4th Orloff Grenadiers

Orloff grenadiers.jpg
Fourth Orloff Grenadiers
Formed Ca. 2691[1]
Disbanded 2838
Nickname Orloff's Chosen[1]
Affiliation Free Worlds League
Parent Command Orloff Grenadiers

History[edit]

Founding[edit]

The Fourth Orloff Grenadiers were founded in or around 2691; when House Orloff cited the Camlann vs. Free Worlds precedent and broke the planets of Kievanur and Semenyih away from the Federation of Oriente to form the new Duchy of Orloff in 2691, the Duchy then immediately announced the formation of the Orloff Grenadiers, which would be funded solely by House Orloff.[1]

Star League Era[edit]

Swiftly building a reputation for excellence, the Fourth Orloff Grenadiers wanted for very little during the Star League era; the Fourth and the other regiments of the Grenadiers were provided with top-of-the-line equipment procured by House Orloff and had initiated an extremely stringent recruiting mechanism that included all members of the Fourth swearing oaths not to fight against the Grenadiers or House Orloff.[1]

Despite House Orloff's secession from the Federation of Oriente and although the Grenadiers were officially provincial forces of the Duchy of Orloff[1] - all of the forces associated with provinces officially having become provincial forces in 2650, decades before the founding of the Grenadiers, in what was at least partly an act of fiction to avoid disbanding a large number of regiments under the demands of the Star League Council Edict of 2650[2] - House Orloff and House Allison maintained a close relationship. As a result the Fourth could be - and often were - deployed throughout the Federation of Oriente, protecting worlds of importance to Oriente rather than just Kievanur and Semenyih, neither of which was of particular interest to pirates and raiders.[1]

The Grenadiers as a brigade chose to stand by House Allison during the Marik Civil War, a decision that resulted in the Grenadiers not being called on to fight, but which also strained the relationship between the Grenadiers, the Free Worlds League Parliament and the Captain-General.[1]

During the decade leading up to the Amaris Civil War the Fourth was very active, dealing with pirate raids against various Federation worlds; like its sister regiments, the Fourth displayed consistently rapid response times - which helped the Fourth limit collateral damage and casualties - and the high degree of operational latitude given to the commanding officer of the Fourth by House Orloff. Funded by House Orloff, equipped with the best equipment and given a great deal of operational latitude, morale was consistently high in the Fourth during this era despite the operational tempo. In exchange for this high level of support and operational freedom, to ensure that the high standards of the Grenadiers were met, the commanding officer of the Fourth enforced high standards of conduct and strict dress codes consistent with those being enforced across the brigade. These standards, whilst harsh and imposing, were supported by the Fourth, who felt that the discipline was a key part in allowing the Grenadiers to continue to outshine every other provincial and federal brigade within the Free Worlds League.[1]

It was during the Star League era that the Grenadiers established the tradition of regimental commanding officers being democratically elected by the personnel in their unit, with each commanding officer being elected for a two-year term. This tradition was a source of some concern for the Free Worlds League Military due to the risk that an elected commander might not agree with the policies and direction provided by House Orloff, in contrast with an appointed commander.[1]

Succession Wars[edit]

Destroyed on Suzano in 2838, the survivors helped to form the Sixth Orloff Grenadiers.[citation needed]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 4th Orloff Grenadiers

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Fourth Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[3]

- At this point the Fourth was based on New Praha.[3]

2786 - 2821[edit]

4th Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable) [4]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on New Praha. In 2821 the command was reduced to 49 of its strength and was deployed at Matheran. [4]

2830[edit]

4th Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable) [5]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Matheran with an operational readiness of 80 percent. [5]

2864[edit]

4th Orloff Grenadiers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable) [5]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Les Halles with an operational readiness of 25 percent. [5]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Field Report 2765: FWLM, p. 19, "Orloff Grenadiers"
  2. Field Report 2765: FWLM, p. 4, "Circumventing Directive 30"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Field Report 2765: FWLM, p. 19, "Regimental Status"
  4. 4.0 4.1 First Succession War, p. 138
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Second Succession War, p. 98

Bibliography[edit]