The Joienne Republic of Elysia Order of Battle 2303 Acknowlegements The M-79, FTE-8, 80mm mortar and VCIR were designed by Bryn Monnery. Some ideas on the development of Elysia are by Jonathan Pearson. Thanks as usual to the Etranger Group for feedback and other ideas. Introduction The Republic of Elysia on the colony world of Joi had a difficult birth. A long running dispute with her French masters was brought to a head over the issue of the protection of the global environment. The independence struggle was fought by guerrilla forces supported by a variety of political parties and after independence was won these factions continued to struggle with each other. Although defence forces were formed they were chaotically organised and far from unified. The new nation also had a small space force whose members were only one step removed from piracy. Indeed the defence forces were a part of Elysia's problems not a its solution. However the Kafer Invasion and Elysia's selfless response to the defence of the other colonies has helped rationalise the forces and unite this young nation. Narrative A shabby looking Dassault trans-atmospheric cruiser slammed onto the tarmac at Toshasimizu City's main airport. It ran along the runway before swinging off onto the last undamaged taxiway and heading towards the shattered terminal building headless of the random small arms fire that flashed across the runway. Captain Masushita Ishii of the Toshasimizu Police Special Duties Section, whose walkers were helping guard the airport perimeter, watched in astonishment. No one had told him of any arriving aircraft, anyway the airport was under fire and likely to fall with the next major Bakemono attack. This plane would likely never take off again. The Dassault was painted in typical Air France colours but instead bore the Air Joienne logo on the hull. Captain Ishii nudged the policeman next to him. 'Elysians? What are they doing here? Has Elysia fallen?' The man shrugged and went back to scanning the buildings to his front. The Dassault had meanwhile rocked to a halt on the apron some 100 metres from Ishii's sandbagged shelter. The doors opened and ropes were thrown out. Camouflaged troops swarmed out of the plane, quickly surrounding it in well drilled all-round defence. One man, obviously in command, strode out from the perimeter and his heavily armed soldiers raced passed him falling in alongside Ishii's policemen. Ishii rose nervously, very aware of snipers, but he wasn't going to be outdone by this Elysian on his own turf and in front of his own men. The Elysian commander executed a textbook salute, which Ishii returned, and started talking. 'Je suis Colonel Schmidt de la Légion Verte de l'Armée Elysienne. Nous sommes ici pour vous aider. J'ai deux plus d'avion complètement des troupes en route. Veuillez me diriger quant à où mes soldats peuvent mieux agir de fixer cet aéroport.' Ishii grinned, he'd fought alongside the French on the Steppes in the Central Asian War and anyone who had defeated their powerful army was a welcome addition to the fight at hand. 'Colonel, ce serait mon plaisir!'
The revolt against the French central government undertaken by the colonists of Elysia that eventually resulted in Elysian Independence has also become known as the Rainbow Revolt because of the colours that various fractions named themselves after. Les Rouges and les Vertes, or internationalists and environmentalists were the most heavily involved at the start of the revolt, whilst les Bleus or mainstream colonial opinion was the pivot around which the campaign turned. Post-Independence another faction has emerged as a key player, les Blancs or French loyalists who see the overthrow of the Junta and emergence of the Empire as a reason to return to the French fold. The War of Independence followed an almost typical Maoist pattern in its development. After the initial clashes and a military clamp down Rouge and Vert factions began to politicise their sympathisers. The Rouge concentrated on the streets of Esperance, Bonne Chance and the other towns and cities amongst the working and middle classes. The quasi-religious Vertes were concentrating on the countryside and whilst both movements would co-operate as they both wanted eventual independence they often worked at cross purposes and feuding between the groups was commonplace. They were never easy bedfellows. With French over-reaction and deployment of troops and additional Gendarmes to the colony resentment soon began to rise. The Vertes began to ambush isolated French patrols in the countryside and attack 'environmentally damaging' agricultural operations. Vert propaganda from inside and outside the country was also particularly effective in stirring up anti-French sentiment in the colony. The Rouges tended to take a less violently confrontational approach instead organising strikes, sabotage and non co-operation with the authorities in addition to the occasional 'spontaneous' riot and demonstration. The French colonial authorities continued to react in a ham-fisted manner and with utter maladroitness failed to launch any effective 'hearts and minds' campaign. The central French government back on Earth was concerned almost entirely with the Central Asian War and simply wanted the Elysian situation out of their hair in the shortest possible time. The French troops in the colony found themselves at the bottom of a lengthy list in terms of priority and had to make do without the resources they required. Basically the French resorted to a policy of sweeps, arrests and reprisals, a reactionary approach which was doomed to failure. Vert actions in the countryside expanded creating a situation where the army retreated to barracks during the night. The militia became increasingly unreliable, some units were prone to desertion as trained men slipped away to the rebels whilst loyalist units sometime indulged in atrocity. The Vertes had managed to almost totally win over large sections of certain districts to their cause. In the cities the Rouges remained a small faction but increasingly Rouge terrorist cells were launching rising numbers of attacks on the local garrison and institutions. Hanoverian support became particularly marked at this time with arms shipments and special forces entering the French colony. Whilst several large groups of volunteers from both factions were sent to Halbinsel for conventional military training in special camps. Manchurian aid was also forthcoming, although mostly financial, as Manchurian agents were easily spotted in Elysia, but later huge shipments of firearms were landed in the colony. The arrival of the new French General Hébert and a fresh wave of Troupes de Marine after the end of the Central Asian War brought a change of policy and aggressive patrols were launched into the Vert bastions. Large bands of the Maquis Vertes were ambushed and destroyed, sometimes along with their home