Necro post I know, but Oborous is still around so thought I'd mention something, he could possibly reply to?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oborous
With the example above, how much are your troops going to actually understand tactics? How much ammo is each trooper carrying here? They'res logistic issues, so how long can you sustain the fight, can the commander plan for a sustained fight?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oborous
Because of Uncle stealing a goat 20 years ago, the two guys with the AKM's don't like each other, so they're not going to be a fire team... even though they use the same magazine.
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I think you do not realize that irregulars are not there because they "want" to be there, generally there are there because they "must" be there. Things like family feuds tend to be forgotten till the common enemy is first removed from the picture.
Take for example the Balkan resistance armies that formed during the German/Italian/Bulgarian occupations of the region. People (like my grandfather) joined to protect and expel the invaders. In addition, there was more then one resistance army, and not being bound by contract or term of service, one would not have to stay if they did not wish to.
In addition, when your operating completely behind enemy lines, you have no logistical infrastructure other then what you can get due to your troops families and friends that sneak food and supplies to you. Generally, this means no guns, or ammunition, other then what you can take from the enemy, which means rationing of ammunition, and yes, using any firearm available.
If your lucky, allied supply drops that do not get intercepted might help, but they are inconsistent at best, at worst they can cost you more dearly to collect them then they are worth materially.
Sometimes that means that Joe will only have 50 rounds of ammunition for that pretty Bren gun that the British dropped to help, other times it might mean Joe will be carrying a K98 because that is the only thing that there is ammunition for.
This also means that the Enfields will not be put to use, even if it can rearm the entire unit with them, cause the Bren guns need to be fed outweighs the need for one standard firearm in the unit, as you don't know when the next successful drop will happen, as the Bren guns are of move tactical value to you then worrying about a common firearm for your unit.
The job as commander, isn't to mold your men, or plan for logistics, as much as instead its to keep your men alive for as long as possible while maximizing the amount of damage you cause your enemy. Its something that many parts of the World have had to deal with, and lots of first hand accounts of commanders are out there published now. But its not something that can be "planned" like a regular Army can do, Joe doesn't want to hear that he has to carry a Bren even though the ammunition has run dry cause "that is what your trained for".
Its a different mindset sure, but its not unworkable if your willing to forget the rule book for the time being.
Dimitri