22nd Skye Rangers

Skyerangers22nd.png
Twenty-second Skye Rangers
Disbanded 3073[1][2]
Nickname Sabres (2765)[3]
The Virgins or Katrina's Bonnie Bairns' (3025)[4]
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command Skye Rangers

History[edit]

The Twenty-second Skye Rangers were stationed on Tsukude in 2765. They took up station there after the 21st Skye Rangers were involved in heavy fighting with two Draconis Combine regiments.[3]

Succession Wars[edit]

In 3013 the Twenty-second tried to defend diamond storehouse from a raid by the Ninth Rasalhague Regulars. They were unsuccessful, and the Regulars made off with large amounts of diamonds for use in manufacturing 'Mech armor.[5]

As of 3025, the green-ranked unit was stationed on Fatima.[6] In 3027 the newly-graduated Thomas Hogarth would be posted to the Twenty-second CO's command staff.[7]

During the Fourth Succession War the Twenty-second Skye Rangers successfully captured the Draconis Combine-held worlds of Al Hillah on its own during the first wave of Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, later joining the 3rd Donegal Guards and 4th Lyran Regulars to capture Grumium in the follow-up wave.[8]

War of 3039 to Falcon Incursion[edit]

Its loyalty to Tharkad regarded questionably by the LCAF High Command following the Fourth Succession War, the Twenty-second Skye Rangers were not slated for offensive operations during the War of 3039, remaining stationed on Fatima during the bulk of the conflict. After local pirates and slavers took advantage of the redeployment of other Lyran units from the Commonwealth's Periphery border to the Combine front to repeatedly raid the world of Engadine, the LCAF responded by transferring the Twenty-second to the planet, serving as a focal point for the defense of the region. Never a strong unit, the Twenty-second struggled to improve upon its general level of experience against the scattered low level pirate raiders it encountered, hampered by the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth and later Lyran Alliance Armed Forces using the Twenty-second as a sink unit and assigned their malcontents to the regiment.[9][10]
[11]

While many observers expected the Twenty-second to fold easily when the Jade Falcons attacked the world in 3058, but instead they fought well, holding the Falcons off for six days. They were poised to push the Second Falcon Jaegers off the world when the Seventh Falcon Regulars dropped behind them. Though eventually defeated the Falcons were so impressed that they took the survivors as bondsmen.[12] After the withdrawal from Coventry these bondsmen were released and returned to the Alliance.[13]

To rebuild the unit, the LAAF High Command decided to merge the survivors of the Tenth Skye Rangers, destroyed during the Falcon invasion of Coventry, with the survivors of the Twenty-second. While officially the LAAF choose to retain the Twenty-second over the more prestigious Tenth was because of the green unit's intact command staff, observers from Free Skye have pointed out the decision was an attempt by Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion to bury the fact that elements of the Tenth were involved in Victor Steiner-Davion's successful ejection of the Jade Falcon's from Coventry. This allowed the regiment to rebuild quickly, but integration issues troubled the unit.[13]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

The Twenty-second spent most of the FedCom Civil War moving towards Skye. In the first wave they moved to Miquelon.[14] They then moved to Krievci[15] before landing on Cameron in the third wave.[16] In 3065 the Fourth Skye Rangers tried to conquer the important industrial world of Hesperus II, alongside the Seventeenth Skye Rangers, the Twenty-second Skye Rangers and the Thirty-second Lyran Guards, but were beaten back by the Gray Death Legion, Fifteenth Lyran Guards and 36th Skye Guards. The Skye forces had to retreat.[17]

After the FedCom Civil War the Twenty-second survived as an active command, despite being grossly understrength, because of the direct influence of Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner and the weakness of the central Lyran government. By 3067 the Twenty-second was still only able to field a reinforced company of 'Mechs, but Duke Kelswa-Steiner insisted on retaining the command on the active rolls in recognition of its service to Free Skye.[18] The Twenty-second was stationed on Skye at the eve of the Jihad.[19]

The Jihad[edit]

In September 3073 the Fifty-second Shadow Division attacked Caledonia, wiping out the defending Twenty-second Rangers;[20] according to intelligence obtained by the Draconis Combine noble Chandrasekhar Kurita, famed for his espionage network, the Fifty-second specifically hunted down and killed every single member of the Twenty-second during the attack.[1][2] It was subsequently confirmed that the Twenty-second had been destroyed by Apollyon and the Fifty-second Shadow Division, which had dropped directly on top of the Rangers, who were attempting to rebuild on Caledonia; the only survivors of the attack were the Twenty-second's administration staff.[2]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 22nd Skye Rangers
Colonel Ivan Petroff 3025[6]
Colonel Francisco de Argall 3042 to 3067[21][22][13][19]

Tactics[edit]

They preferred surprise attacks. Contrary to most other Lyran BattleMech units, they fielded a lot of light 'Mechs.[13]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[3]

- At this point in time the 22nd Rangers was stationed on Tsukude.[3]

2786 - 2821[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[23]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Tsukude. In 2821 the command was reduced to 56 percent of its strength and was deployed on Kannon.[23]

2830[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[24]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Kannon with an operational readiness of 0 percent.[24]

2864[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[24]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Kannon with an operational readiness of 47 percent.[24]

3025[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[6]

  • CO: Colonel Ivan Petroff
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Fatima.

3040[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[25]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Engadine.[25]

3050[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[21]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Engadme.[21]

3054[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[22]

  • CO: Leftenant General Francisco de Argall[22]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Engadine.[22]

3062[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[13]
CO: Colonel Francisco de Argall

22nd Skye Air Wing (2 Squadrons/Regular/Questionable)[13]
CO: Kaptain Paulo Velisarios

3067[edit]

22nd Skye Rangers (Veteran/Questionable)[19]
CO: Colonel Francisco de Argall[19]

22nd Skye Aerospace Wing (Veteran/Questionable)[19]
CO: Kaptain Paulo Velisarios[19]

Notes[edit]

For the attack on Hesperus II in 3065, they were equipped with 3 Overlord-class DropShips.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 12: "On the Precipice"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Field Report: LAAF, p. 15: "Skye Rangers"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Field Report 2765: LCAF, pp. 18–19: "Skye Rangers" - Regimental Status
  4. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 61: "Regimental Nicknames"
  5. ↑ Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 74
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 118 (PDF version): "Unit Deployment Table"
  7. ↑ Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 92: "House Steiner - Other Notable Personalities of 3076 - Thomas Hogarth"
  8. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 45: Operation Götterdämmerung - 22nd Skye Rangers"
  9. ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 28: "Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth (Deployment as of 3050) - Periphery March - Main Street Theater - Neerabup Command - 22nd Skye Rangers"
  10. ↑ Objective Raids, p. 21
  11. ↑ Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 4
  12. ↑ Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 8
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 102: "22nd Skye Rangers Unit Profile"
  14. ↑ FedCom Civil War, p. 69
  15. ↑ FedCom Civil War, p. 89
  16. ↑ FedCom Civil War, p. 105
  17. ↑ FedCom Civil War
  18. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 173: "Skye Rangers"
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 177: "Skye Province"
  20. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 33: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 20 Year Update, p. 28
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Objective Raids, p. 21
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 First Succession War, p. 139
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Second Succession War, p. 100
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 138

Bibliography[edit]

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