Infantry inside vehicles improves vehicles performance?

[Ivan Zaitzev]

I think I have read something about this in the past, and Sgt. Squarehead has mentioned it to me. But is this explained somewhere? I have looked this up in CM:A manual and there seems to be no reference to this.

And, how exactly does having infantry inside vehicles like IFVs improve the vehicles performance? How is this shown to the player? Are there specific vehicles that will see an improvement from having someone in the commanders position or is it just some specific vehicles?

I'm by no means an expert here but I have read in "The cutting edge: Soviet Mechanized Infantry in Combined-Arms Operations" that in the 80s, Soviet Squad leaders stayed inside the BMPs during dismounted operations. Maybe the soviets should have a structure like the Italians in CM:FI to allow this, although it's too late now.

 

[MOS:96B2P]

 @Ivan Zaitzev you may find the link below helpful.  Basically if the entire squad is outside of a BMP or BTR the commanders seat inside of the vehicle is not occupied.  There are different ideas on squad splits etc to get some troops back inside the vehicle in order to get the commanders seat and equipment into use.  

 

 

[Erwin]

Another question is whether the type of team left in the vehicle makes any difference in spotting.  ie:  Does the game spotting routine differentiate between a spare driver or two in a vehicle vs a command team with binoculars?

[Ivan Zaitzev]

So the command seat position only helps in spotting?

Erwin raises an interesting question. Is this explained in the CM:BS manual? It's strange to have undocumented features.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I always do this with BMP-1, BMP-2, BMD-1 & BMD-2 IFVs as they have a dedicated commander's position and decent weapons.  It was reading some Soviet wargaming stuff, learning about Bronegruppa combined with a bad result in one of the stock Soviet campaign missions that prompted me to try this.  

In the mission in question you have three BMPs laagered for the night (two are immobilised, but the platoon commander's BMP is fully operational), it's very, very difficult to win this mission satisfactorily (ie: with low casualties) unless you man all of the BMPs.  I always use the platoon HQ and two man scout sections (split from squads) for this in CM:A.

FWIW

Edited September 17, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Ivan Zaitzev]

This is an interesting reply in an old topic I started. The fix talks about benefits from having the commander inside the vehicle (in CM:BS) but is this benefit mentioned in the manual? I could not find any mention of it.

 After some more reading, looks like it is a well documented feature, just not included in the manuals. Only documented by the players.

Battlefront should rework Russian squads in CM:BS to have independent leaders that allow players to leave them inside the BMPs as they see fit.