History
The Black Knights can trace their existence back to elements of the original
Star League's 5th Hussar Regiment. Composed mostly of warriors from
the Free World's League and Lyran Commonwealth, the regiment was
originally assigned to garrison the border world of Aldebaran.
Caught unaware by the Amaris coup and later assigned to Task Force
Confederation, along with the rest of the Fifth Army's XXIV Corp, the
regiment was one of the few units to survive to see the liberation of Terra
and the end of hostilities in 2779. When General Kerensky unveiled his
plans for the Exodus in February of 2784 however, the 5th Hussars were
one of only a handful of units that decided to remain behind, siding with
the Federated Suns in late July of that same year.
Originally assigned by House Davion to garrison duty in the Capellan
March, the regiment quickly found itself in the midst of a massive troop
build-up. Intended as part of Davion's offensive against House Liao, these
troops instead found themselves flung desperately against the Draconis
Combine's offensive of 2787, often with disastrous results. This period of
unrelenting horror would later become known as "The Harrowing" within
the unit, with only a single battered company surviving to see the eventual
Davion counter-offensive resulting from the Kentares IV massacre.
Late in 2799, in a show of gratitude for the unit's sacrifices on behalf of
House Davion, Prince Paul granted the hereditary title of Duke of Andro to
the regiment's Commanding Officer, Colonel Isaac Shell and authorized the
reconstruction of the unit as a household guard. Rebuilding slowly, the
Black Knights have continued to serve House Davion faithfully, consistently answering the call of their Prince in times of need.
Beginning in 3013, however, the Black Knights began to suffer from the subtle interference of Michael Hasek-Davion. Long considered a staunch supporter of the Davion family, the regiment had slowly found itself pulled into the growing maelstrom that was brewing in the Capellan March. With the death of Ian Davion on Mallory’s World, and the attempted assassination of Hanse Davion on Emerson, the regiment found itself in the very eye of the storm. Several times supplies, which were desperately needed to keep the unit operational, were redirected to other units which were loyal to Hasek-Davion.
This situation continued until March of 3024 when, after repeated petitions, Prince Hanse allowed the Black Knights the same rights and responsibilities as such units as the Kestrel Grenadiers and the Aragon Borderers. While not technically part of the Regular Army, they were no longer tied to the Transportation and Resupply Command’s Capellan March supply chain. Finally able to repair and even upgrade their antiquated equipment, the Black Knights were quick to launch several offensive raids of their own.
It was during one such raid against the Combine world of Tripoli that the unit was almost destroyed. Dropping onto the world during the winter of 3026, the Black Knights were surprised by the presence of the 11th Benjamin Regulars, which were reportedly conducting a raid against the Davion world of McComb. Ambushed and cut off from their dropships, the Black Knights were forced to fight their way through the Combine regiment, loosing almost two full battalions of ‘Mechs and their pilots before finally breaking free of the Kuritan ambush.
Upon returning to Davion space, the regiment was granted a period of rest and refit back on their home world of Andro. Temporarily deactivated due to the massive damage received on Tripoli, the regiment’s remaining troopers were forced to sit idly by and watch as Davion forces poured over the border and into Capellan space in the opening months of the 4th Succession War. Denied the opportunity to strike at their age-old enemy of House Liao, the regiment instead focused on rebuilding its shattered battalions, finally returning to active duty in November of 3029.
For the next ten years, the Black Knights relegated themselves to such mundane duty as pirate hunting in the Altair V PDZ and training exercises with the newly formed St. Ives Compact. However, with the outbreak of war again in 3039, the Black Knights were anxious for a chance at revenge. Initially disappointed when they were passed over for inclusion in the initial invasion forces, their seemingly bad luck turned out to be a blessing in disguise when the Combine forces finally counterattacked. Armed with ‘Mech designs not seen since the fall of the Star League and attacking with units unknown to Davion Intelligence, many Kurita regiments were able to easily defeat any Davion unit which dared stand against them. For a time, it seemed that the events of the 1st Succession War were about to repeat themselves. But then, just as quickly as it began, the War of 3039 came to a sudden halt.
