Fix PG/AG Recon

Correct PG/AG’s mysterious lack of some of the most common and widespread recon vehicles of WWII.

Note: The following unit data are provisional and based on an experimental efile with ground movement up to 10 Movement Points (MP). I generally assign “All-Terrain” movement when all axles have power. Also, these figures assume 2-hex maximum spot range for all tanks and combat aircraft unless something is a specialized “recon” unit.

US

Fix the inexcusable lack of Jeeps (the standard in light recon units throughout the war) and M3 White Scout Cars (the standard US 4x4 armored cars 1938-43, before the M8 Greyhounds replaced them in armored recon units).

This “1943” Jeep reflects a handy bazooka added to its “Rat Patrol” 50cal machine gun (MG). A 1940 Jeep would have a Hard Attack (HA) of 2 for a 50cal or 1 for a 30cal. Plus, the Jeep can “paradrop” (glider-land, actually):

The important M3A1 White Scout Car should be available from the start of the war and basically is a re-labeled M20 with an earlier date and a modified half-track icon (primarily replacing the track with a rear wheel).

The later M20 should have HA=6 to reflect its bazooka as standard equipment (if you bother to keep the M20, since it actually was for command, cargo, and utility, not recon).

US ground recon should have 4-hex spot range like other recon have.

Add dedicated aerial recon such as the US L-4 Grasshopper (Piper Cub) or German Storch (Stork):

(Update 11/09 M21 posted that aerial recon with "strategic bomber" class and 1 attack point (soft only or naval too?) tricks the AI into actually doing recon while trying to attack.)

Britain

Fix the British lack of early recon (and lack of good recon) by replacing one of its “wheeled tanks” with the turretless, nimble 4x4 Daimler Dingo (preferably remove the turret from the turreted Daimler icon):

Give the British full-tracked recon mobility by adding the turretless Stuart Recce mounting a light MG (LMG) instead of the gun turret (preferably remove the turret from the Stuart icon):

Add British SAS/LRDG Jeeps.

USSR

Note: Soviet information is relatively sketchy.

Soviet recon without radios in every vehicle should have reduced spot range to represent the drawback of traveling back to the command vehicle to report (see the radio post).

The 6x4 BA-10 had tracks to be fitted to the rear wheels (making it a half-track) but was relatively underpowered so I’m trying a moderate “All-Terrain” speed of 5MP. All Soviet 45mm guns probably should have Soft Attack (SA) of 3 instead of 1 to represent the high-explosive (HE) shell missing from AG:

AG’s T-40 tankette lacks its amphibious ability, which the Soviets pioneered in the T-37/38/40 series, and the T-40 was far less common than the T-37. Generally, these should have a 3-hex spot range (lack radios) and will lack amphibious ability if purchasable. However, unpurchasable ones easily can have toggled amphibious ability (see LVT post) and it would be interesting to give the Soviet player a core amphibious T-37 recon unit experimentally outfitted with extra radios.

Assign the mirror unit below as "transport" to the base unit with identical data except for 6MP Tracked:

Add Soviet GAZ Jeeps.

Germany

The 4x4 SdKfz 222 should be “All-Terrain,” unlike the 6x4 231 6-wheeler.

Germany also could have:

• An aerial recon unit similar to the US L-4 (Storch, etc.)
  
• A motorcycle-sidecar recon unit similar to the Jeep but “Wheeled” with LMG
• A similar 4x2 paradroppable Kubelwagen recon unit (the Kubelwagen disassembled for this purpose)
• A 4x4 “All-Terrain” amphibious Schwimmwagen recon unit similar to the Jeep but with a T-37-type amphibious ability.

Minor Nations

Most minor nations at least should have cavalry recon units.

Update 11/09

You can make recon that runs/hides rather than fights by giving 0 attack points but higher than normal defense or AD-class with bracketed attack points (AD also means it cannot capture cities and might change AI behavior).

These changes are not only more historically accurate but add more distinctive national flavor.

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