by Matt Van Benschoten
The Lions of Davion Ed Note: This article was in preparation when the Unofficial Frontier War with the 'Clans' began. The present assignment of the Uhlans is still the Sarna Marches of the Federated Commonwealth, but in wartime, a unit may be reported to be in one place and actually be halfway across the Known Sphere. In the years following the Fourth Succession War the First Kathil Uhlans have become one of the most famous regiments in the Federated Commonwealth. The Lions of Davion, as they are also called, are more than just the darlings of the media. They are a highly potent and experienced unit. The diversity and strength of the Uhlans' companies make them able to handle almost any situation. To accurately tell the tale of the Uhlans we must go to the Davion planet of Kittery in the Cappellan March of the Federated Suns in the year 3026. Stationed on planet were the First Kittery Training Battalion, light 'Mechs piloted by MechWarriors who could never have had the chance to attend one of the MechWarrior academies in the Federated Suns. On a training mission the Battalion was attacked by a large number of Capellan Cicadas. Major Justin Xiang Allard, commander of the training battalion was checking sensor readings, leaving then- Lieutenant Andrew Redburn in command of the trainees. After a short battle the Capellans were beaten back. The Davion forces tended to their injured, among them Major Allard, who had most of his arm destroyed. It seemed he would never pilot a 'Mech again. The NAIS built him a new arm but while he was still getting used to it, Major Allard was accused of treason. After a short trial, he resigned, giving up home and rank and even his very name. Calling himself "Justin Xiang", he then went to Solaris, waging a one-man war against Davion MechWarriors. He was recruited by the Maskirova, the Capellan intelligence network. Winning Chancellor Maximilian Liao's favor, he became a high ranking member of the Chancellor's Advisory Council. After the matter with Xiang was over, Lieutenant Redburn went to the Lyran Commonwealth with then-Lieutenant General Ardan Sortek to escort the Archon- Designate Melissa Steiner to Davion space. The DropShip Silver Eagle was diverted by a traitor to the Kurita planet of Styx. A rescue was mounted by the Kell Hounds. As a result of this incident Redburn was given command of an assault company with twice the normal twelve BattleMechs. These light 'Mechs were piloted by the Kittery Training Battalion. After a successful campaign on St. Andre, Delta Company moved on to Hunan and there helped defeat the first battalion of Freemont's Cuirassiers. Next was the planet Algot Delta Company found itself in battle with the remnants of the 2nd Ariana Fusiliers. Delta Company was enjoying some badly-needed R &R on the peaceful planet of Bethal in the Capellan March when an Overlord carrying the battered Tau Ceti Rangers appeared insystem. Captain Redburn left control of the 23 'Mechs that had already off-loaded to Lieutenant Craon, and took a lance with him back to base to head off a Leopard-class DropShip headed for the Terra Dyne Electronics Manufacturers. Redburn found a lance of 'Mechs and infantry at the Company and engaged the 'Mechs. Justin Xiang, had come to oversee the Liao operation of stealing a new triple-strength myomer cable the Davion scientists had been working on. Xiang defeated his old friend Redburn but did not kill him. The Liao forces escaped off-planet with the new technology. Hanse Davion received news that Liao was going to do the unspeakable, attacking the irreplacable JumpShip factories on Kathil, a major violation of the Ares Conventions. The only forces close enough to save the factory were Delta Company and the company of MechWarriors who had survived the disastrous assault on Sarna. Under the command of then-heir to the throne of the Federated Suns, Morgan Hasek-Davion, these MechWarriors were reorganized as a unit integrated with the battalion of planetary militia. The First Kathil Uhlans thus formed were charged by Morgan to act as "the Lions of Davion" in a desperate fight. The Uhlans didn't have to wait long. Soon DropShips appeared. The enemy were identified as Death Commandos, the best Liao has to offer. (although other evidence has the Death Commandos participating in a raid on NAIS the same day). Aiding these warriors was a battalion of