Imperial Army: How do you do it?

[Ganidirsii O'Flynn]

We know from the history of the Third Imperium that an Imperial Army exists. But how is it organized? Certainly even more than the Imperial Navy (the principal expression of Imperial power), there is a wide interpretation of what the organization might be for the billions of boots on the ground that a government covering 11,000 worlds would surely need.

If folks are so inclined, also consider what role mercenaries and noble huscarles or household units might play in the Imperial Army.

So, how do you do it?

Here is a short, very UNcomprehensive list of options:

1. GT: Ground Forces Subsector Unified Armies pattern
2. An Imperium-wide monolithic Army with uniform doctrine, equipment and training, having regiments numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
3. A Colonial Army of individual units, with wide variations of equipment and training, thrown together in a hodgepodge of temporary higher commands during a crisis.
4. A militia system of impressed conscripts acting an anvil to the Imperial Marines' hammer.
5. Other ideas?

Since we talk about the Navy so much, I thought it would be interesting to find out what people think about the other end of the power spectrum.

 

[far-trader]

All very MTU...

I figured (in CT once I saw Book 4) that each world had a standing IA force "size" (taken from Book 4 pg 33) equal to the world pop (that is):

World Pop   Army Units (soldiers)

   0          Section     (19)
   1          Platoon     (41)
   2         +Platoon     (82)
   3          Company    (127)
   4         +Company    (254)
   5         +Company    (381)
   6         Battalion   (452)
   7        +Battalion   (904)
   8        +Battalion  (1356)
   9          Brigade   (1500)
   A         +Brigade   (3000)

It was just a simple way to do it on the spur of the moment and suited my sensibilities of a (mostly) hand's off small(ish) ship Imperium. In a more hands on big(ger) ship Imperium the IA forces would be expanded (probably by a factor of 10 at least) and include planetary defenses.

Troops would be equipped to TL+1 (minimum TL9 maximum TL15) and have appropriate armor support. Their primary interest would be protection of the starport (if one exists) and other Imperial interests on world.

The general structure is Imperium wide but on a practical scale each subsector fields an "Army" and recruits, stations, and operates within that theatre (subsector). In areas where the subsector forces are less than a Battalion the forces fall under a neighboring subsector. Assignment to a Section posted on some practically barren world is probably a punishment detail. Even the Platoon posts are probably for straightening out screwups.

Interstellar transport for the full force would be at the nearest Imperial Navy base and there would be regular transfer and supply runs.

If the system has an IN base then an equal force of Marines is at the ready there.

If the system is a Subsector Capital there is an Imperial Noble presence with their own force of a size one greater (to a maximum of A).

If the system is a Sector Capital the Imperial Noble presence force is of a size two greater (to a maximum of A).

Limited Imperial Charter (LIC) Mercenaries may be regularly contracted by the Imperium on an as needed basis and at a preferential rate (part of the licensing requirements) to bolster forces in an agreement similar to that for Subsidized Merchants under mobilization.

I seem to recall MT went into it in some detail (Referee's Companion?).

 

[atpollard]

My impressions were formed by LBB 4: Mercenary

”Traveller assumes a remote centralized government (referred to in this volume as the Imperium), possessed of great industrial and technological might, but unable, due to the sheer distances and travel times involved, to exert total control at all levels everywhere within its star-spanning realm. On the frontiers, extensive home rule provisions allow planetary populations to choose their own forms of government, raise and maintain armed forces for local security, pass and enforce laws governing local conduct, and regulate (within limits) commerce. Defense of the frontier is mostly provided by local indigenous forces, stiffened by scattered lmperial naval bases manned by small but extremely sophisticated forces. Conflicting local interests often settle their differences by force of arms, with lmperial forces looking quietly the other way, unable to effectively intervene as a police force in any but the most wide-spread of conflicts without jeopardizing their primary mission of the defense of the realm. Only when local conflicts threaten either the security or the economy of the area do lmperial forces take an active hand, and then it is with speed and overwhelming force.”

