Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
BACKGROUND: Librian Imperial Guard
The Librian 4th
The 4th’s history reaches back to the original conquest of Libria I, the largest planet in its solar system. Made up of troops who have all been through the many stages of training, [+++ imperial note: childhood mental conditioning, 5 years in youth patrol, 5 years in off world brigades, similar to our conscripts+++] they are well armoured and equipped.
The 4th are organised uniquely in two ways. The first is their inclusion of exterminator tanks, three of which were gifted to the regiment after their participation in the ork invasion of Ryza. The second difference is their inclusion of Adeptus Sororitas units. [+++ this is an arrangement that the commanders were not entirely pleased with, however several inquisitors have noted the advancement of the Librians’ Law above the Holy Emperor, and so the Sisters of Saint Sybil have been sent to attempt to both watch the Librian government and simultaneously re-educate the population in the ways of true faith+++].
The Librian 101st
Later regiments, recruited more recently, are more similar to the usual imperial guard regiments found throughout the galaxy. However a number of differences can be noted.
Firstly, as with all Librian regiments the troops are highly motivated and educated and have no need of imperial commisars, something which briefly changed on Myrentas II before Inquisitor Hathek stepped in to overturn the order.
Secondly the Librian army are highly trained in the use of “combined arms” tactics, combining armour, infantry, artillery and air power. Each Librian regiment has access to at least on armoured brigade and wherever the Librian infantry are the tanks are not far away.
Thirdly Librian regiments numbered greater than 52 are grenadier regiments with access to far more stormtrooper regiments than usual. These are either deployed as infiltrators ahead of the main force or en masse, employed as mechanised battalions.
The 101st saw it’s first major action on Myrentas II in late 007.M42 when it was pitted against both the iron warriors and the tau. It faired badly at first due to it’s inexperience but eventually accquited itself well in the face of overwhelming odds.
Librian Infantry Regiment Doctrines
Stormtroopers
Grenadiers
Iron Discipline
Techmarines
Armoured Fist Squads
Librian Mechanised Regiment Doctrines
Stormtroopers
Grenadiers
Iron Discipline
Mechanised
Techmarines
The 4th’s history reaches back to the original conquest of Libria I, the largest planet in its solar system. Made up of troops who have all been through the many stages of training, [+++ imperial note: childhood mental conditioning, 5 years in youth patrol, 5 years in off world brigades, similar to our conscripts+++] they are well armoured and equipped.
The 4th are organised uniquely in two ways. The first is their inclusion of exterminator tanks, three of which were gifted to the regiment after their participation in the ork invasion of Ryza. The second difference is their inclusion of Adeptus Sororitas units. [+++ this is an arrangement that the commanders were not entirely pleased with, however several inquisitors have noted the advancement of the Librians’ Law above the Holy Emperor, and so the Sisters of Saint Sybil have been sent to attempt to both watch the Librian government and simultaneously re-educate the population in the ways of true faith+++].
The Librian 101st
Later regiments, recruited more recently, are more similar to the usual imperial guard regiments found throughout the galaxy. However a number of differences can be noted.
Firstly, as with all Librian regiments the troops are highly motivated and educated and have no need of imperial commisars, something which briefly changed on Myrentas II before Inquisitor Hathek stepped in to overturn the order.
Secondly the Librian army are highly trained in the use of “combined arms” tactics, combining armour, infantry, artillery and air power. Each Librian regiment has access to at least on armoured brigade and wherever the Librian infantry are the tanks are not far away.
Thirdly Librian regiments numbered greater than 52 are grenadier regiments with access to far more stormtrooper regiments than usual. These are either deployed as infiltrators ahead of the main force or en masse, employed as mechanised battalions.
The 101st saw it’s first major action on Myrentas II in late 007.M42 when it was pitted against both the iron warriors and the tau. It faired badly at first due to it’s inexperience but eventually accquited itself well in the face of overwhelming odds.
