Lyran Guards

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Brigade Insignia of the Lyran Guards
Lyran Guards
Formed 2341
Nickname The Iron Fist [1]
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command LCAF
Sub-Command(s) - First Lyran Guards Division
- Second Lyran Guards Division
- Third Lyran Guards Division
- Fourth Lyran Guards Division
- Fifth Lyran Guards Division
- Sixth Lyran Guards Division


The Lyran Guards were the second Lyran brigade mustered after the formation of the Lyran Commonwealth. Unlike the Arcturan Guards, the Lyran Guards recruited its soldiers from across the Commonwealth, and, second only to the Royal Guards, is the most prestigious commission in the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. At its zenith prior to the Succession Wars, the Lyran Guards were so large that the brigade needed to be split into six subdivisions, each with its own officer to report to the brigade commander.[2]


History

Formation

Formed as a result of the creation of the Commonwealth as a bond of the three founding states. Since their founding, the regiments of this brigade have fought in nearly every offensive or defensive engagement and secured many victories.[3]

Star League Era

In contrast to their Succession War-era prestige, the Lyran Guards were called the "working stiffs of the LCAF" by the Terran Hegemony. They were characterized as professional, generally apolitical troops who the LCAF could count on to provide garrison duty. In this way, the Lyran Guards of the Star League era were more similar to the position the Lyran Regulars would come to occupy than the fame they later enjoyed.[4]

During the Star League Era the Lyran Guards were the largest brigade in LCAF, so large that the Guards added an additional officer between the regiment and brigade level, with a Divisional Commander overseeing ten Lyran Guards regiments and reporting to the Brigade's overall commander. In practice this number includes inactive or disbanded regiments so most Divisional Commanders only oversaw five or six active regiments. Numbering as high as six, as of 2765 five Lyran Guards Divisions remained active, ranging from the ten full regiments of the First Lyran Guards Division, a force larger than most Star League Defense Force brigades, to the mere four of the Second Lyran Guards Division.[2]

During the Amaris Civil War the Lyran Guards grew substantially, with a number of regiments being reactivated; by 2786 the brigade was thirty-five regiments strong;[5] two of the reactivated commands, the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Lyran Guards were effectively former SLDF units, having been recruited from personnel the Eighteenth Infantry Division and 368th BattleMech Division.[6] In addition to these two regiments, the Lyran Guards had reactivated the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Lyran Guards, and during the First Succession War the Guards also reactivated the Eleventh and Thirteenth Lyran Guards. The First Succession Wars took a heavy toll on the Lyran Guards, however; in addition to the losses taken to individual units, the Second, Fifth and Fifty-fourth Lyran Guards were wiped out completely.[5]

FedCom Civil War

The component regiments of the Lyran Guards fought for and against all sides of the FedCom Civil War. The 3rd, 5th, 6th, 24th and 26th Lyran Guard fought for Katherine Steiner-Davion while the 10th sided with her brother Victor. The 14th and 32nd fought for Free Skye in their attempt to seize Hesperus II while the 15th and 36th helped hold the world for the Lyrans.[7]

The Jihad

By 3085 the losses sustained by the Lyran Guards regiments hadn't been replaced. While the Lyran Guards were the only LCAF brigade capable of fielding multiple full RCT's,[3] the rest of the brigade was based on the new Light Combat Team model. Though the Guards saw the need for this immediately after the end of the Jihad, many members of the Guards were sure the LCAF could rebuild missing Guard units or at least expand the existing units. With other brigades being rebuilt and receiving the best academy graduates and machines, the Lyran Guards grew envious of their countrymen.[8]

The Dark Age

Prior to 3145 the Lyran Guards had been rebuilt, and even expanded to RCTs in several cases. The invasion by Clan Wolf resulted in the destruction of two RCTs and the disbanding of two more to make up losses in other Lyran Guard units. As of 3145 there were three RCTs and two independent 'Mech regiments in the Guards brigade.[9]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Lyran Guards
Hauptmann-General Kathleen Heany 3039[10]
General Ivan Steiner 3057

Tactics

Different per Unit.

Units of the Lyran Guards

Divisions
Regiments

Notes

  • The First Lyran Guards was destroyed on Orkney by Clan Jade Falcon. [11]
  • The Second Lyran Guards was destroyed in 2789.[12]
  • The Sixth Lyran Guards was destroyed by Clan Wolf during the Jihad. [13]
  • The Tenth Lyran Guards merged with the First Davion Guards in February 3068.[14] They were rebuilt in the Dark Age and destroyed by Clan Wolf.[15]
  • The Thirteenth Lyran Guards defected and was destroyed in 3057.[16]
  • The Fourteenth Lyran Guards were disbanded during the Dark Age to reinforce other units.[17]
  • The Fifteenth Lyran Guards was destroyed defending Hesperus II during the early Jihad.[13]
  • The Nineteenth Lyran Guards was destroyed on Jabuka by Clan Steel Viper.[18]
  • The Twenty-fourth Lyran Guards was dissolved in the Dark Age to shore up units who were badly damaged fighting Clan Wolf.[19]
  • The Twenty-sixth Lyran Guards was destroyed by Clan Jade Falcon in 3070.[13]
  • The Thirtieth Lyran Guards deserted in the Chaos March. [20]
  • The Thirty-second Lyran Guards suffered heavy casualties fighting Clan Wolf in the Dark Age and disbanded. Its survivors were spread among other Lyran Guards.[21]
  • The Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards was destroyed by the Knights of the Inner Sphere in the early days of the Jihad.<[13]
  • The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, Thirty-third, Fortieth, Forty-third, Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Lyran Guards were destroyed in the Second Succession War. [22]

Color Scheme and Unit Insignia

The Lyran Guards paint their machines in Lyran blue and white.

References

  1. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 75
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 13 "Lyran Guards"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Field Report: LCAF, p. 12
  4. Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 14 "Lyran Guards"
  5. 5.0 5.1 First Succession War, p. 139, "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces (LCAF)"
  6. First Succession War, p. 33, "Those Left Behind (Continued)"
  7. FedCom Civil War, p. 83
  8. Field Manual: 3085, p. 101
  9. Field Manual: 3145, p. 126
  10. Technical Readout: 3039, p. 168 "AS7-D ATLAS"
  11. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 74
  12. First Succession War, p. 139
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Field Report: Lyran Alliance p.12
  14. Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon, p. 5
  15. Field Manual: 3145, p. 126
  16. Ask The Writer post
  17. Field Manual: 3145, p. 126
  18. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 74
  19. Field Manual: 3145 p.126
  20. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 74
  21. Field Manual: 3145 p.126
  22. Second Succession War p. 99

Bibliography