Personnel of the Elysian Space Navy

:Main article: Elysian Space Navy
The personnel of the Elysian Space Navy originated from prisoners freed from Hades Planetary Prison or ships with orders to take the to Hades.
== Origin of personnel ==
=== Allied personnel ===
Allied personnel of the Elysian Space Navy were members of armed forces that belonged to the Manticoran Alliance.
* CruRon 18 senior personnel - Captured on Oct 23, 1911 PD, after the battle in the Adler System. They were accompanied by Commander Warner Caslet of the People's Navy, their liaison to StateSec. They escaped from StateSec vessel PNS Tepes in the Cerberus System. All of them were experienced naval personnel.It is not certain, where within the Elysian Space Navy were assigned Lieutenant (SG) Russell Sanko, Senior Chief Petty Officer Linda Barstow and Senior Chief Petty Officer Tamara O’Jorgenson.
::For full list see: Allied Personnel in the Cerberus System#Allied CruRon 18 Senior Personnel
* POWs from PNS Krashnark - The exact number of allied POWs originating form Zanzibar and Alizon pickets is not certain. It was at least 36 people, including Commander Victor Ainspan, the only hypercapable ship commander among them.
* POWs from Hades - The vast majority of the final 6800 allied personnel of the Elysian Space Navy were POWs sent off to Hades before 1912 PD. Surprisingly there was only one hypercapable ship commander among them - Lieutenant Commander Roberta Ellis. Some of the other officers were former LAC commandersAs lieutenants very likely, two of them at least..
=== Non-allied volunteers ===
Less than 4.000 of 175.000 collaborative prisoners were employed in the Elysian Space Navy. When PNS Krashnark was captured there were about 4.800 non-allied personnel on Styx, including:
* 560 survived InfernoitesIt is not mentioned where were employed Commander Albert Hurst, former Helmsport Navy and Lieutenant Stephenson, former Lowell Space Navy., constituting initial security force and other Camp Charon services, like Charon Control or hospital,
* c.a. 300 farm laborers, continuously needed dirtside,
* probably less than 200 ex-sex-slaves - civilians mainly, if counted as personnel and employed on the basis of their original skills,
* the rest, c.a. 3700 personnel, transferred on purpose from other camps.Difference between 5.000 POWs just before PNS Krashnark's arrival and 8.000 after she was captured can also explain such issue. Moreover there were c.a. 2000 prisoners from Benson's camp, treated by Commander Montoya - their presence on Styx wasn't mentioned, it seems their health status wasn't urgent.
The final number of non-Allied volunteers, needed for the ESN, was defined by Commodore Simmons as the second evacuation list. Non-allied personnel were a minor part of the Elysian Space Navy's manpower. With at least 6800 Allied personnel, it was necessary to find an additional 2100 non-Allied personnel for the ESN warships. Moreover the ESN's 8 non-combat ships required at least 320-400 additional personnel each.
The most important non-Allied members of the Elysian Space Navy were:
* Commodore Jesus Ramirez - assigned to second in command position in the ESN,
* Captain Harriet Benson - assigned as commanding officer on seized warships,
* Captain Cynthia Gonsalves - named commanding officer of ENS Sabine and senior officer of the first evacuation convoy, which was connected more with her position of BuPers head than her naval skills,
* Commander Warner Caslet - the only former People's Navy member.
== Legal status ==
Allied personnel were obligated to follow the orders of senior allied officers. Former citizens of the states conquered by the People's Republic of Haven, as well as Commander Warner Caslet, served on a voluntary basis, and technically they committed treason against the People's Republic.
Commanding officers in the Elysian Space Navy weren't assigned by the order of their state naval authorities. They were prize masters named by the senior officer present in fact. The Royal Manticoran Navy didn't recognized ship command in the ESN as hypercapable warship command.Eg. Honor Harrington obtained five stars for each her hypercapable command only.(HH11)
As the Elysian Space Navy was a provisional formation, its personnel served with original ranks bestowed by their home armed forces and they used their original uniformsit is not certain what way were uniformed civilian volunteers.
No non-commissioned officers and no acting commissioned officers were promoted. It seems Captain Alistair McKeon lost that power, when he surrendered HMS Prince Adrian and lost control over ship company.
