An Astra Militarum Salamander Scout vehicle awaiting orders to proceed forwards.
The Salamander, also known as a Salamander Scout, is a small, armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the Astra Militarum and based on the Chimera chassis. It is designed primarily for reconnaissance duties and is lightly armed and armoured but moves very rapidly.
The Salamander is also used as a lightweight and fast moving command vehicle, as its open-topped design allows an Imperial commander to better coordinate his units.
Role
A Salamander Scout; the front of this vehicle is fitted with spikes for anti-infantry defence.
The Salamander is used in many tactical roles, including as a scouting vehicle, towing vehicle, and even as a command unit. Equipped with Salamanders and Sentinels (though motorcycles or even riding beasts like the horse are not unknown), an Astra Militarum reconnaissance squadron is often at the forefront of an Imperial offensive, fulfilling the vital role of scouting the enemy's routes of advance and locating their positions for an attack.
Salamander Scout
Operating in front of the main Astra Militarum force, these scout units need to be able to provide their own fire support. The Salamander Scout, equipped with an autocannon and Heavy Bolter, provide this heavy weapons support. Sentinel combat walkers are extremely mobile and able to operate in nearly any type of terrain, but they are lightweight and unlikely to survive a protracted engagement with the enemy.
This is where the more heavily armed Salamander shines. While it is certainly no match for a true main battle tank, it is extremely fast and therefore capable of getting out of harm's way quickly. An armoured vehicle capable of taking on other light vehicles is a highly useful asset, since first contact between enemy forces is often a clash between their light scout units.
For mutual protection, Salamander Scouts often operate in tandem, teaming up to provide extra fire support. One vehicle will provide cover for the other as it moves forward, with each taking turns leading the way. Salamanders are often the vehicles at the very front of an Imperial Guard advance and so are often ambushed or encounter an unexpectedly strong enemy position or unit. When an Imperial Guard regiment is on the defensive the Salamanders are often relegated to a rear area for security duties. Like Sentinels, it is not unusual to find Salamander Scout vehicles guarding supply dumps, headquarters units or patrolling supply routes.
During a major offensive, Imperial Guard reconnaissance units often do not have enough vehicles to fulfill all of the necessary missions. In this case, the shortfall is made up by Armoured Fist squadrons operating in Chimeras. A mechanised infantry squad will be detached from its parent platoon and company and temporarily attached to the reconnaissance company. Because of this, Armoured Fist patrols and Salamander Scouts often operate together.
The Salamander Scout is operated by a 4-man crew that is comprised of a gunner and driver inside the vehicle and a commander and vox-operator on the rear fighting platform. Due to its reconnaissance role, each Salamander Scout is fitted with unusually potent communications equipment to allow it to report back to the command units in its rear. Direct links to regimental command units, such as Leviathans and armoured company command tanks, are not unusual.
Salamander Command
A Salamander Command vehicle using its Dozer Blade to clear rubble from the street.
When used as a command vehicle the Salamander acts as the personal transport of the Astra Militarum commander during a battle, and is usually outfitted with enhanced communications equipment to facilitate the command role. The Salamander Command is not meant for front-line combat, and is usually used as just an armoured officer transport vehicle that allows a company or regimental commander to keep in touch with their units.
The Vanaheim Pattern of the Command Salamander is fitted with a multi-spectral surveyor as part of its overhead hatch. This advanced piece of equipment provides the vehicle with magnification, night vision, and tracking capabilities. The Salamander Command is armed with a Heavy Flamer in place of the autocannon usually mounted on a Salamander Scout.
Armament
A Command Salamander towing an Earthshaker Cannon to its new location.
The basic scout variant of the Salamander is armed with a top hull-mounted autocannon to be used as a heavy support weapon for Astra Militarum infantry squads and a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter for defensive purposes. The Command variant of the Salamander is used as a light, behind-the-lines transport for officers and commanders and thus is only armed with a top hull-mounted Heavy Flamer and hull-mounted Heavy Bolter for defensive purposes.
The Heavy Flamer can be replaced with another Heavy Bolter, giving the vehicle better medium-ranged firepower. Both variants can be outfitted with the following enhancements; Camouflage Netting, Extra Armour Plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved vox communications equipment, a mine sweeper, a Dozer Blade, rough terrain modifications, a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, track guards, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.
