2nd Drakøns (Free Rasalhague Republic)

Second Drakøns crest
Second Drakøns Regiment
Formed 3034
Disbanded 3050 (destroyed)
Affiliation Free Rasalhague Republic
Parent Command Drakøns

The Second Drakøns were a BattleMech regiment formed to defend the Free Rasalhague Republic during the thirty-first century. The unit by the same name would later be formed by Clan Ghost Bear to honor this one.

History[edit]

Formation and the Ronin War[edit]

Established in 3034, the Drakøns regiments were populated by some of the most experienced troops available to the KungsArmé. Given their experience and their unit weight, the Drakøns were assigned to protect the Republic's province capital worlds.[1]

The unit's first combat action came during the last days of the Ronin War, in the Predlitz system. Once formed, the Second Drakøns were ordered to relieve the battered First Tyr, which had been fighting the Eighth Rasalhague Regulars and the Twelfth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre in the system since June 3034. When the Second Drakøns arrived in August, the ronin units had been driven off of Predlitz proper to the moon of Krakau. The Drakøns rerouted on their approach and assaulted the battered ronin units, suffering heavy casualties in the process.[2] The battle came to a head in the tunnels of a mining colony, when Sho-sho Sven Johannsen of the Eighth Rasalhague Regulars was stopped just short of blowing the mine's main fusion reactor by Löjtnant Kristof Martens of the Drakøns.

After destroying the ronin units on Krakau, the Second Drakøns spent the rest of the war on Predlitz engaged in mop up operations.[3]

The Clan Invasion and regiment's destruction[edit]

New Caledonia[edit]

In March 3050, the Second Drakøns had been assigned to garrison the world of New Caledonia, when Clan Wolf arrived in-system as part of their Operation Revival. Arriving in-system, the Rasalhague forces mustered to help defend New Caledonia. The regiment engaged elements of Alpha Galaxy's 328th Assault Cluster. The regiment would take heavy losses as it withdrew to the continental capital of Redfev with the aid of the Eighth Militia Infantry Regiment, and two armor tank regiments consisting of the First and Fourth Militia Tank Regiments. The orderly withdrawal to Redfev cost the unit two battalions' worth of troops. Losing badly, the regiment's commander ordered the unit to its DropShips and retreat to Rasalhague.[4]

Verthandi[edit]

Working with a battalion from the Second Kell Hounds, the Second Drakøns' Third Battalion met Wolf Clan forces from the 328th Assault Cluster on their own terms at Verthandi in an attempt to gain more intelligence about the Clans. They set up recording equipment on Prince William Island, then answered the Wolf unit's formal challenge, asking that the battle take place on that island. The Wolf units agreed, and the Kell Hounds and Drakøns fought well, but they were ultimately forced to retreat. During the battle, an Elemental Star broke through to the rear and ruined the recording equipment. After this battle, the Second Drakøns once again retreated to Rasalhague.[5]

Rasalhague[edit]

Falling back to Rasalhague, the regiment linked up with its sister unit, the First Drakøns, and First and Third Freemen regiments.

In July, Clan Wolf launched the third wave of its invasion plan, arriving with a fleet of JumpShips in the Rasalhague star system. General Christian Månsdottir was the commander of the defending troops, which included the Second Drakøns' surviving battalion of BattleMechs among the mustered defenders waiting action near planet's capital city of Reykjavik. The unit was also backed up by an additional regiment of light BattleMechs piloted by aging MechWarriors who had been called up from retirement along with three regiments of combat vehicles and mechanized infantry.

By the 8th, the Wolves forces had landed across the planet; however, they stayed away from the Second's position at the capital city. Over the coming weeks, the Freemen and other units would be attacked and defeated by the Wolves. The Fourth Wolf Guard, who had taken the northern city of Asgard, had been coming in contact with the Second. By the 12th of July, General Månsdottir would order the Drakøns to fall back to the city and prepare for what could be the final battle.

On July 15th, Second and the First would unite their strengths and fight the Wolves, who were now arriving to take the capital. From their conquest of the cities of Ymir and Tyr, the Wolves redeployed the 352nd Assault and 279th Battle Clusters. The Second Drakøns would engage in a two-day battle in the streets of Reykjavik, which led to the destruction of seventy percent of the city. Fighting with no mercy, the regiment brought on their own destruction with their fanatical attitude. By not fighting honorably, willingly risking civilian lives, the Wolves obliged the Drakøns and also fought with no mercy. The last of the Second Drakøns with its sister regiment would die in ruins of the Riksdag Complex, where the Republic's government once resided.[6]

Re-formation[edit]

The unit would be re-formed as a Cluster by the Rasalhague Dominion as the Second Drakøns Cluster during the later years of the thirty-first century.[7]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Second Drakøns
Överste Jackson Stonecipher 3050[1]

Other Unit Officers[edit]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3050[edit]

  • Second Drakøns (BattleMech Regiment) (Veteran/Fanatical)
  • At this time, the unit was stationed on New Caledonia.[1]

Notes[edit]

The early history of the Second Drakøns is limited to a brief appearance during the Ronin War in 3034 at the time of formation and brief references mentioned in Wolf Clan Sourcebook. As of this time, there no unit listing for it aside from sources listed in this article.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 20 Year Update, p. 51
  2. Historical: Bush Wars, p. 121: Deployment Tables for July–October 3034
  3. Historical: Bush Wars, p. 115: End of Honor (August-October 3034) Predlitz - Second Drakøns first significant record battle of the regiment's history
  4. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 58: New Caledonia March 3050 - Second Drakøns withdraw to Rasalhague after taking heavy losses
  5. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 59: Verthandi May 3050 - Attempted Intelligence Gathering at Prince William Island
  6. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, pp. 35–36: Rasalhague: the Attack - Second Drakøns withdraw to Rasalhague after taking heavy losses
  7. Field Manual: 3145, p. 163: "Rasalhague Dominion/Tundra Galaxy" - Second Drakøns noted for their combined arms mentality, retaining the Cluster's mentality of using melee weapons like hatchets
  8. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 115: "Predlitz"
  9. Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrade Print Edition, p. 14: "Scenario 1: Gathering Intel (planetary Invasion)"

Bibliography[edit]