Quick Battle unit purchase screen

[A Canadian Cat]

I just accepted a challenge for a huge QB. Yes, I am crazy - it took me about two hours to pick forces, come up with a plan of attack and set up everyone with initial orders. Yikes - it will be fun as things unfold.

While purchasing units I realized either I do not understand something or it is impossible. I have come to ask which. For the sake of argument, and to not reveal my true force selection, here are is an example of something I might like to do:

For a company + sized battle I might want to choose an infantry company and attach a platoon of tanks to it. So far all I can do is either:

1. Select the infantry battalion and strip it down to just the company and pick a tank battalion and strip it down to just the platoon.
   
2. Select the infantry battalion and strip it down to just the company and attach a bunch of single tanks to the company.
   

The trouble with one is the tank platoon does not report to the company so I have two independent CC structures when I really just want one.

The trouble with two is I end up with a bunch of tanks that do not have a platoon leader.

What I want is the company to have its regular three infantry platoons, its heavy weapons platoon and an added fifth platoon of tanks. With the tank platoon HQ reporting to the company commander.

Am I missing some way of getting what I want? Is what I want unrealistic from a CC perspective? It is possible that I am asking for an unreasonable CC structure. I have been unreasonable before - just a few times.

[Bartokomus]

i think you've already got the answer; it isn't possible, as i've run into the same limitations before. it is what it is i am sorry to say; i constantly run into situations where i'd like to attach a platoon of engineers to a company of Infantry, same as what you're experiencing. It's a no-go.

[Pak40]

With option 2 wouldn't the single tanks fall under the direct command of the infantry battalion HQ?

[A Canadian Cat]

That is what I figured. So, that leaves the second half of the issue would it be a good feature to be able to attach units in this manner? Let me rephrase that - is it a reasonable / realistic request? I realize that units often operate on the battle field cooperatively like this but should we be able to tweak CC structure of the units or would that just not be done in real life.

[A Canadian Cat]

With option 2 wouldn't the single tanks fall under the direct command of the infantry battalion HQ?

When attaching individual units you can select where they report. So if I select the company HQ they would report to the company. If I select one of the platoon HQs then they would report to that platoon. You get to pick which HQ they report to.

What I wanted to do was attach a platoon of tanks, with their own platoon HQ, to the company HQ.

[Sgt Schultz]

The only way I have found so far to work around this limitation is to do an almost-fix.

Select one of your Infantry platoons.

Strip everything but the HQ.

Add 4-5 tanks and a Halftrack to the platoon. Stick the HQ in the H/T.

As long as the HQ stays still for the radios to function, you have an armor platoon with direct C2 all the way to Btn.

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Personally, I don't do that, I just figured it was an option.

I attach all vehicles to the HQ it will be closest to throughout the battle plan, or straight to Btn HQ.

By placing vehicles directly under your Btn HQ, all those radios make for very quick intel transfer to Btn level.

Putting them lower down the chain makes for more useful immediate intel to the HQ that may need it quicker.

[Pak40]

Yea, I see what you're going for but unfortunately it's not possible in the current setup of the force picker. It'd be nice if they could implement an "attach" command where you could choose a platoon of tanks and attach it to another unit as was done so often in WWII.

I wonder how in the heck we're supposed to mimic those large kamphgroups and task forces that were so prevalent in the Ardennes fighting?

[Sgt Schultz]

I wonder how in the heck we're supposed to mimic those large kamphgroups and task forces that were so prevalent in the Ardennes fighting?

By putting them in the proper Module I assume/hope/pray.

CM1 had Sturmgruppes.

[c3k]

I understand what you're trying to do, but I don't understand why you're trying to do it.

The tank platoon is under your orders. You're the player. Would a tank platoon, attached to a rifle company, behave differently when you're playing than a tank platoon subordinated to a rifle company would?

You are the command structure.

That leaves communications. IRL the tank/infantry communications problems were vast, manifold, and never reliably solved. Do you want something that didn't exist?

Am I missing some aspect of this problem, gameplay wise?

[A Canadian Cat]

I understand what you're trying to do, but I don't understand why you're trying to do it.

The tank platoon is under your orders. You're the player. Would a tank platoon, attached to a rifle company, behave differently when you're playing than a tank platoon subordinated to a rifle company would?

You are the command structure.

That leaves communications. IRL the tank/infantry communications problems were vast, manifold, and never reliably solved. Do you want something that didn't exist?

Am I missing some aspect of this problem, gameplay wise?

OK well argued - it could very well be that what I want is not reasonable at all.

Here is why I cared - communications / morale. I wanted the company commander to be able to receive intelligence reports from the tank platoon and for the company commander to be able to offer support to the tank platoon. As we all know troops perform better and rally faster if they are in CC.

So, from what you are saying the infantry to tank communication was not well solved and therefore the company commander would have trouble getting intelligence from the tanks IRL.

Which just leaves the morale factor. Will my attached tank platoon be in radio communications with its off board tank company anyway and therefore behave as if it was under CC (baring radio problems of course).

[Sgt Schultz]

Leave the Company HQ and his tank and strip one of the other tanks. Then he is on-map.

For QBs, unless you are going armor-heavy, I would just attach single vehicles to Company and Btn HQs directly.

[winkelried]

Leave the Company HQ and his tank and strip one of the other tanks. Then he is on-map.

For QBs, unless you are going armor-heavy, I would just attach single vehicles to Company and Btn HQs directly.

You should be careful with attaching to company and lower, since the "mood" of the unit you attach to "spills" over to the attached unit. so if you have a company HQ shattered the attached tank gets nervous etc ... so best is to attach as high as possible and then to keep the HQ well away.

[winkelried]

i stated the wish to be able to create task forces (kampfgruppen) with a clear C2 in an earlier post already.