the Oronegrean Song of war (english version)

This song is the English version of Oronegro's war song which is sung during the long marches to war. The Spanish version is not a direct translation as the versions are all sung to different tunes and created by different units. The English version was written by La Ley's British cohort which is one of the few units of el ejercito segundo which is permanent and ready to be deployed at a moments notice. They are mostly light infantry though they do include some policing forces and engineers. This is their song which after a few decades of being sung only by that unit spread to the whole army!

Come my sisters, my brothers , my sons.
we're off to war and the sound of the guns
with courage we go
though death may show
his fear is weak and weak his blows

Come my sisters, my brothers, my sons
we're off to war and the sound of the guns
our spirits are high
though some may die
to their honour let the remainder cry

Come my sisters, my bothers, my sons 
we're off to war and the sound of the guns!
though peace we seek
and victory desire!
let us not fail to fire

come my sisters, my bothers, my sons
we're off to war and the sound of the guns!
to the battle we go the fight and the foe
forget not our cause and forget not our home
for Oronegro we fight;
for Oronegro our home!

come my sisters, my brothers, my sons
though the guns may sound 
our courage will be found.

Because of this song it is said that the young Eduardo Martínez would be inspired to lead his own armies, he is quoted as saying. "as I watched the forces move silently out of the city I could not help but hear a growing sound moving towards the mound on which I stood. as it came so could the drums be heard the flute, and horn played in time to the rhythmic march, the song that was sang certainly not a piece to be found in any Opera, our of time with the beat in many places, yet it is true that all the men and women spoke as one. I looked to General Marco d'Amarillo y Natillas who stood to my right and asked him how long it would take to reform the Mayoral Cuirassiers. he said  two months at least should we use horsemen already in service or years if we were to train some especially. I answered that I wanted them ready and armed as soon as the army reached the mouth of the La Esperanza some and that I myself would be amongst them."

and so it was that the Story of Eduardo Martínez, child and warrior mayor comes into the story of the great Oronegrean war of defence, conquest and survival.
 

 

Captain and commander Alfred Hale

this post and the figure/ character featured within it are dedicated to Alfred Hale the late husband of Anne O'Leary. I quote her in saying "my departed husband who was a sailor and a deep sea welder. He was killed while working on a rig in an explosion over 25 years ago. He was a good man and I miss him still." Anne when you told me this story I knew that I must name this figure after him as you asked me. I hope that it honors the memory of your departed husband and that perhaps he wherever he is now feels that this respects his memory.

Captain and commander Alfred Hale is a man to whom all others is the symbol of bravery and honour. In Battle on land and sea he wears plate armour that both makes him a target to his foes and a striking symbol of leadership to his comrades!
born on 27th of June 1705 to a middle class family from the beginning he showed himself to be greater than most of his classmates in school. Strong and brave he soon was selected by his peers for a leading role in his school. in April 1721 he was recruited into the military after a fight in one of San Fran's many bars. Yet although he had not been trained for very long he soon showed a great knowledge for military and naval matters. in the great pirate raid of 1725 he showed perhaps the greatest courage and discipline when the commander of the company was in was slain and all the NCO's refused to lead the unit. Alfred took control of the remnants of the force which now only numbered some 13 men. It was in that moment he first wore that iconic suit of plate steel, taking it from a mannequin in the great house where they were cornered. There in that place they fought for 3 hours cut off from help facing waves of foes who surly outnumbered them 20 to 1.
Help came in the form of some marines who came up from the river, their ship had been taken now and they sought refuge in the large house where Hale was fighting for his life his force now reduced to only 6 brave men. However as soon as the marines shot, bayoneted and slashed their way through the building Hale took command of them and lead them out of the building and charged them down the streets of La Ley's old district and with the retaking of marines ship his legend was made!

For him the rewards and honours came thick and fast He was promoted to the rank of commander which meant he could lead a half century of soldiers (50 men and 10 officers) and granted the honour of also being a naval captain which was un-heard of for a man from the army. Though perhaps he was not rewarded enough for his actions there was one thing that he was given that other men could only dream of: A purpose built boat, HMS Anne!
He wrote in 1728:
"To my loving wife to whom I owe a great deal

Do you remember my dear that day 3 years ago, it seems like an age now. However after that nasty incident I had recently it came back to the forefront of my mind. Remember the carpenters at the shipwright were shocked when I asked for our dear Anne. They thought I would ask for a large frigate or something, they do not understand that I am no simple leader, I do not like others to wait in a cabin or upon a hill watching the action from afar. I am a man of action, and my dear although you probably tire greatly when you hear me say it I must say once more, I always will be there in the thick of the fray where musket balls fly and bayonets flash and the smoke and the blood is mixed into one great cloud that covers the land hiding the horrendous sight of men killing men from any onlooker. Well my dear I shall gladly be back home soon, how's the maid I heard she was up to no good? 

to my dearest and most loving wife
Alfred"

The incident he refers to in his letter is none other that the Battle of  Petrablanca which took place on the 30th and 31st of March 1728. The Anne and the Gato were sailing down a small river near El Pollo when they came under fire from a battery on the bank! The Gato was sunk and Anne was damaged on her starboard side. Anne's gunners fought bravely but it was clear that they needed to take her out of range or out of sight of the guns and march over land to destroy it! The next morning Hale lead his 2 infantry men and some of his sailors along the road they met up with many scared villagers who spoke of a raiding bandit party that had come from the south. Hale brought many of the villagers and local farmers to a near by supply post where they came under attack. mounting the rood of the building the morning sun reflected of his steel helmet. Lord Alfonso Caballero wrote "the man was mad, mad I say for all the bullets I heard were surly aimed at him and yet he stood firm guiding the fire from the top of the building upon the enemies best shots." Alfred has hit several times that day but many shots did not penetrate his armour saving his life for sure. The battle was won when reservists marched up from El Pollo alerted to what was going on the previous days by the survivors from the sunk el Gato. The bandits fled rather than face the century coming up from the town. The bandits were well armed for a bunch of rouges and it was discovered by Alfred Hale himself that they were from south on La Fortuna in the remnants of what was once the nation of Oroblanco.

Alfred Hale on Anne's port side as she turned to fire on the battery.

the Anne sailing through fog

the defence of the supply house the next day

Without fear Hale mounted the top of the building to direct the fire of the infantry

Alfred Hale was in 1730 Granted a knighthood by the representative of the multiple monarchs of Oronegro, for his gallantry in battle and his help in restoring order to the nation of Oronegro. he currently resides in a respectable dwelling outside of San Fran where he is head of the police force. His boat the HMS Anne is usually in port at Rio Pescado north or San Fran. However as all in Oronegro begin to realise that our nation is once more about to go through a time of war the question arises "what role will Sir Alfred Hale play in the coming conflict?" perhaps we shall know soon enough for in this year 1735 after a break down with the respectable Lord McDonald of New Dunedin and his Allies in Nouveau Paris Oronegro is once more at war with her neighbours.

