Editing 3rd Drakøns

{{Update Needed|[[More Tales of the Black Widow]]|[[Blood Legacy]]}}
{{otheruses|the FRR regiment|the unit reformed by Clan Ghost Bear|3rd Drakøns (Rasalhague Dominion)}}

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image = [[File:3rd Drakons.jpg]]
| Designation = Third Drakøns Regiment
| Formed = [[3034]]
| Disbanded = [[3073]] (disbanded)
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname = 
| Affiliation = [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]
| Parent Command = [[Drakøns]]
| Sub-Command = 
}}
The '''Third Drakøns''' were among the first of [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]'s [[KungsArmé]] units formed, seeing heavy action against the Clans during the initial invasion and [[Great Refusal]].

==History==
===Formation and the Ronin War===
Of the various unit types in the Free Rasalhague Republic's KungsArmé, the [[Drakøns]] were designated as the Heavy [['Mech]] [[regiment]]s.<ref name=20YU1>''20 Year Update'', p. 48</ref> Formed in late [[3034]], the Third was actually the first complete Drakøn regiment formed, and came into being as a fully functional combined-arms regiment with 'Mechs, vehicles, infantry and aerospace support.<ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 106</ref>

During the [[Ronin War]] the Third were assigned to attack [[Orestes]], [[Warlord]] [[Vasily Cherenkoff]]'s rally point for [[2nd Night Stalkers|Johiro's Regiment]] of the [[Night Stalkers]], the [[22nd Rasalhague Regulars|Twenty-second Rasalhague Regulars]], and the [[1st Altenmarkt Militia|Altenmarkt Militia]] to launch attempts to reclaim breakaway worlds. The Third arrived and tied all three regiments up, aided by the [[Legion of the Rising Sun]] and [[Dismal Disinherited]] [[mercenary unit]]s on loan from the [[Lyran Commonwealth]].

With mercenaries attacking the Rasalhague Regulars and Night Stalkers, the Drakøns rolled over the Altenmarkt militia and captured vital supplies, before gaining air superiority over the planet. Despite protests from the [[LCAF]] military advisers assigned to the Third, after it became apparent to ''[[Överste]]'' Jorges Ulbrecht that Johiro's Regiment was attempting to protect the largely Combine citizens of Kiertenbach, the ''Överste'' made contact with ''[[Tai-sa]]'' Johiro and struck a deal to help evacuate the citizenry if the regiment would stand down. After watching for any treachery, the Night Stalkers stood down and surrendered to Republic forces in mid-August.

Now free to bring all its forces to bear against the remaining Twenty-second, the Republic forces sent the mercenaries on a flanking maneuver as the Drakøns hit the Twenty-second head on. After heavy strafing runs from the Drakøns air wing, the Regulars found themselves smashed between the fresh mercenaries and the revitalized Drakøns, surrendering after 50% losses.<ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'', pp. 113–114</ref>

===Clan Invasion===
As of [[3049]], the veteran-ranked Third were stationed on [[Skandia]], capital of the [[Skandia Province]].<ref name=20YU2>''20 Year Update'', p. 51</ref> During the [[Clan Invasion]] the Third were moved to [[Memmingen]] which [[Clan Wolf]] targeted in their fifth wave in late [[3051]]. With support from the [[Memmingen Militia]], the battle initially favored the Drakøns when [[Star Colonel]] [[Marcos Radick]] was forced to bid only a small force to beat [[Khan]] [[Natasha Kerensky]], so that the defenders had superior numbers. The highly mobile strategy adopted by the Drakøns worked well, but increasingly angered Radick. After the Drakøns slipped from his grasp during a battle at Danton, the enraged Radick ordered Danton and the neighboring village of Greenvale razed as an example to the planet, causing hundreds of civilian casualties. Fearing more casualties, the Third chose to retreat offworld to [[Satalice]] but not before broadcasting their vow to Radick that they would never forget Danton and Greenvale and would make him pay. The '''Memmingen Militia''' surrendered or was destroyed.<ref name=WCSp64>''Wolf Clan Sourcebook'', p. 64</ref>

Arriving on Satalice, the Third joined the [[Satalice Militia|First]] and [[Satalice Militia|Second Satalice Armored Division]] in defending the planet from the combined forces of the [[4th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Fourth]] and [[13th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Thirteenth Wolf Guards]]. Unusually the Clan forces dispensed with Bidding in favor of a competition to see which unit could claim more trophies (insignia ripped from downed enemy 'Mechs). During the early skirmishes, ''[[Överste]]'' MacGalliard realized that both [[Cluster]]s weren't working together and reorganized his defense toward using his 'Mechs to lure the Clans into ambushes. While effective against ground forces, it was quickly abandoned when [[OmniFighter]]s were shifted to respond first.<ref name=WC65>''Wolf Clan Sourcebook'', p. 65</ref>