the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers. One Union class DropShip carrying Death Commandoes was destroyed by microwave transmissions from the factory. Delta Company along with a company of Militia were to defend the Yare ground station against the Death Commandoes. The Commandoes were destroyed to the last man, but not without serious casualties, Robert Craon was severely injured in the battle. The few remnants of the 5th Syrtis Fusiliers with the other two companies of Militia defeated the Tau Ceti Rangers with relative ease. The Uhlans' work was not over yet. They were to go to Sian to retrieve the spy that had given them the information about the raid. Theywereto take the Rangers DropShip back to Sian claiming they had Morgan Hasek-Davion as a prisoner. When they reached Sian they charged off the DropShip and were met by the Elite 'Mechs of House Imarra, which had been installed with the new myomers. A green gas deployed by the DropShip caused the myomers to melt once they were exposed to it. Captain Redburn was able to rescue the spy, whowas none other than Justin Xiang Allard. Allard brought with him Candace Liao, Max's daughterand Duchess of the St. Ives Commonality, with whom Allard was in love. The Davion forces were able to escape and then went to New Avalon where there was a huge celebration for them, the end of the war and the pregnancy of Melissa Steiner Davion. The Uhlans took the changes that were to occur with the joining of the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth easily once they had received replacements for warriors who had been killed. Notable among these was who took control of the new Delta Battalion of the Uhlans. The War of 3039 saw the Uhlans on Klathandu IV with Gamma Regiment of the Vegan Rangers. The High Command decided to attack the Draconis Combine before it could recover from the lashing it took in the Fourth Succession War. This would also be the first time the Federated Commonwealth would fight as a unified state. Defending against the Federated forces on Klathandu IV were the Elite 2nd Sword of Light and a battalion of the 15th Benjamin Regulars. After several months of fighting the Uhlans had seen relatively few 'Mechs, despite the stiff resistance of the armor and infantry. Leftenant General Andrew Redburn, Commander of the forces on planet, feared a trap and ordered all units to return to the main city on planet. On the way to the HQ, Beta Battalion was ambushed by two heavy battalions of the 2nd Sword of Light. Despite a very good effort on the part of Beta Battalion they were annihilated by the elite and heavy Kurita forces. The Uhlans' Beta Battalion was crushed; less than two lances of 'Mechs escaped. Although all of the enraged Federated forces would have joined in seeking revenge, only Delta Battalion was allowed to escort the armor regiments back to HQ. On the way back they encountered one battalion of the Second Sword of Light. Less than a company of the Dragons escaped that attack. In a city west of that Alpha Battalion ravaged the Benjamin Regulars while the Vegan Rangers held off the rest of the Sword of Light. In the city the Gangs of Alpha Regiment used their newly devised tactics to defeat the Regulars. This victory was short lived as two of the Kurita 'Ghost' regiments arrived on planet to bolster Kurita forces. During the subsequent 'Strategic Withdrawal' into Federated space the Uhlans were ordered to push the Kurita forces off Xhosa VII. but when they got there they found out the Dragon had left several days earlier. In 3042 House Marik sent an unofficial force to the planet Gan Singh to test backwater defenses on this world of icy gasses and valuable mines. For four months they occupied Gan Singh unopposed while the Uhlans planned their strike. Then, led by Lt General Andrew Redburn, Beta and Delta battalions arrived insystern through a pirate Jump Point and began the counterstrike. Gan Singh's cities are a giant system of ice caves; mankind cannot live on its surface. In a series of daring raids on the surface mining and climatological installations, Redburn secured the planet's surface. In 3045 a company of Uhlan Armor and a battalion of infantry were on Bora in the Sarna March helping to train Militia. House Immara, still feeling that humiliating defeat on Sian 15 years earlier attacked Bora and over half of the Uhlan forces on planet. The