villages. In the cities the war was also pressed with fresh vigour against the Rouges, with key cells being hunted down and eliminated by DGSE operatives and Legion Etranger paratroopers. Whilst internment broke up the influence of key sympathisers. By the end of the year the Vertes and Rouges were absolutely on the back foot. However with their success against the main protagonists the French forces had managed to isolate themselves from the majority of the colonial community and popular support began to swing towards the independence activists. The next phase saw increased levels of general discontent in the cities force a re-deploying of French military resources which allowed large guerrilla forces to reform in the countryside. Occasional successful French attacks on the guerrillas tended only to increase the level of opposition by moderates. As tension with Germany on Earth increased, the level of military resources available to the Governor declined and the increasingly out of touch Junta demanded success against the insurgency urging even more repression. In the end the measures being used by the Governor was his undoing. The military increasingly demurred from undertaking the repressive measures and one Colonial infantry battalion utterly refused to soldier under his orders and were disbanded. The mainstream Colonial Militia became increasingly disloyal and several outlying units were disbanded, ceding even more of the countryside and a fresh supply of trained recruits to the rebels. Eventually talks between the Elysian rebels and French Governor, once promising, were increasingly hampered by unrealistic demands from Earth and collapsed. Rioting convulsed the cities and from the western 'Elysia Libre' enclave a military force struck towards the capital riding on a wave of surrendering Gendarmes and Militia and accompanied by a mass of civilian supporters. French Marines struggled to contain their advance without unleashing a massacre. With the capital on the verge of being assaulted by the rebels the Governor finally sued for peace and instigated the collapse of French rule. Post Independence, the Provisional Government tried to bring the chaotic situation under control and resume normality. However 6 years of civil war and the factionalism of the government rendered this impossible. Most militias and guerrilla units were officially disbanded whilst a small force of regular units were created and plans were laid for mass conscription in the event of national emergencies. Unfortunately the regulars were as affected by factionalism as the government and the conscription idea languished largely un-implemented. Instead private faction militias continue to exist and a rising tide of White terror was unleashed on the population. The chronic instability of the Provisional Government was further hampered by the inability to organise free and fair elections. Polls in most areas were utterly unreliable with tampering and voter intimidation rife. Attempts to control the situation by deployment of the Milice Populaire, Elysia's new security force, were unsuccessful with the presence of the military sometimes inflaming the situation. Consequently the Chamber of Deputies was never a legitimate body and the Provisional Government refused to hand over power. Popular power remained in the hands of those who could control the military or the mob. Finally in 2301 Marianne Vauquoy manoeuvred herself into position as Chair of the Provisional Government. Once a radical Rouge, but now in the mainstream of the Bleus, she had been the head of the sinister Committee for Public Security. In her new position she forced through proposals for a new voting system whilst reinforcing control of the mainstream media. The next round of elections were seen as remarkably fair, whether because the voters had tired of voting on factional lines or through covert threats to the faction leaders is a matter for debate. In any event the Joienne Republic gained an element of stability and the first steps towards legitimacy. Vauquoy became its first President. Nevertheless Blanc terror outrages continued in the major cities. In addition Elysia remained a hotbed of espionage as France continued to destabilise the regime, and the other Joian powers attempted to maintain a watch on Elysia's radical fringe which was busy exporting their revolutionary ideals to the other colonies. Elysia always remained aware of the readiness of these other nations to intervene militarily if given any provocation. The escalation of the Kafer War initially brought some respite to Elysia as the colonial powers had to look away from the revolutionary new state in their midst. Typically the Government (still dominated by the figures that had run the Provisional Government) was more concerned with internal and Joian affairs than the progress of the war. However when Kimanjano and Beta Canum fell this began to change. The fall of Crater and the seeming inability of the human space forces to slow, let alone stop the Kafers, sent the colony into something of a panic. The Levée en Masse was called out with impressive results as many of the guerrilla fighters from the days of the revolt once again took up arms. The two Elysian frigates were quickly integrated into the international Fleet and training was stepped up to defend the nation. When the attack came the defending space forces were beaten back, although without loss to the Elysians. The ground forces awaited the inevitable onslaught, however except for some random bombardments of Elysian towns the country remained untouched. Five days after the start of the assault the massively reinforced human fleet returned to defeat the Kafers. With Japanese and German colonies besieged, Azanian and British troops with marines from the fleet were shuttled north to aid in the battle. Fired by pan-Joian ideals and hatred of the Kafers despoiling the Joian ecosphere the Elysians also volunteered their forces. The experienced Légion Verte was the first to be deployed, arriving unexpectedly at Toshasimizu and threw themselves into the house-to-house fighting. The Légion was soon joined by Régiments 'Ça Ira', 'Internationale' and 'Joienne' from the Milice Populaire. The presence of the Elysians was welcomed by the Japanese and their willingness to get to grips with the Kafers was contrasted by the caution displayed by some of the regular military contingents. However the casualties in the Milice Populaire regiments mounted rapidly and they were reinforced by volunteers and members of the Levée. Inside weeks two formed Levée regiments were also involved in the fighting. Also a divisional HQ was formed to control the Elysian forces that had largely been fighting independently or under command of the Japanese, which had led to some confusion. After the defeat of the Kafers in Toshasimizu the Division d' Elysia moved to Halbinsel and made a strong contribution there before returning home. The contribution of Elysian forces has somewhat eased the suspicion of the Joienne Republic in the other colonies. At the same time the sacrifice of so many young Elysians from across the political spectrum has provoked a ground-swell of patriotism and brought together the young nation. Currently the Elysians have offered to provide troops for service off-Joi with one of the Expeditionary Forces, but so far no-one has accepted the offer of this once-pariah state. Ground Forces - L'Armée d' Elysia Elysia has an array of forces at its disposal including mercenaries, regulars and enthusiastic volunteers. However it is in no measure an army in the traditional manner as it is riven with factionalism, infighting and lacks a centralised command structure. Indeed standards of training, discipline and equipment vary from unit to unit. Only the presence of soldiers hardened in the war against France and recent actions against the Kafers have enabled the Elysians to avoid complete military disaster. 