Fire Hawks - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The Fire Hawks' tactical doctrine always erred toward the use of shock tactics, close-quarters combat and above all, the brutal application of focused and overwhelming force to obliterate the enemy. This Chapter also had a propensity towards habitually deploying the majority of its elite 1st Company Veterans in battle as Vanguard Veteran Squads where a Terminator assault was not warranted.Even the Fire Hawks' Tactical and Devastator Squads preferred to engage at point-blank range when possible. They were also known to utilise extensive stocks of ancient Mark III Iron Pattern Power Armour, especially for use in boarding assaults.The Fire Hawks also favoured the use of Land Raider patterns such as the Redeemer and Crusader, as well as Vindicator pattern Rhinos as mobile artillery batteries in open war to shatter a breach in any prepared defence, allowing the Fire Hawks to enter close combat with their foes.It is also noted by Imperial historians that the Fire Hawks eschewed the use of defensive warfare, despising the "inglorious" nature of sustained bombardments or long-range fire-fights as indecisive and unfit for the honour of an Astartes warrior.The Chapter also vehemently refused to use camouflage (even Codex-approved patterns) as the "livery of curs," for its Astartes believed in boldly wearing the chosen livery of their Chapter as a visible sign to their foes of the destruction and cleansing they bring, thus the Chapter's sacred colours of blood crimson and fire yellow.Amongst the upper echelons of the Chapter the use of deaths-heads and other symbols of survival against all odds and the scorn of mortal fear were also quite common. Fire Hawks Astartes were also known to customarily modify their armour as they saw fit, decorating their ceramite plate with personal heraldry in order to display their achievements of battle prowess as well as the battles in which they had fought.The Fire Hawks were a well-equipped fleet-based force, with both capital warships and escorts, and their Battle Companies were permanently split in deployment between these combat vessels, with their Reserve Companies, the elite 1st Company and the Chapter's high command based upon the gargantuan Warp-capable star-fortress Raptorus Rex.The Chapter's substantial fleet required a considerably larger than normal reserve of Chapter serfs and servitors to perform regular crew and support duties. The Fire Hawks demanded absolute obedience from this large pool of indentured servants and also considered them utterly disposable.Despite its avowed defence of the Imperium, its religious zeal and strength of purpose, a shadow has long hovered over the Chapter and allegations of excessive use of force by it against civilian populations have often been levelled, as have accusations of desertion in the face of its foes by its allies.In numerous battles the Fire Hawks have been observed to have withdrawn their forces from situations where their ranks might become needlessly depleted by attrition, or where a tactical advantage has been clearly lost in favour of a later devastating counterattack. This callous disregard for the fate of others has proven less than popular with their allies, as one might imagine, and on one such occasion the decision to withdraw from what the Fire Hawks considered an untenable position in battle was the cause of a three-century-long feud with the Iron Hands Chapter.This feud ended only with the death of the Fire Hawks' Force Commander from the disputed battle in single combat with a champion of the Iron Hands to settle the matter.This disregard for others may be the reason that the Legion of the Damned now seeks to provide reinforcement to other Imperial forces under fire whenever possible, in an attempt to atone for its previous behaviour.