The tactical use of Motorcycle Troops

[KG Erwin]

Here is a question I asked and a response from the Axis History Forum:

"I've noticed that certain motorized divisions had entire battalions of Kradschuetzen (motorcycle infantry), but how were these troops used in combat? Am I to assume that these men essentially used the motorcycles as horses, deployed rapidly to where they were needed, dismounted, and then fought as ground infantry? This is is the only explanation that makes sense.
What about the MC-mounted MG crews? Same modus operandi, or could they fire on the move? Using common sense, I would think that firing an MG34 from a MC side-car would be a difficult task. For tactically-oriented wargames, simulating capabilities is vital.
Will you guys assist me on defining the roles of these units?
Best regards to all,
Glenn Higginbotham
Matrix Games' Forum Moderator for "Steel Panthers:World at War"

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Hello!

You are right that in the earlier stages of the war Poland, France, Barbarossa several formations had entire Kradschtz. battalions.

They were mainly used as so called Vorausabteilungen (advance units) spearheading the division, as recconaissance elements and for pursuing withdrawing enemy forces.

They would usually fight as "normal" infantry. The bikes bring them into the area and then they dismount to put up the fight. Like the Panzergrenadiere and their SPW.
Theoretically it is possible to fire from the sidecar also during move but this would be of course like shooting blind.
The ordered tactic was to dismount and engage. Of course exceptions proof the rule. I know incidents from the pursuing battles in France where they rushed through villages with their m/c firing around to hold the enemy down to get to their objective.

Christoph Awender
Moderator"

I discussed this issue with members of the OOB Team, but I can easily see that fiddling with the OOBs to turn motorcycles into transport units may be more trouble than it's worth, and could lead to "gamey" tactics. There was an earlier discussion on the forums about the use of motorcycle troops as recon units, but in the German Army they were also indeed the "Hell's Angels" version of motorized infantry. I brought this up because if one were to purchase recon motorcyclists in a long campaign, for later conversion into halftrack-mounted panzergrenadiers, as was done in real life, they would of course lose their transport. 8.2 keeps the MC units as they were formerly, so perhaps for SPWaW purposes it's best to leave them alone.
Do you guys have any thoughts on this?

[BruceAZ_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

Do you guys have any thoughts on this?

Actually, I think we should leave them alone in our 8.2 OOB for general gaming purposes. However, I would add a "dismounted version" in both types that can carry two and four respectively in someone's December 1949 version OOB for designers just as we now have dismounted cavalry. This really adds to the realism of SPWAW and what separates it from others.


Recon
Semper Fi

[KG Erwin]

A designer MC transport would be cool, but Stuart Millis reminded me that a new icon would have to be created. We're discussing adding an OOB Editor guide to the SPWaW help files. However, an icon editor guide would be too much. There are many experts in this field, and if I seriously considered a mod just for motorcycles, I'm sure I could call upon their expertise. However, I'm gonna let this idea go. The 8.2 OOBs have been submitted, so that's that.

[Kevin E. Duguay]

The Icon should be NO problem![;)]

[panda124c]

I use them as light infantry for recon and cleaning up, as stated the only problem the current form of the MC is the loss of transport if you upgrade to recon + HT (can't be done). I'd leave them as they are now but give them more ammo due to the ability of a Motorcycle to carry more than a soldier on foot.

[Tombstone]

They are easily among the most effective scout units in the game. They go ridiculously fast and since they take casualties like infantry they don't die upon contact the way armored cars or scout halftracks do. I would go as far as saying that motorcycle troops make recon a trivial matter. Another advantage of them being infantry as opposed to a vehicle is that AT ambushes don't do squat to them. So what would otherwise be an effective road block becomes easy meat for the motorcycles. You only have to spend a few lives and move on.

Tomo

[panda124c]

But MG eat them alive, always cover your AT ambushes with MGs. [:D]

[Tombstone]

But they don't kill ALL of them. Most other fast units would no longer be useful as recon units, but motorcycle units are good for multiple mistakes.

Tomo

[RockinHarry]

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

A designer MC transport would be cool, but Stuart Millis reminded me that a new icon would have to be created. We're discussing adding an OOB Editor guide to the SPWaW help files. However, an icon editor guide would be too much. There are many experts in this field, and if I seriously considered a mod just for motorcycles, I'm sure I could call upon their expertise. However, I'm gonna let this idea go. The 8.2 OOBs have been submitted, so that's that.

The expanded V8.2 norway OOB has MC transports, as well as cavalry horses included for use by scenario makers. These are unarmed (although they can be armed by scenario makers) and of the "utility vehicle" class. These are very fragile things and if moved into enemy fire they get destroyed as easy as trucks and unload their passengers involuntary. This is the usual fault with these sort of "faked" units; there´s no single MC or cavalry horse. You either kill all or nothing!

Icon used is pack mules (icon 4) and move sound is the regular MC sound 24. That should be sufficient for the "illusion" of having mounted MC troops (any normal infantry loaded).[;)]