Librian Infantry Regiment Doctrines
Stormtroopers
Grenadiers
Iron Discipline
Techmarines
Armoured Fist Squads
Librian Mechanised Regiment Doctrines
Stormtroopers
Grenadiers
Iron Discipline
Mechanised
Techmarines
Tau breach Lenord Line
The tau were not slow to learn from their first failed assault across the river where the static imperial defences put up stiff resistance. Patiently the tau ran a number of reconaissance missions, feeling for weaknesses in the imperial line.
On 2801.007M42, two weeks after the first attack on the imperial lines the tau launched their second attack across the river. This time the operation began with concerted bombing raids by tiger sharks against the southern half of the Lenord Line, defended by the Librian 101st. The objective was not to destroy the bunkers and static emplacements but to eliminate as many enemy vehicles as possible. Trucks, tanks and mobile guns were turned into wrecks as the tau aircraft bombed up and down the line of defences. This seriously hampered the 101st’s ability to manouvre and paved the way for phase two of the operation.
At dawn fifteen hunter cadres led the assault across the Orns on a narrow spearhead, aiming for the lightly defended marshland which was the only weakness in the Lenord line. Unhappily for the defenders this area of boggy ground also represented the boundary between the librian 101st and the Scyllian 4th regiment. Communication was poor between the two forces and the tau easily broke through, penetrating over forty kilometres.
Once the bridgehead had been secured the tau poured more cadres into it, breaking out to the north and south. Lord commander Lenord finally realised the tau strategy as a diversionary assault against the defenders around Allentown pinned the 101st down at the front line, allowing the tau breakthrough units to encircle the Librians, who none-the-less put up stiff resistance.
In the north there was no diversionary attack and the Scyllians withdrew once the trap became apparent. However this allowed the tau to widen their bridgehead and by the end of 2901.007M42 a seventy mile gap in the imperial line had been forced open, and the tau were only 25km from the main imperial base at Gethsemane. Though the tau advance halted late in the day the imperial position was now dire, with the Librians fighting to avoid encirclement and the Scyllians racing south to try to plug the gap in the imperial line.
On 2801.007M42, two weeks after the first attack on the imperial lines the tau launched their second attack across the river. This time the operation began with concerted bombing raids by tiger sharks against the southern half of the Lenord Line, defended by the Librian 101st. The objective was not to destroy the bunkers and static emplacements but to eliminate as many enemy vehicles as possible. Trucks, tanks and mobile guns were turned into wrecks as the tau aircraft bombed up and down the line of defences. This seriously hampered the 101st’s ability to manouvre and paved the way for phase two of the operation.
At dawn fifteen hunter cadres led the assault across the Orns on a narrow spearhead, aiming for the lightly defended marshland which was the only weakness in the Lenord line. Unhappily for the defenders this area of boggy ground also represented the boundary between the librian 101st and the Scyllian 4th regiment. Communication was poor between the two forces and the tau easily broke through, penetrating over forty kilometres.
Once the bridgehead had been secured the tau poured more cadres into it, breaking out to the north and south. Lord commander Lenord finally realised the tau strategy as a diversionary assault against the defenders around Allentown pinned the 101st down at the front line, allowing the tau breakthrough units to encircle the Librians, who none-the-less put up stiff resistance.
In the north there was no diversionary attack and the Scyllians withdrew once the trap became apparent. However this allowed the tau to widen their bridgehead and by the end of 2901.007M42 a seventy mile gap in the imperial line had been forced open, and the tau were only 25km from the main imperial base at Gethsemane. Though the tau advance halted late in the day the imperial position was now dire, with the Librians fighting to avoid encirclement and the Scyllians racing south to try to plug the gap in the imperial line.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Tau assault on Whiteridge fails
Another tau attack on the chaos city of Whiteridge has ended in failure as commander Longstride's troops faced stiff opposition from the chaos defenders. The Iron Warriors inflicted another heavy defeat on the tau as the hunter cadres came up against the chaos defences. A formidable defensive perimeter now rings the city and there are reports that the Penetrators legion of chaos marines are also present on the planet. Unless the stalemate is broken by a new offensive, Myrentas II risks turning into a quagmire similar to those seen on Hartak and Aleph 4.