Variant Patterns
- Vanaheim Pattern - The standard pattern Salamander Scout and Command Salamader is equipped with a multi-spectral surveyor.
- Gryphonne IV Pattern - The Gryphonne IV Pattern Salamander Scout makes use of a Gryphonne IV pattern autocannon.
Notable Users of the Salamander
- 28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - Saw action during the Betalis IV Campaign.
- 98th Cadian Armoured Regiment - Used during the Luxor Uprising
- 90th Tekarn Armoured Regiment - Fought during tbhe Denkari-Prime Death World Campaign.
- 122nd Cadian Shock Troops Regiment - Siege of Vogen City during the Khai-Zhan Uprising.
- 101st Tallarn Armoured Regiment - Foubght in the First Assault on the Palace of Tears.
- 2nd Death Korps of Krieg Armoured Regiment - Fought in the Battle for Tartarus Hive during the Third War for Armageddon.
- 8th Palladius Armoured Regiment - Fought during the Atria Wilderness Campaign.
- 114th Cadian Shock Troops Regiment - Deployed during the Taros Campaign.
- 409th Tallarn Heavy Tank Regiment - Saw action during the Taros Campaign
- 12th Tallarn Armoured Regiment - Saw action with extensive use of Salamander Scouts during the Taros Campaign.
- 21st Death Korps of Krieg Panzer Division, "Death's Head" - Salander Scouts were deployed during the Quatara Prime Campaign.
- 8th Pardus Armoured Regiment
- 597th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - Ferik Jurgen, personal aide to the renowed Commissar Ciaphas Cain, was an expert driver, and always made sure the regiment's vehicle park always contained at least one Salamander Scout, since both he and Cain valued the scout vehicle's combination of speed and all-terrain capacity.
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications
| Vehicle Name: | Salamander | Main Armament: | Autocannon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge World of Origin: | Mars, Vanaheim, Gryphonne IV, Stygies VIII, Voss, Triplex Phall, Graia, Tolkan, Accatran, Lucius, Metalica and many others | Secondary Armament: | Heavy Bolter |
| Known Patterns: | I - XXIX | Traverse: | 22 degrees |
| Crew: | 1 Commander, 1 Driver, 1 Gunner, 1 Communications Operator | Elevation: | -3 to 24 degrees |
| Powerplant: | Vulcanor 16 Twin-Coupled Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 500 Rounds |
| Weight: | 33 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | 600 Rounds Rounds |
| Length: | 6.90 metres | Armour: | |
| Width: | 5.70 metres | ||
| Height: | 3.18 metres | Superstructure: | 150 millimetres |
| Ground Clearance: | 0.45 metres | Hull: | 130 millimetres |
| Max Speed On-Road: | 100 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: | N/A |
| Max Speed Off-Road: | 68 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: | 0427-941-0340-SA38 |
| Transport Capacity: | N/A | Firing Ports: | N/A |
| Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
| Vehicle Name: | Salamander | Main Armament: | Heavy Flamer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge World of Origin: | Mars, Vanaheim, Gryphonne IV, Stygies VIII, Voss, Triplex Phall, Graia, Tolkan, Accatran, Lucius, Metalica and many others | Secondary Armament: | Heavy Bolter |
| Known Patterns: | II - XXII | Traverse: | 22 degrees |
| Crew: | 1 Commander, 1 Driver, 1 Gunner, 1 Communications Operator | Elevation: | -3 to 24 degrees |
| Powerplant: | Vulcanor 16 Twin-Coupled Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 10 Shots |
| Weight: | 33 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | 600 Rounds Rounds |
| Length: | 6.90 metres | Armour: | |
| Width: | 5.70 metres | ||
| Height: | 3.18 metres | Superstructure: | 150 millimetres |
| Ground Clearance: | 0.45 metres | Hull: | 130 millimetres |
| Max Speed On-Road: | 100 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: | N/A |
| Max Speed Off-Road: | 68 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: | 0427-941-0350-SA42 |
| Transport Capacity: | N/A | Firing Ports: | N/A |
| Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
Sources
- Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 129-142
- Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 80-88, 249, 261, 267
- Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign
- Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 200
- Imperial Armour, pp. 24-27, 41-42
- Honour Guard (Novel) by Dan Abnett
See Also
Gallery
