Imperial Forces (Shireroth)/Pre Fracture
(Note: The information on this page is outdated. For force dispositions as of 1665 AN please refer to Raspur Pact Theatre Allocations, Apollonia Command, Benacia Command, and Keltia Command. For present organisation, manning, and doctrine, please see the Shirewiki entry on the Imperial Forces )
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| Active: | 22.III.1598 AN (Passage of the Martial Code) | ||
| Motto: | en toútōi níka ("in this, conquer") | ||
| In use by: | Ministry of Military Affairs | ||
| Allegiance: | Shireroth | ||
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| Type: | Combined Arms | ||
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| Size: | 2,959,903 personnel | ||
| Nickname: | Sons of Malice | ||
| Current Commander: | The Prince of Modan
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| Conflicts & Deployments | |||
The Imperial Forces comprise of three combat arms; the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy of Shireroth (INS) and the Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces (ISAF), which are both organised in accordance with the Martial Code of Shireroth as well as the Shirerithian Supplies Service which provide combat support services including logistical support, whilst, in many instances, serving as a reserve of paramilitary militia.
It does not encompass the armed forces of the Imperial States, only those under command of the MoMA.
Organisation
Overview
At the moment there are three theatre commands who which the Imperial Forces contribute; these being Apollonia, Benacia and Keltia. As the largest contributors to Apollonia and Benacia, the Imperial Forces exercise operational command in those continental theatres.
Apollonia Command consists of two Army Groups, the 1st comprising of ex-Florians, Natopians and Shirerithians, and the 2nd which is entirely Imperial. The 2nd Army Group comprises of the Army of Arboria, stationed in Natopian Arboria ever since 1647, as well as the Field Army, formerly located in Goldshire which has transferred a significant portion of its force to Kezan in anticipation of operational deployment.
Benacia Command comprises the overwhelming bulk of remainder, including the Frontier Army in central and western Benacia and the Riverine Army in Brookshire. Each named army comprises of 172,800 legionaries in three corps of eight legions each. The legions are self-contained battle-groups comprised of ten cohorts supported by vexillations of different sizes and compositions depending upon missions. These are supported by auxiliaries and state troops as circumstances require.
Shirekeep and the chief officers of state, such as the Kaiser, the Regent, and the Steward, are defended by an independent formation, the Palatini Corps, which acts as a contingent reserve and a force available to the regime to quell dissent.
The Corps of Auxiliaries handles all aspects of logistical support (being the long tail to each of the combat arms), facility defence and activities that might be euphemistically termed as "special actions". At the last resort the Auxiliaries can be formed into second line armies although these will be of obviously inferior quality.
The Corps forms the basis of Logistics Command, which comprises of seven directorates:
- Directorate of Control
- Directorate of Security
- Area Defence Directorate
- Directorate of Training
- Directorate of Signals
- Directorate of Engineering
- Directorate of Logistics
which in turn contribute to six regional garrisons and four 'hub' MoMA stations.
There are nearly two million auxiliaries broken down as follows:
- Assigned to Garrisons/Stations: 420,000
- Assigned to Directorate Reserves: 1,395,000
- Assigned to Batavian Front: 75,000
- Assigned to Keltian Front: 46,800
- Assigned to Special Project Nova: 1,084
Keltia Command is something of a secondary concern, having no permanently assigned field army or fleet, but is mainly concerned with using small commando teams and locally raised militias to cause trouble for the USSO powers and their allies, as well as defending Natopian territorial possessions in northern Keltia.
The Imperial Navy is divided into Eastern and Western Armadas supported by a coastal command responsible for defending the littoral waters of Benacia. The majority of the Eastern Armada is concentrated between the Northern Sea and Kezan in anticipation of a decisive action against the Jingdaoese navy.
U-boat "wolf-packs" have been distributed along almost the entirety of the Jingdaoese coast to prevent any Jingdaoese task force setting sail undetected or opposed. An instance of the effectiveness of this strategy was the Battle of Carama Bay which was the largest confrontation between the Sxiro-Natopian allies and the Imperial Jingdaoese Navy to date.
