On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 5:07 PM CST Onno Meyer wrote:
>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'. > >FM 17-18 from 1994, ch. 4 describes the light armor platoon operating >with a light infantry battalion, and the problems and solutions that >brings. I recently read part of a book on US independent tank companies in WWII,nso that's freshest in my mind. >> I don't think the battlesuits will be spread out evenly. I think they >> would be deployed where needed, which means, possibly, that one infantry >> company might get all of them, or they might all be held in reserve at >> the battalion HQ. > >But there could also be a situation where each company needs a few >suits as a rapid reaction force in "their" area of operations. The >battlesuits could be used on point, because of their armor and >sensors, or as the base of fire, because of their heavy weapons >and ammo load. If battlesuits are that well integrated into anninfantry unit, they really should be considered an organic part of it. Historically, it takes time (and lives) for commanders to understand new technology and for them to treat them as carefully as their own men. IOW, I think you are being too optimistic ;) >> > 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. >> >> What is your breakdown of support (non-suited troops) in a battlesuit >> platoon? > >Each suit gets a pilot and a truck driver/mechanic. The HQ gets >a truck driver, the platoon sergeant, an armorer, and three commo >guys to talk to the supported unit(s) and the suits. I think you could get by with one driver and on mechanic per 3 suits. Three commo guys sounds a bit much; I'd drop it to one. >> > 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. >> >> Pete counter-attacts. Is Sam has superior information on the >> situation, he can order the team to stop the counter-attack. > >Before he went to sleep, Pete was attached to Sam's team. So >shouldn't he wait for orders from Sam or orders re-attaching him >to Charles? Assuming there are no standing orders to the contrary and Charles could not contact Sam, Charles is in charge. Armies that allow less initiative effectively have standing orders preventing Charles from doing much, though. Brandon _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