For me, all Armies are local.
The Imperium projects power through the Navy and Marines.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Always key for me was the extremely sophisticated part. I always pictured the Imperium as limiting weapons available to planetary armies, but then I realized that by jacking up the tech of its Stationed Naval or Marine forces, and giving them a good stronghold, they're wouldn't be much need for it.

Of course if an out of control Planetray Army turned on the population and needed to be interdicted... hmm...

 

[Jame]

I've been taking it sort of a combination of GT:GF and LBB4, which is to say that each world must for the most part create their own units, but these units once formed are trained by Imperial cadre long enough for the training to sink in and become part of a unified doctrine.

In addition, each world (or at least each world that has a standing army, with standing militias being counted as armies) is required to maintain an Armory where the planetary army keeps its equipment; this Armory is usually a set of Armories in separate population centers and/or military bases (indeed, most places have the Armory as the Army base!) so that the Army can get to it in time of trouble. The world in question is required to maintain equipment at either TTL9 or the planetary TL, whichever is greater, and if the planet is lower than TL9, such equipment is imported, usually with equipment enough to provide maintenance and repairs.

Oh yes, Planetary Armies are not allowed to project power upon their fellow Imperial worlds, and if they want/need to do it upon another world they must gain permission. Further, they are liable to being nationalized in time of war.

 

[voodoo54]

We know from the history of the Third Imperium that an Imperial Army exists. But how is it organized? Certainly even more than the Imperial Navy (the principal expression of Imperial power), there is a wide interpretation of what the organization might be for the billions of boots on the ground that a government covering 11,000 worlds would surely need.

If folks are so inclined, also consider what role mercenaries and noble huscarles or household units might play in the Imperial Army.

So, how do you do it?

Here is a short, very UNcomprehensive list of options:

1. GT: Ground Forces Subsector Unified Armies pattern
2. An Imperium-wide monolithic Army with uniform doctrine, equipment and training, having regiments numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
3. A Colonial Army of individual units, with wide variations of equipment and training, thrown together in a hodgepodge of temporary higher commands during a crisis.
4. A militia system of impressed conscripts acting an anvil to the Imperial Marines' hammer.
5. Other ideas?

Since we talk about the Navy so much, I thought it would be interesting to find out what people think about the other end of the power spectrum.

I go with a version of the GT Unified Armies pattern. Each subsector must maintain and train an Army. They all have the same doctrine, training and equipment, but with some local flavor. Their job is to protect their subsector but if a major war breaks out they can be called up to fight for the Imperium. Sort of a combination of the US National Guard and British Army. The Marines are equipped and trained to fight short expeditionary battles while the Army is trained and equipped to fight major wars. But just like in most cases these lines can be crossed and blurred. I also set up the Army and Marines the way the US Army and Marines are set up now, with fighting battalions organized under Brigades (Army) and Regiments (Marines). With higher echelons being Divisions (Army and Marines) and Corps (Army). Although you will almost never see Marines deployed in a unit larger than Battalion or maybe Regiment. If the Army deploys out of Subsector it is usually in Division or Corps sized echelons.

 

[Nick Nova]

Probably the best source I can think of to answer this question is the Fifth Frontier War board game. Looking it over again I see that there is a clear distinction between Regular (i.e. Imperial), Colonial, and Local forces.

The counters indicate that the Imperium has no less than 8 regular field armies available in the Spinward Marches during the Fifth Frontier War, as well as 6 corps and numerous smaller regular units. Regular units range in TL from 14 to 15. There are also 8 regiments of Imperial Marines equipped at TL 15.

The colonial armies (both named and numbered) include up to 5 field armies, 15 corps and 10 smaller units. Colonial units range in TL from 8 to 15 with the average around 11.5.

Individual systems have local forces ranging from 0 to 150,000 battalions, but these are not available for transport off-world.

Based on this I would have to go with a combination of options 2 and 3 from the post above: An Imperium-wide monolithic army, as well as local colonial armies based on certain planets and brought under higher command during a crisis. (Sorry, I’m not familiar with GT: Ground Forces at this time).

