"Command vehicles- what to use?" Topic

The scale I am gaming at is 1 base or tank equals a company so generally 3 bases makes a battalion and requires a command stand. Now for infantry I am using officers and jeeps to represent the commanders. Now for armoured units what should I use? For Germans is 250 with an officer ok? For say a heavy battalion of King Tigers what would you use as a command stand. Keep in mind no matter what is on the base it acts the same. How about the Russians? Tank battalion commands and tank brigade commands.

FM

I would say at the scale you are using, the base includes the command. So nothing special needed.

Historically, tank battalion HQs seem to be issued with a couple of tanks – for example Tiger battalions had three – so I would represent the battalion commanders in that way. Maybe use a tank with a commander half exposed through the turret hatch to indicate command vehicles. Alternatively, some of the earlier German tank designs featured particular command variants with extra radios etc.

As for the Soviets, battalion HQ also had a tank or two (with the exception of a temporary structure in late 1941 and early 1942 which provided the battalion commander with just a radio truck). And regiment/brigade HQs also tended to have tanks. As for indicating command vehicle, some of the earlier tanks (like T-26 and BT-family) had dedicated command variants with distinctive hoop antenna around the tower.

tbh, Russian tank battalion HQs are so tiny I wouldn't bother. They had a small recce element, so maybe an amroured car or something. The Tank Briagde HQ was quite big though, with numerous platoons.

The HQ company of a Tiger a battalion is pretty big though, a few tigers, then signals, pioneer, recce and AA platoons as well as the staff platoon. Given the vehicle mix, a half track and an officer or three is probably sufficient.

At base=company, I wouldn't have a command stand below regiment/brigade. If you want one anyway, I'd say a marked tank--pennant, maybe?--the commander out of the hatch while all the other tanks are buttoned up, or a small vignette--three men around a table with a map? Commander standing with binoculars with a jeep and driver behind? All kinds of possibilities.

But are you sure about having a battalion command stand at stand-company? Throw in higher HQ, and this is going to make about every fourth stand on your board a command stand. Worse in some armies.

For my tank battalion command vehicles I do like Griefbringer and use a tank with the commander in the hatch for command

As for the Soviets, battalion HQ also had a tank or two …. And regiment/brigade HQs also tended to have tanks.

It was (and is) typical for Soviet armored formations at Battalion and Regiment to operate with two HQs, one forward HQ, one leave-behind HQ. The actual formation commander travels with the fighting elements in a tank, and seeks to control the battle from the front. The unit 2IC stays behind, with whatever comms/security/logistics/medical sub-units are part of the unit, to help coordinate with follow-on echelons, to provide command in the event the CO is hors de combat, and to provide a rally point in the event the unit is defeated/scattered by the action.

For a WW2 tank battalion it would typically be one tank for the forward HQ, and one or two trucks, and a small liason car (could be a GAZ67 or jeep, or could be a BA-64 A/C after mid-war) for the rear HQ.

Or so I have read.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)