Re: [DS][SG] Mech Inf was RE: [ds] Ogres

In a message dated 98-11-14 18:18:54 EST, you write:

<< 
 >I wonder if these leasons will need to be relearned in a
Stargrunt/DSII
 >universe full of GEV's, Hover Tanks and Power suited infantry. Anyone
see
 >combined arms doctrine changes to take into account all this new
fangled
 Sci-
 >Fi technology ?    
 
 Well, there are two aspects to this in the GZG worlds.
 
 Firstly, in 2183 we will see the current (2183) doctrine as the product
of
 the constant reaction and adaptation to infantry/armour co-ordination
on the
 battlefield. It won't be a sudden jump to GEV/PA. So as always army DOC
 staffs will be researching and producing guidlines on an ongoing basis.
 
 Mind you, on outworld colonies that have jsut taken delivery of their
first
 squadron of GEV MBTs and have no experienced personnel who have worked
with
 GEV/PA in the field there will be a situation where they start to write
 their own as teh systems are incorporated into the military forces or
they
 will simply adopt the doctrine of their parent worlds/governemnts.
 
 Mind you too many people confuse Doctrine at an army level and the SOPs
of a
 unit on deployment!!
 
 Cheers,
 
> Owen G

Very true, Army level doctrine does not always equate to tactics applied
by
lowlevel units. The Soviet Armor "Death Ride" into Grozney in 1995 (or
was it
'94?),
completely unsupported by dismounted infantry or artillery is a good
example
of that.
I'm sure that Soviet instructors at the various military schools would
have
been horrified by a proposed answer to a tactical problem involving
seizing a
built up urban area as sending in tanks completely unsupported by other
combat
arms. 
All arms Operational Manuver Groups had been doctrine since 1945,
particularly
in urban areas where combat engineers, infantry and artillery were all
accorded roles in support of armor.

I still think that in the GZG universe that the intergration of the
various
weapons systems and support platforms is going to be more difficult than
imagined and tactics limited by commanders who don't quite know or
understand
how to properly exploit the assets they have. For instance, when Power
Suited
Armor is first deployed, I'll bet someone tries to treat them as light
armored
vehicals and have them take on (unsupported) enemy light tanks, GEV's
and even
MBT's, just like during the Gulf war, when USMC LAV-25's tried to slug
it our
with Iraqi T-55's.

Just my two cents for what it's worth....