367th Ishtarian Battlegroup

Because of the vast volume of space that requires policing, a Sector Battlefleet is normally split into detachments called Battlegroups consisting of one or two Cruisers, accompanied by a squadron of Escorts and Battlefleet Ishtar is no exception. If a particular situation is more than one Battlegroup can handle, additional detachments of Battlegroups or squadrons are called in to reinforce. The **376th Ishtarian Battlegroup** represents the basic Imperial presence in most of the unknown space around the Ishtar Subsector. Commadore Linden commands his Squadron of ships kindly called a Battlegroup on long range patrols through the frontier and unknown areas abounds. The Imperial Naval forces of Ishtar are smaller than many other Imperial Navy Battlefleet formations in more populated or defensively-critical sectors.

Its motto was "*Let's Be About It*", as spoken by Commodore Linden. He is a very punctual and precise individual who treated people with respect, and he never forgot the officers who impressed him. He also detested favoritism, and attempted to be fair to all of his officers under his command. Linden likes to work out in the ship's gym late at night because he preferred to turn up the gravity to a level he was familiar with. He preferred to have a sparring partner available, as long as they could challenge him.

## History

The genesis of the Ishtarian Battlegroup could be traced back to before Ishtar's official inclusion to the Imperium. In late M34, Commodore Niklin Edward took Cruiser to a fight to the death in order to protect a convoy against a pirate attack. His death not only protected the convoy, but also destroyed several times his own tonnage. Edward's final battle set the tradition, which the Battlegroup followed ever since.

Commodore Nikin Edward ordered the convoy to disperse immediately and proceed across the warp route on least-time courses. Captain Teragood of Convoy begged him to join them, but Niklin refused and stayed behind in order to destroy or cripple as many enemy ships as possible. His Cruiser the original *Veroir* drove ahead, accelerating hard towards the hostile units. Finally, missiles were launched and the battle ensued. It lasted over forty minutes. His Cruiser headed straight into more than four times its own firepower, concentrating its fire on the escorting destroyers, hammering them.

## Combat Doctrine

The Combat Doctrine of 367th Ishtarian Battlegroup and similar groups is for the Endeavor-Class Light Cruiser to strike at the heart of an enemy formation with a Screen of Firestorm-Class Frigates and Cobra-Class Destroyers as the Defiant Class Light Cruiser and Extractor-Class Cruiser release their payloads of Fighters, Bombers, and Interceptors. Following up the Warden Class moves forward to provide mid range support to the battle while the Pavise-Class Corvettes screen the lightly defended Defiant-Class. The Lance Heavy Endeavor Classes built at Mjorn and the Lance Heavy Firestorm Classes provide heavy punched from middle ranges as the Cobra-Class Destroyers perform hit and run attacks weaving through the battlefield trying to gain a flanking attack on enemy capital vessels or engaging with other escorts.

## Ships of the Battlegroup

### Cruiser *Veroir*

Flagship of the 367th Ishtarian Battlegroup the Cruiser *Veroir* fills the role of command ship as well as mobile base for the battlegroup. At the time of her commission, the ship is the newest, most powerful cruiser in the entire Ishtar fleet. Her position of admiral’s ship has made her a symbol in her own right.

**Commander:** Lord Captain Victor

**Classification:** Extractor-Class Cruiser

**Length:** 5 kilometres

**Width:** 0.8 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** Approximately 26 Megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 110,00 crew, including 2,100 pilots and support staff.

**Acceleration:** 3.5 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration.

**Armament:** Spinal Mounted - Mezoa Pattern Hybrid Lance Weapon; Six Torpedo Tubes; Two Mjorn Rotary Macrocannons per side; Four Hanger Bays per side (Starboard and Port)

### 3675th Ishtarian Faustus Interceptor Wing

Faustus Interceptors are the mainstay attack craft used for long-range patrol duties, operating as early-warning detectors for the battlegroup. Powerful and fast for their size, 3675th's Faustus interceptors are armed with a variety of turreted ballistic cannons and a forward-locked plasma gun array.

### 3676th Ishtarian Shark Assault Wing

The Shark Assault Boat is the Imperial Navy's standard Assault Boat. Typically 55 metres in length the Shark consists primarily of a large engine and an armoured troop compartment that is studded with magnetic clamps and Melta Charges. When the Shark reaches an enemy ship, the clamps latch on to the enemy hull as the charges, in concert with las-breachers, blast a hole through which assault troops can storm the vessel.