Oronegrean supply system and building

Oronegro is not a nation to be messed with. her military far exceeds the expectations again and again. Oronegro takes many influences for Ancient Rome in her military, the Oronegrean legion the century the centurions and the Ala for the cavalry. Another influence is the soldier-builders. in Europe all roads lead to Rome and these roads were well made and as straight as an arrow! of coarse if the ancients can do it why not a nation who does not have to worry about the extreme distances involved in the roman empire?

of coarse when there are roads there's the need to provide places to rest. One cannot ride the distance between La Ley and Santiargo del oronegro! so there needs to be places to stop, rest and perhaps most importantly stock up on supplies of food and drink! so in Oronegro when the Military builds roads it also builds fortified buildings every 25km the average daily walking/marching distance or a weary traveller or fully laden army, however even though these buildings are reasonably large, the biggest being forts in their own right and the smallest the size of a large house, they are often too far apart for comfort and when walking 25km a day is a big ask especially when its hot and you only want to go at a leisurely pace. The solution was provided by Oronegro's generous souls and those who knew how to make a but of money. Small buildings popped up along main roads everywhere. if you built it and offered to keep it stocked full of food the government payed you for it, even though in fact criminals would be forced to pull carts to the houses for you.

this is a small commercial/ non-military supply house

its roof which is accessed via the ladder and easily removed platform is designed to protect anyone sheltering up there

a nice stone path leads to the road making it a welcoming sight and an easily accessible one to a tired and/or hungry traveller.

the building is not of great size but is still strong enough that if bandits or raiders, including pirates if its along a coastal road attack it people inside can defend themselves

the windows are purely defensive as well as offering light, they can be boarded up a bit allowing people inside to shoot out at any attacker from any direction from the safety of the building

although cramped and small there is enough room for supplies of water, wine, food like bread, cheese, fire wood under the desk in the cupboards and even some hammocks, rope, canvas and pegs so a person set up a tent outside or a hammock inside.

These commercial buildings were never permanently guarded unlike the military/national ones but relied upon the honesty of the users. they were a welcome and useful part of a travelling man or woman's daily life.

Colonisation and expansion part3

In this the final part of the Colonisation and expansion tale of early Oronegro we focus on the final acts of Oronegro before the year 1730... a time of consolidation but also great threat, old friends become foes and old foes rear their heads once more. It was a time where Oronegro once more decided to show herself the equal of any great power and also shock the world with her bold and sometimes brutal actions. the 17th century may have been a relative time of peace for Oronegro but the 18th could see war and death on a scale that may surprise those who do not expect much from such a small place.

below is a map printed in 1758 of the west of Oronegro as it was in those days... although the lands actually extended far to the east almost to the boarders of Oronegro in the year 2000. however this was the heart of the nation and its life blood. there is no scale see caption for details.

as with most maps of Oronegro there is no scale because Oronegro is a very large place and it would threaten many in this earth to see how big it really is, HOWEVER if you take the width of the Oronegro's river mouth at La Tierra del diablo to be around 0.5 km you will have a reasonable scale.

1690 was a tense year in Oronegro with the Nine Year's War or the War of the Grand Alliance being fought in Europe and all the different Colonies around the world, it seemed certain Oronegro would have to side itself with one of the combatants or face possible invasion from any or all of the nations involved.
But taking sides was against one of Oronegro's founding principals: To be neutral to all sides so long as both sides could claim to be the homeland of many Oronegreans. This mean Oronegro could not take sides as France could claim to be the homeland distant or otherwise of almost 26% of Oronegreans, and on the other side Britain claimed 24% and Spain 37% with many of the other European combatants claiming around 42% of the population. This was a problem However Oronegro had one trick up its sleeve. For deep in One of Germany's parallel lands was that small state where long ago in the 16th century Lord Wolf the rightful ruled with his Oronegrean wife. Eliza daughter of Juan Carlos founder of Oronegro and the first of the many powerful Mayors of Oronegro.
By now the little German state was a small insignificant principality pushed about by its neighbours, Yet it was a state and one which Mayor Samuel Jose the former general now declared Oronegro's whole and secure Ally.
It was strange first of all as a mayor you needed to be part of the family of Juan Carlos, Samuel barely qualified and as such was not seen as a legitimate leader... also it was the democratically elected Prime Ministers Job to run the state and deal with foreign affairs.
However Mayor Samuel was although only just a distant relation to Juan Carlos and as such could qualify for Mayor, also despite being democratic Oronegro was practically a constitutional monarchy and as Mayor Samuel could make these decisions, though there was no rule that anyone had to do them.
The Principalities current crown Prince was Michael von Oronegro. the Title Von Oronegro had been retained  ever since Eliza had been at the families head. Michael had little care for his families history the war in the Germany of this world made the principality the target of many of its neighbours in their smallish parallel world. They were for some reason allied to France seeing a chance perhaps to extend their power beyond the valley that made up the land into the rest of Germany beyond the tunnel of trees to the north and the cave below the mountain waterfall to the south. Prince Michael and the Principality looked doomed. Then came the news from across aurora covered sea! HELP WAS COMING!!! a Whole legion of Oronegro's finniest and many thousands more of the Reservist was coming to his aid.
To Britain, Spain and the other members of the Grand Alliance this was Oronegro's show of allegiance to them. To France and her allies Oronegro was just helping a small friend with little connection the war. This was due to some skillful words and clever actions made by Oronegrean diplomats and the Military.
in march 1691 the army Landed in Northern Germany and began its long march to the tunnel of Trees, it passed many lands inspiring awe as it passed. None hindered it all watched it. River boats were accompanying them up the rivers to where the river from the hidden valley emerged. it took them several weeks to get there but when they passed under the massive wide tunnel made by the branches of trees larger than any the soldiers had ever seen they entered a place that could not physically fit on any map of this world, Just like Oronegro.

the siege of Kaltburg the principalities capital in 1690-1691

The vanguard emerged from the tunnel as ink from a pen writing the tale of a war that even the great powers would never had predicted! crested helmets wear the first to appear signifying that these men were of el ejército primero. However this blue mass of infantry was followed by cavalry, cuirassiers, dragoons and a mixture of other horsemen, behind them was the centuries of grenadiers and fanned out around them were the cazadores. Suddenly behind the blue came the red after the cannons and artillery came the red-coats and tricorns of the thousands of reservists members of the el ejército segundo. Like a river flowing in the opposite to the one on their left they marched into the valley, although they passed through hostile territory at the tunnels mouth, none came to oppose them, they reached Sattel a small town known for its horses. Here under the midday sun many men from the great farming plane broke from the marching column and leaped onto their new, somewhat startled mounts. There was only a token of resistance a few shot from the window of the town hall, which was answered with a laugh from the soldiers surrounding the building, this brought the ashamed defenders and councilors out with their heads hung and their pride gone. 
The Army camped there that night hoping to draw out some foes. With no loss of life they had taken and now secured a position, in which an estimated 9300 Oronegreans now slept. sentries watched through the night as a few of their comrades went back and forth between town and the woods bringing lumber for constructing defences in the narrow streets. every entrance to the town was blocked with a barricade, this included the back doors of all the houses on the outskirts, every house facing the fields around the town and those looking out over the river that ran through it had their windows turned into gun slits boarded up to allow  defenders to shoot out unseen.
The next morning on the 21st of June 1691 saw an army of Grasdamm close in on the small town, whose population had more than doubled the previous day. they walked up to the houses not noticing anything out of the ordinary until the first shots rang out, to late they noticed the strange shutters with vertical and horizontal slits. the first ranks fell back to regroup but now the second and third wave charged the houses from where the fire came. they found the doors almost impossible to break down and by the town they were in the defenders were gone. those who ran through the streets had to fight for every meter, every house hid soldiers each corner hid a barricade, each time they broke down a door defenders ran along rooftops and through hidden passage ways to get to the next building.