Where these massive Imperial armies are recruited, trained and maintained is not addressed in the game, but it seems most likely to me given the numbers that each subsector would be responsible for supporting 1 regular and 1 colonial army.

The only huscarles listed in the game are the 6 elite battalions of the Duke of Regina’s Own 4518 Lift Infantry Regiment (TL 15). As Norris is Sector Duke at the time, I would expect that his unit of huscarles are the largest in the sector. This suggests to me that the huscarles units of other nobles are probably too small in size to play a significant roll in a major war.

Finally, there are 10 units of mercenaries, ranging in size from battalion to division. Several of these units are noted as being elite, and TL’s range from 12 to 16! The combined strength of the mercenary units is just slightly less than that of the available Imperial Marines, suggesting that they are capable of a significant strategic effect in the war.

 

[Icosahedron]

The origins of the Imperial Army have never really surfaced in my game, they are just there. However, If I were Emperor, I'd be looking to have troops constantly moved around in order to dispel any local loyalties - you're born on one world, trained on another and deployed to a third, with tours of duty on fourth, fifth and sixth - often in different subsectors or even different sectors. Your only loyalty is to your regiment.
I imagine there would be local colonial armies and militia, too.

 

[mike wightman]

Norris isn't elevated to sector duke until after the FFW - Delphine would be most unhappy

IMTU it is the nobles who maintain the standing Imperial Army be means of household troops like the duke of Regina. In times of need these will act as cadres for local forces to train them up to Imperial standard.

Also the high TL, high pop worlds are obliged to provide forces to the Imperium in time of need.

 

[Vargas]

An Imperium-wide monolithic army, as well as local colonial armies based on certain planets and brought under higher command during a crisis.

That's my take as well. Additionally, for practical purposes, units are confined to assigned regions, say a sector in size although not a literal one astrographically. I just can't buy into the notion of a division being shifted from the Marches to the Core because of the cost and difficulty of transport.

Norris isn't elevated to sector duke until after the FFW - Delphine would be most unhappy

Wasn't Delphine an invention of DGP's?

 

[Nick Nova]

Norris isn't elevated to sector duke until after the FFW - Delphine would be most unhappy

Ah, I stand corrected. However, I note that The Spinward Marches Campaign states that Duke Norris “…stood at the head of the civil service bureaucracy in the war zone.” Furthermore the campaign map shows that the war zone involved 14 out of the 16 subsectors of the Marches. So I am uncertain as to how Norris could be head of the bureaucracy without being Sector Duke. Was there an official notice of his elevation to that position after the war?

Wasn’t Delphine always unhappy?

 

[mike wightman]

The war zone mainly involves the subsectors around the Regina subsector going by the map in the FFW game.
Two things to note.
The duchy of Regina is actually much larger than a single subsector - unlike most in the SM - giving the duke of Regina more political clout (probably)

Norris used an Imperial warrant to elevate his position (illegally) during the war, he got away with it because he won (or at least didn't lose) and Strephon legitimised it after the war.

And yes, I think Delphine was always unhappy

 

[Ganidirsii O'Flynn]

According to the Spinward Marches Campaign, Regina itself was besieged for a period by Zhodani forces, but most ofthe sector was attacked by Vargr fleets from the Ekhile Ksafi (40th Squadron). Most of the ground combat was in the Jewell cluster and the Sword Worlds Front.

And having a major enemy offensive stopped just parsecs away from your seat of power would make anybody unhappy. But you're right. Delphine was always cranky.

 

[Nick Nova]

OK, given that Norris is less powerful during the FFW than I first assumed (thanks for the catch, Mike) the issue of huscarles becomes much more interesting.

My first thought was that maintaining an entire TL-15 lift regiment would be an incredible financial burden for a mere Subsector Duke. However The Spinward Marches Campaign addresses the issue by stating that the 4518th “is supported by taxes and levies imposed by the Imperial bureaucracy.”* Hmm.

