Soviet Infantry Types

If you get a decent grass mod, steppe appears much browner than open. Steppe
gives modest concealment, enough that infantry won't be spotted quite as far
away, and a "and hide" order at the end of a move will make the other guy lose
track of them out to 400m or so. When shot at, though, it is a type of open
ground and the men will seek better cover etc much as they do when hit in the
open.

Russians have two main, distinct parts of the force structure - mechanized and
rifle. You switch those by changing the parent unit type. There are also lesser
types - ski, cavalry, marine, airborne, partisan. I'll first address the subtypes
within the main mech and rifle forces.

Mech forces were motorized and equipped with large numbers of tanks. Usually
you'd have the "armor" force type when attacking with them, occasionally
"combined arms". Their accompanying infantry has 4 different types with
different roles.

First there are "tommy gunners" - SMG platoons in CM terms. They rode on the
decks of the tanks and were used for close assaults, and to scout for the armor.
The idea was the tanks dealt with enemies at long range, they handled the close
in work and heavier terrain. They fought very light, no heavy weapons to speak
of.

In CM you have a platoon HQ with 4 SMGs, and 3 small 7 man squads all with
SMGs, making 25 men total per platoon. The firepower is enourmous at close
range, but ammo is limited and they have to hold their fire until you get close.
You can get small scout groups of 3 SMGs if you split the regular squads. A tank
hunter team (2 SMGs and usually AT grenades) is a frequent attachment, riding
with the HQ. To fight properly, these want T-34s.

Next there is the motor rifle. These were the standard infantry of the mech
formations. They rode in trucks and dismounted to actually fight. They also used
the typical mix of Russian heavy weapons - which means 82mm mortars, Maxim
MGs, and ATRs. They held stuff the tanks took, mostly, and acted as the mech
arm's conventional infantry force.

In CM these are smallish platoons of HQ and 3 8 man squads, each with a DP

LMG, SMG, mostly rifles. The platoons typically come with an ATR as well. Some
types have 4 squads and no ATR, depending on the date. Somewhat light in
firepower because of the small squad size. They fight from medium range, closing
only once someone is thoroughly pinned. Their better range is also meant to
make them more capable on defense and to cover open ground areas etc.

To fight properly, the motor rifle guys expect to have their heavy weapons
attached. That means 2-3 82mm mortars per company, 2-4 Maxim MGs, an
occasional sniper, and sometimes a few towed 76mm guns, ZIS-3 model. (I like
universal carrier tow vehicles for those, though a single jeep will do in a pinch).
They would also frequently have FO fire support in the 76mm or 120mm caliber.
In CM I find the 120mm works best.

The third infantry type in the mech forces are the Recon C type. These were
actually motorcycle mounted infantry and they formed thin screens, conducted
patrols, and the like.

They are quite lightly armed, pretty much just rifles (1 SMG and 1 semi-auto rifle
per squad). They have high ammo and decent range (250m or so), but little
infantry firepower. Reasonable weapon suppliments are a few DP LMGs, ATRs,
snipers, and a pair of 50mm mortars sometimes. They want everything to have
medium speed or better and long range, because they don't intend to close.

You can simulate the cycles with jeeps, pretty well. They would also have BA
series armored cars or work with T-70 light tanks occasionally.

They are so light they aren't very effective in CM. Their one long suit is high
ammo.

The last mech type are the pioneers (combat engineers in American terms). They
have a similarly light individual weapons load-out to the previous, but they also
have demolition charges and the ability to clear mines. DCs are very limited
range - 30m - weapons, but powerful blast.

They will kill tanks if you get close enough to throw them, and are also useful
against buildings or in woods when LOS is short enough. They would occasionally
have flamethrowers and might work with platoons of tommy gunners as well. In
the mech force, though, one of their main jobs is clearly routes through
minefields for the tanks, which they can do for a spotted field if they have DCs
remaining and sit still for a minute or so about 20-25m from the minefield.

Next there are the rifle infantry types. There are a few specialty types - recon,
SMG, pioneer - and the line. Recon A is an elite type and very strong in CM, with
1 LMG and 3 SMGs per squad and large squads. They are "pathfinders" during
assaults and night infiltrators and intel gatherers etc. Historically the best of the
rifle force, but modest numbers.

