1st Liao Hussars

Capcon - lcc - Kamakura's Hussars.png
First Liao Hussars
Formed 2910
Previous Designation(s) Kamakura's Hussars;
Phyr's Hussars
Nickname Phyr's Hussars[1]
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Parent Command Liao Cháng-Chéng;
Sian Reserves (former)


Description[edit]

Formerly known as Kamakura's Hussars.

Several Brigades were restructured after the Capellan Crusades of 3111 revealed weaknesses in the CCAF.[2] A new naming convention was introduced that made the First Liao Hussars the official name of the regiment.[1] Their unofficial name is Phyr's Hussars.

Originally a part of the Sian Reserves,[3] Renshield's Dragoons were reassigned to the Liao Cháng-Chéng in 3061 when the new Liao Commonality was established.[4] They would later be reassigned again in 3085 to the reorganized Sarna Commonality following the loss of Liao to the ROTS.

Described as a suicidal rabble of talented egotists, the Hussars are known for their hatred of House Davion and the difficulty to control them in battle. This lack of discipline and a reputation to go berserk under fire has made few regular regiments want to serve with them. Despite this, the Hussars have consistently given excellent service and succeeded where others' careful planning had failed.[4][3]

The Hussars are a second-line regiment. They are a light regiment that favors speed.[3]

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

Kamakura's Hussars were raised in 2910 from the reserve units of Hexare and New Westin.[3]

Third Succession War[edit]

The Hussars first combat action was a successful raid on Axton in 2925. The unorthodox and uncoordinated tactics of the regiment allowed their Hornets to outmaneuver the AFFS Scorpions in the northern tropical rainforests.[3] A similar raid that same year on Hassad alongside Ishara's Grenadiers against FWLM Scorpions would have also been a success but the fear of losing too much equipment forced them to withdraw.[5]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

-3025 - Kamakura's Hussars garrisoned Sakhalin and Ward with one battalion each.[6]

- 19 September3026 - A lance of Hussars on pirate suppression duty vanish without a trace. They had been searching for pirates believed operating out of Weldry. Unknown at the time they encountered the Rampart Company who was determined not to let their existence leak back to the Great Houses.[7]

-3029 - During the Sixth Wave of Operation RAT, the Fifth Crucis Lancers RCT invaded Sakhalin. The 1st Battalion of the Hussars charged the drop zones of the surprised Lancers. The discovery that the 5th Crucis did not have any BattleMechs emboldened the Hussars who would fade away whenever heavy resistance was encountered. It was three weeks being bottled up in their landing zones before the RCT could inflict enough damage to force the Hussars battalion to retreat off-world.[8]

Andurien/Canopus Invasion[edit]

-3028 - Kamakura's Hussars garrisoned Sakhalin and Ward with one battalion each.[9]

On 11 September 3030, the Duchy of Andurien seceded from the Free Worlds League. Known as the Andurien Crisis, Andurien then allied itself with the Magistracy of Canopus and invaded the Capellan Confederation two days later.[10]

-3030 - 1st Battalion of the Hussars was in transit through Ares on their way to Turin.[9]

-3032 - Long's Light Lancers invaded Turin and skirmished with the Ishara's Grenadiers. The arrival of Kamakura's Hussars on-planet prompted the Lancers to retreat to Jacomarie.[11]

-3034 - MacGraw's Marauders, the Killer Bees, and the Magistracy Militia were relieved when they saw the Hussars and the 5th McCarron's Armored Cavalry arrive on Andarmax. The Canopians believed they had a chance to win. Two days of close-quarters battle convinced the MAF mercenaries otherwise. The MAF mercenary liaison officer refused to retreat and ordered the Mercenaries to block Rob's Renegades instead. The Marauders complied and were decimated. The Killer Bees broke contract and requested safe passage to withdraw which was granted by the Capellans. The badly damaged Marauders left two days later while the Magistracy Militia was virtually wiped out.[12]

