Black Lancers

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The Black Lancers (Japanese: 黒色槍騎兵艦隊) were the Imperial Navy fleet under the command of High Admiral Fritz Josef Bittenfeld, who led it from the Königs Tiger. Rising to prominence during the late Goldenbaum Dynasty, the Black Lancers became infamous for their unmatched aggression and offensive tactics, becoming one of the most well-known fleets under Reinhard von Lohengramm and possessing a strong esprit de corps. The fleet was also unique in using the fast battleship in place of the standard battleship, which gave the Black Lancers strong offensive power and mobility. The ships of this fleet were painted entirely black except for the Imperial crest and sensor domes on their hulls.

Contents 1 History 2 Appendices 2.1 Appearances 2.2 Name variations

History

The first known engagement of the Black Lancers was during the attempted Free Planets Alliance invasion of the Empire in 796 UC (487 IC / 3596 CE). Bittenfeld and his forces fought against Vice Admiral Ulanhu and the 10th Fleet at the Battle of Lügen, where they dealt heavy losses to the 10th Fleet and killed Ulanhu. Shortly after that, the Black Lancers saw action at the Battle of Amritsar, though there a poor decision by Bittenfeld resulted in the fleet taking considerable losses from Vice Admiral Yang Wen-li's 13th Fleet. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone')

In 797 UC (488 IC / 3597 CE), the Black Lancers fought against the forces of the Lippstadt League during the Imperial Civil War, outside of Geiersburg Fortress. (LOGH: 'Courage and Loyalty')

From late 798 UC (489 IC / 3598 CE) until mid 799 UC (1 NIC / 490 IC / 3599 CE), Bittenfeld's Black Lancers formed part of the Imperial expeditionary force that invaded the Alliance through the Fezzan Corridor. They later took part in the Battle of Rantemario against the Free Planets Star Fleet, playing the decisive role and nearly destroying the Alliance forces completely in a charge. (LOGH: 'Operation: Ragnarök', 'The Two-Headed Snake: The Battle of Rantemario')

The Black Lancers later fought against the Alliance during the Second Alliance–Imperial War in 800 UC (2 NIC / 491 IC / 3600 CE), where they saw action at the Battle of Marr-Adetta. However, following the annexation of the Alliance, Bittenfeld and his fleet spearheaded the Imperial attack on Fleet Admiral Yang's force at Iserlohn Fortress. They were lured into the corridor despite Reinhard's warning to not enter the battle before his arrival, and took significant losses during the Battle of the Corridor. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Marr-Adetta Starzone (Part One)', 'Eve of the Festival', 'The Battle of the Corridor: The Invincible and the Undefeated')

Later that year, the Black Lancers took part in putting down the Reuenthal Rebellion, when the governor-general of the Neue Land, Fleet Admiral Oskar von Reuenthal, rebelled. By that point, the former Fahrenheit Fleet had been merged with the Black Lancers, following Admiral Adalbert von Fahrenheit's death at the Iserlohn Corridor. It consisted of mainly standard battleships that also received a coating of black paint. Since some of Fahrenheit's officers blamed Bittenfeld for being lured into the Corridor and getting their commander killed, coordination between the fleets was not perfect, which caused it to not be as effective as it could have been during the Second Battle of Rantemario. (LOGH: 'Live by the Sword...')

In 801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE), after Bittenfeld was placed under house arrest for punching Fleet Admiral Paul von Oberstein, fighting broke out on Heinessen between Black Lancers crewmen and internal troops under the direct command of the Minister of Military Affairs Oberstein. He was ultimately released and led the Black Lancers during the Battle of Shiva later that year. (LOGH: 'Towards Peace, Through Bloodshed', 'The Beautiful Maiden Wants Blood')

Appendices

Appearances

Name variations

• Black Lancers (Literal translation of Japanese, shortened)
• Black Lancer Fleet (Literal translation of Japanese)
• Schwarz Lanzenreiter (LD/DVD subtitles — German)
• 黒色槍騎兵艦隊 (LD/DVD subtitles — Japanese)
• シュワルツ・ランツェンレイター (Japanese fan sources)

v•d•e Star fleets
Free Planets Alliance	1st Fleet • 2nd Fleet • 3rd Fleet • 4th Fleet • 5th Fleet • 6th Fleet • 7th Fleet • 8th Fleet • 9th Fleet • 10th Fleet • 11th Fleet • 12th Fleet • 13th Fleet • 14th Fleet • 15th Fleet • Yang Fleet
Galactic Empire	Black Lancers • Braunschweig Fleet • Eisenach Fleet • Fahrenheit Fleet • Kempff Fleet • Lohengramm Fleet • Merkatz Fleet • Mittermeyer Fleet • Müller Fleet • Reuenthal Fleet • Wahlen Fleet