fighting in the centre of Sattel, the funneled army of Baron Franke von Grasdamm. found it a cauldron of death

It all came to a head in the afternoon then the army of Baron Franke von Grasdamm entered the Plaza. the sound of gunfire was still prevalent in the smaller streets of Sattel but the roof runners and the passages that the small Grasdamm army found lead to that place. they entered not expecting much there was a small wall that blocked off one half of the square, however apart from that there was nothing there. Suddenly the doors around them exploded the cannons of the Oronegrean artillery were hidden on the ground floor of the towns large central buildings then from above came more gunfire and on the other side of the wall they could see soldiers emerging from the town hall.

by 5pm it was all over the Barons army was cut off as the defenders who had hidden in basements  and attics emerged blocking off the ways in and out of Sattel. the men of Grasdamm surrendered immediately and the Baron after he was found hiding in the bathroom of a baker negotiated peace with Oronegro. With Grasdamm out the way and the river free from foes up to the grassy dam of Grasdamm the river ships joined the army in the valley and after being raised up the river they sailed across the lake behind and began to support the crown prince. he had been besieged Kaltburg for a year now and was totally surprised by the appearance of Oronegrean boats and soldiers, he had expected monetary aid but not physical military support. By 1692 the war in the valley was over and the principality of Kaltburg was now dominant in that region. the Oronegrean army sailed home leaving some military advisers and specialists behind but also taking home many willing settlers and lots of loot.

This was the first of many actions Oronegro would be involved in all over the world as she showed off her somewhat oversizes military muscles. However their actions made some enemies closer to home many of the smaller European colonies along the coast from Oronegro declared war and invaded seeing what they thought of as Oronegrean aggression towards France. some even thought that Oronegro had showed Britain and Spain disrespect. By 1695 Oronegro was at war with 5 neighboring states; these were Oroblanco, Playalargo, Costaplata, New Dunedin and
nouveau Paris.
Oroblanco was the first to fall its capital La Fortuna was taken on the 21st April 1695 after a war only lasting 3 days. the small nation was attacked solely by a cavalry force, before its small infantry force could form up for a battle it wound all its undefended villages raided and empty. They surrendered on the third day as rumours of a large infantry force approaching and the devastation wrought by the cavalry was too much for the council of La Fortuna to take.
Playalargo was on the coastline  between La Ley and La Esperanza, it was based in the small port of Costa Buena. Playalargo had long lived in peace with Oronegro, allowing Oronegrean armies to pass through quite often so long as a large fee was payed, however now they declared Oronegro an enemy of Spain! They claimed although Oronegro had fought against some allies of France this had been done in their own interests and not as a show of allegiance to Spain, they also cited Oronegro's quick return home and lack of action on the main fronts as a sign of her contempt for the Spanish king. Playalargo fought for many years and it was 1697 before Costa buena was assaulted and held  by Oronegrean marines before the army of Mayor Samuel arrived to secure the claim.
Costa Plata was based on the Isla del fuego, the island ships first past after crossing the aurora, it was invaded in 1694 but total control was not established until 1697. the capital El puerto grande was taken without a fight in 1695 to the great surprise of its citizens. The famed silver reserves on the island brought more wealth to Oronegro and its new 68,000 settlers brought more man-power to the state.
New Dunedin which was mainly settled by Scots was based to the north of the La Esperanza river mouth and asked for peace in 1698 after marines attacked its capital in June of that year. Nouveau Paris also asked for terms but as it was further around the great Oronegrean bay it was not invaded and as such its power remained stronger. The final peace was established in 1700 as the final guerrillas emerged from the jungle and the last of the riots were quelled. Oronegro enjoyed a brief respite but its wars had not pleased any of its larger mother countries and they began in secret to arm some of Oronegro's most powerful foe's as well as those who it had just established peace with.

the signing of the peace treaty of Costabuena in 1698 that meant Nouveau Paris would end the 6 year war it had with Oronegro during which it had not been invaded and only briefly cut off form France.

The start of the 18th century was brought in with great fireworks in La Ley, La Esperanza and smaller celebrations all over Oronegro. Oronegro had proved itself a powerful nation and one that even the large superpowers had to take into account! the next 20 years past with little incident although there was war in Europe and else where this only helped Oronegro grow as refugees added to the already large population. It was a boom time in Oronegro as traders exploited their new found wealth and Pirates were kept at bay by the increasingly well trained Oronegrean navy. By 1720 there were 1,365,218 people in Oronegro according to the census of that year, with a possible margin or error of + or - 300 people. Oronegro became a powerhouse of innervation as well as strange devices appeared and usually disappeared in the streets of the capital. there was steam powered elevator type thing built in Oronegro's port in 1719 though it proved unreliable and noisy and so was removed. Canals were planned and roads improved, there was an influx of Muslim settlers also in 1713 which brought the camel to Oronegro in sufficient numbers to warrant a camel farm in the arid valley of el Minero.

Things seemed to be going well until 1725 when Oronegro was once again attacked by pirates like those 100 years before this time the raid was much more effective and La Ley was almost totally lost many soldiers, marines and civilians were lost and once more the saving factor came from La Esperanza... this was just the beginning Kaxad was rising the land of Oronegro was going to go once more through a time of terror and pain as its neighbors, old foes and pirates all decided to attack in succession and at some times in unison.

The time of Colonisation and expansion was over now it was the time of War and conquest!!!

uniforms of the Oronegrean first army

while our historian constructs the next and perhaps final installment of Colonisation and expansion we shall now take a brief moment to showcase the uniforms of the Oronegrean first army... it must be noted that the following only shows the Grenadiers and the line infantry and information relating to both. a following post will display the cazadores (hunters) commanders and the other important elements in a unit. We shall now explore the uniforms...

standard line infantry of the first army of Oronegro, the different coloured helmets determine his company

The Line infantry of el ejército primero (first army) are perhaps the most well trained of any in the world! They have the standard military training of any other line infantry along with skills that are especial for a main force of a small nation. These include advanced bush craft, marksmanship, how to make ammunition and gunpowder, first aid, standard biology, standard chemistry, standard physics, basic mathematics, basic ethics and philosophy, history and military history, carpentry, bricklaying, literacy, road laying, boat building, swimming, urban warfare, basic agriculture, farming skills, languages and many more... usually trained from childhood or even birth if the parents are both criminals these men and a few women are the backbone or the Oronegrean army at all times, though the reserves take over in serious conflicts. they have the shooting skills of a life long hunter and the skills that will let them be self sufficient in jungle and even arid environments. They are the masters of combat only second in shooting skill to Oronegrean cazadores.
They can fight in normal shoulder to shoulder battle order, in skirmishing order or even in no set order. they can fight in large conventional battles or in hit and run warfare and if the situation requires it by them selves or in small groups. as such when they fight overseas they are held in high regard and have been known to be loaned by the Oronegrean government to support a foreign ally in his war. The reason for all this training and conditioning is because these soldiers have to fight as well as 20 soldiers from other nations, although that level of skill is rarely reached there are certainly many Oronegrean line infantry that would show up the best that any other nation could put up against them.
they wear the normal dark blue (may be slightly different from in illustrations) overcoats over a white shirt and white trousers. their helmets have coloured crests, this denotes which company (group of 20 men) they come from the standard colours (4 per century) are red, yellow, blue and black. However there is no strict rules to colour schemes and white, green and orange are known to be worn by some companies. it is also known to have several colours in a company this may occur when there are not enough supplies in an armoury of one colour or to many of another, or soldiers trading helmets or crests because they prefer a colour.
All in all the standard Oronegrean infantry man or woman of the first army is in some ways an elite force and yet the regulars of a strict disciplined and yet in some ways lenient army that teaches the most effective and useful military skills in the world.

