The Davion Assault Guards are the heaviest unit of the
Davion Brigade of Guards.
Early History
The origin of the Davion Brigade of Guards lay in the
personal guard of the Davion family; originally responsible for protecting
members of the family, the brigade took on wider responsibilities as the
Federated Suns evolved. When Reynard Davion became President in 2340 the
brigade took on the responsibility of protecting the leader of the Federated
Suns, and when Simon Davion became the first person to hold the title of First
Prince in 2418 the brigade was officially incorporated as the Royal Brigade.
Star League Era
The Davion Brigade of Guards continued to grow in
importance as time passed, occupying a prominent role in the Federated Suns
military; the First Davion Guards joined the First Avalon Hussars as the first
units within the Federated Peacekeeping Forces to receive BattleMechs, and the
Brigade was able to draw on the best candidates for its manpower. When the Star
League formed, every brigade within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns
contributed manpower or complete units to the nascent Star League Defense Force
- with the exception of the Brigade of Guards. Such was the Brigade's
collective loyalty to the Federated Suns and House Davion that none of the
personnel within the Brigade were approached to join the SLDF, and when the
Star League Council enacted the Council Edict of 2650, mandating the drawdown
of each of the Great House's military, the Brigade was the only brigade in the
AFFS to escape untouched - not a single unit was deactivated.
The Davion Brigade of Guards differed from similarly
prestigious units in the militaries of the other states, however; unlike many
such units, the Brigade was often the first into battle in every campaign, and
during the Star League era the Brigade continued to enjoy access to the best
recruits, the best equipment and the best of those personnel retiring from the
SLDF. The Brigade was the first of the Federated Suns 'Mech formations to
receive permanently-attached conventional forces, with each regiment serving
alongside armor, infantry, artillery and aerospace assets.
Second Succession War
The Davion Assault Guards were repositioning to take part
in Operation DAO - First Prince Paul Davion's planned invasion of the Capellan
Confederation - when Chancellor Ilsa Liao launched Operation CELT, another
attempt to seize the totemic world of Chesterton. Ilsa Liao landed on Orbisonia
in command of the Red Lancers and the Prefectorate Guard, intent on seizing an
important AFFs supply world and preventing the defending garrison - the Second
Ceti Hussars and Fourteenth Avalon Hussars - in place, to prevent them
relieving Chesterton. The main Capellan forces consisted primarily of Marauder
and Warhammer heavy 'Mechs and were soon threatening to overrun the main
Federated Suns staging ground and overwhelm the defending forces.
With the initial assault going well, and the CCAF units
driving the defending garrison hard, Ilsa Liao went to bed after receiving news
of other CCAF units assaulting Chesterton, expecting to be woken with good news
about assaults on the Demeter and Sanilac systems. Instead, she was woken early
in the morning with the news that the Davion Assault Guards were dropping onto
Orbisonia, having arrived at a pirate point close to the planet. Ilsa's
offensive had run straight into the teeth of Paul's marshaling forces.
Ilsa ordered a general retreat, but the light forces of the
Ceti Hussars and Avalon Hussars proved difficult to disengage from, and the
Assault Guards landed across the CCAF positions, threatening to turn the
retreat into a rout - or a massacre. Ilsa took to the field personally, taking
command of the rearguard and refusing to retreat while she covered her
withdrawing forces. The garrison was able to make good use of information
provided by AFFS recon and intelligence assets - primarily Darter scout cars -
to outmaneuver and outsmart the attacking Capellan forces. After four days of
combat the Capellan forces were retreating from Orbisonia when the AFFS troops
acted on intelligence indicating that Chancellor Liao was leading the rearguard
personally to launch an aimed strike that killed the Chancellor. Ilsa Liao was
the first Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation to die on the
battlefield. Isla died having secured a
safe retreat for almost four-fifths of her forces on Orbisonia.
Northwind
The Davion Assault Guards landed on Northwind in 2841
alongside the Thirty-third Avalon Hussars. They faced off against the Third
Kearny Highlanders and Stuart's Highlanders regiments of the Northwind
Highlanders.
St. Ives
In 2861 the Davion Assault Guards launched a highly
successful attack on St. Ives; at the time, St. Ives was serving as the capital
for the Capellan Confederation Chancellor, Dainmar Liao, and the attack
terrified Dainmar badly enough that he immediately sued for peace, even going
so far as to acknowledge all of the territorial gains made by the Federated
Suns during the Succession Wars up to that point as being legitimate holdings.
The Davion Assault Guards were commanded by Rebecca Davion, the eldest daughter
of First Prince Michael Davion, during the St. Ives campaign.
Clan Invasion
As of 3050, the unit was stationed on Frazer in the
Capellan March.
In the late 3050's several armor regiments that had trained
with the Assault Guards on Tigress were assigned to reinforce the Fifteenth
Lyran Guards. The Assault Guards also traded fire with the Fifth Lyran Regulars
when that unit left for the Lyran Alliance in 3058.