### Cruiser Division 367.1

Cruiser Division 367.1 is the primary weight of 367th Ishtarian Battlegroup. Consisting of two light cruisers, the pair are offset by differing roles. One Captain is in charge of the rear defense and is the primary commander of Fighter and Bomber Groups assigned to the Battlegroup. Unlike the Escort Class divisions, each Cruiser Captain is expected to act independently from the other cruiser. They are instead to work with either the forward or rear escort division commanders.

### Light Cruiser *Carronade*

The **Endeavour-class Light Cruiser** is one of the smallest classes of Light Cruiser in the Imperial Navy, though it is also one of the slowest due to its large array of heavy armament, giving it an offensive punch above what its tonnage would suggest. Its heavy gun batteries can almost match the firepower of larger, true Cruisers and it is capable of holding its own in the midst of a pitched battle.

**Commander:** Captain Alistar

**Classification:** Endeavour-class Light Cruiser

**Length:** Approximately 3.8 kilometres

**Width:** 0.5 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** Approximately 22 Megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 67,500 crew

**Acceleration:** 3.9 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration.

**Armament:** Spinal Mounted - Four Torpedo Tubes; Large Cruiser Grade Weapons Battery Broadsides

### Light Cruiser *Chimera*

The **Defiant-class Light Cruiser** is a rarely utilised variant of the Endeavour-class Light Cruiser of the Imperial Navy. A rarer carrier variant of the Endeavour, the Defiant is rarely utilised on its own in the Imperial Navy, as its typical weapons loadout leaves it vulnerable to direct attack and totally reliant upon its relatively small number of Furies and Starhawks to defend it. The pilots of the fleet are trained almost entirely on how to make devastating bombing runs on enemy ships - training particularly to fight the craft of forces of Chaos, Eldar Corsairs, Dark Eldar Raiders, Ork Freebootaz, and occasionally Necron warships (though these are rarely found in the area of operations in Ishtar). Trained at the Scola Facilities in the Tarakon System these Fringe World Pilots see lots of action against Raiders.

**Commander:** Captain Truman

**Classification:** Defiant-class Light Cruiser

**Length:** Approximately 3.8 kilometres long

**Width:** 0.5 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** Approximately 22 Megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 61,500 crew, including 6,100 pilots and support staff.

**Acceleration:** 3.8 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration.

**Armament:** Spinal Mounted - Two Short Range Lances; Two Flight Decks

### 3677th Ishtarian Fury Fighter Wing

The Furies of the 3677th are significantly larger than most atmospheric fighters, and carrying a pilot, navigator and gunner. The crew of a Fury Interceptor often wear suspensor wire pressure suits and specially contoured helmets to prevent to side-effects of rapid-acceleration. The Fury's reinforced hull contains an extensive network of circuitry and life-support systems including pumps that cycle super-oxygenated blood into the crew's body through spinal connections, a chemical toilet and sleeping compartments. Furies are normally equipped with multiple forward-firing banks of lascannons and anti-starfighter missiles and its twin engines are able to put out sixty thousand pounds of thrust. The Mjorn variants of the Fury Interceptor are known to possess shielding of an Electromagnetic Armor type.

### 3678th Ishtarian Starhawk Bomber Wing

Starhawk bombers are larger, slower craft, designed to carry a heavy payload of plasma bombs and armour-piercing missiles, for use against enemy capital ships. Crewed by a pilot, co-pilot, tech-priest (plus acolytes), various turret gunners and a logistics officer, a standard Starhawk features limited sleeping quarters, chemical toilets and even an automated medical unit inside its hull. Armed with a multitude of short-range turret-mounted defence weapons, used to fend off enemy starfighters, a lone Starhawk can wreak havoc among enemy fighter squadrons before swooping in to deliver a crippling missile strike on an enemy capital ship. On rare occasions, Starhawks can be modified to carry and launch a very small number of anti-starship torpedoes.

### 3679th Ishtarian Marauder Bomber Wing

Marauder Bombers, with their long range and good maximum payload for their size, are the workhorses of the Imperial Navy. They are often based on orbiting spacecraft or, if in a prolonged campaign, on naval airbases established on the ground. Thanks to their capacious fuel tanks and powerful engines, these bases are located far from the frontline, even on another continent. The Marauder Bomber is the standard Imperial Navy heavy bomber and can be used both in space and within atmospheres. It is used for a number of different missions, but especially excels in the air interdiction role.

