Thoughts on [LW] WW1 Russians for CoC

[H.M.Stanley]

Edited: revised list below

[H.M.Stanley]

I have tried to keep to the US list as closely as possible as that has the option to make the Platoon Green and has a similar  number of troops.

However,  the Russians have only the one Maxim in the platoon so i have tried to balance this with the Riflemen in the MMG section (do the US really have four Chauchats plus Riflemen?) and Platoon Force Rating

Support Lists again as per the US list save that the Adjutant moves to List 2 and remove the 1 Pounder and tanks

[H.M.Stanley]

[H.M.Stanley]

[Wirelizard]

Two senior leaders and big sections mean this is going to be a fairly dangerous and resilient combat unit.

Maybe bump the platoon Sergeant down to a Junior Leader?

I think I have enough Whites painted to match this TO&E, I'll try it out next time we run Chain and see how it goes.

[H.M.Stanley]

Hi WL,

I take the point although it is correct for the Russions (like most Nations) to have a Platoon Sargeant.  When Green, they will suffer regardless.

That said, it is always fun to make one force different from another. So, with that in mind, it could be an Option to remove the Platoon Sargeant when taking the Russians as Green and dropping the Platoon Force Rating to -6.

I'll sort the WI articles for you next week  

Best

James

[H.M.Stanley]

RUSSIAN INFANTRY PLATOON
PLATOON FORCE RATING:
Regular: +2
Green: -3/-5

[*Option: remove the Platoon Sargeant when taking the Russians as Green and drop the Platoon Force Rating to -5,. This represens the Shock, Storm or Death Battalions, civilian volunteers who, in theory, had more access to additional MMGs etc]

Command Dice 5

National Characteristics:

a. Aggressive.
b. Urrahh! Doctrinal use of the bayonet. Pinned units may remove their pinned markers and charge & ignore their shock markers for movement but not combat.
c. Mobile Maxims  (may move 1D6 and fire at half effect i.e. 5 dice)

PLATOON HQ
Lieutenant, Senior Leader with pistol
*Sargeant, Senior Leader with rifle

SECTION ONE
Corporal, Junior Leader with rifle
Five bombers
Six Riflemen

SECTION TWO
Corporal, Junior Leader with rifle
Three rifle grenade launchers with two crew each
Three Riflemen

SECTION THREE
Corporal, Junior Leader with rifle
Seventeen Riflemen

SECTION FOUR
Corporal, Junior Leader with rifle
Maxim MMG with 5 crew
Six Riflemen


Support Lists as per the US list save that the Adjutant moves to List 2 and remove the 1 Pounder and tanks

[Stecal]

Shouldn't the Russians have some access to Madsen Light Machine Guns?

Probably as an add on support item since supply was very spotty and never officially in the TO&E.





The Madsen Light Machine Gun on the Eastern and Western Front 1914-17

The Russians

Russia was the first country to buy the Danish Madsen light machine gun in any appreciable number.  One thousand two hundred and fifty Madsen's were bought from Denmark  Chambered to take Russian ammunition they were used to equip the cavalry and first saw action during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904.  The experiment was a success but the high cost of purchasing the machine gun meant that the Russian army never formally adopted the Madsen. Early in the Great War when it became apparent that the army did not have enough machine guns the Madsen was pressed into use.  It was issued to the infantry, cavalry, air force and river detachments.  By then the guns were few in number and worn out.  The Russians also tried to acquire other machine guns from their allies and America.  


By 1915 the Russian Madsen's were gathered together and sent to the front. Some were sent beforehand to the Sestroretsk Arms Factory for repairs.  The weapons robustness and ease of use made it a popular weapon in the hands of the Russian soldier.  Russian made Madsen's may have been produced at the Kovrovsk Machine Gun Factory.

http://web.archive.org/web/20071214123015/http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/20th_century_warfare/id73.htm

[monk2002uk]

Photographs of Russian infantry re-enactors, with Madsen:

here

Robert

[Phil Robinson]

Love the look of the Madsen, pity no one bothers to depict in any range of figures.

[H.M.Stanley]

@Stecal.

Hi. Thanks for that.

Access to Madsen LMGs - Probably, particularly in the early part of the war by the sound of it.

I'm not putting myself forward as an expert on the Russians, I just knocked up the list from what I'd read although RCW/BoB is more my thing.

It's an unofficial list so feel free to copy and amend on another thread.

Personally, I'd have the LMG in an Early War list, remove the Bombers and Rifle Grenadiers  and have 4 x rifle sections. You'd need to alter the Platoon Force Rating and Support Lists.

Cheers, James

[monk2002uk]

There are some WW2 Norwegian (here) and ?Danish figures in 28mm but not any WW1 Russian or German figures that I know of. I have used standalone Madsen guns (can't remember the company that sells them) for converting German LMG gunners.

Robert

[cuprum]

In Russian army at the beginning of the war there were 680 machine guns "Madsen".
Since 1916, into the Russian army began to supply american machine guns "Lewis", and later - the French machine guns "Shosh".
But equipping machine guns the imperial army was insufficient. By the end of the war in the Russian Infantry Division was 72 machine gun, a German division - 324, in the UK - 648, in the French - 400 pcs.

[H.M.Stanley]

Thanks Cuprum.

Also, i have rebalanced the MMG section by taking out 4 x Riflemen.  This now puts out the same firepower as the US Chauchats which the whole list is based on

[carlos marighela]

I think the Madsen was mostly used by the cavalry.