3rd Defenders of Andurien
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| |
| Third Defenders of Andurien | |
| Nickname | Pavise of Andurien[1] |
| Affiliation | Free Worlds League |
| Parent Command | Defenders of Andurien |
Contents
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
The Defenders of Andurien brigade formed in 2514, just two short years ahead of the start of the Third Andurien War between the Capellan Confederation and the Free Worlds League.[1] It is likely that the Third Defenders of Andurien were formed at the same time.
Although it was a new formation, the Defenders performed well in battle, but soon found themselves in political hot water because of the Defenders loyalty to House Humphreys and the Duchy of Andurien, rather than to the Captain-General of the Free Worlds League. With the loss of Andurien to the Confederation as a result of the Treaty of Geneva in 2556 the Defenders adopted a position of civil disobedience towards the federal government that would persist for centuries.[1]
Star League Era[edit]
When the Marik Civil War erupted the Third Defenders chose to support Oliver Marik; their hope was that the usurper would allow the Defenders to go to war with the Confederation and recapture their homeworld, but those dreams vanished when Oliver was captured and executed. Following the attack on the Timothy Leary by the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces in 2745.[2] the Third Defenders found themselves in troubled political waters once more. Captain-General Ewan Marik mustered a large contingent of federal and provincial forces on Solaris in the wake of the attack, and as a part of his buildup Marik demanded that a regiment from the Defenders join the task force. President Radford Humphreys refused to acknowledge the order, and as Humphreys was the brigade commanding officer Marik was forced to attempt to contact each of the regimental commanders directly, breaking the chain of command. Just as with the other regiments, the commanding officer of the Third Defenders refused the order, citing the twin problems of tension on the border with the Confederation and bandit raids as factors that would destabilize the Duchy if any of the Defenders of Andurien deployed outside the region. The standoff continued until the SLDF navy forced the Captain-General to disperse his gathered forces.[1]
Whereas most of the provincial forces received some degree of federal funding from the Free Worlds League during the Star League era the Defenders' role as secessionists left them in last place when it came to obtaining matériel from Free Worlds League industries and with no access to federal funding. Forced to rely solely on funding from the Duchy of Andurien the Defenders generally fielded equipment that was less advanced than both federally-controlled forces and the provincial forces of the other League provinces, but the Third Defenders managed to maintain both high operational readiness and a remarkably high level of morale nevertheless. If anything, the lack of advanced equipment and federal funding served as a clarion call for the Third, highlighting for them yet another reason why the Duchy should seek further independence from the federal government.[1]
Andurien Secession[edit]
The Third took part in the battles for Palladaine, Betelgeuse, Prix, Xanthe III, and Sadurni.
Invasion of Andurien[edit]
- Main Article: Battle of Andurien (3039)
After retreating from Sadurni they reinforced Andurien. There they were destroyed in the battles for Callan and Qinda.
Officers[edit]
| Rank | Name | Time Period in Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the 3rd Defenders of Andurien | |||
| Lieutenant General | Menlo Drews | 3025[3] | |
Tactics[edit]
Composition History[edit]
2765[edit]
Third Defenders of Andurien (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[4]
2786 - 2821[edit]
3rd Defenders of Andurien (Regiment/Regular/Questionable) [5]
- Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Antipolo. In 2821 the command was reduced to 47 of its strength and was deployed at Mosiro. [5]
2830[edit]
3rd Defenders of Andurien (Regiment/Regular/Questionable) [6]
- Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Mosiro with an operational readiness of 89 percent. [6]
2864[edit]
3rd Defenders of Andurien (Regiment/Regular/Questionable) [6]
- Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Dalian with an operational readiness of 62 percent. [6]
3025[edit]
Third Defenders of Andurien (Veteran/Questionable)[3]
- CO: Lieutenant General Menlo Drews
3028[edit]
3rd Defenders of Andurien(Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Field Report 2765: FWLM, p. 17, "Defenders of Andurien"
- ↑ Field Report 2765: FWLM, p. 4, "Strategic Update"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 109, "Deployment Table"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Field Report 2765: FWLM, p. 17, "Regimental Status"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 First Succession War, p. 138
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Second Succession War, p. 98
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p.87