The second company of the Dark Angels is as renowned and feared in the four corners of the galaxy as their brethren in the first company. The second company differs greatly from the Codex Astartes structure laid out by the Primarch of the Ultramarines. ORIGINS OF THE RAVENWING: Truth is the first casualty of war and in the 41st millennium the Imperium of Man has been at constant war for more than 10,000 years. Although the origins of the Ravenwing are buried in the misty past of the chapter's history some knowledge of their creation and accomplishments has survived. These lay buried deep within the vaults of the Librarius of the unforgiven chapters. When the Emperor arrived in Caliban and handed command of his first legion to the young Dark Angel Primarch, Jonson did not simply take over command. His strategic genius and tactical brilliance were always seeking out ways of enhancing the effectiveness of his forces. Years of experience battling the chaos hordes that infested Caliban had given him a deep insight in to battle strategy. As he sped across the galaxy at the emperor's side on the great crusade, he began to modify his legion according to tactical needs. Recognising the value of real-time first hand battlefield intelligence, the primarch of the first legion created the dedicated fast moving units that stood aside from the normal line strength of the legion. They fulfilled the role of battlefield reconnaissance and fast pursuit of the enemy as well as the fast assault when it was needed. This was similar to the role accomplished by light cavalry millennia ago in old terra. The Ravenwing units were deployed in small contingents amongst the various regiments of the legion. However, they could be brought together to form larger formations depending on the tactical requirements. They retained the charcoal black livery of the Dark Angel legion but wore a modified insignia, which consisted of a single of wing carrying a sword. These units were ceremoniously named Ravenwing, by the primarch himself, after a legendary terran bird described by the ancient poet Idgar Alunpo. Although the Emperor bested his erstwhile favoured son and Champion of Chaos Horus in single combat the after effects were devastating. As the Imperium reeled from the Horus Heresy the surviving loyalist Primarchs and their legions struggled to hold the Empire of Man and raise it from the ashes. Jonson remained on Terra along with his brother primarchs Leman Russ and Rogal Dorn until Segmentum Solar was secure. Word arrived from Guilliman on his laying down of the Codex Astartes just as Jonson began the journey back to Caliban. On the long journey back, the primarch laid down the code of conduct for the Dark Angels legion taking in to context the guideline of the Codex Astartes. Considering the success of the Deathwing and Ravenwing units, especially in the battle for terra, he created the modified chapter structure for the Dark Angels and their successor chapters. Thus was born the second company of the Dark Angels officially named the Ravenwing Company. Ignis et Tempestus would be their watch word. They retained the original colours of the legion in memory of the legendary bird of old terra and their own winged sword emblem. OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY STRUCTURE In adapting the new chapter formations for his legion, the Primarch of the Dark Angels closely maintained what Guilliman had proposed but retained the tactically useful features of its preceding legion. He recognized the need for conformity in the aftermath of the greatest disaster for mankind. After much deliberation, the primarch passed the edict that the second company would retain the general structure of the legion's Ravenwing units. Thus all the bikes, attack bikes and land speeders from the four battle companies were concentrated in the second company and its armorium. The second battle company itself transformed itself in the Ravenwing Company, being made up of the veteran Ravenwing riders of the legion. The number of battle companies was reduced to three. Although Jonson and his command had decided on certain variations from the codex guidelines of Guilliman, they retained the overall structure provided by him. The Codex Astartes nominally places the strength of each battle company to include 25 bikes, 5 attack bikes and 15 land speeders of various descriptions. Thus the Ravenwing Company was nominally assigned strength of 100 space marines along with headquarters and maintenance units. The Ravenwing would maintain their own vehicles and had their own sub-armoury separate from the main armorium of the chapter. To this were added the command composition of one Grandmaster who would be the Master of the Second Company. He would be granted the most treasured item in the Ravenwing armoury as a badge of his office, the venerable Command Land speeder dating from before the heresy. In addition the company appointed a second Master who would command smaller battle groups and act a second-in-command to the Grandmaster. A retinue of bike mounted command squad was available for the use of either the grandmaster or the master. The Typhoon variant was not found to be suitable for the function of Ravenwing and was re-assigned to the seventh company. The remaining equipment was then relegated to the Ravenwing armorium. The armorium thus nominally contains up to 100 Ravenwing bikes, 20 attack bikes and 20 basic land speeders and 20 land speeder tornadoes. Since every member of the Ravenwing is able to operate all three types of vehicles, it allows great flexibility in the manner in which men of the Ravenwing may be deployed. In addition, a number of experimental vehicles are also maintained in the armorium. These are constantly being tested under battlefield conditions and include the old MkII "Bullock" jet bikes, Land speeder tempest, Plasma cannon equipped attack bikes and many other innovative equipment. Unit Composition and Nomenclature within the Ravenwing Company: Individual unit composition differs greatly from other companies of the Dark Angel Chapter. As stated earlier, all members of the Ravenwing are capable of using any of their mounts efficiently. However each individual has special aptitudes for particular vehicles and thus are assigned to their respective areas. There are nominally six bike squadrons numbered from I through VI. These are the only units within the second company that retain squadron structures, training together usually at the full strength of five bikes. |
This entire section is one attempt to describe the long history of the Dark Angels in a linear form. Every known piece of history and event based on GW publications has been written in my own words and linked together in a reasonably plausible manner by additional fiction. This is in no way the official GW version nor is it in anyway an attempt to infringe on their IP. There are many versions of imperial history buried within the sands of time and this is but just one of them. Read on if you dare! |
SECOND COMPANY "RAVENWING" Dark Angels Chapter Chronicled By ( Shadow Guard ) |
CODEX ASTARTES ANGELUS MORTIS |
The attack bikes are assigned from the pool of attack bikes, based on tactical necessity. Land speeders also train together as squadrons of three or two vehicles at most times. Although their highly skilled pilots have the capacity to work alone or together in larger formations as needed, they tend to usually work in their training formation of squadrons. Attack bikes are not numbered or assigned as squadron but simply numbered as individual vehicles. They are attached to bike squadrons on the basis of tactical requirements and are also able to be formed in to squadrons of their own. |