The Western Armada has been divided into two banner groups. The more powerful of the two, the Aurangzeb Banner, is assigned to isolating the Jingdaoese garrisons in western Benacia - a symptom of the overpowering rage felt at their lingering presence at the highest levels in the Imperial command structure.
The second banner group, the Noor Banner, is available to respond to any contingent crisis or to reinforce the Eastern Armada for an attack on the Jingdaoese mainland.
Coastal Command, comprising of patrol boats, minelayers and maritime patrol aircraft, is divided between northern, eastern, southern and western banner sectors. Smaller maritime assets, such as those maintained by the Elwynnese Republic or by the Duchy of Brookshire at Musica, are also available for patrol work and convoy escort duties. With Passasian sponsored pirates and a limited number of Jingdaoese submarines active in international waters it is important for Sxiro-Natopian commercial shipping to operate in defensible convoys, particularly for journeys between continents and to remote outposts such as New Blackstone. For the most part the convoy system is organised by the Natopian monopoly trading company SATCo whilst convoy escorts are arranged by the Imperial Navy, which possesses the largest number of available patrol craft.
There are three important Commands to the Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces; Bomber Command, Fighter Command and Strike Command. Strike Command has been assigned to the Apollonia Command, whilst Fighter Command is primarily concerned with providing air defence for the Eliria-Shirekeep-Musica core of the Imperial Republic, as well as the western Benacian theatre. Bomber command, divided between Mishalan and Goldshire, is available to provide strategic air bombardment support to either the defence of western Benacia or the assault on western Apollonia.
Personnel
| Name | Personnel |
|---|---|
| Imperial Army (IA) | 739,200 |
| Imperial Navy (IN) | 399,900 |
| Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces (ISAF) | 433,078 |
| Shirerithian Supplies Service (SSS) | 1,387,725 |
Ranks
| Rank Grade | IA/INCF/SSS Ranks | IN Ranks | ISAF Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| OF-10 | Magister Primum | Amiratus Amiratorum Grand Admiral |
Marshal of the Air Forces |
| OF-9 | Magister Generalis (General Staff) |
Admiral | Air Chief Marshal |
| OF-8 | Magister Equitum (Field Command - Army) |
Vice Admiral | Air Marshal |
| OF-7 | Magister Militum (Field Command - Corps) |
Rear Admiral | Air Vice-Marshal |
| OF-6 | Dux | Commodore | Air Commodore |
| OF-5 | Imperial Legate | Captain | Group Captain |
| OF-4 | Tribunus Laticlavius | Commander | Wing Commander |
| OF-3 | Tribunus Angusticlavius (Major) |
Lieutenant Commander | Squadron Leader |
| OF-2 | Centurion (Captain) |
Lieutenant | Flight Lieutenant |
| OF-1 | Optio (Lieutenant) |
Sub Lieutenant | Pilot Officer / Flying Officer |
| OF(D) | No Equivalent | Midshipman | Acting Pilot Officer |
| Student Officer | Cornicen (Cornet) |
Cornicen | Cornicen |
| OR-9 | Evocatus / Tesserarius | Evocatus | Evocatus |
| OR-8 | Imaginifer | Imaginifer | Imaginifer |
| OR-7 | Aquilifer | Chief Petty Officer | Flight sergeant / Chief technician |
| OR-6 | Hastiliarius / Vexillarius | Petty Officer | Sergeant |
| OR-5 | Signifer | Signifer | Signifer |
| OR-4 | Decanus (Corporal) |
Decanus (Leading Rate) |
Decanus (Corporal) |
| OR-3 | Chosen Man | Chosen Man | Chosen Man |
| OR-2 | Milities Immunes (Specialists) |
