Subject: The Occitanian Compendium; Military Strategy et al. Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:54 pm
"Forever vigilant." - Motto of the Confederate Army of Westerwald-Leoben.
Quote :
"I speak to you, good folk of these fair Occitanian nations! We have always been supportive of the warmongering ambitions harbored by the loyalists of the deluded Empire of the Kaiser, but such habits are no longer necessary for the sustainment of a nation! As men of Occitan, it is our duty to protect our lands from outside influences, from those that would separate our beautiful nations into vassals and dead nations! Such habits are no longer necessary, but to sustain our way of life, they are helpful. However, of our technologies of ages long past, we know nothing, but of new technologies yet to be uncovered, we can only but taste success if we work together, my brave folk of Occitan, work together and fight together!"
- Count Hans Jurgmann II, Grand Marshal of the Confederate Army of Westerwald-Leoben
Two Officers of Westerwald-Leoben conversing upon horseback. One is holding a matchlock pistol.
Officers
Spoiler:
The aristocracy has always considered it their birthright that the command of lesser men be bestowed to them. A good officer knows how to maintain his men, with the help of friends of many classes and skills. Those born into the life of an officer have to learn these lessons the hard way, as it is considered a great honour to bear rank in the military of a Nation-State, and there is shame in quitting. In a small way too, it is considered a test in the field as young men are thrust to the top of units and sent into battle, proving their mettle, and also their right to their birth claims. The standard Officer usually hails from the aristocracy of a certain Occitanian nation, usually Westerwald-Leoben, and each is sent to a Military Academy individually to learn battle theory for the time when duty must call. The uniform is bought by the officer or his family, and consists of a few main components needed for battlefield observation and strategy.
Each officer has a distinctive hat, used to signify him or her as a member of their Nation's military. This is standard procedure throughout the Occitanian regions, the only exclusion being the Kazuth of Haria, who tend to resort to different methods to win their wars. The hat is usually adorned with a plume, or a crest of feathers celebrating their battle achievements so far. If there are no achievements, the hat is simply laid bare with a silver lining upon the brim.
An officer wears a long-coat over a split leather doublet and trousers. Long-knee length boots are provided as a replacement for the large greaves used by infantrymen on the ground. Optionally, the officer may wear a half-plate cuirass upon their personage, and this is usually used by junior officers to identify themselves as lesser in courage than their peers, or simply because they believe they really can stop an arquebus ball with no damage. The surcoat is gray with white inlaid boards upon the shoulders and nape of the neck. Honours and merits are attached to these points, as well as rank insignia, denoted by small pips, generally on the collar.
The widespread usage of a rapier and pistol have led to a heroic image with which to depict the ideal Occitanian officer. They usually are skilled at fencing and the art of dueling, to the point where if one was unhorsed, they would be able to find themselves on their feet without getting metal to the gut. The pistol is there for protection, though by the time most officers reach the field they have never even fired the weapon before, and most end up trading it for rations or lose it through gambling with the veterans. As such, the more modern Nation-States (Westerwald-Leoben, Ruetten) have avoided directly issuing firearms to troops and officers. The officers are required to buy the firearms themselves, or they shall not recieve any at all. The ranks for officers go as follows:
Leutnant
Oberleutnant
Hauptmann
Oberstleutnant
Oberst
General-Major
General-Leutnant
General-Oberst
Soldiers of Westerwald-Leoben rest on patrol in the winter. Note the difference in headgear.
Infantry
Spoiler:
To preserve the peace, men and women take up arms to fight for their nation. Though there are many more professions to be desired, it is undoubtly an honour to serve under a Governor as a fighting soul. Of all six nations of Occitan (those being; Haria, Vinberg; including vassal Ruetten, Weissboede, Westerwald-Leoben, Ansbach and Buchloe), Vinberg holds the most standing troops. However, they serve the Order personally, and are more of a political force than they are an official military. Each soldier is issued a uniform, listed as follows.
A soldier is recognized by his hat in the midst of combat, and like officers, soldiers do not fall far from the habit of wearing headgear for identification. There are various pieces of fashioned headgear preferred by the folk of the Occitanian provinces, but for soldiers the most common of these is the peaked helmet, with a coloured plume for identification and rank purposes. Another tradition kept to this day by Occitanian forces is the habit of wearing wigs. Wigs are fashioned from horse-hair usually, and in some cases, real hair. Weisseboeden powder is applied to the wig every month to give it a chalky shade. Underneath the wig, the soldier ties his hair into a knot, hiding it from view. This is seen as the general fashion in the military, and as such has caught on amongst the civilian population of Occitan, who also wear their hair under wigs.