It then goes on to state that when Imperial Marines transfer in on temporary duty, “The Imperial military payrolls are relieved of the soldier for the duration of the period.” So the taxes and levies that support a unit of huscarles are not part of the regular military budget and thus would not detract from regular military spending.

My question then becomes: If a noble does not have to directly pay for his huscarles himself, would it not make sense for most, if not all nobles to have the largest contingent of huscarles they can get away with? And what would be the limiting factors on unit size? Noble rank? Population base? Proximity to a frontier?

And why didn’t more units of huscarles show up during the Fifth Frontier War?

Thoughts?

* (page 41, Temporary Duty)

 

[mike wightman]

I don't think it is the duke who personallyt pays for the huscarles, it is the taxed revenue of the subsector/duchy that foots the bill - hence Imperial taxes pay for the troops.

And yes I do think that frontier dukes would try to maintain the largest forces they can afford to equip and support. Since the duke has access to top of the line Imperial equipment, the limiting factors are going to be population and local TL - higher pop means more taxes, and higher TL means more local stuff can be used.

The why no other huscarles is an interesting question - it could be that other subsector dukes keep them home so there was no point providing counters for them, or it could be that they are Imperialised in time of war and show up subsumed into the replacement/reinforcement units.

 

[razzerdk]

According to the Spinward Marches Campaign, Regina itself was besieged for a period by Zhodani forces...

Could you provide me with a page reference for that, please? The way I read the account in SMC, the Zhos never got within light years of Regina (Note that I didn't say "within parsecs"... some of them did pass through Ruie early in the war ).

(And, yes, I know about the TNS account that mentions a Zhodani bombing raid on Regina, but in the light of other evidence (and absent some reference in the authorial voice that I've overlooked) I'm inclined to put that down to a bad joke).



Hans Rancke
[Posting from his nephew's account]

 

[mmbutter]

Could you provide me with a page reference for that, please? The way I read the account in SMC, the Zhos never got within light years of Regina (Note that I didn't say "within parsecs"... some of them did pass through Ruie early in the war ).

(And, yes, I know about the TNS account that mentions a Zhodani bombing raid on Regina, but in the light of other evidence (and absent some reference in the authorial voice that I've overlooked) I'm inclined to put that down to a bad joke).

There were a number of references to Regina being hit during the war.

201-1107 Rhylanor/Rhylanor (0306-A434934-F)

By TNS Staff Writer

Word has today been received by fleet courier of the invasion of Regina, the capital of the Spinward Marches. Naval spokesmen of the 212th Fleet declined to comment publicly, but in private one naval officer expressed the opinion that prolonged resistance on the world was unlikely in the event of a serious Zhodani assault.

014-1108 Rhylanor/Rhylanor (0306-A434934-F)

By TNS Staff Writer

In a press release made available today, the Admiralty has classified the following systems as combat zones: Dentus (Regina 0601), Kinorb (Regina 0602), Yorbund (Regina 0703), Yres (Regina 0202), Pixie (Regina 0303), Boughene (Regina 0304)), Uakye (Regina 0205), Whanga (Regina 0206), Knorbes (Regina 0207), Forboldn (Regina 0208), Hefry (Regina 0309), Ruie (Regina 0209), Regina (Regina 0310), Jenghe (Regina 0210), Extolay (Lanth 0101), Lanth (Lanth 0109), D'Ganzio (Lanth 0310), Phlume (Vilis 0801), Denotam (Vilis 0603), Edinina (Vilis 0403), 728-907 (Vilis 0404), Frenzie (Vilis 0306), Saurus (Vilis 0510), Asgard (Vilis 0709)), and Tavonni (Vilis 0710).

029-1109 Regina/Regina

Operation Iedshrpr, several months in secret preparation, was launched by elements of the Imperial Navy's Corridor Fleet in a drive to break the siege of Efate and force back the Zhodani forces currently operating in Regina subsector. Commander Aia Resortin, fleet press officer, stated, "Admiral Santanocheev has planned a brilliant campaign for the relief of Efate. Denial of Efate to the Zhodani means denial of the whole subsector. This operation is the turning point of the war." Regrettably, the meeting was cut short by a Zhodani hit-and-run raid, which partially damaged some buildings, but had no other effect.