1e Division d' Elysia 'Joienne' The 1e DEJ is the main body of the Elysian Army and is composed of elements from all of the defence forces. Superficially resembling a French infantry division in composition it is seriously deficient in combat support and service support elements. Indeed only recently has the division gained a competent staff, mostly composed of retired French soldiers. In essence the division remains a grouping of individual units rather than a cohesive force. The division gained a reputation as fierce fighters against the Kafers in Toshasimizu and Halbinsel. Displaying a fanatical desire to rid Joi of the alien invaders, whilst taking excessive casualties in doing so. However the division required substantial support from local forces in order to take the field. The Elysian Government has put elements of the 1e DEJ on stand-by for off-Joi operations and made its availability known to diplomatic and military representatives of the colonial powers. So far the offer has not been taken up. The main combat power of the division rests with the three Milice Populaire mechanised regiments. The Légion Verte provides additional raiding and reconnaissance assets as well as being capable of conventional operations. The two volunteer Régiment de Marche supplement the division on mobilisation and are foot infantry equipped with soft skin vehicles. A command and support regiment has recently been created to increase the level of service support. The Division d' Elysia is commanded by Général de Division Jean Enfert a former Légion Étrangère officer who was a leading light in the militarisation of the Bleus.
Groups within the Armée d' Elysia The Milice Populaire or MP is Elysia's standing army and Gendarmerie. The police element of the MP is fairly conventionally organised, although internal counter-subversion missions are undertaken by the Committee for Public Security, a civilian office directly responsible to the Government. The military wing of the MP is divided into four autonomous battle groups of reinforced battalion size called Regiments. These regiments are equipped with abandoned French equipment of the ABR-76 family and French small arms. The units are dressed in surplus French battle fatigues, which gives them a curiously French appearance. Only the regimental écusson and Elysian flash makes it obvious that these are not French line troops. Each regiment is raised from a different fraction of Elysia's divided society and inter-unit rivalry is rife. Discipline and training is not all it should be, however most of the soldiers are veterans of the war and have substantial combat experience. The Colonels of the regiments have great leeway and control over their units which to an extent are their own private fiefdoms. This gives the colonels serious political clout, and the government regularly plays each colonel off against the others to reduce the risk of a coup. The regiments have all seen operations against White groups, and are often called in to suppress militias belonging to other factions. Three of the regiments saw service against the Kafers and proved more effective as foot infantry than mechanised manoeuvre troops. Indeed many of the soldiers instinctive understanding of guerrilla warfare proved vital in turning the tables against the Kafers. 1e Régiment 'Ça Ira' The 1e Régiment 'Ça Ira' is the senior unit of the MP. It's origins are as the German trained 1e Groupement de Combat d' Elysia Libre that spearheaded the final fall of French rule. The 1e GCEL was mainly drawn from youthful volunteers from the Bleus neighbourhoods of Esperance, and the regiment continues to recruit from these districts. The unit is regarded as the most militarily effective and gave a good showing against the Kafers, however its commanders are regarded as being increasingly politicised. Below: Écusson of the 'Ça Ira'
2e Régiment 'Peuple Souvraine' The 'Peuple Souvraine' is recruited largely from the population of Bonne Chance. It was formed after independence from a number of Bleus supporting, Manchu trained commando groups operating in and around the city. Although most of the original commanders have gone the unit still has many soldiers skilled in sabotage. The regiment's commander have gained a reputation as being loyal supporters of the President as such the regiment was not deployed oversees against the Kafers but retained as a palace guard, a role it retains. Consequently rivalry between the unit and the other regiments of the MP has become very bitter. 3e Régiment 'Internationale' 'Internationale' recruits from supporters of les rouges across Elysia. It was formed after political pressure was applied following the formation of the first two regiments. Many key personnel were drawn from the Rouge urban guerrilla cells that had been such a thorn in the side of the French. However these had little experience of conventional soldiering, and it was only after an influx of former French soldiers that skill levels in the unit approached those in the other two regiments. In combat against the Kafers the unit proved good in small unit operations but unimpressive in company sized operations. 4e Régiment 'Joienne' The 4e Régiment was formed from a background of the more professional maquis vertes soldiers in order to 'balance' the MP and some of its officers are members of the Order of St Theodora. In spite of these links it recruits primarily from the urban supporters of the green movement. It was widely regarded as the weakest of the MP regiments and suffered the highest casualty rates during fighting in the Japanese and German colonies. On its return however this regiment has recruited several experienced mercenaries and undertaken a serious program of training. Organisation The MP's structure reflects the experience of the independence war and the likely threat to Elysia. Against a modern military the Elysians expect to be thoroughly outmatched and with little hope of winning a conventional military struggle. Instead they plan to rely on a classical guerrilla struggle with insurgent fighters supported by regular units. Consequently the MP tends to devolve its combined arms strategy to the lowest level and expects to fight in company sized groups. Below: Regimental structure
