Beta Galaxy (Clan Hell's Horses)

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History

Beta Galaxy was formed as a complement to the Horse's Alpha Galaxy. Where Alpha was to be the quick moving hammer, Beta was to serve as the heavy anvil that would crush opponents. The heavy machines initially assigned to the Galaxy were slow, however, and the Horses saw this as a concern. Over time they assigned some faster cavalry Clusters to the Galaxy, but in 3063 the unit's equipment still had a higher than average weight.

Elements of Beta Galaxy (the 666th Mechanized Assault Cluster) played a key role in the destruction of Kindraa Smythe-Jewel. The 666th's Alpha Trinary killed the Kindraa Leader and held the unit in position long enough for it to be wiped out by a combined force of Horses and Coyotes.[1]

In 3065 Beta Galaxy was responsible for finally taking the Tokasha MechWorks from Clan Ghost Bear and returning it to the Horses. During the assault the 666th Mechanized Assault, 888th Mechanized Assault, and 77th Mechanized Cavalry Clusters all lost a third of their strength.[2]

The Jihad

Beta Galaxy was directly involved in the invasion of the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone beginning in 3070. The Seventy-seventh Mechanized Cavalry was the lead element of Beta Galaxy to land on Nyserta. The Beta Galaxy Command Cluster then fought against the Thirty-third Wolf Champions Cluster on New Caledonia, mauling the Wolves and seizing the world.[3]

In January 3071 the Thirtieth Mechanized Strike took heavy losses from the Thirteenth Wolf Regulars Cluster on Steelton but still successfully captured the world. This was followed by the capture of the Star's End system by the 333rd Mechanized Strike Cluster, inflicting heavy losses on the 1st Wolf Garrison (Clan Wolf) Cluster. Beta Galaxy then fought the Wolf Kappa Galaxy on Verthandi, where the Wolves fought a delaying action that left Beta Galaxy tired, but ultimately victorious.[3]

Beta Galaxy would then face the Wolf Kappa Galaxy again on Planting in June, pushing the exhausted Wolves off-world and holding Planting until January 3072. Beta Galaxy went on to secure Harvest before attempting to capture Ridderkerk, where Clan Wolf's Gamma Galaxy successfully held, denying Beta Galaxy the world.[3]

In early 3074, Beta Galaxy was responsible for clearing the New Belt Pirates out of the Star's End system, having been dispatched by Khan James Cobb to followup rumors of a functional shipyard hidden in the system. Beta's Elementals and ProtoMechs were able to overwhelm the mines and hidden weapons emplacements, and with the Horses pressing hard against the pirate defenses, Susie Morgraine-Ryan chose to flee. Morgraine-Ryan's departure compromised the pirate defenses, allowing Beta Galaxy to pour in and capture the shipyards.[4]

Dark Age

In 3081 Beta was stationed on Kirchbach and was preparing to attack Clan Wolf. Instead the Wolves' Gamma Galaxy landed on Kirchbach and engaged Beta. Most of Beta used a frontal engagement to pin the Wolves in place, while the Ninety-first Mechanized Cluster was able to strike the rear of the Wolf position. This forced the Wolves to surrender. They were later reassigned to the border with the Rasalhague Dominion, where they faced the First Freemen.[5]

Beta Galaxy later pioneered the "Mongol Doctrine" which used large numbers of lighter units to force an opponent onto an anvil of heavy 'Mech forces.[6] After Clan Hell's Horses allied with Clan Jade Falcon in 3140, Beta Galaxy was assigned to support the Falcon operations. They fought against Clan Wolf-in-Exile and the Kell Hounds for a year. During an engagement with the Kell Hounds, most of Beta Galaxy was caught in an orbital bombardment ordered by Malvina Hazen.[7] Beta Galaxy's survivors were brought back to the Horses' Occupation Zone and used to create new Clusters. The rebuilt Galaxy was used to take Harvest and Romulus from the Falcons, and in 3145 was still guarding the Horses' border with the Falcons.[8]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Beta Galaxy
Galaxy Commander Xandria Mitchell 3059 - 3067[1][9]
Galaxy Commander Ruggieri Lassenerra 3085[10]
Galaxy Commander Loren Icazar 3145[11]

Other Officers

Tactics

Beta Galaxy specialized in "blitzkrieg" tactics. Their aerospace fighters hit first, followed by fast 'Mech and vehicle forces. These units inflicted damage on their opponent before moving on. Any survivors from the fighter and fast 'Mechs were then engaged by Beta's assault elements. The assault forces held the enemy in place until Elementals and conventional infantry could arrive.[1]

Composition History

3059-3067

3079

  • Beta Galaxy Command (Elite/Questionable)[12]
  • Operating at 75% of full strength and with 70% of the unit fielding OmniMechs, Beta Galaxy Command was stationed on New Oslo at this point.
  • Seventy-seventh Mechanized Cavalry (Veteran/Reliable)[12]
  • Operating at 50% of full strength and with 70% of the unit fielding OmniMechs, the 77th was stationed on New Bergen at this point.
  • 99th Mechanized Cavalry (Elite/Fanatical)[12]
  • Operating at 45% of full strength and with 70% of the unit fielding OmniMechs, the 99th was stationed on New Oslo at this point.
  • 333rd Mechanized Strike (Elite/Fanatical)[12]
  • Operating at 55% of full strength and with 65% of the unit fielding OmniMechs, the 333rd was stationed on Outpost at this point.
  • 666th Mechanized Assault (Veteran/Reliable)[12]
  • Operating at 30% of full strength and with 60% of the unit fielding OmniMechs, the 666th was stationed on Bruben at this point.
  • 888th Mechanized Assault (Regular/Reliable)[12]
  • Operating at 50% of full strength and with 75% of the unit fielding OmniMechs, the 888th was stationed on Skallevoll at this point.

3145

Former Units

Notes

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 66, "Beta Galaxy Profile"
  2. Field Manual: Updates, p. 45
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 12, "Beta Galaxy"
  4. Masters & Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 144, "Star's End (Novo Cressidas)"
  5. Field Manual: 3085, p. 116
  6. Field Manual: 3145, p. 151
  7. A Bonfire of Worlds, ch. 13
  8. Field Manual: 3145, p. 154
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Field Manual: Update, p. 71, "Crusader Clans Deployment Table"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 125
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Field Manual: 3145, p. 167, "Clan Force Deployments - Clan Hell's Horses"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Field Report: Clans, p. 13, "Deployment Status"

Bibliography