Regional Defense Force 5

Regional Defense Force 5.png
Regional Defense Force 5
Disbanded 3140[1]
Affiliation Hanseatic League
Parent Command Hanseatic Security Force


History[edit]

Regional Defense Force 5 (RDF 5) was formed as a part of the creation of the Hanseatic Security Force following attempts by a number of colonies to throw off the influences of the Hanseatic League Council of Merchants in or around 2920.[2]

After attempting to enforce a period of isolation from external influences across the League, the Council of Merchants changed tack in 3011 and decided to declare three worlds to be open worlds, accessible to all.[2]

By the mid-3060s RDF 5 was responsible for the anti-spinward border of the Hanseatic League, possibly the quietest of the RDF postings; as a result of the lack of hostilities in the area the various worlds within the region saw little reason to fund RDF 5 with the full tithe due, leading to supply shortages across the brigade.[3]

The senior Captain-General of RDF 5, Jona Were, allowed stock levels within the RDF to plummet, rather than making up the shortfalls from his own pocket, as would normally be expected of a Captain-General. Rumors were also circulating within the brigade that Were wasn't even using all of the reduced tithe being provided by the various worlds in the region, and that he was instead simply lining his own pockets.[3]

Were's Aide, a former Clan Smoke Jaguar MechWarrior named Aimee found the actions of her superior to be abhorrent, but as of 3064 wasn't in a position to directly oppose Were because of her lack of political or economic contacts within the Hanseatic League. Complicating matters was the fact that Aimee owed her position within the RDF to others within the Were family, particularly Jessica Were, a member of the influential Council of Merchants.[3]

Between 3064 and 3067 Jonas Were was removed from command of RDF 5 as a result of a disagreement within the Council of Merchants. Officially, Captain-General Eloise Grady became the new senior Captain-General of RDF 5; however, Grady was in fact little more than a figurehead, and the actual management and control of RDF 5 was being conducted by Major Aimee.[4]

During the Jihad RDF 5 continued to fight against bandits and pirates, and the successes enjoyed by the RDF led to very high morale, despite the fact that most of the engagements involved pitting elements of the RDF against outnumbered opponents who were using inferior technology.[5] RDF 5 suffered a high profile loss during the early years of the Jihad, however - Major Aimee was struck from the rolls of RDF 5, not as a result of death or injury, but rather at the orders of Captain-General Albert Snow, the former senior Captain-General of RDF 1 and new head of the HSF. At some point between 3067 and 3076 Snow conducted a sweep through the HSF and removed every former Clan member from the HSF, with Major Aimee being the most visible of the personnel to be removed from service.[6]

In 3099, a group of old 'Mechs from the RDF 5 attacked the Scorpion colony of Graystone. Despite facing only a solahma Cluster with a Flashman and a Delphyne ProtoMech, they suffered heavy losses while slaying the last ProtoMech pilot in the Imperio.[7]

In 3139 RDF 5 found several Seekers from the Escorpión Imperio on Bergen. The Seekers were quickly killed, but their JumpShip was able to flee. The Imperio's Loremaster Kalara Yeh demanded a response to this act. This incident was the cause of the Hanseatic Crusade.[8]

As part of Wave Four of the Imperio's attack, RDF 5 was sent to Konigsberg to face off against Alpha Galaxy. Though they occupied the Clan forces for four weeks, the 14th Scorpion Hussars captured the RDF's DropShips. With no way off the world, the RDF attacked the Clans. RDF 5 lost eighty percent of its warriors in the conflict. Of the remaining twenty percent, half would never fight again because they were so badly injured. The remaining ten percent were taken by the Scorpions as isorla.[1]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Regional Defense Force 5
Captain-General Jonas Were 3064[3]
Captain-General Eloise Grady 3067[9]
Captain-General Obadiah Becker 3140[10]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

In common with all of the RDF brigades RDF 5 was a combined arms force, and standard deployments for sub-units drawn from RDF 3 typically consisted of a 'Mech company reinforced by one or two battalions of armor and infantry.[11]

3064[edit]

Regional Defense Force 5 (Green/Reliable)[3]

  • 1 BattleMech Regiment
  • 4 Conventional Regiments
  • CO: Captain-General Jona Were
  • Aide: Major Aimee

3067[edit]

Regional Defense Force 5 (Green/Reliable)[9]

  • 1 BattleMech Regiment
  • CO: Captain-General Eloise Grady

- At this point in time RDF 5 was at one hundred and ten percent of full strength; five percent of the RDF were using advanced equipment, and the RDF was based on the world of Tomalov. - Conventional forces are not listed within Field Manual: Updates, leaving the strength of the RDF 5 conventional forces unknown.

3079[edit]

Regional Defense Force 5 (Green/Reliable)[5]

  • 1 BattleMech Regiment

- At this point in time RDF 5 was at full strength and approximately five percent of the RDF was using upgraded equipment. - Conventional forces are not listed within Field Report: Periphery, leaving the strength of the RDF 5 conventional forces unknown.

3140[edit]

Regional Defense Force 5 (Regular/Reliable)[10]

  • 1 heavy BattleMech battalion
  • 1 medium BattleMech battalion
  • 1 heavy vehicle battalion
  • 1 foot infantry regiment
  • 1 battlesuit infantry battalion

Game Rules[edit]

3064[edit]

  • RDF 5 uses the Hanseatic League column of the Random 'Mech Assignment Table within Field Manual: Periphery.[12]
  • No BattleMech, AeroSpace Fighter or vehicle from RDF 5 may begin a scenario with more than half of its standard ammunition load.[12]
  • MechWarrior 3 RPG characters from RDF 5 gain Technician/Any +2 and Scrounge +1.[12]

3140[edit]

  • RDF 5 can use the Zone of Control special command ability.[10]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade, p. 12, "Wave 4"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 135, "Hanseatic League"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 138, "Regional Defense Force 5"
  4. Field Manual: Updates, p. 200, "Hanseatic League"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Field Report: Periphery, p. 18, "Deep Periphery Forces"
  6. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 231, "Albert Snow"
  7. Dying Breed in Shrapnel, issue #12, pp. 97–101
  8. Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade, p. 10
  9. 9.0 9.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 204, "Hanseatic League"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade, p. 23, "Regional Defense Force 5"
  11. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 136, "Structure"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 155-156, "Hanseatic League"

Bibliography[edit]