Each regiment has three Groupement de Combat under its command, each of around 180 personnel. It consists of three infantry platoons, a platoon of light tanks and a support platoon. In addition to this the GC has its own supply and logistic element, as far as possible the GC is expected to be able to live off the land. GC commanders (Commandants) are given great latitude in the training and deployment of their troops, however this often causes infighting within the regiments between different GC's. The mutiny of the 1e GC of 'Internationale' in 2300 was largely caused by it's loyalty to its politically ambitious Commandant overriding its loyalty to the state. Below: Groupement de Combat organisation
The Regimental HQ runs at two levels. Primarily it is a command and control centre designed to co-ordinate the operation of the three GC's. It also commands its own powerful Groupement de Manoeuvre which is the Colonel's personal reserve force which can be committed to shore up the GC's or to conduct its own operations. Typically the GM has two light tank platoons, two infantry platoons, a support platoon and a reconnaissance platoon. The GM has the pick of the soldiers from the GC's and are considered operationally more effective. The HQ also controls centralised maintenance and supply units in the Groupement de Commandment et de Soutaine. Platoons are composed of four vehicles. Tank platoons with four ABR-76. Support platoons with two ABR-76CC anti-tank vehicles and two ABR-76M carrying 105mm mortars. The infantry platoon is equipped with the VCIR APC based on the ABR-76 chassis, each vehicle has two crew and eight passengers. The platoon comprises three rifle sections and an HQ element. The rifle sections are eight men strong, led by a Caporal-Chef and composed of an équipe choc and an équipe appui. The équipe choc is composed of riflemen-grenadiers, whilst the équipe appui has a machine gunner and plasma gunner supported by a loader and commanded by a Caporal. In combat the équipe appui provides fire support whilst the équipe choc closes with the enemy. The HQ element includes the Lieutenant and Sergeant supported by a signaller, runner and also includes a sniper pair and an anti-tank pair. Below: Infantry platoon structure.
The MP regiments are based around the cheap and effective ABR-76 family of vehicles which are very easy to maintain. Hundreds were abandoned by the departing French. The standard firearm is the FAA-73. The Légion Verte is a mercenary force that holds a peculiar position within the Elysian military structure. The Légion Verte started out as a small band of international environmentalist direct action operatives (some would say terrorists) who volunteered to join the Elysian Greens in their battle against the French. Initially led by the American NARL activist Revere Johnston, the Légion Verte had a number of successes after having been infiltrated into Elysia. However the populist activities of Johnston and his media profile brought the unit swiftly to the eye of French forces and the Légion suffered from a series of I/2e REP ambushes and was nearly wiped out. Johnston himself was captured and then killed whilst attempting to 'escape custody'. Many thought the Légion would fade away, however it became refreshed by a wave of new volunteers, mostly Hanoverian and Saxon, whose skills were much better than those of the original Légion. Essentially the Hanoverian intelligence apparatus decided to bolster the unit and arranged for many recently discharged soldiers to enter its ranks and equipped them with a variety of high quality weapons. Whilst the unit became mainly German it still attracted a variety of international mercenaries and green activists. The remodelled Légion was much more successful than its idealistic predecessor and gained a level of fame as the Greens trumpeted its successes to demonstrate international support and the French decried it as a German terror group. The end of the war saw the Légion as a fairly conventional small infantry battalion and had several long running skirmishes with elements of the French 2e DIMa. Independence saw a fairly rapid demobilisation of the standing military forces and the Légion was no exception. However as factional fighting broke out in Bonne Chance the Provisional Government found itself unable to deploy the nascent MP as it didn't trust its loyalties. Instead it turned to the remnant of the Légion, which lacking barracks had dispersed its remaining personnel (mostly professional mercenaries) into civilian quarters around Esperance and its soldiers were drinking away the remaining days of the their contracts. The Légion responded with alacrity and deployed onto the streets of Bonne Chance within hours and with a combination of aggression, firepower and snatch teams had forced the fighting underground. The unstable political situation and several other successful Légion missions including the suppression of a mutiny by elements of the Régiment 'Internationale' caused the Provisional Government to draw up fresh contracts for the Légion. Today the Légion is still predominantly German, although the Government has attempted to weed out those who are still loyal to the German Intelligence apparatus from the command structure. Rather to the disgust of the Legionnaires several Elysian officers have been appointed to senior command slots by the government. The Légion is often in action against White terror and guerrilla groups and is the subject of a love-hate relationship by the general population and is roundly despised by the Milice Populaire with whom it often forced to clash. With the Kafer invasion of Joi the Légion was the first Elysian unit to be deployed as its CO commandeered civilian transports to get to the Japanese colony and threw his unit straight into combat when he got there. The Légion proved by far the most effective of the Elysian units, suffering the fewest casualties whilst undertaking the most dangerous missions. The Légion became increasingly contemptuous of their Elysian comrades. Since their return the unit has consolidated their reputation and rebuilt its strength and has taken on commando and reconnaissance roles with the 1e DEJ. The Légion is 300 men strong and consists of two rifle companies and one reconnaissance and weapons company. It is still armed with predominantly German weaponry, including a recent issue of SK-19 and is dressed in distinctive privately procured ballistic fatigues known as the 'tenue nouvelle léopard' . Recruitment is open to anyone and training is excellent, idiosyncratic but very harsh. Given the units' discipline, training and motivation it has emerged as something of a wild card in the turmoil of post-Independence politics. Many factions have attempted to sway the Légion to support their claims, however Colonel Schmidt (ex-Hanoverian Army and Avante-Guard) remains loyal to the Government that holds the units contract. Below: Écusson of the 'Légion Verte'