The Grenadiers were even more well trained than the line infantry though their marksmanship skills were less than those of the cazadores. they were not the tallest men but the strongest, almost exclusively made up of men due to the physical requirements. they came from the families of soldiers themselves, also raised from birth to be ultimate fighting machines they had all the practical skills of line infantry and a few more. these included advanced chemistry which meant that in many situations they made their own lethal weapons including explosive rounds for their muskets, practical wargaming so that each individual grenadier could if the situation require make tactical decisions, practical knitting and sewing so that they could make their own over coat or other clothing so suit their situation, desert conditioning which included long marches in the arid valleys of southern Oronegro, jungle conditioning which included long marches in the jungle hills on the edges of the great farming plain, and even advanced agricultural skills which meant that a grenadier unit could set up a camp and then grow their own food in hostile or remote territory where supplies might not reach them for months.
Because of the physical and mental requirements for the grenadiers the size of grenadier units is small compared to even Oronegrean units. instead of the 20 men to a company of the line infantry there are 8 to a company in grenadier units. The ratio of officers and NCO's to soldiers ridiculous however as grenadiers will usually fight individually or in larger groups of 2 companies, which means there are 16 soldiers it does not matter to much.
Oronegrean grenadiers are a special bunch that can be used as much as an implement of terror upon a foe as they can to eliminate them.

This post has been dedicated to the normal and yet extraordinary men and the few women who make up el ejército primero or first army of the Oronegrean military, the grenadiers and line infantry of what could be considered the finest and yet one of the smallest fighting forces in the 18th century world or parallel world.

LINE DRAWINGS ARE REMADE FROM HAT LINE DRAWINGS, I TAKE ONLY LIMITED CREDIT...

colonisation and expansion part2

in the previous instalment we focused on the beginning of part2. Part 2 focuses on the maturing of Oronegro into a nation and so now in section B we discover how Oronegro turned from a battered nation into a secure and strong nation with its own distinct laws and customs.

in 1625 the Pirate Raid shocked Oronegro into action, her navy was expanded and her marine forces were improved to face off any other potential invaders. the story of the Military power of Oronegro entered its second chapter Oronegro created 2 land forces, of massive size. the first was tiny, called el ejército primero it consisted of 2 legions (1000 men each) and a few cohorts each of which have 500 men. The soldiers in these forces were some of the best trained forces for their day in the whole world. the second force was el ejército segundo, it consisted of what today would be considered reservists, they came from the general populace but attended regular training and arming exercises, they made up around 5% of Oronegro's total population in 1650 and that only ever increased until in 1700 it was 20% where it remained stable more or less until the system was abolished in 1894. More on these forces will be explained also in other texts that will come later on.

The navy was also altered in a way. more larger ships were built and in 1659 what would later be considered a first rate ship of the line was built. the Juan Carlos was a massive ship that only just managed to fit into the harbour at La Ley. it was crude and was dismantled and rebuilt several times until in 1723 it took the form that most first rate ships of the line had. the name Juan Carlos was always used on Oronegro's largest ship and if Oronegro ever acquired or built a larger vessel the name would be transferred unto it no matter if the other ship was still in active service. the Navy also started to recruit more marines, who were the envy of many other nations except those of the great naval powers or France and Britain.

a painting of the Juan Carlos made in 1754

However although the mid 17th century saw the great explosion in the military and naval power of Oronegro it also saw the explosion in her population. in 1625 Oronegro had a population of 193,000 people however by 1700 it had exploded to well over 1 million... Why? Gold. in the early years of Oronegro the conquistadors and settlers found no gold. none at all. however in 1634 an expedition into the mountains south of Oronegro entered a wide plain in the somewhat arid terrain, here they found gold, lots and lots of gold. Due to Oronegro's neutrality towards the conflicts between, Spain, France and Britain, hundreds of settlers from all these nations descended upon the small nation almost immediately after the news spread. thousands would descend on Oronegro to get rich in a spectacle similar to that of the 19th century gold rushes, this was because Although Oronegro did control the mining and minting of gold and silver, any miner could keep 20% of his or her find so long as they complied with the laws surrounding mineral extraction, these included not mining or panning in another miners area, not damaging the land scape, not taking land from natives and not breaking the other laws of the land. Of coarse these laws were easy to in force when you have so many reservists who themselves quite often were miners by day and were always more than happy to make sure that all Oronegrean miners were not exploited by the new comers. many settlers came for gold or for turning it into products of great beauty. the town of el Minero was the main consequence of this influx. it was during this time that Oronegro first started to become estranged from Spain as Oronegro's gold did not end up on the treasure gallions but on all types of vessels from all over the world. the Gold rush died down in the 1670's as people lost interest in the stories, though there was still plenty of gold and silver to be found.

the mine shafts in the valley of el minero were some of the most well constructed anywhere, to comply with strict safety regulations

However it was during this period that another group of settlers descended in vast numbers into Oronegro.... Germans, with the Thirty years war raging fiercely in Europe many German catholics and protestants who found their homes on the front lines fled not to safer areas where their religion was prominent but to Oronegro. Oronegro's parliament of 1649 even considered officially adding some German kingdoms and duchies to its list of Official allies by settlers decent. the Next mass influx of migrant was during the English Civil war, this had the effect of consolidating Britain's presence in the nation and also meant that the age old tolerance of other religions was threatened.
Oronegro had always been tolerant however these new arrivals were divided, though many were not overly zealous there was certainly division between them. Something had to be done, the answer was education and health care...

as war rages in Europe Oronegro grows rapidly

Health care and education were well established in Oronegro, they were part and parcel of the democratic system of Government. sure there were some very rich people in Oronegro but poverty was something that was always addressed. La Ley had many schools for the young. both men and women were treated and educated equally, though the Arab/ Muslim population always had a few issues with this. However although there were hospitals the governments action was not for curing the sick but for preventing illness. Sewers were expanded to cover the whole city and areas outside for the predicted growth, Pumps were set up everywhere supplying clean water, aqueducts were built and the cities streets were paved. it made La Ley one of the cleanest cities around and one that was the envy of many a large nation. La Esperanza also was improved in the same way. but both cities were also transformed in other ways, there was a new group established,made up of reservists, firefighters! Fire was always a problem in cities like La Ley where in the hot summer days could cause wooden frames to become matchsticks. the Firefighters and the Police forces were to become some of the saving factors for Oronegro's religious harmony. they kept everyone safe and with safety comes happiness. The next step in tackling religious division was education. All Oronegrean schools were run by the state, every teacher was well paid and taught the same curriculum, this included, reading, writing, history, science, practical skills (suck as wood carving or sewing), physical education, military education (non compulsory for girls), social sciences, languages and religious education. The purpose of this system was to allow all Oronegreans to work how they wanted and where they wanted, in an environment that would not cause them to be at a disadvantage due to their religion, race or sex.
The punishment for religious, racial or sexual crimes became harsher also, although there still were some crimes committed, the punishment of death for killing someone because of their religion as opposed to a long prison sentence and then hard labour before release helped to get the message across that Oronegro was not about to let religion get in the way of running a nation.

hanging became the common punishment for those who killed a fellow man because he believed something different

But for all Oronegro's best efforts religious tensions did result in conflict. in La Ley in 1661 the Muslim community came under attack from gangs of catholics because of the apparent mistreatment of catholic women working in Muslim shops. the fighting was put down by the police but troops had to be called in to make sure that fighting did not start up again. However soon Oronegro would have other problems to face instead of religious divisions.

