----- Original Message ----- > From: Onno Meyer <[email protected]> > > Brandon replied to me: >> You could treat the battlesuit platoon much the same way that the >> US Army used independent tank companies (or even platoons) attached >> to infantry companies.
Sorry, that should be 'infantry divisions', not 'infantry companies'. > That was one idea. The US wrote unclassified manuals for the M8 > in light/heavy operations before that vehicle got cancelled. Or > an organic heavier element in light infantry, like anti-armor > platoons/companies with their HMMWVs and TOWs, or like mortars. I think that when battlesuits are first introduced, commanders of units they are attached to will misuse them (for example, sending a single suit to deal with a problem four or more should be deployed for, because they have visions of Iron Man dancing in their heads). The experience with independent tank companies was that they didn't work well > Either way, the battalion commander must decide if the heavy > stuff stays concentrated under central control or gets broken > up to reinforce the subordinate maneuver units. Concentration > is often good tactics and easier on logistics. Breaking them > up gives more power to the subordinates who might need it. > > So there is a very good case to have as many maneuver units in > the battlesuit platoon as there are maneuver units in the light > infantry battalion, i.e. three. On the other hand, I don't want > to have fewer than four suits in each squad (two teams of two). > > A 9-suit platoon has 24 troops and 40 tons/$5.2M of vehicles. > A 14-suit platoon has 40 troops and 64 tons/$8.5M of vehicles, > with one more squad, a deputy commander, and a second C3I van. > Without the transport trucks, that becomes 13 and 22 tons, > respectively. > >> > On paper, no problem at all. In the field, I wonder. Troops are >> > better in stressful conditions if there is good unit cohesion. >> >> If there is a clear chain of command, my suggestion should work. > > So there are Private Pete, Corporal Charles and Sergeant Sam > in the platoon. On Monday they do two-suit teams and Pete > reports to Charles. On Tuesday it is three-suit teams and > Pete reports directly to Sam. At 0-dark-30 on Wednesday the > enemy pulls a surprise and Charles shouts for his team to > counterattack. > > So what does Pete do now? On paper the chain of command is > clear. In the confusion, even clear things get difficult. > > Regards, > > Onno > _______________________________________________ > GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> > http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l > _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
