Quote:
Originally Posted by redcoat2
I was curious to see whether early war Commandos were organized differently and so I looked them up. Here is the standard Commando OOB that was used until the reorganization/re-equipping of August/September 1943.
There was no dedicated Heavy Weapons Troop originally – but 3in. mortars and Vickers MGs were used on an ad hoc mission-by-mission basis when they were considered appropriate. The permanent Heavy Weapons Troop was introduced as the Commandos began to be used more as assault troops rather than as hit-and-run raiders. |
This organisation seems to be a wee bit of a return to the old gunpowder musket days(1700s-1900 or so), used for line battalions to order volley fires.
Each company would be split into two platoons or 'firings'. and sometimes each platoon was then further split into two halves known as section 'firings'.
Volley fire from the muskets was a combination of each platoon firing together, or in section firings. (AKA rolling volleys). The volleys could start on the wing companies and work to the centre companies, or vice versa.
The idea was that some fraction of the battalion would always have muskets ready to fire, so the line could not be totally surprised by unexpected events (e.g. some cavalry turning up and getting a free charge home).
Some other points re the conversation in general:
1) in SP it is a
bad idea to have dedicated identifiable infantry elements (or silly command tanks) as HQs since those are immediately branded with a 'kill me first' badge to OPFOR non-AI players.
2) British APC seem to have a 12 person lift maximum. A CDO split into say 13 man lumps could not use half-tracks, light trucks or kangaroos, but would fit on tanks (13 man lift) and medium trucks. Terrapins do 25 men, so could not quite handle 2x13 man elements in an amphib assault.
You should probably work on 12 man lumps, and post any excess to the platoon and coy HQs to make normal sized sections and some attachments down to same (Bn level snipers, REME drivers, signallers etc)
And remember that in any case, most formations were
under strength as a rule even before enemy action (men off sick, on leave, on courses and so forth).
Being on full strength, and especially over-strength was rare as hen's teeth in reality - but it is the full paper strength temple that the TO&E fanatics tend to bow down and worship at
.
Andy