Immara then sent a tape that began with a gloating commentary on the action, following with the footage of the infantry being burned by fire from the skies.. In the official records of the AFFC the next several months of communiques are listed as 'garbled in transmission'. Reading between the lines, the Uhlans went to avenge their own. It appears that several units of Uhlans chased the House Immara forces to the planet of Preston and there they engaged the Liao 'Mechs. The Uhlans were getting the better of the Cappellans until a regiment of Mac Carron's Armored Cavalry arrived to push the Uhlans off planet . Redburn's message to House Immara was short and to the point, "This was notthe end. We promise you will reap the crop we've paid so much to sow. " When they returned to the Federated Commonwealth they were not disciplined but instead received men and women to replace the valiant warriors who died on Bora. Since then the First Kathil Uhlans have not been in any major operations, though it must be conjectured that they are waiting to repay House Immara.. The Badgers were most recently noted on New Aberdeen where our sources indicate they had been trying to incite a rebellion to push the Combine off that world. With the abilities and training levels of these troops, it is highly unlikely that they will remain inactive for long. You'll soon be reading more about the Lions of Davion. Name: First Kathil Uhlans
The First Kathil Uhlans of 3050 is a highly motivated and well supplied overstrength regiment which uses all different weight classes of BattleMechs. Hanse Davion saw the use of the type of fighting style Andrew Redburn and his Uhlans innovated to such great effect during the Fourth Succession War. He decided that the regiment be given the units it needed to conform to almost any situation. The Uhlans are the victims of their reputation for innovative use of weaponry; far too frequently for comfort they find themselves testing new weapons for Team Banzai. But in compensation, the Uhlans now have over one hundred and forty 'Mechs, and a large number of Aerospace fighters. Most precious to them were several JumpShips so that they would have quick reaction time to situations in the Capellan March. Hanse Davion has incorporated overstrength companies like Delta Company into other regiments across the Federated Commonwealth. The First Kathil Uhlans are a force to be reckoned with by even the most seasoned regiments. Alpha BattalionName: Alpha Battalion, First Kathil Uhlans
The heavy hitters of the Uhlans, Alpha Battalion has a large percentage of Assault or Heavy BattleMechs. In 3034 Prince Hanse's general staff had another idea for a 'Mech unit. The unit would be a company with eighteen BattleMechs, subdivided into six teams of three 'Mechs each. The idea behind these so called 'Gangs'would be for an entire team of three 'Mechs to concentrate fire upon a single 'Mech at a time, with the massed firepower from three BattleMechs destroying the target in a single salvo or at the most two. Morgan Hasek-Davion suggested the first gang be sent to the Uhlans because of their success with unconventional unit formations.The Prince agreed. The first gang outdid itself in a raid into the Capellan Confederation a year later. On the planet Ares the "Diamondbacks", savaged two companies of the 1st Battalion of the 15th Dracon. The Diamondbacks received public acclaim throughout the Federated Commonwealth. Also in Alpha Battalion is another oddity, a company of 'Mechs who are used in guerilla operations, who consequently are not there very often. What makes them different is their interest in Medieval Terran History. They even had their names changed to ones that are more colorful. They often spend time in the brig - for swordfighting in public streets when in a celebratory mood. Beta BattalionName: Beta Battalion, First Kathil Uhlans Commander: Kommandant Richard Pichot Unit Status: Regular Unit Nickname: The Leopard's Strike Unit Insignia: A Leopard's head and right paw raised to strike, against a blue background with a black border. DropShip Assignments: Gold Gryphon, (Overlord class), Wellington, (Union class), DanielAllison, (Leopard class) Beta Battalion's tale is the shortest and also the saddest. In 3037 Beta Battalion was added to the Uhlans, mostly to complement the already famous Delta Battalion. Andrew Redburn found that they were an