Imperial Army

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Image:AT-AT.jpg

The mighty AT-ATs led the charge against the Rebel Base on Hoth.

The Imperial Army was a branch of the Imperial armed forces which had primary responsibility for land-based military operations.

The Imperial Army maintained garrisons across the galaxy. In addition to fielding infantry, it operated a large number of vehicles including ground walkers, such as AT-ATs and AT-STs. Stormtrooper units were often attached to garrisons or field units to add extra support, although their command structures were independent. On garrisoned worlds, the Imperial Army worked in conjunction with the constabulary, Stormtroopers and the Imperial Starfleet to maintain order and security.

Organization

The Imperial Army used an organization and ranks broadly translatable to Terran equivalents.

Eccentricities

Combat, command and support

The Imperial military believed in strong discrimination between the first and the two latter classes. Any commander, even a Sergeant, was considered part of the "command element" and was not counted among the troopers.

Augmentation

A unique Imperial concept was that of Augmentation. On a small scale, it could be compared to the "attachments", while on a larger scale it may be compared to active cadre for reserve divisions. Yet neither would match the scale of a full-scale Imperial augmentation process.

The Imperial Army in its regular state was extremely small - just over a million men in all per sector. Augmentation was a scheme designed to expand that hundreds of times over while minimizing the use of senior officers (which were scarce).

Perhaps to help facilitate this process, support in the Imperial Army was quite decentralized. For example, armored and repulsorlift platoons had organic mechanic sections not counted in the OOB, while higher command did not have the usual assortment of support units which are common in other militaries.

Read also: Fully Augmented Imperial Sector Army calculations

Tactical subunits

Squad

The building block of the Imperial Army. There were nine basic types of squads, all of which are commanded by sergeants. The Imperial symbol for the level of organization is a single vertical line: |

Infantry units are called "Line" in the Imperial Army. Similar to modern armies, they are being increasingly equipped with light repeating blasters. There are also heavy weapons squads with heavy repeating blasters.

Mechanized infantry is symbolized by the repulsorlift squads (2 "APCs"/squad). There are two types - the repulsorlift, which may be compared to an APC unit and the heavy repulsorlift, which is more a IFV. Curiously, the task of comm intercept is decentralized to the squad level, with Sergeant's vehicles packing an extra DER and operator for such a purpose. Even more curiously, while the ISB's language is ambiguous, the repulsorlift squad does not seem to integrate its own dismounted infantry. Integration is at the company level.

Armor and artillery sections have two types, heavy and light. A light section has 2 pieces versus 1, but of course of a lighter vehicle.

There is a scout "lance" that is only 4 strong plus a sergeant. They are generally equipped with repulsorbikes. Here, the Empire emphasizes unit heritages and pride, in contrast to its more usual practices.

Both sharpshooter and engineering squads are part of "Special Missions". Apparently, regular Imperial units have no use for designated marksmen nor the need of the usual engineering support in Terran militaries.

Platoon

These are commanded by lieutenants, with a Sergeant Major as deputy. The symbol for a platoon is a kind of L: |_

Unless under special arrangements, a platoon may request fire support, but not directly. Instead, the request is routed up the chain of command to battalion, which then makes the arrangements. This suggests a centralized scheme for fire support.

Infantry platoons include the light and assault platoons, with the assault platoon having more units with repeating blasters. The light units are "pure rifle" units with no medium/heavy support weapons.

Mechanized units include the repulsorlift and heavy weapons repulsorlift units, as well as the armored platoons. Of special interest is the presence of specialized, separate command vehicles at this low level. Of equal interest is the decentralization of maintenance support - maintenance sections with transport vehicles are organic to all mechanized platoons.

Scout platoons tend to have two lances and two regular line squads.

There are also artillery platoons.

Finally, there are special mission platoons - commandos. These are a mix of sharpshooter and engineering and heavy weapons squads.

Tactical units

In contrast to the overabundance of support assets at lower levels, the higher levels will prove increasingly deficient (by Terran standards) in organic assets.

Company

This is where the Imperials decide to have a staff. Specialized medical, technical and logistics sections are integrated at this level, as well as an executive officer also in charge of intelligence. Supporting the humans of the section are a bunch of droids of various types. This allows them certain independence, and additional staff can be added for longer operations.

The Company's organization symbol is an upside down squarish U.

The repulsorlift units at this level turn from being APC-units to being mechanized infantry. Light platoons are integrated with vehicle platoons. Counting the platoon- and company-level support vehicles, the number of repulsorlifts compare favorably to a small Terran battalion.

