The Imperial Combined Fleet was the single largest combat formation of the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War, nominally in direct service of Emperor Palpatine. The Combined Fleet was established in 0 ABY in response to the Rebel Alliance's success at destroying the Death Star with its headquarters on Coruscant. Its role was to assist Darth Vader's Death Squadron in prosecuting the war against the Rebellion, as well as providing a rapid response to Imperial worlds being attacked by the Alliance. When not on campaign, the Combined Fleet remained in the Core Worlds to police space lanes and act as a reserve. The largest starfighter formation in the Navy, the 1st Naval Air Fleet, was attached to the Combined Fleet.
Following the Battle of Endor and fragmentation of the Empire, due to its size, the Combined Fleet's officers were courted by different Imperial warlord factions. But its respected commanding officer, Admiral Johan Vieru, and thus most of its personnel, remained loyal to the government on Coruscant. The Combined Fleet still ignored orders from Grand Vizier Sate Pestage to remain as a defensive force in the Core and carried out operations against the New Republic, attempting to slow down its advance towards the capital.
After the fall of Coruscant to the New Republic in 6 ABY and the death of Admiral Vieru, the formation remained mostly on the defensive in the Mid and Outer Rims at the behest of the Imperial Ruling Council.
History
Creation and early history
The Combined Fleet was one of the new independent fleet-level commands established by the Emperor's decree in 0 ABY, shortly after the Battle of Yavin, to better coordinate the Imperial Navy's efforts in fighting the Rebellion. The others included the Central Area Fleet, operating in all space south of the Perlemian Trade Route and north of the Corellian Run; the Southern Area Fleet, responsible for all space south of the Corellian Run and the Core; and the Northern Area Fleet, operating north of the Perlemian Trade Route. The commanders of these four fleets answered to the Commander-in-chief Fleet, and, when necessary, directly to the Emperor and Darth Vader. Since the Naval Supreme Command resented the Emperor's appointment of Grand Admirals that it saw as surpassing its authority, none of them were appointed to lead the important formation. Instead, command of the Combined Fleet and the others went to other admirals. The first officer to be appointed C.-in-C., Combined Fleet, was an elderly Clone Wars veteran with a reputation for being a skilled tactician and a staunch New Order loyalist, Admiral Johan Vieru.
Post-Endor
Organization
Composition
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Leadership
- Commander-in-Chief Combined Fleet
| Rank | Name | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Admiral | Johan Vieru | 0 ABY | 6 ABY |
| 2 | Admiral | Sebastian Roatta | 6 ABY | 11 ABY |
| 3 | Admiral | Denis Czernin | 11 ABY | 12 ABY |
- Chiefs of Staff