Organisation The Légion has 2 rifle squadrons, known as Escadron de Chasse. The EC are the main operating strength of the Légion and are fairly conventionally organised with a small HQ and three platoons. The main difference is in the freedom of action given to the individual platoon commanders as these are often deployed independently of one another. The actual Legionnaires with the EC are trained as highly capable light infantry but not as special forces troops as such, in spite of their capabilities as raiders. Heavy weapons support for the EC's are limited to what the soldiers can carry themselves. The EC platoons, known as Escouades, are composed of a command team, a sniper team, a fire support team and three six man assault teams. This structure is utilised as it has been found by the Légion to be the most flexible at this level. Below: Légion Verte Escouade structure
The Légion has a very small HQ and support element, being composed of a mere 20 personnel. Most of the Légion's admin and planning is done in the head of Colonel Schmidt alone, and the whole unit is run by the force of his personality. Whilst this could be a limitation should he fall in combat it is a useful extra insurance in Elysia's somewhat confused political situation. The Légion's third squadron is the Escadron d' Appui et d' Éclairage, responsible for reconnaissance and heavy weapons support. The company has an 80mm mortar platoon, a reconnaissance platoon and a elite demolitions platoon. All three of this units are manned by some of the best and toughest soldiers in the Légion, and use some unique techniques. Below: Légion Verte structure
The Escouade Mortier is equipped with eight obsolete and rarely seen 80mm light mortars, firing locally produced HE, Smoke and AP shells (but few smart rounds mostly from French war stock). The 80mm is used as it is relatively easily manpacked, this allows the unit to provide close fire support even on the most covert of raids. The platoon prides itself equally on the accuracy and rapidity of its fire, and time and again in combat with the Kafers their fire allowed raiding Légion Escouades to break clear of Kafer counter attacks. As well as their proficiency with mortars the unit has exceptional infantry skills and the fittest soldiers in the Elysian Army. PT is conducted twice a day and is vital for the unit to keep up with the lightly equipped troops it supports on the way to a target, and on the way out again when it might be pursued by the enemy. The tough, hard-bitten nature of the unit also means that it is sometimes used as a provost force to keep other Légion troops in line. The Escouade de la Reconnaissance is the Légion's scouting and recce unit. Composed of eight, four man patrols it is trained to operate behind enemy lines gathering intelligence through OP's and close target inspections. It can operate on foot or by vehicle. The Escouade des Destructeurs is the Légion's elite sabotage platoon, and the last link with its 'direct action' roots. Its role is to conduct strategic missions by any means necessary. Details are scarce but stories abound of exploding French supply depots, damage to vital installations in Halbinsel as well as explosive assassinations of Elysian dissidents. The overlap between some of their activities and those of the CSP's Bureau 10 is difficult to identify. The unit is believed to often operate in civilian clothing. The Elysian state tried to introduce a system of national defence based upon the mobilisation of the whole Elysian people in the event of French re-invasion or intervention by any other Joian power. However post independence this idea has never really been implemented properly in spite of the publishing of a Declaration bringing it into law. Originally known as the Levée en Masse it was soon renamed the Force des Volontaires but the Levée name has proved difficult to get rid of. Only in certain Blue districts of Esperance and Bonne Chance were actual permanent units organised and these were designed to counter the existing private Red and Green private militias and White guerrillas and terrorists. Although the idea languished there still existed huge warehouses filled with Manchurian, French and German small arms and military equipment which might be used to equip any units that can be raised. Pilfering from those armouries re-equipped most of the factions in Elysia. However when the Kafers took Crater the Levée en Masse was called out to a huge response. In the cities the existing units were swollen with recruits, whilst in the countryside Maquis Vertes leaders re-emerged to lead new units. The armouries were broken open, weapons issued and covert supply dumps created. The Levée en Masse had little in the way of conventional military training but was led by people with great experience in guerrilla warfare. It was recognised they couldn't stand against Kafer assault units but with resolution and a little guidance could make the occupation of Elysia immensely costly. When the invasion of Joi passed Elysia by the whole nation sighed in relief. However other colonies were still besieged and fighting for their existence. Elysian units had quickly gone to their aid but were suffering heavy casualties. The self-appointed commanders of the Levée en Masse broadcast an appeal for volunteers which was many times over subscribed. The first unit left inside of a week. The casualties taken by the volunteers were horrific but they received a constant stream of idealistic reinforcements which kept the units up to strength. The Levée en Masse has once again mostly demobilised with the passing of the Kafer threat, but two volunteer units are still a part of the 1e DEJ. In addition two brigades exist in the major cities and numerous urban cells and rural guerrilla forces are a nominal part of the Levée. However as always many of these groups are based on factional lines and have only loose loyalty to the government. Indeed many fear the fading of the patriotic spirit that united the country during the invasion, refreshed with new weaponry from the secret dumps an outbreak of factional warfare could be more damaging than ever before. Skill levels in the Levée are very variable, however the best units have proved to have exceptional morale even in the face of crippling casualties. Attempts to raise standards of basic drills have foundered because of the decentralised nature of the Levée. Most major units are equipped with Manchurian equipment and wear locally produced fatigues, which are practical if rarely uniform.
