The Coronado Defense Forces'
23rd Armored Cavalry Regiment -
The Hong Kong Crusaders

Introduction

In a Badlands county some 250 kilometers from the Northern city-state of Red Sands, one of the most unusual military units on Terra Nova is stationed. They provide one of the few examples of interpolar cooperation in this time of tension between North and South. As the winds of war sweep across the planet, this unit does everything it can to preserve the peace. What strikes most observers as most unusual about this unit, however, are the vehicles and equipment it uses - almost none of which have been in military service for over four millenia.

This unit is the 23rd Armored Cavalry Regiment of the Coronado Defense Forces, better known as the Hong Kong Crusaders.

History

The Hong Kong Crusaders evolved from a group of volunteers who organized an emergency services team during the War of the Alliance. This group of civilians, law enforcement officers and United Mercatile Federation Army reservists brought aid to and evacuated refugees from the county of Coronado, an agricultural and aircraft manufacturing center. The UMFA high command was impressed by the unit's early successes, and offered the group the chance to join the Army and continue their operations with much greater support and resources. The group accepted, and for the rest of the War they served as the 23rd Emergency Services Company.

After the war, the Crusaders were discharged en masse from UMFA service, but almost all of them accepted offers from the Coronado government to join its fledgling defense forces. The Crusaders continued their fine tradition of service to Coronado into the early 1920's as the CDF's 23rd Armored Regiment.

The Treaty of Coronado

The nature and mission of the Crusaders changed dramatically with the election of Yves Banderas to the office of UMF Treasurer. As part of his plan to ally the UMF with the Mekong Dominion, Banderas wanted to explore the idea of military cooperation between the two governments. He had encountered the Crusaders in the past (Polaris Pictures, his film studio at the time, had produced a couple of films based on their exploits), and decided that their reputation and position in an officially neutral Badlands county made them the best candidates for this experiment.

Officials from the UMF, Coronado, and the Mekong Dominion hammered out the Treaty of Coronado in late TN 1924. Under the terms of the treaty, Mercantilist and Mekongese volunteers would serve with the 23rd under Coronado authority, subject to recall at any time by their native forces. The 23rd's mandate was expanded to conduct peacekeeping operations throughout the Badlands at the request of local governments, and they could also participate in certain exercises sponsored by the UMF or Dominion if invited to do so. (This last clause, however, was rarely exercised by the UMF and never by the Dominion.)

Trade agreements were worked out between Coronado and the polar governments to obtain armor and other equipment beyond the county's production capabilities, and the Crusaders were reformed into their current organization. To reflect their expanded capabilities and unique position, the unit was redesignated the 23rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Current Concerns

With the declaration of hostilities between the CNCS and AST in the Summer of TN 1936, both the United Mercantile Federation and the Mekong Dominion recalled their personnel and summarily withdrew from the Treaty of Coronado. The trade agreements made possible by the Treaty are technically still valid, but no companies from either pole have expressed interest in pursuing contracts with the Coronado government (to be fair, they have plenty of other concerns). The Treaty of Coronado, and the spirit of interpolar cooperation it fostered, thus officially expired in the Winter of TN 1937.

Coronado was effectively left on its own, a well-defended county with a history of neutrality and placing humanitarian concerns above polar politics. Coronado finally disentangled itself from the poles and joined NuCoal in TN 1938. The Crusaders have since become a respected force throughout the Badlands, both in the battles against the New Human Republic in the Great White Desert and for their relief efforts following the destruction of Peace River in TN 1939.

Traditions and Peculiarities

Two of the Crusader's most cherished traditions stem from a tragedy during the War or the Alliance. In the early Winter of 1914, just days after the group was incorporated into the UMF Army, the 23rd Emergency Services Company's 2nd Platoon was evacuating the small homestead community of Hong Kong when it was attacked by a Terran force. In the ensuing battle, most of the citizens of Hong Kong escaped, but the 2nd Platoon was wiped out to the man, and Hong Kong was burned to the ground.

In memory of their sacrifice, the company declared that 2nd Platoon would never be reformed, but instead would become the company's honor unit. The company also took the name Hong Kong Crusaders to commemorate their fallen comrades.

The honor unit was renamed 2nd Squadron when the regiment's current structure was adopted. The 2nd is also sometimes referred to as McKenna's Squadron, in reference to Lieutenant Bryan McKenna, the commander of 2nd Platoon who died with his men that day in 1914.

The Treaty of Coronado brought about another unique tradition amongst the Crusaders. Even though they retained the identity of a regiment, the expansions made possible by the Treaty saw the Crusaders grow in strength to that of a brigade. Colonel Jack Sanlander wanted to properly acknowledge the authority of his squadron commanders, each of whom commanded a unit which would be a regiment in any other army on Terra Nova. He therefore proposed reviving a level of rank in the Coronado Defense Forces which had fallen into disuse in other armies. The Coronado government approved, and since 1925 each squadron of the Crusaders has been commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel.

"What's with all the fraggin' antiques?"

When the decision was made to incorporate the Hong Kong Crusaders into service after the War of the Alliance, the Coronado government was faced with the question of how to equip the unit. They had initially been issued with surplus equipment from the UMFA, but these were plagued with breakdowns and parts shortages. In the meantime, the use of Northern equipment had already caused some antagonism amongst local Badlands populations during early peacekeeping exercises, and the Coronado firm Banzaidyne was eagerly looking for opportunities to break into the Badlands arms market.

Lieutenant (now Lt. Colonel) Stephen "Boomer" Brooks came up with the idea of updating antiquated designs to modern specifications. As a student of history, "Boomer" knew that the first use of combined arms forces in the peacekeeping role occurred during the late 20th and early 21st century on Earth, so he suggested using vehicles and equipment from that era, updating them to modern technological standards, and issuing them to the Crusaders.

The plan was heartily approved by the Coronado government, both as an ingenious solution to this dilemma and as a means of expanding Coronado's industrial capabilities. Bids from Banzaidyne were accepted, production begun, and vehicles which had not been seen in over four thousand years appeared on a planet thousands of light years away from where they were originally designed.

Today, the 23rd is still equipped with these modern relics. The Crusaders have had several opportunities to equip themselves with modern vehicles, but they take a great deal of pride and distinction from their "antiques." Even after a hiatus of four millenia, the vehicles and equipment of the 23rd Armored Cavalry Regiment are being used to their full potential.

Regimental Crest

War of The Alliance Crest Current Color Crest Current Subdued Crest

The crest of the 23rd ACR is developed from the original 23rd Emergency Services Company insignia. Since the company primarily operated along Federation Route 276, a UMFA Route shield with the number "23" became the unit's logo through the War of the Alliance. When the 23rd ACR was formed, the tricolor band on top of the shield was changed from the three shades of blue in the UMFA flag to the three traditional colors of the combat services within the Crusaders' structure (artillery red, armor yellow, and infantry blue).

Regimental Motto: "Shall Not Perish"

Senior Officers:

Other Notable Personalities:

Personnel in Service: 4275

Table of Organization and Equipment: Refer to TOE 1 WI 1941

Current Assignment: Garrison duty at Coronado, Khayr ad-Din

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