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Army of the United Angle States

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Army of the United Angle States
Coat of Arms of the United Angle States Army
MottoSi vis pacem para bellum
(If you want peace prepare for war)
Founded25 June 1884
Current formArmed Forces Plan of 2027
HeadquartersStretton, Anglei
Leadership
Prince of AngleiAndrew IV
Chief of the ArmyArmy General Henry Kerringer
Manpower
Military age18
ConscriptionYes, for males
Active personnel34,402 military & 7,624 civilian (2028)
Reserve personnel134,532 (2028)
Industry
Foreign suppliers Burgundie
 Faneria
 Kiravia
 Urcea
 Yonderre

The Army of the United Angle States is the ground forces and principal branch of the Anglei Armed Forces. As of 2028, the Army of the United Angle States comprises 34,402 active military servicemen and 7,624 civilian employees. The official purpose of the Army of the United Angle States, as laid out in the Constitution of the United Angle States, is to defend Anglei and Ænglish people.

The Army of the United Angle States was founded on June 25th 1884 in the immediate aftermath of the Concordat of Donnebourg. In its initial form, the Army of the United Angle States featured three independent components: Infantry branch, cavalry branch and artillery branch. The three branches were, initially controversially, folded into one organic force in 1921 on the initiative of then-Chief of the Army Goeff Carol based on contemporary military literature.[1] The Army of the United Angle States fought an unsuccesful defensive campaign in 1935 during the Second Great War against the Urcean Royal and Imperial Army, afterwhich it was confined to barracks throughout the Urcean occupation but otherwise permitted to continue its functions. Due to Ænglish neutrality, the United Angle States Army did not see any deployments during the Occidental Cold War.[2]

Following the Occidental Cold War and an end to Ænglish neutrality, the Army of the United Angle States took part in the international coalition against Varshan during the Final War of the Deluge, contributing forces to both the Quetzenkel front, Cetsencalia front and the Ehemoan front‎ following the Atomic bombing of Zakan Rot. On the Quetzenkel front, Anglei launched the controversial and ultimately disastrous Cobalt campaign, the worst military defeat by an Ænglish state since the Nordmontaine War for which Chief of the Army General Charles Wilson was sacked. The enormous loss of life during the campaign lead to a national identity crisis and inaugurated a period of military reform and increased outward facing identity, as many Ænglish interpreted the loss as being attributable to an outdated military and political mindset. This ultimately resulted in the Armed Forces Plan of 2027, overhauling the equipment and organization of the Army of the United Angle States.[3][4]

History

Second Great War and Urcean occupation

Ænglish artillery emplacing before engaging advancing Urcean forces, April 1935

Despite declaring total neutrality in both the First Great War and the Second Great War, the 20,000 strong Army of the United Angle States found itself engaged in combat with the Urcean Royal and Imperial Army in the early morning hours of April 14th, 1935. The Ænglish Government had been warned in advance by Yonderre, whose codebreakers had intercepted and deciphered several Urcean messages regarding the impending invasion since April 4th. Not wanting to provoke their much larger neighbour however, the Ænglish did not mobilize reserves despite the early warning and only issued live ammunition to its soldiers on the night of the 13th.[5][6]

At 05:15AM on the 14th of April 1935, the Urcean Royal and Imperial Army launched a three-pronged attack into Anglei, targetting Stretton, Sharpestone and Stratford. Clashes throughout the morning saw the hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned Ænglish army forced back from the Ænglish-Urcean border. Despite valiant efforts to defend Stratford and Sharpestone, the former was lost on the eve of the 15th and the latter on the morning of the 16th of April. Delaying actions outside Stretton prevented Urcean troops from reaching the city before Anglei capitulated on the morning of the 17th of April. Though initially disarmed, the arms of the Army of the United Angle States were returned on the 21st of April when the army was confined to barracks, where they would remain until the end of Urcean occupation. 351 Ænglish soldiers were killed and 892 wounded during the fighting.[7]

Final War of the Deluge and the Cobalt campaign

Ænglish soldiers bringing an SMG-4 into position during Operation Cobalt Prince

Anglei entered the Varshan War on February 25, 2022, announcing its intent to assist in recovery efforts for the nations impacted by the conflict. That day, an international naval force sponsored by Anglei departed from Alba Concordia armed with medical supplies, construction materials, and foodstuff to aid the civilians who were victims of the war. Alongside this assistance were 20,000 Ænglish soldiers who were to arrive at Quetzenkel as part of allied offensive operations. The deployment of soldiers was joined by air raids on Anzo. Operation Cobalt Prince was launched on April 7, 2022, with some 20,000 Ænglish soldiers under the command of Isaac Swan launched a southward offensive into the mountains along the Quetzenkel-Varshan border in an attempt to puncture the lines and drive into the Varshan heartland. Although initially a success, Varshan had trapped Anglei's forces deep into their lines, and on April 25, 2022, they launched an offensive to surround 15,000 of Swan's forces deep in the mountains. Recognizing his position, Swan dug in and with help from Ænglish aerial forces, established the Cobalt Fortress to hold out until assistance arrived.

