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The Evolution & Composition of CM US Armored/Mech. Infantry


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The following screenshots show the evolution and composition of Combat Missions US Armor/Mech. Infantry.  It follows 1st Squad from July 1943 to July 2017.  I tried to get a screenshot whenever there was a change in the TOE.  (I may have missed some.)  In the screenshots I split 1st Squad down into its fire teams.  I always used the same split.  Assault team spilt off first (A-Team).  When a second split was allowed it was Anti-Tank (C-Team).  Leaving the base team (B-Team).  Some months the Platoon HQ was part of 1st Squad.  The squad’s vehicle is also shown in the screenshots.  The screenshots not only illustrate the evolution of a US squad of armored/mech. infantry but also helps to show just how detailed and cool this game is.      

 

CMFI July 1943 Armored Infantry

Nine men (Can only be split into two teams)

Weapons list: Nine M1 Garands

Special equipment: Binoculars 

CMFI%20A%20Team_zpskwlha0zb.jpg

 

CMFI%20B%20Team_zpsmkk6v8am.jpg

 

CMFI December 1943 Armored Infantry

Ten men (Up to three teams)

Weapons list: Nine M1 Garands, One Springfield

Special equipment: Binoculars, AT grenade

CMFI%20Dec%201943%20A%20Team_zpsumfyfebq

 

CMFI%20December%201943%20B%20Team_zpszi0

 

CMFI%20Dec%201943%20C%20Team_zpsbefcnyho

 

CMBN June 1944 Armored Infantry

Ten men (Up to three teams) with Platoon HQ in 1st Squad

Weapons list: Eight M1 Garands, Two M1 Carbines

Special equipment: Binoculars, AT grenade

CMBN%20June%201944%20A-Team_zpsymvbcaqv.

 

CMBN%20June%201944%20B-Team_zpshehyeuar.

 

CMBN%20June%201944%20C-Team_zpsfh4ycee6.

 

More to follow.

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CMBN September 1944 Armored Infantry

Ten men (Up to three teams) with Platoon HQ in 1st Squad

Weapons list: Eight M1 Garands, Two M1 Carbines

Special equipment: Binoculars, AT grenade

CMBN%20Sept%201944%20A-Team_zpshmrsutqv.

 

CMBN%20Sept%201944%20B%20Team_zpsd7yyuj8

 

CMBN%20Sept%201944%20C-Team_zpsso5dvjes.

 

CMSF July 2008 Mechanized Infantry

Nine men (Can only be split into two teams)

Weapons list: Seven M4s, Two M203s, Two M249s.

Special equipment: Binoculars, Nine night vision, One scope, Two AT4s

CMSF%20July%202008%20A-Team_zps9w5hcsve.

 

CMSF%20July%202008%20B-Team_zpsff4nzrkh.

 

CMBS July 2017 Mechanized Infantry

Nine men (Can only be split into two teams)

Weapons list: Six M4A1s, One M320, Two M249 PIP & One M25 CDTE. 

Special equipment: Binoculars, Nine night vision, Two breaching kits, Two AT4s 

CMBS%20A-Team_zps9zpitgbu.jpg

 

CMBS%20B%20Team_zpskkgx8kpo.jpg

 

 

Cool game.

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Nice work, MOS96B2P. Nicely labelled and composed. I could see a bunch of image series like this, showing the evolution of the scout car, jeep, or the medium tank...

The only other nation present in both WWII and modern CM would be Russia. Must be a similar evolution there to what you show above.

Edited by Bud_B
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Thanks Bud_B.  If we get NATO in Black Sea then the same thing can be done for British and Germans.  

 

If we ever got a CM Fulda Gap set in the mid or early 1980s ..................... A squad with M16s, LAWs, a Dragon AT and maybe a M113 APC in the background.  I know Bradleys began to enter service in the 1980s but maybe the rarity for Bradley and M1s would be high so you would have a lot of M113s and M60A3s running around.  Speak of a near peer fight..............      ;)

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MOS:96B2P,

 

What a remarkable little visual study you've provided!

 

According to FM 17-71, CREW DRILL FOR HALF-TRACK VEHICLES, page 13, you are a bit off for 1943 TO&E. The driver doesn't have a rifle but instead has a Thompson. 

 

b. Driver.—If vehicle is not moving, he checks sub machine-gun to see that it is ready for action. If vehicle is moving, he continues to drive, and No. 1 checks the submachine-gun. 

 

This is reinforced by page 8.

 

In combat, the squad dismounts over the least exposed side of the vehicle and as much caliber .45, mortar, and machine-gun ammunition is unloaded as the situation requires or permits.

 

Page 15 is definitive.

 

(7) Driver.—At command or signal, moves the vehicle to cover and rejoins the squad with his submachine gun, one box of caliber .30 ammunition, the spare parts roll, spare barrel, and the vehicular first-aid kit. If the driver must remain with the vehicle, as in a defensive position, this equipment, except the submachine gun, is taken by No. 6. 

 

Regards,

 

John Kettler

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Thanks Bud_B.  If we get NATO in Black Sea then the same thing can be done for British and Germans.  

 

If we ever got a CM Fulda Gap set in the mid or early 1980s .....................

 

Or better yet...a game set in The Nam.

 

Great little pictorial history, man. Very cool.

 

 

Mord.

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Nice overview, but I would use 2nd or 3rd squad for your point of comparison in the WWII formations. The first squad has a unique organization that is not handled the same way across titles.

 

That is a good point.  It is also how I came to make this evolution/composition topic.  Awhile back I thought 1st Squad was different with the platoon HQ attached compared to the last time I had used armored infantry in a battle.  A bunch of us discussed it in the below thread.

 

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119294-us-armored-infantry-platoon-hqs/ 

 

I did some research documenting it with screen shots until I figured it out.  (1st Squad was handled differently in different titles)  So then I got the idea to do the evolution thing and expanded the work to all the titles, polished up the screenshots and shared them.  But the original effort was focused on 1st Squad to determine why I remembered that the platoon HQ was separate from 1st Squad.  I was remembering CMFI TOE while looking at certain months of CMBN TOE.  

 

But if my original purpose had been to show the evolution of a Squad of infantry 2nd or 3rd squad would have been the better choice. :)  Now I know.  

Edited by MOS:96B2P
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Or better yet...a game set in The Nam.

 

Great little pictorial history, man. Very cool.

 

 

Mord.

 

Yes, This would also be cool.  Combat Mission Tet Offensive CMTO.  Everything from MOUT battles in Hue and Saigon, fire base battles, POW rescues, jungle warfare, swift boat operations in the delta............ moders would probably give us Dien Bien Phu............... Maybe tunnel rat stuff that would give the game engine the capability for sewers in MOUT warfare ....................  A crashed burning Huey helicopter or two ......... lots of cool possibilities.........      

Edited by MOS:96B2P
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MOS:96B2P,

 

What a remarkable little visual study you've provided!

 

According to FM 17-71, CREW DRILL FOR HALF-TRACK VEHICLES, page 13, you are a bit off for 1943 TO&E. The driver doesn't have a rifle but instead has a Thompson. 

 

b. Driver.—If vehicle is not moving, he checks sub machine-gun to see that it is ready for action. If vehicle is moving, he continues to drive, and No. 1 checks the submachine-gun. 

 

Thanks, John.  I think you are right about the driver and Thompson.  It is just portrayed a little different in the game.  Probably for game mechanics or some such.  The squad half-tracks in the game have their own two man crew.  This crew is not part of the actual squad in the game. However the driver does have a Thompson. :)   

 

  Squad%20M3%20Halftrack_zps30827ezx.jpg

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That is a good point. It is also how I came to make this evolution/composition topic. Awhile back I thought 1st Squad was different with the platoon HQ attached compared to the last time I had used armored infantry in a battle. A bunch of us discussed it in the below thread.

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119294-us-armored-infantry-platoon-hqs/

I did some research documenting it with screen shots until I figured it out. (1st Squad was handled differently in different titles) So then I got the idea to do the evolution thing and expanded the work to all the titles, polished up the screenshots and shared them. But the original effort was focused on 1st Squad to determine why I remembered that the platoon HQ was separate from 1st Squad. I was remembering CMFI TOE while looking at certain months of CMBN TOE.

But if my original purpose had been to show the evolution of a Squad of infantry 2nd or 3rd squad would have been the better choice. :) Now I know.

Yup, a feature was introduced in CMRT that allows for combined HQ / multi-team squads. This feature made it into CMBN, which led to a correction that combined Platoon HQ and 1st Squad in the US Armored Infantry. This feature has not made its way into CMFI, so:

-the CMFI December 43 org and CMBN June 44 org are the same TO&E, handled differently.

-the CMFI July 43 should also have the Platoon HQ and 1st Squad combined.

Edited by akd
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Yes, This would also be cool. Combat Mission Tet Offensive CMTO. Everything from MOUT battles in Hue and Saigon, fire base battles, POW rescues, jungle warfare, swift boat operations in the delta............ moders would probably give us Dien Bien Phu............... Maybe tunnel rat stuff that would give the game engine the capability for sewers in MOUT warfare .................... A crashed burning Huey helicopter or two ......... lots of cool possibilities.........

There are some very interesting Cm sixe battles for the Marines in the Ashau Valley 69-70. Khe Sanh also had some aggressive patrolling by US troops from within and without..

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