Rules for Motorcycle troops

[JasonC]

I've often wanted to simulate the motorcycle troops both sides (in Russia especially) used for recon, especially earlier in the war. I've come up with my own system for it and here I offer it to anyone interested, for campaigns with motorcycle troops present and for designed scenarios.

The basic idea is to use jeeps or kubelwagens in place of small groups of 3-4 cycles. But then there are some additional tips to get the rest right.

Scenario briefings should explain that "cars" are actually "bikes". If you want both in the same scenario, use the unit name field to specify the true "cars" as such - the default are motorcycles (which should be more numerous) in any scenario in which they appear.

A motorcyle vehicle cannot move unless it is carrying a passenger. If the tac AI gives orders, void them. (They might move a little within a minute, can't be helped). Thus, in action there will be units dropped off and fighting in some cover, and their parked bikes somewhere behind them.

Of teams, only ATRs and LMGs can ride cycles. All heavier weapons and guns cannot. They can't tow things, carry mortars or HMGs, etc. This includes radio FOs - WW II radios were quite bulky, not simple affairs.

Snipers and other one-man units are another special case. They should not use them (they couldn't move enough bikes to pick up another unit, that is the reasoning). Put those on other vehicles or tanks etc.

Cycles cannot enter wire. Realistically they should not enter trenches or craters either.

Motorcycle units typically had trucks as well to carry extra men, heavy weapons, etc. Include them, do not put everyone on bikes. The number of jeeps or kubels added should be one per infantry half squad plus one for a platoon HQ, for each MC platoon. A typical MC company has around 20 of the things.

In scenarios where point costs matter, just don't count these vehicles against point costs. You can charge an extra 5 points per squad MC equipped. Pad the points allowed to the side expected to have them with a higher point total or handicap points.

It works quite well. They are very speedy in the backfield, as long as they aren't shot at. They get off to fight like any infantry. They are much more mobile off road than trucked infantry (off road performance of actual trucks in CM is extremely poor). But not armored like SPW infantry (though you can mix them e.g. one platoon of armored Aufklarung and two of MC infantry).

I've posted this in the campaigns section too, for larger operational fights that feature them.

[MPK]

"I've often wanted to simulate the motorcycle troops both sides (in Russia especially) used for recon, especially earlier in the war. I've come up with my own system for it and here I offer it to anyone interested, for campaigns with motorcycle troops present and for designed scenarios."

Some really nice ideas there, JasonC;

I myself have been trying a similar thing

in regard to better simulating horsed cavalry...

particularly as raiders on a big map...

jeeps can be used to represent horses...

subject of course to special rules.

The various support weapons of say, a

Soviet 1943 cavalry rgt (ATR's, 45mm ATG's,

76mm inf gun, 82mm mortar, Maxims, 37mm AA)

etc etc) can mostly be towed or carried by

jeeps, thus simulating horse teams or wagons...

Trucks can represent bigger horse teams,

like those needed to tow the 76mm USV gun.

Like Dragoons, WW2 cavalry generally dis-

mounted to fight, and the vulnerability

of jeeps makes it fairly imperative to do so...

Special rules include the herding together

of your jeeps in small groups (say,

hidden in a balka)during the battle under

the watchful eye of a cav half-squad (the horse-holder)... jeeps may not move unless

they have a passenger...

[Renaud]

JasonC,

That works very well.

To simulate a platoon from Motorcycle Company 1 of the 24th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion (22nd Panzer) 28 june 1942:

1 Aufklarungs Platoon (MC)

1 AT Rifle

8 KubelWagens

-Delete the 50mm mortar and at the OOB AT rifle.

-Split the squads into teams, giving you 6 4-man teams.

-Each kubelwagen simulates a pair of the platoons 12 motorcycle+sidecar combinations, carrying 4 men.

-The remaining 2 kubels represent the 2 which were actually be part fo the HQ Section (they had 1 MC sans sidecar, and 2 kubels), and carry the AT rifle team and HQ section.

It works very well, similar mobility to those sidecar rigs and vulnerability to small arms. I would imagine this almost exactly replicates the later VW-mounted aufklarungs units.

Just wish we could mod the models. Hopefully some far future CMx2BB will include motorcycle models. MC's were everywhere between 39 and mid 42. The early allies had em in the front lines too, especially the french and british.

Shoot, i'm going to cook up a fictional scenario featuring a mounted kradschutzen platoon this weekend!

Oh, one other thing, the support platoon HMG sections used MC+sidecar combos too. Each of 4 HMG teams rode 4 sidecar rigs, 16 total bikes. The mortar section used 3 trucks.

[ November 19, 2005, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: Renaud ]