11th Division (ComStar)

11th Division IV-Beta
Formed 3030s
Nickname The Wing Clippers (3062);
Pirates Bane (3050)
Affiliation ComStar
Parent Command 3rd Army


One of the most BattleMech heavy units within the Com Guards, the 11th Division was destroyed in the opening stages of the Word of Blake Jihad.

History[edit]

Prior to the initial Clan Invasion the green rated 11th Division was known by the nickname of Pirates Bane and assigned to the 3rd Army. Then a IV-epsilon based formation, the 11th's headquarters world was Xenia in the Davion side of the Federated Commonwealth.[1] Along with the rest of the Third Army, the 11th faced Clan Jade Falcon during the Battle of Tukayyid, suffering heavy damage but remaining combat viable.[2][3]

Like many Com Guard Divisions, the 11th chose a new nickname after that climactic battle, calling itself The Wing Clippers, remaining with the Third Army and making Caph its headquarters.[4] Heavily rebuilding with BattleMechs in the aftermath of Tukayyid, the now elite rated 11th was transformed into a IV-beta formation, featuring the highest volume of 'Mechs of a single Division in the Com Guards until the formation of the 472nd Division in 3058. This focus was intended to ensure the 11th provided a solid defense against the Word of Blake's in-roads in the then-newly formed Chaos March.[5]

The 'Mech heavy weight and elite standing of the 11th earned them a position among the Com Guard divisions assigned to Operation Bulldog. Launching from the Draconis Combine world of Dumaring on May 13th 3059, the 11th Division joined the assault on the Clan Smoke Jaguar–held world of Kiamba alongside the Combine's elite 1st Genyosha, the Davion AFFC's 1st Kestrel Grenadiers and the Free Rasalhague Republic's 3rd Drakøns. Caught off-guard due to the efforts of Operation Bird Dog, the commander of the 362nd Assault Cluster reacted too late to deploy his aerospace fighters and the SLDF taskforce landed without incident. Facing overwhelming odds, the 362nd was easily destroyed, with the 11th and the other coalition forces suffering only minimal losses.

The 11th would remain to serve as garrison force for the recaptured world.[6][5]

Spending three months of refit on Tukayyid before returning to station on Caph, immediately upon their return the 11th became involved in a series of clashes with Word of Blake troops. While the tempo of these assaults decreased after Cameron St. Jamais became Precentor Martial of the Word of Blake,[5] after a number of worlds close to Terra elected to join the newly formed Word of Blake Protectorate, the 11th Division was transferred from Caph to Fletcher to try and prevent further Blakist advances in the region. (The government of Caph asked the Eleventh to leave to minimize further conflicts. The Eleventh left in order to spare the population further conflict.)[7] While the 11th's CO repeatedly requested permission to probe and raid Blakist-held worlds, the admission of the Word of Blake as probationary members of the Second Star League forced the Third Army's commander Alexander Durbin to refuse.[8]

Jihad[edit]

As the Second Star League disbanded and what would be later called the Jihad began, the Word of Blake Militia instead struck the 11th Division first, launching an assault to bring Fletcher into their rapidly expanding Protectorate in January 3068.[9]

The Blakist three attacking full Divisions destroyed three Com Guard DropShips on the ground before landing, but they ignored a ComStar supply DropShip parked nearby, the Stonehenge.

When the ground forces attacked by surprise the 11th Division, a Com Guard Level II group, led by Adept George, was attacked by an equivalent Blakist unit. They inflicted losses to the Com Guard unit, killing his leader, but the rest managed to completely destroy the attackers.[10]

The next in command of the Com Guard remnant unit, Adept Nicole Shelby, take the command of his men, leading to the spaceport. Their plan was to board Stonehenge and evacuate. On the way, they were located and attacked by another Blakist level II unit of BattleMechs, but again, the Com Guards managed to destroy them without losses. Unfortunately, the Blakist commander of invasion force, Precentor Kevin Dollar guessed their plan and ordered Stonehenge's destruction. However, Nicole refused to surrender, deciding their men will form a guerrilla force, planning to resist the Blakist occupation, expecting to found a chance to escape from Fletcher. It is unknown if their efforts were successful or not.[10]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 11th Division (ComStar)
Precentor Patrick Sammelli 3049[1]
Precentor Sharron Tang after Tukayyid - 3067[4][5][8]

Tactic[edit]

The 11th Division are highly skilled in cavalry tactics.[11]

Composition History[edit]

3050[edit]

11th Division (Division/Green)[12]

Note: At this point in time, the 11th Division was stationed on Xenia.[12]

3055[edit]

11th Division (Division/Elite)[13]

Note: At this point in time the 91st Division was stationed on Caph.[13]

3062[5][edit]

Notes[edit]

  • The 11th's insignia was an ornate curved blade upon a white shield.[5]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 20 Year Update, p. 70: "3rd V-iota"
  2. Tukayyid, p. 58: "Campaign: Clan Jade Falcon"
  3. Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 32: "Battle of Tukayyid"
  4. 4.0 4.1 ComStar, p. 84: "3rd Army V-lambda"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Field Manual: ComStar, pp. 25: "3rd Army V-lambda: The Emerald Falconeers"
  6. The Dragon Roars, pp. 11, 15
  7. Imminent Crisis, p. 208
  8. 8.0 8.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 85: "3rd Army V-Lambda (The Emerald Falconeers)"
  9. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 87: "Com Guards Shattered"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Front Lines, p. 90: "The Discovery of Command"
  11. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 137
  12. 12.0 12.1 20 Year Update, p. 70
  13. 13.0 13.1 ComStar, p. 84

Bibliography[edit]