8th Orloff Grenadiers

Orloffgrenadiers8th.png
Eighth Orloff Grenadiers
Nickname Scourge of the Periphery
Affiliation Free Worlds League
Parent Command Orloff Grenadiers


History[edit]

Formation[edit]

Anton's Revolt[edit]

The Eighth landed on Tiber to support the First Regulan Hussars and Fifth Orloff Grenadiers in their fight against Wolf's Dragoons Beta Regiment. However the Eighth was stopped by the assault 'Mechs of Zeta Battalion.[1]

The Eighth joined the Sixth Orloff Grenadiers in reclaiming Sophie's World. Later they were both part of an attack on Emris IV, where they smashed the Eighteenth Marik Militia and Fifth Ducal Guard.[2]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

The Eighth spent most of the early thirty-first century patrolling the Free Worlds League/Periphery border. They raided worlds in the Illyrian Palatinate, Magistracy of Canopus, as well as chasing down pirates on Astrokaszy. During these conflicts the Eighth had little interest in minimizing collateral damage and developed a reputation as a brutally efficient unit.[3]

Andurien Secession[edit]

During the Andurien Secession the Eighth landed on Sadurni to engage a battalion of the Third Defenders of Andurien. Supported by the Eleventh Atrean Dragoons, the Eighth engaged in massive retaliations against the Third's hit-and-run attacks. The large amounts of damage to the civilian targets that the Eighth inflicted convinced the Third to leave the world after two weeks.[4]

In April 3039 the planetary government of Lurgatan was an annoyance to Janos Marik as well as a tempting target for the Capellan Confederation. The Eighth was dispatched to reinforce the world and prevent Capellan adventurism. The Eighth's reputation was sufficient to cause the planetary government to surrender the planet to the Free Worlds League.[5]

The Grenadiers were called in to reinforce the invasion of Andurien in September 3039, where they helped secure the cities of Qinda and Baroda.[6][7]

Post–Clan Invasion[edit]

In late 3054 a civil war broke out on Jiddah. The LCCC deployed the Eighth to the world as a peacekeeping force. As soon as the Eighth arrived, their reputation caused most overt hostilities to end, but it would be another two years before the planet was stable enough for the Eighth to redeploy elsewhere.[3]

In the late 3050's the Eighth was separated into battalion sized formations and deployed on three worlds: The First Battalion was on Lesnovo, the Second Battalion was on Campoleone, while the Third Battalion garrisoned Tematagi.[8]

By 3065 the regiment had redeployed and all three battalions were located on Lesnovo. Several business owners threatened to bar members of the Eighth from their establishments until Colonel Relph offered to relocate her unit to Tematagi. The threatened boycott never occurred, but tensions between the Grenadiers and the locals remain high.[9]

Jihad[edit]

In the earliest part of the Jihad the Third Battalion was stationed on Tematagi to defend the Nimakachi Fusion Products Limited factories on the world. Unfortunately the Order of the Faithful pirate band landed with a full regiment of troops and destroyed the Third Battalion and the Nimakachi plant completely.[10]

When the Rim Commonality left the Free Worlds League the Eighth Orloff Grenadiers were the only FWLM force stationed in the nation. They didn't oppose the vote or try to prevent the Commonality from leaving the League.[11]

By 3079 the Eighth Orloff Grenadiers left the Rim Commonality and returned to the Duchy of Orloff. There they took up station on Vanra and Carbonis.[12]

The inhabitants of Vanra were disgusted by the Eighth's willingness to engage in "frontier justice" and by the Eighth's lack of social graces. The unit drove the Second Regulan Hussars in 3082, but even this wasn't enough to turn public opinion in their favor. Several of the Eighth's members were involved in drunken brawls with the general public; As a result the entire unit was confined to base in 3085.[13]

Early Dark Age[edit]

Victoria War[edit]

The Eighth was part of a task force of three Oriente Protectorate regiments dispatched during the Victoria War. The Protectorate's Captain-General Jessica Marik, has determine while House Davion's Duchess Amanda Hasek initiated her own invasion of Capellan Confederation, she would try to secure three worlds.

In 3104 the Eighth landed on Pella II, where initially they only were met by planetary militia when they drove them from the planet's planetary capital of Theodora. Having secured the planet within weeks time. However, the Capellan's response to the invasion would come in the form of the Red Lancers and Roman's Mounted Fusiliers on February 25th. The Grenadiers' aerospace forces had great difficulties holding off the Fourth Sian Defense Wing, while the bulk of the elite Capellan forces made landfall. In the ensuing battle, Pella II would be laid waste to the capital city. In fighting withdrawal from the planet, the battle had reduced the unit's BattleMech numbers by a third and forcing the Eighth Orloff to abandon ninety percent of its supporting forces; the Twenty-ninth Light Recon and the Bashi-Bazook infantry regiments. After having to retreat to Shuen Wan.

