Frank Artillery Corp

The **Frank Artillery Corp** or commonly named the Frankian Artillery Corp hails from the world of Frankia and is a long-standing artillery group descended from an artillery group that existed before the Imperium. Another unique fact is the regiment structure. The typical artillery regiment of this corp includes anti-air units, infantry, and some tanks. This mix gives each Regiment a strong defence against attacks and raids but also allows to have better recon than most other Artillery Regiments and which recon divisions can`t withstand attacks on their positions but the divisons of a Frank Artillery Regiment can always hold their position until the support barrage. But some Regiments are classified as Grenadier Regiment but also can count on heavy artillery support.

## History

### Precursor Corp

Little is known about the precursor corp existing during the  Age of Technology. One of the more secured fact is the heritage of the name. The precursor hailed from an ancient nation-state of Franc. Furthermore the precursors were a part of the Franc colonial program which colonized Frankia. After that the corp was reorganized and expanded explaining the different notation.

### Great Crusade and the Imperium of Man

After the contact with the empire the warriors and artillery pieces were put into 12 artillery regiments. Unlike most regiments of the Imperial Army the corp saw constant action. Most were against Orks but several involved interfering into civil wars of contacted planets before they became full worlds of the empire. During the Horus Heresy they fought with bravery and ferociously for the god-emperor (there were 126 known regiments and 78 to 203 reinforced companies added to battle groups or elite regiments). The 123rd Regiment "Cannoneure" played a crucial part in defending of the sector with 28 hives against traitor Astartes.

In the newer times the corp fought in the war against the beast, in the War of the False Primarch (unknown but very likely), in the Nova Terra Interregnum, in the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, in each War of Armaggedon and against the expansion waves of the T'au. And after the 13th Crusade, in the era of the Indominus Crusade the Frank Artillery Corp can also await to see much combat for the God-Emperor.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Battle of Aramus VI (967.M30):** The entire battle of the planet was concentrated against a fortress placed in the biggest canyon of the planet. The placement was much better as it sounded because of the massive engineering effort which had to be undertaken before the guns could shoot at the target.
* **Defence of Vilius X (800-803.M32):** The Agri World of Vilius X located in the Segmentum Obscurus was regularly attacked by Ork Warbands. Obscurus Segmentum Command sent out 12 Regiments to the planet who produced food for the local Forge Worlds. All belived in only some smaller attacks but in 800.M32 a Ork WAAHRG hit the planet. In the first months were the two Frankian Regiments able to keep the Orks at bay near the landing zone but were swepped aside and nearly anhihilated to the air defence units. Only the anti-air units survived the successful defence and were transfered later to several PDFs on planet endagered by the Orks.
* **Defence of Hive Banadur II (unknown.M35):** Chaos forces attack the Hive Banadur II and besiege it for 2 years. One of the defending Regiments was the 71th Frankian Artillery Regiment "Silver Guns". Gun crews of the 8 siege guns were able to boost the fire rate of their guns by 21% and helped in countering 4 Chaos Titans.
* **Battle of Wellington (865-875.M39):** Wellington was later discovered to be a Necron Tomb World, which awakened too early. And fully functional. Luckily for the inhabitants and the empire Necrons need time after awakening for reorganizing themselves. Because of that fact the artillery of the Necrons could only at the end of the campaign get on an efficient level. Too late but with high kill rates. Several regular Artillery Regiments and a docend Siege Artillery Regiments supported by Space Marines and the Death Korps of Krieg Regiments took down each Tomb by heavy bombardements and attritional warfare until a next bombardement was ordered.
* **Blood Campaign on Hakes (unknown.M41):** During the so-called Blood Campaign undertook a group of artillery Regiments a harassment Campaign against Chaos Space Marines while being protected by a White Scars Company. The targeted group of Chaos Space Marines had themself fortifyed in a corrupted fortress and used artillery and bikers for skirmishes to disrupt the imperial siege lines.
* **Battle of Harbor Head (023.M42):** 3 Artillery and one Grenadier Regiment defended a rock formation visible from the Orbit against forces of Hive Fleet Kraken. Jeaune d`Ark used the Grenadier elements of all 4 Regiments in a now legendary battle as effective barrier against the Tyranids while the remaining artillery bombarded the Tyranids swarm so brutal that their casualties after 2 days of fighting meet the number of biomass which the swarm had consumed on the entire continent. The 2 week long battle saw the death of 54% of the entire army and pressumed 450.000 Tyranid forms of every size were killed. Thanks to this action and effort of 23 other Imperial Guard Regiments suported by the Adeptus Mechanicum the Planet of Harbor was saved.