What the Native tribes did during the early 17th century in Oronegro is relatively unknown however some must have grown in strength.  the Kaxad empire grew in strength and cohesion after their long lull due to their defeat at the hands of Oronegrean forces in the previous century the valleys leading to their home were explored and secured by Oronegrean soldiers and military settlers, the towns of La Palma and San Juan were founded in this way. But it was the tribes in the valley of the cat that caused the most problems. they declared war on Oronegro in 1678 for what reason no-one knows but they would soon regret the act. A legion under the command of Samuel Jose was sent to clear the valley. The only way to reach the valley was usually through the Kaxad plain, however Samuel decided to cut a new one, through the mountains north west of La Ley. his regulars were of the all well acquainted with road building and an all weather military road across the mountain passes was established within 3 months. The Tribes feared their destruction and began to head for their sacred home in the tall mountain range in the far north of the region. However Samuel decided to make an example of this conflict. he carried on the road even though there were already trails in the valley, in fact he buried the river in a long large sewer and fresh water system! every few Kilometers he built some small watchtowers and every days march distance a secure fortified complex of houses was built, at the same time the reservists were pulled into action thousands upon thousands joined the army. a large wall was built at the point where the valley of the cats entered the Kaxad plain it was manned by reservists and volunteer militia. the advance of the army of Samuel Jose was slow due to the construction however it was unstoppable all ambushes were either found and destroyed or beaten back. by the time Samuel reached the town later called el gato, his forces had swelled to over 15,000 drawn by the opportunities of wealth and land. by the time he had reached the base of the mountains where the tribes took refuge 2 years had passed, the river that once flowed through that valley had been all but covered and turned into a water supply for all the fortified houses and the small towns along the route.
Now came the hard part getting up the mountain side. for this he built a massive zig-zag up the hill the road was wide enough for many carts to pass and at each end of the rise there was a large battery in place to cover the construction crews... All the tribes could do was watch and wait as the monstrous worm or road made its way up the slope, all their best attempts of stopping the army failed and they were worried about the coming of winter which at that altitude brought snow! However now it seemed that the army of Samuel Jose would reach them before the winter of 1681...

a drawing of Samuel commanding the battery aiming down at a very fanciful drawing of the fortified city of the tribes... this is in fact highly inaccurate as there was no ground that much higher than the castle and the mountain sides were much closer than the drawing shows them to be

on the 12th of June 1681 Samuel Jose and his cuirassiers reached the level top of the mountains the air was thin but the tension in the air was suffocating. for over 3 years now he had led an army all the way up one of the most obscure places known, building one of the most over the top and complex systems of roads around, he had covered rivers and carved hills into plains paved a road longer than the distance between London and Dover. All this work, all this effort and all the expense had been done for this moment, the moment when he would conquer the fortress on top of the mountain. its defenders hid behind the walls, their muskets and bows ready to draw Oronegrean blood. 
Samuel brought his infantry up to the hill top, then the artillery and finally the thousands of reservists and militia he never really commanded. Now assembled on the plain on top of the mountain their uniforms were like a red and blue sea that turned that place into a parade of death.
At precisely 12 p.m the cannons of Samuel's army opened fire upon the wooden castle, it lasted for 3 days and 3 nights. and on the morning of the 15th of June the infantry of the Legion that started the long march to the place so many years ago stormed the broken walls killing all its defenders, the fighting for the huge castle lasted for a week but when it was done the war was over and the Oronegrean flag flew on the mountain top!
It was September when Samuel Returned to La Esperanza and then to La Ley. in the Capital he was greeted by large crowds he was hailed as a national Hero and his name would forever go down as the man who conquered a nation only to establish a permanent peace. the mountain top the Tribes once hid in was flattened and a new Stone castle built. El Castillo as it became known was the grandest and largest fortification built in Oronegro and for that matter it was also one of the largest built since the middle ages. Oronegro was now secure and it had matured as a nation. nothing could stop it now... could it?

in the final instalment we look at the early 18th century and the start of some political moves that will affect Oronegro in a major way and some wars that you may not have thought involved them.

colonisation and expansion part2

in the previous installment of Colonisation and expansion we looked at the early days of Oronegro and how "los Desperados" set up a colony of equality and peace, separate but not free from Spain and her kings and queens. in this installment the time of the securing of the colony and the foundation in the 16th and early 17th centuries comes into focus. Also a key story comes into focus at this time the tale the children of Oronegro's founder Juan Carlos.

Colonisation and expansion part2 section A

the Year 1523 will always be known as the year of passing for the colony! Though not yet known as Oronegro the colonials came together united and mourned the death of the founder of the land. For on the 3rd of March 1523 Juan Carlos de Costa y Andalucia passed away at the age of 67 he was survived by his 8 children, of whom those born in Oronegro had names from the different nationalities that made up the colony.

• His eldest son Juan Carlos Segundo born on the first day of April 1479 inherited the farm they owned near El Pueblo Antiguo south west of La Ley.  He would in 1555 declare the state of Oronegro he was 76 at the time he lived 7 more years until he died age 83 in 1562. he had 2 sons
• His eldest daughter Maria born 1483 was the last child he had before coming to Oronegro.  She went onto become something of a free spirit never marrying and becoming an author of great renown her books on Murders and romances were to become all time favourites for the people of Oronegro for hundreds of year to come. she died in 1591 at the astonishing age of 108 she had no legitimate children but rumours persist that a love affair with a noble gentlemen from France ended in the birth of a son and two daughters.

