60th Brigade (SLDF)

(Redirected from Sixtieth Brigade)
60th Brigade
Formed 2571-2575
Affiliation Star League
Parent Command 20th Division


History[edit]

The Sixtieth Brigade was a part of the Star League Defense Force Regular Army. It was originally formed during the creation of the SLDF between 2571 and 2575, and was a part of the 20th 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 60th was stationed on Tellman's Mistake alongside the other elements of the 20th Division 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 60th 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]

Butzfleth[edit]

The 60th Brigade's assault on Butzfleth in October 2577 was one of the final battles of the year, and the penultimate battle of the first wave of attacks planned by VII Corps. The 60th Brigade deployed alongside the 402nd and 403rd Independent Regiments; facing the 60th was a skeleton force drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Canopian Fusiliers. Despite being heavily outnumbered the Fusiliers contested the invasion, but were easily overwhelmed by the 60th in a campaign that lasted just two days, ending on Halsowen.[3][4]

Bethonolog & Fanardir[edit]

The 60th Brigade was deployed to Bethonolog after the conquest of the world in 2579 by the 59th Brigade.[5] The 60th Brigade remained on Bethonolog until deployed to conquer the world of Fanardir in March 2581. The MAF had managed to surprise and outfox the SLDF task force several times in the opening years of the war, and as a result the SLDF timetable slowed as Captain-General Marik built up her forces for the next major invasions. In addition to refitting and rearming VII Corps and the FWLM regiments acting in support, Marik targeted two worlds each year for invasion, consolidating gains as part of a slow encirclement of the Magistracy capital world of Canopus IV. Fanardir was one of these worlds. Augmented by the 403rd Independent Regiment, the 3rd Orloff Grenadiers and the 1st Defenders of Andurien, the strike force led by the 60th faced the 2nd and 3rd Canopian Fusiliers but didn't manage to bring their superior numbers to bear. In a campaign typical of those fought in 2580-2581, the two Canopian regiments did their best to sting the strike force before retreating ahead of any effective retaliation, saving their strength for later battles. [1][4][6]

Adherlwin, Early Dawn & Brixtana[edit]

The lightly-industrialized world of Adherlwin was captured in a brief campaign in late April 2583 by the 60th Brigade and the 403rd Independent Regiment as part of a strategic encirclement of the capital world of the Magistracy, Canopus IV. The MAF had no major units on the world to contest the invasion, leaving only the home guard regiments to briefly resist.[7] The campaign for Early Dawn in late 2583 posed more of a challenge; whereas Adherlwin had only the home guard as defense, the garrison forces on Early Dawn had been bolstered by the presence of the experienced mercenary unit Samuelson's Slaughterers, who fought to contest the occupation of the planet by the 60th. The Slaughterers couldn't resist the attention of a complete brigade for long though, particularly as VII Corps had been reenergized by the destruction of the bulk of the Magistracy Navy at Thurrock earlier in the year. The Slaughterers managed to escape off world though, and the 60th Brigade would face them again in early 2584.[2][8][2][9]

As VII Corps prepared for the invasion of Canopus various brigades were tasked with securing additional worlds; in the case of the 60th Brigade, this meant being deployed to conquer the world of Brixtana in early 2584; this meant fighting Samuelson's Slaughterers for the second time in less than six months. In a repeat of the battle for Early Dawn the Slaughterers resisted the invasion, but couldn't stand up against the superior numbers fielded by the 60th and had to retreat for a second time.[2][8][9]

Canopus IV[edit]

The battle for Canopus IV was the last major campaign for the 60th Brigade during the war with the Magistracy. In battle from the first day of combat, the 60th battered the Canopian Cuirassiers, forcing the commander of the MAF forces on Canopus to fold the remains of the 1st Canopian Grenadiers into the Cuirassiers to bring them back up to strength. The 60th continued to fight alongside the 58th Brigade and the 62nd Royal Brigade - as well as a host of independent regiments and FWLM regiments - as the defenders were driven back to the capital city of Delphi. After the defeat and surrender of the Magestrix and the defending Canopian forces on Canopus, the 60th wouldn't fight another significant battle before the end of the war.[2][10]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 60th Brigade (SLDF)

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

Despite the doctrine and organization originally defined during the creation of the SLDF, most SLDF brigades were a mélange of combined arms units.[11] 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.[12]

Notes[edit]

The deployment tables in Historical: Reunification War contradict the text given for the conquest of Adherlwin. The text indicates that the 60th conquered Adherlwin in April 2583,[7] but the deployment table indicates that the 60th invaded Adherlwin in 2582.[1][2] A question has been raised on the Catalyst Game Labs "Ask The Writers" forum seeking clarification of this discrepancy.

Rules[edit]

Reunification War[edit]

  • VII Corps units may utilize Overrun Combat.[13]
  • VII Corps units gain a +1 bonus to repair rolls.[13]
  • The VII Corps commander may select half of the maps used in any battle, irrespective of scenario rules.[13]
  • VII Corps units adhere to the Ares Conventions.[13]
  • VII Corps units suffer a -2 penalty to Initiative if forced to fight on city maps.[13]

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 2.4 2.5 2.6 Historical: Reunification War, p. 149, "Magistracy of Canopus Front (2583-2588)"
  3. Historical: Reunification War, p. 98, "Butzfleth and Vakarel (October-November 2577)"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 150, "Magistracy of Canopus Front (Jump-Off-2582)"
  5. Historical: Reunification War, p. 101, "Eleusis, Obrenovac and Bethonolog (March 2579-January 2580)"
  6. Historical: Reunification War, p. 101, "Gallis, Aspropirgos, Fanardir and Borgan's Rift (January 2580-October 2581)"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 102, "Afarsin, Adhelwin, Megarez and Nobel (March-April 2583)"
  8. 8.0 8.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 151, "Magistracy of Canopus Front (2583-2588)"
  9. 9.0 9.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 103, "Endgame (2583-2584)"
  10. Historical: Reunification War, p. 104, "Canopus (March-April 2584)"
  11. Historical: Reunification War, p. 27, "Divisions and Brigades"
  12. Historical: Reunification War, p. 95, "SLDF Task Force Canopus"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Historical: Reunification War, p. 181, "The Star League"

Bibliography[edit]