12th Bear Chevaliers (Clan Ghost Bear)

Insignia of Beta Galaxy (CGB)
Twelfth Bear Chevaliers
Disbanded 3077 (disbanded)
Nickname The Wendigos[1]
Affiliation Clan Ghost Bear
Parent Command Beta Galaxy


History[edit]

Operation Revival[edit]

The Twelfth Bear Chevaliers fought on the following worlds during the invasion of the Inner Sphere:

Wave One[edit]

Elemental Support Trinary, one of the Trinaries that made up the Twelfth Bear Chevaliers, captured the planet of Holmsbu. Holmsbu was defended by the Seventh and Eighth Corrugated Lancers, conventional armored regiments supported by infantry, who were unprepared for both the superior training of the Clan forces and their significantly superior technology and who were swiftly forced to surrender.[2]

Soverzene[edit]

The Twelfth fought and destroyed the 27th Dieron Regulars on October 3050 as part of wave four of Operation Revival.[3]

Wave Five[edit]

Kempten[edit]

In December 3051 the Twelfth Bear Chevaliers deployed the 712th Assault Trinary to capture Kempten, one of four attacks launched by the Ghost Bears prior to the end of 3051. The defenders on Kempten consisted of just the Kempten Border Legion, an aging formation in every sense of the word - ancient 'Mechs, ancient combat vehicles and aging warriors. The Border Legion was under no illusions about its chance of receiving reinforcements because of the ferocious pressure the Free Rasalhague Republic was under, but were determined to fight; despite the dire state of affairs the Border Legion was in, the 712th Assault Trinary approached the campaign with some trepidation because of the recent loss that Smoke Jaguar forces had recently taken on Wolcott.[4]

The Legion engaged in a batchall with the 712th, and agreed to fight in an amusement park named "Precious Plight"; the Legion agreed to a stand-up fight with the superior Ghost Bear forces, but primed the amusement park for the battle by hanging mirrors throughout the amusement park, with the mirrors at all angles, resulting in the 712th landing in the middle of a disorientating carnival of light and sound. The confusion allowed the Legion to strike from cover, with the Legion's Devastator battalion inflicting heavy damage while the confused Ghost Bear warriors struggled to spot the Legion forces. The 712th recovered quickly, though; beginning their fight back by destroying the Legion's tank forces, the 712th then pushed the Legion's 'Mech forces back to Sacrifice Mound before crushing them.[4]

Krenice[edit]

The Twelfth Bear Chevaliers fought the Fifth Amphigean Light Assault Group on Krenice in March 3052. The Fifth scored some successes against the Chevaliers initially, beginning with raining fire onto the Chevaliers from positions in the Bellow Canyon as the Chevaliers landed. The Twelfth then spent a frustrating interval attempting to flush the Fifth out of the rock formations while the Fifth attacked the Chevaliers' supply lines, interfered with communications and launched the occasional assault. This continued until the Chevaliers managed to flush the Fifth out using aerospace fighters, giving the Chevaliers the opportunity to stop chasing the light 'Mechs of the Fifth fruitlessly and instead begin actively herding the Combine forces towards the city of Hasnorvan.[4]

Hasnorvan was in the opposite direction to the Fifth's DropShips, but Tai-sa Helen Cassidy did her best to gain what successes she could from a bad situation; small units broke off from the Fifth launched hit-and-run raids against the Chevaliers, perhaps the most successful of which saw a company from the Fifth lead the Chevaliers on an extended wild goose chase through LightDraught Woods, getting the Chevaliers so completely lost in a couple of hours that the Chevaliers had to break off their pursuit and call for assistance from their aerospace forces to lead them out of the Woods.[4]

The Fifth finally fell in battle near Hasnorvan; Star Colonel Douglas Silva had deployed the Sixty-third Assault Trinary ahead of the rest of the Chevaliers, and the Sixty-third had dug in and waited for the Fifth to move into range. As the Sixty-third engaged the Fifth the rest of the Chevaliers attacked, catching the Fifth in an interlocking attack that swiftly destroyed the Fifth.[4]

Tukayyid[edit]

They fought and decimated the 121st Division of the Com Guards on the march to Luk, but were forced to turn back.

They helped to hold Spanac against raids by the Ninety-first and Twelfth Divisions.

3061[edit]

The unit was rebuilt with extra Elemental forces.

