Russian radios in squads

[Kumando]

I bought this game recently and i see that the Russian squads dont have radios,is this accurate? How did they communicate if so?

[A Canadian Cat]

Yes. They communicated via runners, signals and sometimes just following the plan they were told to follow (no need to communicate if you just do what you were told).

[Kumando]

Ok thanks for the quick reply.

[JoMac]

A slight high-jack, but I also noticed that Standard Russian Infantry Squads/HQ's don't have Smoke Grenades, except for the Engineers...Was this part of their TO&E Structure, or simply an oversight ?

[DerKommissar]

A general rule of thumb for Red Army is that everything is moved up 1 level in hierarchy. For the Allies or Germans you mostly get radios at platoon -- for Red Army, you get them at company. If you have a job that you would intend for a platoon, in other armies, it's a job for a company. Job for a company -- that's a job for a battalion. Same applies for armoured units.

This works like a charm during breakthroughs. Concentrating your forces has never been easier.

This being said, I also tried Red Guards for a quick battle. I remember that they were more suited to traditional Allied or German tactics, more than the Red Army. This was a few years back, but I do recall some may have had smokes and radios at platoon level.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

All the games are somewhat generous to the Germans TBH.....Platoon radios were made, but they were not very common at all.

[DMS]

On 31.05.2018 at 7:29 PM, DerKommissar said:

A general rule of thumb for Red Army is that everything is moved up 1 level in hierarchy. For the Allies or Germans you mostly get radios at platoon -- for Red Army, you get them at company. If you have a job that you would intend for a platoon, in other armies, it's a job for a company. Job for a company -- that's a job for a battalion. Same applies for armoured units.

Not exactly. Companies don't have radios, MG ammo is limited unlike German squad. (SMG ammo also) That's why companies are 1-task only. 1-st company (or 1-st 2 companies) atack 1-st trench line, next company attacks 2-nd trenchline, next battallion goes deep, e.t.c.

In real life Soviet units were always understrength, 15-men platoons, 50-men companies. So "up 1 level" rule was correct for small units. In the game player commands full strength units, so this rule doesn't work. 1943 platoon with 6 mgs is powerfull, nearly equals to panzergrenadier platoon.

[Kozlice]

"1 up" rule is literally from Red Thunder manual, not that you can't play it the way you want, just sayinnn

Radios do only come at battalion level though

Edited June 4, 2018 by Kozlice

[DMS]

30 minutes ago, Kozlice said:

"1 up" rule is literally from Red Thunder manual, not that you can't play it the way you want, just sayinnn

That has reason, as attack formations of rifle divisions really were very narrow. 2-2,5 km for division, 500-600m for 1-st echelone battalion, 250-300 for company. But... That companies were smaller IRL. (At average. Sometimes not) In the game with 100% strength units you can use wider formations, I think. Or you will suffer huge casualties from mortarts and hmgs because of over concentration.

[DerKommissar]

Aye, I must have gotten confused with all this "1 up"ing.

I think I had Red Guards with radios at Company level. This was a while back, may have been patched out.

I know CM doesn't do wire. From WW2 photos, it seems the soviets heavily relied on field telephones.

[Baneman]

1 hour ago, DerKommissar said:

I know CM doesn't do wire. From WW2 photos, it seems the soviets heavily relied on field telephones.

There are abstracted field telephones - this is how some HQ's without radios can call in artillery. But that's as far as it goes. ( IIRC )

[DerKommissar]

Good to know. What are the criteria for HQs getting the wire? Do they have to be in a specific place, or do they just come with it?

I recently re-installed Red Thunder, and am doing the training campaign. I have not seen any radios on company level, yet -- or smoke grenades. So, I was mistaken regarding that.

I was surprised to find that all vehicles, that I used throughout the campaign, have radios. Even two flimsy BA-64 scout cars, with 2 crew each, had radios. I guess I will need to take advantage of that if I play as the Soviets.

[A Canadian Cat]

15 minutes ago, DerKommissar said:

Good to know. What are the criteria for HQs getting the wire? Do they have to be in a specific place, or do they just come with it?

It is just abstracted. So, they get access no matter where or what is happening. In other words there is no modelling of laying the wire or it being severed etc.

[Erwin]

19 hours ago, Baneman said:

There are abstracted field telephones - this is how some HQ's without radios can call in artillery. But that's as far as it goes. ( IIRC )

And IIRC that abstraction is only for offmap artillery.  Don't think a unit can call for onmap arty if it is far away from the gun/mortar and has no radio.