Committee of Public Security - Le Comité de la Sécurité Publique The CSP was the secretive arm of the Provisional Government and still fulfils that role under the new government. The fact that President Vauquoy was its head and still controls the group is a major factor in her hold on power. The CSP simply put is Elysia's secret police and includes counter-intelligence and counter-subversion elements. Another key element to the CSP role is its counter-terrorist brief, undertaken by its Bureau 10. Recruited from Elysian citizens but also rumoured to include mercenaries many key members were drawn from special Rouges cells set-up to counter French efforts to infiltrate the organisation. Quite simply many are poachers turned gamekeepers. Bureau 10 has a reputation for shooting first and not asking any questions. It's loyalty to President Vauquoy has meant that the responsibility for every disappearance or death of an opponent of the President it laid at its door. Bureau 10's organisation is unclear, but it has proved to be effectively beyond the law. Space Forces - La Force Spatial d' Elysia Strange as it may seem, Elysia is actually a starfaring power. In the days of the War of Independence the Elysian revolutionaries were supported by arms shipments from Manchuria. However at the end of Central Asian War one of the terms of the armistice was the removal of all Manchu warships from the French Arm. To overcome this problem the Manchurians transferred several frigates into the hands of 'privateers' and several of these crews included Elysians. When the war finally ended most of these Manchurian privateers returned to Manchurian service, two turned to piracy and two entered Elysian service. The FSE is a strange outfit to those used to the ultra-modern space navies of Britain, France or Germany. The FSE has no academy, no real rank structure and little in the way of support. In fact they are little more than legitimised privateers and political control over the FSE is tenuous at best. Indeed relations between the two ship's captains and crews are often acrimonious and there are reports that the two ships have fired on each other in the past. Economic support from the government is limited and the vessels are often 'sub-contracted' in order to generate income, and before the war could be found operating across the French Arm. Some in the Government have floated the idea of selling off the frigates or exchanging them for merchant vessels, however the ship's captains have vetoed such ideas. Consistent rumours of piracy, the legacy of the ships war record and the activities of some of her sister ships, continue to dog the FSE and merchant ships are always wary around the two frigates. The two ship captains are entirely in charge of their own vessels and are responsible for training, recruitment and doctrine. The international crews are hand-picked and are usually ex-merchanters although a proportion are dyed-in-the-wool privateers with dubious reputations. The two captains have now been in command of their vessels for well over ten years (a period unrivalled by almost any other space navy commanders), and both are wily, experienced survivors. During the war they operated as eyes and ears for the French fleet they had once opposed and as blockade runners had little trouble avoiding the Kafers. Both frigates are of the Tunghu class. Liberté is commanded by Capitaine Henri St. Germaine, also the nominal head of the FSE. Peuple Souvraine is commanded by Capitaine Beatrice Lorrillion.
Naval Forces - La Marine d' Elysia The grandly named Elysian Navy is in reality a small and nearly bankrupt force, barely capable of undertaking even coast guard duties. The force comes under the aegis of the Milice Populaire and is run by that force from its central headquarters. The navy's problem lies mainly in the lack of resources that it inherited from its French predecessor. That body was ultra-loyalist in nature, mainly manned by sailors brought in from France when it expanded to try and combat the endemic arms smuggling to the continent. When French rule collapsed virtually all of the ships were used to evacuate troops and senior members of the government to New Cornwall. The strong flotilla of fast, well armed cutters was largely abandoned or impounded by the British authorities (although some were later salvaged by entrepreneurs and sold back to the Elysians). Today the Elysian Navy is composed of 7 cutters based around the coast of the island. Undermanned and under-funded it sometimes undertakes additional revenue creation by charging merchant vessels for protection. Operationally it is unable to take the whole of the coast under surveillance and smuggling of a commercial and, so it is rumoured, espionage nature is at epidemic proportions. The navy took no part in the fight against the Kafers. Personnel are drawn from volunteers from fishing communities or individuals transferred from elsewhere in the MP. Morale and skill levels are low and the cutters are lacking routine maintenance.
Below: Écusson of the cutter Ventôse
Air Forces - La Force de l'Air d' Elysia The Elysian Air Force is in a similar situation to the Navy. The rebels had no real air assets during the long fight for independence, only deploying some surplus Manchurian RPV's towards the end of the war. Their French opponents were well equipped with remote aircraft, transports, several squadrons of robust ground attack aircraft as well as interceptors tasked to prevent incursions by arms smugglers. Of these the RPV and transport aircraft proved most useful as the use of strike aircraft was usually politically unacceptable. However the French airbases proved a popular target for hit and run raids with many aircraft being destroyed on the ground. Most aircraft were flown away to New Cornwall or destroyed on the ground by their crews before the handover. The FAE today has only two operational squadrons, one of strike planes and one of multi-role RPV's, both based outside of Esperance. The strike squadron is equipped with robust Dassault Fantôme II aircraft either salvaged after the handover or bought on the armaments black market. The squadron is mostly manned by foreign mercenary pilots and supported by crews of Elysian engineers. The squadron is seen as a reliable 'force of last resort' for the government and is well funded and its ageing planes are well cared for. The RPV squadron is tasked for surveillance missions in both rural and urban environments against elements hostile to the government. It also supplements the Navy in trying to secure the coastline. It too is based at Esperance and is equipped with a range of drones. The FAE deployed detachments from both squadrons in support of the 1e DEJ and was well regarded for the quality of CAS it provided. As a consequence a new batch of Fantôme II's had to be acquired to replace those lost in combat. It should also be noted that the state owned airline, Air Joienne, put its aircraft at the disposal of the military for the duration of the crisis.
