Ciban Chasseurs
| Ciban Chasseurs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Homeworld | Ciban IV | |
| Doctrine | Manoeuvre warfare | |
| Signature Equipment | VCR-01 (in several variants), Sharqi light tank | |
| Associated Legion | Fifth Legion | |
This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.
Origins: the Marshal Jean-Davide d'Orléans
The Primarch Gaspard Lumey called on his old friend and comrade, Jean-Davide d'Orléans, to establish the organisation of the Fifth Legion's auxilia. D'Orléans, a great hero of Ciban IV's revolutionary wars, held the honorary rank of Marshal, but his advancing years and the tranquility of the Republic had seen him off the field for many years. Some thought that he was simply in command of this project as a beloved figurehead - but they were quite wrong. The ageing Marshal was able to grasp the new realities of a war across the stars in a way that many younger men could not.
D'Orléans' first task was to devise a combat organisation capable of solving a multitude of military scenarios without support but still small enough to be transported on a single space-going vessel. In addition to the problem of space travel, the Marshal had to incorporate the VCR-01A, an advanced armoured personnel carrier mass-produced on nearby Atashia, into his small unit tactics. The old combat Brigades that had served the armies of the Republic so well met the first criteria, but were too large to meet the second and had little reference to troop transport beyond the horse. D'Orléans began by training his men in Companies organised around the carrying capacity of the VCR-01A and the communications equipment of its variant, the VCR-01C:
- Command Section (VCR-01C, 1 captain, 5 infantrymen, driver, gunner)
- First Lieutenant's Section (VCR-01A, 1 first lieutenant, 11 infantrymen, driver, gunner)
- Second Lieutenant's Section (VCR-01A, 1 second lieutenant, 11 infantrymen, driver, gunner)
- Two Line Sections (each with VCR-01A, 12 infantrymen, driver, gunner)
- One Special Weapons Section (VCR-01A, 12 infantrymen, driver, gunner)
- One Heavy Weapons Section (VCR-01A, 12 infantrymen, driver, gunner)
Six Companies, with an additional Command Section, would form a Mechanized Battalion of 560 men and officers. Due to the technical deficiencies of the Cibanese, volunteers from the Markian Pact worlds accounted for 98% of drivers and 61% of gunners in the first Battalions. Using fast Sharqi tanks supplied from the Forge World Ghalhal, D'Orléans also set up a few Armoured Squadrons, staffed almost exclusively by Markians:
- Command Peloton (HQ Sharqi tank, 1 captain + 5 men)
- Three Pelotons (each with 3 Sharqi tanks, 1 lieutenant + 15 men)
Six Squadrons, with a Command Peloton, formed an Armoured Battalion of 63 Tanks, and 340 men and officers. While volunteers from the Markian Pact worlds were relatively few in number, there were still sufficient men to form one Armoured Battalion for every three Mechanized Battalions. This 1+3 "square" arrangement formed the core of the early Mobile Demi-Brigade's fighting strength. Five additional companies, tasked to Headquarters, Logistics, Medica, Reconnaissance, and Security, completed the Demi-Brigade. D'Orléans was gravely concerned about the lack of artillery available to his formations, but without more technically-able personnel there was no way to field heavy, mobile guns. The Marshal devoted considerable time to exercises with the Fifth Legion's naval arm in the hopes that the fleet would be able to provide heavy firepower when necessary.
Following the Pacification of the Chwiorydd Hardd, recruitment from the Markian Pact sharply increased. The governments of the Pact worlds also allocated additional resources to the Fifth Legion's crusading efforts, allowing Jean-Davide d'Orléans to round out his Mobile Demi-Brigades with artillery batteries. These were composed of:
- Command Section (VCR-01C, 1 officer, 1 driver, 1 gunner, 5 infantrymen)
- 8 Artillery Sections (Each with 1 self-propelled artillery system, 1 driver, 6 crewmen, 2 infantrymen)
Each Mobile Demi-Brigade would have three batteries attached (typically two howitzer batteries and one rocket battery), completing a highly-mobile and flexible force. Although many innovations and improvisations with Auxilia formations would follow Jean-Davide d'Orléans, his work set the basic template for the armed forces of Ciban IV.