Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Mercia- UDI 1995)

Over view
The lightly armed forces consist of 44,000 recruits and 35,000 reservists. Most equipment consists of remaining former British and american army supplies augmented with some smuggled in Dutch, Croatian, Albanian, Algerian and on occasion Bosnian Serb weaponry. Most of it's gear is safely stored in the well hidden and mostly subterranean Hay-on-Wye Hill Army Depot, 5km west of Hay-on-Wye. The small army training collage is 1km south east of Barnt Green.

The defence and homeland security minister is the Federal Conservative MP for Halesowen, Steve Wells.

The joint chief staff is Marshal Philip Marston and his deputy is General Tammy Ajuwe.

Colonel Samuel Starr is head of the Federal Republic's regular army and used to be a British TA Lieutenant befor his defection in 1995.

The Chairman of the Committee for State and Border Security is Geraint Jones.

Army
The army possesses-
 * 1) 42 OERLIKON GDF-005 35/90 35 mm Anti-aircraft artillery pieces,
 * 2) 25 M109A5 - 155/39 mm self-propelled howitzers as the M109A5(+96) variant,
 * 3) Several dozen Milan and Tow 2 - anti-tank missile launchers,
 * 4) 30 Mk 19 40 mm grenade launchers,
 * 5) 35 Brownng 0.50 caliber machine guns,
 * 6) 34 .303 in Vickers machine guns,
 * 4,500 FN FNC 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles,
 * 3,400 AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm Avtomat Kalashnikova "Kalashnikov"/"AK" assault rifles
 * 1,500 Zastava M70 is a 7.62mm assault rifles
 * 1) 250 M16 5.56 mm caliber, assault rifles
 * 2) 50 M4 carbine (U.S. issue) rifles
 * 3) 9 or 10 M113 armored personnel carriers (7 are reportedly operational and 2 or 3 others are thought to be in storage),
 * 4) 8 or 9 Leopard 2 A4 Main Battle Tanks,
 * 5) 1 DAF YP-408 6x8-drive armoured car (it is known to be in storage and awaiting repairs),
 * 6) 6 CH-47 Chinook helicopters,
 * 7) 4 M-95 Degman Main Battle Tanks tanks (all 4 are reportedly in storage)
 * 8) 2 LOV-1 APCs (They are both reportedly in storage).
 * 3,500 Glock "Safe Action" Pistols.

The 6 front line army 'regiments' were named after the former 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot, 53rd (South Shropshire) Regiment of Foot, Royal Warwickshire (Alcester county) Fusiliers, South Wales Borderers (former Welsh SSR), the Welch Regiment (former Welsh SSR) and 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot in the UK's army.

Other support units are called the Federal Signals Battalion, The Federal logistic Battalion, Federal Support Battalion, Federal Tank Company, Federal Military Police Company and the Federal Engineers Battalion.

The reserve units are the West Midlands General Reserve Regiment, Black Country Reserve Platoon, Herefordshire Reserve Battalion, Worcester Reserve Regiment, South Welsh Reserve Regiment, Breconshire Reserve Platoon, Hey-on-Wye Reserve Squad, Reserve Federal Engineers Company, Reserve Federal Signals Company and Reserve Federal Support Company.

A 15 strong Gurkha presidenial guard named the '25th Gurkha Rifles' (in honer of the former WW 2 colonial unit) was formed on July 1st, 1998.

Navy
The tiny National Navy has only 2 ex-UK police Fast Response Targa 31 boats and 3 Sea King helicopters.

It also has-


 * 1) 10 FAMAS bullpup rifles,
 * 2) 10 9x19mm Walther P99, German semi-automatic pistols
 * 3) 6-8 Enfield revolvers (rumored usage only)
 * 4) 3 Brownng 0.50 caliber machine guns.
 * 5) 10 Glock "Safe Action" Pistols

Airforce
The small National Airforce poseses 12 active aircraft-


 * 1) 1 Hispano HA-200 "Saeta" (Arrow) trainer,
 * 2) 1 Denel AH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopter,
 * 3) 2 CH-47 Chinook helicopters,
 * 4) 2 206 Kiowa helicopters,
 * 5) 2 Hawker Hunter ground attack aircraft . The 2 Hawker Hunter ground attack aircraft are known to be broken and in storage.
 * 6) 2 Shenyang J-6C fighters
 * 7) 6 Hawker Siddeley Harrier 'jump-jets'.

They also have-


 * 1) 200 FN FNC 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles
 * 2) 100 Glock "Safe Action" Pistols.

Spcial forces
The elite airborne Wyvern Corps consist of 175 men, Training was given to volunteers by 5 renegade SAS members, who are now the Wyvern Corps’ leaders


 * 1) 2 CH-47 Chinook helicopters,
 * 2) 2 BO-105 helicopters,
 * 3) 2 [| Bell UH-1 Iroquois],
 * 4) 6 UH-1H "Huey" helicopters and 2 206 Kiowa helicopters. One of the "Huey" helicopters is known to be broken and in storage and a 206 Kiowa is known to be in storage.

