Battlegroup

Imperial Equivalent of a traditional division under the New Order, and commanded by a High Colonel.

Under the Old Republic, divisions were generally commanded by planetary governors or used as senatorial honor guards; and many were associated with particular planets or people. These were qualities that the New Order did not desire.

As part of the New Order reorganization of the Imperial Forces, divisions were eliminated from the Imperial Orders of Battles, except for a few elite divisions which were too useful politically and militarily to eliminate.

Deployed as a Military Force

Battlegroup HQ Organization (274 men total)

• High Colonel
  • Five General Staff Officers (SG1 to SG5)
    • Four Substaff officers with the rank of Major as assistants to the GSOs (SG51 to SG54).
  • 188 Support Personnel
  • Two Security Platoons (76 men total)

Types of Non-Augmented Battlegroups (aka minimum possible sizes; augmented corps can be much much bigger)

• Line Battlegroups - These consist of at least 10,219 combat troops and 4,191 support troops for a total of 14,410 men. Battlegroup vehicles include at least 511~ repulsorlift vehicles and 53 heavy tanks. As of the ESB era, the Empire considers these units to be underpowered, given the increase in combat capabilities of the Rebellion. Consideration is being given to converting all Line Battlegroups to Assault (Reinforced) Battlegroups; but a lack of resources and the difficulties involved in such a massive reorganization have prevented this idea from gaining traction.
• Assault (Reinforced) Battlegroup - These consist of at least 10,210 combat troops and 4,191 support troops for a total of 14,890 men. Battlegroup vehicles include at least 676~ repulsorlift vehicles and 212 heavy tanks. As of the ESB era, the Empire considers this battlegroup to be the most versataile; with a good mix of firepower and staying power.
• Armored Battlegroup - These consist of at least 10,090 combat troops and 6,256 support personnel for a total of 16,346 men. Battlegroup vehicles include at least 1,132 repulsorlift vehicles and 318 tanks. As of the ESB era, the Empire uses this battlegroup to handle missions where the enemy has several concentrations of strength in an area. Due to the high number of repulsorlift vehicles, the battlegroup can hit these areas in quick succession, usually being capable of handling up to two areas simultaneously.
• Mobile Battlegroup - These consist of at least 10,248 combat troops and 5,858 support personnel for a total of 16,106 men. Battlegroup vehicles include at least 1,342 repulsorlift vehicles and 265 heavy tanks. As of the ESB era, the Empire deploys these units on worlds which are contested by the Rebels where Imperial Loyalists still control significant portions of territory. Due to it's high proportion of repulsorlift vehicles, these types of units are usually used as "Fire Brigades" on such worlds.
• Auxilary Battlegroup - These are not traditional battlegroups, as they have no commander, and never operate independently. They are instead an organizational unit which groups the resources available to a Corps commander. These units generally consist of at least 7,674 combat troops and 2,456 support personnel for a total of 10,130 men with at least 390 repulsorlifts attached to the unit. Generally, the following resources are attached to them:
  • Three CompForce Regiments
  • One Ground Support Wing
    • One TIE Bomber Squadron (12 TIE Bombers)
    • Two TIE/In Squadrons (24 TIE/In Fighters)
    • Four TIE/fc Spotter Craft

Bibliography/References

• The Imperial Sourcebook, 2nd Edition ISBN xxxxx.