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Royal Black Watch Regiment

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Royal Black Watch Regiment.jpg
Royal Black Watch Regiment
Ghosts of the Black Watch
Nickname The Black Watch
Affiliation Second Star League
Star League
Hegemony Armed Forces
British Army
Parent Command Second Star League Defense Force
191st Royal BattleMech Division

The Royal Black Watch Regiment was an elite combat unit of the Star League Defense Force and can proudly trace its roots back to the famed Black Watch Regiment of the former Terran nation, the United Kingdom. As a "Royal" unit, it was also part of the armed forces of the Terran Hegemony.

History[edit]

The Black Watch During the Star League[edit]

Sometime after the founding of the Northwind Highlanders, the Black Watch was a society dedicated to maintaining its own traditions, some with ancient Celtic roots.[citation needed]

The unit was eventually built up back to regiment strength and renamed the Royal Black Watch Regiment either before or during the First Star League era (2571–2781).[citation needed]

Until the death of First Lord Richard Cameron II in 2766, the Royal Black Watch Regiment was part of the 191st Royal BattleMech Division (The Zavijava Division) and served as the personal bodyguards of the First Lord and his family. As such, they were headquartered at the Court of the Star League in Unity City, but accompanied the First Lord wherever he traveled. The Black Watch was a Combined-Arms Regiment that consisted of two battalions of 'Mechs, one battalion of mixed Regular Army infantry and Marines, and a full aerospace fighter wing.[1]

Destruction and the Ghosts of the Black Watch[edit]

Destruction of the Black Watch.

The Black Watch was destroyed during the Amaris Coup while making a desperate last stand on Terra. Having resisted Fourth Amaris Dragoons much longer than anticipated, Stefan Amaris is said to have personally authorized the use of a tactical nuclear device to finish them, having exhausted all other means trying to dislodge the unit. Several members of the Regiment escaped however and formed the Ghosts of the Black Watch Guerrilla movement, which doggedly a took the fight to Amaris troops time and again until relief finally arrived. A young Colleen Schmitt, granddaughter of the unit commander, provided intelligence to IV Corps for their assault across the Cascade Mountains and then into Unity City.[2][3][4][5][6]

Reactivation[edit]

Some members of the Northwind Highlanders, the most fanatical devotees of the Star League and its ideals, created a secret order, resurrecting the Black Watch Regiment and keeping it alive in secret.[7][8] Until 3058, no one outside a select few in the Highlanders knew of its existence, but everything changed with the resurrection of the Star League that year. Watch members, then a company in size, found themselves divided. One faction wanted to go immediately to the new First Lord, Sun-Tzu Liao to act as his personal guard, but the other faction, led by Captain Neil Campbell, believed they first should prove themselves. Campbell convinced his team to accept his plan: join MacLeod's Regiment in Task Force Serpent to prove themselves worthy.[9] The group revealed its existence to the expedition leader, Morgan Hasek-Davion, and they later joined the expedition. The Watch fought honorably on Huntress, but at a very high price: the Smoke Jaguar warriors, enraged by their use of the Watch insignia, focused their hatred against them. Only two or three 'Mechs survived the battles.

However, once returned to the Inner Sphere, the Watch was once again rebuilt in the Second Star League era (3058–3067) and served as the personal bodyguards of the First Lord.[10]

Jihad[edit]

The Word of Blake Jihad was not kind to the venerable unit, and it was reported destroyed during the conflict. After being informed that the Eridani Light Horse 19th Striker Regiment was trapped in Dieron, the Black Watch left Orestes and, with DCMS aid, traveled to Dieron via a pirate point, but were surprised by a Blakist WarShip. The Black Watch lost two of their own DropShips to the WarShip, and a third DropShip made an uncontrolled reentry.[11]

However, despite the losses, which included Campbell, there were survivors. On 4 January 3069, members from the Royal Black Watch apparently assisted in rescuing Hohiro Kurita, son and heir of the comatose Coordinator Theodore Kurita from a Blakist prison camp on Dieron.[12]

Among the survivors was Loren Jaffray, who took command of the group and renamed it the Ghosts of the Black Watch (though sometimes call "The Blood Dragons"[13]), reinforcing it with the survivors of the Northwind Hussars. Hunted by the Blakist elite Opacus Venatori of Precentor Berith, they suffered losses in every encounter. Finally, on 27 March 3074, he led them on a recon mision to Odessa, but it was a trap set by the Venatori. The Ghosts managed to escape from the battle – except Jaffray, who (officially) was killed there.[14]

ilClan[edit]

In the wake of the ilClan Trial, the remaining Warriors of Clan Jade Falcon voted 67-5 to take on the role of a reborn Royal Black Watch Regiment for the protection of First Lord and ilKhan, Alaric Ward.[15]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Royal Black Watch Regiment
Colonel Hanni Schmitt 2766[16][17][4]
Captain Neil Campbell 3058 - 3067[18][19]

Other Officers[edit]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2764[edit]

Royal Black Watch Regiment[1]

  • BattleMech Battalion
  • BattleMech Battalion
  • Infantry Battalion
  • Ground Aero Wing

2766[edit]

Royal Black Watch Regiment[21]

  • Surviving Elements of the Black Watch Regiment

3059[edit]

Royal Black Watch Company[18]

  • Command Lance
  • Assault Lance
  • Pursuit Lance

3062[edit]

Royal Black Watch Regiment (Battalion/Elite/Fanatical)[22]

Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Luthien.

3067[edit]

Royal Black Watch Regiment (Elite/Fanatical)[19]

  • CO: Colonel Neil Campbell
    • XO: Major Annette McHenry
Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Orestes.

Color Scheme[edit]

The Black Watch usually paints its 'Mechs green, with bands of the Black Watch Tartan randomly encircling the 'Mech. Additionally, all 'Mechs have the Black Watch insignia molded into the armor of the right arm shoulder assembly.[23]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Field Manual: SLDF, p. 39
  2. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 8
  3. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 73: "Battle for Unity City", Schmitt leads a company to meet the advancing Fourth Amaris Dragoons
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Northwind Highlanders, pp. 17-19: "Fall From Glory"
  5. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, pp. 103-104: "Crossing the Columbia"
  6. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, p. 103: "In the Night"
  7. ↑ Northwind Highlanders, p. 10
  8. ↑ Combat Manual: Mercenaries, p. 58: "Northwind Highlanders"
  9. ↑ Northwind Highlanders, p. 11
  10. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, pp. 97–98
  11. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots 3070, p. 27
  12. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 46: "The Jihad in Review"
  13. ↑ Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, p. 26: "JR7-K Jenner"
  14. ↑ Lost Ghosts, pp. 109–118
  15. ↑ ilClan, p. 104: "Blood That Runs the Color of Jade"
  16. ↑ Technical Readout: 3067, p. 38
  17. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 73: "Battle for Unity City"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Twilight of the Clans, p. 52
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 100: "Star League Defense Force Deployment Table"
  20. ↑ Northwind Highlanders Command Lance, Craig Gulledge Pilot Card
  21. ↑ Northwind Highlanders, p. 17: "Scenario 3: Fall From Glory", "Situation", Schmitt and her warriors make their stand at Gorst Flats
  22. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, p. 100: "Royal Black Watch Regiment Unit Profile"
  23. ↑ Field Manual: Comstar, pg.100

Bibliography[edit]

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