In most cases, soldiers wear a casing of half-plate to protect their upper bodies from pike and sword stabs. In most states, the armour is manufactured from cheap materials, but Vinberg in particular fashions their armours so as to improve maneuverability in battle. Harians are not accustomed to the same traditions, but in some cases they have been seen to employ certain armours that have featured prominently in Northern Occitanian armies. The half-plate is worn over a jerkin and coat, which also are coloured for identification purposes. In most cases, plate-mail boots are used to protect the soldier from fatal shots to the ankles, though this idea has mostly been ineffective due to the dent caused by impact of arquebus projectiles, in some cases even causing breakage of the bones in the feet to the point where the soldier must saw off the plate-mail boot in combat before he can move. Of course, at this point all practical qualities of the armour are non-existant. It is a common sight to see older veterans cutting off the plate-mail boots at the ankle to increase ability to move, as experience shows the mobility advantage far outweighs the procedures of wearing the boots at the knees. Modern armies tend to use leather boots, and especially when cavalry are involved.
For weaponry, the soldier must be referred to his regimental armory for assignment by their commanding officer. As such, soldiers do not choose their roles, in fact, they are earned through valor and prowess in combat. The common man can be expected to be levied into the standard pike-square formation employed by most of the Occitanian nations, which involves a 'phalanx' of pikes, able to move and combat enemy melee troops. If one survives such an endeavour, they can expect promotion or re-assignment to one of the lighter infantry brigades, who employ light guerilla tactics involving firearms to harass and hinder enemy foes. Such a tactic was primarily used in the Kazuth revolts almost 50 years ago, to impair and in some cases, kill Occitanian Order knights in one-on-one combat. A soldier with a firearm could easily overpower a veteran knight with years of training, and the success of such a tactic has lead to it's usage in modern armies. Rapiers and swords are not used by standard soldiers, and instead are given to officers and cavalrymen. Firearms are not issued to soldiers, but any man bearing firearms upon recruitment is instantly given training and placed into an arquebus line or light regiment.
The ranks for soldiers go as follows:
Soldat
Gefreiter
Obergefreiter
Hauptgefreiter
Stabsgefreiter
Oberststabsgefreiter
Unteroffizieranwärter ( Candidate for elevation to aristocracy )
Feldwebelanwärter ( Candidate for elevation to aristocracy )
A cavalryman of Ruetten in combat. Ruetten is a vassal of Vinberg, and the union is denoted by the blue sash.
Cavalry
Spoiler:
A cavalryman is raised up from the middle-classes, and this has always been so. The tradition of using horses in combat has been maintained for almost 200 years, and even the onset of civil war and social upheaval has done nothing to change this fact. Modern armies employ cavalrymen as a form of demoralizing the enemy, as well as allowing greater mobility for taking and holding key positions on the battlefield. It is said that one can make his name serving under the horse regiments of the Occitanian armies, as they are prestigious and filled with glamour. Beneath the glamour however, is the iron determination needed to charge a wall bristling with pike points and the unbroken resolve to come out alive. Luck plays a part too, of course, but legends are not made on luck. The uniforms issued to Cavalrymen are often confused with those of officers by peasants, due to their similar coats. The only difference between an officer's uniform and a cavalryman is the difference in headgear and the presence of a half-plate cuirass to protect the cavalryman from falls or stabs from pikes.
The headgear of a cavalryman is simplistic. They do not wear helmets or cocked hats much like the other servicemen of the armies, but instead wear wide brimmed hats to cover their eyes from the sun, as eyesight is needed when maneuvering through bristling walls of pikes and whistling projectiles. In most cases, an arquebus wielder is not trained to hit a moving target, so protection is the least of a cavalryman's worries. There have been reports of musket projectiles striking riding generals and cavalrymen in the midst of battle, but these are rumours, and spreading false rumours is not allowed within the military. Wigs are optional for cavalrymen.
The weapons employed by cavalry are varied between nations. In the past fifty years, the usage of pikes and swords has evolved, now with some experimental regiments using braces of pistols from horseback to demoralize and break the enemy lines with quick movements. A brace of pistols is worn across the chest, usually over the cuirass, and allows for multiple wheel-lock pistols to be placed upon the chest for quick disposal, as reloading is not an option upon horseback. However, a brace of pistols is extremely expensive, and only nobles who have experienced wealth have been able to buy them, and in special cases, veterans of great valor are awarded with them. Mostly a rapier is issued, and this is used to slice under the weak points and through the exposed points in soldier's armours, such as the underarms and neck areas, presented by the height advantage that cavalrymen have on horseback.
The ranks for cavalrymen go as follows:
Reiter-Soldat
Reiter-Gefreiter
Reiter-Obergefreiter
Reiter-Hauptgefreiter
Reiter-Stabsgefreiter ( Candidate for elevation to aristocracy )
Reiter-Oberststabsgefreiter ( Candidate for elevation to aristocracy )
Reiter-Unteroffizieranwärter ( Only available to aristocracy )
Reiter-Feldwebelanwärter ( Only available to aristocracy )
Guerilla tactics are over 50 years old, seen here being employed by civil war rebels against loyalist forces.
Infantry Tactics and Guerillas
Spoiler:
In the midst of battle, it is often so that an officer can lose his head, figuratively and literally. Tactics are taught to every soldier employed by modern militaries, and ever since the emergence of firearms, tactics have never been so critical to winning a battle. The first recorded usage of tactical maneuvers in combat dates back to 40 years ago, when the cultural revolutionaries were required to ambush and destroy heavily-armed Holy Occitanian Order groups, using scavenged weaponry. In splitting up infantry into two men per groups, they were able to hide and easily manuever around the heavily armoured squares of the loyalist troops, hitting fast and deadly. Modern tactics are much more evolved, but the existence of firearms has complicated things.
