One Famous Axis Unit CMBO Forgot About?

[Demonize666]

The BMW Motorcycle Sidecar (with MG)

As a Biker Myself, think its a crime to have left this out!, would have been quite fun to have used it in the recon role

(Well, they have put in the ol' Kubelwagon after all(no substitue mind )

[MikeT]

While the motorcycle units were common in the early period of Poland and France I don't think they were much used later in the war.

MikeT

[Michael Dorosh]

Well, the name of the game is Combat Mission, not Recon Mission. The game simulates company and battalion actions, after the prelim bombardment and recon have gone in.

I think the feeling was that motorcycles were not used often enough in these kinds of actions (in fact, weren't used at all in these kinds of actions) to make their inclusion a priority. The inclusion of the jeeps have led to many abuses - ie the use of same in ahistorical roles, to draw fire, etc.; motorcycles if included would really add nothing to the simulation of a typical company or battalion action - be it an assault, defence, relief in place, obstacle crossing, etc. They really aren't appropriate to the scale or type of game CM is.

[Stumpff]

Motorcycles as far as I know weren't seen that often late in the war on the front lines, they were more common in the rear with the gear.

[Dandelion]

Motorcycles were actually used in quantities by German forces late in the war, if by this we mean 1944. Speaking combat units, they were used primarily as replacement for authorised vehicles in recon units, in particular armoured recon units. The Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen was used in the same manner - i.e. to replace the authorised SPW and PSW that they were actually supposed to be issued, but weren't. One can find whole (recon) companies equipped with m/c's in the Normandy battles.

Having said that, I still agree with the people above. They weren't combat vehicles, anymore than bicycles or horses, also employed in large numbers by the German army. And like Stumpff writes, M/C's were left camouflaged well to the rear (just like trucks), the men marching on foot to the front.

There are exceptions of course, like the attack of 12.SS-P.D. on june 8th I believe, where recon troops rode on motorbikes in a night attack on a Canadian position, escorting Panthers. Turned out to be a really bad idea though and they didn't do it again.

Of course, the more the merrier obviously. Nobody would feel very disappointed about seeing a lot more 3D models in the game. But as it was, possibilities were starkly limited when CMBO was created. I bet they'll have the BMW's for us in CMII.

Cheerio

Dandelion