1st Liao Grenadiers

Concap - lcc - Vong's Grenadiers.png
First Liao Grenadiers
Previous Designation(s) Ishara's Grenadiers
Vong's Grenadiers
Chao's Grenadiers
Nickname Tormasov's Grenadiers[1]
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Parent Command Liao Cháng-Chéng
Sian Reserves


Description

Formerly known as Ishara's Grenadiers, Vong's Grenadiers and Chao's Grenadiers.

Several Brigades were restructured after the Capellan Crusades of 3111 revealed weaknesses in the CCAF.[2] A new naming convention was introduced that made the First Liao Grenadiers the official name of the regiment.[1] Their unofficial name is Tormasov's Grenadiers.

Originally a part of the Sian Reserves, Vong's Grenadiers were reassigned to the Liao Cháng-Chéng in 3061 when the new Liao Commonality was established.[3] They would later be reassigned again in 3085 to the reorganized Sarna Commonality following the loss of Liao to the ROTS.

The Grenadiers are a second-line regiment. Originally a heavy/medium regiment, the unit has become a heavy regiment by 3063.[3]

History

Third Succession War

In the Third Succession War, the Grenadiers suffered from bad leadership and heavy equipment losses.

  • 2925 - The Grenadiers and Kamakura's Hussars were attacked on Hassad, by House Marik forces utilizing large force of Scorpion BattleMechs. The Grenadiers and its allied unit used their more maneuverable Hornet light 'Mechs to outflank the cumbersome four-legged Marik 'Mechs in some parts of the planet. However, heavy losses force them to withdraw. (This marks the beginning of the Capellans' trademark doctrine of conserving equipment.[4]
  • 2950 - The Grenadiers fought in defense of Daniels, fighting off elements of Davion Syrtis Fusiliers. The hard-fought defense of the world cost the unit half its numbers. In following year, the officer corps of the unit was reorganized.
  • 2951 - Restructured due to incompetent leadership.
  • 2991 - Marik forces raid the world of Conquista, where the Grenadiers had recently been assigned to garrison. The unit did fairly well against the incursion and forced the raiders off. However, since this time, the CCAF continued to restructure the unit with new officers, leaving the warriors of the unit with uninspired leadership.[5]

Fourth Succession War

The unit didn't see any action in the Fourth Succession War.

Andurien Wars

The unit participated in several actions during that war. By 3028, Ishara's Grenadiers garrisoned Buenos Aires and Barras with one battalion each.[6]

On 11 September 3030, the Duchy of Andurien seceded from the Free Worlds League. Known as the Andurien Crisis, Andurien then allied itself with the Magistracy of Canopus and invaded the Capellan Confederation two days later.[7]

On 3031, the Grenadiers moved to Turin to block any further advance by the MAF.[6] When in 3032 Long's Light Lancers invaded Turin and skirmished with the Grenadiers. The arrival of Kamakura's Hussars on-planet prompts the Lancers to retreat to Jacomarie.[8]

By 3033 Ishara's Grenadiers joins Warrior House Dai Da Chi in attacking Long's Light Lancers on Jacomarie. With the Grenadiers pining the Lancers in place while the feared Warrior House flanked them, all resistance collapsed. Suffering massive damage, the Light Lancers retreated off-planet after only eleven days of battle.[9]

Finally, in 3034, Ishara's Grenadiers and Kincade's Rangers attack Drummond's Destroyers and Jenkin's Armored Cavalry on Renown. With the planet of little strategic value and already badly shaken from the previous battles, both Magistracy Armed Forces regiments fled without firing a shot.[10]

Operation GUERRERO

Ishara's Grenadiers attacked Arboris in 3057, where their first battalion was defeated by the combined forces of the remnants of the Arboris SMM (a mixed regiment of BattleMechs, armor, and infantry loyal to the FedCom) and the Farmers' Freedom Army (9+ infantry regiments). The FFA then turned on the Arboris SMM, forcing them to withdraw. Meanwhile, Ishara's Grenadiers withdrew to the capital city of Kansas Plain where they waited in vain for supplies from the CapCon. By the end of 3057, there was a three-way stalemate on Arboris, with the FFA and Arboris SMM suffering raids by the Grenadiers, while the SMM's commander kept failing in his efforts to enact a truce with the FFA.[11]

Xin Sheng Campaign

They were one of the first CCAF units sent to reclaim the Chaos March in 3060. The Grenadiers struck Carver V expecting the same low level resistance found in the Disputed Territories. Twenty-four fighters surprised them as they reached the planet. Armor raids followed as soon as the regiment landed. Finally, an assault BattleMech battalion ambushed them as they attacked the planetary capital. Pushed back to their landing zones, the battered regiment was ordered back to Aldebaran for rest and refit two months later.[3]

During their time rebuilding, Sang-shao Choung Vong received unconfirmed reports that the Word of Blake was responsible for the disaster inflicted upon them on Carver V. The enraged Sang-shao promptly shot the WoB acolyte who delivered the confidential report. On their next mission to Genoa, the Grenadiers accidentally targeted a WoB installation during their battle with the local militia. Unable to sugarcoat such public actions, the Strategios gave reparations using supplies intended for the regiment. This has slowed rebuilding to a crawl and further lowered morale. The unit blamed the WoB for it all, further provoking attacks and reparations. By 3067, the unit is still down a battalion of 'Mechs with the overall average weight being reduced to a medium regiment.[3] The unit was stationed on the Liao Commonality world of Kaifeng as of 3067.[12]

