ON 9 JULY 3049, THE 8TH ARMORED CAVALRY, A MERCENARY REGIMENT EMPLOYED BY THE FEDERATED SUNS, CONDUCTED COMBAT DROPS ON THE PLANET TORTUGA PRIME. THE LANDINGS WERE PART OF 'OPERATION SWIFT JUSTICE ', AN AFFC PROJECT AIMED AT REMOVING THE THREAT POSED BY THE VARIOUS OUTLAW BANDS ALONG THE FEDERATED SUNS/PERIPHERY BORDER. FOR THIS PHASE, THE TARGET WAS THE TORTUGA DOMINIONS. THE DOMINIONS PIRATES, AT THAT TIME LED By DAME PAULA TREVALINE, HAVE RAIDED WORLDS IN THE FEDERATED SUNS, THE TAURIAN CONCORDAT, AND THE OUTWORLDs ALLIANCE SINCE THE END OF THE REUNIFICATION WAR NEARLY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY YEARS AGO. ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL OPERATION WAS A STUNNING SUCCESS, VICTORY WAS NOT WITHOUT ITS PRICE. THE 8TH CAV SUFFERED HORRENDOUS CASUALTIES, NEARING THE 75% MARK. Two OF THE MANY DEAD WERE COLONEL HENRY MORGAN AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL THATCHER SHIELDS, THE REGIMENT'S COMMANDING AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS. A COMPLETE LIST OF CASUALTIES, AS OF THIS WRITING, HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. SOURCES CITE FAULTY INTELLIGENCE REPORTS AS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE NEAR DISASTER. TOLD TO EXPECT A MAXIMUM OF TWO COMPANIES OF BATTLEMECHS, THE DAVION TROOPS WERE NOT PREPARED To FACE THE 108-MECH REGIMENT WAITING FOR THEM. NOR WAS THERE TIME TO CALL THE 1ST OUTLAND GUARDS FOR ASSISTANCE. THE BATTLE FOR TORTUGA WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN LOST IF NOT FOR THE EFFORTS OF CAPTAIN ROBERT HENDERSON, COMPANY COMMANDER OF THE 42ND MECH COMPANY. SEEING THAT THE MISSION WAS SERIOUSLY THREATENED, HE RALLIED THE SURVIVING BATTLEMECHS AND JUMP INFANTRY USING A CAPTURED CN9-A CENTURION, HE LED THE ASSAULT ON PAULA TREVALINE's CASTLE FORTRESS. FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS OF INTERVIEWS TAKEN FROM SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE 42ND MECH CO AS THEY WERE ENROUTE TO NEW AVALON FOR AN AUDIENCE WITH FIRST PRINCE HANSE DAVION. THE EXCERPTS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, SO THAT THE READER CAN MORE CLEARLY FOLLOW THE ACTION. IT MUST BE REMEMBERED WHEN READING THIS ACCOUNT, THAT THIS IS NOT A STORY OF HIGH ADVENTURE AND GLORIOUS BATTLES AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH, BUT A TALE OF MEN AND WOMEN MUCH LIKE YOU AND ME. THEY HAD A DIRTY JOB TO DO THAT TOOK THEM FAR FROM THEIR HOME. THEY WERE IN TURNS TERRIFIED, ANGRY, AND AMUSED, BUT ABOVE ALL, THEY SHOWED MAGNIFICENT COURAGE AGINAST AN IMPLACABLE FOE AND A DEVOTION TO DUTY AND TO EACH OTHER THAT WE WOULD DO WELL TO EMULATE... Capt Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd Mech Co "Colonel Morgan made sure that we all were aware that this was a model operation, and that subsequent campaigns would be based on our actions. Well, it started off on a bad foot. We faced some pretty heavy fighter opposition throughout the trip from the jump point to the drop zone, only breaking off as we made our final approach. At the time, I thought is was unusual, since a DropShip kicking out 'Mechs is a pretty easy target. Now I know they were just bird- dogging (conducting aerial surveillance and relaying location and targeting data - ED) us. The drop was textbook perfect. The initial defensive formation couldn't have been better. I was really proud of my people. Anyway, we'd come down on the outskirts of Tortuga City, one of the very few settlements on the whole planet. The buildings were run down and dirty and there was garbage everywhere you looked. God, the garbage! There were areas so congested some of the smaller 'Mechs crawled over them instead of going around. From the DZ, we could see heavy smoke and fire, deep into the city. Presumably it was from the fighting since some of the other companies had hit dirt before we had. When I checked in with regimental command, I was told that one of the armored companies had been ambushed by infantry. We hadn't been told to expect any organized infantry, so I assumed it was just a Molotov Cocktail party. Since we had excellent tank crews, I felt the situation would be under control shortly. I ordered the company to proceed with the mission..." Private Peter Darr Recon Lance MechWarrior, 42nd 'Mech Co "I signed on with the Cav just before the war ended, so this was my first real combat drop. I'll tell ya man, that was one hairy ride! Anyways, when we moved into the town, I was really nervous. I dunno, from what the other guys were tellen' me, I expected pirates with mortars or inferno launchers to be wait'n around every corner, so I was pretty jumpy, you know? About ten minutes in, we did take some small arms fire, but a rifle can't even chip'Mech armor. 