300th Battle (Rasalhague Dominion)

Three Hundredth Battle Cluster
Formed Sometime after 3048
Nickname Roaring Phoenix
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion
Clan Ghost Bear (previous)
Parent Command Rho Galaxy

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

Created from the remnants of the Forty-eighth Battle Cluster after that unit was destroyed on Niles.[1]

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War[edit]

As a part of Rho Galaxy the 300th 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,[2] fighting alongside forces from Tau Galaxy on the latter.[2][3]

Jihad[edit]

Luthien[edit]

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.[4][5][6][7]

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.[8][9] 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.[10] 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.[7] Also destroyed on Luthien by the Ghost Bears was the Forty-second Shadow Division, the first instance of a Shadow Division being completely destroyed.[11]

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.[9][12]

Kaus Australis and Ascella[edit]

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[13] on the 6th of October 3075.[14][15] Rho[16] and Theta Galaxies[17] were assigned to support Beta Galaxy in Beta Wave, with Rho seizing Kaus Australis while Beta was striking at Kaus Media[14][15] before joining the assault on Ascella.[16] 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.[16] 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[17] in July 3076[18][19] and Pike IV[17] in September 3076.[18][19]

Dieron[edit]

In 3077, Rho Galaxy traveled to Dieron and served as the main reserve force for the Ghost Bears,[20] alongside Alpha,[21] Beta[13] and Omega Galaxies.[22] Arriving in 3077[23] 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 counterattacked without any plan or coordination with other Ghost Bear or Combine units, which allowed the Second and Third Divisions to withdraw from Dieron.[20] 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 badly damaged 297th Battle Cluster was destroyed during constant raids by Blakist forces.[16]

The Dark Age[edit]

While in the Clan Homeworlds Rho Galaxy had filled the role of an enforcer Galaxy for the Ghost Bears, at least in part; in the immediate aftermath of the Jihad Rho returned to that role; rebuilding slowly and lacking access to replacement OmniMechs didn't stop Rho from sitting close to the border with the Combine's Buckminster Prefecture and daring the Dominion's enemies to attack. Determined to rebuild, Rho went so far as to start using Primitive BattleMechs manufactured on Grumium to help rebuild its Clusters while also building up transport Novas based around transport vehicles to move their battle armor forces. The one area where Rho didn't lack for advanced technology was in those same battle armor units, as the 283rd Battle Cluster was stationed on Mannedorf, giving the Galaxy access to substantial numbers of Rogue Bear battlesuits - suits that Rho put to good use in blunting at least on Combine raid on the planet.[24]

Rho underwent a significant rearmament program in the 3130s and was sent on the offensive in 3144 tasked with claiming a number of worlds that formerly been part of the Lyran Commonwealth, worlds that would form a corridor between the Rasalhague Dominion and the newly-formed Vega Protectorate. Rho swiftly annexed a number of worlds peacefully, but soon ran into forces from Clan Jade Falcon, also intent on annexing worlds in the region. Rho was soon facing forces from the Falcons' Omega Galaxy on the worlds of Corridan IV, Ganshoren, Symington and Yed Posterior.[25]

Omega Galaxy had been rebuilt in line with the Mongol doctrine espoused by Khan Malvina Hazen and as such consisted of hordes of light forces; those forces were deployed against Rho Galaxy with reckless abandon, swarming single Stars with what seemed to be endless numbers. Rho Galaxy was notionally of equal strength to Omega Galaxy, but where Omega had light forces, Rho had heavy 'Mech Supernovas and kept its units in defensive positions, holding Omega at bay. It was only when it appeared likely that the Jade Falcons were mobilizing a second Galaxy, Vau Galaxy, to support Omega that the Dominion Council ordered Rho to withdraw, rather than run the risk of provoking a major war between the Falcons and the Dominion. The order to withdraw left Rho frustrated, but proud of their prowess; reports of Rho's performance in combat became the standard text within the Dominion for dealing with units using Mongol tactics, giving Rho some solace.[25]

In 3144 the 300th conducted a probing raid against the defending forces on Port Moseby; when the 343rd Battle Cluster deployed in support of the Third Vega Regulars on raids against the world of Shionoha in 3145 intelligence agencies speculated that the raids were intended to encourage the defending units on Port Moseby to move away to support the forces on Shionoha, and that the Dominion was looking to annex Port Moseby for its new Lyran subjects.[25]

Sometime after the Rime Otter's debut in 3146 the 300th engaged the Second Falcon Dragoons on Ganshoren. Misusing their new Rime Otters as shields for their Mad Dog Mk IIIs, the 300th took heavy losses among their contingent of the former.[26]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 300th Battle (Clan Ghost Bear)
Commanding Officers of the 300th Battle (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Star Colonel Kendric Ravenwater 3061 - 3067[1][27]
Star Colonel Guiliana Bekker 3085[28]
Commanding Officers of the 300th Battle (Rasalhague Dominion)
Star Colonel Victor Magnusson 3145[29]

Tactics[edit]

The Cluster is specialized in defensive tactics because their long duty as a garrison force. The mobility of the command surprises the enemy often and the medium 'Mechs are used for flanking maneuvers. Also not unknown to this unit are rear assaults, when possible.[1]

Composition[edit]

3061[edit]

300th Battle Cluster (Regular/Fanatical)[30]

CO: Star Colonel Kendric Ravenwater [31]
Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Alshain.[30]

3067[edit]

300th Battle Cluster (Regular/Fanatical)[27]

- At this point in time the 300th was stationed on Kempten and was operating at sixty-five percent of full strength, with eighty percent of the Cluster using OmniMechs or equivalent technology.[27]

3079[edit]

300th Battle Cluster (Regular/Fanatical)[32]

Note: The 300th had been reduced to just forty percent of full strength by this point, although a little over half of the Cluster were using OmniMechs or equivalent technology. The 300th was stationed on Marawi.[32]

3085[edit]

300th Battle Cluster (Regular/Fanatical)[28]

- The 300th had rebuilt to sixty percent of full strength by 3085, although the amount of Omni- technology in the Cluster had dropped below fifty percent. The Cluster was stationed on Sternwerde at this point in time.[28]

3145[edit]

300th Battle Cluster (Regular/Reliable)[29]

- Based on Dalkeith at this point in time, the 300th was at ninety percent of full strength with slightly more than half of the Cluster using OmniMechs or equivalent advanced technology.[29]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 91, "300th Battle Custer Profile"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 61, "Rho Galaxy (Bear Essentials)"
  3. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 61, "Tau Galaxy"
  4. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Alpha Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  5. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Omega Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  6. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Rho Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 11, "Damnation"
  8. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 55, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53, "The Jihad In Review"
  10. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7, "Rho Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  11. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 125, "Shadow Divisions"
  12. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 14, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Beta Galaxy"
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54, "The Jihad In Review"
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Rho Galaxy"
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Theta Galaxy"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56, "The Jihad In Review"
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 7, "Rho Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  21. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Alpha Galaxy"
  22. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Omega Galaxy"
  23. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 5, Beta Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)
  24. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 120, "Rho Galaxy"
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 162, "Rho Galaxy"
  26. ↑ Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 19, p. 4
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 77, "Rho Galaxy (Bear Essentials)"
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 127, "Rho Galaxy (Bear Essentials)"
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 172, "Rho Galaxy (Bear Essentials)"
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 163
  31. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 91
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Field Report: Clans, p. 11, "Rho Galaxy"

Bibliography[edit]

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