The fighting on the Blue Lava Fields was perhaps the most notable of the battle for Satalice, where a [[Company]] of Drakons led by Elected Prince [[Ragnar Magnusson]] was chased into the lava fields by the Wolf Spiders. There [[Star Commander]] [[Phelan Kell|Phelan]] defeated and captured Elected Prince Magnusson, shattering the morale of the Third, who again retreated offworld, this time to their homebase of Skandia.<ref name=WC65/>

The Third's luck at escaping destruction ran out on Skandia in early [[3052]], when Clan Wolf placed top priority in targeting one of the few remaining Rasalhague 'Mech regiments to shatter the morale of the Republic. The [[7th Battle (Clan Wolf)|Seventh]] and [[16th Battle (Clan Wolf)|Sixteenth Battle Clusters]] were relentless from the moment they set foot on the planet, the tough and unforgiving battle ending with the destruction of the last Drakøn 'Mech two weeks later.<ref>''Wolf Clan Sourcebook'', p. 69</ref>

===Post–Clan Invasion===
After the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], the surviving pilots of the Third were assigned to garrison [[Ueda]] alongside the similar battered [[4th Drakøns]], the reconstructed unit reaching [[Battalion]] size by [[3054]] at the latest.<ref name=OR>''Objective Raids'', p. 43</ref>

The Third was the Republic's contribution to [[Operation BULLDOG]], the reborn [[Star League]]'s assault on the [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] invasion zone, the veteran unit eager for revenge for the invasion, uncaring about which Clan they exacted it on. The Third was part of the [[SLDF]] coalition force launched from [[Dumaring]] on 13 May [[3059]], joining the assault on the Smoke Jaguar held world of [[Kiamba]] alongside the DCMS's elite [[First Genyosha]], the [[Com Guards|Com Guard]] [[11th Division (ComStar)|Eleventh Division]] and the Davion [[AFFC]]'s [[First Kestrel Grenadiers]]. Caught off-guard due to the efforts of [[Operation BIRD DOG]], the commander of the [[362nd Assault (Clan Smoke Jaguar)|362nd Assault Cluster]] reacted too late to deploy his [[aerospace fighter]]s and the SLDF taskforce landed without incident. Facing overwhelming odds, the 362nd was easily destroyed, with the Drakøns and the other coalition forces suffering only minimal losses.<ref name=TDR>''The Dragon Roars'', pp. 11, 15</ref>

After the collapse of the Jaguar occupation zone, the Third accompanied [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] to [[Huntress]] to save [[Task Force Serpent]]. The Third Drakøns fought on behalf of the Republic in the [[Great Refusal]], facing [[Clan Hell's Horses]] [[Alpha Keshik (Clan Hell's Horses)|Alpha Keshik]] in the rolling hills of the Breyan district. In the most surprising result of the Refusal, while the Horses initially repulsed the Rasalhague unit, this only spurred the Drakøns on to take control of the ridge that was their objective.<ref name=WOK>''Warriors of Kerensky'', p. 25</ref><ref name=TOTC>''Twilight of the Clans'', p. 15</ref>

In mid [[3065]] with the Wolves busy with the [[Clan Jade Falcon|Jade Falcons]] and [[Clan Ghost Bear|Ghost Bears]], and hoping to repeat the [[Fourth Kavalleri]]'s successful deep raid of [[3063]], the Third were finally allowed to raid the Clans. Unfortunately the Third's agitation to raid had an ulterior motive, to locate Star Colonel Marcos Radick. While [[ComStar]] intelligence indicated his death in the [[Refusal War]], the Third Drakøns steadfastly refused to accept that the odious Star Colonel and his unit had not survived and set out to locate their hated foe.

Acting with poor intelligence and no support, the Third's berserker drive across Wolf Clan territory degenerated into a tense game of cat-and-mouse. Khan [[Vlad Ward]] positioned his forces to cover routes his opponent would logically take, only for the Third rampage off in an entirely different direction. Ultimately the Drakøns' luck could not last forever, and the Wolf Clan finally caught up with the Third on [[Thun]]. With ''Överste'' Dahlstrom's death, her second in command executed an impressive fighting withdrawal and pulled the battered Third Drakøns back to Rasalhague space.