'Specially on my Panther. My brother gave it to me. He's in the 1st Ceti Hussars. Said he captured it from a Kurita officer on Donenac, and that the snakes always beef up the armor on their officer's 'Mechs. Is that true? Cap'n Henderson said to ignore the small arms fire and move on. After a while it must have started bothering people, (cause I saw Alec, I mean Private Lutz, turn his Thunderbolt around and blow three or four building to bits with that big Sunbeam laser of his. They really came apart! Normally, even a large laser won't do that much damage to a building, so there must not have been much to 'em. The Cap'n ordered him to cut it out and get his buff moving. Pretty soon, we had to split up into lances 'cause the streets weren't wide enough to let the whole company travel together. When nothing else happened for awhile, I started switching through the other regimental channels on my emergency radio, just to see how everybody else was doing. There were an awful lot of contact and ambush reports coming in. I thought it was kinda funny, so I called it in to the Captain." Captain Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "...So Darr calls me and tells me that he's been listening to other company's freqs and that it sounded like there was something 'wierd going on'. He's brand new to the regiment and only about 20 or 21, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and checked it out myself. Our M12 briefing had said to expect only about twenty to twentyfive 'Mechs and that they would probably be centered around the castle. Since the 8th Cav had 60 BattleMechs and 35 tanks, HQ really wasn't expecting much of a problem. The contact reports I heard indicated that the enemy had considerably more than twenty five 'Mechs. I needed information, and I needed it now. If the reports were at all accurate, we could be in some serious trouble. So I ordered Master Sergeant Aimond, who pilots a Phoenix Hawk LAM, to go airborne and get me some answers." Master Sergeant Nolan Almond Recon Lance Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co ... After converting and taking off, I climbed to about 500 meters and began doing slow circles, downlinking telemetry to Captain Henderson and Lieutenant Byzik. At this point, the 42nd was still seven or eight klicks almost due east of the castle. The main body, built around the 8th and 25th 'Mech Companies, was bogged down about four klicks to the north. I could see the 61st or 103rd. The main body had been ambushed and split apart by at least five enemy 'Mech companies, with two more moving into position. After reporting this, I conducted a strafing attack against one of the reinforcing units, damaging a Warhammer, and UrbanMech, and so help me, and ancient EMP-Emperor, still bearing Terran Hegemony markings. God knows where they got that one! Returning to the main battle site, I observed at least seven Cav 'Mechs down, and about twice that number of pirate machines. I also noticed that Colonel Shields' big Orion had been virtually disemboweled. Lieutenant Egon Byzlk Company Exec, 42nd'Mech Co "I tell you, I've known Bob Henderson for years, but when we saw the pictures the Master Sergeant was sending, it was a stranger on the radio that day. "Warriors, we have friends in trouble. Let's go earn our pay", he said. His voice was so cold it was frightening. He ordered Aimond to continue harassing the pirate 'Mechs and for us to form up on him in arrowhead formation. With that, his Shadow Hawk turned and trotted away." Lieutenant Penny Beck Fire Lance Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "The company had advanced maybe one kilometer when three pirate 'Mechs stepped into the intersection ahead of us. A Wolverine, a Panther, and a Griffin. They immediately opened fire. I was on Robert, er, Captain Henderson's right flank, so I saw the 2K Shadow Hawk's PPC drop down over his shoulder and return fire. He fired pulse after pulse, but never slowed down. Egon and I were also shooting, but not with the same accuracy Captain Henderson was. He was scoring hits on all three pirates. I have to give them some credit. Not many people would have stood their ground with a full 'Mech company bearing down on them. When they didn't move out of the way, we shoved our way through. Captain Henderson punched the Panther in the face, almost shearing off its head. I fired point blank into the Wolverine's chest with my Warhammer's starboard PPC, and Egon did the same to the Griffin. One, two, three, just as simple as that. We were lucky none of them exploded, because it would have caught the 'Mechs behind us." Captain Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "Master Sergeant Aimond advised usto move around the area where he had pinpointed the reinforcing pirate 'Mechs. He said that he had vectored the 61st and 103rd 'Mech companies into the area. I was continually trying to raise anyone in the main body, but was only getting static on the radio. That meant there was a jammer out there somewhere." Master Sergeant Nolan Almond Recon Lance Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "As the company was moving around the secondary combat area, I flew back toward the ambush site. As I approached, the ECM (Electonic Counter Measures - ED) alarms began going off. There was a lot of broad band jamming going on. The problem with active jamming is that any EW-capable unit can use it to backtrack to the emitter. Sure enough, there was a standard Phoenix Hawk standing on top of a building