Assignments to Repulsorlift companies, can, incidentally, be good or bad assignments. A good assignment is an assignment to a company of a repulsorlift regiment. These are tasked as far as possible for maneuver warfare against light opposition. A bad assignment is the assignment to a company belonging to either a line or assault regiment - in which case the company is generally used as mechanized assault troops in the decisive sector, presumably for shock effect (see Talk page).

There are two types of armored companies - "attack" and "breakthrough". The breakthrough company is all tanks for rapid attacks up to 72 hours long, while the attack company has fewer tanks but a platoon of heavy weapons repulsorlift. A heavy tank breakthrough company numerically comparable to two Terran companies. Any light tank company is comparable numerically to a small Terran armored battalion.

Dedicated command vehicles again make an appearance at the company level and in the case of the armored units are apparently quite distinctive, which leads to questions of how many commanders are lost to this lack of anonymity.

The artillery battery is also comparable in number of tubes to Terran artillery battalions. Perhaps reflecting the direct-fire nature of typical Imperial artillery, there is no FDC at all.

Reconnaissance reaches a head in the Imperial Army here. There is a scout company ("troop" in a weird coincidence with Terran traditions) with four scout platoons, but there are no larger recce formations.

Special mission platoons are slapped together with an all-bike scout platoon to form a special missions company.

Finally, there are of course the run-of-the-mill line and assault companies, with the latter being more heavily equipped with repeating blasters of larger caliber.

Battalion

The battalion introduces the concept of a CP in the Imperial Army, where all the support elements reside. The support staff is doubled over the company. There is also a new headquarters officer who acts as a kind of chief of staff to coordinate the support elements and run a security platoon dedicated to guarding the battalion headquarters.

Battalions are the lowest-level units that Imperials consider dropping. A limited amount of combined arms integration takes place in some battalion types. Again, an unaugmented battalion is comparable to its Terran equivalent in personnel numbers, but the number of vehicles can be much larger.

A battalion's symbol is a rectangle.

Special missions reach a head here - the largest Special Mission formation is the battalion. The support personnel are support-trained engineers (see engineering squads above). The HQ is expected to fight, unlike most others.

The artillery battalion has a comparable number of guns to a Terran artillery regiment or even brigade. Three batteries are combined with an assault company.

Repulsorlift battalions have a scout troop as well as three repulsorlift companies. With the lack of organic recce assets, the ground-recce ability of a major Imperial unit thus seems to depend greatly on how many repulsorlift battalions it has.

There are also armored battalions - a combined arms formation mixed with a repulsorlift company.

There are also line and assault battalions, the latter having an organic mobility for some of its units due to a repulsorlift company.

Regiment

Regiments are commanded by lieutenant colonels. The staff complement is the same, with a few more droids than the battalion. However, the regiment does have an organic repair workshop unit with nanotech capability. The regiment contained approximately 2,500 troops, with approximately 1,500 support personal.

Regimental HQ often prefers to lounge on orbiting ships. Only when command continuity is lost or in long term, independent (over one month) campaigns does the Empire start dropping the HQs onto the ground.

A regiment's symbol is roughly flag shaped

All regiments are combined arms units. Line regiments have two line, one assault and one repulsorlift battalion for use against low resistance. In combat, the unit will use its two more heavily equipped battalions for the attack. COMPNOR regiments, made of CompForce (i.e. fanatical but ill-trained troops of COMPNOR) soldiers have the same basic structure, but don't see the need for security.

Assault regiments have two assault, one line and one armor battalion. They are dropped for attritional warfare against a known point of resistance. Upon completion of the assault, a line regiment is dropped to hold it and the assault regiment bounds for its next objective.

Repulsorlift regiments, with 3 repulsorlift battalions and an armor battalion are used for maneuver warfare over large areas with scattered light resistance.

Armor (2 armor + 2 repulsorlift) and vanguard armor (3 armor + 1 repulsorlift) are used only in battlegroup level actions. Too many tanks, too few infantry.

Finally, there is the artillery regiment, which has almost as many tubes as a Terran artillery division. In addition to the guards at battalion level, there is a full assault battalion organic to regiment. There is some confusion as to whether there is an armor battalion or a scout troop organic to the artillery unit. The latter is probably more useful.

Operational formations

These formations are used for major offensives. Battlegroups can attack one point of great resistance or several points of smaller resistance within a planet. The normal tasking for a Corps is an entire planet. In very tough situations, a whole Army may be tasked to a planet, but usually an Army will have several corps on different planets instead.

Perhaps in awareness of the increasingly challenges of command (and the increasing requirement of political reliability), the number intervening ranks between command levels increased.