As noted in the text above the Elysian forces utilise a variety of weapons, equipment and uniform. During the war Elysia was flooded with French, Manchurian and other weapon systems as both sides armed and equipped units. Consequently after independence the Elysians found they could pick and choose their equipment from what was left over. No serious procurement programs have been launched by the government since independence. It was decided that regular forces of the MP would be equipped with the higher quality French equipment, whilst the volunteers would receive the more robust Manchurian weaponry. The Légion Verte was allowed to pick and choose its equipment and also has used its private funds to procure items unheard of in the rest of the Elysian Army. The standard headgear is the so-called Képi Elysienne, a peaked cap which bares a resemblance to the Bergemütze worn by German and Austroslovenian mountain troops. The Képi Elysienne includes a sunshade that protects the back of the wearers neck which can be folded up when not needed. The Légion Verte instead wears a green beret which is worn pulled to the right in the Anglo-Germanic style. Écusson The array of uniforms presently in use in the Elysian forces can lead to no little confusion. Consequently the arm-of-service badge or écusson was introduced. The écusson identifies exactly what unit and political faction the unit belongs to. All regular units have double braiding in a diamond shape which is colour coded. The outer band represents which service the soldier belongs to, the inner any political affiliation. Within the diamond is a symbol and sometimes a number, under the diamond is the name of unit or ship. The colours of the outer band are green for ground units, dark blue for navy, light blue for air forces and silver for space forces. The Gendarmes of the MP have bright red. If the inner band is the same colour as the outer then the unit has no political affiliation otherwise it is either blue, red or light green. Below is the écusson of the 3e Régiment 'Internationale' . The green outer braid indicates ground forces, the red inner braid that the unit is affiliated to the rouges. The grenade motif that the unit is an MP combat unit, whilst the III and 'Internationale' firmly identify the unit.
Fusil Automatique d'Assault Mle. 2273 (FAA-73) Assault Rifle The FAA-73 is a conventional assault rifle that has been replaced by the FAM-90 in regular French service. It combines a 7.5mm rifle with a 30mm grenade launcher. Although considered obsolete it is a powerful and robust weapon system which remains very popular with the troops. The only complaint is the low capacity of the magazine and many soldiers use privately acquired larger capacity magazines. It was the standard weapon of the French forces in the Elysian War of Independence and thousands have made their way into Elysian Army service. (This weapon is from the Aurore Sourcebook). Type: 7.5mm conventional assault rifle Country: France Weight (empty): 3kg Length: 83cm (bulk = 2) Action: Single shots or Bursts Ammunition: 7.5mm x 40mm fixed cartridge ball Muzzle Velocity: 910mps Magazine: 25 round box Magazine Weight: 0.5kg ROF: 2 Aimed Fire Range: 800m Area Fire Burst: 10 rounds (AFB = 1) Area Fire Range: 600m DP Value: 0.7 Price: Lv510 (Lv2 for 60 rounds loose) Mitrailleuse Mle. 2279 (M-79) General Purpose Machine Gun The M-79 is the GPMG used in the majority of French squad, light vehicular and static support roles. Since coming into general service in 2282 it has seen action in 4 wars and has been found to be a robust and useful system. Although moves are underway in Paris to replace the M-79 with a new Electromagnetic Machinegun (MM-97) French troops are reluctant to give up their robust M-79's for a weapon with considerably less firepower just to keep up with fashions. In Elysian service the M-79 is the standard squad automatic weapon. Type: 7.5mm General Purpose Machine Gun Country: France Weight (empty): 9.5kg Length: 135cm (bulk = 4) Action: Single shots or Bursts Ammunition: 7.5mm x 70mm fixed cartridge ball Muzzle Velocity: 960mps Magazine: 200 round belt Magazine Weight: 2.4kg ROF: 5 Aimed Fire Range: 900m (1200m on mount) Area Fire Burst: 20 rounds (AFB = 2) Area Fire Range: 750m (850m on mount) DP Value: 1.2 Price: Lv920 (Lv2 for 100 rounds link) Fusil Tireur d' Élite 8mm (FTE-8) Sniper Rifle The FTE-8 was the standard French sniper rifle of the Central Asian War period. It was replaced by the FTE-10 before the War of German Reunification due to that weapon's greater armour penetration which made it capable of taking on light armoured vehicles. However the FTE-8 with its bullpup layout is a less bulky and unwieldy weapon and remains popular with dedicated snipers. A further model (FTE-8E) exists for special operations use which fires APHE rounds at reduced velocity lowering the firing signiture. Type: 8mm gauss sniper rifle Country: France Weight (empty): 10.9kg Length: 129cm (bulk = 4) Action: Single shots Ammunition: 8mm x 50mm flechette Muzzle Velocity: 1350mps Magazine: 5 round disposable box with internal cell Magazine Weight: 1.0kg ROF: 1 Aimed Fire Range: 1350m Area Fire Burst: 1 rounds (AFB = 0.1) Area Fire Range: 1350m DP Value: 2.7 Price: Lv360 (Lv2 for 100 flechettes loose, Lv2 for disposable magazine) Mortier Légère 80mm (ML-80) Light Mortar The ML-80 is an obsolete lightweight mortar originally designed for colonial light infantry work. Widely superseded by 105mm and 120mm magazine fed models the ML-80 still has one major user. French special forces units use these easily manpacked weapon on raids that require indirect fire support greater than that provided by grenade launchers. The ML-80 is accurate and quickly bedded down, however it suffers from being vulnerable to counter-battery fire. Firepower is also constrained by the number of round carried with the mortar tubes, usually every member of the raiding unit being supported carries at least two rounds sometimes more. In Elysian service only the Légion Verte use this weapon regularly, although some maquis vertes also have access to it. Type: 80mm lightweight mortar Country: France Weight (empty): 10kg Length: 130cm (bulk = 4) Action: Single shots Ammunition: 80mm mortar bombs Muzzle Velocity: 325mps Magazine: N/A Magazine Weight: 3.6kg/bomb ROF: 2 Direct Fire Range: 150m (in emergency) Indirect Fire Range: 150-6000m DP Value: see below Price: Lv680 Ammunition: High Explosive (HE) White Phosphorous/Smoke
