Imperial Storm Corps

The Imperial Storm Corps is an Elite Branch of The Imperial Army of The Imperium. The Corps are known for their high success rate and lack of mercy during missions. The Imperial Storm Corps were formed from remnants of The Waffen-SS, German Exile Army and Wehrmacht Soldiers. The ISC later conscripted directly from the population in the 7th ISD. The Imperial Storm Corps are commanded by General Felix Steiner who also commands The 1st Imperial Storm Division which is regarded as the most Elite Unit in the Imperial Army.

The Imperial Storm Corps are fanatically loyal to The Emperor and are normally at the forefront of Operations alongside The Imperial Guards. The 7 Divisions are some of the finest soldiers in the world. The Second ISD saw combat in the War of The Pacific where they trained FAS Marine Divisions. Discipline and Loyalty to The Emperor and Imperium were the two principles of the Corps.

The Soldiers of The Imperial Storm Corps wear heavier and more armoured uniform. They also use The MkIII Assault Rifle which is the most technologically advanced Infantry weapon in The Imperial Arsenal and The World. ISD Soldiers are easily identifiable by their Unit Patch on the Chest and Right side of the Helmet and The ISC Patch on the Left Side of The Helmet. This Technological Advancement allows the ISD Stormtroopers to overwhelm and destroy Enemy Forces with ease. Their Unhuman Appearance makes them great for Intimidation and Suppression. The Stormtroopers use APCs to manoeuvre terrain and deploy forces quickly. The Imperial Stormtroopers are commonly used in Urban Environments, Counter-Insurgency and Frontline Combat.

## Origins

The Imperial Storm Corps has their roots all the way back in The Great War where The Entente and Central Powers wielded Shock Troopers to break the deadlock of Trench Warfare. These early shock troopers were good on paper but the Armour of the time made them very slow and drained the soldier significantly. Then in 1932, The SS formed who were the direct predecessor to The Imperial Storm Corps. The Military Branch of the SS, The Waffen-SS were a capable fighting force and were fiercely loyal to the Nazi Regime. These Waffen-SS units (Except Heydrich's Soldiers and The German Exile Army) were defiant during the Imperiumist Takeover and They repelled an Imperial Assault on Berlin. As Wehrmacht Forces began pledging loyalty to The Imperium, Waffen-SS Units began hunting the Wehrmacht Units and using guerrilla warfare. Eventually, The Imperial Army breaches into Berlin and The Waffen-SS fight to the death. However, The Imperial Soldiers storm the Reichstag and Hitler is Killed. Many remaining Nazis and Waffen-SS soldiers went into hiding however many joined new Imperial Guard Divisions. A notable force that left The German Reich was the German Exile Army.

The German Exile Army was mainly soldiers from The 4th SS *Polizei* Panzergrenadier Division who were stationed on the Italian-German Border. Led by Field Marshall Ferdinand Schörner and SS-Oberführer Walter Harzer, The German Exile Army headed to Rome. These Exiles were accepted by Fascist Italy and allowed to fight for Germany as Volunteers. The GEA was around 10,000 at their height. The Nazis in Hiding viewed these soldiers as cowards for leaving. The German Exiles fought during the Italian War of Conquest and were eventually defeated at the Battle of Rome. These remaining 4,000 were given a choice to join The Imperium and Form the ISC or die. 3,000 opted to join and formed The First Imperial Storm Division.

## Organization

The Imperial Storm Corp is organized into 7 Divisions - 6 Volunteer Divisions and One Conscript Division. These Divisions are:

* First Imperial "Rome" Storm Division
* Second "Pacific" Imperial Storm Division
* Third "Stalin's Executioners" Imperial Storm Division
* Fourth Imperial Storm Division
* Fifth Imperial Storm Division
* Sixth Imperial Storm Division
* Seventh Imperial Storm Conscript Division

The 1st ISD is the most Veteran Unit in the Imperial Army and are the best fighters The Imperium has to offer. The 2nd ISD served in The War of The Pacific were they helped train and support FAS Marine Divisions. The 3rd ISD is the Famed Division responsible for the Execution of Joseph Stalin in The Invasion of the Soviet Union.This is represented on their Emblem Showing Stalin's Face and Their Nickname "Stalin's Executioners" In Soviet Red Over it. The 7th ISD is a significant Unit as they are the only unit in the ISC who recruit directly from The Civilian Population. All 6 Divisions recruit from The Imperial Armed Forces whereas the Seventh does not.

## Training and Equipment

The Imperial Storm Divisions are very Highly equipped. The Standard Soldier is equipped with a MkIII Assault Rifle developed by The Imperial Arms Foundry. This weapon was released in 1957 and is the most Technologically advanced Rifle in the World. They wear Heavy Plated Armour but it still allows The Wearer to have good mobility. They wear a M1955 Stahlhelm which is the most recent variant. The Stahllhelm is a very durable and comfortable helmet and can protect the wearer from some small arms fire and shrapnel. The M1955 Stahllhelm also has a Gas Mask attachment which the Stormtroopers are known to use, this is to protect the users face from shrapnel and from Chemical Weapons. It is hooked up to a breathing apparatus for extra defence against Gas Attacks. The Stormtroopers use APCs to manoeuvre terrain and deploy forces quickly. ISD Soldiers are easily identifiable by their Unit Patch on the Chest and Right side of the Helmet and The ISC Patch on the Left Side of The Helmet.

Imperial Stormtroopers are initially selected from Imperial Guardsmen and once selected they go through a gruelling 40 Week Selection Programme to drop out the weaker soldiers and leave the best of the selection. Recruits have been known to die on the 40 Week Programme. Once passed through the 40 Week Programme, Recruits go through another 20 Week Programme where they learn Survival Training, Counter Terrorism, Counter Insurgency, Crowd Control, Shock Tactics and Hand to Hand Combat to name a few. Once a Recruit passes all of these, They become an Imperial Stormtrooper. The Process is the same for soldiers of the 7th ISD except they are civilian recruits. Only 5% of Recruits pass the full training. The Initial 40 Week Training is meant to push the soldier and break them down and rebuild them again. This Training Programme is the harshest in the world and as such, produces the best soldiers in the world. The 1st ISD select the Top Recruits and trial them in the Unit. Those selected into 1ISD are the Best of The Best.

## Notable Members

 Horst Boesch | Marshall General
( Equivalent: Major General)