About the 24th KMEU

The 24th Krieg Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), formerly called 24th Krieg Marine amphibious unit (MAU), is the smallest Krieg Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the Death Korp of Krieg Imperial Guard.Each MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and ready for immediate response to any crisis.

A Krieg Marine Expeditionary Unit is normally built around the building blocks of a MAGTF: a reinforced Krieg Marine infantry battalion is the ground combat element, the aviation combat element is a composite Valkerie squadron, a battalion-sized logistics combat element, and a command element. Troop strength is about 2,200 and usually commanded by a colonel, and is deployed from an Dictator attack craft carrier.

"Fortitude" - Dictator Class

The Dictator class cruiser is a rebuilt Lunar Class Cruiser, with the lance decks rebuilt into flight decks for attack craft. The Dictator retains the Lunar's weapons batteries and torpedo capabilities, as well as the armoured prow. The shield, turret, and engines also remain unchanged. It was originally designed as a stop-gap method to deliver the huge numbers of atmospheric craft that an opposed planetary landing needs. In these situations it is unusual to have an airfield under the control of the invaders, and therefore the Dictator fills the role of the airfield for the bombers and fighters supporting the landings. 
Successive upgrades to the early Dictators meant that their role expanded from simply providing a low orbit "airfield", into being an attack craft carrier in its own right. The class found extensive use as convoy escorts during the Gothic War, and when the demand for attack craft in fleet actions outstripped the supply, the badly damaged Lunar class cruisers were stripped of their lance decks, and flight decks added instead, creating a new generation of Dictator class ships.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions: 5.1 km long, 0.8 km abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 29 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 85,000 crew, 15,000 pilots and support personnel, approx.

Accel: 2.5 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

Attributes

The MEU is unique in that its air and ground combat elements are combined with a logistics combat element under one commander; other services do not unite the command of air and ground forces until much higher command levels.

When the Cadian Shock Forces integrates with Imperial Navy assets, it typically is at the theater or corps level, with a general commanding, while at the division level it will integrate with imbedded Guard aviation, which can be organized as organic at the battalion level.

The MEU's ground combat element also combines artillery, light armor and tanks at a much lower level than was common in the Imperial Guard until the development of the brigade combat team early in the Kastorel-Novem Campaign, with a similar concept, the combat command, being utilized in the Taros Campaign.

This air-ground task force concept is designed to thoroughly exploit the combat power inherent in air and ground assets by closely integrating them into a single force. The MEU brings all the supplies and logistical support it needs to sustain itself for quick mission accomplishment or to pave the way for any follow-up forces. This self-sustainment allows more flexibility in disposition and operations of forces, and allows the MEU to initiate operations sooner and let support catch up later, without having to wait for external logistical support to begin a mission. Deployments on Imperial Navy assault ships.

The Ground Combat Element

The ground combat element (GCE) is based on the battalion landing team (BLT), an infantry battalion reinforced with an artillery battery, amphibious assault vehicle platoon, combat engineer company, light armored reconnaissance company, tank Company, reconnaissance platoon, and other units as the mission and circumstances require. The total strength is approximately 1,100 members.

The reconnaissance platoon provides the basic element for the Krieg Maritime Special Purpose Force. This force consists of four elements. The assault platoon (a direct action platoon augmented from Elysian units), security (a selected infantry platoon from the battalion landing team), reconnaissance and surveillance assets, and a headquarters section. The total strength is approximately 350 Krieg Marines and sailors.

The Aviation Combat Element

The aviation combat element (ACE) is a Krieg Marine composite squadron (reinforced) composed of a medium or heavy Valkerie squadron augmented with three other types of Valkeries such as Vendettas, one detachment of amphibious flight-deck-capable Lightning Strike aircraft, and a Krieg Marine air control group detachment with air traffic control, direct air support, and anti-aircraft assets.

 The Logistics Combat Element

The logistics combat element (LCE) (formerly combat service support element or CSSE) is based on the MEU combat logistics battalion (CLB) (formerly MEU service support group or MSSG). It contains all the logistics specialists and equipment necessary for the MEU to support and sustain itself for up to 30 days in an austere expeditionary environment. It includes service support (postal and disbursing), medical, dental, intermediate maintenance, intermediate supply (consumables and secondary reparables), transportation (distribution and landing support), explosive ordnance disposal, Imperial police, utilities production and distribution, bulk fuels, internal communications, and various other technical experts. It consists of approximately 300 Krieg Marines and Sailors.

The Command Element

The command element (CE), which includes the MEU commander and his supporting staff, provides command and control over the other three elements. It includes specialized detachments for naval gunfire, reconnaissance, surveillance, specialized communications, radio reconnaissance (SIGINT), electronic warfare, intelligence and counterintelligence, and public affairs missions. The overall strength is about 200 Krieg Marines and sailors.

Training and Recruitment

Krieg Patrols on Typha-IV

Recruitment for members of the Death Korps of Krieg is similar to many other Imperial worlds throughout the Imperium and conscription depends on varying circumstances. Most who join generally do so out of a sense of duty and as a way to atone for the previous rebellion against the Emperor. Officers ranks are difficult to obtain, as with certain regiments of the Death Korps one must work his or her way up the ranks from the bottom.

To ensure that only the toughest and best make it into the regiment, training is brutal and quickly weeds out the weak and unworthy. For this reason the regiment is able to maintain its famous standard of discipline and selflessness. Gasmasks are conventionally viewed as a second skin, as soldiers are trained to permanently operate with them if required. Fear of failure, and the ceaseless devotion to duty, honour and the Emperor are instilled in new recruits to make certain that they will stand their ground in combat under any situation. Mental conditioning is the key part of their training so soldiers are prepared for the horrors on the battlefield and beyond.

It should be noted that Krieg raises an unusually large number of regiments for a devastated planet. This is attributed to the use of the "Vitae Womb" birthing technique, which Krieg has been granted special dispensation to use as the result of their famous steel, determination and unswerving loyalty to the Emperor. Use of this technique is largely unknown and generally seen as dangerous and abhorrent by the Adeptus Mechanicus' Magos Biologis.

A typical MEU has approximately 2,200 Krieg Marines and sailors. It is equipped with:

Qty	Nomenclature	Element
23	Mars Alpha Pattern Leman Russ	ground
3	Light Armored Half Track Vehicles	ground
2	Engineer Chimeras	ground
9	Basalisk Self Propelled 155mm	ground
3	Medusa Self Propelled Heavy Mortars	ground
3	Manticore Self Propelled Multi Missile Systems	ground
3	Hellhound Multi Purpose Attack Vehicle Variants	ground
2	Imperial Navy Vulture Gunship	aviation
3	Imperial Navy Avenger Strike Fighters	aviation
6	Imperial Navy Valkerie Gunship Transports	aviation
3	Imperial Navy Vendetta Gunship Transports	aviation
3	Imperial Navy Strike Lightnings	aviation
1	Aquila Lander re-fueler/transport aircraft	aviation
3	Marauder Class Bombers	aviation
1	Hades Breaching Drill	logistics
1	Samaritan Armoured Ambulance	logistics
2	Sentinel Power Lifter	logistics
3	Atlas Recovery Tank	logistics
3	Centaur Artillery Tractor	logistics
4	Trojan Support Vehicle	logistics
7	500 gallon water containers	multiple
60	Chimeras	multiple