VI Corps (half of 3422 Army Group[1])
has the SE quarter of Xyphonica as its TAOR.
The three Divisions of VI Corps are tank heavy armoured formations. All three are notably light on infantry[2]
and one, 65 Division has no dismounted infantry. All of VI Corps fighting power is ideally
suited to the rolling prairie, but not ideal for urban assault. Such are the vagaries of trying to adequately
or properly resource wars via the warp.
The newly promoted Chief of Land Warfare (Plenipotantiate in
charge of the execution of the war), 3* General Mantufor[3],
fully understands the risks and just plain awkwardness and difficulty that VI
Corps will face when trying to adequately contribute[4]
to the attack on Xyphonica. However, in
order to continue the campaign to a successful conclusion, he cannot allow VI Corps
to sit on the edge of the city and wait for the fat lady to clear her throat[5]. VI Corps does have to work its way into the
city.
However, in order to preserve the fighting power of VI
Corps, as it is likely to be needed again and squandering its armoured might on
a swift advance in to the city makes no sense on a strategic level and as long
as pressure is maintained, would serve no practical purpose[6]. The Corps of 72AG[7]
have been in place on the western edges of the city have been in place for six
weeks longer[8]
and have a much larger infantry[9]
to armour ratio. XXXXIV Corps (the other
half of 3422 AG) also has a larger infantry to armour ratio, but still less
than the component elements of 72AG[10][11][12][13].
What 3422 AG will do is to systematically, district by
district, street by street, building by building, reduce the city to ground
level in order to minimise risk to the armour.
Effectively, 3422 AG is not expected to make progress into the city at
the same speed as 72AG will[14][15]
from their start positions on the other side of the city.
The Macharian Thunder Guard[16]
have been withdrawn from XVIII Corps to patrol the prairie to the north of the
city, it is suspected that any breakout may well be made in that direction. Sub units of the Thunder Guard, reinforced by
the entire Death Rider contingents from DKK 143rd and 262nd
Regts[17],
are to cover as much ground as possible looking for individuals and small
groups who may be indicators of an increasing exodus of beaten heretics trying
to escape their final doom.
Following their regular War Councils[18],
the other Plenipotentiates, sensing that the endgame may be near, see an
opportunity to gain prestige from being involved by making an offer which is
unlikely to be refused. The footsoldiers
of sworn bands of the Frateris Militia and the Sororitas Militia[19],
encouraged by the small but very influential Eclesisatical and Adeptus
Sororitas delegations[20]
whose respective heads are members of the War Council, volunteer to go to war[21].
Gen Mantufor, mindful of the risk posed to VI Corps by their
paucity of infantry assets, agrees to their inclusion on the condition that the
bands agree to place themselves formally into the proper military chain of
command. The officers of the Imperial
Guard are under no illusions; they realise that the militias are likely to
break ranks once they have enough provocation.
However, all the while they are there, they will provide an additional
level of protection.
As soon as VI Corps assets reach their start line, they are
joined by the militias[22].
As soon as they are not being actively
supervised by a part of the Imperial Guard, the militias revert to lounging
around and not behaving in a particularly soldierly manner. They tend to travel around as a mob or pack,
not taking piquet duties seriously (to the military mind), indulging in un
planned and unsanctioned soirees beyond the FLOT and sometimes not holding what
their assigned Division had told them was their front line.
The militias on the rebel side[23][24]
have been under bombardment for four years and more recently faced ground
assault. Factoring in the hiatus for
organising 72AG and 3422 AG and allowing them to get into place, the forces of
freedom[25]
have had adequate time to prepare for the coming assault[26].
The militias now assigned to VI Corps
have also been at war for four years, but only actually been allowed to do more
than guard rear areas now that the situation finally demands it.
[5]
The Commander in Chief, of the Imperial Guard on Devos IV, Lord General Zukhov
has a track record of intervening in the campaign. Everyone finds it hard to
telling him that he’s doing more harm than good. http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/snakes-in-paradise.html
[10]
Before knowing that they would be reinforced by a sister Army Group, 72 AG had
managed to secure reinforcements suitable for an attack on the city. http://devos4.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/send-three-and-fourpence-we-are-going.html
[18]
The war councils now include the CinC of 3422AG as well as CinC 72AG and the
four Plenipotentiates. The Lord General
would often find his time taken up by more important things before the Battle
of Chobli. Afterwards, there is often a
representative of the Inquisition as well.
The Lord General, with two Armies on the planet, is now so busy that he
never attends anymore.
[19]
This would include bands drawn from pilgrims on Devos IV when the war started,
as well as Frateris and Sorortias Militia brought to Devos IV by the
Ecclesiasty as well as De laque, Cawdor and Orangedemptionists.
[20] Cannoness Maria Pandoro (Order of the Ebon Challice) is the
Plenipotentiate for Security and Confessor Tule (Eccesiasty), chief of staff
for the Plenipotentiate of Morale and Propaganda.
[21]
To be fair, for the previous three years, a lot of effort has been put into
preventing them from going to the front.
Nice statue, I may have to get a second and use the Pegasus scenery I have left to do something similar.
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff as always.
ReplyDeleteWhat proportion of IG regiments are completely mechanised do you think? A lot of fluff seems to totally discount all-foot regiments, but I suspect that the 'famous' regts with loads of Chimeras would be in the minority.
Ah, separate post as an answer....
ReplyDelete