Despite promises of a counterattack to relieve the fortress never materializing, the siege of Cobalt Fortress was initially a success. Varshan's attempts to force a surrender failed, with the Ænglish knowing that surrender meant torture and eventual death. Instead, as time went on, they held out despite starvation, lack of medical supplies, and the bitter cold of the mountains. Within two months, the 15,000 trapped in the fortress were reduced to 12,000 by June 2022. Allied support from the air ameliorated the crisis of supplies in the short term and allowed for the evacuation of wounded Ænglish soldiers and personnel. Martin St. Clair subsequently shelved other offensive plans and began an operation to lift the siege and to help Swan break out from the fortress. Intrepid Enterprises forces were used extensively as part of operational security for the rescue. In October 2022, the Urcean offensive began, and on December 3, 2022, Ænglish forces managed to put north after abandoning the fortress and reunited with friendly forces. Of the 20,000 Ænglish involved in Operation Cobalt Prince, 2,530 were killed 4,206 were wounded and 102 were missing. Around 8,200 Ænglish escaped the Cobalt Fortress unscathed.[8]

The siege of Cobalt Fortress was a major blow to Ænglish morale and precipitated a major reform of its armed forces. With almost 6,000 casualties taken in the span of less than a year (equivalent to almost a fifth of the Army of the United Angle States's total strength), Operation Cobalt caused a deep national identity crisis among the population of Anglei, leading to greater focus on a possible independent national defense and national spirit. The Cobalt campaign and siege represented the worst Ænglish military defeat since the Nordmontaine War.

Organization

The standing component of the Army of the United Angle States consists of two combat divisions of 12,000 personnel each, a special forces brigade of 1,500 and a service brigade of 6,500. The two combat divisions are 1st Division headquartered in Stretton and 2nd Division headquartered in Sharpestone close to Anglei's western border wtih Yonderre. The combat divisions are combined arms formations each made up of one mechanized infantry regiment, one motorized infantry regiment, an armoured regiment and a support regiment. Artillery, engineering, logistics and anti-aircraft capabilities are all organically incorporated into the order of battle.[9]

The Special Forces Brigade of the United Angle States Army consists of 31st Commando Battalion, 33rd Ranger Battalion, 51st Parachute Battalion and their individual training and command units. All units of the Special Forces Brigade have airborne capalities and further operates light armoured vehicles to maneuver across difficult terrain.[10]

The service brigade comprises the following units:

  • Military Police Group
  • Information operations group
  • Explosive Ordinance Disposal Service
  • Movement Control Group
  • 14th Logistic Battalion
  • Field accommodation unit
  • The training centres and camps. The training capacity comprises four departments: the Training Department Infantry at Stratford, the Training Department Armour at Heckleton, the Training Department Artillery at Carlstead and the Training Department Engineers at Richmond.[11]

Equipment

Small arms and crew served weapons

Infantry weapons

Soldiers of the United Angle States Army, left-most with Urcean SAR-99 rifle
  • Urcea SAR-99 - Primary infantry rifle
  • Burgundie FAL - Secondary infantry rifle
  • Yonderre MAG-17 - Primary service pistol
  • Yonderre MAG-81 - Secondary service pistol
  • Urcea SMG-4 - Heavy machine gun
  • Urcea SMG-59 - General purpose machine gun

Anti-air

Anti-armour

Vehicles

Tracked vehicles

Ænglish SAV-12 on exercise, 2028

Wheeled vehicles

Aviation

  • Kiravia HM-30 - Heavy lift helicopter
  • Yonderre AMS-72 - Combat helicopter


Notes

  1. Particularly based on the Treatise on Modern Warfare (1919) by the Yonderian Major Benno de Caryale, later Chief of General Staff of the Yonderian Defence Force.
  2. Michaels, John: Para Bellum - to war with the Ænglish, pg. 35-42. 2027.
  3. Michaels, John: Para Bellum - to war with the Ænglish, pg. 101-114. 2027.
  4. Desenus, Julian: Last Battles - the Final War of the Deluge, pg. 41-50. 2028.
  5. Egonne, Rachet: Office 16, pg. 22-29. 1968.
  6. Helsena, Michael: The Deric Wars, pg. 89-93. 1993.
  7. Michaels, John: Para Bellum - to war with the Ænglish, pg. 5. 2027.
  8. Terry, John: Covered in Cobalt, pg. 325-337. 2027.
  9. Michaels, John: Para Bellum - to war with the Ænglish, pg. 14-19. 2027.
  10. Terry, John: Covered in Cobalt, pg. 16-18. 2027.
  11. Central Training Command: TM-1-2A - The Service Brigade, pg. 1-3. 2020.
  12. "United Angle States upgrade their tank fleet" retrieved from Levantine Times Union on 27 April 2027.
  13. "Retiring the old lady - Anglei buys Dragoons" retrieved from Collinebourg Gazette Ænglish on 23 May 2027.