Protogonus Evacuated
In a daring fleet action the tau have evacuated the small base of Protogonus, presumably to reinforce the cadres locked in battle on Myrentas II. Two protector class ships accompanied by a Custodian capital ship attempted to breakout of the imperial blockade after picking up several thousand tau warriors. However in the battle which followed the imperial cruisers Warspite, Endeavour and Sir Robert engaged the tau, destroying the custodian class vessel Ores'Au in a viscious battle which saw both Sir Robert and Endeavour lost. Sir Robert exploded while Endeavour drifted into a warp rift while disabled. It is unlikely the cruiser will be seen again.
Despite the loss of the Ores'Au the imperial fleet took more damage, and the mission to evacuate the tau base was partially successful. Commander Longstride will be reinforced by several hunter cadres, providing the tau ships can successfully bypass the Iron Duke and her consorts, known to be patrolling the deeps...
Despite the loss of the Ores'Au the imperial fleet took more damage, and the mission to evacuate the tau base was partially successful. Commander Longstride will be reinforced by several hunter cadres, providing the tau ships can successfully bypass the Iron Duke and her consorts, known to be patrolling the deeps...
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
CARDINAL SHERIDEN ASSASSINATED!
Cardinal Sheriden has been assassinated by agents of chaos on Saturday. Apparently he was attacked in his country residence on Cerberex in the early hours of the morning. 32 guards were also slaughtered in what has been discribed by Cerberex authorities as a "horrendous attack". As yet the perpetrators have not been identified though survivors report the presence of traitor marines. The capital Feducia is on high alert and a state of emergency has been declared on the planet. Lord Commander Xertes has taken over government of the C.A.S.S. until further notice.
TAU ATTACK REPULSED
The Tau attack on the Imperial sector of Myrentas II finally came on 1401.007M42 with a massive assault across the Ornz river codenamed 'operation Freedom'. Initially progress was swift and the Tau easily swept aside the light defences on the riverbank itself. However the Imperial guard commander always knew the river was no real defence against the highly mobile Tau hunter-cadres and instead formed a line of bunkers some way back from the river's edge where the ground was open.The Tau moved into this pre-prepared killing ground and the bunker emplacements withstood the assault long enough for the Librian armour to move in and pound the attacking Tau, for once caught without cover. Trapped between the bunker emplacements and the river the Tau were forced to withdraw.
IMPERIAL ASSAULT ON WHITERIDGE FAILS
The second major assault on Whiteridge by Imperial forces saw a different plan used. Using the cover of darkness the Imperial armour of the Librian 101st advanced up the western side of the city while artillery pounded the chaos positions. Then at dawn a huge infantry assault was launched at the centre of the chaos line by the Librian 57th. Simultaneously the 101st attacked fornm the west, hoping the outflanking manouvre would break the chaos defences by splitting their forces.The battle raged for over a day but the chaos defences held. Over the preceeding few weeks the chaos forces had created enormous barriers to tanks anw were easlit able to fend of the combined attack using slave conscripts to plug the gaps in their lines. Casualties on both sides were high, with an estimated 5000 killed on the chaos side. However almost all these losses were slave conscripts. Meanwhile the imperial guard lost over 6000 men killed or wounded and half their tanks.
TAU AND IRON WARRIORS CLASH IN DESERT
Tau and chaos forces met for the first time in an escalating confused engagement in the deserts north of the mountains on Myrentas II. It appears both sides were scouting the area for possible strategic gain when they blundered into one another. The Tau faired worse taking crippling casualties before the chaos marines withdrew before the Tau air caste could intervene.
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