All: `Imperial' Navy/Army Organization

Gentlesophonts:

Making a fine contribution to *Shall Not Perish*, our Regency sourcebook,
Steve Charlton [email removed] writes:

> I have always had a problem with
> GDW's ideas on Imperial military structure.  While GDW's structure is
> fairly straightforward, they forgot just how big and feudal the Imperium is

Steve then goes on with an excellent explanation of a workable, sensible
military structure for both naval and ground/planetary forces.

The question I have is just how is this different from the canonical
structure?  There are a few minor discrepancies (like subsector naval forces
organized into `groups' rather than `numbered fleets') but on the whole it
seems quite compatible with `official' military organization.  Admittedly,
it's the first time I've seen the Imperial Marines divided into Fleet,
Garrison and Line units but this is mere color.  The use of Imperial Army
forces only on an as-needed basis also seems to be consistent.  The
Imperium didn't rely upon mobile Imperial Army units to protect individual
worlds but instead left that to `indigineous defense battalions' raised
by and restricted to individual worlds.  Imperial Army forces were raised
at roughly ten percent of these levels for `Imperial' use.

My own take on the problem with Imperial military structure was the idea
of `separate' planetary forces - aerospace and `wet navy' forces - that
were distinct from the `ground' planetary forces - the `army'.  Since
distinctions between land/water/air/orbital transportation disappears
at Imperial tech levels (TL 13+?) it seems to me that military organiza-
tional distinctions should `disappear' as well.  I find it hard to believe
that the Imperial Army and Marines are not equipped for combat on a
waterworld or have to rely upon Naval or other aerospace forces for
close-air support, inter-theater transport and the like.

An Imperial Army (or Marine) unit should contain land, water, air and
orbital elements capable of dealing with combat situations in any planetary
environment.

In the Earth Colonies campaign, I've dealt with this issue by abandoning the
traditional `army' units types - infantry, cavalry, armor, etc. - for more
generic `planetary' unit types as follows:

Anti-bombardment units consist of guns, missiles, screens or other forces
  intended to counter aerial or orbital bombardment.
Bombardment units consist of missiles, airborne bombers, ortillery or other
  forces that attack from a position removed from the battlefield.
Combat Platform units consist of battlefield weapons platforms such as armor,
  air combat, ground attack, sea attack or other forces.
Patrol Platform units consist of mobile weapons platforms used for land,
  air or sea patrol.
Platform Carrier units consist of mobile forces used to introduce Combat
  Platform units directly into remote battlefields.
Transport units consist of mobile forces used to transport other units
  between bases or battlefield rear areas.
Troop units consist of battlefield troop forces such as infantry, cavalry,
  jump troops, robotic troops or other forces.

In conventional military terms, anti-aircraft batteries and ballistic
missile defense (SDI/`Star Wars') forces would be Anti-Bombardment units;
ballistic missile, air bomber and cruise missile forces would be Bombardment
units; fighter aircraft, tanks, and attack submarines would be Combat
Platform units; AWACS aircraft, reconnaissance satellites and some surface
vessels would be Patrol Platform units; aircraft carriers would be Platform
Carrier units; airlift and sealift forces would be Transport units; and
marine infantry and air cavalry forces would be Troop units.

The concept of the battalion as the basic military unit is maintained but
the idea of `battalion' is broadened to described a particular collection
of combat forces regardless of whether the `battalion' is actually a
`conventional' collection of troops, a collection of combat aircraft,
a collection of submersibles, or whatever.

> Just some thoughts... any sort of input is welcome.

Me too.

Happy Travelling,

David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA