332nd Assault (Rasalhague Dominion)

332nd Assault Cluster
Nickname The Iowa Blacklancers[1]
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion
Parent Command Beta Galaxy


History[edit]

Operation Revival[edit]

The 332nd fought on the following worlds during the invasion of the Inner Sphere:

Wave Four[edit]

Wave Five[edit]

Tukayyid[edit]

The 332nd fought and decimated the 121st Division of the Com Guards on the march to Luk, but was forced to turn back.

Helped to hold Spanac against raids by the Ninety-first and Twelfth Divisions.

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War[edit]

As a part of Beta Galaxy the 332nd was actively involved in the First Draconis Combine / Ghost Bear War, which began in 3062 with a suicidal attack by three regiments of the Alshain Avengers against Alshain. While the Twelfth Bear Chevaliers attacked Clan Nova Cat forces on Mualang, preventing those forces from coming to the assistance of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery, the Fourteenth Battle Cluster and the other elements of Beta Galaxy attacked both Dumaring and Najha.[2]

The Jihad[edit]

Pesht[edit]

Beta Galaxy took part in the Ghost Bear campaign against the Word of Blake during the Jihad; Beta's first target was Pesht,[3] which the Ghost Bears hit on the 15th of December 3074, the same day their forces also struck at Luthien. The Ghost Bear forces attacked the Blakist forces remorselessly, making no attempt to offer zellbrigen to their opponents on either world; the Ghost Bears also destroyed any DCMS units that attempted to intervene, and by the 20th of December had crushed their enemies on both worlds.[4][5]

Kaus Media and Ascella[edit]

Beta Galaxy then abandoned Pesht at the end of January 3075, as abruptly as they had arrived;[5][6] the Ghost Bears organized their forces to drive towards Terra in several waves, each named after the lead Galaxy in that wave. Beta Galaxy formed the heart of Beta wave, striking first at secondary worlds like Kaus Media and Ascella[3] on the 6th of October 3075.[7][8]

Rho[9] and Theta Galaxies[10] were assigned to support Beta Galaxy in Beta Wave, with Rho seizing Kaus Australis and joining the assault on Ascella;[9] the resulting battle the Fourteenth Battle Cluster take enough damage that it had to retreat, but Beta Galaxy pressed on.[3] Rho Galaxy was pushed into reserve on Ascella after the 297th Battle Cluster was nearly destroyed, leaving Beta Galaxy and one of the units personally affiliated to Devlin Stone, Stone's Lament, to clear the planet.[9] The losses on Ascella were such that Theta Galaxy was moved up from a garrison role to an active combat role within Beta Wave, only to see the Galaxy perform poorly when tasked with capturing Moore[10] in July 3076[11][12] and Pike IV[10] in September 3076.[11][12]

Dieron[edit]

Beta Galaxy won the right to join the attack on the Blakist forces at Dieron[3] in 3077[13] alongside Alpha,[14] Rho[9] and Omega Galaxies.[15] Dieron was a bloodbath for all the Ghost Bear Galaxies involved; Beta smashed through the Blakist blockade in the system and took over the city of Olivet,[13] but lost the 304th Assault Cluster in the battle fought in the Chiloe Pass and had to disband the Twelfth Bear Chevaliers after they were gutted by Blakist forces in the tunnels within Fortress Dieron.[3]

The Dark Age[edit]

Early Republic Era[edit]

The bloody swath that Beta cut through the Blakists during the Jihad earned them not just a passage in the Remembrance but also a grim reputation in the eyes of the Dominion's neighbors; the Dominion was more than happy to use that reputation to its advantage, and in the early years after the Jihad Beta acted as a threat to Clan Wolf. While Beta Galaxy was half the size of the Wolves Alpha Galaxy, Beta was positioned within two jumps of the Wolf capital on Tamar and served as a clear reminder that Dominion was always ready to tear straight into the heart of the Wolf Occupation Zone. Despite the relatively small size of Beta Galaxy it was able to draw on the production of factories on both Alshain and Satalice, and any lack of mass on Beta's part was compensated for using cutting edge and sheer mass, with the weight of the Clusters within Beta increasing as the Galaxy rebuilt.[16]

