Editing 201st Division (ComStar)

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image          = [[Image:Com Guards 201st Division.png|150px]]
| Designation    = 201st Division [[Level IV|IV]]-kappa
| formed         = [[3030]]s
| Disbanded      = 
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname       = Snow on the Mountains (3050)<br>The Winged Warriors (3062)
| Affiliation    = [[ComStar]]
| Parent Command = [[Terran Defense Force]]
| Sub-Command    = 
}}
Suffering grievous losses at the hands of [[Clan Jade Falcon]] on [[Tukayyid]], the '''201st Division''' was effectively destroyed during the [[Word of Blake]]'s [[Battle of Terra (3058)|Operation ODYSSEUS]].

==History==
===Formation===
Prior to the initial [[Clan Invasion]], the regular rated 201st Division was known by the nickname of ''Snow on the Mountains'' and was assigned to the [[3rd Army (ComStar)|3rd Army]]. Then a IV-kappa based formation, the 201st's headquarters world was [[Robinson]] in the [[Federated Suns]].<ref name=20YU-70>''20 Year Update'', p. 70: "3rd V-iota"</ref>

===Clan Invasion===
Along with the rest of the Third Army, [[Precentor Martial of ComStar|Precentor Martial]] [[Anastasius Focht]] assigned the 201st to defend against Clan Jade Falcon during the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]]. Hidden on the opposite banks of the Prezno River near Plough Bridge and Robyn's Crossing, when [[Com Guards|Com Guard]] sappers blew bridges as the Falcons attempted to cross, the 201st and [[111th Division (ComStar)|111th Divisions]] emerged to push the Clan forces back with long-range weapons fire and artillery strikes.

Weathering ceaseless strafing runs from the Clan's [[OmniFighter]]s as they attempted to keep the Falcons' ground forces at a distance, the 201st and 111th were unprepared when the [[jump jet]] equipped [[OmniMech]]s of the [[Falcon Guards]] and [[2nd Falcon Jaegers (Clan Jade Falcon)|2nd Falcon Regulars]] succeeded in crossing the river and assaulting them from behind. Leaving the bridge heads in the hands of the Jade Falcons, both divisions retreated toward the primary target city of Olalla with the Falcon Guards at their heels, attempting to lure them into a trap set by the [[77th Division (ComStar)|77th Division]] in the heart of the city.

Unfortunately the Guards' CO [[Aidan Pryde]] refused to fall for trap, escaping the trap and shattering 111th and 201st Divisions as they withdrew to await additional troops to attempt to take the city.<ref name=T-58>''Tukayyid'', pp. 58–59: "Campaign: Clan Jade Falcon"</ref><ref name=CS-70>''ComStar'', pp. 70–71: "Battle of Tukayyid"</ref><ref name=WC-50>''Wolf Clan'', p. 50: "Days of Armageddon - Jade Falcon"</ref><ref name=JFSB-30>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', pp. 30–32: "Battle of Tukayyid"</ref>

===Operation ODYSSEUS===
:''Main Article: [[Battle of Terra (3058)]]''
Heavily rebuilding with [[BattleMech]]s in the aftermath of Tukayyid, the now veteran rated 201st was transformed into a IV-beta formation, being transferred to serve as the primary Com Guard defenders on [[Terra]]. Adopting the new nickname of ''The Winged Warriors'',<ref name=CS-85>''ComStar'', p. 85: "Terran Defense Force V-Gamma (The Home Guard, Sol star system)"</ref> the 201st made up the ComStar half of the post-Tukayyid Terran Defense Force alongside the [[mercenary]] [[Brion's Legion]].

After the soaring demand for mercenaries in the so-called [[Chaos March]] and the Legion's desire to stand on its own two feet resulted in the unit leaving the Order's employ, and the rebuilt [[104th Division (ComStar)|104th Division]] was transferred to boost the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] based [[12th Army (ComStar)|12th Army]], the 201st was left as the sole defenders of Terra, providing the Word of Blakist an opportunity to strike masquerading as the [[21st Centauri Lancers]] who'd been contracted to take over the Legion's position.

Within days of the elements of the Blakists' [[1st Division (Word of Blake)|1st]] and [[6th Division (Word of Blake)|6th Division]] arrival on Terra in January [[3058]] masquerading as the Lancers, the 201st's Alpha and Beta [[Level III|IIIs]] engaged in joint orientation exercises with the so-called Shadow Lancers, unaware as to their true identities.<ref name=TFOT-8>''The Fall of Terra'', p. 8: "Operation Odysseus - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"</ref>

