24th Arcturan Guards

24th arcturan guards.gif
24th Arcturan Guards
Nickname The Red Indians
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command Arcturan Guards


The Twenty-fourth Arcturan Guards was a Lyran Commonwealth Regular skilled BattleMech Regiment assigned to periphery section of the Commonwealth, prior to the unit's destruction.

History[edit]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

The Twenty-fourth Arcturan Guards were deployed alongside a sister regiment, the Twenty-fifth and the Blackhearts mercenary unit for the invasion of Basiliano in the first wave of attacks that marked the beginning of the Fourth Succession War. Basiliano was a small, water poor world made significant purely because of its location on the border between the Draconis Combine and the Lyran Commonwealth. Garrisoning Basiliano at the time were the Night Stalkers, a DCMS regiment that had acquired a degree of notoriety for their raids into the Commonwealth, and the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces were keen to inflict some payback on the Night Stalkers.

Commanding the Night Stalkers was Colonel Lloyd McGavin; despite their superior numbers the Lyran forces were outclassed by the Night Stalkers, although the Lightning Companies of the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth allowed the Lyran forces to keep the pressure on the Night Stalkers despite McGavin's efforts to outmaneuver the attackers. After three weeks the Night Stalkers finally ran out of room to maneuver near the city of Padua, after the Lightning Company from the Twenty-fourth managed to distract the Night Stalkers long enough for the Lightning Company from the Twenty-fifth to circle behind them. McGavin made the mistake of getting tied down with the two companies, allowing the heavier elements of the Twenty-fourth and the Blackhearts to encircle his command. With no hope of continuing to hold Basiliano, the Night Stalkers managed to escape, but only through sacrificing a company of heavier 'Mechs during their escape.[1]

The Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Arcturan Guards went on to attack Hohenems in the exploitation phase that followed the first wave of attacks during Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG[2] following the order to begin the exploitation phase on the 21st of October 3028.[3] The two RCTs were then deployed again in the final wave of Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, capturing Unzmarkt.[2]

War of 3039[edit]

The unit was not utilized for the War of 3039 in direct combat. It was dispatched to Port Moseby where it took up garrison duties for duration of the war prior to it being redeployed back to its original garrison world of Dell.[4]

The 3040s[edit]

During the formation of the Federated Commonwealth, the 24th Arcturans were reconfigured into a Regimental Combat Team.[5]

Clan Invasion[edit]

In September 3050 during the Clan Invasion, Clan Wolf invaded Dell Star System. Alpha Galaxy's bid its Golden Keshik & 4th Wolf Guards to take the planet from the 24th Arcturans. Marshal Shremp prepared the 24th Arcturans in fortifications within the planet's massive megaplex known as Cosmopolis, expecting Wolves attack the massive urban area.

However, leading the attack, Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky had other plans. The Wolf forces stayed just out of the Arcturans' defensive positions, only attempting skirmishes with them. This drew the conflict out and created psychological pressure on the Arcturans. Fed up with situation, Marshal Shremp dispatched the majority of her force to attack the 4th Wolf Guards. The Arcturans entered the Mercer Valley, into a hidden vibrabomb minefield and precisely laid out killing zones leading to the unit's destruction with few survivors.[6][7]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 24th Arcturan Guards
Marshal Grace Shremp 3050 to 3054[8]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2821[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[9]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight command was reduced to 55 percent of its strength and was deployed on Lambrecht.[9]

2830[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[10]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Lambrecht with an operational readiness of 90 percent.[10]

2864[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[10]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Atria with an operational readiness of 35 percent.[10]

3025[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[11]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Dell.

3040[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[12]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Dell.[12]

3050[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[13]

  • CO: Marshal Grace Shremp[13]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Dell.[13]

3054[edit]

24th Arcturan Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[14]

  • CO: Marshal Grace Shremp[14]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Barcelona.[14]

References[edit]

  1. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 47: "Basiliano"
  2. 2.0 2.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, pp. 44–45: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  3. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 59: "Follow-up Invasions"
  4. Historical: War of 3039, p. 137: "Deployment table" - Unit show moved to planet to garrison. No other information available
  5. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 62: "Dell" - unit description names it being an RCT instead of its original regiment status
  6. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 62: "Dell" - 24th Arcturans face Clan Wolf's best and die
  7. Technical Readout: 3050, p. 4: The 24th are listed as a destroyed unit
  8. 20 Year Update, p. 25: "Deployment Tables listing show commanding office"
  9. 9.0 9.1 First Succession War, p. 139
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Second Succession War, p. 99
  11. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 118
  12. 12.0 12.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 20 Year Update, p. 25
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Objective Raids, p. 22

Bibliography[edit]