There is an option, allowing to attach one unit to an other one. There are some conditions, of course - land unit to land unit, air to air, naval to naval, full cooperation. The attached unit could have saved own, separated TO&E, but it could have common prof, readiness, supply level and all other unit's parameters. All algorythms of calculating the parameters could be the same as in a case of subunits. Any split of the supported unit causes separation of the attached unit (split forced by combat result, too).
It could save the problem of micromanagement of ant units.
This would be handy for KGs. If the size restriction were based on the size icon, you could have an empty division (or whatever) sized KG unit appear and the player could use it to build up a kampfgruppe. (Ben Turner's idea)
This would be very handy for corps level scenarios. There are empty corps and divisions as attached units.
I think that it's really easy way to add next level of command structure without an interface revolution.
I've seen some reasons for the solution:
1) Management - a kampfgruppe (or just a main battle unit supported by some lower-size specialized units) consists of 2-5 units, now and needs many, many clicks to move or fight together. It could be much easier to move and set it to attack as a single unit, couldn't it?
2) Perception - such group of units is a group of "counters" now. It's not so easy to recognized their strength, health and just presence when the group is stacking. The composite unit is a single counter with a sum of possibilites shown at once.
3) Performance - if such main battle unit and stacking ant-units fight, prof check is made separately for each of them each time. That means, that there is high probability, that a engineer company is attacking separately, although an infantry brigade the company has to support has failed initial prof check when the company hasn't failed. It usually causes a massacre of the company. It could happen from time to time, but there could be a way to make a distingtion between two separated attacks - one made by brigade and one by company - and an attack of brigade supported by ATTACHED, SUBORDINATED company.
4) Simulation - this is just the way some armies acted and act. The Kampfgruppe was an important innovation, as well as American Combat Commands in armoured divisions.
The possibility of attaching other units should be depend on number of special equipment - "kampfgruppe command" (just copy of command group) - the unit has. One "kampfgruppe command" allows to attach 1/3 of unit size (a battalion for a regiment, a division for a corps). So, a designer decides if the possibility is used or not.
F.e. the regiment (if full size) should have a limit of 2 kampfgruppe commands, limiting possible attached units to two battalions. This way a desinger can limit size of attached units this way, that there is no doubt that the original type of unit isn't changed. He can always define "regimental KG" unit, with TO&E of 5 kampfgruppe commands only. This way a player can creat any ad-hoc unit as "supported regiment" - infantry, tank, engineer, AT etc.
This way you can simulate doctrinal problems of specific armies. Each of DAK regiments should have at least 3 kampfgruppe commands, when a British tank regiment shouldn't have any, at least at 41-43.
Some other possibilites opened by the composite units:
1) temporary motorization
example: - each British 1944 ID has a transport column - a subunit which can be attached to one of its brigades to give it motorized movement rate
2) supply-transport dillemma
example: - the British transport column has some supply squads in its TO&E; if you attached it to divisional HQ, formation supply level inceases; if you use it for transport purpose, the sulppy level falls
3) air transport possibility
example: - the Germans have an empty "airlift" unit and can attach a regiment of 6. Gebirge ID and send it to Crete
4) rearment
example: - each British armoured regiment on the desert consists of basic "mother" unit and independent tank battalions (up to 3) of different types of tank; if you get a Grant battalion as a reinforcements, you can replace old Crusader battalion by the new one.
It could look like:
. But - sure, there should be no possibility to "ugrade" an unit too much. It should be a desiger decision, with default settings - no attaments. Maximal available number should be 5/3 of unit's size (in the case of "empty" structures of kampfgruppes, combat commands etc., I suppose). New, detailed proposition - see below.