-3034-3035 - November of 3034 saw the final battle of the war take place on New Roland. Warrior House Dai Da Chi and Kamakura's Hussars attacked Clayborne's Commandos and the battered remnants of Task Force Duo, composed of the Second Canopian light Horse, Second Canopian Cuirassiers and the Second Canopian Fusiliers. The brutal and devastating assault shattered the Cuirassiers and only the actions of the Fusiliers and some Cuirassiers led by Emma Centrella allowed the Canopians to escape. In three months, the planet would be pacified and thus ended the war.[12]

Operation Guerrero[edit]

In September 3057, the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation launched an invasion of the Sarna March called Operation GUERRERO, in retaliation for Victor Davion's Operation DOPPELGANGER. The fighting lasted for four months, during which time Kamakura's Hussars with the aid of various FWL mercenary battalions invaded Wazan. Despite having a three-to-one advantage, the Hussars were battered by the elite 6th Syrtis Fusiliers RCT. The Capellans finally managed to drive the Fusiliers away, but they lost a battalion doing so. These casualties only added to old hatred the regiment had for House Davion.[4]

Xin Sheng Campaign[edit]

Left out of the attack on St. Ives for fear of collateral damage, the Hussars were used against targets in the Chaos March.[4]

The Hussars' commanding officer, Sang-shao Takai Kamakura, was left incapacitated by a crippling heart attack during the Han New Year celebrations in 3067. This led to a brief period where the regiment was commanded by Kan Phyr as acting CO - with Phyr refusing to accept a substantive promotion above the rank of Zhong-shao. It was during this period that the Hussars were posted from Styk to Pleione for a counterinsurgency campaign against a dissident movement on that planet, a movement that had backing from a contingent that claimed to be linked to Free Capella.[13]

Phyr oversaw the move to Pleione and implemented martial law on the planet almost immediately after arriving; he then clamped down on the civilian population over the next two months until part of the rebel group cracked and gave up information on the military contingent supporting the dissidents. This was swiftly followed by the group being tracked down and defeated in a three-hour battle; while the campaign was a victory for the Hussars, it found no official connection between the dissidents and Free Capella or Treyhang Liao. The day after the climactic battle, Sang-shao Kamakura insisted on being moved out of his hospital room so that he could address the Hussars. It would be his final address to the unit, and he used it to give his blessing to Kan Phyr and issue his farewell to his command. Kamakura subsequently died on the trip back to the hospital, leaving the Hussars under Phyr's command.[13]

Jihad[edit]

The Hussars became known as Phyr's Hussars after Sang-shao Kan Phyr took command; the Hussars went on to hold St. Andre for the Confederation from 3069 until almost the end of the Jihad. The Hussars struggle to hold St. Andre became the subject of legends within the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces; the Hussars held St. Andre despite a supply line that had been reduced to a bare trickle, in the face of a campaign of almost constant raids and two invasions conducted either by Word of Blake forces or their hirelings. The Hussars didn't survive unscathed - the penultimate Blakist attack on St. Andre included a nuclear strike that destroyed almost a full Hussars 'Mech battalion along with their support staff - but they did survive, and by 3079 the regiment had rebuilt to the point that it was the largest single unit within the Liao Cháng-Chéng brigade.[14]

The Hussars became celebrities in the years immediately after the Jihad, with the media making films about their exploits on St. Andre and the manner in which the Hussars operated as dispersed, nomadic raiders who formed up to smash Blakist forces before fading away again, although detractors suggested that perhaps the Hussars were simply too stubborn, fanatical or pig-headed to know when to give up. The Hussars were still rebuilding when the Capellan Confederation launched Operation GOLDEN FORTRESS in 3081, but they and the other formations within the Cháng-Chéng didn't miss out on all the action, deploying partway through the campaign.[15]

The Hussars were deployed to Wei, arriving just in time to save the beleaguered Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers.[16] The Republic's II Hastati Sentinels were pressing the Rangers hard, while the Rangers attempted to retreat to their DropShips. The Hussars arrived via a combat drop that placed them immediately behind II Hastati, disrupting the Sentinels' attack; the Sentinels responded by trying to launch an Interdictor-class Pocket WarShip to pursue the Ranger DropShips, only to have the Interdictor boarded and captured. The officer responsible for capturing the Interdictor was Taiga Kamakura, an individual described as "pint-sized" but who had her company execute a combat drop directly on top of the Pocket WarShip in midair - a tactic openly described as insane and which cost Kamakura half her company, but which also earned her the Baton of Illustrious Service and a promotion to command the Hussars Third Battalion.[15]