With several units along the Draconis March heavily damaged and in need of serious repair, the Black Knights once again found themselves taking up garrison duty on the Combine border, this time on the world of Clovis. It wasn’t until July of 3044 that the regiment was finally rotated back to the Capellan March and their home world of Andro.
The arrival of the Clans during the winter of 3049-3050 caught the Black Knights completely off guard, along with the rest of the Inner Sphere. Fully expecting to be thrown into the path of the advancing Clan juggernaut, Colonel David Shell was instead relieved to find his unit assigned to help reinforce the Marik border. The Black Knights arrived at their new garrison post on the Lyran world of Dixie in June of 3052, just days after the pivotal battle of Tukayyid.
With the halt of the Clan invasion, the Black Knights spent the next five years as a garrison force along the FedCom-Marik border, constantly training for an attack that would materialize in a completely unexpected location. When the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation launched Operation Guerrero and invaded the Sarna March in 3057 after discovering that Joshua Marik had died while undergoing treatments for leukemia on New Avalon, the Black Knights were one of the first units to request permission to retaliate against the Marik invaders. When they were instead ordered to stand down after the secession of the Lyran Alliance, Colonel David Shell resigned in protest, turning command of the regiment over to his son, Alexander Shell.
Alexander’s first act as Commanding Officer of the Black Knights was to issue a scathing rebuke to Katherine Steiner-Davion and immediately order the regiment back to Davion space. Upon his return to the Capellan March in 3058, Colonel Shell immediately set out to prepare the unit for the coming Civil War. For the next four years, he pushed his men at a feverish pace, training in all types of weather and under the most severe conditions possible. This frantic training pace was all for naught however, because as time wore on and the situation deteriorated in both the Lyran Alliance and Federated Commonwealth, a small core of Loyalists began to emerge within the unit.
When the Civil War finally began in late 3062, the unthinkable happened. A small core of Loyalists, seeking to curry favor with the Archon, launched a surprise attack against their fellow troopers while the unit was conducting training exercises outside the city of Prince’s Flat. Hoping that the element of surprise would allow them the chance to decimate the regiment’s officer corps, and thereby force the surviving units to surrender, the loyalist forces, under the command of Major Terry Wilkes, ambushed the remainder of the regiment in the Bear River Gorge. The loyalists were initially wildly successful in their attempted treachery, destroying much of the unsuspecting 2nd Battalion in the opening stages of the engagement under a hail of indirect fire. Commanded by Major Arizona Vossum, the 2-5 was the lightest battalion in the entire regiment, but this didn’t stop Vossum’s troopers from putting up a spirited fight, destroying a full company of Loyalist ‘Mechs before falling.
The Loyalist’s attempted coup ultimately failed, however, when a patrol from the 701st Support Battalion stumbled upon the ambush site and called for reinforcements. Fighting a holding action while the heavier units of Major Marcie Jenkins 1st Battalion maneuvered into position, the heavy armor and mechanized infantry of the 701st suffered horrendous casualties before finally being relieved, with only three heavy tanks and 37 infantry troopers surviving to see the arrival of 1st Battalion’s assault ‘Mechs. Given the brutal fighting that had already taken place, no quarter was asked for or given between the two forces. The final assault was over in less than twenty minutes, with the Loyalist forces wiped out to a man.
Given the shattered state of his unit, Colonel Shell had no other options except to sit out the rest of the war while he attempted to rebuild. With the end of hostilities in August of 3067, the Black Knights were officially recognized for their long years of sacrifice for House Davion. As one of her first acts as Regent, Yvonne Steiner-Davion officially christened the unit as the 5th Andro Hussars and placed it on the active duty roster of the newly reborn AFFS.
Command
The Shell Family has held the title of Duke of Andro since it was first
awarded to Isaac Shell in 2799, and have held command of the Black
Knights for the last thirty-five generations, with no foreseeable end in sight. The current commander, Colonel Alexander Shell, has held command since his father's retirement in December of 3057.