Able Seaman | Senior Aircraftman / Technician |
| OR-1 | Milities Pedes (Infantrymen) |
Pressed Man | Aircraftman |
Order of Battle
- Imperial Shirerithian Defence Council (Internal) & Joint Military Council (Allied)
- Benacia Command
- Western Benacia Garrison
- IV Corps, Exercitus Limitanei (IA)
- Western Sector Banner Group (INS)
- IV Aviation Division, 2nd Air Force (ISAF)
- Central Benacia Garrison
- III Corps, Exercitus Limitanei (IA)
- Boreal Banner Group, Western Armada (INS)
- II Aviation Division, 1st Air Force (ISAF)
- III Aviation Division, 1st Air Force (ISAF)
- V Aviation Division, 2nd Air Force (ISAF)
- Shirekeep Garrison
- Palatini Corps (IA)
- Directorate of Imperial Defence Administration (SSS)
- Directorate of Research & Engineering (SSS)
- Southern Benacia Garrison
- Exercitus Ripenses (IA)
- VI Corps, Exercitus Limitanei (IA)
- Southern Sector Banner Group (INS)
- Eastern Benacia Garrison
- Eastern Sector Banner Group (INS)
- I Aviation Division, 1st Air Force (ISAF)
- MoMA Station Sabatini
- MoMA Station Sabatini Aerodrome (ISAF)
- 2nd Banner Group, Western Armada
- MoMA Station Sagittarius
- MoMA Station Sagittarius Aerodrome (ISAF)
- Aurangzeb Banner Group, Western Armada (INS)
- Western Benacia Garrison
- Apollonia Command
- Eastern Armada
- Combined Eastern Task Force
- (Remnants) Task Force 90
- (Remnants Nat.) 1st Exploratory Fleet
- (Remnants Nat.) Raynor Fleet
- Combined Eastern Task Force
- Eastern Armada
- 1st Army Group (Port Saint Andre)
- 5th Army (Dragonmoor)
- XIII Corps (Dragonmoor)
- XIV Corps (Oldhaven)
- 6th Army (Fosvalos)
- XV Corps (Fosvalos/Misnir)
- 2nd Marine Division (Fosvalos)
- 14th (MSU-AF) Division (Fosvalos)
- XV Corps (Fosvalos/Misnir)
- 7th Army (Blyth & Saint Andre)
- Lambert-Force (Blyth)
- I (MSU-AF) Corps (Saint Andre)
- Lambert-Force (Blyth)
- 4th Tactical Air Force (Blyth, Dragonmoor, Port Saint Andre)
- 4th (MSU-AF) Air Guard Division (Port Saint Andre)
- 5th Army (Dragonmoor)
- 2nd Army Group (Fort Nider)
- Exercitus Arboriae (Arboria)
- Arboreal (Nat.) Demesne Defence Forces (Arboria)
- Arboreal (Nat.) Volunteers (Arboria)
- Exercitus Comitatenses (Goldshire & Kezan)
- 3rd Tactical Air Force (Arboria, New Aquitaine)
- Exercitus Arboriae (Arboria)
- Cibola Command (Natopian)
- Keltian Command (Natopian)
- Tapfer Command (Natopian)
- Trans-Euran Command (Constancian)
- Benacia Command
Trivia
- In contrast to many armed forces, the Shirerithians consider camouflage uniforms to be a waste of time and resources, reasoning that personnel in the field will soon become dirty enough to blend into their surroundings in any event, with a good smear of mud and engine grease being as efficacious as camo greasepaint for skin darkening. It is considered more timely and cost-effective to encourage sentries, snipers and special forces operatives to prepare their own ghillie suits to fit the local terrain and climatic conditions rather than have numpties in the clothing department of the procurement agency try to figure out standardised patterns for every probable permutation.
- Naval camouflage is an expression used in a similar vein as chocolate teapot to describe an item of dubious utility.
- The nickname for soldiers of the Imperial Forces, "Sons of Malice", was bestowed by Steward Zinkgraven in the year 1655 when, during the course of a dining-in mess evening with the legates of the Palatini Corps, he spoke approvingly of their cruelty towards the Pallisicans and Inglizi kufar encountered in the Great Western Sea.