However, after making planetfall, both Red Lancers and Roman's Mounted Fusiliers would arrive in hot pursuit. Barely having time to recover, the Grenadiers formed a ragged line of battle in order to buy time for Oriente's officials and regiment's commanders to evacuate the planet and insure the destruction of the oriente's intelligence apparatus that was on the planet. It would be in the aftermath, that the regiment's survivors learned that the Chancellor's heir apparent Daoshen Liao had led the assault against them and why the two Capellan regiments had fought so fiercely.[14]

Late Dark Age[edit]

In 3141, a series of summits between Andurien and the Magistracy of Canopus led the Capellan Confederation to launch several raids against the reborn Free Worlds League. This was in retaliation to the FWL interference in the Andurien/MoC détente.[15]

One of these raids pitted the Eighth Orloff Grenadiers against the Fourth Capellan Defense Force. The battle was a decisive victory for the Capellans and severely mauled the Grenadiers.

In the aftermath of the raid, the Eighth had taken such serious losses that the LCCC considered decommissioning the unit and using the troops to rebuild units of the Oriente Hussars.The Duchy of Orloff, Orloff Military Academy, and the Eighth's battalion commanders opposed this so vehemently that the Warden-General granted a reprieve. During this time, the Eighth threw itself into rebuilding exercises and sent out a message through the Order of the Saber chapterhouses requesting troops. Several members of the Order of the Saber who were serving in other FWLM units transferred into the Eighth, and the regiment was able to build its two battalions to acceptable levels.[16]

In 3145 the Eighth's two battalions garrisoned Sophie's World and Kyeinnisan.[17]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Eighth Orloff Grenadiers
Colonel Andracar Shikovitch 3025[18]
Colonel Sandra Relph 3050 - 3085[3][19][20][21][22]
Colonel Jerri Shepard 3145[17]

Tactics[edit]

Though they were skilled in defensive operations, the Eighth's pirate hunting duties also provided them with extensive small-unit experience. The Eighth was also comfortable fighting in cities.[3]

Composition History[edit]

2786 - 2821[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable) [23]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Emris IV. In 2821 the command was reduced to 43 of its strength and was deployed at Calloway VI. [23]

2830[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable) [24]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Calloway VI with an operational readiness of 107 percent. [24]

2864[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Elite/Reliable) [24]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Aodh with an operational readiness of 59 percent. [24]


3025[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regular/Reliable)[18]

  • CO: Colonel Andracar Shikovitch

3028[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[25]

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

3050[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[26]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Lesnovo. [26]

3054[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regular/Reliable)[20]

  • CO: Colonel Sandra Relph

3059-3067[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (1 Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[3][21]

Eighth Orloff Aerospace (2 Wings/Veteran/Reliable)[3][21]

- Includes enough DropShips and JumpShips to move entire unit in one lift.

Twenty-ninth Light Recon (1 Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[3][21]

The Bashi-Bazook (1 Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[3][21]

- A mercenary unit under long term contract to the FWL.

3079[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable) [27]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Vanra and Carbonis.[27] The Eighth Grenadiers came through the Jihad in relatively good shape. They only lost five percent of their forces to the Jihad.[12]

3085[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Veteran/Reliable)[22]

  • CO: Colonel Sandra Relph

Eighth Orloff Aerospace (Wing/Veteran/Fanatical)[22]

Twenty-ninth Light Recon (Regular/Reliable)[22]

The Bashi-Bazook (Veteran/Questionable)[22]

3104[edit]

  • Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (Veteran/Reliable)

Note: Twenty-ninth Light Recon and Bashi-Bazook were effectively destroyed, to barely 5 percent of their fighting strength.[28]

3145[edit]

Eighth Orloff Grenadiers (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)[17]

  • CO: Colonel Jerri Shepard

Eighth Orloff Aerospace Wing (Veteran/Reliable)[17]

Thirty-third Light Recon (Regular/Fanatical)[17]

The Bashi-Bazook (Veteran/Fanatical)[17]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 30, "Tiber"
  2. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 32
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 104, "8th Orloff Grenadiers Unit Profile"
  4. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 76, "Sadurni"
  5. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 77, "Lurgatan"
  6. Historical: Brush Wars, pp. 81-82: "The Next Step"
  7. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 82: "A Tale of Two Cities: Baroda and Jojoken"
  8. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 114 "Deployment Table"
  9. Field Manual: Updates, p. 157, "8th Orloff Grenadiers"
  10. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 54
  11. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 27
  12. 12.0 12.1 Field Report: FWLM, p. 13
  13. Field Manual: 3085, p. 84
  14. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 5-58, 60- 8th Orloff Grenadier's action during the Victoria War
  15. Field Manual: 3145, p. 99
  16. Field Manual: 3145, p. 103
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Field Manual: 3145, p. 115, "Free Worlds League Military"
  18. 18.0 18.1 House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 109, "FWL Deployment Table - 3025"
  19. 20 Year Update, p. 57, "FWLM Deployment Table - 3050"
  20. 20.0 20.1 Objective Raids, p. 39, "FWLM Deployment Table - 3054"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Field Manual: Updates, p. 162, "FWLM Deployment Table - 3067"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 92, "FWLM Deployment Table - 3085"
  23. 23.0 23.1 First Succession War, p. 138
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Second Succession War, p. 98
  25. 25.0 25.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p.86
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 20 Year Update, p. 57, "Free Worlds League Deployment Table"
  27. 27.0 27.1 Field Report: FWLM , p. 13
  28. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 57,60,65 - Strengths of the regiments as of 3104.

Bibliography[edit]