:See also: Elysian Space Navy#Legal status
== Experience level ==
There were approximately 6800 of Manticoran Alliance POW's of whom approximately 5000 had been incarcerated no longer than 5 T-years, the remaining 1800 had been interned no earlier than 1905 PDIt is not certain, why just 5 years term was established for up-to-date assessment. Long time POWs according to that criterion were those captured in the initial phase of the war and those captured until 1907/8 PD, when the RMN started to suffer heavier loses; that included two couples of POWs sent to Benson's camp.. Even short time inmates needed some fast retraining.
Non-allied personnel members were at least a decade out of dateso the last Havenite conquests occurred even in 1903 PD, just before the war and some of them were even half a century out of date. Personnel originally from previously conquered star nations were frequently far below the the RMN standard of training. Even those who passed the limited retraining courses were less tactically and technically proficient than recently interned allied personnelthat's why eg. Commander Susan Phillips, a computer specialist in the former Sarawak System Navy, was assigned to Charon Control.Several high ranking, long-term prisoners were competent merely as department heads, few were capable of standing Officer of the Watch, most could stand subordinate watches and could carry out orders given by more qualified officers, but were not qualified for command positions.
== Ship commanders issue ==
There were not enough skilled ship commanders for all warships captured from the Shilo Force. There were only three people, who graduated the Advanced Tactical Course (Harrington, McKeon and AispanStyles was arrested.) and one more person, that graduated Tactical Course only. It was impossible to assign Commander Caslet to a commanding officer position, despite his long warship command. The only non-allied assigned as commanding officers of the warships were Captain Benson and Captain GonsalvesLatter one in charge with the unit used as escort ship only, manned with skeleton crew.. That's why Admiral Harrington also assigned as skippers senior CruRon 18 personnel - Commander Marchant and Lieutenant Commanders: Tremaine, Lethridge, Metcalf and DuChene.
== Retraining ==
Necessary retraining of the Elysian Space Navy's personnel was based on Charon Control, ENS Krashnark and ENS Bacchante.
=== Charon Control ===
Initially four watches were trained for Charon Control Command Central purposes. The training was slowed down than, until message concerning StateSec Shilo Force arrival was obtained. At least 2.000 of people were trained there for the Elysian Space Navy purposes or were employed there and detached to the ESN after seizing of the Shilo Force.
=== Cruisers ===
Training programme in space started with obtaining ENS Krashnark. Initially naval crew had to acquaint just with Havenite contemporary equipment.
* Captain McKeon and Captain Benson were named responsible for training personnel to combat-ready status on Havenite hardware,
* Lieutenant Commander Metcalf and Master Chief Ascher were assigned to that task as well,
* Commander Phillips and Lieutenant Commander Dumfries were assigned to help with the initial planning concerning such training.
* Commodore Ramirez and Captain Benson were reacquiring their command skills aboard ENS Krashnark in company with ENS Bacchante, under supervision of Admiral Harrington and Captain McKeon,
* CIC crews were trained aboard Krashnark by Admiral Harrington and Senior Chief Ascher,
* 1.800 of long imprisoned allied personnel were trained aboard both cruisers, before message concerning StateSec Shilo Force arrival was obtained.
Prospective Shilo Force arrival in three weeks caused significant acceleration of retraining courses:
* training course for 1.800 of long imprisonment allied personnel was planned to be ended in 72 hours,
* three one-week-long quick refresh courses were planned also, with experienced and inexperienced (non-allied) crew mixed together - which made even 5.400 of personnel togetherhalf trained personnel surplus was suitable for transport ships; it is not certain, what was the teaching personnel number, comprised very likely of POWs captured during Operation Icarus also, and the exact number of retrained short-time allied inmates; at least 400 non-allied personnel trained that way.
== Crew requirements ==
Final crew requirements were determined by 10 operable warships, the escort light cruiserENS Sabine and 7 transports. Minimal crew requirements per warship class was c.a. 60% of original core complementsdefined by Commander Warner Caslet, as the People's Navy officer; no damage control and boat bay crew, half of the machine crew and minimal weapons mounts crew:
* Warlord-class battlecruiser minimal complement was 1.325 crew - there were 4 undamaged vessels,
* damaged Warlord-class ENS Farnese minimal complement was 700 crew,
* Mars-class heavy cruiser minimal complement was 600 crew - there were 4 vessels,
* Frigate-class light cruiser ENS Bacchante 60% complement was 480 crew.
Total warships complements demand was c.a. 8.900 people. Allied naval personnel (c.a. 6.800) was supported with non-allied Charon Control personnel there (c.a. 2.100).
