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Alliance Army

< Alliance Army
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"Battle platforms can destroy, starfleets can blockade, but only the army can take and hold the ground. Without the ground, all your fancy spaceships will wither and rot."
―General Crix Madine[src]

The Alliance Army was a military branch containing the ground forces of the Alliance Military, consisting of the Alliance Special Forces controlled by Alliance High Command, and various Sector Forces controlled by a Sector Commander.

It was later replaced by the New Republic Army.

The Alliance Army was founded and operated until the Battle of Endor as a guerrilla force – aimed at tying down and harassing an enemy force rather than meeting that enemy in open battle. An Alliance Army force could expect to be outnumbered in any given battle it fought against the Imperial Army, and as such its tactics were geared towards 'hit and run' rather than a conventional battle.

History

The Alliance Army was formed after the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic in 2 BBY.[1] It was the ground forces of the Alliance Military, consisting of the Alliance Special Forces controlled by Alliance High Command, and various Sector Forces controlled by a Sector Commander.

The Alliance Army was operated until the Battle of Endor and was later replaced by the New Republic Army.

Soldiers

"What's the matter? You guys wanna live forever? Move it out!"
―Unidentified Rebel sergeant.[src]
Rebel Heavy Trooper

Alliance Heavy Troopers wearing Rebel battle armor.

The Alliance Army's infantry was formed partly of the Alliance Special Forces, Sector Forces, and SpecOps divisions. Organizations formed of highly-trained commandos and agents, who performed a series of guerrilla attacks throughout the Galactic Civil War with the aim of undermining, pilfering from and ultimately destroying the Empire. The rest of the Alliance Army's infantry was made up of Sector Forces with the vast majority of the personnel being Rebel troopers.

Command structure

Hoth trenches

Alliance Army personnel preparing for the Imperial assault at the Battle of Hoth.

The Rebel Alliance Army and Sector Force had a largely standardized command structure. While it could vary from sector to sector, most Sector Forces used the following organization:[2]

  • Corporal: Second-in-command in a squad of nine troops. The corporal was the senior-most trooper.[2]
  • Sergeant: Commanded a squad of 9 troopers.[2]
  • Lieutenant: Commanded a platoon (4 squads).[2]
  • Captain: Commanded a company (4 platoons).[2]
  • Major: Commanded a battalion (4 companies).[2]
  • Colonel: Commanded a regiment (4 battalions). Occasionally commanded brigades (4 regiments). The colonel was occasionally referred to as a regimental commander.[2]
  • General: Commanded brigades (4 regiments) or corps (4 brigades). A sector's most senior general could also command a Sector Army.[2]

Above the generals were the senior generals who usually held the title of Sector Force commander, followed by the Sector Force Supreme Commander (Alliance/Republic).[2]

In the Navy, the rank of Petty officer, Chief Petty Officer, Ensign, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, and Captain were the ranks beneath the rank of Admiral (with Admiral of the Fleet as the Supreme Commander (Alliance/Republic) of the combined Alliance Fleet). Beneath the officers were the ordinary crewmen, generally referred to as Deckmen.[2]

Equipment

When in major battles the Alliance was known to utilize several different vehicles and military equipment. Some of them were from the Clone Wars era.

Armor

Artillery

MATL PACKED

A MPTL-2a artillery unit firing.

Mechanized Infantry

Aerial Assault

Reconnaissance

Naval

Blue Glass Arrow Main article: Rebel Navy (aquatic)

Planetary Defenses

Infantry

Tactics

Compared to the forces of the Imperial Military, the Alliance's ground forces were woefully outmatched in numbers of troops, vehicles, warships and material.[3] Because of this, Alliance commanders were taught to follow Madine's Rules of War. Striking the enemy at his weakest points, destroying their morale and outsmarting enemy commanders were seen as the best way for the Rebels to achieve victory during offensive operations.[3]

The same principle was applied to defensive operations. Army units were often tasked to provide cover while important Rebel assets escaped and other temporary holding actions; extended defensive battles would always result in the Imperial Army eventually overwhelming them with superior numbers.[3] A form of mobile defense was encouraged, whereby ground was given up when necessary in order to lure overextended Imperial forces into a trap. The Battle of Tiems was a classic example of this method and later used as an lesson to teach new Army commanders.[3]

Tactically the Alliance Army fought as a combined arms force, utilizing infantry, artillery, armor (Combat Assault Vehicles or CAVs), scout units, ground transports (Light Mechanical Vehicles or LMVs), and air support (Sub-Atmospheric Craft or SAC). Because of shortages within the Rebellion, however, not all of these elements were always present on a battlefield.[3] Reflecting the Alliance Army's way of fighting, most Rebel vehicles tended to be lighter and faster than their Imperial counterparts in order to outmaneuver them and either attack weak points or retreat in the face of overwhelming firepower.[3]

Troopers on board the Tantive IV were seen using a two-man buddy system for point and cover fire.[4]

Behind the scenes

The Alliance Army appeared in the first of the Star Wars media, the novelization of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

The Alliance Army featured in the Leia Organa campaign in the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
  4. ↑ Visual Guide Chapter 3
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