With the 201st's Alpha and Beta Level IVs serving as the main security force for North America until the 21st Centauri Lancers were ready for duty, the Shadow Lancers targeted their base at Salina, Kansas as a priority target once the Blakists launched their assault against Hilton Head. Despite their numerical superiority, the Lancers CO [[Suzanne Mulvanery]] opted for a surprise attack, and on 14:00 hours February 28th a pair of Lancer fighters requested emergency landing clearance before dropping two J91 Fuel-Air Explosive devices on the base, destroying the 201st's command staff and killing or injuring almost half its combat-ready troops. However the unit's junior officers under [[Adept]] [[Edelle Kearny]] rallied the survivors of the 201st against the Blakists, but badly outnumbered by the Shadow Lancers, the remaining 22 [[BattleMech]]s of the 201st withdrew under the cover of a raging blizzard and broke free of the encircling forces.<ref name=TFOT-9>''The Fall of Terra'', p. 9: "Operation Odysseus - Homecoming"</ref><ref name=TFOT-14>''The Fall of Terra'', pp. 14–15: "Scenario 2: When the Bough Breaks"</ref>

Even while the bulk of 201st fought for their lives in North America, other elements of the division across Terra fractured in response to the Blakist invasion. In one of the more notable incidents, at 2230 hours a [[Level II]] on patrol in the Saharan Desert split almost evenly between Blakist sympathizers and loyalist forces and turned their guns on each other. While the loyalist forces triumphed, the short but bitter skirmish had effectively destroyed the command.<ref name=TFOT-19>''The Fall of Terra'', pp. 19–20: "Scenario 4: Out Come the Knives"</ref>

Heading toward the [[Gunnison Castle Brian|Gunnison]] [[Castle Brian]] in the Rocky Mountains, the remnants of 201st's Alpha and Beta IV's fought a number of rear guard actions at Sharon Springs, Ordway and Pueblo on March 1st as the Shadow Lancers pursued them,<ref name=TFOT-23>''The Fall of Terra'', pp. 23–24: "Scenario 6: Nowhere to Run"</ref> until their luck ran out the next day. Harried by the Blakist forces through the Front Range, the 201st's survivors succeeded in reaching the Gunnison Castle Brian only to discover they could not enter, having been under attack and unaware of the Blakist computer lock-down of Com Guard facilities. Trapped in a box canyon, the 201st found themselves caught between the Shadow Lancers and Blakist reinforcements moving down from Washington state. While a number of Com Guard 'Mechs were able to flee, the bulk were destroyed, with the 201st effectively ceasing to exist as a unit, signaling the end of the Com Guards' battle for North America.<ref name=TFOT-10>''The Fall of Terra'', p. 10: "Operation Odysseus - Capricious Fate/The Tide Turns?"</ref><ref name=TFOT-50>''The Fall of Terra'', pp. 50–51: "Scenario 16: End of the Line"</ref>

Another 'Mech Level II of the 201st located in Central Africa consisting primarily of the new ''[[Grim Reaper]]'' faced an ambush staged by mixed elements of the Shadow Lancers' Alpha Battalion. While the unit's ''[[Nexus (Star Python)|Nexus]]'' and ''[[Raijin (Fujin)|Raijin]]'' tied up the Blakist infantry and armor, the four ''Grim Reaper''s took out a Blakist ''[[Black Knight]]'' and ''[[Bombardier]]'' with a concentrated assault, escaping into the jungle having lost only one of the ''Grim Reaper''s.<ref name=TRO3055U>''Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade'', p. 44: "GRM-R-PR29 ''Grim Reaper''"</ref>

===Guerrilla Actions===
Those remnants of the 201st that survived Operation Odysseus launched a guerrilla war against the Blakist occupation of Terra, with the [[Rigil Kentarus|Rigel Kent]] based [[283rd Division (ComStar)|283rd Division]] serving to resupply them. Even with her court martial of several Blakist agents discovered in her unit, after the 283rd's CO [[Precentor]] Christine Reardon openly opposed the selection of [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] as the new Precentor Martial, resupply of the survivors of the 201st was shifted to the [[New Earth]] based [[34th Division (ComStar)|34th Division]].<ref name=FMC-39>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 39: "10th Army V-Nu: The Red Legion"</ref>

At least some elements of the 201st, most notably Edelle Kearny, would survive until the [[Devlin Stone]] led [[Operation SCOUR]] reached Terra in [[3078]].<ref name=JHST>''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra''</ref>

 ==Officers==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Rank
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Name
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Command
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: #efefef;" | '''Commanding Officers of 201st Division'''
|-
| [[Precentor]]||[[Oscar Wetzel]]||[[3049]]<ref name=20YU-70/>
|-
| Precentor||[[Margo Koivu]]||[[3055]]<ref name=CS-85/>
|}

==Tactics==
Unknown.

==Composition History==
===3050===
'''201st Division''' (Division/Regular)<ref name=20yup70>''20-Year Update'', p. 70</ref>
: Note: At this point in time the 201st Division was stationed on Robinson.<ref name=20yup70/>

===3055===
'''201st Division''' (Division/Veteran)  <ref name=CSSp85">'ComStar (sourcebook), p. 85'</ref>
: Note: At this point in time the 201st Division was stationed on [[Terra]].<ref name=CSSp85"/>

===3058===
*Alpha III
*Beta III

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[ComStar (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[The Fall of Terra (scenario pack)]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: ComStar]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''


[[Category:ComStar Division Commands|Division, 201st]]