View Single Post
  #37  
Old May 25th, 2009, 11:01 AM
Mobhack's Avatar

Mobhack Mobhack is offline
National Security Advisor
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dundee
Posts: 5,929
Thanks: 442
Thanked 1,855 Times in 1,219 Posts
Mobhack is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Lewis gun higher accuracy than Bren?

Yes.

All that is in the standard rifle platoon tactics manual. (The Infantry Platoon in Battle, 1969 I think was the one we used)

Detaching the gun groups from sections to beef up the support fire line is a tactic mentioned there, as is detaching one to take care of enemy unexpectedly found on the approach to the assault. Ambushes and fighting patrols would routinely borrow LMG from the platoon remaining at the base etc. So is detaching a couple of men from the trailing section in the advance to scout ahead of the point section etc. But SP sections are single game pieces!.

Not to mention that if you allowed the less common usages, then the wargamers would ruthlessly exploit it. (Like the German cores that miraculously seem to have most of the SP 88mm they only happened to make 18 of - so the actual thing must have been rather carp! ).

The "LMG group" remains cruft that an overenthusiastic OOB designer left behind. Note the lack of the balancing rifle groups (ie less 2-3 men and no LMG), and lack of any sections/platoons using these things, just a catch-all formation. (I have tried a proper UK section of an LMG group and a rifle group in 2 parts, but the tiddly little things die like flies (esp when shelled), and the additional rallying all those extra elements bring means that they are easily stopped by a little fire).

Feel free to try a hack yourself:
Platoon HQ:
2 man Platoon commander group (officer and operator/runner)
2 man platoon sgt group (Sgt and runner/spare)
2 man MAW group
2 man 2 inch mortar group
3 * sections each:
2 man LMG team (we never ever used 3 men) and remainder rifles

Now, you are free to move the LMG about within the platoon, even if they normally operated in pairs in the sections with a rifle group.

And wait for the enemy to stonk them with some 81mm, or hit a few with rifle fires..

Andy
Reply With Quote