## Homeworld

90% of recruits come from the homeworld of the Frank Artillery Corp Frankia. Frankia is Civilized/Armoury World. Only a bit bigger than Terra, the world serves as home for 12 billion humans and as Armory World for the Imperium of Man. An Armory World stores the weapons for the Imperial Guard for the next Crusade or a wave of recruitment of new Regiments. Praised for its beautiful plains with plentiful hills. Known for its wine and massive factories producing shells and some of the best artillery weapons of the empire. Frankia`s culture is similar to an old nation-state from ancient Terra called Franc.

## Regimental Structure

### Command Ranks

* **Corp-Commander** - Governor Militant
* **General -** Commander of taskforces and battle groups. General staff
* **Colonel -** Commander of a regiment
* **Major -** Commander of a Bataillon
* **Captain -** Commander of a company.
* **First Lieutenant -** Commander of a battery or Senior commander of a platoon
* **Second Lieutenant -** Common platoon officer
* **Master Sergeant -** Vehicle commander and non-commissioned officer
* **Gunnery Sergeant -**  Often operator of heavy weapons or in support platoons
* **Sergeant -** Squat leader
* **Corporal**
* **Private**

### Structure

**Security Company**
**Communication Company**
**Air Defence Company**
**Supply Company**
**Medical Company**
5.100 soldiers
**Recon Company**
**Security Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Siege Artillery Company**
**Air Defence Company**

**Battalion HQ**
**Recon Company**
**Security Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Siege Artillery Company**
**Air Defence Company**

5.800 soldiers | **Battalion HQ**
**Recon Company**
**Security Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Artillery Company**
**Rocket Artillery Company**
**Rocket Artillery Company**

**Air Defence Company**
5.800 soldiers

**Battalion HQ**
**Grenadier Company**
**Grenadier Company**
**Grenadier Comoany**
**Grenadier Company**
**Tank Company**
**Heavy Mortar Company**

## Recruitment and Training

The corp is made up of a mix of volunteers and the best conscripts. 90% of the Guardsmen seveing in the Frank Artillery Corp hail from Frankia herself. Other 5% come from the solar system of Frankia and the remaining 4% are Guardsmen with parents from Frankia. The joining age to the Artillery Corp is set with 18 years.

The training of a new Guardsman of the Frank Artillery Corp lasts for 2 years and include survival training, melee combat, basic medical knowledge, basic knowledge of handeling the artillery, fitness training and the use of Lasguns. Specialists have a longer training. In the training learn the soldiers also infantry tactics to defend their artillery and that they could be moved to Grenadier duties if needed. The final test seperating the future members of a Regiment and the PDF is called *Hell Days.* In these 12 days are the recruits thrown into nearly every situation in which they could find them later including a real bombardment by artillery.

## Equipment

### Wargear

* **Accatran Lasgin**
* **6 Lasgun Charge Packs**
* **Laspistol**
* **2 Laspistol Charge Packs**
* **Bayonnet**
* **Sword Pattern Frankia** - officers or veterans
* **Combat Knive**
* **portable Vox Caster -** recon detachment members and officers
* **Weather Gear**
* **Electronical Binoculars Guria Pattern -** used by recon and artillery crews and gives important datas to the user for a more concentrated artillery fire.
* **Rucksack**
* **Entrenching Tool**
* **Basic Toolkit**
* **Mess Kit & Water Canteen**
* **2 weeks' Rations**
* **Blanket & Sleep Bag**
* **Rechargeable Lamp-Pack**
* **Grooming Kit**
* **Dog Tags**
* ***Infantryman's Uplifting Primer***
* **Micro-Bead**
* **Frankia Combat Uniform** - Like the Mordian Iron Guard wear the Guardsmen from Frankia uniforms semingly better suited for parades than combat. But both forces use uniforms capable for actual combat and are were protective (although the Frankians were a light flak vest because their jacket is made of another material than the suprisingly very protective Mordian uniform jacket). Helm offers additional hearing protection
* **Grenades**

