Transport class

[Sgt. Moody]

I was wondering what the transport class numbers meant, I haven't been able to figure that out.

(obviously 0 is none)

[JonnyEnglish]

From the manual:

TRANSPORT CLASS

Ranges from 1 to 9. Units can only mount vehicles that offer at least the same or higher transport class. Additionally, vehicles can only tow guns with the same or lower transport class.

[Dschugaschwili]

A unit can only embark on vehicles with a transport class higher or equal to the unit's transport class.

So a jeep with transport class 4 cannot tow an AT gun with transport class 7, for example.

Dschugaschwili

[JasonC]

Other tidbits - transport class 2 is the highest that can ride on the back of tanks. So a German HMG team can, but an 81mm mortar can't.

A good approximation of pushing speed for "very slow" items is 100 divided by transfer class meters per minute. Thus class 4 implies 25m/min or about half the speed of "slow", while a big transport class 8 gun is half slower again.

[ramagel]

And don't expect arty spotters always to be able to ride on anything. Only those with 'radio' somewhere in their description will (these are the ones operated by remote control); the others are operated by wire.

I have been caught out TOO many times!

I'm not sure you can always find the magic 'radio' word in the unit's description in a scenario, but you can when you buy them in a QB.

A unit's transportability is also affectd by the number of chaps: (this is a made up example - indicative only), for instance you might get a team of 4 and a team of 2 on the back of a tank or in a Kubelwagon or truck, but not a team of 6 and a team of 4. Like maybe an HMG & platoon leader, but not an HMG and a batallion commander (but again, that's a ficticious example to illustrate a point).

[JasonC]

Um actually.

The way it works with personnel is, 7 men or more in one unit makes it a full squad. It can't ride on any carrier rated as "team", and another full team can't ride with them.

3-6 men are a team. Two of them can ride a squad carrier, or one of them can ride in a team carrier.

1-2 men are single man counters, effectively. One of them can ride with a full squad on a squad carrier. Or with a team on a squad carrier. Or alone on a team carrier.

You can never put more than 2 units on one transport item, no matter how small. E.g. 2 snipers on a full sized truck, and you can't put a 3rd in. But you can take one sniper off and put in a 12 man squad, no problem.

A gun being towed counts its crew size against the transport capacity. So e.g. a Sdkfz can tow a 75mm PAK and still carry an HMG as well. A jeep towing a gun can't carry anyone else.

The units hit worst by this system are the 7 man teams, especially if they are TC 3 or more. E.g. the Russian 82mm mortar with 7 men can't ride on a jeep, while the German with 6 men can ride a kubelwagen.

This hurts because the best cheap transport for the Russians is all team transport sized (MG carrier, jeep, M3 scout car). Trucks are too poor offroad, leaving the US LL fullsized halftrack as the only reasonable mover for the Russian 82mm. And those cost more than the mortar does, and have only 7mm armor, vulnerable to HMG fire inside about 400m.

A US 8 man company HQ and Russian 7 man (or anyone's battalion) needs a full squad transporter, but can at least ride tanks and can take a 2 man counter along, like a bazooka, ATR, or radio FO. The US armored infantry platoon has a 2 man HQ section that can ride with the HQ squad in the same halftrack.

Another useful loading thing for the Germans is to buy a company of motorized Pz Gdrs, a platoon of armored ones, a radio FO, and one additional 251/1. Then the FO can use the 37mm SPW, and the company and weapons HQ each get a section with 2 HMGs and 1 81mm. They ride HQ+HMG, HMG+81, HQ+HMG, HMG+81.

SPW 251/9s or 251/2s for each weapons group optional. Each supports 2 standard platoons.

[MPK]

You can of course get around the 7-man limit

by using squads/teams that are at less than

full strength...

[Sgt. Moody]

Thanks a lot for all that info.