The Republic Era[edit]

After the Treaty of Tikonov officially ended open conflict between the Capellan Confederation and the Republic of the Sphere the Hussars - like the rest of the Cháng-Chéng - immediately began a campaign of cross-border raids. Encouraged by the CCAF as a means of gauging the readiness of the Republic Armed Forces, these punitive raids increased the Hussars reputation for daring, bravado and short lives. The raids only ended when Kan Ai Phyr was killed on Styk by the V Hastati Sentinels while the Hussars were fleeing.[1]

Around 3090 the production model of the Confederation's new light ’Mech, the DOL-1A1 Dola became popular among the Hussars as it fit nicely into the aggressive tactics.[17]

On 13 October 3111, the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces began the first wave of Operation DIVINE RIGHT. Its objective was the reclamation of all planets lost to the Republic of the Sphere since the Jihad. This operation and the subsequent RAF counterattack would be dubbed the Capellan Crusades and would only end on 2 June 3113.[18]

-September, 3111 - Phyr's Hussars are on Wazan preparing to invade.[19]

-October, 3111 - The Hussars landed on Suzano and virtually destroyed the Sixth Triarii Protectors.[20][19][21]

-March, 3112 - The Sixth Hastati Sentinels was unable to mount a coordinated defense of Asuncion as the Hussars landed large numbers of empty DropShips in multiple locations. Unable to tell which was the viable threat, the Sentinels were spread thin and easily destroyed piecemeal.[22][19]

-November, 3112 - Phyr's Hussars returned to Suzano to recapture it from the IV Triarii Protectors. The Hussars were defeated and Sang-shao Kamakura was killed ambushing a larger RAF force.[1] The regiment fell back to Capellan space heavily damaged.[19]

The Dark Age[edit]

Kamakura's successor, Sang-shao Antoine Rigal, had his career cut short by a particle cannon. Sang-shao Ming-Jie Phyr assumed command of the Hussars.

Renamed as the First Liao Hussars, the Hussars began launching deep raids in the Capellan March in 3144 as part of Operation CELESTIAL REWARD. The Hussars struck as far into the Federated Suns as Talcott, evading the pursuing Kestrel Grenadiers as they looted supply depots and factories alike. The Hussars luck ran out on Amiga when they were cornered at last by the Grenadiers. The Hussars launched a ferocious attack to break through the Grenadiers lines, with the bulk of the command escaping to their DropShips while the Second Battalion remained behind, sacrificing themselves to give the rest of the Hussars the opportunity to escape.[1]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Kamakura's Hussars
Colonel Nathaniel Hopkins 3025[3]
Colonel Jeremiah Sagehorn 3050 - 3054[23][24]
Sang-shao Takei Kamakura 3063 - 3067[4]
Zhong-shao Kan Ai Phyr 3067[13]
Commanding Officers of the Phyr's Hussars
Sang-shao Kan Ai Phyr 3067 - 3085[25][26]
Commanding Officers of the 1st Liao Hussars
Sang-shao Ming-Jie Phyr 3144[27]

Notes[edit]

By 3144, combat attrition had made commanding officer Sang-shao Ming-Jie Phyr the fourth in a rapid succession of commanding officers of the 1st Liao Hussars.[27]

Tactics[edit]

  • 3063 - Kamakura's Hussars tend toward straightforward frontal assaults, relying on a charge to disrupt enemy tactics.[4]

Unit Emblem[edit]

  • 3025 - A stylized Terran eighteenth-century hussar against a blue field. The field's shape changes depending on the type of assets.[3]

Composition History[edit]

3025[edit]

Kamakura's Hussars (2 Battalions/Regular)[3]

  • CO: Colonel Nathaniel Hopkins
1st Battalion: Major Jurgen Edwards
2nd Battalion: Major Kamala Choudary
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Sakhalin and also on Ward.[28]

3028[edit]

Kamakura's Hussars (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)[29]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed were Sakhalin and Ward.[29]

