Frank Brantling
Frank Brantling | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Died | 1 May 3052[1] |
| Affiliation | ComStar |
| Career | |
| Rank | Acolyte Pi I (implied) |
| Profession | Aerospace pilot |
Frank Branting was an aerospace pilot who fought and died in the Battle of Tukayyid.
History
Battle of Tukayyid
Frank Branting was a Com Guards pilot, fresh out of ComStar's academy. The injury of a Level II's commanding officer found Branting in the right place and right time to participate in the Battle of Tukayyid. His unit was deployed against Clan Nova Cat's landing zone; the ComStar forces counterattacked as the Clan was making a hot-drop, in order to reduce the number of troops successfully landing.[1]
Branting targeted the lead DropShip, an Overlord-C-class, downed a Nova Cat fighter, and strafed descending 'Mechs. He received orders to attack the Clan's fighters, but his first shot accidentally hit a hovering 'Mech, a Ryoken. The pilot of the 'Mech critically damaged Branting's fighter; he almost lost all control of his aerospace fighter.[1]
Death
Certain of his own demise, Branting decided to sacrifice himself in act intended to maximize damage to the Nova Cats' forces; he flew his fighter directly into the engines of the leading enemy DropShip. The impact resulted in a chain reaction, detonating the entire drive section and destroying the ship. The Stormcrow pilot, Star Captain Mia Attwater, observed the loss of DropShip.[1]
Family
Branting had a brother.[1]
Legacy
The DropShip's destruction intensified the ComStar counterattack, inspired by Branting's posthumous success, though they suffered heavy losses and did not down any more DropShips.[1]
Unintentionally, however, he had targeted the most important DropShip, the Cat's Maw, Alpha Galaxy's command DropShip, killing thirty of their best MechWarriors and one hundred and fifty Elementals, along with critical ammunition and repair supplies.[2] This was a critical loss for the Clans, including combat supplies, and command personnel. The Clan's Khans hadn't yet deployed the Alpha Galaxy against Tost, their first target city, with the loss reducing their forces by a third, dashing and plans for victory.[3]
Aerospace Fighter
In his last battle, he piloted a HMR-HE Hammerhead.[1]
Notes
- His name and affiliation with ComStar suggests he was the brother of Peter Brantling from the apocryphal German novel Gejagt.
- Branting was one of the more successful pilots, as his sacrifice almost ensured the Nova Cats' defeat and greatly contributed to ComStar's victory in the battle. Only Tyra Miraborg had more success.
References
Bibliography
- BattleTech: Battle of Tukayyid
- Into the Cat's Maw (short story)