The mauled regiment attempted to rebuild while reining in the hotheads who survived. The Third's loyalty rating was downgraded to reflect their disobedience.<ref name=FMuU>''Field Manual: Updates'', pp. 91–92</ref>

===Jihad and conversion to Clan Cluster===
In 3073, the Free Rasalhague Republic officially merged with the [[Ghost Bear Dominion]], reuniting the Inner Sphere nation with rest of Clan dominated domain. As part of merge, the [[3rd Drakøns (Rasalhague Dominion)‎|Third was converted]] into a Clan Cluster assigned to the [[Tundra Galaxy (Rasalhague Dominion)|Tundra Galaxy]].<ref>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 113: Unit's rebirth as a BattleMech Cluster honoring old Free Rasalhague Republic's active and defunct Regiments by the same name including the Third</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 the 3rd Drakøns
|-
| ''[[Överste]]'' || [[Jorges Ulbrecht]] || [[3034]]<ref name=20YU1/>
|-
| ''Överste'' || [[Adrian MacGalliard]] || [[3049]] – [[3051]]<ref name=WCSp64/><ref>''Era Report: 3052'', p. 188: "Touchpoint: Satalice"</ref>
|-
| ''Överste'' || [[Joan Dahlstrom]] || [[3062]] – [[3065]]<ref name=FMuU/>
|-
| ''Överste'' || [[Gordon Jorgensson]] || 3065 – [[3067]]<ref name=FMuU/>
|-
|}

===Other Officers===
* Between 3062 and 3065, Gordon Jorgensson was the Third's executive officer.<ref name=FMuU/>

==Tactics==
The Third were best known for their headlong rush into battle, with Viking war cries blasting from their speakers, which worked well against an unprepared foe. When Joan Dahlstrom was the unit's commander the Third favored physical attacks so much that many MechWarriors traded some ranged weaponry for [[Hatchet]]s, [[Sword (weapon)|Swords]], and other close-combat weapons. The physical attacks worked surprisingly well against the Clan units they faced.<ref>''Era Report: 3052'', p. 34</ref>

The pilots of the Holy Valkyrie Aerospace Wing used ''[[Shilone]]'' fighters exclusively, even repeatedly declining new ''[[Huscarl (Aerospace Fighter class)|Huscarl]]'' [[OmniFighter]]s, making up for their antiquated equipment by employing four fighters per flight instead of the traditional two.

==Composition History==
===3034===
'''3rd Drakøns''' - 1 Combined-Arms [[Regiment]]

===3049===
'''3rd Drakøns''' - 1 Combined-Arms Regiment

===3054===
'''3rd Drakøns''' - 1 [[Battalion]]

===3062===
'''3rd Drakøns''' (2 Battalions/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=FM:CSp69>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 69: "3rd Drakøns Unit Profile"</ref>
* CO: ''[[Overste]]'' [[Joan Dahlstrom]]
** XO: ''[[Overste-Lojtnant]]'' [[Gordon Jorgensson]]

'''Holy Valkyries''' (Company/Regular/Fanatical)<ref name=FM:CSp69/>
* CO: ''[[Major]]'' [[Denise Fanslow]]

'''1st Ueda Cavaliers''' (Battalion/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:CSp69/>
* CO: ''Overste-Lojtnant'' [[Dennis Dressel]]

'''[[3rd Ueda Infantry]]''' (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:CSp69/>
* CO: ''Overste'' [[Janis Hovi]]

===3067===
'''3rd Drakøns Regiment''' (2 Battalions/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=FM:Up99>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 99: "Kungsarme Deployment Table"</ref>
* CO: ''Overste'' Gordon Jorgensson

'''Holy Valkyries Wing''' (Regular/Fanatical)<ref name=FM:Up99/>
* CO: ''Major'' Denise Fanslow

'''1st Ueda Cavaliers Armor Battalion''' (Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:Up99/>
* CO: ''Overste-Lojtnant'' Dennis Dressel

'''3rd Ueda Infantry Regiment''' (Regular/Reliable)<ref name=FM:Up99/>
* CO: ''Overste'' Janis Hovi

==Notes==
*The Third's insignia is a silver fox with the word "Memmingen" written underneath, honoring both the "Silver Fox" [[Haakon Magnusson]] and the civilians slain on Memmingen.
*Like all other KungsArmé regiments save the [[1st Tyr]], the Third used the KungsArmé light blue paint scheme, highlighted by grays and reds when on parade, adopting appropriate camouflage as required.<ref name=FMCS1>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 67</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
3rd_Drakøns_logo_CMKurita.png|Original 3rd Drakøns logo ca. [[3039]]
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
* ''[[The Dragon Roars]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3052]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: ComStar]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Historical: Brush Wars]]''
* ''[[Objective Raids]]''
* ''[[Twilight of the Clans]]''
* ''[[Wolf Clan Sourcebook]]''
{{div col end}}

[[Category:Free Rasalhague Republic Commands|Drakøns, 3rd]]