1st Capellan Defense Force

Description

Formerly known as Stapleton's Grenadiers.

The First Capellan Defense Force was raised in 3001 from the personal resources and retainers of Lady Margaret "Bloody Mary" Stapleton for the express purpose of destroying House Marik. Essentially a private army under the personal command of Lady Stapleton, the Grenadiers silenced critics by consistently outperforming expectations. Severely damaged and disgraced during the failed invasion of Sarna in 3057, the regiment was given a new life, brigade and name under the Xin Sheng movement in 3060.

The 1st CDF uses the Augmented Regiment formations commonly found in the CCAF by 3145.

They traditionally use light/heavy Battlemechs and are a second-line regiment of the Capella Commonality.

History

Formation

Lady Margaret Stapleton's family and parents were killed during a Free Worlds League raid on Exedor. Devoting the rest of her life to avenge her loss, Lady Stapleton petitioned the Chancellor for the privilege of raising a regiment. Financed by her own money and composed of her family retainers with herself as Commanding Officer, Stapleton's Grenadiers came into existence in 3001 as an instrument for the destruction of House Marik.

3rd Succession War

-3003 - The first military operation of the new regiment was an easy raid on the ore refining centers in the southern continent of Nam Dinh.

-3005 - Stapleton's Grenadiers succeeded in raiding crops and food stores on Fuentes before a Regulan Hussars regiment drove them off in a two hour battle.

-3008 - A Maskirovka failure led the Grenadiers into an ambush on Sorunda. Believing a Marik double-agent that a smaller force was on-planet and lacking the aerospace assets to confirm it, Stapleton's Grenadiers found three Atrean Dragoons regiments instead. Only the bravery of the Third Battalion fighting to the last man allowed the regiment to escape.

The massive losses on Sorunda have forced the Grenadiers to withdraw from the FWL border. Rebuilding has been slowed by a lack of finances and spare parts but Lady Stapleton was still eager for a fight.

-3025 - Stapleton's Grenadiers garrisoned Wazan, Campertown and Lesalles with one battalion each.

4th Succession War

-3029 - Stapleton's Grenadiers withdrew from their garrisons on Wazan, Campertown and Lesalles without engaging Wave 7 of Operation: RAT.

-3030 - All three battalions assembled in Wazan space for their withdrawal back to the Capellan Confederation.

Operation Guerrero

-3057 - Stapleton's Grenadiers and the Tooth of Ymir invaded Sarna as part of Operation Guerrero. They were outnumbered by the defending Kaifeng SMM, the 1st Battalion of the Sarna Martial Academy Cadre and the Grim Determination mercenary regiment. Quickly losing air superiority to the aerospace cadets of the Academy, the badly damaged Grenadiers soon found themselves pushed back to the dropships. Colonel William Asselin and his command staff formed a last stand while the regiment retreated off the planet. This left the Tooth of Ymir all alone and they surrendered when they learned they couldn't leave.

The regiment was investigated by the Maskirovka and most of the remaining officers were forced into retirement. Disgraced, the unit was given the lowest priority in repair and refit by the CCAF.

Xin Sheng Campaign

-3060 - As the Xin Sheng movement permeated the military, the Strategios expanded the Capellan Defense Force to include Battlemech regiments. Stapleton's Grenadiers were renamed the 1st Capellan Defense Force and added to the new brigade as the military's symbol of rebirth and a fresh start.

In 3064 and again in 3066 the unit made two four month long tours through the Chaos March. When Little Richard's Panzer Brigade was lost on Genoa the unit moved there to defend against any opportunistic Davion troops. The FedCom Civil War so drained Davion units that no fighting occurred and the 1st returned to their normal theater of operation.

Jihad

During the Jihad the First CDF was constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though Capella was attacked by the Blakists several times, the Holdfast Guard was able to repulse them each time (though suffering terrible losses in each encounter). As a result, the First CDF was called to Sian to replace the heavily damaged Red Lancers and Warrior House Imarra.

After the end of the Capellan attack on The Republic of the Sphere a battalion of the First Capellan Defense Force landed on Shoreham to test the Forty-second Avalon Hussars LCT. Although they eventually left the world, the First CDF was able to consistently outmaneuver the Davion machines. They also captured several tons of autocannon ammunition and coolant. This attack was noteworthy because it was led by Zhong-shao Alice Stapleton, a relative of the founder.

Dark Age

In 3141 the First CDF raided Ipswich. During this raid the Ducal Guard air wing inflicted losses on the CDF's fighters. When the CDF landed on the world, they faced the Eighth Oriente Hussars. After losing air supremacy, the Capellan force withdrew.

Officers

• 3001 to 3025 The unit was commanded by its founder Lady Margaret Stapleton.
• 3050 the unit is commanded by Colonel William Assellin.

• 3063 the commanding officer was Sang-shao Gary Weinrib, one of the few survivors of the Sarna attack and winner of the Liao Sunburst for Gallantry.

• 3067 the commanding officer is Sang-shao Alexander Zivojinovic.

• In 3085 Sang-shao Gary Weinrib was the unit's commanding officer for a second time.

• In 3145 the commanding officer was Sang-shao Sebastian Stapleton.

Composition History

3025

Stapleton's Grenadiers (3Battalions/Green/Reliable)

• CO: Colonel Margaret Stapleton

• 1st Battalion: Major Will Blackthorne
• 2nd Battalion: Major Philip Porter
• 3rd Battalion: Major Chang Rho Kim

3063 to 3067

First Capellan Defense Force (Stapleton's Honorary) (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Sang-shao Gary Weinrib

• XO 1st Battalion: Zhong-shao Alexander Zivojinovic

• 2nd Battalion: Zhong-shao John Rutsey
• 3rd Battalion: Zhong-shao B.J. Pratt

First Capellan Defense Force Aerospace (1 Wing)

• Wing Commander: Kong-zhong-shao Alec "Bounty" Bain

New Sagan Armor Auxiliary (1 Battalion/Green/Questionable)

• Armor Commander: Zhong-shao Eric Jarra

First Capellan Defense Force Infantry (2 Battalion/Regular/Reliable)

• Infantry Commander: Zhong-shao Lamont Forschault
• Infantry Commander (3067): Zhong-shao Terrence Bearpaw.

- A Fa Shih Battle Armor Squad) included

3079

Due to the timing of the Jihad, the First Capellan Defense Force is one of the few Capellan units to emerge unscathed. They are at 100% of their pre-Jihad strength.

3085

First Capellan Defense Force (Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Sang-shao Gary Weinrib

First Capellan Defense Force Aerospace (Wing/Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Kong-zhong-shao Wai Ching Yip

New Sagan Armor Auxiliaries (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Zhong-shao Etienne Morel)

First Capellan Defense Force Infantry (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Zhong-shao Jimmy Baker

3145

1st Capellan Defense Force (Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Sang-shao Sebastian Stapleton

First Capellan Defense Force Aerospace (Veteran/Reliable)

• CO: Kong-zhong-shao Tak Cheung Sin

New Sagan Armor Auxiliaries (Veteran/Fanatical)

• CO: Zhong-shao Tuketu Shakopee

1st CDF Infantry (Regular/Reliable)

• CO: Zhong-shao Montrelle Estrada

Bibliography

• 20 Year Update
• Field Manual: 3085
• Field Manual: Capellan Confederation
• Field Manual: Updates
• Field Report: CCAF
• House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2
• Technical Readout: 3145 Free Worlds League
• Chaos March (sourcebook)