Chesterton Cuirassiers

Brigade Insignia of the Chesterton Reserves
Chesterton Cuirassiers
Formed Second Exodus
Nickname The Swordbreakers[1]
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Tikonov Grand Union (previous)
Chesterton Trade League (previous)
Parent Command Chesterton Regulars


History[edit]

Originally a part of the Chesterton Army, the armed forces of the Chesterton Trade League in the years immediately after the Demarcation Declaration saw the Terran Alliance abandon the bulk of humanity's interstellar colonies, the Chesterton Cuirassiers survived for centuries in service to the various successors to the Trade League.[1]

The Chesterton Army was folded into the armed forces of the Tikonov Grand Union when the Grand Union formed from the earlier Tikonov Union and Chesterton Trade League, and the surviving elements of the Chesterton Army were folded into a new brigade, the Chesterton Regulars. The Cuirassiers would continue to serve in the Chesterton Regulars after the formation of the Capellan Confederation.[1]

Age of War[edit]

The Cuirassiers remained active throughout the Age of War, outlasting many of their contemporaries. The violent struggles throughout the Age of War for control of Chesterton, former capital of the Trade League, would cost the Chesterton Reserves dearly; the Cuirassiers were one of only three units to have served in the Chesterton Army that would survive until the formation of the Star League, largely through a combination of hitting back as hard as they were hit and the absorption of other units shattered during the various campaigns.[1]

Star League[edit]

While many units were disbanded or deactivated following the creation of the Star League Defense Force in the buildup to the Reunification War the Cuirassiers remained an active unit throughout the Star League era, witnessing the expansion of the Chesterton Regulars after the repeal of the Council Edict of 2650 in 2752. By 2765 the Cuirassiers were one of six BattleMech regiments within the Chesterton Regulars and a series of clashes with the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns during the two-year border conflict that erupted after a terror attack on Demeter saw the lethargy of years of garrison duty shaken off, tempering the Cuirassiers once more into an experienced combat unit.[1]

Succession Wars[edit]

First Succession War[edit]

The Cuirassiers were stationed on New Aragon in 2786 for the start of the First Succession War. They participated in the 2821 campaign to retake Ulan Batar from the Federated Suns, and remained on that world at the conclusion of the War.[2][3][4]

Second Succession War[edit]

On the 2nd of June 2828 the Chesterton Cuirassiers landed on Kathil as a part of Operation CELT, a CCAF offensive intended to recapture Chesterton. The Cuirassiers were led by Colonel Laurelli Liao, the future Capellan Chancellor and a canny field commander who had been trained from a young age in warfare. Stationed on Kathil at the time were the Twenty-seventh Avalon Hussars and the Kathil Capellan March Militia. The defenders outweighed the Cuirassiers, but Laurelli kept them off-balance by launching feints at both the General Motors factories and District City, which made it essential that the militia and the Twenty-seventh couldn't risk relocating to better positions. The conflict turned into an intricate, deadly dance that only ended when the Cuirassiers were ordered to withdraw on the 24th of June, following the news of the death of Chancellor Ilsa Liao. It was a testament to Laurelli's skills that the bulk of the damage taken by the Cuirassiers during the three weeks of battle was sustained not during her campaigning, but rather during the hasty withdrawal from Kathil.[5] By 2830 when the Second Succession War "officially" started they had been rotated to Menkar, ending the War on Outreach in 2864.[6]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Chesterton Cuirassiers
Colonel Laurelli Liao 2829[5]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Chesterton Cuirassiers

Note: At this point in time the Cuirassiers were a fanatically loyal veteran regiment stationed on the world of New Aragon.[1]

2786–2821[edit]

Chesterton Cuirassiers (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[7]

- At this point in time the Cuirassiers were a light-weight regiment operating at full strength and was stationed on New Aragon.[7] In 2821 the unit was operating at just above half-strength, and was stationed on Ulan Batar.[7]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Report 2765: CCAF, p. 10: "Chesterton Regulars"
  2. First Succession War (sourcebook), p. 135
  3. First Succession War (sourcebook), p. 116
  4. First Succession War (sourcebook), p. 97
  5. 5.0 5.1 Second Succession War, p. 23: "The Suns-Confederation Front"
  6. Second Succession War (sourcebook), p. 95
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 First Succession War, p. 135: "Capellan Confederation Armed Forces (CCAF) - Deployment Table"

Bibliography[edit]