German Motorcycles and their Units

[Shan]

I also wondered how to get closer to real-life use of MC scouts. As you pointed out, the motorcycles themselves were just a rapid means of transport and the units would fight dismounted as soon as contact is made - therefore, I use armed MC transports to carry around light infantry squads and scouts, that way both roles can be caried out.

Side note: the losses of motorcycles with and without sidecars were tremendous, usually higher than the number of cars or trucks lost, therefore reflecting the widespread use of MCs, not only in Kradschuetzen units - e.g., in Poland, until 10/10/39, they lost 5523 MCs, 1492 of them complete write-offs, whereas during the same timeframe they lost 4052 trucks and 1949 cars, 1595 and 991 being unrepairable, respectively. (source: Hahn, Fritz: Waffen und Geheimwaffen des deutschen Heeres 1939-1945); in France, 7231 MCs, 2996 cars and 5227 trucks were lost; note also that this includes mechanical breakdowns, vehicles lost in accidents, stuck in the mud, etc... (a vehicle at that time was built for a 10.000km life - which it hardly ever reached anyway)