The Second Combine-Dominion War[edit]

During the first year of the Second Combine-Dominion War, the 332nd and rest of its parent galaxy would be deployed into the war. Their first action would be the assault against the Cats' facilities on Itabaiana in April of 3099. Targeting the Nova Cats' shared logistic hub LAW-8i, the Third Pesht Regulars had been assigned to garrison the facilities. 332nd and rest of the would unknowing attack Draconis Combine forces who Beta Galaxy's commander Viga Hall had assumed were Nova Cat forces due to Pesht's usage of Nova Cat 'Mechs. In the course of the battle, facilities auto turrets has posed difficult obstacle to Beta's advances into the facilities. Galaxy Commander Hall had opted to bombard the LAW-8i facilities with the unit's artillery components, destroying the Third Pesht Regulars and large numbers of Nova Cat civilian caste members.[17]

For its second more prominent efforts in the war, the 332nd and rest of the Beta Galaxy would join a two galaxy task force to assault the Nova Cats' homeworld of Irece. Dropping on the planet on July 7th, in 3100 with Beta Galaxy's orders to smash New Barcella's factories in outskirts of the planetary of capital. Led by Beta's Galaxy Commander Vigo Hall, the 332nd Assault would team up with the Fourteenth Battle Cluster in hitting the outnumbered Nova Cat Fusiliers' positions in the factory. Overwhelming their positions, the 332nd and the Fourteenth would get ambushed by unidentified Draconis Combine troops hidden in the factory. Though easily dispatched by two clusters, the unknown Combine of troops would contribute taking down number of Ghost Bear 'Mechs. Despite fighting through the night, the Fusiliers held their positions despite 332nd's and Fourteenth numeric advantage. This would end when the Omega Galaxy's commander launch a bombardment of Type 50 Cruise missiles from their Polaris-Class DropShips'. The artillery missile would first devastate the city's defenders and then be used help wither away the Nova Cats holding out in the factory complexes. Allowing the 332nd Assault and other Beta Galaxy clusters on the scene finish off the survivors of Fusiliers and Nova Cat Legionaries. Once it was confirmed the factory was destroyed and the Nova Cat Khan Ajax Drummond was "killed", the 332nd and rest of the Ghost Bear Galaxies would depart Irece on the 9th.[18]

Late Republic Era[edit]

By the mid-thirty-second century Beta Galaxy had been deployed to shield the Skandia province of the Rasalhague Dominion from its location near the border of the Draconis Combine's Buckminster Prefecture. After the HPG blackout began Beta was the first front-line formation in the Dominion to begin receiving new equipment, including large quantities of battle armor produced on Mannedorf.[19]

In 3137 as Clan Wolf was abandoning their Occupation Zone Beta Galaxy was swiftly redeployed to capture a number of worlds that had been members of the former Free Rasalhague Republic; in a swift campaign the Fourteenth and Eighteenth Battle Clusters managed to seize Carse, Galuzzo, Jabuka and Quarell.[19]

In 3145 the 332nd raided Najha and faced the Forty-fourth Benjamin Regulars. The raid was a test of the Regular's skills, as well as determining the Forty-fourth's abilities the 332nd was able to secure several heavy excavators for use by the Dominion.[20]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 332nd Assault (Clan Ghost Bear)
Star Colonel Seija Harlow 3052[21]
Commanding Officers of the 332nd Assault (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Star Colonel Gosvoda Nuyriev 3061 - 3067[22][23]
Star Colonel Ariel Bekker 3085[24]
Commanding Officers of the 332nd Assault (Rasalhague Dominion)
Star Colonel Stewart Gurdel 3145[25]

Tactics[edit]

