Soviet OOB 11: miscellaneous observations

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Griefbringer

At the risk of being considered as a nit-picker, I would also like to take the opportunity to add in a few comments about various units and formations:

a.) Unit 358 (T-26TU M1932) is armed with a long-barrelled 37 mm gun, with an ammo load of 160 HE rounds, 62 sabot rounds and 0 AP rounds. I presume that this is an accidental carry-over from unit 176 (T-26TU M1931), which is armed with a short-barreled 37 mm gun. Thus, maybe the sabot rounds (or at least most of them) on unit 358 should be replaced with regular AP ammo.

b.) Units 170, 171 (both MS-1/T-18), 176 (T-26TU M1931) and 364 (BA-27) are armed with weapon 12 (37 mm PP pbr. 15R), with range 64 (representing an infantry gun used for indirect fire). However, the actual armament for these vehicles apparently was a local variant of the French 37 mm Puteaux gun - a weapon which in other OOBs has a range of 35 hexes but is missing from the Soviet OOB. I would suggest adding such a weapon entry to the OOB and re-arming the mentioned vehicles with this weapon.

c.) Units 009 and 528 (both M3L) are currently class 12 (light tank) while other lend-lease tanks in this OOB are of class 120 (lend-lease tank), including other light lend-lease tanks.

d.) Unit 374 (107 mm Mort Sect) is currently class 5 (mortar). Considering the size of this weapon, maybe class 152 (heavy mortar) would be more appropriate.

e.) Unit 274 (Para Mortar) is armed with weapon 217 (82 mm para mortar), with a range of 20 hexes. As far as I am aware, the Soviet military did not develop any paratrooper variants of their mortars in the timescope of this game, with the airborne forces employing same mortars as regular infantry. Thus I would suggest re-arming this unit with regular 82 mm mortars instead. (For those interested in organisational information, for most of the war airborne battalions seem to have included a mortar company armed with six 82 mm mortars.)

f.) Speaking of airborne units and mortars, airborne rifle companies historically had a tiny mortar platoon of three 50 mm mortars, operated by a handful of men. Such armament unfortunately seems to be missing from the para companies currently present in game (at least formations 008, 054, 161 and 168). Instead, these have a MG section that seems not to have been part of the historical airborne rifle company organisation, with the airborne units concentrating all of their MGs in a battalion level MG platoon/company. Thus, I would suggest replacing the MG section in the mentioned formations with a new para support section (armed with rifles, three 50 mm mortars and a crew somewhere between 9 and 12 men).

g.) Glider formations 140 and 142 become available only at 1/43, while the G-11 glider (unit 200) that is used in these formations becomes available 1/42 (and there are no other units than gliders in these two formations).

I do NOT have the time or inclination to get into debates with people about their nit picking ...YES some things may be legitimate errors but it's been going on for 20 years and it's getting old

a/ did you bother to review the "sabot" weapon stats for the weapon Unit 358 uses ?? There is a significant improvement on range and penetration over the one used for unit 176 so I see no reason to change that unit, Unless someone produces proof I can confirm It represents AP ammo that did not have the effective range of it's HE ammo and that is.........( I assume.....am I expected to remember every detail of every unit added to these games ??)..... why it's been set up like that. As stated in the game guide " sabot" can also represent AP ammo that does not have the effective range of it's HE ammo but ..OF COURSE that now opens up a new can-o-worms with any other unit that uses that weapon......and why this is all getting very , very tiresome..... I USED TO enjoy developing these games further but we're both getting worn down. This is a weapon on a vehicle that contributed NOTHING of significance in the half decade it existed in the mid 1930's... how do you define "nit-picking"?? Actual"sabot" ammo did not even exist during this vehicles service life so it's "sabot" is short(er) range AP

c.)...... and that's not " nit-picking" ?? How does it's unitclass affect the game or gameplay ? And if you'd bothered to look you would have found the M3L is ALSO in the OOB as WC120 "lend-lease" so we have allowed it to appear in both the lend least formations AND the regular light tank formations...so why do you think that is a problem for you given it's been like that for AT LEAST a decade and a half ?

e.) Unit 274 (Para Mortar) is set up as an infantry unit for direct fire only which is why it has the reduced range. It is a game design decision that also exists in other OOB's as well

f.) see above. It *may be* that this was intended to represent those 50's.....IDK. I cannot be expected to remember the reason every unit in both games was added and why but I will spend the time to investigate. What I DO know is unit 274 has been set up like that for at least 15 years

That's all I'm going to comment on.....if it changes for next release I either agreed with you or saw no reason to disagree. If it doesn't change don't assume I "overlooked" it