 Then came the twin brothers who were his first children born in Oronegro they born in 1496

•  Alberto named after the Italian merchant who brought his hometown to the colony. Alberto married the daughter of the merchant and inherited the business. he grew wealthy and powerful and sailed many times to Europe. visiting his sister in Germany multiple times. he played a critical role in supplying the Prince and his troops in their struggle for his rightful crown. when the prince regained his crown in 1534 the 36 year old Alberto was knighted by Lord Wolf the Rightful for his services to the crown. Alberto died in 1548 age 52 a wealthy man and his sons were to become some of Oronegro's most powerful traders
• Pierre named after the french expedition leader. he was a very sensible man, he married and had a child however this was overshadowed by his work in Forming the Oronegrean Navy. he set up many shipyards in La Ley, made the ports more efficient and with some of his brothers money he helped the Italians build La Ley's central quarter on the Island. he died after his brother in 1551 leaving his son a house boat that was almost as grand as the large townhouses in La Ley.

the remaining 4 children were

1. Then there was Elizabeth born in a warm sunny day in 1500 was named after the wife of the English merchant who brought his native town to the Colony. She lived most of her life in the family house somewhat of a recluse. Her farther worried that she may never leave the home started looking for a possible husband. she married, against her will in 1513 to the young explorer Ben of La Ley who was the son of the same English merchant whose wife she was named after. Ben took her out of her comfort zone time and time again as he went exploring the jungle near La Ley... in safe territory of coarse. they both died together of natural causes in 1561.
2. Juan's most notable child Emir Born on a stormy night in 1502 named after the Moorish captain who brought the first Arab settlers to the Colony. Emir Became the first man in Oronegro to take part in a Native canoe race which he won, receiving the respect of the Nakwaztec tribe. He also became the first man to organise the Conquistadors and old soldiers into Oronegro's first army, though not very well made he based it off the roman system, his command and division structure would remain nearly the same until the present day. he died in 1553 in a hunting accident.
3. Taxtecohi born in 1504 named after the chief of the Mehobeck tribe which the colonists first encountered. He married the chiefs daughter in 1526, she was 14 at the time. in 1534 he fought the chiefs son for the leadership, he won the duel and was popularly proclaimed chief. he ruled happily until his death in 1558.
4. Eliza born in 1510 was Juan's last child. Named after the Jewish woman who had helped Juan find and aid as many Jews forced underground in Spain. Eliza married an exiled German prince in 1523 aged only 13 her father saw her get married in the original church in La Ley a few days later he passed away. Eliza lived a great life and enjoying the wealth her husband brought from his homeland. they even went to Germany with an escort to fight for the princes crown. and in 1533 her husband regained his families lands from their foes and was proclaimed Lord Wolf the Rightful. she died in in Germany with many children in 1593 age 83 a German aristocrat. 

an Oronegrean ship enters port in Germany ready to aid the prince in his fight for his crown

Colonial tension 1555-1625

La Ley was the Capital of the new Land of Oronegro but still there were problems. La Ley was being rebuilt in in brick and tile. the Island on the southern bank of the Oronegro river was built in the Italian Renaissance style. very beautiful it was a great tourist attraction bringing many native tribesmen into the city to marvel at the incredible architecture and the twisting turning streets. However there were problems as a land where nearly all nationalities could live in peace La Ley found itself the target of Pirate raiders. These raiders knew that the port was harbouring the trade ships of their homelands enemies. Spanish privateers attacked the English ships in harbour, the English Buccaneers the Spanish all depending on the political situation. La Ley could not defend itself its navy although already organised by the Noble Pierre Carlos de Costa y Pizarro. The shipyards were mostly turning out merchant ships for Alberto y Maria Oronegro's largest trading company. all that was available were boats of the line and a couple of old Carracks.
So in 1561 the Mayor of La Ley Juan Carlos Trecero ordered that La Castillo de La Ley be built. it Incorporated 2 fortifications a Wall around the old district, the southern part of La Ley on the island, and a fort on another island at the narrowest point of the Oronegro river before the city. the fort was rebuilt many times and was the site of many important battles. it was finally made into an imposing star fort in 1613 one of the strongest fortifications at the time it would become the heart of a great battle in 1625.

the mayors palace for La Ley was in the town of Pueblo antiguo, a fine building it was beloved of the Oronegrean people

However during the 1550's and 1560's Oronegro was at peace Coco beans were grown in plantations on the jungles edge and the great planes to the west of La Ley began to be cultivated as the tribes slowly lost their power due to disease or joined the Colonials in alliance. the reason for the tribes willingness to ally themselves would not become known until the 1580's. Oronegro was little bothered by pirates during this period also a few raids brought the fleet in La Ley to its knees the Army was strong enough to stop them plundering the city and after the wall was built around the old district in 1561 the cities banks and government buildings were safe. though the port and the Muslim and Jewish quarters were still raided the British in their quarter nearby would respond with their guards quickly enough to prevent any serious damage.
meanwhile in La Esperanza peace was constant the valley in which the city was based was fertile and crops were grown, an irrigation network aided the growth of many other crops and cattle and sheep could be reared in peace and security. the tribes around La Esperanza were not as eager to ally as those around La Ley but after the wave of disease had swept though them and gone they began to seek help from the white men. Friendships were built and the catholic priests began to convert the local population, another difference in the practices around La Ley, With La Esperanza far up river and it's navy already set up it was too far and too strong for most pirates and those who were powerful enough were not able to bring their large ships up the river... only Boats of the line could fit up the river.
During this time a few explorers ventured up the Oronegro river, not too far the city of Santiago de Oronegro became the furthest port of call for the time being the large island of El Pollo was also settled by farmers who used rafts to get from the defensible island too the farming fields. which although not attacked so far, were left unsettled, this was because the local tribes who gave land warned that there was a power in the hills and jungle behind the plane. still the land was at peace and farmers, traders, explorers and woodsmen all went up the river in search of new land and new opportunities.
During this period Oronegro's population boomed from 9,500 people to 33,500 people mostly from overseas but also because of the good sewer and water systems in La Ley and La Esperanza which prevented outbreaks of serious illness. Also with all the new settlers came more soldiers and sailors who were able to defend the outlying territories and increase the trade between Oronegro and the rest of the world. Oronegro was becoming known for peace, health, happiness and opportunities.

the 1570's were the beginning of the wars that would secure European control over the lower Oronegro river valley. the Warnings of tribes came true as out of the forests marched the armies of the Kaxad an empire that would threaten Oronegro more than any pirate fleet or terrible storm could. the Kaxad empire was a powerful nation based in a large valley that would one day be the place where El Granproyecto would be established. the Kaxad had suffered from the wave of disease that came with the arrival of Europeans but they had benefited also! Kaxad city had been terribly overcrowded the people were seriously unhappy the plagues that had come had killed off the people in the cities slums making it a more secure place. Now with the empire in possession of a few gunpowder weapons since sending a few spies and traders to acquire knowledge about the settlers and gain some of their technology. The empire secure and armed was now ready to make its presence felt they marched down the selva river valley and came out into the plane to the horror of the settlers and native tribesmen alike. the town of San Antonio was leveled the island of El Pollo was isolated the City of Santiago de Oronegro was besieged. the Oronegro river was the only was that La Ley could supply the towns. La Ley was attacked the Port and the surrounding districts were taken and the old district and its walls were the only safe haven. La Esperanza was also attacked, Kaxad troops marched over the mountains that separated the valleys. La Esperanza had a palisade around the whole city and with the loyal tribes all rushing in to defend the city it held out far better than La Ley.
The sieges were not well implemented and the Kaxad troops often went away for festivals in their capital, what troops remained were well trained but too few to keep the Oronegreans inside the cities. La Ley was was fully recovered in 1575 after a year of partial occupation while La Esperanza was too strong for the besieging forces to attack and in 1576 they retreated back over the mountains. Santiago de Oronegro was still surrounded and the Oronegrean boats of the line were the only things stopping Kaxad troops from taking the city from the river. El Pollo was unassailable with the bridges destroyed and the Kaxad boats were no match for the Oronegrean warboats that came up from La Ley. The sieges lasted until 1583 when the troops were all withdrawn for no apparent reason.

the view across from el Pollo looking at the palm covered river bank.