Jihad

Vong's Grenadiers were transferred to Tsingtao in early 3068 to repel the Illician Lancers, who were attacking as part of Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE.[13] The Lancers' 59th Strike Regiment were forced to retreat as a result of attrition and lack of resupply,[14] but this encounter nearly destroyed the Grenadiers although they did keep the world in the Confederation. Before being reassigned to Palladaine to rebuild, they repelled several other raids.[13]

Vong's Grenadiers took serious losses in the fighting against the Illician Lancers, and by the time the mercenary unit withdrew most of the command cohesion was totally gone. When Sang-shao Vong led an understrength battalion against Word of Blake forces, the unit's command integrity shattered at last. In 3077 a company of MechWarriors deserted from the unit and eventually joined the Republic Armed Forces. In light of the problems facing the unit, the command staff was cashiered by the Strategios in 3080. Sang-shao Luo Chao was assigned to the unit, which was renamed Chao's Grenadiers.[15]

Republic Era

An undisciplined and disorganized mob, the regiment began to turn around in the 3090's. Sang-shao Luo Chao managed to solve the unit's internal issues before performing several WoB hunting missions in the early 3100's. Thus stabilized, the regiment was passed to Sang-shao Yakim Tormasov.[1]

Sometime after 3113, the First Liao Grenadiers became the official name of the regiment.[1]

Dark Age

In 3145, Tormasov's Grenadiers attacked the Twelfth Vegan Rangers at Ulan Batar. They succeeded in their mission of preventing any Davion counterattack from reaching Tikonov or Chesterton while driving the mercenaries into the mountains and forests for months.[1]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of Ishara's Grenadiers
Colonel Maxwell Keng 3025[16]
Colonel Choung Vong 3050[17]
Commanding Officers of Vong's Grandiers
Sang-shao Choung Vong 3057-3063[11]
Commanding Officers of Chao's Grandiers
Sang-shao Luo Chao 3080-3085[15]
Commanding Officers of the 1st Liao Grandiers
Sang-shao Yakim Tormasov 3145[18]

Tactics

  • 3063 - The Grenadiers dislike any environment that limits movement like cities and forests. Their tactics tend towards combined fire and overwhelming force.[3]

Unit Emblem

  • 3025 - A stylized wasp with grenade in hand on a blue field.[5]
  • 3063 - A Chinese serpent coiled around a grenade, set over a red shield.[3]

Composition History

3025

Ishara's Grenadiers (2 Battalions)[16]

  • CO: Colonel Maxwell Keng
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Buenos Aires and also on Barras.[16]

3028

Ishara's Grenadiers (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)[19]

Note: At this point in time the command were stationed on Buenos Aires and Barras.[19]

3050

Ishara's Grenadiers (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)[17]

  • CO: Colonel Choung Vong[17]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Buenos Aires and also on Barras.[17]

3057

Ishara's Grenadiers - Regular/Reliable[11]

  • 2 Battalions

3059

Ishara Grenadiers (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)[20]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Arboris.[20]

3063

Vong's Grenadiers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[3]

  • CO/1st Battalion: Sang-shao Choung Vong
  • XO/2nd Battalion: Zhong-shao Aimee Yung-Tsi

Vong's Air Squadron (2 Squadrons/Green/Questionable)

Aldebaran 12th Home Guard (Regiment/Green/Reliable)

  • Armor Commander: Zhong-shao Paul Richards

Vong's Special Teams (4 Companies/Regular/Questionable)

  • Infantry Commander: Zhong-shao Rue Mank Oaks

3079

Vong’s Grenadiers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[21]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Palladaine.[21] The unit was sixty percent below its pre-Jihad strength in 3079.[13]

3085

Chao's Grenadiers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[22]

  • CO/1st Battalion: Sang-shao Luo Chao

Chao's Air Squadron (2 Squadrons/Green/Reliable)

  • Wing Commander: Kong-sao-shao Lita Harris

12th Aldebaran Home Guard (Regiment/Green/Questionable)

  • Armor Commander: Zhong-shao Branislav Pliskin

Chao's Special Teams (Battalion/Regular/Reliable)

  • Infantry Commander: Zhong-shao Gabriella Romano

3145

1st Liao Grenadiers (Regular/Reliable)[18]

  • CO: Sang-shao Yakim Tormasov

Tormasov's Tornados (2 Flights/Regular/Reliable)[18]

Tormasov's Tank Guard (Green/Reliable)[18]

Tormasov's Jump Grenadiers (Regular/Reliable)[18]

  • CO: Zhong-shao Alo Montauk

Notes

  • Original unit name was Ishara's Grenadiers.[23]
  • Sang-shao Choung Vong would later be featured in the MechCommander 2 computer game piloting a custom Lao Hu BattleMech.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Manual: 3145, p. 41: "Liao Cháng-Chéng - 3145"
  2. Field Manual: 3145, p. 27: "General Review"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 81: "Liao Cháng-Chéng"
  4. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 49: "Limits of Success" - Ishara's Grenadiers pull out after being hammered by Marik Scorpions.
  5. 5.0 5.1 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 93: "Ishara's Grenadiers unit profile".
  6. 6.0 6.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 88
  7. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 51
  8. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 63
  9. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 65
  10. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 66
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Chaos March, p. 27
  12. Field Manual: Updates, p. 25: "Vong Grenadiers unit profile"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Field Report: CCAF, p. 13
  14. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 73: "Illician Lancers"
  15. 15.0 15.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 30: "Unit Profile"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 106
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 20 Year Update, pp. 62–63: "Capellan Confederation Armed Forces (CCAF)"
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 45: "Capellan Confederation Deployment Table - 3145"
  19. 19.0 19.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 88
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 111
  21. 21.0 21.1 Field Report: CCAF, p. 13
  22. Field Manual: 3085, p. 33
  23. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 93: "Ishtar's Grenadiers" - Vong's original name

Bibliography