The 332nd mimics their totem animal in battle, preferring to approach the enemy cautiously and avoid plunging into uncertain situations. Their favorite tactic has been to flank the enemy with mechanized Elemental support, however by 3062 the unit had an overabundance of OmniFighters and few Elemental units. Star Colonel Nuyriev, an aerospace pilot himself, instead makes expert use of air strikes in support of ground operations, though his overaggressive nature and crafty tactics has put him under the watchful eye of his Galaxy Commander.[22]

Unit Insignia[edit]

  • The insignia of the 332nd Assault Cluster shows a knight in black mounted on an armored bear, emblazoned on a gray tower.[26]

Composition[edit]

3052[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster

  • Trinary Command (Star Captain Gosvoda Nuyriev)
    • Alpha Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Bravo Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Charlie Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Tango Fighter Support Star (10 OmniFighters)
  • 469th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Pinter Hall)
    • Alpha Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Bravo Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Charlie Elemental Star (25 Elementals)
  • 2133rd Striker Trinary (Star Captain Jillian Snuka)
    • Alpha Striker Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Bravo Striker Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Charlie Striker Star (5 OmniMechs)
  • 23rd Elemental Support Binary (Star Captain Alan Kabrinski)
    • Alpha Elemental Star (25 Elementals)
    • Bravo Elemental Star (25 Elementals)
  • Delta Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Lucien Bourjon)
    • Alpha Fighter Star (10 OmniFighters)
    • Bravo Fighter Star (10 OmniFighters)
    • Charlie Fighter Star (10 OmniFighters)

3058[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster

3061[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster (Regular/Reliable)[27]

CO: Star Colonel Gosvoda Nuyriev [28]
  • 5 Trinaries (includes 4 Stars of OmniFighters)
Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Rubigen.[27]

3067[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster (Regular/Reliable)[23]

- At this point in time the 332th was stationed on Rubigen and was operating at three-quarters of full strength, and all bar five percent of the Cluster were using OmniMech or equivalent technology.[23]

3079[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster (Regular/Reliable)[29]

Note: At this point the 332nd was stationed on Satalice and were at forty percent of full strength, but ninety percent of the Cluster was using OmniMech or equivalent technology.[29]

3085[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster (Regular/Reliable)[24]

- At this point the 332nd was stationed on Vorarlberg and had rebuilt to fifty-five of full strength, and were almost fully-equipped OmniMech or equivalent technology.[24]

3145[edit]

332nd Assault Cluster (Elite/Fanatical)[25]

- At this point the 332nd was stationed on Rubigen and were at full strength, with three-quarters of the Cluster using OmniMech or equivalent technology.[29]

References[edit]

  1. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89
  2. Field Manual: Updates, pp. 60–61: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Beta Galaxy"
  4. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 55: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53: "The Jihad In Review"
  6. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 14: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  7. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  8. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54: "The Jihad In Review"
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Rho Galaxy"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Theta Galaxy"
  11. 11.0 11.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  12. 12.0 12.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad In Review"
  13. 13.0 13.1 Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 5: Beta Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)
  14. Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Alpha Galaxy"
  15. Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Omega Galaxy"
  16. Field Manual: 3085, p. 120: "Beta Galaxy"
  17. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, pp. 27–28: Last Stand on Itabaiana - 332nd Assault along with Beta Galaxy invades Itabaiana and takes the planet with destruction of the 3rd Pesht Regulars.
  18. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, pp. 36–37: The Fall/Wave - 4 Irece - Later of the battle, with Omega Galaxy launching artillery bombardment of both the Factory where the 332nd was fighting and city center to eliminate the Nova Cat Khan and his forces.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 162: "Beta Galaxy"
  20. Technical Readout: 3145 The Clans, p. 40
  21. Invading Clans, p. 34: "Wave Five"
  22. 22.0 22.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89: "332nd Assault Cluster Profile"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 77: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 127: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  25. 25.0 25.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 172: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  26. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89
  27. 27.0 27.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 163
  28. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 11: "Beta Galaxy"

Bibliography[edit]