55th Brigade (SLDF)

(Redirected from Fifty-fifth Brigade)
55th Brigade
Formed 2571-2577
Affiliation Star League
Parent Command 19th Division


History[edit]

The Fifty-Fifth Brigade was a part of the Star League Defense Force Regular Army. It was originally formed during the creation of the SLDF in 2571, and was a part of the 19th Division during the Reunification War, where it served in the Magistracy of Canopus campaign from 2577 to 2588.[1][2]

As a part of the Magistracy of Canopus task force, the 55th was stationed on Meadowvale when military action against the Magistracy began. The Commanding Officer of VII Corps, Captain-General Marion Marik, would often assign a division or more of troops to the conquest of various worlds by drawing together brigades from across VII Corps. The 55th often operated in conjunction with other brigades from VII Corps as well as fighting alongside units from the Free Worlds League Military assigned to the task force as auxiliary forces.[1][2]

The 55th was the first brigade to be deployed on a combat action against a Magistracy world when the war began, securing the border world of Gouderak in June 2577 despite limited resistance from the single company of 'Mechs from the 1st Canopian Light Horse assigned as a garrison. Even before other units from the SLDF Task Force Canopus arrived on Gouderak, the 55th was highlighting a problem that would plague the Star League campaign; Gouderak lacked the resources to support an SLDF garrison of any size, making it impossible for the occupying force to simply live off the land as had originally been planned.[1][3]

In 2579 the 55th deployed alongside the 56th Brigade and supporting regiments from the Marik Militia to occupy the world of Obrenovac as part of an encirclement of the Magistracy capital world,[1] followed by the occupation of Afarsin in 2583, campaigns that would see relatively little resistance from the Magistracy Armed Forces. The 55th wasn't involved in the battle for Canopus IV in 2584; instead, the brigade was tasked with conquering Bass, with the assistance of the 2nd Orloff Grenadiers.[2]

The only major battle for the 55th was also their last battle of the war against the Magistracy, and was fought in 2586 on the world of Palladix.[2] The conquest of the Magistracy was inevitable at this point, but the surviving MAF units continued to resist, and on Palladix the 55th went up against two regiments from the Chasseurs á Cheval, the 1st and 3rd Canopian Light Horse regiments. Both units fought tenaciously; the 3rd Light Horse was destroyed and the 1st Light Horse was defeated and forced to surrender, reducing the effective strength of the MAF by a third.[4]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 55th Brigade (SLDF)
General Camilla Sjölander Reunification War[3]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

Unknown.

Composition[edit]

Despite the doctrine and organization originally defined during the creation of the SLDF, the 55th would most likely have been a mélange of combined arms units.[5] The breakdown for the SLDF element of the Canopian task force indicates that just under a half of the SLDF regiments were BattleMech regiments, one-third were infantry regiments and the remaining forces were a mix of armor and aerospace regiments.[6]

Rules[edit]

Reunification War[edit]

  • VII Corps units may utilize Overrun Combat.[7]
  • VII Corps units gain a +1 bonus to repair rolls.[7]
  • The VII Corps commander may select half of the maps used in any battle, irrespective of scenario rules.[7]
  • VII Corps units adhere to the Ares Conventions.[7]
  • VII Corps units suffer a -2 penalty to Initiative if forced to fight on city maps.[7]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Historical: Reunification War, p. 148, "Magistracy of Canopus Front (Jump-Off-2582)"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Historical: Reunification War, p. 149, "Magistracy of Canopus Front (2583-2588)"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 97, "Gouderak (June 2577)"
  4. Historical: Reunification War, p. 105, "Mopping Up (2584-2588)"
  5. Historical: Reunification War, p. 27, "Divisions and Brigades"
  6. Historical: Reunification War, p. 95, "SLDF Task Force Canopus"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Historical: Reunification War, p. 181, "The Star League"

Bibliography[edit]