Soviet infantry squad organisation

[DMS]

In CM squad organization affect gameplay, unlike other games. You can't split Soviet squads, because they get morale penalty and start to panic after getting fire. The reason is absence of squad leader assistant. Soviet squad had only 1 NCO, while in German were 2. That is true... Until 27.09.1941. Below is Stalin's order №374. He states, that on machinegunners posts (Also ATR riflemen, mortar and artillery gunners) must be designated "most skillful and initiative" soldiers. They must be promoted to junior sergeants or gefreiters. In TO&E must be created new position - squad leader assistant. They got more salary, 12,5 rubles additionally. So, in Soviet squad of 1944-1945 were 2 NCOs, like in other armies. 

Another question - squad headcount. In 1941 TO&E squad headcount was 11 men. In 1943 in 4/550 TO&E headcount was reduced to 9-10 (including platoon HQ or not). In 1944 high command decided to stop reinforcing rifle divisions too full strength (according 4/550 TO&E), leaving maximum strength 6-7 thousands men. HQs of rifle divisions started to make calculations to define subunits headcount (As far as I know, there was no centralized TO&E like before) Some of them are published, I post them below (in next comment): for 141 men company (full strength 4/550: 4 squads, 9 men), 111 men (4 squads, 7 men) and 90 men (3 squads, 7 men).

I think these schemes are most close to reality. 1-st variant (141 men) is in the game already, it is called "1943". I would suggest to replace game TO&E "1944" by one of these schemes: for 111 men company or 90 men company. With 4 (3) squads, 7 men and 1 lmg in each one. I think 111 men companies are best for the game, because you can delete 4th squad if you want. Note that these schemes are not "under strength". They are for full strength divisions of 44-45 (6000 or 7000 strength). No divisions were reinforced to 4/550 TO&E as far as I know. May be few, coming from rear, that didn't take part in battles of 1943-1944. 11 men - this is from 1941, not 1944. And if some very lucky division would get large reinforcement, they would rather add 4-th squad instead of making 3 11 men squads. 

So, Soviet squad had 2 NCOs and 7 men with 1 lmg. (And 2 or 6 SMGs) There were no official "teams", but according to regulations lmg could act separately, covering movement of the squad. So, I think that squad could be divided to 2 teams: lmg team leaded by machinegunner (SL assisnant), 3 men, and rest of the squad, 4 men. Actually, lmg team had 2 men, but it's hard to believe that 1 assistant could carry 6 DP disks, having weight 40kg. + his own rifle.

 

 

[DMS]

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[Freyberg]

30 minutes ago, DMS said:

You can't split Soviet squads, because they get morale penalty and start to panic after getting fire.

I've never noticed this. I split Soviet squads when I need to and it seems to work fine.

Having said that, with all the games I prefer to keep squads together if possible because I don't like having to micromanage...

[Bufo]

42 minutes ago, DMS said:

So, in Soviet squad of 1944-1945 were 2 NCOs, like in other armies. 

This needs to be corrected in game 

[DMS]

4 hours ago, Freyberg said:

I've never noticed this. I split Soviet squads when I need to and it seems to work fine.

Once I dispersed platoon (1943) in 300-400m wide area. I splitted squads, set teams 50m from each other. Then my opponent attacked and teams on my far flank started to surrender without taking any losses. ) Really, they are "fragile" when splitted.