In combat, the two opposing forces form lines of infantry parallel to each other. The most commonly used formation is to picket formations of pike lines with light infantry, providing gunpowder support where is needed. If available, falconets can be placed upon enbankments to provide artillery/cannon support at key points in the battle. Upon the day of the battle, each side is co-ordinated by officers, drummers and musicians. The general does not directly partake in the battle, usually taking up position in an elevated tower or hill at the back of the battlefield, issuing orders to runners and messengers. When a regiment recieves an order, the drummer beats the rythm to move, and all actions are communicated to the regiment through the drums. As such, every soldier is required to learn the drum-beats and calls.
When engaging, the musket and firearm lines employ a line strategy, three ranks deep. The first rank is ordered to present, aim for their targets and fire. After firing, the first line moves backwards to form the third line, whilst the second and third lines move forwards. The second line becomes the first line, and so on and so forth. This allows the infantry to keep up a somewhat steady rate of fire, and is a quick way to rout a charge. Though slightly inefficient, the reloading time of firearms is something to consider when attempting to maintain an arquebus/musket regiment.
The pike squares are mobile, and usually move to limit enemy cavalry movement, or to counter enemy pike squares. This is the accepted form of warfare, and generals who differ from these accepted tactics are considered ungentlemanly. As such, these tactics are not always employed by those fighting on Occitanian soil, and this has led to many defeats and developments, the most influential being the Hochenhauser Army Reforms, instituted almost 25 years ago in the midst of civil war. The reforms allowed generals to manuever light infantry regiments to cover pike advances, providing a tactical advantage and cover without comprimising the honour or chivalry of the general giving the orders. Although simply a formal rule, it is a tradition Occitanians take extremely seriously, even if such a thing means defeat.
However, there are some unsavoury tactics employed by bandit groups that still exist to this day. Though not officially documented within the Military Colleges of Vinberg, or Westerwald-Leoben, they are undoubtly useful in combat. They involve using cloak-and-dagger movements and guile to inflict casualties on the enemies within a short period of time. A famous ploy employed by the rebel forces at the Battle of Druckenwell was to dig ditches and pits in the cover of night, separating their positions from the camps of the Occitanian Order. After covering the pitfalls with pitch and grass, the rebels lay in wait. The next morning, the Occitanian loyalist forces moved forwards, seemingly unaware of the obstructions. Upon forming up and advancing, many regiments and lines fell prey to the pitfalls, breaking up formations within seconds as soldiers fell into pits, impairing their movements and in some severe cases, breaking their ankles upon the hard rocks. Disordered and confused, the rebels fired into the broken formation, in some places lighting the pitch that coated the pits. This led to a thick, obscuring black smoke covering the battlefield from view. Because of this, loyalist generals could not see the battle, and could not issue orders. Taking advantage of the situation, the rebel soldiers started to attack through the thick smoke, breaking the moral of the confused soldiers. In the ensuing rout, many more fell to the pits that their brothers had uncovered. It was a defeat the loyalists never recovered from fully, and is a key turning point in the Occitanian civil war.
Military forces of Vinberg wear blue, as seen here in their uniforms.
Army Organisations and Structure
Spoiler:
After the Hochenhauser Army Reforms, standardised regiments were formed by loyalist forces, and it is a tradition that has outlived its original creator. Modern armies use the same level of organisation, preferring to sift and sort men into regiments, battalions and companies. Seven companies make up a battalion, and several battalions make a regiment. Of these, it is generally accepted that there are 10,000 men per regiment at maximum, so as to keep records tidy. Listed below are a few regiments taken from the records of Westerwald-Leoben.
Regimental Payroll:
Affiliation: The Confederate Army of Westerwald-Leoben Branch: Army Type: Pike Infantry Name: 18th Abteilung von Truppen Nickname: Saint Falk's Fists or "Falk's Fists" Motto: "Falk mit uns!" Meaning: "Falk with us." March: Frei Weg Engagements: Westerwalden War of Leoben Aggression, Westerwalden-Leoben Annexation of Vinskraft. Insignia: Eagle with Swords.
Affiliation: The Confederate Army of Westerwald-Leoben Branch: Army Type: Firearms Infantry Name: 4th Abteilung von Truppen Nickname: Divine Hand or "The Divine Hands" Motto: "für immer Wachsam." Meaning: "Forever vigilant." March: Mussinan Marsch Engagements: Westerwalden War of Leoben Aggression, The Battle of Fahlensburg, The Battle of the Broken Cathedral. Insignia: Eagle with Laurels.
Affiliation: The National Army of Ansbach Branch: Army Type: Cavalry Name: 2nd Abteilung von Reiteren Nickname: Storm Chargers or "The Chargers of the Storm" March: Tölzer Schützenmarsch Engagements: Ansbach Containment War of Leoben, The Battle of Freiden. Insignia: Compass and Sword.
The Occitanian Compendium; Military Strategy et al.
Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:54 pm
