to its subcommands being scattered over two member states. The Twentieth's refusal to relocate caused many problems for the SLDF Navy's Transportation Command's schedules as well. The Regular Army Command was also losing patience with the officers of the Twentieth, and if the Amaris Civil War hadn't occurred, these officers would likely have been reassigned.[4]
When the Periphery Uprising erupted, the divisions of the Twentieth initially attempted to stabilize tensions in the Territorial States as the Amaris backed Periphery Divisions attacked the SLDF garrison forces, suffering heavy losses in the process.[1] The Twentieth were still smarting from their ejection from the Republic, and seized the opportunity to try and prove their value when they were deployed to the Outworlds Alliance assigned to 13th Army Group, they pushed through the Rimward systems of the Ramora Province into Baliggora Province, dispatching a contingent to secure Alpheratz by December 2765.[5] The Twentieth served as a rapid reaction force for the remainder of the conflict however, however their desire to prove their mettle manifested as overeager recklessness, taking grave risks such as attacking enemy positions without gathering intelligence, leaving positions under-manned, and allowing themselves to be drawn into traps which resulted in the Twentieth taking unneeded casualties, to the extent that SLDF Commanding General Aleksandr Kerensky issued a formal reprimand to the Twentieth.[5] The total losses to the Twentieth in the Uprising amounted to eleven Divisions and eight Regiments, although three of the Divisions and one of the Regiments were disbanded rather than being destroyed in the battlefields of the Periphery.[2]
After the assassination of Richard Cameron, the divisions of the Twentieth joined the SLDF's assault on the Rim Worlds Republic and the campaign to recapture of the worlds of the Terran Hegemony. The Twentieth served in Task Force DeChavillier's reserve during the first wave of the Rim Worlds Campaign, [6] With less half its divisions surviving until the end of Operation Liberation, the Twentieth Army disbanded upon the collapse of the Star League; the bulk of its remaining divisions joined General Kerensky on his Exodus, although some elements of the Twentieth joined each of the Successor States other than the Free Worlds League.[1]
By mid-July 2772, the Twentieth Army was ready to take part in Operation CHIEFTAIN, the liberation of the Terran Hegemony. Serving alongside the Eighth Army and the Twelfth Volunteer Brigade, the Twentieth was a major component of the Second Army Group. The Second Army Group, Fifteenth Army Group and Twentieth Army Group made up Task Force Commonwealth, under the overall command of Admiral Joan Brandt.[7]
Officers[edit]
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the 20th Army | |||
| General | Gal Vlasic | 2755 – 2777[2][4][8] | |
Tactics[edit]
Different per Unit.
Corps of the Twentieth Army[edit]
Composition[edit]
2765[edit]
- 7 BattleMech Divisions
- 15 Infantry Divisions
- 30 Independent Regiments
2767[edit]
- 2 BattleMech Divisions
- 9 Infantry Divisions
- 22 Independent Regiments
After two years of combat in the Periphery, the Twentieth Army had been reduced to just 43% of its original combat strength.[2]
2772[edit]
Notes[edit]
- The Cameron-class Saint Joan was attached to the Twentieth Army in 2674.[12][13]
References[edit]
- ↑ a b c The Star League, p. 158: "Twentieth Army"
- ↑ a b c d e Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 45: "Twentieth Army"
- ↑ The Star League, p. 73: "Birthday Proclamation"
- ↑ a b c Field Manual: SLDF, p. 231: "Rim Worlds Republic Military Region - Twentieth Army - Command"
- ↑ a b Field Manual: SLDF, pg. 97:"The Outworlds Campaign"
- ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, pg. 105:"The Rim Worlds Campaign"
- ↑ a b c d Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 120: "Operation CHIEFTAIN"
- ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, p. 83
- ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 232
- ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 234
- ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 236
- ↑ Technical Readout: 2750, p. 140
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, p. 154: "Cameron (Battlecruiser)"