297th Battle (Clan Ghost Bear)

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Two Hundred and Ninety-Seventh Battle Cluster
Disbanded 3077
Nickname The Burnout Brigade
Affiliation Clan Ghost Bear
Parent Command Rho Galaxy

History

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War

As a part of Rho Galaxy the 297th Battle Cluster were actively involved in the First Draconis Combine / Ghost Bear War, which began in 3062 with a suicidal attack by three regiments of the Alshain Avengers against Alshain. Rho Galaxy battled forces from Clan Nova Cat on both Caripare and Itabaiana,[1] fighting alongside forces from Tau Galaxy on the latter.[1][2]

Jihad

Luthien

In December 3074 Rho Galaxy swept onto Luthien, the capital of the Draconis Combine, which had been locked in conflict between the Word of Blake, loyalist forces and forces supporting the Kokuryu-kai or Black Dragon Society. Hitting Luthien alongside Rho on the 15th were Alpha and Omega Galaxies, and the Ghost Bears soon showed that they were intent on wiping out all Blakist forces.[3][4][5][6]

The Ghost Bear forces never once offered zellbrigen to any of the Word units and effectively eradicated the Word forces on Luthien by the 20th of December. Very few survivors from the Word of Blake managed to flee or become captives, and the Ghost Bear forces destroyed any DCMS forces that attempted to interfere in the Ghost Bear campaign against the Word.[7][8] Rho Galaxy was the key to destroying the Thirty-second Division's battle line although in the process Rho also ruined the Takashi Memorial Spaceport.[9] During their attack, Rho Galaxy simply dropped on top of the Thirty-second's positions, quickly destroying three-quarters of the Blakist forces there, and spent the next few hours executing the remainder. Fires the intense combat created burned for four days after the conflict ended.[6] Also destroyed on Luthien by the Ghost Bears was the Forty-second Shadow Division, the first instance of a Shadow Division being completely destroyed.[10]

Rho and the other Galaxies left Luthien at the end of January as suddenly as they had arrived, leaving the DCMS to frantically redeploy forces to fortify the world; the relief units began arriving two weeks later on the 14th of February, only to find no sign of any Blakist troops in the wake of the Ghost Bear withdrawal.[8][11]

Kaus Australis and Ascella

After the battles for Luthien and Pesht the Ghost Bears organized their forces to drive towards Terra in several waves, each named after the lead Galaxy in that wave. Beta Galaxy formed the heart of Beta wave, striking first at secondary worlds like Kaus Media and Ascella[12] on the 6th of October 3075.[13][14] Rho[15] and Theta Galaxies[16] were assigned to support Beta Galaxy in Beta Wave, with Rho seizing Kaus Australis while Beta was striking at Kaus Media[13][14] before joining the assault on Ascella.[15] Rho Galaxy was pushed into reserve on Ascella after the 297th Battle Cluster was nearly destroyed, leaving Beta Galaxy and one of the units personally affiliated to Devlin Stone, Stone's Lament, to clear the planet.[15] The losses on Ascella were such that Theta Galaxy was moved up from a garrison role to an active combat role within Beta Wave, only to see the Galaxy perform poorly when tasked with capturing Moore[16] in July 3076[17][18] and Pike IV[16] in September 3076.[17][18]

Dieron

In 3077, Rho Galaxy traveled to Dieron and served as the main reserve force for the Ghost Bears,[19] alongside Alpha,[20] Beta[12] and Omega Galaxies.[21] Arriving in 3077[22] Rho saw little combat for the first month; their only opponent was the Eighth Dieron Regulars which fought with the members of the Galaxy over Word of Blake prisoners. Shortly thereafter the Blakist Third Division attacked Rho Galaxy and killed most of their higher level commanders. Cast into confusion, Rho Galaxy counter-attacked without any plan or coordination with other Ghost Bear or Combine units, which allowed the Second and Third Divisions to withdraw from Dieron.[19] Dieron was a bloodbath for all the Ghost Bear Galaxies involved; Rho Galaxy suffered heavy enough combat losses that it had to be tasked with securing the outer areas rather than joining the Fortress Dieron assault, and the already-damaged 297th Battle Cluster was destroyed as a result of constant raiding by Blakist forces.[15]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 297th Battle (Clan Ghost Bear)
Commanding Officers of the 297th Battle (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Star Colonel Jak Snuka 3061 - 3067[23][24]

Tactics

The Cluster is specialized in defensive tactics due to its long tour as a garrison force. The mobility of the unit often surprises the enemy and its medium 'Mechs are used for flanking maneuvers. This unit is also known for executing rear assaults, when feasible.[23]

Composition History

3061

297th Battle Cluster

3067

297th Battle Cluster (Veteran/Questionable)[24]

- At this point in time the 243rd was stationed on Susquehanna and was operating at just five percent below full strength, with all bar five percent of the Cluster using OmniMechs or equivalent technology; this made the 297th the largest of the Clusters within Rho at the time and almost half-again as large as at least two other Clusters within the Galaxy.[24]

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 61, "Rho Galaxy (Bear Essentials)"
  2. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 61, "Tau Galaxy"
  3. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Alpha Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  4. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Omega Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  5. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Rho Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 11, "Damnation"
  7. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 55, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53, "The Jihad In Review"
  9. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Rho Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  10. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 125, "Shadow Divisions"
  11. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 14, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Beta Galaxy"
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54, "The Jihad In Review"
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Rho Galaxy"
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Theta Galaxy"
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56, "The Jihad In Review"
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 7, "Rho Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  20. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Alpha Galaxy"
  21. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Omega Galaxy"
  22. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 5, Beta Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 91, "297th Battle Cluster Profile"
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 77, "Rho Galaxy (Bear Essentials)"

Bibliography

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