Historical use of support units

[Juha Keratar]

When playing CM quick battles I've tried to use support units (anti-tank guns, infantry guns, etc.) in somewhat "historical" manner. For example, when defending with infantry I've taken only light ATG, supposedly reinforcements from battalion level, and few if any light AA assets.

What bothers me, is the "correct" use of heavier support units. Were heavier ATGs part of normal axis/allies infantry divisions, and were they spread into company commander's use, or used "separately"? What about infantry guns, when buying infantry battalions in CM, only few forces seem to have them integrated into battalions.

-Lunael

[Mr. Johnson--]

Use the heavier Guns in batterys of 4 or sections of 2. Use smaller guns in batterys of 4 to 6. The more heavy weapons you have plastering the enemy's front line the easier it is to manuver around the battlefield. If you don't have masses of Tanks for Direct HE, and you don't have masses of arty and smoke, the only option you have is bring forward all the heavy weapons you can find to provide support. Otherwise, you just are not going to break through.

[L.Tankersley]

I think it is not too unrealistic to assume that your infantry company commander has been temporarily assigned some assets from higher echelon (battalion, regiment, even division) to accomplish a specific mission. Were they part of a standard company or battalion TO&E? No, but that doesn't mean a company commander would never have had some at his disposal for a battle. And in a defensive battle, who knows what sort of ad hoc elements might be thrown together to assemble a defense.

[JasonC]

Guns were generally assigned to higher level commands for organizational purposes, but integrated into the front line wherever they were needed, or doled out among the units under the parent formation. There is some variation, though.

German divisions had an anti-tank battalion at the division level, of three companies. The composition varied - sometimes all three were towed PAK, 12 each, sometimes Marders or Stugs were available for 1-2 of the companies, and often the 3rd company had light FLAK instead of PAK. These weapons would be assigned to defense sectors. Infantry regiments also usually (but not always) have a PAK company, with a few PAK (50mm or 75mm, generally 3 of them) plus schreck teams. The last were almost always doled out among the line troops.

The regimental level also had the infantry guns when they were available. They could fire indirect as a battery from nearby (75mm FO), or be posted at the front line in sections (2 guns). Mobile troops (Panzergrenadiers) tended to be nearer TOE in PAK, and some of them used heavy 120mm mortars in place of infantry guns. They also generally had more light (20mm) and heavy (88mm) FLAK than the line infantry.

The way the Germans used these higher level light guns was spread out in company or battalion level infantry strongpoints, along the main line of resistence. They were meant to provide ranged direct fire to link one strongpoint to the next. The presence of the infantry in the strongpoint also protected the guns themselves from infantry. Sometimes the guns were in small nests a way back from the main infantry strongpoints - less than a kilometer back - when open terrain or hills allowed long fields of fire.

You would expect to see 2-4 of a given type of gun, but several types could be present in a large strongpoint - along with 81mm mortars and HMGs, the infantry "heavy weapons". So 3 75mm PAK and 2 20mm AA, or 2 75mm infantry guns and 2 50mm PAK, would be perfectly believeable. With 2 81mm mortars and 4 HMGs as well. 15 20mm AA, no. Things like puppchens and recoilless rifles were also rare.

The US had 57mm ATGs assigned at the battalion level (3 each), more at the regimental level (another 9, 18 all told per regiment), and then a divisional anti-tank battalion with 36 76mm pieces. But the divisional TDs were often M10, M18, or M36 tank destroyers rather than towed guns. They would have one or the other. The towed AT guns were around half of the mix in June 44, falling gradually to more like 1/5 by 1945.

US regiments also had 6 105mm pack howitzers, but they usually operated as an additional indirect battery. Sometimes a pair of them might set up forward for direct fire, but that was relatively rare. The battalion level also had 81mm mortars of course.

As for AA, each US division generally had 1 AA battalion attached, and its batteries were usually split up and assigned to the subunits. All told such a battalion had 32 40mm AA plus the same number of quad 50 cal MG mounts. Some generally protected the div arty, HQ, and supply points, but in a static defense 2-4 of either might be available for a forward battalion, especially at an important point, like a bridge or summit. 90mm AA were almost exclusively assigned to rear areas, and only saw ground action when the front moved a lot - like in the Bulge fighting.

The most common crew serves weapons you'd see in a US infantry defense would be 57mm ATGs and 81mm mortars, plus heavy machineguns (AA and battalion MG platoons, etc). 76mm AT or TDs in reserve - one of the other - would also be common, and a few 40mm AA not uncommon. The 57mm ATGs and 81mm mortars were spread all along the front, the other types were more concentrated on a "where needed" basis.

The Brits had 57mm ATGs and 3" mortars at the battalion level, and 76mm ATGs higher, again spread over the front. The battalion level weapons were moved by tracked carriers while the 76mms were moved by truck. Armored TDs were comparatively rare in the Brit formations. Seperate MG battalions provided MGs and heavy mortars too, often doled out to the "up" infantry battalions, though in CM the heavy mortars are an FO not on-map gun teams.

I hope this helps.

[Juha Keratar]

JasonC:

It sure does. Thanks!

As and avid roleplayer, I'm always looking for some kind of "suspension of disbelief" -effect, even when playing CM. Using historically accurate force compositions, for example, goes long way in achieving that.

-Lunael