Available Forces and Organization
Due to losses incurred during the FedCom Civil War, the Black Knights currently field a standard regiment of 108 ‘Mechs, the majority of which are in desperate need of repair. With the massive demand for new machines in the AFFS, the Black Knights are unlikely to field independent command units any time soon. Also, as part of their integration into the AFFS as true House troops, the Black Knights have finally adopted the AFFS's ranking system.
Technical and Transportation Support
Due to their nature as a quick response unit, the Black Knights are one of the few units which retain their entire complement of Dropships, including a pair of recently refurbished Lion Class Dropships which the unit mothballed in 2803. Interstellar transportation is provided by Colonel Shell’s father, the Duke of Andro, in the form of three older, privately owned Jumpships. The largest of these is the FSS Resolve, an ancient Star Lord Class Jumpship purchased by the Duke’s ancestor in 2978. Two smaller Invader Class Jumpships round out the modest transport squadron, the FSS Chesterfield and FSS Hastings.
Colors and Insignia
The Black Knights prefer a medium gray paint scheme, reminiscent of the early Avalon Hussars scheme, but do not highlight their machines.
The insignia of the Black Knights is a black and yellow kite shield with the words "In Omnia Paratus" written below. A black medieval knight's helm, facing to the right, is placed above it, while the Davion sunburst, along with the number "5", is found on the shield's face. The insignia is placed on right leg of Battlemechs, fuselage of fighters and side of armored vehicles as well as worn as a patch on the left shoulder of the unit's uniforms.
Officers
Graduating from the War College of Goshen in June of 3052, Colonel Alexander Shell was spared the horrors of the Clan War and spent the first years of his military service as a liaison between the Black Knights and the AFFC. Thrust into command prematurely by the situation surrounding his father’s retirement in 3057, Alexander has nourished a deep-seated hatred of the Lyran Alliance in general and Katherine Steiner-Davion in particular. Though not a highly imaginative tactician because of his inexperience, Colonel Shell possesses a particularly strong will and is gaining confidence in his position as commander of the Black Knights daily.
Tactics
Still recovering from the ravages of the Civil War, the Black Knights currently lack the cohesion and experience necessary to specialize in any single tactic, though the experience of individual warriors often exceeds those normally found in a Green unit
Summary
5th Andro Hussars "The Black Knights
Regiment / Green / Fanatical CO/1st Batt: Colonel Alexander Shell XO: Lt. Colonel Marcie Jenkins 2nd Batt: Major Arizona Vossum 3rd Batt: Major Terry Calbot
Almost destroyed in the vicious fighting of the Civil War, the Black Knights have been slow to rebuild. At present, the unit fields a standard Battlemech regiment of 108 machines, although this number is deceptive. While there are technically 108 machines present, only about 60 of them can be truly considered combat ready. Hardest hit was Major Vossum’s 2nd Battalion. Of the original 40 machines and pilots, only 6 machines and 14 pilots survived the Loyalist ambush. It has only been in the past two months that 2nd Battalion was truly considered active again, with 21 machines nominally combat ready and another 15 still undergoing extensive refit and repair.
5th Hussar Interceptor Wing
Wing / Regular / Reliable CO: Light Commodore Randolph Torrensilli
The 5th Hussar’s aerospace assets survived the Civil War more or less intact, with only three fighters shot down during the fighting. The unit has recently made up for those losses with the addition of a full squadron of new Sparrow Hawk fighters intended to replace losses and other airframes worn out beyond repair.
5th Hussar Combat Auxiliary
Battalion / Green / Reliable CO: Major Raymond Nagato
When the 701st Support Battalion was reclassified following the end of the Civil War, Colonel Shell took the opportunity to shift the focus of the unit from heavy armor support to a more mobile reconnaissance force. The regiment’s single company of Marines can also be found in this unit. Normally employed only for base security, they are also occasionally used in their more traditional role during boarding actions against enemy spacecraft.