extremely potent weapon on their own, So two years later Beta accompanied the rest of the Uhlans on their way to Klathandu V in the Draconis Combine to take part in their mission in the War of 3039. The Uhlans and Gamma Regiment of the Vegan Rangers were able to establish a Beachhead on planet. After several weeks of hard fighting between Beta Battalion and the elite 2nd Sword of Light together with a battalion of the 15th Benjamin Regulars, the Federated forces were beating the Arm of the Dragon off the planet while taking heavy losses. Beta Battalion was responding to a call about a company of heavy 'Mechs in the large forest on the western side of the continent. However when they arrived it was a full two battalions of the elite 2nd Sword of Light. The battle was short and the outnumbered and less experienced Beta Battalion was reduced to barely a lance of 'Mechs. Rallied by the victory and the arrival of two "Ghost" regiments the Draconis units were able to push the Federated forces off planet, although not without Delta Battalion destroying two companies of'Mechs while officially "covering a strategic withdrawal". Marshal of the Armies Morgan Hasek-Davion suggested to the Prince that the Battalion be reformed. Beta Battalion was given the next generation of graduates of the Kittery Training Battalion (the starting place of the Uhlans more than ten years ago). Reformed by these home grown MechWarriors, Beta Battalion was made an almost exact reproduction of Delta Battalion, except that the 'Mechs employed include some Wolfhounds. Beta Battalion has seen continuous action: a deep raid into the Capellan Confederation in 3045 and numerous smaller raids, some even going into the Free Worlds League. The unit's reputation is "they get the job done." Delta BattalionName: Delta Battalion, First Kathil Uhlans
Delta Battalion is the best of The Uhlans' three Battalions. Before the fourth Succession War Delta Company was formed by the MechWarriors of the First Kittery Training Battalion. In the war they turned the tide of several important battles, and they singlehandedly destroyed a few excellent Capellan units, finally they spearheaded the raid on Sian to retrieve the Davion spy, Justin Xiang Allard. Delta Battalion's core is the close assault overstrength company, Delta Company. After the war their losses were replaced and they were instructed to mold a superior regiment to use in almost any situation. During the War of 3039 Delta Battalion suffered relatively light losses despite manypitched battles. When Marshal Morgan Hasek-Davion fights with the unit, Lt General Redburn commands this company. For this reason, Kommandant Jackson George is the junior Kommandant of the Uhlans, recently confirmed from battlefield brevet rank. First Kathil Uhlans Unit Roster as of 3050Regimental Command Company Command Lance Command Aerospace Lance
Armor Company ("The Flames") Black Flames
Red Flames
White Flames
Blue Flames
Fire Support Company Artillery Lance A
Artillery Lance B LRM Support Lance
SRM Support Lance
Motorized Infantry Company ("The Red Legion") Command Platoon
Heavy Platoon
Medium Platoon
Medium Platoon
Jump Infantry Company ("POUNCING PUMAS") Command Platoon
Heavy Platoon ("The Ramblers')
Fire Platoon ("Fireffies)
Light Platoon ("The Vipers)
ALPHA BATTALION ("LION'S ROAR") Battalion Command Lance
Battalion Command Aerospace Lance
("Greece's Angels')
1st Provisional Company ("The Broadsword Brigade") Command Lance ("Blade Prime")
Rifle Lance ("Strong Blades)
Strike Lance ("Swift Blades")
Aerospace Lance ("Fligth Blade")
1st Gang ("The Diamondbacks") Command Team ("The Victors')
Heavy Team ("The Marauders")
Heavy Strike Team ("The Grasshoppers)
Medium Strike Team A ("The Enforcers')
Medium Strike Team B ("The Hatchatmen')
Light Strike Team ("The Panthers')
Aerospace Lance ("The Skulls")
2nd Gang ("The Wild Ones") Command Team ("The Rouges')
Heavy Strike Team ( "The Freebooters")
Tiger Lance
Leopard Lance
Aerospace Lance A ("Giyphon Lance')
Aerospace Lance B ("Phoenix Lance')
DELTA BATTALION ("TIGER'S CLAW") Command Lance
Command Aerospace Lance
3rd Provisional Company ("The Icepicks") Command Lance
Rifle Lance
Recon Lance
Aerospace Lance A
Aerospace Lance B
Aerospace Lance C
Delta Company Command Lance
Archer Lance
Demon Lance
Fox Lance
Cat Lance
Bullseye Lance
Aerospace Lance ("Joker Lance')
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