### Corvette Division 367.2

The Corvette Division's primary duty is to defend the more offensive minded ships from other Escort class ships as to allow them to focus on taking out cruisers and other high priority targets.

#### Corvette *Aspis*

**Commander:** Commander Brentworth

**Classification:** Pavise-Class Corvette

**Length:** Approximately 1.4 kilometres

**Width:** 0.3 kilometres abeam at the fin

**Weight:** Approximately 6.1 megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 21,000 crew.

**Acceleration:** 4.2 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration

**Armament:** Spinal Mount - Twin Mass Driver Cannons; Four Corvette Grade Laser Broadside

#### Corvette *Clipeus*

**Commander:** Commander Bensen

**Classification:** Pavise-Class Corvette

**Length:** Approximately 1.4 kilometres

**Width:** 0.3 kilometres abeam at the fin

**Weight:** Approximately 6.1 megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 21,000 crew.

**Acceleration:** 4.2 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration

**Armament:** Spinal Mount - Twin Mass Driver Cannons; Four Corvette Grade Laser Broadside

### Frigate Division 367.3

Armed with Lance weapons the Frigate Divisions of Ishtar act in a Hunter Killer role for a Battlegroup. These Escorts provide Fire Support to the forward Cruisers to help cripple and destroy enemy high priority targets.

#### Frigate *Hotspur*

The Imperial **Firestorm-class Frigate** is designed to combine the manoeuverability of an Escort-sized warship with the firepower of Lance armaments. To achieve this, the Firestorm is based on the hull of the Sword-class Frigate with a major reworking of the Sword's laser battery cores to direct power towards a single, massive starship-grade Lascannon mounted on the prow.

**Commander:** Commander Shapira

**Classification:** Firestorm-class Frigate

**Length:** Approximately 1.8 kilometres

**Width:** 0.3 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** Approximately 6 megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 25,000 crew.

**Acceleration:** 4.4 Gravities maximum sustainable acceleration

**Armament:** Spinal Mount - Las-burner; Single Laser Weapon Battery Broadside per side

#### Frigate *Harrow*

**Commander:** Commander Cogbrent

**Classification:** Firestorm-class Frigate

**Length:** Approximately 1.8 kilometres

**Width:** 0.3 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** Approximately 6 megatonnes

**Crew:** Approximately 25,000 crew.

**Acceleration:** 4.4 Gravities maximum sustainable acceleration

**Armament:** Spinal Mount - Las-burner; Single Laser Weapon Battery Broadside per side

### Destroyer Division 367.4

Being the fastest division in a Battlegroup, Destroyer Divisions act as knife range killers and intermediate ships to hold off advancing escorts. Somewhere between being part of the defensive force and offensive for of any Battlegroup their roles interchange depending on the enemy fleet makeup.

#### Destroyer *Gorgon*

The Imperial **Cobra-class Destroyer** is a quick and versatile torpedo boat. The Cobra is a valuable addition to any combat fleet, as armed with massive anti-warship torpedoes, squadrons of Cobras are agile enough to dart into fleet engagements, launch spreads of ordnance, then flee. Indeed, the Cobra-class Destroyer is one of the smallest Warp-capable starships in the Imperial fleet, and also one of the fastest. It fills multiple roles in the Imperial Navy, as its demonstrated combination of speed and firepower makes the Cobra a popular choice for scouting, patrolling, raiding, and escort duties.

**Commander:** Commander Tremaine

**Classification:** Cobra-class Destroyer

**Length:** 1.5 kilometres

**Width:** 0.3 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** 5.7 megatons

**Crew:** 15,000 crew, approximate

**Acceleration:** 7.6 gravities max. sustainable acceleration.

**Armament:** Spinal Mount - Two Torpedo Tubes; Single Macrocannon Weapons Battery Broadside per side.

#### Destroyer *Salamander*

**Commander:** Commander Holt

**Classification:** Cobra-class Destroyer

**Length:** 1.5 kilometres

**Width:** 0.3 kilometres abeam at fins

**Weight:** 5.7 megatons

**Crew:** 15,000 crew, approximate

**Acceleration:** 7.6 gravities max. sustainable acceleration.

**Armament:** Spinal Mount - Two Torpedo Tubes; Single Macrocannon Weapons Battery Broadside per side.