SMG come in whole companies now and use larger 9 man squads. These are
"shock" companies, special assault details. For city fighting or in woods, the
meanest infantry going. Pioneers are similar to the ones with mech, the main
difference being since rifle tends to have less anti tank ability their DCs are in
higher demand for that role. They were also used a bit more in attacks, in several
quite small groups.

You have the option to take as few as HQ and 2 squads for those. A typical use it
to put 2 DC equipped squads 50m or so apart with the HQ in the middle, making
a ~100m wide area in which thrown DCs can stop tanks etc. The company of 2
platoons is also a useful and affordable form of them. Use the company HQ as a
third platoon, making 3 such groups.

Then comes the line infantry. It is the plain vanilla infantry that provides the bulk
of the force. It expects to use heavy weapons - pairs of 50mm mortars or single
82mm mortars, single or paired Maxim MGs, a web of ATRs, FOs, snipers. Their
main AT defense typically comes from towed guns. The exact types vary with the
date.

In 1941 you get big squads, 2 SMGs per squad and typically 3-4 DP LMGs per
platoon. Long on bodies, they take fire well but aren't standouts at anything.

In 1942 the infantry declines to small 9 man squads with single DP and single
SMG each. These are much weaker. The B types - the B stands for independent
rifle (B)rigades - as opposed to the rifle divisions - keep large squads and more
SMGs, and are more capable.

1943 they go through 2 transitions, first to a 4 squad pattern with 6 DP LMGs per
platoon - 2 squads with 1 each and 2 with 2 each - until the fall, when they move
to 1 LMG and 3 SMGs per squad, like Recon A. The latter is the late 1943 type
and sticks around into 1944, and I find it the most powerful all around type.

The earlier DP heavy platoons are OK, but the 2 LMG squads have limited ammo
(32 vs 47). Use the higher ammo ones for longer range fire while the heavy ones
stay on shorter arcs.

Late in the war some of the mech guys get a pretty useless type with DP LMG
plus SMGs. They give up ammo to feed the LMG, which isn't strong enough to
actually make it worthwhile to fire at range. Avoid them, pure SMG squads are
much more useful.

Last a brief overview of the other types. Partisans are like 1941 infantry but even
shorter on LMGs. No special or redeeming features. Early cavalry is lightly armed,
marginally better than Recon C perhaps, and use small 2 squad formations,
giving lots of HQs. This helps them spread in steppe and such, but leaves them
underpowered for the cost. Later (1943 plus) they start using 4 SMGs per squad
and get much more powerful, particularly in wooded terrain.

Airborne are magnificantly equipped with numerous semi-auto rifles, but are
short on SMGs. This gives them good firepower at medium range. Historically
most of the airborne fought as ground infantry, used as reserves in important
sectors etc. They were higher quality as picked men with more intense training
etc. Their few combat drops were pretty unsuccessful, though. They did pull off a
number of small commando size raids.

Marines were similarly specialized and gave a good account of themselves in

fighting in Odessa, Sevastapol, and the Kuban in southern Russia. Not many of
them, most organized in independent brigades or smaller formations.

Ski were independent brigades used in the winter months or the far north,
primarily valued for their off road mobility in trackless forests. They get a mix of
rifle armed Recon C -ish infantry and tommy gunners. The former are meant to
find and fix and the latter to flank and assault. It is basically a light infantry type,
and for weapons would have 50mm mortars and the like. Brigades did have some
82mms but used them mostly indirect - as an 82mm FO in CM terms.

There are also Guards versions of many of the above. Usually they are the same,
sometimes marginally better equipped or using a type that hasn't made one of
the above transitions. They would also tend to be higher quality.

As a note on quality, due to losses the average Russian formation was green for
much of the war. Exceptions that would typically be regulars include - most of the
mech, recon A and SMG in the rifle forces, airborne marine and ski, and guards.
Tommy gunners in the mech, recon A in the rifle, and all of the airborne, are the
most likely to find as veterans, along with some portion of the guards formations.
Snipers were also uniformly of high quality, whatever service.

I hope this helps.