From: Don M <dmaddox1@h...>
Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 15:47:24 -0500
Subject: 35th Rifle Batallion
Note: Hypothetical elements are in parenthesis.
Headquarters Detachment No detail given
3xRifle Companies Headquarters Detachment Commander, Executive Officer,
Company Sergeant, Clerk, 2xCommo personnel, acquisitions clerk, 2xcooks
3xRifle Platoons Platoon Headquarters Platoon leader, Platoon Sergeant, (RTO)
2xSections
Squad Leader
5xRiflemen
88mm Recoiless Rifle gunner w/ SMG
AG w/ SMG and 20 88mm rounds
GPMG gunner
AG w/ SMG
3xLMG gunners Mortar Platoon 3x105mm mortar (note: Frequently more were
acquired) Light Attack Company Headquarters element
No details discussed, hypothetically 2-3 Cadillacs/Slicks
3xLight Attack Platoons 4xCadillacs mixed 30mm and 90mm. (Probably 1 90mm per
platoon) 4xSlicks: 3xmachine gun slicks, 1xmortar slicks Mortar Platoon
(3x)160mm Mortar "busses" Reconaissance Platoon No details given Engineer
Platoon
No details given--presumably same organization as infantry platoons
Transportation Platoon No details given Aviation Platoon 4xLight Transport
VTOLs
The brigade organization given for the Suid-Afrika operations was as
follows:
HHC (including 4-man biochemical team)
3xRifle Batallions 1xLight Attack Batallion Artillery Battery Construction
Engineer Company Ground Attack squadron 'several' Heavy Transportation
squadrons Cadre for locally raised batallions Police (Military, Civil, and
Special)
The mission of Rifle batallions is essentially peacemaking: Imperial planets
whose corporate masters have lost control of the situation. Their opposition
is frequently guerilla or other irregular forces with high motivation, but
little training or heavy weapons. As such, this organization is not very
suitable for a Dirtside game.
> From a Stargrunt perspective, there are several notable traits.
The sections are large--13 man, larger than practically any organization
since the widespread adoption of automatic weapons. These squads have no less
than 4 sustained fire automatic weapons. The firepower dice is d12, d10, 3xd8
(6 rifles, 1 GPMG, 3 LMGs) plus possibly the 88mm for another d8. This is due
to the need for extremely dispersed operations: Frequently in the book, a
single section holds a position (or attacks it) by itself with minimal
support.
Platoons have only 2 sections. This has reduced flexibility. Generally this is
compensated for by the extensive firepower of those sections.
The entire brigade is designed for ease of transportability across
interstellar space. Most of the troops travel in suspended animation, and only
the Heavy Transport VTOLs and mortar vehicles are larger than size 2.
The batallion is extremely short on heavy anti-armor weapons, but most
opponents don't have any heavy armor. The 88mms are mostly used in
street-fighting to knock out positions in buildings.
Extensive use is made of prepared defenses, including a variety of mines. In
fact, one minefield has two layers. There is a top layer of
"pebble mines" (presumably scatterable surface-laid ones) and a buried
layer of mines which are inert until activated by radio signal.
The biochemical team has several tasks, including synthesizing skunk musk (for
riot control applications) and actually cooking a plague.
Postulated Vehicle Stats:
Slick:
Size 2
Armor 2
CFE
HiMob Wheeled
Extra APSW
Mortar Slick
Size 2
Armor 2
CFE
HiMob Wheeled
Light Artillery Piece Note: This is turret-mounted and used as a
direct fire weapon, not as an artillery piece.
Cadillac
Size 2
Armor 2
CFE
HiMob Wheeled Superior FiCon
RFAC/2 or HVC/3 Turreted