Organisation of the Imperial & Federal Common Army
The Imperial & Federal Common Army is broken down into several general categories of division: Rifle, Grenadier, Panzer, and Dragoon. Most units within the Common Army fall into one of these categories. In addition to these standard divisions, the Common Army also utilises a large number of independent regiments which are not attached to a regiment, and are instead attached to either corps or army level commands. These independent regiments are found in a wide variety, and are also discussed below.
Rifle Division
The R.u.B Rifle Division (also known as Fusilier, Musketeer, or Infantry divisions) is the most common formation in the R.u.B Common Army. Consisting of approximately 17,000 beings at arms, the Rifle Division's main role is to serve as a line holding unit, capable of advancing and putting general pressure on the enemy across a wide front, or in defending both front lines and vital objectives without external support.
The rifle division consists of three rifle regiments and an artillery regiment. In addition, the division contains a jaeger, anti-tank, and pioneer battalion. A flak battery is directly attached to the division's headquarters. Logistics and other support services are handled by an organic Logistical Regiment, which includes administrative, medical, signal, and other units.
Rifle Regiment & Subunits
An R.u.B Rifle regiment contains approximately 3,000 beings under arms, organised into three rifle battalions, an anti-tank company, an infantry gun company, and a light flak company.
Each rifle battalion contains approximately 850 beings under arms, organised into three rifle companies, a heavy weapons company, and a scout platoon. In general, each rifle company is divided into four rifle platoons, which are in turn contain approximately four infantry squads each. The heavy weapons company is usually equipped with a mixture of mortars and heavy autocannons for direct support of the infantry, with two platoons of six autocannons each, and two batteries of four mortars each. The scout platoon is made up of three squads of light infantry intended to help locate targets and ascertain hostile position, and in directing fire from the regiment's organic support units.
In general terms, an R.u.B Rifle squad will contain twelve beings under arms, and is built around an automatic weapon, normally an autorifle or light autocannon. Two beings will crew the heavy weapon, while the remainder of the squad will provide support with rifle and autopistol fire. Infantry tactics focus on the use of the automatic weapon as the squad's primary weapon, with all other members of the squad serving to support it. Rifle units will often also carry single-shot anti-tank weapons, like the PAR-K for defense against armoured vehicles.
The regimental anti-tank company is generally only equipped with light anti-tank weapons, such as the infantry portable PAR-III and Pak-VII Reiger Lance. Each company normally contains two batteries of six tank hunter units each. Standard practice is for one battery to contain anti-tank rockets, while the other use lances, in order to present a mix of threats. Similarly, the regimental infantry gun company will contain two batteries of four guns each. The infantry gun company will generally use light infantry guns like the Mk III 6 kg Reinhold Gun meant for direct support of infantry, but one battery may be reserved for heavy mortars to supplement the field guns.
Finally, the light flak company will usually consist of two batteries of anti-air weapons, one containing two FlaK-40 and the other six anti-air teams equipped with man portable Fliegershreck IV rockets.
Artillery Regiment & Subunits
The artillery regiment of the Rifle division consists of approximately 2,000 beings at arms, organised into three light artillery battalions, and one heavy artillery battalion, with a headquarters company that coordinates fire control for the division as a whole. Each battalion will usually contain two batteries, and a headquarters platoon that serves to direct the fire of the battalion's batteries.
The light artillery battalions will ordinarily be equipped with weapons such as the 10.5 cm LK/12 Macrocannon arranged in two batteries of six pieces each, while the heavy artillery battalion will be equipped with heavier weapons such as 15 cm K/10 Macrocannon, also arranged in two batteries of six pieces each. This results in a total regimental strength of 36 light and 12 heavy guns for divisional support. The light guns are the artillery regiment's primary fire support units, and provide the majority of fire support. The heavier guns will more commonly be used for counter-battery duties, and may be reserved for the regimental commander's control.
Other Units
In addition to the main combat units, the Rifle Division also contains several independent formations, with a Jaeger battalion, a tank hunter battalion, a flak battery, and an engineering battalion. Logistical support for the division as a whole comes from a dedicated Logistics Regiment attached to division headquarters.
The Jaeger battalion is a light infantry reconnaissance unit, intended to scout ahead of the main body of the division while on the march and in meeting engagements. Once the division is committed, the Jaegers will often take the role of artillery observers, and skirmishers. The Jaeger battalion consists of a headquarters unit, and three Jaeger platoons. Each Jaeger platoon will in turn consist of three squads of 10 Jaegers each, as well as a heavy weapons squad equipped with three heavy autocannons. Each platoon headquarters will generally have the necessary communications equipment for artillery observation duties, including a trained observer. Each Jaeger squad is organised much like a standard Rifle squad, with an automatic weapon and several supporting squad members. However, Jaeger squads tend to favour lighter weapons than their Rifle equivalents.
