Hell's Belles

The Hell's Belles, more formally known as the 109th Oz Drop Regiment, is an all-female Astra Militarum regiment that specialises in bridgehead building and deep strikes behind enemy lines. They currently comprise one third of the 10th Damocles Battle Group.

Regimental History
Oz is a frontier world on the fringes of the Brittanica cluster. While it has its share of snowy mountains and arable plains and a long and genuinely beautiful coastline the interior of the single super-continent, comprising most of the land surface, is distinctly unpleasant comprising high, arid plateaus, scorching deserts and, for contrast, fetid, swampy sinks. The inhabitants of these unfavored regions divide their time between mining, ungulant ranching, fishing and swamp logging all the while battling the vicious, sauroid native life. Ozzies are a big people, not as large as Catachans perhaps but close, powerfully muscled with high geared metabolisms requiring a large food intake and a notable indifference to cold as well as heat.

The 109th is one fifty or so Oz regiments raised for the Sixth Black Crusade (901.M36). They also served in the War of the Chaos Sun and the Altid Crusade. The Ninth Black Crusade, the Conflict of Helica and the Gothic War before being sent to the Eastern Fringe to fight the Tau in the Damocles Gulf Crusade aboard the Glaswegian Imperial Navy transport Triumpans

Regimental Culture
"If they'd just wear foundation garments we'd have a lot fewer accidents around here"

- Colonel Charles Edward Oman

The troopers of the 109th come from a rough-and-ready frontier culture, individualist and self reliant where children quickly learn to shoot straight and all the vital spots into which to slip a blade thanks to aggressive and dangerous native lifeforms. Ozzies do not go in for spit and polish and strict military discipline but they are among the finest infiltration and reconnaissance troops in the Imperium. The Belles are big women who favor minimal covering that allows their skin to breath.They rarely encumber themselves with full fatigues. Informal as their state of dress may be on duty they are all business. Off duty of course is a whole other story. The Belles are probably no more hellraisers than any other regiment but being one of the rare all female units makes their activities more noticeable. Their leaves also tend to result in collateral damage to troopers from other regiments who sometimes mistake the Belles for joygirls and don't take no for an answer. Fortunately this problem does not arise with their comrades of the 10th.

The Belles - and Oz Regiments in general - have an everybody fights ethic which means even regimental and company level officers command a platoon in battle and can be found alongside their troops rather than in a chimera or command post - which has both advantages and drawbacks. Colonel Stoengerd expects a high standard of initiative from her junior officers and the rankers.

Regimental Command Element

 * C.O. Col. M. Stoengerd
 * Sgt. Maj. T. Jovis
 * Command Squad - 8
 * Comsr. P. Herzhalder
 * Aide

First Company

 * C.O. - Col. M. Stoengerd
 * Platoon LTs - 4
 * Squad Sgts - 25
 * Comm & Aus. Spec. - 50
 * Demolition Spec. - 25
 * Drop Troopers - 200

Second Company

 * C.O. - Cap. S. Blesset
 * Drop Troopers, Specialists ect. - 250

Third Company

 * Drop Troopers, Specialists ect. - 250

Fourth Company

 * Drop Troopers, Specialists, ect. - 250

Fifth Company

 * Drop Troopers, Specialists, ect. - 250

Vehicles

 * Valkyrie gunship
 * Valkyrie sky-talons
 * Valkyrie Vendettas
 * Drop Sentinels
 * Tauros, Tauros Venator

Trooper

 * autoguns rather than the standard issue lasgun
 * sidearms: autopistols, generally two and often a third holstered at the small of the back.
 * Assorted combat knives of varying size.

Colonel Mattie Stoengerd
"Try not to get distracted by the legs - and especially not by the bosoms"

- Commissar Nepos Macillan

Six odd feet of shapely, dual wielding destruction Colonel Mattie likes to lead from the front, which gives her something in common with Oman. it does not unfortunately contribute to unit cohesion and coordination. Major Obermann and/or Sergeant Major Jovis all to often find themselves in operational command as the colonel is out of touch and Emperor knows where. Basically watch the horizon for explosions.

Major Casie Obermann
Colonel Mattie's loyal 2iC who has much more patience with Munitorium red tape than her superior - luckily for the Administratum drones who have to deal with the Belles. She also has a high tolerance for uncertainty and general confusion and a knack for keeping her head when all around her are losing theirs - occasionally literally.

Captain Sam Blessett
"Blonds do have more fun - if by 'fun' you mean blowing things up and killing people."

- Captain Blessett

The commander of Second Company gives a new and literal meaning to the phrase 'blond bombshell'

Lieutenant Hana Macullock
El-T of First Company's scout platoon. Watch out for the knife.

Sergeant Major Tessa Jovis
"There are very few problems that can't be solved with a good flame-thrower"

- Sergeant Jovis

Colonel Stoengerd's platoon sergeant and senior non-com of the regiment. She's a cigar chomping veteran best known for her skill as a poker player and her almost romantic attachment to her heavy flamer. The combination of a cool head and heavy firepower make her a valuable asset on the battlefield.

Specialist Mariel Bourdag
This sweet young thing is Second Company's explosives and demolition expert - in other words she makes things go boom for Captain Blessett. Mariel is regularly included in infiltrations and search and destroy missions as well as being the go to girl for general sabotage.

Drop Trooper Micki Bonsell
One of the Belles' best snipers.

Commissar Parsival Herzhalder
A product of the Schola Progenium on Alamagnus Herzhalder has been Commissar of the Belles for just over ten years. His original square jawed, blond good looks have been marred by heavy scaring on the left side of his face giving him a hard-bitten and dangerous look which many women find very sexy - emphatically including the Belles. Happily this increases rather than hobbling his effectiveness. He wields a power saber and a  hellpistol and uses a targeting monocle in battle.

By the Hell's Belles
"Most polite Chaos Marine I ever met."

- A surprised Specialist Bourdag to Squadron Leader Joel Seben of the Crushers

About
"Oh, and Colonel, tell your ladies to leave some for the rest of us okay?"

- Oman to Stoengerd

"If you would be so kind, my lady, please surrender so I do not have to needlessly spill your precious blood."

- Umbal the Duelist, Raptor of the Storm Draugar cornering a Belle during the Siege of Tarkus

"They were probably waiting for me to say something really misogynistic so they could harness that kind of justified outrage that people love to feel. Part of the fine art of rustling jimmies, including lady-jimmies, is to know when NOT to play to the crowd's expectations."

- Douchard Bagge

"Please forgive the men, Colonel Stoengerd. They're testosterone-hopped killing machines who are always in the field. They don't get out often, and the opportunity to be around beautiful women who love guns, explosions and danger tends to get them a little riled up."

- Col Randal Yusef to Col Mattie Stoengerd, when the 57th Cortorac Shock Infantry was rotated into a joint operation with the Hell's Belles