279th Battle (Clan Wolf)

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279th Battle Cluster
Nickname The Golden Horde
Affiliation Clan Wolf
Parent Command Alpha Galaxy

The 279th Battle Cluster was a military formation originally part of Clan Wolf. When the Clan was split apart following the Refusal War, the remnants of the original 279th were merged to form the 1st Wolf Legion. The 279th would be reactivated again in the thirty-second century.

History[edit]

Clan Invasion of Inner Sphere[edit]

The 279th Battle Cluster was deployed with rest of the Alpha Galaxy as part of Operation Revival, the invasion of the Inner Sphere.

New Bergen[edit]

In May of 3050, 279th's First, Second and Strike Trinaries were deployed for the Trial of Possession of the Rasalhagian world of New Bergen, under the leadership of the Cluster's commander Star Colonel Lara Ward. The Trial took place on Iron Island, outside the city of Stover's Field, but started off poorly for the Wolves. During the bidding process the planetary defense commander, Major General Geston, had lied about the size of his force, which consisted of the New Bergen Armored Brigade and New Bergen Mechanized Infantry Brigade, and so engaged the Wolves with superior numbers. Despite this disadvantage, Star Colonel Ward was able to achieve victory, falling back in the face of the New Bergens' advance and launching a series of withering counterattacks which defeated the enemy forces.[1]

Battle for Rasalhague[edit]

The 279th was part of the Clan's main attack force to take the capital world of the Free Rasalhague Republic, Rasalhague itself. The unit landed in the jungles outside of city of Tyr on 8 July 3050, where it faced off with the First Freemen Regiment. The First Freemen had hoped to use to the jungle to their advantage, but the 279th's OmniMechs and Elementals were able to move swiftly though the difficult terrain, forcing the regiment to fight with hit-and-run tactics in an attempt to overcome the 279th's forces. Ultimately the Rasalhagians were forced back to defensive positions at the city limits which the 297th finally overran on the 13th, the same day the Elected Prince evacuated from the planet. The 279th along with the Fourth Wolf Guard were then redeployed for the final assault of the capital city of Reykjavik. On the 15th the combined Wolf units launched their attack on the city but the defenders, the 1st Drakøn, fought with intense ferocity and dragged the fighting into the streets of the city. This apparent lack of concern for the city's citizens enraged the Wolves, who in kind showed no mercy to their opponents. After two days of fighting, city was in ruins and Clan Wolf was victorious.[2]

Tamar[edit]

The 279th was deployed with rest of Alpha Galaxy to the Federated Commonwealth world of Tamar in November of 3051, where the unit was led by Khan Natasha Kerensky against the hardened defenses of Tamar City. The Duke of Tamar, Selvin Kelswa, had been nearly driven mad in his attempt to protect his city from the Clans and built extensive concentric walled with adjacent turrets behind fields of vibrabombs. Following their landing the 279th maneuvered to help penetrate the walled city and was engaged by the Kelswa Guard and cadets of the Tamar War College. This latter force, mere children in most cases, fought in BattleMechs rigged with explosives, but even this unorthodox move proved fruitless. The city would finally fall on November 13th.[3]

Other Battles of the Invasion[edit]

The 297th was dispatched with Alpha Galaxy to Bessarabia, where they faced the FedCom 5th Davion Guards in December 3051. Directed by ilKhan Ulric Kerensky, the unit helped deplete the defending 5th Guards' numbers and forced them to withdraw from the planet. The unit was later positioned along with Alpha to take Gunzburg, but action was avoided due to bidding of Khan Natasha Kerensky.[4]

Battle of Tukayyid[edit]

During the Battle of Tukayyid in 3052, elements of the 279th attempted to overrun the Com Guard positions held by a 'Mech Level II from the Com Guard 103rd Division. One of the few surviving warriors of this Com Guard unit was Jeremiah Rose, who would go on to form the Black Thorns mercenary company.[5]

Refusal War and Reorganization[edit]

During the Refusal War, the 279th fought alongside the rest of Alpha Galaxy, forming Khan Phelan Kell's spearhead against Clan Jade Falcon. However, in course of the conflict the unit lost much of its integrity as a fighting force. After Clan Wolf-in-Exile settled on the Lyran world of Arc-Royal, the unit was merged with 328th Assault Cluster to form the new 1st Wolf Legion Cluster.[6]

Dark Age[edit]

By the time of the Dark Age, the 279th Battle Cluster had been re-formed within the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone, and in March 3137 it participated in the invasion of former ROTS world of Nusakan, located in Prefecture IX of the former Republic of the Sphere, along with the 4th Wolf Guards Cluster.[7] Now led by Star Colonel Alaric Wolf, the unit landed on Nusakan in March faced off against three different defending battalions: the elite La Blon Djinns, the mercenary unit Colton's Screaming Demons, and the remains of the Stormhammers. The grueling battle took place in a region of space that had been strip-mined during the Star League era, and while the 279th prevailed over the Nusakan defenders, it was heavily damaged. These losses would prove to be for naught after Star Colonel Wolf received orders to abandon the planet.[8]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 279th Battle (Clan Wolf)
Star Colonel Lara Ward 3052
Commanding Officers of the 279th Battle (Wolf Empire)
Star Colonel Alaric March 3137
Star Colonel Brittany Fetladral 3145[9]

Other Unit Officers[edit]

Tactics[edit]

Because its 'Mechs were lighter and faster than those in the rest of Alpha Galaxy, the 279th was usually given the task of chasing down fleeing enemies.[11]

Composition History[edit]

3052[edit]

[12]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 59: New Bergen - 279th Battle Cluster Trial in taking Rasalhagian world of New Bergan
  2. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 36: Rasalhague: The Attack - 279th Battle Cluster actions in Trial to Possession for Rasalhague
  3. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, pp. 43–44, 64: Tamar - 279th Battle fights with Alpha Galaxy for control for the Lyran regional capital of Tamar
  4. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 66: Actions in late 3051 on Bessarabia and Gunzburg
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Black Thorns, p. 23, "What Price Victory (Scenario)"
  6. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 158: Unit merged into 1st Wolf Legion
  7. Era Report: 3145, p. 70
  8. Masters of War - Cluster named as being part of the Trial for Possession of Nusakan
  9. Field Manual: 3145, p. 170
  10. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 81: "Supernova Command"
  11. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 82
  12. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, pp. 81–82: "279th Battle Cluster"

Bibliography[edit]