On to the book:
Page 8
- Though it isn't stated now, later on we learn this wound was crated by a weapon fired from the Ork side of the engagement (I'd guess an ork stubber or autogun equivalentl.) For an idea of wound diameter compare to some of the examples here. Of parrticular comparison the twelve gauge shotgun with #4 buckshot, the .303 Winchester 150 grain, the 30-30 Winchester 170 grain, 5.56x45mm from an M16A2) and a 5.56x45mm from an M16A1, and a .223 Remington 50 grain However, note that unlike most of those, the exit wound remains quite large as well (and large for that depth too it would seem.)He had been hit at the base of the spine, the bullet leaving a fist-sized hole at the front of his stomach as it exited his body. Treating his wounds to the best of his medical knowledeg, he placed dressings over them. Though there were phials of morphia in his Guard-issue med-pack and he had learned the "Prayer of Relief from Torment" by heart, he had no need for them.
Its also worth noting that this would be the damage AFTER the body armor has slowed the bullet both going in AND out (whereas the examples I provided are for a basically unarmored target.)
The only other worthwhile bit of information one could possibly derive from this is a potential lasgun calc. According to the Wargear and "battle manuals" for 40K, the effects of a lasgun on a target are "similar to a bullet or small shell", which may qualify in these examples. (As well as others, such as the naval shotgun blast that blew a person's head off in Execution Hour.) We could, therefore, conclude that a lasgun blast would be able to put a fist-sized hole through a target in this manner (through armor, as well.) To heat up the body mass of a fist-sized volume (to a depth enough to affect major organs - 15-20 cm.. a mass of about 1.2-1.5 kg) to the boiling point of water (which should be enough to induce at least parrtial vaporization as well as cauterization, effects consistent with what is described in the Imperial Infantryman's uplifting primer) requires about 200-300 kilojoules minimum. Including total vaporization, the figure would go to around 2.5-4 megajoules per shot.
Page 12-13
- on these pages we see the protagonist attempting to repair an irrigation pump on his farm (or rather, replace the burnt-out component.). Despite the adherence to the whole "techno-religious" nonsense perpetuated by the A-M, the character itself seems to actually have some understanding of the operations of the mechanism (how to install it, what to check for, etc.) I only felt it worthwhile to note this because it suggests that on at least some planets, the Adeptus Mechanicus do not strictly regulate their "techno-religion" (although there are always examples of this, such as in "Death and Glory".)
Page 22
- the protagonist is told the story of his great-grandfather, and the sights he saw. Among them are Hive cities (places where "billions of people lived right on top of each other like insects in giant towers" and "great walking machines" that were so large the farm he lived on would fit in one of their footsteps.
Page 23
- This regiment (if not others) is said to have held a lottery to "retire" lucky members and allow them to remain on their current world, as a means of celebrating Emperor's day and the thirtieth year of their founding.
Page 34
- according to the hero, he had been trained on-planet for "two months".
Page 35
- the Regiments being drafted on this planet (Jumael IV) evidently are composed of two thousand troopers each.
Page 36
- the Squads in the Jumael regiments are divided into five-man fire teams just like the Valhallan regiments in the Ciaphas Cain novels.
Page 40
- The protagonist (whom I'll call Larn from this point on, since that's his last name) has spent 4 weeks on a troop ship, after another month on-planet prior to deployment after the previously mentioned two months of training (suggesting a total of about four months of training.) As we learn on the next page, all of that time IS spent training, even onboard the troop ship.
Page 42
- in addition to training, the light-cycle in the part of the ship inhabited by Larn's regiment(s) has been adjusted to match that of the day/night cycle of the planet they will be dispatched to. (Presumably, they could do this with other conditions as well, such as gravity) to facilitate acclimatisation to said planet (although it, in addition to warp sickness, screws greatly with the troopers themselves.
Page 43
- the Jumael regiments are evidently being dispatched to deal with rebellion and uprising in the PDF of another world, which implies city-fighting (and explains the "fire-teams" arrangement as well.)
Page 49
- Administratum employees work seven days a week, twelve hours a day. He has two fifteen minute break periods, half an hour for lunch (midday meal) and a single unpaid holiday on "Emperor's Day" He also happens to make a transposition error in the information he is typing that leads to a single company of Jumael troopers.being dropped off on the wrong planet. However, it does hint at fairly rapid coordination and dissemination of information between the planet and the troop ship (the timeframe isn't specified, but seems fairly short - hours by the book at least.) The captain asks for confirmation of the orders, and again receives them in fairly short order (again hours or less implied.) and the method of communication is astrropath.
Page 51
- some troop transports (at least this model) incorporate the same optical-magnification technologies inside the view ports that we saw in Execution Hour and Shadow Point.
Page 52
- the troopship Inevitable Victory was traveling to the aforementioned rebelling planet with thirty more troopships (And presumably, escorts.) indicative of the scale of this conflict.
Page 57
- Larn thinks that the troop lander he is boarding could hold "at least" a couple thousand men, as well as vehicles and artillery, suggesting the ability to at least carry whole regiments. Additionally, the Victory Has twenty such landers. Implying at least a troop capacity of 40,000, in addition to armor and equipment. If the other thirty transports are similar in carrying capacity (possible but unverified) they could be carrying as many as 1.2 million troops - a substantial number.
Page 58
- again Larn comments that the transport is meant to carry "two thousand men" at a minimum, implying that the statement above was not just pure guesstimate or hyperbole.
