St. Ives Sentinels

Brigade Insignia of the St. Ives Sentinels
St. Ives Sentinels
Formed 3062
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Parent Command Capellan Confederation Armed Forces
Sub-Command(s) See Units of the St. Ives Sentinels


Consisting of two former mercenary units with long histories of service to the Capellan Confederation and the St. Ives region in particular, the St. Ives Sentinels became the line reserve brigade of the reborn St. Ives Commonality in the wake of the Capellan-St. Ives War.


History

While the St. Ives Sentinels brigade was only formed in the wake of the Capellan reabsorption of the St. Ives Compact, both of its constituent units had long histories of service to the Capellan Confederation as mercenary units during the Third Succession War. Towards the final years of that conflict both units became CCAF line-forces and were integrated into the St. Ives Armored Cavalry, placing them in a difficult position when the Cavalry followed Duchess Candace Liao into independence after the Fourth Succession War.[1]

More loyal to Confederation than the House Davion backed St. Ives Compact and with both units consisting of personally owned BattleMechs, the Mounted Fusiliers and Armored Infantry voted to return to mercenary service. Unwilling to lose both units, Duchess Liao drew upon their decades of faithful service to St. Ives Commonality to convince them to accept mercenary contracts with the newborn Compact, aided somewhat by both units' fears of any welcome waiting for them from Chancellor Romano Liao.[1]

But units would dutifully serve the Compact through to the bitter conclusion of the Capellan-St. Ives War. While fearful as to their fate in the wake of the conflict, similar to the offer extended to other mercenaries in years prior, Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao gave Capellan Citizenship and a position as a CCAF reserve regiment to Mounted Fusiliers, with Duchess Candance Liao extending a similar offer to the Armored Infantry. Though lacking the high-profile of the St. Ives Armored Cavalry or the St. Ives Janissaries, in the wake of the reintegration the Sentinels served as the backbone division of the Commonality.[1]

Arguably more loyal to Sian than St. Ives, the Sentinels found themselves given little respect or logistical support from the St. Ives Military Command in wake of the Civil War, but gained an unlikely supporter: Strategic Military Director Talon Zahn. Taking a personal interest in both units even as they were increasingly snubbed by the SIMC, Zahn assured them full political and material support from CCAF. Time and several key personnel transfers had begun to heal the rift between the Sentinels and the St. Ives Commonality, and by 3067 both units were accepted by the mainstream CCAF.[1][2]

During the Word of Blake Jihad, the Sentinels would serve as protectors of the St. Ives Commonality, defending its worlds against Davion aggression during Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE. This conflict would see the Sentinels become both friend and foe to St. Ives Janissaries, destroying the turncoat 2nd Janissaries and welcoming the 1st Janissaries into their number after their brigade was dissolved. Initially kept on the defensive, by the later years of the Jihad he Sentinels were among the forces assigned by the CCAF to aid the recapture of worlds from the Word of Blake Protectorate.[3]

Despite the sterling service of all the Sentinels regiments, all three found themselves regarded questionably by the Maskirovka in the wake of the betrayal of the 2nd Janissaries. Hoping to excise the stain upon their honor, the original two regiments of the St. Ives Sentinels actively attempted to provoke a conflict between the Confederation and the newborn Republic of the Sphere, with both regiments suspected of raiding into other states, targeting worlds claimed by the forming Republic.[3][4]

During Operation GOLDEN FORTRESS the St. Ives Sentinels faced some of the best troops the Republic of the Sphere could field. Though ultimately the Capellans were ejected from Republic space, the Sentinels fought well, inflicting heavy damage to the Republic troops they faced. Particularly noteworthy was the performance of the Sentinels against forces from Clan Nova Cat, even briefly forcing the Clan forces off Capolla despite never having faced Clan troops in combat previously.[5]

Sometime between 3113 and 3144, the St. Ives Sentinels brigade was expanded by two regiments. These regiments were created in secret sometime before Operation CELESTIAL REWARD as one of the Hidden Lion regiments formed by Chancellor Daoshen Liao using stockpiled equipment. These new Sentinels used the Augmented Regiment formations commonly found in the CCAF by 3145.[6] It was during this period that the 1st Janissaries was defeated by the Seventeenth Avalon Hussars and disbanded.[7]

As part of Operation CELESTIAL REWARD in 3144, the St. Ives Sentinels regiments were ordered to take up stations along the Sarna Commonality/Capellan March border. The units chose to take "scenic routes" that took them through several Federated Suns controlled systems before landing at their new garrison posts.[8]

In 3146 units of the St. Ives Sentinels engaged in combat on Cammal, Lee, and Marlette.[9]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the St. Ives Sentinels

Tactics

Different per unit.

Units of the St. Ives Sentinels

3145

Former Units of the St. Ives Sentinels

Colors and Unit Insignia

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 107 "St. Ives Sentinels"
  2. Field Manual: Updates, p. 29 "Capellan Confederation - St. Ives Sentinels"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Field Report: CCAF page 19 "St. Ives Sentinels"
  4. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 100, "St. Ives Sentinels"
  5. Field Manual: 3085, p. 32 "Capellan Confederation - St. Ives Sentinels"
  6. Field Manual: 3145, p. 27, "General Review"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 42
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 42
  9. Shattered Fortress, pp. 17-18, 23

Bibliography