Chain of Command: Talking Tactics

[Lardy Rich]

Huevens, the main rules give the breakdown of the platoons we are talking about in terms of structure and how the teams made up the squads, but they don't particularly discuss the tactics.  The US armored Rifle Platoon has two rifle squads, but it also has a MG squad of two 0.30 cal teams and a Mortar squad with one 60mm mortar.  So they would use the MGs and mortars to put down fire while the two rifle teams manoeuvred to outflank and attack.  Parachute infantry are different again.  On D-Day they only had two squads per platoon (they added a third before Market Garden) and a Mortar squad.  You need to handle these blokes very differently, with one squad stationary putting down fire while the other advances, then leapfrog.  The mortar just  keeps banging away whoever is moving.  They are a VERY punchy force and put out a lot of firepower, but they can be a bit brittle on D-Day due to the small platoon size.  That said, I've neve rlost a game with them.  It's like two big clunking fists smashing all resistance to one side. 

Too Bo Coo, Sounds like a cunning plan!  We're not exactly a small company, we just sell rules as opposed to figure ranges, something we like to think means we will never write any "cool" rules just to sell an expensive model!      You can tell your pals that at Crisis Chain of Command won Best Participation Game with our game AND most innovative game for James and Scrivs Keren game, so we do have a bit of a track record!  Lots of CoC players in Benelux too (well, BeNe, not so much Lux).

Garder, Glad you find them helpful.

More tomorrow maybe.

Rich 

[former user]

hmm, I do have a pretty good insight into french typical platoon organization, however I wonder if they adopted british and US doctrine respectively when they fought as part of their forces (and not only wore their uniforms)

[pocoloco]

Here might be an interesting page for some of you... battalion level organisation for few major participants of WW2. If you follow the links, you will find also more accurate breakdown to company and platoon level of things.

http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/

[Elk101]

This has made for really interesting reading. We haven't gamed WWII for over a year now and I've been looking at different rule sets. I picked up Bolt Action but it wasnt for me. Since CoC was previewed there have been elements that really appealed. These articles really cement that interest as tactical play is a big plus point for our group.

[huevans]

Huevens, the main rules give the breakdown of the platoons we are talking about in terms of structure and how the teams made up the squads, but they don't particularly discuss the tactics.  The US armored Rifle Platoon has two rifle squads, but it also has a MG squad of two 0.30 cal teams and a Mortar squad with one 60mm mortar.  So they would use the MGs and mortars to put down fire while the two rifle teams manoeuvred to outflank and attack.  Parachute infantry are different again.  On D-Day they only had two squads per platoon (they added a third before Market Garden) and a Mortar squad.  You need to handle these blokes very differently, with one squad stationary putting down fire while the other advances, then leapfrog.  The mortar just  keeps banging away whoever is moving.  They are a VERY punchy force and put out a lot of firepower, but they can be a bit brittle on D-Day due to the small platoon size.  That said, I've never lost a game with them.  It's like two big clunking fists smashing all resistance to one side.

Rich 

Thanks, Rich. Maybe at some point, there could be a page on the blog w crib notes of how to fight each kind of force. CoC-rookies like myself would find it useful.

Interestingly enough, I have just finished reading the Nijmegen chapter in Martin Bowman's Market Garden book. I noted w interest comments from US airborne officers that they felt they had no difficulty handling non tank supported German infantry  - not only in Holland, but throughout the war. I took that to mean that they had tactical procedures worked out to cope with German infantry tactics and outplay them and thought of your CoC pieces.

[General]

Fascinating discussion

[Lardy Rich]

Morning all.  Somehow I managed not to post Part Six here yesterday.  No idea how I did that. 

Anyway, here are part six on resource placement:

http://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/?p=3329

And part seven on "Fish & Chips", FIBUA or whatever we want to call it:

http://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/?p=3338

In the next week I'll be stitching these all together into one PDF manual which will be free to download.  As always, any feedback gratefully received.

Rich

[Ahistorian]

Best fish & chips I've had in ages!