The Colonists rebuilt their towns and improved their fortifications more effort was put into exploring south of the Oronegro river and a series of watchtowers and outposts was set up along the jungle edge. however in 1590 the Kaxad troops returned but now the Oronegreans were ready their armies formed up upon the planes and at the battle of Selva y Campo the Oronegrean army under the command of Centurions Ray and Fran set up with 600 men in front of the small town of San Paulo. facing them were 30,000 Kaxad soldiers armed with bows axes and primitive, crude swords made by Kaxad blacksmiths who had just discovered the art of forging metal from the towns taken during the last assault. the Battle lasted the whole day 5 times the Kaxad troops assaulted the Oronegreans 5 times they were sent back under a hail of lead. finally the Kaxad army retreated. 231 Oronegreans had died but  over 21,000 Kaxad men never returned to their wives. For this San Paulo was renamed San Ray and Fran who later fought in the south of Oronegro outside the town of San Diego had the town renamed in his honor. So were San Ray and San Fran created, they would become very important later on but for now they were just relieved to have survived the invasion.
The Kaxad were battered but not broken and their armies marched over the great farming plains for years to come it was not until after the war had seen many incredible victories and crushing defeats on both sides that in 1603 the imperial troops withdrew. Losses on both sides could only be guessed at Oronegro loosed between 3000-5000 people while the empire lost around 86,000-87,000 warriors. The Empire was crushed it would never again hold the power it did then. their capital city fell into decline and instead the Kaxad people left the large city and built a few towns in the jungle... the empire was weakened but the towns were still loyal to the emperor even though they lived far away from him.

the fate of the Kaxad empire was to become a series of Jungle villages loosely controlled from the inpierial capital

the great Pirate raid of 1625.

after the Kaxad empire had withdrawn the land of Oronegro was slow to recover, they feared another attack was imminent. However in 1625 La Ley was once again threatened the Pirate Captain Samuel the Black heated came down from the Caribbean with 32 ships and 2800 pirates. He had heard that the land was weak and the Banks of Oronegro were without guards. they sailed past la tierra del diablo and up the Oronegro river. they reached the starfort and 1200 pirates disembarked to assault the fort while the rest of the fleet carried on up river. The Pirates headed for the seemingly unguarded walls only to find that when they were 100 meters away that hundreds of helmets and muskets appeared over the parapet. cannons from the ships fired at the fort and the forts own guns responded in kind. the rest of the pirate fleet carried on towards the port bombarding the old district along the way. Then the La Ley fleet mostly made up of 3rd rate and 2nd rate boats of the line went against the pirates sloops and brigs the battle was fierce many ships were lost and the river was not wide enough for either side to utilise their numbers or their maneuverability. the Starfort was being heavily bombarded but the defenders did not waver, instead they fired back twice as fast. the battle lasted 5 days until the pirate fleet was surrounded when a fleet came down from La Esperanza to relieve the shattered city. the Pirates surrendered and their ships taken. the pirates were not executed but put straight to work only one was killed Samuel was ceremonially shot by the mayor of La Ley and then clubbed by the native tribesmen if the bullet did not kill him. Samuel has gone down in history of one of the most daring and brave pirates of his day, the only problem is that his name was hidden with Oronegro.

Oronegrean ship and marines looking across at the fort after the battle in 1625

And so this second installment comes to the end. In the next installment the 17th century is covered along with the discovery of Gold in Oronegro. the Story of Oronegro was now in motion.

NEWS FLASH. National forces clear rebel camp ahead of campaign

 Tuesday 23rd April 2022
Jose: People here in the capital are ecstatic over recent news that the national forces under the command of Centurion Pedro Nacho Fernandez Costa! we sent Laura to interview him and find out about the battle.

Laura: so Pedro what happened back there? I have heard the fight was quite fierce.
Pedro: Yes it was I feared for my own life at one stage but we managed to recover from some very heavy casualties. The rebels put up a brave fight to be sure, I have never seen so many men lose their lives for the rebel cause. I myself have lost many good friends, I saw them die before my very eyes, war is a terrible thing, but a cruel necessity if we are to live in freedom

Laura: and the rebels? not all of them were killed according to the reports you filed.
Pedro: Yes we took some prisons, these men are brave soldiers, I am not surprised that they were able to build this camp in what is essentially behind our lines. Their commander, centurion Manuel was a brave man I remember training with him back in 2016.  It is a shame that so many good men have betrayed their own country.

Laura: Are you angry at all? surely these men are the reason so many Friends are dead?
Pedro: Can I be angry? These men may be traitors and murderers but I recognise many people from training like Manuel. How can I angry with my former friends at a time that I have lost so many of my own friends? mercy is what they deserve, they fought with all the courage that is to be expected of a soldier of Oronegro, its just sad that they found themselves on the wrong side.

Laura: I have heard that your troops were not alone? can you tell us who assisted you?
Pedro: it was that fellow from the capital, James I think it is...
Laura: ep3?
Pedro: Yes that's the one. He must have been staying in the house. We did get a chance to talk to him after the battle but he left quickly and I did not get to know him well. he only said "I have work to do, your fight is just one of many I will be in during the war".

Laura: Assuming that the campaign in the north does not end the war.
Pedro: I think that is a dream, I cannot see this war being over so soon, not now that the rebel general has returned. I think that we are in for some hard fighting in the years to come.

Laura: well let us hope not. Thanks for your time centurion
Pedro: Your welcome
Laura: this is Laura Martinez reporting for Oronegro news, back to you Jose.

Jose: Thank you Laura, in other news more fighting in Europe as the Soviet Union continues its fight against Marines on its boarders. German forces on UN missions here are going to remain as a permanent force as Germany can no longer safely bring them back...

Well there you go a news flash from Oronegro.

The battalion- the independant century

in the previous post I touched upon the battalion, this force is essentially a century that is independent of a legion and under the command of a senior centurion or primus pilus. however as an independent force a battalion needs more support! however the exact needs of one battalion may be greater than another and so early on in Orangery's history the different needs of a battalion cause the creation of two classes/ sizes of battalion. Class A battalions containing 300 men and class B battalions containing 200.