Minimal complement just to move a ship was estimated as 40-50 machine and cons crew, that makes 320-400 personnel together for eight non-combat ships, but:
* the exact number of ENS Sabine's skeleton complement is not certain,
* two Roughneck-class fast attack transports very likely were manned with personnel of dissolved Charon Control (standard core complement - 250, average complement for non-combat ship - 200, 60% complement - 150; 6 boat bays and 84 carried shuttles needed numerous boat bay and small craft personnel however).
With the Manticoran standard ratio of one officer per ten enlisted men,() the Elysian Space Navy created positions for c.a. 830 commissioned officers.
== Marine issue ==
* some Royal Manticoran Marine Corps members, Before the ESN was created some marines were chosen by Major Andrew LaFollet to assist him with Steadholder Harrington's personal protection, but the only steadholder Harrington's personal armsman present in Admiral White Haven's pinnace was Major LaFollet. () as well as some junior officers of the Gaston Marines were incarcerated in Hades,Besides Lieutenant Henri Dessouix. There is no further information concerning their presence.
* there were some boarding actions, but troopers used there don't have to be Marines:
** PNS Krashnark was boarded at least with platoon of 45-50 armored troopers, under the command of Ensign Carson Clinkscales,
** some boarding parties were used against PNS Bacchante and the Shilo Force as well,
* it wasn't enough personnel to organize Marine complements before Battle of Cerberus (2500 crew on battlecruisers and heavy cruisers):
** present allied marines were counted probably together with naval personnel and were used for weapons mounts,
** very likely there were not enough of them to organize damage control parties
** two saved transports had to be boarded however,
* during travel to the Trevor's Star System some symbolic multinational marine complements were created, at least one of which was present on ENS Farnese, with Major Chezno in charge; due to lack of room battle armors probably weren't carried on ships.
== Personnel by ship ==
=== ENS Farnese ===
* Admiral Honor Harrington - COshe used flag bridge,
* Commander Warner Caslet - XOwith his service on ENS Farnese "best crew for crippled ship rule" was mentioned,
* Commander Alyson Inch - Chief Engineer,
* Lieutenant Amanda Thurman,
* Ensign Carson Clinkscalessupposition - former flag lieutenant in CruRon 18, in White Haven's pinnace enumerated after Commander Caslet, but before higher in rank Lieutenant Mayhew (HH9),
* Major Chezno - the senior officer of marine detachment,
* Major Andrew LaFollet - Steadholder Harrington's personal armsman.
=== ENS Wallenstein ===
* Captain (SG) Alistair McKeon - CO,
* Commodore Jesus Ramirez - second in command officer of the ESNflag officers' staffs not mentioned.
=== ENS Kutuzov ===
* Captain Harriet Benson - CO,
* Lieutenant Henri Dessouixsupposition - CO, marine complement.
=== ENS MacArthur ===
* Commander Solomon Marchant - CO,
* Lieutenant (SG) Jasper MayhewSupposition,
=== ENS Barbarosa ===
*CO Lieutenant Commander Geraldine Metcalf
=== ENS Krashnark ===
* Commander Solomon Marchant - CO after boarding,
* Lieutenant Commander Geraldine Metcalf - XO after boarding,
* Ensign Carson Clinkscales - senior officer of the boarding party,
* Captain (SG) Alistair McKeon - CO until the Shilo Force takeover,
* Commodore Jesus Ramirez - trainee,
* Captain Harriet Benson - trainee,
* Master Chief Petty Officer Gianna Ascher - CIC instructor,
* Lieutenant Commander Prescott Tremaine - CO during battle of Cerberus,
* Senior Chief Gunner's Mate Horace Harkness - probably in charge with electronic warfare during battle of Cerberussupposition - together with Tremaine, enumerated after him in White Haven's pinnace (HH9).
=== ENS Ares ===
*CO Commander Victor Ainspan
=== ENS Huan-Ti ===
*CO Lieutenant Commander Anson Lethridge
=== ENS Ishtar ===
*CO Lieutenant Commander Sarah DuChene
=== ENS Bacchante ===
* Captain Harriet Benson - CO during the Shilo Force takeover,
* Lieutenant Commander Roberta Ellis - CO during Battle of Cerberus.
=== ENS Sabine ===
*CO Captain Cynthia Gonsalves
== References ==
Category:Elysian Space Navy