They also poses-


 * 1) 50 FN FNC 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles,
 * 2) 20-30 Glock "Safe Action" Pistols
 * 3) 6-8 L85A1 bullpup rifles
 * 4) 12-14 RPG-7 rocket launchers (roumored usage only).

The National Air force and the elite airborne Wyvern Corps operate from the commandeered RAF Hereford and an emerency air strip a few km west of New Radnor.

Border Patrole Force
The small Border Patrole Force posess-
 * 1) 40 FN FNC 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles,
 * 2) 16 or 17 Shorland reproduction armourd cars,
 * 3) 10 Somali style Technicals,
 * 4) 3-4 Heckler & Koch G36 rifels (rumored usage only),
 * 5) 5-6 El Tigre rifles,
 * 6) 50-100 Glock "Safe Action" Pistols
 * 7) 3 or 4 Morris CS9 repoduction armored cars.

Other issues
RAF Madley is under joint UK/Hereford and Worcester control. This was done in exchange for the UK giving the rebels access to the sea via The Gloucestershire Corridor.

The defence and homeland security minister is the Federal Conservative MP for Halesowen, Steve Wells.

The joint cheif staffs is Marshal Philip Martston and his deputy is General Tammy Ajuwe.

Millitery history
The next 17 months saw a brief struggel of idipendence, starting at the The battle of King's Norton. The reluctant sepratists knew it was the only way left open to them. As well as this both the rebels and the UK goverment sought to crush the localized 9 month rebelion by the Smethwick steet-thug come 'warlord' "Hoodlem Johnny" (he was only ever identifyed by hi street name and his real name is still unknown). In all battles were fought by the Federal Republic against either the UK or "Hoodlem Johnny" and or with the Welsh SSR.

 The 26 battles that were fought by the Federal Republic with or against either the UK, The Welsh SSR or "Hoodlem Johnny" were- 

1995-

 * The battle of King's Norton
 * South Birmingham insurrection
 * 1) The battle of Northfield
 * 2) The battle of Longbridge
 * Dudley military campaign
 * 1) The battle of Halesowen
 * 2) The battle of Kingswinford
 * 3) The battle of Old Hill
 * The battle of Smethwick Galton Bridge
 * The battle of Smethwick
 * Inner Birmingham military campaign
 * 1) The battle of Winson Green 
 * 2) The battle of Selly Oak
 * 3) The battle of Ladywood
 * 4) The battle of Edgbaston

1996-

 * The battle of Wenlock Edge
 * Kinver military campaign
 * 1) The battle of Pensnett
 * 2) The battle of Wednesfield
 * 3) The battle of Kinver
 * 4) The battel of Gornal Wood
 * Southern rural military campaign
 * 1) The battle of South Worcestershire
 * 2) The battle of Alcester
 * 3) The battle of Tewkesbury
 * 4) The Battle of Tame Bridge Parkway railway station

1997

 * The battel of Hinkley
 * The battle of Wednesbury and Pleck
 * The battle of Dymock
 * Battle of Clun.
 * The South Welsh Campainge
 * 1) Battle of Monmouth
 * 2) Battle of Cwmbrân
 * 3) Battel of the Dulais Valley
 * The battle of Swan Village
 * The battle of Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station

(Italic text = The conflicts with "Hoodlum Johnny"). (Bold text = Joint Federal-Welsh operations.)

The Federal Republic's borders wthith UK were fully secured by January 1st, 1997, after the rebel victory at The battle of Dymock, and a long siege of the entire nation then issued. None the less June 6th, 1997 would witness the small border incursion known as The battle of Swan Village. The defeat of "Hoodlem Johnny" in the April of 1997 at the The battle of Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station lead to Winson Green reurning to UK rule and Smethwick joining the Federal Republic.

The growing tension with the socialist, communist radicals and trades union veterans who were trying to illegally take over in the Welsh valleys (as the Welsh Valleys SSR), lead to the honourable defeat and reluctant assimilation of the Welsh SSR in the March of 1997, after the Battle of Clun, in which Clun Bridge was accidently destroyed by the Welsh in the face of a determined federal assault. Realising that the UK forces around Chepstow were about to take advantage of this, Both nations would join forces against the British Government in the Battle of Monmouth and Battle of Cwmbrân. The act of Union was finalised in the August of 1997, by the singing Treaty of Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful). The Independent county of Breconshire joined the union volenerily on March 1st, 1997.

Also see

 * Mercia- UDI 1995
 * Alternate History of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire
 * Politics in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire
 * The Federal General Assembly (Mercia- UDI 1995)
 * The Gloucestershire Corridor.