watching the fighting. He had the more bulbous head that is a sure giveaway of a 'Mech with and ECM package onboard. Lining him up, I made my run. Since an intentional head shot is so difficult, I aimed at the roof. It crumbled under his feet as I poured everything I had into it. When the dust cleared, it was a very satisfying to see only his head and jumpjet heat exchangers sticking out from the hole. Converting from fighter to LAM mode made slagging him almost too easy. Considering what was happening, in my opinion that 'Mech jock didn't suffer near enough..." Corporal Leigh Moreau Fire Lance MechWarrIor, 42nd 'Mech Co "When we finally joined up with the command battalion, it was almost too much. There were shattered and burning 'Mechs and armored vehicles everywhere. What was left of 8th Company was gathered around Colonel Morgan's fallen Marauder. When I saw it, I knew he was dead. The dorsal autocannon was gone, and from the way the side was blown out, the ammo magazine must have gone too. Smoke was just pouring out everywhere. I prayed that if he was still alive, that he would die very soon. Nobody deserves to go that way, especially not Colonel Morgan." Capt Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd Mech Co "When the ambush hit, both the main body battalions were in what, at one time, must have been a large public park. When we got there, it was a MechWarrior's concept of Hell. There was fire and smoke everywhere. The dark red light was pierced by brilliant red, blue, and green laser and PPC bolts. The air was filled with the crack of autocannons, and the booming roar of the shells exploding. The ground was littered with wrecked 'Mechs and vehicles. Stiill operational machines, stalking their prey, or being stalked, would crash and stomp through the smoke like demons from the abyss. Those are the kinds of surrealistic images I had of those first few minutes in the combat zone. The problem with fighting pirates is that, by and large, they don't think in military terms. By that, I mean most civilians have a mental picture of 'Mech-to-'Mech combat as being a giant free for all. I'm sorry, but all fiction to the contrary, it just ain't so. If it were, our training wouldn't emphasize teamwork the way it does. You have to fight as a unit, whether it's a lance, a company, even battalions and regiments. That's what made the Star League regular army what it was. They trained as a team, fought as a team, and in some cases, they died as a team. The mentality of someone like those bandits goes against everything a professional soldier has been taught to believe in. They prefer the every-man-for-himself style. So, in a way, that contributed to the heavy casualties we took that day." Lieutenant Penny Beck Fire Lance Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "The devastation was horrible. For me, after seeing so many friends dead, all thoughts of the 'mission' were gone. There was an overpowering need for revenge. Captain Henderson didn't need to say anything. He led and we followed. Our arrowhead formation opened up so individuals could use their full battery of weapons. The pirates made no effort to act together, and because we refused to be drawn out, we drove them back. They threw wave after wave of 'Mechs at us, and each time, we threw the attacks back, hurting them a little more each time. That's not to say that we didn't take our share of losses. I lost half my lance, but when someone fell out, someone from one of the other companies would jump in and take the spot. I heard Captain Henderson on the regimental command net, now that the jamming was gone, calling for all combatcapable 8th Cav units to form on him. Pretty soon, there were several arrowheads in the fighting, even what was left of the 61st and 103rd 'Mech Companies! For the first time that morning, we were on the offensive!" Staff Sergeant Lucy Toyama Command Lance MechWarrior, 42nd 'Mech Co "The noise was goddawful! Autocannons of all calibers, lasers, PPC's, missiles! Everything all at once! I gotta say, it was some of the best fighting I've ever done. In the first fifteen minutes, I musta aced five or six 'Mechs myself. Then all of a sudden, they was gone! Just took off. Cap'n Henderson right away sent out scout patrols and told the rest of us to take five. Almost everybody cracked their hatches for some new air. Standing in HelIzapoppin's hatch, Helizapoppin's my Marauder, I checked out the rest of our 'Mechs. Lordy, lordy, lordy, you ain't never seen a more beat up bunch'a machines in all your life! Everybody had pock marks, impact craters, burns and melted armor. Some had lost limbs, or had armor breaches. I still don't know what was keepen' the Capn's Hawk together. His particle cannon and left arm was gone, shot away. There were a lotta big holes and rips in his armor, and I could hear a grinding squeal coming from one of his knee actuators as he come a hobblin' by. Whilst he was making his rounds, Lt Beck was right there with him. Us poor ol' dumb 'Mech jocks wasn't supposed to know, but those two been tight ever since she come to the company. It kinda made us happy to know