Mixing & matching APCs

[Lt. Ketch]

I use APCs and IFVs as a way to get my infantry to where they need to be and to support said infantry when the going gets tough. Bradelyes are great for dropping off the infantry in a place where they can intercept the enemy's infantry and tanks then pull the IFVs back to provide overwatch on the flanks. Since infantry can't move very fast suprise is the deadliest thing to them. The Bradley's can watch out for fast moving threats and deal with them, or at least butten them up until the troops can be removed. Also, APC are great for mixing up with your troops to provide additional fire support and protection. It always seems that a rifle squad that has a APC in the hex with it takes less damage from small arms and mmgs than one without. Yes, you do get into suppression issues and have to watch out for RPGs, but if you mix three APCs in with infantry on an ambush, it takes the enemy a while to put themselves back in fighting order. For the record, IFVs are not worth risking in this tactic. I like the standarded MMGs armed APCs and AGL hummers for this.

I learned one other trick with APCS when it was used against me. The emnemy throughly supressed my troops with APC, MMG, small arms and tank fire (he could have dropped mortars on me as well, can't remember) and than had a couple of loaded APCs drive right up to my troops, unload and the forthcoming rifle squad proceeded to cut into my troops with a vengence. This tactic obviously requires heavy suppression, good intel and an element of risk, but it was very effective. It is an effective way to break a line after continued bombardment. It also enables you to "breakthrough" the line with your secondary elements.

To return to the original idea, I like to mix up my units by simly buying APCs seperate. My last battle had M1A113s and AGL armed hummers, the hummers carriering the support elements and scouts in the company. It worked well and wasn't too expensive.

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

You can Buy A simple troop carrier, and a vehicle with a gun/MG/missle/whatever, something like 1 support vehicle per platoon(like german WW2 pzgren)

[Imp]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

You can Buy A simple troop carrier, and a vehicle with a gun/MG/missle/whatever, something like 1 support vehicle per platoon(like german WW2 pzgren)

And that to me is the simle dare I say logical way, transport APCs & 2 to 4 tanks or dedicated ATGMs doing overwatch. If the transport can kill enemy transport thats great as it saves your covering vehicles having to deal with them.
As a note this games routines are very good just played on Russian Steepes as in not a lot of cover which highlighted them. My armour only engaged enemy armour totaly ignoring APCs which only seem to be engaged around the 500m mark, good threat deduction using standard routines op filter only realy needed for close up work to make them pick targets as everythings dangerous.

[Shan]

While that's not all too realistic at company level, but done in some armies, I tend to create mixed companies on a regular basis - I mostly play with force sizes of a battalion at maximum so it's pretty unbalanced to do otherwise. When I am playing a brigade-level battle, then, of course, I'd say this is quite unnecessary.

I usually have like 1-2 high-end platoons and maybe an engineer platoon on cheaper APCs in support. But I'd keep it somewhat realistic usually - like, not mixing tracked + wheeled vehicles, or worse, like attaching a para platoon on some BTRs to a BMP company... that sort of thing is not what I'd normally do ;-) - at least not in a PBEM where realistic force mix is usually part of the agreement.

I only do this mixing with the infantry though, I don't think it makes much sense with tanks.

If you're familiar with the Cold War Mod, there's even a mixed BMP-2 + -3 platoon formation included for the Russian OOB, which consists of 2 BMP-2s (advanced versions - much more heavily armored than early BMPs AND BMP-3s) and one BMP-3(great firepower but not so great potection, as we know it).
This actually makes sense tactically (though not logistically of course ), as the heavily-armed BMP-3s are intended to provide long-range firepower, and Infantry sections also vary, the BMP-3 section having the support weapons while the BMP-2 sections are lightly equipped for close combat.