Customize the squads???

[dor]

I wonder if is there any possibility to increasa or decrease the number of men in the squads,in order to create a scenario with a really decimated army on one side.

[BFCElvis]

You can start with a bunch of half squads. You can also make them start as tired or weary. But I don't think you can make a 12 man squad start with 8. Or a half squad startwith 2.

[CMplayer]

To make a decimated army try making reduced platoons; for example delete one (or two) of a platoon's squads. This will create pretty much the same effect you are looking for, even if the squads themselves will be at full strength.

(actually it will be much worse than decimated, more like quadrimated or tertiamated)

[ 09-03-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

[PiggDogg]

In computer troop selection QBs, it would be interesting and quite realistic to have different troop quantity levels. This would reflect prior battle and other attrition. I would suspect that troops of any side would almost never be at full strength except possibly during the moments at the start of a major operation (the big push).

The troop quantity levels might be at the approximate levels following (I'm sure that someone with more time, desire, and ingenuity can come up with better and more realistic names & levels based on more historicity than my quickies here.):

1. decimated - 25%;

2. beaten to death - 50%;

3. wacked - 75%;

4. full - 100%; :eek:

5. overstuffed for the big push - 110%.

:mad:

This is just food for thought. :cool:

Cheers, Richard

[CMplayer]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Richard Cuccia, the PiggDogg:

1. decimated - 25%;

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes except 'decimated' means literally having lost one tenth of one's force. As in the 'decimal' system.

[Slapdragon]

Decimation was a Roman punishment for cowardice or intrigue by a legion. They would pull beans from a pot, and crucify one in ten men from a Legion, using the men of two loyal legions to guard the mess and the survivors to nail there buddies to the wood.

In more modern times he British decimated one regiment (what would become the Black Watch) in 1740 something. The Czar would use deimation on a whim -- bad hair day, not enough nookie -- etc..

[Michael Emrys]

ISTR that in the book Enemy at the Gates the author describes a scene where a division commander wants to impress on his troops the seriousness of the situation and that discipline will be strictly enforced. So he has them drawn up in ranks and walks down the line with his pistol drawn. At every tenth man he stopped and blew the bastard's brains out. This continued until his pistol was empty. :eek: The troops were then dismissed in a very sober mood, no doubt.

Now, I don't know if this is a true story or not, but it does give an indication of how desperate the situation was and how vicious the fighting.

Michael

[RCHRD]

I think I read somewhere that the Germans had a division cut and run in 43-44. They also shot every tenth man. I think nowadays the word itself has a more liberal meaning.

[PiggDogg]

Yes, I did know that one definition of decimate means "to select by lot and kill every tenth man." Oh, my goodness, I am crushed to have not stated every definition.

However, decimate also means "to destroy a large portion of ..." Websters Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. Gee, I feel better.

Further, years ago, I had read somewhere that during the German rout after Kursk, a German infantry division did up & run. The Germans subsequently decimated that division. I am not sure if literally every tenth man was kill or if just a smaller representative selection was made.

Cheers, Richard