The tank hunter battalion provides heavier anti-tank power than the smaller units organic to the Rifle regiments. The divisional tank hunter battalion will usually contain three batteries of PaK lances, with 6 PaK-VIII Lances per battery. The tank hunter battalion will rarely operate together, and individual batteries may be attached to the division's Rifle regiments in order to strengthen their anti-armoured defences.
The divisional FlaK battery will generally be limited, featuring heavier weapons than the Rifle regiment's FlaK company. A typical divisional flak battery will contain six 8.8 cm FlaK 80s, or Mk X 22 kg Reinhold Guns. These heavier weapons will primarily serve to defend the divisional headquarters, logistics train, and support units.
The divisional engineering battalion will generally consist of four companies of engineers, mounted in dedicated engineering vehicles. One company is usually a dedicated bridging unit, one an assault unit, one will be equipped for fortifications, and another for infrastructure. However, the precise make up of the divisional engineering unit will change depending on the situation, with divisions intended for offensive operations featuring greater numbers of bridging and assault engineers, while divisions intended to hold territory may forego bridging and assault units altogether to receive a fully dedicated fortification company.
The divisional Logistics Regiment contains all the necessary support units for the division as a whole. In addition to the oversized Transport Battalion responsible for mechanised transport of the entire division, the logistics regiment includes a field hospital battalion, a maintenance battalion, a signals battalion, and a variety of other units necessary for the continued functioning of the division at maximum combat capacity.
Grenadier Division
Grenadier Regiment & Subunits
Artillery Regiment & Subunits
Other
Panzer Division
Panzer Regiment & Subunits
Grenadier Regiment & Subunits
See: Grenadier Regiment
Artillery Regiment & Subunits
Other
Dragoon Division
Independent Brigades
Heavy Panzer Brigade
Siege Brigade
Heavy FlaK Brigade
Fortress Brigade
Federal Landwehr Units
In times of war, the majority of the ground combat forces fielded by the R.u.B Union will likely consist of Federal forces, recruited, trained, and equipped by the various Federal member states of the Union. While there is a great variety of these division organisations, several designs have grown particularly common, either due to the size of the member state in question, or its influence on a wide number of Federal states. Chief among these are Nakabean and Albionan unit designs.
Nakabean Ashigaru Division
Nakabean Ashigaru Divisions are one of the most commonly seen Federal units brought into wider R.u.B service, to the extent that many serve with the R.u.B Common Army even in times of relative peace. When compared to standard R.u.B Common Army rifle divisions, Nakabean units are large, and often feature less heavy equipment, as a result of the conditions on many of the Nakabean worlds. Moreover, it is rare to see an entire Ashigaru division operating together in peacetime, as due to their large size, independent detachments are commonly broken off from the main body of a division to handle a specific task. These detachments are usually combined arms units under a senior office, and are generally known by the name of the officer in command or the area to which they are assigned.
The Ashigaru division will generally feature around 20,000 beings under arms. The division consists of a headquarters unit, three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a logistics regiment, and a battalion each of engineers and reconnaissance infantry. Similarly to R.u.B Common Army units, the logistics regiments will contain the necessary transportation, administration, medical, and other support forces needed for the division.
Each infantry regiment is organised into three battalions, with a company each of anti-tank guns, infantry support guns, and signals troops. Each infantry battalion will contain four companies of infantry, an autocannon company, and a company of light infantry support guns. Each company of infantry will usually be made up of three platoons, each of which will contain three sections of fifteen men each. Nakabean sections are generally intended to operate as three separate five man teams, each of which with a mix of riflemen, supporting a being with a support weapon of some form. The autocannon company will also usually contain three platoons, each with four autocannons for support of the infantry companies. The battalion gun company will usually be a light battery of two guns, rather than a full unit. However, the regimental gun company will contain a full battery of four infantry guns. Similarly, the regimental anti-tank company will have a full battery of six lances, and six tank hunter teams.
The divisional artillery regiment will usually be organised into three gun battalions, each made up of three batteries of four guns each, along with a headquarters unit for coordinating heavy fire. While the divisional guns will usually be indirect, most will generally be of the same weight as the regimental infantry guns, rather than heavier pieces. Some divisions will feature a single battery of heavier guns, but most Nakabean units favour lighter, more mobile pieces.
The reconnaissance company is organised similar to the infantry company, with three platoons, but foregoes the autocannon company. Similarly, the engineer company also features similar organisation, but with four companies of engineer. One company will generally be pioneers, meant to clear obstacles, another will focus on construction of defensive fortifications, another will be a bridging unit, and finally one will be focused on general infrastructure for the division's continued operations.