103rd Division (ComStar)
| 103rd Com Guard Division IV-nu | |
| Formed | Early thirty-first century |
| Nickname | Truth in Communication (3050) Kimmery's Raiders (3052[1]-3062)[2][3] |
| Affiliation | ComStar |
| Parent Command | First Army |
The 103rd Division is an old ComStar military formation, assigned to the Com Guard First Army, most notable for its valiant efforts against Clan Ghost Bear during the Battle of Tukayyid, and during the Jihad against the Word of Blake.
History
Early Unit History
Its formation date is unclear, however it was originally built as part of a garrison force for ComStar's HPG stations. The unit had come to be stationed in the Draconis Combine by 3050, garrisoning Dieron.[4]
Clan Invasion
The unit had not seen any significant action after the Clan Invasion until Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht negotiated a Trial of Possession for Terra. The unit was deployed as part of ComStar's army in the fighting on Tukayyid, facing numerous Clans.
Tukayyid
As part of the Battle of Tukayyid in May 3052, the Com Guards first faced the warriors of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Brutal engagements against the First Jaguar Guards gave the untested Inner Sphere forces their first look at the single-minded effectiveness of the Clan warriors. With their namesake ferocity, the Smoke Jaguars were unwilling to allow any losses to stop their advance, pouring more and more warriors against the ComStar forces.[5] When supplies dwindled and their Khans fell in battle, though, the remaining Smoke Jaguars were ordered by ilKhan Ulric Kerensky to lift off planet,[6] harried back to their DropShips by the berserk 103rd members.[7]
The 103rd's parent command, the First Army, was given the shared responsibility of protecting the cities of Spanac and Luk. It fell to veterans of the 103rd to garrison Spanac, while the rest of the division moved to engage their opponents, Clan Ghost Bear. Nearby, Luk was garrisoned by the Fourth Army, who disagreed with sending green troops to attack the elite warriors of the Bears' Alpha Galaxy. The First Army's commander, Precentor Katherine Luarca, sent her troops in a series of hit-and-run attacks. The First Army's fighting produced mixed results, causing the 103rd's sister unit, 91st Division to fall back to the city and help bulk up the 103rd's defenses. Following the 91st Division, the Bears' Alpha Galaxy occupied Spanac's suburbs and laid siege to the city. Unfortunately, the 91st Division failed to firm up their positions and found themselves overrun by the Bears, who then took ComStar's supplies. The 103rd was ordered to abandon the city, keeping them a viable unit. The 103rd Division attacked Alpha Galaxy's main supply depot, led by their 1st Army commander Precentor Luarca and surviving elements of the 308th Division. This attack kept Luk's remaining 4th Army divisions from breaking under the onslaught of Alpha Galaxy's attacks. However, the 103rd and its fellow divisions' efforts defending the cities were not enough to prevent the Ghost Bears from achieving a partial victory.[8]
The 103rd and its surviving division mates were deployed against the Clan Jade Falcon forces, where they were dispatched to the city of Olalla. They, along with the remnants of 1st Army, forced the Jade Falcons' forces to withdraw from the city. The Com Guards, now free of the responsibility of fending off Clan Ghost Bear, were able to turn the tide of the campaign against the Falcons.[9]
Those forces remaining were sent against the last of the invader Clans on Tukayyid, that of Clan Wolf. The ComGuards were outnumbered and outgunned across the foothills of the Pozoristu Mountains and despite retreat requests from local commanders including Adept Jeremiah Rose, the 103rd was ordered to hold their line until dawn. During the night, Clan Wolf attacked. Clan Wolf was victorious in breaking the line and their campaign at Tukayyid, though ComStar had won overall, at great cost, and the Clans were forced to acknowledge the Truce of Tukayyid.[1]
After ComStar Schism
The unit remained intact despite the mass defection of the ComStar Schism. Its skill rating slipped to "Regular," and the unit was reassigned to the Combine world of Dover.[2])
Operation BULLDOG
The 103rd did not participate in Operation BULLDOG.
Jihad
The 103rd reinforced the 79th Division and the 1st Skye Jaegers on Galatea, driving the Word of Blake's 11th Division off-world after a slow and grinding campaign.[10] In 3074 they joined the rest of ComStar's First Army on Hesperus II to fight the Word of Blake's 38th Division. After several weeks of intense fighting the 103rd was able to drive the Thirty-eighth Division out of the Defiance Industries complex.[11]
Officers
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the 103rd Division (ComStar) | |||
| Precentor | Styven Kimmelry | 3049 - 3075[2][3][4][12][13] | |
Tactics
Unknown.
Composition History
3050
103rd Division (Division/Veteran)[4]
- CO: Precentor VI Styven Kimmelry [4]
- Note: At this point in time the 103rd Division was stationed on Dieron.[4]
3055
103rd Division (Division/Regular)[2]
- CO: Demi-Precentor Styven Kimmelry[2]
- Note: At this point in time the 103rd Division was stationed on Dover.[2]
3062
- 103rd Division (Kimmery's Raiders IV-nu) - CO: Precentor XIV Styven Kimmelry[3]
- The Saviors of Spanac III-mu - CO: Demi-Precentor X Brian Moore
- Styven's Marauders III-nu - CO: Demi-Precentor X William Plath
- The Linebreakers III-xi - CO: Demi-Precentor V Chang Shim
- Sounds of Fury III-nu - CO: Demi-Precentor IV Elvira Vere
- Bearskinners III-omicron - CO: Demi-Precentor VII Ashfaq Ahmed
- Glory Hounds III-lambda - CO: Demi-Precentor III Anthony Dolan
3067
- 103rd Division (Kimmery's Raiders IV-nu) - CO: Precentor XIX Styven Kimmelry [12]
- Unit Stationed on Dover, Regular Skilled Tech Rating: 5/75/10(A)
Notes
- The unit's insignia is a set of crossed swords over a ComStar emblem.[3]
- Like all divisions of the First Army, the 103rd used a mixture of classic Star League and DCMS equipment.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Black Thorns, pp. 22: "What Price Victory"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 ComStar Sourcebook, p. 84
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Field Manual: Comstar p. 21: Unit Profile
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 20 Year Update, p. 70
- ↑ The Black Thorns, pp. 18-19: "Ridge Line"
- ↑ Tukayyid, p. 35: "Ambush at the Dinju Pass"
- ↑ The Black Thorns, pp. 20-21: "Red Rage"
- ↑ Tukayyid pp. 48, 56: Campaign: Clan Ghost Bear - 103rd Division's actions during Com Guard fight with Ghost Bears on Tukayyid.
- ↑ Tukayyid p. 58: Campaign: Clan Jade Falcon - 103rd and 1st Army's actions reinforcing 3rd and 11th Armies against Clan Jade Falcon
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 47
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Hesperus II, p. 8
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Field Manual: Updates p. 98: Unit status and location as of 3067
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 63: "The Coalition Rises - Galatea Secured"