3050[edit]

Kamakura's Hussars (2 Battalions)[23]

  • CO: Colonel Jeremiah Sagehorn
  • 1st Battalion (Regular/Reliable) - Stationed on Hurik.[23]
  • 2nd Battalion (Green/Reliable) - Stationed on Ward.[23]

3054[edit]

Kamakura's Hussars (2 Battalions)[24]

  • CO: Colonel Jeremiah Sagehorn
  • 1st Battalion (Regular/Reliable)
  • 2nd Battalion (Green/Reliable)

3063[edit]

Kamakura's Hussars (1 Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[4]

Mig's Mustangs (2 Flights/Veteran/Reliable)[4]
Kamakura's Armored Cavalry (1 understrength Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[4]
Kamakura's Infantry Corps (1 Battalion/Regular/Reliable)[4]
Note: includes artillery, VTOLs and two squads of battle armor

3067[edit]

Phyr's Hussars (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[25]

  • CO: Zhong-shao Kan Ai Phyr
Mig's Mustangs (2 Flights/Veteran/Reliable)[25]
  • CO: Kong-zhong-shao Kirsten Mgwayne
Phyr's Armored Cavalry (Regular/Reliable)[25]
  • CO: Zhong-shao Alek Skareb
Phyr's Infantry Corps (Battalion/Regular/Reliable)[25]
Note: The Hussars were based on Shipka at this point in time, and the various elements of the command were operating at between eighty and one hundred percent strength.[25]

3079[edit]

Phyr’s Hussars (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[14]

Note: At this point the Hussars were operating at sixty percent of full strength, although almost all of the unit was using upgraded technology. The Hussars were based on Pella II.[14]

3085[edit]

Phyr's Hussars (Regular/Reliable)[26]

  • CO: Sang-shao Kan Ai Phyr
Mig's Mustangs (2 Flights/Veteran/Reliable)[26]
Phyr's Armored Cavalry (Regular/Questionable)[26]
Phyr's Infantry Corps (Battalion/Green/Reliable)[26]
Note: At this point in time the Hussars were based on Old Kentucky and were operating at between seventy and ninety percent of full strength.[26]

3145[edit]

First Liao Hussars (Regular/Reliable)[27]

Meryl's Mustangs (Regular/Reliable)[27]
Phyr's Armored Cavalry (Regular/Fanatical)[27]
Phyr's Infantry Corps (Veteran/Regular)[27]
Note: At this point the Hussars were based on Betelgeuse and were at between sixty and seventy-five percent of full strength.[27]

Notes[edit]

  • While stationed on St. Andre during the Jihad, Sang-shao Phyr adopted the habit of wearing a dark green hussar pelisse. The rest of the Hussars went on to adopt the same affectation, and the Strategios tolerated this extravagance until at least 3085, because of the excellent service the Hussars had given - and because of their popularity.[15]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Manual: 3145, p. 41: "Liao Cháng-Chéng"
  2. Field Manual: 3145, p. 27: "General Review"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 93: "Kamakura's Hussars"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 79: "Kamakura's Hussars Unit Profile"
  5. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 49
  6. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 106
  7. House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition), pp. 52–53
  8. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 54
  9. 9.0 9.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 88
  10. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 51
  11. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 63
  12. 12.0 12.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 66
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 25: "Phyr's (Kamakura's) Hussars"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Field Report: CCAF, p. 13: "Liao Cháng-Chéng"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 30: "Liao Cháng-Chéng"
  16. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 4
  17. Technical Readout: Prototypes, p. 96: "DOL=1A1 Dola"
  18. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 81: "Operation DIVINE RIGHT and Operation MAGNUS"
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, pp. 86–87: "Capellan Crusades Deployment Tables"
  20. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 77: "Unleashing the Dogs of War"
  21. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 8
  22. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 79: "Divine Right Wave Two"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 20 Year Update, p. 63: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3050"
  24. 24.0 24.1 Objective Raids, p. 41: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3054"
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 33: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 Field Manual: 3085, p. 34: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 Field Manual: 3145, p. 45: "Sian Commonality"
  28. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 106
  29. 29.0 29.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 88

Bibliography[edit]