### Vehicles

* **Thetra Pattern Basilisk:** The Thetra Pattern Basilisk is a more mobile and faster operating version than the regular Basilisk. A Thetra Pattern is in design simmiliar to one from the Horus Heresy and the Armageddon pattern with an sdditional 2 kph max speed and a faster turning cannon and turret. It used a heavy stupper as close defence weapon.
* **Sphinx Siege Artillery:** A siege artillery gun modelled after the Minotaur Artillery Tank. A special formed barrel increases the damage done by the Sphinx against fortifications and uses either regular shells or a specialised siege shell.
* **Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher**
* **Hydra Flak Tank**
* **Deathstrike Missile Launcher**
* **Manticore Missile Tank**
* **Sentinels (various types)**
* **Heavy Mortar**
* **Trucks**
* **Leman Russ**

## Combat Doctrine

The Frank Artillery Corp is like every Artillery Regiment specialised in working together with other Types of Regiments like Infantry or Armour. While most Artillery Regiments don`t have a (big) own combat doctrine the Frank Artillery Corp has its own one.

Like all Artillery Regiments they use fire bases and Fobs as logistical and organisational keypoints but also have prepeared or at least scouted out reserve positions when the situation demands it. Unlike the others their positions have anti-air vehicles for protection and even can count on protected fire bases with only anti-air weapons for covering more ground. Most of those positions are occupied by the anti-air units of the Support Company which still has several Hydra in reserve for the air defence of other areas. Normaly the lighter artillery weapons are in the forwarth firing bases while the more costly heavier guns are placed behind and give artillery support to the frontline troops or the lighter guns when they have to retreat. Most forwarth positions can chose more freely what to attack while the other position have more precise fireplans although only 3-5 batteries are in general realy there for attacking specific targets at command.

Having a Grenadier Company as a scout company enables the Corp of using them as a defencive force or to take over of bomarded enemy positions. And most importantly their Grenadiers can fight better than normal recon units who are often destroyed when coming in contact with bigger enemy forces.

## Notable Regiments

* **123rd Regiment "Cannoneure":** It became famous for its defends of Hive cities on Terra during the Horus Heresy. Served since then faithfully the Emperor but suffered dozens of times so high causalities that the combat readiness was delayed for years. To begin of the M42 it is again dramatical understrenght
* **298th Sieg Artillery Regiment:** Was fighting on Necromundar and Wellington. Destroyed after the Night of one thousand Rebellions around 8 Hive Cities and 476 on Hive cities.
* **321th Heavy Grenadier Regiment "Frankias Sword":** Grenadier regiment with heavy mortar artillery. Took part in heavy fighting in the Nova Terra Interregnum. Got nearly destroyed in the last battle and was disspanded with honor. In 007.M42 it was reorganized into a new regiment. They served the Empire for 27 years against nearly all kind of threats with much success but was lost to the Warp in 034.M42.

## Notable Guardsmen

* **Colonel Jeaune d`Ark:** Colonel of the 321th Heavy Grenadier Regiment "Frankias Sword" after its recruitment in M42. The colonel was known for his great tactical skills, organizing talents, and carrying side for his troops and civilians. Was lost with the regiment to the Warp.

## Relationships

### Allies

* Cadian Shock Trooper Regiments
* Death Korp of Krieg
* Armaggedon Steel Legions
* Hochmeister Chapter
* Blood Guard Chapter
* Utania Skystriker
* Macharian Steelborn

### Enemies

* Tau
* Orcs
* Chaos
* Necrons

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