(WP/SMK) Guided HEAT Véhicule de Combat d' Infanterie Roulé (VCIR) The VCIR is the standard French wheeled APC used for second line troops or for low intensity operations. As such it was widely used on Elysia during the Independence War and so many were abandoned after the surrender that they have formed the backbone of the Milice Populaire in military and robust policing roles. Based on the automotive components of the 8x8 ABR-76, the VCIR is cheap and easy to maintain. It is also available in ambulance, command and communications, forward logistics and riot control versions to name but a few. Type: Wheeled APC President Marianne Vauquoy The President is also nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Elysian forces. President Vauquoy has been assiduous in cultivating the senior commanders in the fractious forces, and is rumoured not to be above intimidating those with whom she does not agree. Believed to have been a senior commander in the Rouges terrorist effort in Bonne Chance she is a ruthless operator who, although lacking a traditional military education, has an instinctive knowledge of how to go for an enemy's weak points. Whilst a skilled political operator Vauquoy is genuinely committed to Elysia's anti-colonial and environmentalist ideals. She has walked a fine line in international relations and has been successful in staving off overt foreign intervention although Elysia remains the key espionage target on Joi. Général de Division Jean Enfert Jean Enfert is the senior military commander in Elysia. A former Foreign Legion officer of Flemish extraction (his name is a nom de guerre) retired on Joi, he was only drawn into the conflict after being sickened by French military excesses. He was largely responsible for the training and creation of the 1e Groupement de Combat d' Elysia Libre and led it to final victory over the French. After the war his moderate political views and personal popularity were at odds with the aims of the Provisional Government and he retired to comfortable obscurity. However with the Kafer invasion of Joi in full swing the Elysians required a competent commander for the forming 1e DEJ. Enfert was the only real choice and he returned to service. A steady, if uninspired, commander he brought the Elysian forces through the fighting largely intact. Regarded by public opinion as having been twice the saviour of Elysia this modest and retiring man is one of the most respected men in the country. His relations with President Vauquoy are proper, but distant. Colonel Horst Schmidt Horst Schmidt is a professional soldier of the old school. He served in the Hanoverian Army seeing action in the Central Asian War as well as with special forces on Joi (where he helped train Elysian rebels). On leaving the service he joined the respected mercenary Avante-Guard. From there he was head-hunted by the Provisional Government to revitalise the Légion Verte. This he did with gusto, bringing in fresh training regimes and ridding the unit of some of its unruly elements. Schmidt seized the opportunity presented by the Kafer invasion and was at the forefront of the Elysian military effort, leading from the front by force of personality. Since then he had grown somewhat tired of the constant political infighting but has too much invested in the Légion Verte to just leave it. He is a confidant of the President and hopes to rise to command the 1e DEJ. Colonel Simon Vallière Simon Vallière is the rising star of the Elysian military. Raised in Bonne Chance he joined the often violent protests against the French troops at an early age. He soon graduated to being a gunman and showing promise he was shipped off for training in Halbinsel. He returned to Elysia in the ranks of the 1e GCEL and he rose quickly, surviving many contacts with the French and ended the war in command of a company group. From there in the post-independence period he has rise to command Régiment 'Ça Ira' whilst also becoming an expert in the political arena. Vallière had a good war, serving once again under his old commander Jean Enfert whom he hopes to succeed. Good looking, charming and tactically astute, Vallière is often regarded to have 'risen without trace'. His close links with the President and easy manner are resented by the other major commanders in the Elysian Army, and he has made powerful enemies. Many people believe he will not survive the next year. Commandant Victor Thévenin Victor Thévenin is the commander of Bureau 10. Although a comrade of the President during the fighting (and supposedly once her lover) little is known about Thévenin. His cold efficiency is legendary, as are rumours of his skill at 'breaking' captured French officers during the war. He is not a man anyone crosses willingly and has shown uncanny skill at avoiding numerous assassination attempts. Capitaine Henri St. Germaine Henri St. Germaine is captain of the Liberté and nominal commander of the FSE although he rarely attends on-world meetings. His reputation as a daring starship captain is well founded, once completely outmanoeuvring the powerful French cruiser De Grasse, as well as frequently running blockades and attacking merchants. He further enhanced his renown during the Kafer War with similar exploits. Behind the popular image he remains an enigmatic figure. He is believed to have been a common spacer in the MSIF before joining a merchant ship with a somewhat 'shady' reputation and later joining the Manchu privateer he currently commands. The only crew to have left his vessel reports that St. Germaine tightly controls his vessel and is hugely machiavellian, he has recently developed a sizeable ego which may eventually be his downfall. |