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War[edit]

The First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War erupted in 3062 following a suicidal attack by three regiments of the Alshain Avengers against Alshain. The Chevaliers were sent to the Clan Nova Cat–held world of Mualang, launching a premeditated strike that was part of a strategy to tie up Clan Nova Cat forces, preventing them from aiding their Combine counterparts while Beta Galaxy launched attacks against the worlds of Dumaring and Najha.[5]

The Jihad[edit]

Pesht[edit]

As a part of Beta Galaxy the Twelfth Bear Chevaliers took part in the Ghost Bear campaign against the Word of Blake during the Jihad; Beta's first target was Pesht,[6] which the Ghost Bears hit on the 15th of December 3074, the same day their forces also struck at Luthien. The Ghost Bear forces attacked the Blakist forces remorselessly, making no attempt to offer zellbrigen to their opponents on either world; the Ghost Bears also destroyed any DCMS units that attempted to intervene, and by the 20th of December had crushed their enemies on both worlds.[7][8]

Kaus Media and Ascella[edit]

Beta Galaxy then abandoned Pesht at the end of January 3075, as abruptly as they had arrived;[8][9] the Ghost Bears organized their forces to drive towards Terra in several waves, each named after the lead Galaxy in that wave. Beta Galaxy formed the heart of Beta wave, striking first at secondary worlds like Kaus Media and Ascella[6] on the 6th of October 3075.[10][11]

Rho[12] and Theta Galaxies[13] were assigned to support Beta Galaxy in Beta Wave, with Rho seizing Kaus Australis and joining the assault on Ascella;[12] the resulting battle the Fourteenth Battle Cluster take enough damage that it had to retreat, but Beta Galaxy pressed on.[6] Rho Galaxy was pushed into reserve on Ascella after the 297th Battle Cluster was nearly destroyed, leaving Beta Galaxy and one of the units personally affiliated to Devlin Stone, Stone's Lament, to clear the planet.[12] The losses on Ascella were such that Theta Galaxy was moved up from a garrison role to an active combat role within Beta Wave, only to see the Galaxy perform poorly when tasked with capturing Moore[13] in July 3076[14][15] and Pike IV[13] in September 3076.[14][15]

Dieron[edit]

Beta Galaxy won the right to join the attack on the Blakist forces at Dieron[6] in 3077[16] alongside Alpha,[17] Rho[12] and Omega Galaxies.[18] Dieron was a bloodbath for all the Ghost Bear Galaxies involved; Beta smashed through the Blakist blockade in the system and took over the city of Olivet,[16] but had to disband the Twelfth Bear Chevaliers after they were gutted by Blakist forces in the tunnels within Fortress Dieron. Beta Galaxy also lost the 304th Assault Cluster in the battle fought in the Chiloe Pass on Dieron.[6]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 12th Bear Chevaliers (Clan Ghost Bear)
Star Colonel Douglas Silva 3052[19]
Commanding Officers of the 12th Bear Chevaliers (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Star Colonel Douglas Silva 3061[20]
Star Colonel Klaus Vong 3067[21]

Tactics[edit]

The Chevaliers followed their totem which mean they waited, saw and then made the right decision. The unit also used their Elementals supported by 'Mechs in attacks over the flanks to surprise the enemy.[20] Uses Elementals to their full advantage.

Unit insignia[edit]

The insignia of the 12th Bear Chevaliers shows an elemental battle armor suit in white, with claws at the ends of its arms.[22]

Composition History[edit]

3052[edit]

Twelfth Bear Chevaliers

  • Trinary Command - Star Captain Massir Omid
    • Alpha Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Bravo Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Charlie Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
  • 712th Assault Trinary - Star Captain Dorell Mitshan
    • Alpha Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Bravo Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Charlie Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
  • 63rd Assault Trinary - Star Captain Layne Vong
    • Alpha Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Bravo Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
    • Charlie Assault Star (5 OmniMechs)
  • 43rd Elemental Support Trinary - Star Captain Jocelyn Kabrinski
    • Alpha Elemental Star (25 Elementals)
    • Bravo Elemental Star (25 Elementals)
  • 12th Fighter Binary - Star Captain Levand Jorgensson
    • Alpha Fighter Star (10 OmniFighters)
    • Bravo Fighter Star (10 OmniFighters)

3058[edit]

Twelfth Bear Chevaliers

3061[edit]

Twelfth Bear Chevaliers (Veteran/Fanatical)[23]

CO: Star Colonel Douglas Silva [24]
  • 2 OmniMech/Elemental Supernova Trinaries
  • 2 Elemental Trinaries
  • 1 OmniFighter Binary
Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Sternwerde.[23]

3067[edit]

Twelfth Bear Chevaliers (Veteran/Fanatical)[21]

- At this point in time the Chevaliers were based on Sternwerde and were at three-quarters of full strength. All bar five percent of the warriors in the Chevaliers were using OmniMechs or the equivalent.[21]

References[edit]

  1. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89
  2. Invading Clans, p. 30: "First Wave"
  3. My Father's Sword, p. 26
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Invading Clans, pp. 34–33: "Wave Five"
  5. Field Manual: Updates, pp. 60–61: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Beta Galaxy"
  7. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 55: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  8. 8.0 8.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53: "The Jihad In Review"
  9. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 14: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  10. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  11. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54: "The Jihad In Review"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Rho Galaxy"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Theta Galaxy"
  14. 14.0 14.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  15. 15.0 15.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad In Review"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 5: Beta Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)
  17. Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Alpha Galaxy"
  18. Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Omega Galaxy"
  19. Invading Clans, p. 39: "12th Bear Chevaliers"
  20. 20.0 20.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89: "12th Bear Chevaliers Profile"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 77: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  22. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89
  23. 23.0 23.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 163
  24. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89

Bibliography[edit]