that he had somebody, what with his responsibilities and all. Even more, 'cause she was one of us." Captain Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "My Shadow Hawk was ready to shut down at any moment. There were more malfunctions than working systems, but the old girl kept plugging along. The thought of giving her up was almost too much to bear. That 2K had been my first BattleMech, a relationship very much like one's first love. To continue the missions with her was suicide, but shutting her down meant leading from a tank. The clincher was the realization that my people still needed me, so shutting down was my only real option. As fate would have it, two of my scouts brought in a pirate with a CN9-A Centurion. Seemed he didn't have much belly to fight us with his friends, so he hid. When the patrol found him, he surrendered, offering to trade his 'Mech for his life. Needless to say, we came to an understanding, he and I." Captain Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "When we gathered all the survivors from the other companies, Captain Henderson separated the wounded and sent them back to the DZ with a BattleMech lance as escort. He also sent back all the tanks and regular infantry. We started out with sixty 'Mechs, thirty five tanks, and a battalion of infantry. Now, as we set out for the final stage of the mission, we had twenty five 'Mechs and about a company of jump infantry. Captain Henderson had the jumpers follow half a klick behind to keep them out of trouble and to alert us if someone tried to jump us from behind. He ordered Master Sergeant Aimond to buzz the castle and shoot anything that moved." Captain Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "Resuming the mission, our new strike force marched, in formation, up the main road leading to Paula Trevaline's castle. We shot up buildings, signs, vehicles, everything. I even saw Private Darr take a shot at a creature that must be the local equivalent of a dog. This fire was meant to draw out any ambush, because any 'Mech we killed out in the street was one less we would have to fight at the castle. Our LAM could be seen diving at unseen targets around the castle, dancing his way between the streams of cannon shells we couldn't see and the laser fire we could. I prayed the smoke I could see was from burning 'Mechs. Considering the condition of some of our machines, a battle of any length could make CLG (combat loss grouping, the concept of several units going down at about the same time due to cumulative damage - ED) a problem." Master Sergeant Nolan Almond Recon Lance Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "I had been able to damage several enemy 'Mechs, but got no complete kills. By my count, there were about thirty 'Mechs in and around the castle's courtyard. None showed any substantial damage, other than what I gave them, so I had to assume the rest had withdrawn for repairs. All this information, and I couldn't report it, because the same hit that prevented me from converting out of fighter mode had also damaged my comm gear. To the north east I could see the explosions and devastation being caused by the approaching Cavalry strike group. After a couple of hours of sweating in that damnably small cockpit, the sight made me mighty proud of those people." Sergeant Melaine Bishop Recon Lance MechWarrior, 42nd 'Mech Co. The castle was a dark, medieval thing. Complete with gables and gargoyles on the battlements. It dwarfed the Battlemechs standing in its shadow. Our formation came to a halt when we entered the field surrounding the castle's outer wall. The enemy machines stopped too. High above us, I saw the Master Sergeant's LAM heading back towards the DZ, trailing heavy smoke. I remember hoping that he would make it. The Skipper stepped out in front and he must have issued some kind of challenge, because this great big Enforcer walked out towards him. They began circling each other. The Enforcer fired several times, but never came close to the Skipper's Centurion. Without warning, the Centurion shoulder- rolled and gutshot the Enforcer twice at point blank range, knocking it down. Before it could get up, the Captain knife-edged his hand into the cockpit." SStaff Sergeant Lucy Toyama Command Lance MechWarrior, 42nd 'Mech Co. "The Cap'n's slaging the Enforcer was our signal to engage, so's I picked me out a nice, juicy T-bolt and proceeded to ruin that poor boy's whole day. Almost winged Petey Darr's Panther in the process. He still don't believe I wasn't tryin'to kill him. Hell, I couldn't kill Petey, he's the cutest fella in the whole outfit!" Corporal Hugh Moreau Fire Lance MechWarrior, 42nd 'Mech Co "I swear, we just lost 'em. During the fighting, everybody forgot all about the jump infantry. All we wanted to do was pound some pirate 'Mechs into scrap. Really! Capt Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "I did everything I could to try and lead the fighting away from the main gate of the castle. I didn't see them go, but knowing Chris Bush, their CO, he probably was inside before we got there. Besides, I was too busy trying to get rid of three