the class A battalion
the class A battalion is the bigger of the two, over the years it has become more standardised in its support and even more importantly its role has changed. The Class A battalion has the normal 100 soldiers of a century, under the command of a standard centurion, but also 50 soldiers of a combat support team, under the command of another centurion 20 troops from an air arm and 10 of an artillery group! there is also a 20 soldier Strong transport and communications team which helps to keep the battalion fed and armed. there is of coarse the 100 Strong command/ support force however the distribution of them is different from normal! there are 30 command troops 8 NCO's with  8 guards 2 centurions with a guard and a Optio each the primus pilus and his body guard and a praefectus castrorum who organised the camp, training, equipment and supplies below him were 5 officers called praefectus (prefects) who just made sure that the supply team was doing its job.
the70 others were made up of 10 MP's, 10 medics, 5 bomb disposal 20 engineers, 5 civilian relations/ interpreters and 10 mechanics.
the air arm: the air arm is 20 men strong and contains 10 helicopter pilots, 6 gunners for the aircraft and another 4 ground crew who act as air traffic control - repairs are carried out by the mechanics and transport team. the group normally had 3 transport helicopters for deploying troops, crewed with 2 pilots and 2 gunners each the helicopters varied and most famously the rebels used the Hind O (o for Oronegro) there was also 2 attack helicopters operated by 2 pilots, this was either the lynx, Apache or another hind.
combat support team: the combat support team is essentially made up of armour, sniper and mortar groups. the Armour is the biggest consisting of 30 troops, it is made up of around 10 APC's normally the Bradley or the Warrior, the BTR-80 also is common, these take up 20 of the troops, 2-3 tanks are also common, 3 tanks when an auto loader is installed and only 2 if there is none, the additional troop is often put in one of the APC's. Mortar team consists of 10 men, these operate between 2 and 5 mortars depending on the size, often a mobile mortar is used in which case they only have 2 mortars with 2 driving the vehicle and the other 3 operating the mortar. and there is the 10 man sniper group.
Artillery group: the 10 men and women of the artillery group are some of the luckiest of the Oronegrean army. self propelled guns will require 5 of them to operate while in the odd cases that a non-self propelled gun is used they can get 2 troops to a gun depending on the size.
Transport and communications: The army needs transport, food and full HD, 300 channel plus, satellite television! apparently. 5 chefs, 10 truck divers, 3 electronic communications (also electronic warfare) specialists and 2 fixers/ stock takers. these men and women are the ones that keep the water running and the Bacon and eggs on the menu. the truck drivers drive their armoured and armed big rigs! (0.50 cal on the cab roof). they either carry supplies or if the battalion is on the move the soldiers hop on in and fight over who gets to ride shotgun or in this case machine gun!The chef have their own trucks which they drive poorly in some cases, the fixers can quite often have their own 4x4's and of coarse the electronic guys have their high tech trucks, which are often used as HQ's during battle. this group is also known as the trucker team for obvious reasons.
engineer groups: The engineers are known as the road workers of the battlefield, the 20 people who are involved in this group are used to doing the fun things, blowing up stuff, building stuff and then watching is get destroyed, mostly that is sand castles. they are armed like the normal infantry but do not be mistaken they do know all the finner points of what they are doing.
Mechanics: The mechanics are what keeps the modern mechanised war machine going, they have 5 trucks full of tools and nuts and bolts! the annual tank take apart and put back together competition brings the best of these teams to the capital for what can only be described as a practical sport!
Bomb squad: The advent of the IED has meant that the old mine clearer's have had to learn new skills but their role is still the same, find the bombs/mines before the troops find them.
Civilian relations team: Key to modern conflict is the idea of hearts and minds, and it is the job of the civilian relations team to make sure that the hearts and minds of the people are firmly with the National cause.
MP's: The military police team is very important to the Oronegrean war machine, they keep order in camp and if the battle means that a near by town is a possible place of regrouping in the event of defeat on the battlefield the MP's make sure that the town does not hold some nasty surprises for the army. They also arrest any disorderly troops, they will often arrest anyone who commits a crime, they earned a reputation during the civil-war for being more dangerous than the rebels in some places because they would arrest so many disorderly troops.
Medics: The role of the medics in any army is important and Oronegro is no different. the Medic is the injured troops best friend and as such they are some of the most popular members of the battalion.

the class B battalion
The class B battalion is very similar to the class A battalion, however it contains 200 troops! the normal century plus 50 others these are put under the command of another centurion. the command structure is similar to the Class A battalion. there being 1 primus pilus and 2 centurions with their Optios, body guards and 6 NCO's with guards and their guards and a praefectus looking after the supplies, so a total of 20 command troops. there is also 5 two man sniper teams (10), 5 MP's, 5 medics, 5 bomb squad members and 5 Civilian relations personnel. the Other 50 are made up of 30 Armour personnel, 10 communication and 10 transport. the Armour contains 1 tank which will take up the man power of 3 to 5 troops and the rest is a mix of APC's/ IFV's (20-25 personnel) and perhaps a self propelled gun (5 personnel)! The role of these groups is usually the same as the Class A battalion.

The cohort
A cohort is Oronegro's most usable force, under the command of a tribunus. The Cohort is in fact just a Class A battalion and a Class B battalion combined with one of the  primus pilii being replaced by the Tribunus the Cohort is also seen in the larger cities and most Military bases that are not very large contain a cohort, there are 10 Cohorts in Oronegro, but the number of Battalions in Oronegro includes those that are part of the Cohorts. there is only 3 Native Cohorts in Oronegro. the rest are made up of the settler population.

Native Battalions
There are approximately 30 Native Battalions in Oronegro the main ones are the 12th, 14th and 21st and 43rd Battalions, these 4 often join together to form 2 of the 3 Native cohorts. the 14th and 21st Battalion are class A and the other two are class B. Native troops are well known for their jungle warfare and they often use outdated equipment. Oronegrean tigers, and panzer's from the time when Oronegro was like the 3rd Reich in South America and M48's and M60's from a newer time mixed up with T-34/85's T-55's T-72's, Chieftains and crusader tanks and many more. However Native battalions will quite often swap out their Armour for more soft skin transports or just for Motorbikes, which allow 2 people to ride (driver and gunner sitting on the back). the Native battalions are quite flexible in their equipment and quite often have no real uniform size as they gather tribes to their cause. spears and machetes are quite often included in the arms list of these forces!

Oronegro was well prepared for a war, the civil war proved their biggest challenge!

The Oronegrean century- basic battlefield unit

as with ancient Rome so too does Oronegro have the century but in Oronegro the troops under the direct control of the centurion number 100 not 80. the structure is as follows starting with the smallest division and going up to the century itself

 the smallest group is the team of 5 men these can act independently from the century as a whole or together with others in a 20 man squad. Next is the Unit of 50 troops; 2 squads joined together with 10 specialist troops, 6 LMG's, 1 dragon armed soldier and either 3 Stinger or 3 Javelin armed soldiers (one unit has the 3 stingers and the other has the 3 javelins). 2 units form the century.
in charge of the century is the centurion who has under neath him 1 Optio his second in command and 4 NCO's each in charge of one squad.  The NCO's and the centurion each have a body guard armed with an LMG the Optio also acts as a body guard and is also armed with an LMG. in support of the century but not under the direct control of the centurion are 5x 2 man sniper teams, 5 MP's who patrol the area around the rear for any civilian (terrorist) counter attack, 5 medics, 10 engineers, 5 bomb squad soldiers and 4 civilian relations people who act as interpreters when needed.

so the century itself is in total 150 men Strong 100 of those being the troops and the rest fulfilling the command and support roles! this also does not include any transport groups who are put under the control of the leader of a legion (1000 men) of 10 centuries as shown here. in a legion there will also be at lease 500 supporters, these being those of the centuries. 200 will be devoted to the armour, tanks, APC's, etc. 100 will be devoted to transport 50 to the artillery, 50 as a separated engineering element to those in the centuries and 100 will be for the running of the camp/base where the legion will be based.

one additional note: in some occasions a century may be named a battalion, this is because it is an independent force and not a division of a legion. there are a total of 50 battalions in Oronegro of which 30 are native battalions, native troops being raised over larger areas cannot be easily formed into a legion