LukeFF Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I noticed that when a US engineer squad has not been split into smaller units, it is referred to as a "Pioneer" unit in the info panel. However, when the squad is split up, the newly-created teams are referred to as "Engineer" units? Is this a bug? So far as I can tell, "Pioneer" is more of a European term for engineers, while Americans prefer to use the term "Engineer." If it is indeed a bug it'd nice to get this fixed for the next update. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Nice catch, Luke. Let me see... do I really care...? Hmmm... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noob Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 It's a game breaker. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Statisoris Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 From my understanding there is a small difference. Pioneers were designed more to move ahead of the combat infantry with scouts & recon forces to analyze & sometimes prepare a route of advance. Combat Engineers would be more likley to work on the front lines with the combat infantry or right behind the lines doing all those things engineers do well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFF Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Nice catch, Luke. Let me see... do I really care...? Hmmm... It's a game breaker. Yeah, well, the point is to get the terminology right. Right now it's not consistent. There's no need to be a smartass in reply to what was just a simple observation. @Statisoris: thanks for the info! I also found this info on US engineers during WWII: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers In 1944, specially-trained army combat engineers were assigned to blow up underwater obstacles and clear defended ports during the invasion of Normandy. During World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers in the European Theater of Operations was responsible for building countless bridges and building or maintaining roads vital to the Allied advance across Europe into the heart of Germany. In the Pacific theater, the Pioneer troops were formed, a hand-selected unit of volunteer Army combat engineers trained in jungle warfare, knife fighting, and unarmed jujitsu (hand-to-hand combat) techniques. Working in camouflage, the Pioneers cleared jungle and prepared routes of advance and established bridgeheads for the infantry as well as demolishing enemy installations. So, it seems that "pioneers" were indeed used by the Army in the Pacific to clear routes of advance as you mentioned, but in Europe it was "engineers" only. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 You are right and it shouldn't be hard to to change the name text. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Statisoris Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I believe the Pioneer Platoon is correct ToE for US Army Infantry battalions during this period and so all the guys in these platoons should be called "pioneers" not engineers. Someone please correct me if Im wrong or corroborate my info if you have a source. The platoon might also be referred to as an "Assault Pioneer Platoon", but again I don't have a source at the moment. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 The only distinctions I have heard of for US Engineers is between Combat Engineers—who were either organic to divisions or were in independent battalions—and Construction Engineers—who operated heavy equipment and were not expected to be deployed in the front lines. There were also some Airfield Construction Engineers who had specialized equipment and training appropriate to their role. Those were the major sub-branches, but as noted, there were also some special units trained and deployed to clear waterline obstacles for D-Day and who also worked at port clearing and salvage. At the moment I am uncertain to what extent the USN was also involved in port clearing. I do know that they provided almost half the teams used for D-Day beach clearing. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.