of the Enforcer's friends." Editor's Note - During the fighting, troops from the 8th Cav's Bravo company infiltrated the castle. They captured records and files detailing the pirate's various raids and listings of the property stolen. They also managed to flush Dame Paula Trevaline, along with several of her top aides, from their primitive command post, leading to their eventual capture by the mech forces, waiting for them outside. Lieutenant Penny Beck Fire Lance Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co. "Now that they were on the defensive, they fought with more determination than before. Maybe desperation is a better word. They weren't using the wave attacks anymore, and only now were they trying to coordinate their attacks, not that it did them any good. Maybe they realized they were fighting for their way as much as for their lives. I guess that to a degree, I felt a little sorry for them. No matter what choices they made now, death was the only future any of them had. Hell, we were the only judge and jury many of them would ever see. I know that kind of attitude won't win me any friends, but that's just the way I feel." Capt Robert Henderson Company Commander, 42nd 'Mech Co "If possible, the fighting was even more vicious than at the ambush site in the park. With the end in sight, the enemy troops became desperate and desperate men commit desperate acts. We were down to about thirteen 'Mechs, they had about fifteen. We were slowly getting the upper hand, when Captain Bush called and said that Trevaline had been found, and was trying to escape to a Leopard class DropShip. Lieutenant Beck, Staff Sergeant Toyama and I disengaged and headed for the DropShip pad had said was behind the castle." "Sure enough, we found a Leopard there, warmed up and ready to go. The loading ramp was still down, so the passengers were not aboard yet. That was fine with me, I felt patient. A few minutes later, several people ran out of the castle, heading for the waiting DropShip, which had all of Hellzapoppin's weapons trained on the cockpit. Suddenly, Dame Paula Trevaline found herself staring up the smoking barrel of a class 10 autocannon. Thinking of all the friends and fellow warriors gone because of this woman, I can tell you that I was tempted to pull the trigger. Instead, I covered them until the infantry arrived to take them into custody." "The fighting that was still going on in front of the castle, stopped when I forced Trevaline to radio her people to surrender their weapons. When the Battle for Tortuga Prime was over and the 1st Outland Guards RCT was installed as garrison/occupation force. Two days later, we boosted off planet. I, and I'm sure many others feel the same, couldn't help but think that after this one, we had left the best part of ourselves behind." Conclusion In military terms, the operation against the pirates of the Tortuga Dominions was a stunning success. Vast areas of interstellar space were made safer and are now more secure places to live. The threat of marauding corsairs dropping from beyond the stars to rape, pillage and plunder has been removed. In human terms, the 8th Armored Cavalry is still resting and rebuilding on Fallon II, designated in their new contract with the Federated Suns, as their home base. Captain Henderson has been promoted by the people he now commands, to full Colonel, in command of a brand new 8th Cav. First Prince Hanse Davion awarded him the Golden Sunburst for "answering the call to duty in the face of near impossible odds". He also carries the memory of Tortuga Prime, and all that was lost there. For Lt. Byzik, Lt. Beck, MSGT Aimond, SSGT Toyama, SGT Bishop, CRP Moreau and PVT Darr, life is much the same as it has always been. There is much to be done if the Cav is to fight again. There is a rumor amongst the Cav mechwarriors that Col Henderson and Lt Beck may wed soon. For them all, the mission continues. Their next part in 'Operation Swift Justice' was to be a similar raid against Redjack Ryan, with the help of the 10th Donegal Guards of the Lyran Commonwealth. Recent events have made that impossible. Yet with the high level of training the Cav has reached, it is certain that they will be used soon. The mission continues..... ABOUT THE WRITER JOURNALIST JAMES RATHER HAS BEEN A TWENTY YEAR VETERAN WAR CORRESPONDENT FOR THE FEDERATED NEWS SERVICE. HE HAS COVERED THE SUCCESSION WAR AND COUNTLESS 'PEACETIME' SKIRMISHES. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT FRONTLINE TROOPS HATE TO SEE HIM ARRIVE, BECAUSE IT USUALLY MEANS SOME ACTION IS SOON TO FOLLOW. IN ADDITION TO BATTLE TECHNOLOGY, MR. RATHER HAS FREELANCED FOR SOLDIER OF THE INNER SPHERE AND MODERN MILITARY REVIEW NEWS MAGAZINES. HE HAS ALSO WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS OF THE INNER SPHERE. CURRENTLY, HE IS WORKING AT HOME ON NEW AVALON, WITH HIS WIFE MARLENE, ALSO A PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST, ON A NEW BOOK, THE NEW AFFC AND THE LIONS OF DAVION. Back to BattleTechnology 14 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1990 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com