Das Kaiserliche Heer¶
The Imperial Army of the Kaiserreich (Das Kaiserliche Heer) is the empire's senior service and its principal land force. Approximately 680,000 active personnel under arms; mobilized strength on full reserve activation is approximately 1.8 million.
Organization¶
The Heer is organized into:
- Eight permanent territorial Korps — each Korps is responsible for a geographic sector of the empire and includes mechanized infantry, armored, artillery, and combat support formations
- Das Gebirgskorps (Mountain Korps) — specialist mountain warfare formation, garrisoned in the Kaisergebirge
- Das Garde-Korps (Imperial Guard Korps) — the empire's elite ceremonial and operational formation, garrisoned around Vatersbürg
- Die strategische Reserve (Strategic Reserve) — the Generalstab's directly-controlled armored and motorized reserve formations
- Die Heimatschutzdivisionen (Home Defense Divisions) — reserve-heavy territorial defense formations, mobilized in wartime
Each Korps typically comprises two to three mechanized infantry Divisionen, one armored Division, and an organic artillery Brigade.
The Korps¶
[TBD — Barry to specify Korps designations and provincial assignments. Conventional placeholder structure below.]
| Korps | Region | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| I. Korps | Central Vatersbürg / Drachental | 2 Mech Inf Div, 1 Pz Div, 1 Arty Bde |
| II. Korps | Westmark frontier with Velicuse | 2 Mech Inf Div, 1 Pz Div, 1 Arty Bde |
| III. Korps | Southern Lowlands frontier with Thumbria | 3 Mech Inf Div, 2 Pz Div, 1 Arty Bde |
| IV. Korps | Southern industrial belt | 2 Mech Inf Div, 1 Pz Div, 1 Arty Bde |
| V. Korps | Eisengau / Drachenwald | 2 Mech Inf Div, 1 Pz Div, 1 Arty Bde |
| VI. Korps | Subarctic North | 2 Mech Inf Div (cold-weather), 1 Arty Bde |
| VII. Korps | Eastern marches | 2 Mech Inf Div, 1 Pz Div |
| VIII. Korps | Strategic Reserve North | 2 Pz Div, 1 Mech Inf Div |
| Gebirgskorps | Kaisergebirge | 3 Mountain Div, 1 Mountain Arty Bde |
| Garde-Korps | Vatersbürg | 1 Pz Garde Div, 1 Mech Inf Garde Div |
Principal formations¶
Mechanized infantry (Panzergrenadier-Division)¶
The Heer's principal maneuver formation. Each Panzergrenadier-Division comprises:
- Three mechanized infantry Brigaden, each with three IFV-mounted rifle Bataillonen
- One armored Brigade (assigned, not organic — typically rotated from the parent Korps)
- One artillery Regiment (tube and rocket mixed)
- Combat support and combat service support battalions
Armored (Panzer-Division)¶
The Heer's mobile reserve and breakthrough formation. Each Panzer-Division comprises:
- Two armored Brigaden, each with three tank Bataillonen
- One mechanized infantry Brigade for combined-arms support
- One self-propelled artillery Regiment
- Reconnaissance, engineer, signals, and logistics support
Mountain (Gebirgs-Division)¶
Three Gebirgs-Divisionen comprise the Gebirgskorps. Specialist mountain warfare formations trained for operations in the Kaisergebirge and beyond. Light infantry-organized, mule and helicopter logistics, integrated mountain artillery.
Imperial Guard (Garde-Division)¶
Two Garde-Divisionen comprise the Garde-Korps. Selected from the empire's best volunteer recruits; the Guard performs both ceremonial duties (Vatersbürg state ceremony) and serves as the empire's elite operational reserve. Tank and mechanized infantry formations both present.
Equipment¶
The Heer is fully mechanized at the brigade level and below. Principal equipment:
- Main battle tank: TBD (Drachenwerke-produced; OFBN-standard chassis, in third generation as of 2020s)
- IFV: TBD (Drachenwerke; standard mechanized infantry mount)
- Self-propelled artillery: TBD (155mm howitzer family; rocket artillery in separate formations)
- Service rifle: TBD (Leipzan small arms — Barry to specify or leave as Imperial Service Rifle pending equipment build)
- Anti-tank: TBD (ATGM family; man-portable and vehicle-mounted)
- Air defense: TBD (low- and medium-altitude integrated AD)
Detailed equipment tables will populate data/equipment/leipzisch_kaiserreich.json once the OOB build is undertaken.
Recent operations¶
The Heer is currently deployed in the Continuation War:
- Brassican theater — III., IV., and VIII. Korps engaged on the Thumbrian frontier; Gebirgskorps in covering positions in the southern Kaisergebirge
- Sierran theater — elements of II. Korps deployed as an expeditionary force in support of WDP operations
- Strategic Reserve — partially activated; remainder held in central depots
Historical highlights¶
The Heer's modern operational history includes:
- The Continental Wars Early Period (1893–1919) — the empire's near-defeat to Thumbria; the Heer was the principal land force engaged
- The Mid-Period (1925–1947) — the Kaiserliches Expeditionskorps in the Sierran and southern Brassican theaters
- The post-Chartania era (1972–2025) — sustained modernization, transition to all-mechanized force structure, transition to volunteer professional cadre with conscript reserve
- The Continuation War (2026 – ) — current operations
Detailed historical operations are catalogued in the History page.