A new faction has emerged in Port Sunlight! Starhemberg's Storm Company is painted and fielded by the most honourable of gentlemen, Cory of
Canister and Grape.
Here's some background and you can find a detailed unit breakdown on the
factions page.
Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg, one time vice chancellor of Austria and leader of the Vaterländische Front, was pushed from the Austrian government in 1936 for his anti-Nazi/anti-unification views. Forced to leave due to the impending unification with Germany, he was contacted by Emma Picton-Bryant of the British Fascisti, and was persuaded to come to the UK to form an anti-Bolshevik volunteer force from like minded Austrians. He gathered his closest supporters, collected what equipment he or his powerful friends still in Austria and Germany could find, and sailed to the UK.
The unit is rabidly anti-communist, anti-liberal and will happily fight any of these forces, on the other hand dislikes the BUF due to their pro Nazi stance. It is a close associate of the British Fascisti, more to do with their central European connections than any strong ideological links. Any LDV force with a significant Catholic membership could also probably count on their support if they were having problems with leftist forces. Starhemberg himself, particularly dislikes "Bully Boy" Boyce thinking he is a typical lower class rabble rousing bombast.
The unit musters a little under 70 men, it has 2 rifle platoons with attached LMGs, a HMG section, a AT rifle section and an assault squad of SMG and bomb armed troops. All troops have had some experience, even if for some it was guarding a important street intersection during the Austrian February Uprising of 1934. The assault squad, all the officers and NCOs on the other hand all have had a considerable amount of experience, ranging from service in WW1, various Heimwehr and/or Freikorps actions, to the February Uprising. They are familiar with both street combat and fighting irregular forces. The unit would count as trained regular troops except for the assault squad who would count as veterans. The unit's morale is uniformly high, but it likely to erode if the conflict continues for any length of time.
Starhemberg's Storm Company wears a mix of old Austrian and British uniforms, worn with peaked hats or Stalhelms. The Company uses the old Freikorp skull as a unit badge from Starhemberg's Freikorp Oberland days. It is armed with a mix of German and British equipment, the majority armed with Mauser rifles. The company is weakest in transport, with only a couple of cars and trucks, it's major coup so far though is that it has managed to capture a Rolls Royce armoured car.
The unit has been moved to a new base in Chester, after too many incidents with the BUF while being based in Manchester, and is currently being used in actions against the Liverpool Free State, and gasp! Port Sunlight.
Troubled times ahead for Port Sunlight it seems!
Toodles,
Millsy & Cory