Battlegroup

In the Old Republic era, many divisions are apparently arranged in something similar to the British Regimental System, with divisions associated with particular planets or beings. The Empire preferred the unified Army. The Imperial Army staff thus replaced the "Division" with the "Battlegroup". A few elite divisions whose benefits of unit identification proved most useful were allowed to keep their old designations.

Battlegroups would at least have a High Colonel in command. Some battlegroups may have as senior a commander as a Major General (example: 1st Tapani Assault Battlegroup).

A battlegroup has the usual principal staff. But in addition, the SG5 (battlegroup "headquarters" officer) has a 4-man "substaff". They are backed by 188 support personnel and protected by two security platoons, but the battlegroup has no organic units other than its maneuver elements.

As of the Battle of Yavin unaugmented battlegroup do not have artillery units. However, the importance of artillery has apparently been recognized, since the first attachment to any augmented battlegroup (other than armored) would be a artillery regiment.

Battlegroups with 3 line and 1 assault regiment are considered "line". With a single tank battalion (subordinated to the assault regiment), the unit is now obsolescent. The Rebels are increasing in strength and can in certain cases field their own division-equivalents (an example would be the Battle of Tiems). The line battlegroup simply doesn't have enough firepower to ensure a decisive COF advantage versus such forces.

Assault battlegroups have 2 line, 1 assault and one armored regiment. They are considered the best balanced battlegroup and some argue for the eventual phasing out of line battlegroups in favor of this type. In contrast to some Terran militaries, the Imperial military seems to place less emphasis on the complete mechanization of its fighting units. This may reflect the wide range of terrain types the Imperial unit is expected to cover.

If the enemy has several concentrations spread over a moderate length of front, an armored division (four armored regiments) are committed to smash them in detail.

A mobile battlegroup is used for offensive or defensive operations over a wide front with its 3 repulsorlift and one armored regiment.

Corps

The Corps is the equivalent of what we might call a Theater Command. Commanded by Major Generals, Corps has its own organic assets organized into an auxiliary battlegroup - an organic fighter wing (40 TIEs) and 3 COMPNOR regiments. Often attached is an industrial complex with over 2000 droids, which can produce almost all items the Corps would require.

When a whole corps is dropped, the Empire is taking control of a planet. While the Empire has numerical superiority on the strategic level and aims for it in the tactical, the same is not true in the operational level - the enemies on a planet typically outnumber the corps by at least 4:1. It is up to the commanders' superior operational skills to arrange for local superiorities in a defeat in detail.

The Corps has 5 primary staff, each with two lackeys. Assigned to HQ is a security company and 6 independent perimeter platoons. To maintain the 3 COMPNOR regiments, there are 114 people, which is inadequate. The rest of the Corps has 388 support personnel. For intelligence, there is a single Imperial Intelligence operative and 50 ISB agents, the latter doubling in a zampolit-style role.

There are four types of Corps - Line with 3 line and one assault battlegroup, "atrisian" with 2 assault, 1 line and one armored battlegroup, armor with 3 armor and 1 repulsorlift and mobile with 3 repulsorlift and one armor.

IN addition to real corps, there are also cadre corps HQs on planets. These are the basis of Imperial garrisons, to be reinforced as required. A typical garrison has 4 battalions and the organic fighter wing.

A corps is supposed to fit onto a single transport ship.

Army

An army is commanded by a full general. It has five staff and ten substaff officers, a security company and six independent perimeter platoons, 200 ISB agents for agent intelligence or counterintelligence, 3 companies of COMPNOR "observers", 4 Imperial Intelligence representatives and 784 support personnel.

An army would have one of each type of corps and is supposed to fit into a naval troop squadron. Presently, armies direct their corps fighting on different planets, but as the Rebellion heats up, this may change.

Strategic

These command levels do not fight, but are there for administration and liaison with the navy for support.

Systems army

Commanded by a High General and consists of anywhere from 1-4 Armies.

Sector army

The Sector Army can be commanded by a Moff or delegated to a Surface Marshal. The Sector Army is supposed to fit into an Imperial Assault Fleet. May have up to 4 Systems Armies under its command.

The symbol is two stacked rectangular prisms on top of an L.

Soldiers

Vehicles

Artillery

Armor

Heavy cavalry

Command and combat support

Combat service support

Aerial assault

Mechanized infantry

Motorized infantry

Desert Skiff

Reconnaissance

Planetary defenses

Appearances

Sources

Gorden, Greg The Imperial Sourcebook 2nd edition. West End Games: 1993.
Dark Empire Sourcebook

External links

Retrieved from "http://encyclopedia.wizards.pro/index.php/Imperial_Army"

Categories: Cleanup | Imperial organizations | Imperial military units | Galactic Empire

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