Fedcom Civil War
During the FedCom Civil War, the Assault Guards secured
Addicks for the Federated Suns by destroying the Addicks DMM, Sixth FedCom RCT,
and Fifth Lyran Regulars RCT. The
Assault Guards then relocated to Tikonov, where they faced the First
Republican, Third Republican, and Fifteenth Deneb Light Cavalry. After spending
several years in the fighting on that world, they were recalled to Addicks to
help repel the DCMS Fifteenth Dieron Regulars and Tenth Ghost regiment. After that was complete they - along with the
First Crucis Lancers - opened a beachhead on New Avalon, taking heavy losses in
the process. Marshal Cooper combined the First Crucis into his Assault Guards.
The Crushers took serious losses, but only about one third of their total
forces were completely destroyed. As of 3067 they had rebuilt to full strength.
In 3067 their home world was Lee.
Jihad
The Assault Guards were instrumental in driving the Word of
Blake off New Avalon. They arrived in 3068, taking few casualties during their
arrival. Their ability to move their heavy 'Mechs more quickly than expected
kept them from being pinned down by the Blakist forces. The Assault Guards were
one of the main units defending Avalon City, along with the Davion Heavy Guards
and First Davion Guards. During the
Third Battle of New Avalon, they took serious casualties because they stopped
several attacks cold.
They were later rebuilt and assigned to Devlin Stone's
Coalition force.
The Davion Assault Guards then returned to garrison New
Avalon until the 1st Davion Guards were combat ready. Shortly after the First
Guards took up duty stations on New Avalon, the Davion Assault Guards
redeployed to Taygeta, a world along the Taurian Concordat border. They were
ordered not to initiate any hostilities, but they were assigned complete
JumpShip assets and a screening force of Pocket WarShips to protect them.
Apparently the Princess-Regent and High Command hoped the presence of the
Assault Guards would deter any more Taurian assaults. While there they also engaged in training
exercises with the 1st Syrtis Fusiliers LCT, helping that unit learn to work
together.
Dark Age
Under the command of General Marguerite McCaffee the Davion
Assault Guards took part in Operation MATADOR, the AFFS counter-offensive
against the Taurian Concordat. The Assault Guards dropped alongside the 1st
Syrtis Fusiliers on the 5th of May 3080 in a lightning assault against the
world of Flintoft, one of nine worlds being attacked by AFFS forces. The Assault Guards were also accompanied on
Flintoft by a journalist named Peter Remonde from the Federated Suns News
Service, who rode down to the surface of the planet in the jump seat of General
McCaffee's Atlas. The fighting on
Flintoft saw the first deployment of the Fennec BattleMech.
In 3085 the Assault Guards were garrisoning Carmichael.
During the Victoria War the Assault Guards struck
Menke. During this assault they faced
the Second, Third, and Fourth McCarron's Armored Cavalry. Their arrival allowed
the 4th Federated Suns Lancers to withdraw with heavy losses, but their arrival
couldn't save the 6th Ceti Hussars or 4th Syrtis Fusiliers. Reinforced by the
5th Syrtis Fusiliers the Assault Guards slammed into the Second and Third
McCarron's regiments and fought for four days before the AFFS units withdrew.
This conflict cost all involved their conventional forces and the two AFFS
commands were reduced to nearly half strength. Later the Assault Guards rallied
the Fifth Fusiliers when the 'Mechs of the 5th McCarron's Armored Cavalry
dropped on the AFFS positions. Thanks to the Assault Guards, both units were
able to withdraw in good order. Shortly after this the Assault Guards slammed
into the Fourth MAC and inflicted heavy losses. The Assault Guards withdrew
when the Second and Fifth MAC reinforced their sister regiment. Shortly after
this, the Assault Guards led the Fifth Fusiliers from Menke.
The Assault Guards would later land on Mitchel to reinforce
the Ridgebrook CMM. The Guards and Militia faced the First Canopian Light Horse
and fought them to a standstill, but the Second McCarron's Armored Cavalry
arrived to reinforce the MAF unit. The AFFS team forced the Capellan and MAF
forces to withdraw, but as they did the CCAF units firebombed the domed cities
that protected the population from radiation. Tens of millions of citizens
died.
The Assault Guards were stationed on New Avalon in
3145. There they were planning for the
defense of New Avalon against the Draconis Combine. The unit had been equipped
with several Conquistador DropShips that had been converted to Pocket WarShips,
as well as a double wing of aerospace fighters. On the ground they were leading
five brigades of armor, two regiments of battle armor troops, and four
conventional infantry regiments.
Tactics
Star League Era
The Davion Assault Guards were on a par with an SLDF heavy
assault regiment during the Star League era, and held true to the unit motto -
"Everyone Fights". Everyone from the brigade commander to the
individual mess cooks was combat-trained, but with the regiment so completely
focused on firepower the biggest weakness the Assault Guards had was attempting
to use head-on frontal assaults to solve every situation. The result was a lack
of tactical finesse that had cost the Assault Guards dearly more than once.
FedCom Civil War
As the heaviest unit of the entire regular army, the
commander use fire teams to overcome the slow speed and to bring faster
formation rapidly down.