 

[Ganidirsii O'Flynn]

Could you provide me with a page reference for that, please? The way I read the account in SMC, the Zhos never got within light years of Regina (Note that I didn't say "within parsecs"... some of them did pass through Ruie early in the war ).

(And, yes, I know about the TNS account that mentions a Zhodani bombing raid on Regina, but in the light of other evidence (and absent some reference in the authorial voice that I've overlooked) I'm inclined to put that down to a bad joke).



Hans Rancke
[Posting from his nephew's account]

How about the cover of JTAS 9?

And Butter's citations are the ones I'm thinking of, so thanks for looking those up for me!

 

[razzerdk]

There were a number of references to Regina being hit during the war.

Not in SMC, though. I'm familiar with the ones you quote, and they seem to be manifestations of the fog of war.

201-1107 Rhylanor/Rhylanor (0306-A434934-F)

By TNS Staff Writer

Word has today been received by fleet courier of the invasion of Regina, the capital of the Spinward Marches. Naval spokesmen of the 212th Fleet declined to comment publicly, but in private one naval officer expressed the opinion that prolonged resistance on the world was unlikely in the event of a serious Zhodani assault.

This is dated two weeks after the news of the Zhodani appearance at uie reached Regina. Since the communcation lag between Regina and Rhylanor is two weeks, the TNS staff writer is basing his story on the initial report, which actually had nothing to do with Regina.

Also note that SMC, p. 16 specifically mentions that Regina reports no invasion to date on 210-1107.

014-1108 Rhylanor/Rhylanor (0306-A434934-F)

By TNS Staff Writer

In a press release made available today, the Admiralty has classified the following systems as combat zones: Dentus (Regina 0601), Kinorb (Regina 0602), Yorbund (Regina 0703), Yres (Regina 0202), Pixie (Regina 0303), Boughene (Regina 0304)), Uakye (Regina 0205), Whanga (Regina 0206), Knorbes (Regina 0207), Forboldn (Regina 0208), Hefry (Regina 0309), Ruie (Regina 0209), Regina (Regina 0310), Jenghe (Regina 0210), Extolay (Lanth 0101), Lanth (Lanth 0109), D'Ganzio (Lanth 0310), Phlume (Vilis 0801), Denotam (Vilis 0603), Edinina (Vilis 0403), 728-907 (Vilis 0404), Frenzie (Vilis 0306), Saurus (Vilis 0510), Asgard (Vilis 0709)), and Tavonni (Vilis 0710).

This doesn't say that the Zhodani are present at any specific one of those systems, merely that the Admiralty won't guarantee that the Zhos couldn't show up at any of them at any time.

029-1109 Regina/Regina

Operation Iedshrpr, several months in secret preparation, was launched by elements of the Imperial Navy's Corridor Fleet in a drive to break the siege of Efate and force back the Zhodani forces currently operating in Regina subsector. Commander Aia Resortin, fleet press officer, stated, "Admiral Santanocheev has planned a brilliant campaign for the relief of Efate. Denial of Efate to the Zhodani means denial of the whole subsector. This operation is the turning point of the war." Regrettably, the meeting was cut short by a Zhodani hit-and-run raid, which partially damaged some buildings, but had no other effect.

That's the one I referred to in my post above. But as SMC doesn't mention any Zhodani attack on Regina, I'm not going to give it much credence. That's why I was surprised and intrigued to hear that a Zho siege of Regina was mentioned in SMS.



Hans Rancke
[Posting from his nephew's account]

 

[razzerdk]

How about the cover of JTAS 9?

What about it? There's nothing to show where that was supposed to take place.

And Butter's citations are the ones I'm thinking of, so thanks for looking those up for me!

Ah! OK then. Not SMC.


Hans Rancke
[Posting from his nephew's account]