In my mountain of unpainted lead are some goumier. Irregular Moroccan auxiliaries fighting for France in Italy during World War 2. Cool. I wondered what they would look like under Crossfire.
Order of Battle
By the Italian Campaign the French were using US equipment and organisation. But not the goumier. Well they were using US equipment, plus French and British, but they were organised slightly differently to the Americans and hence to other units in the French Expeditionary Corps in Italy. They had less heavy weapons and more scouts and mules. This reflects their role as mountain troops.
Moroccan Tabor (1943-45)
- Tabor Headquarters
- 1 x BC(+2)
- 1 x Rifle Squad
- 1 x Heavy Weapons Goum (Heavy Weapons Company)
- 1 x FO for off table 81mm Mortar [12 FM]1
- 1 x on-table 60mm Mortar (12 FM)2
- 1 x HMG3
- 1 x Scout Platoon: PC(+1); 3 x Scout Rifle squads4,6
- 3 x Goum (Rifle Company)
- 1 x CC(+2)
- 1 x Scout rifle squad4,6,8
- 1 x HMG3
- 3 x Rifle Platoons: PC(+1); 3 x Rifle Squads
- Reckless5
- Command & Control: Okay/French; Scouts are Good/German6
- Morale: Regular or Veteran7
Notes:
(1) The heavy weapons goum included a mortar battery with four M1 81mm Mortars.
(2) Only one 60mm M2 mortar was issued to each company. I have aggregated them to the level of the Tabor.
(3) It makes no difference to the game but according to Goum Company HQ (FR801) the goumiers were issued the M1919 Browning .30 caliber medium machine gun and the M1917 Browning heavy machine gun.
(4) The tabor had a scout platoon and each goum had a scout section. They were all mounted on horses, so were mounted infantry, but in Crossfire you can ignore that. I give recon troops a bonus in Recon-by-Fire (hit on 5-6 not 6). The scouts have good/German command & control.
(5) The goumiers are reckless in the charge like the Soviets and Japanese in WW2 and the Moroccan regulares in the Spanish Civil War.
(6) Most of the goumiers would be Okay/French command & control. The exceptions are the scouts/recon squads who are Good/German command & control.
(7) The French Army of Africa was a experienced force with quite a lot to prove to their sceptical allies. So you can treat them as Regular but there is a good argument for making them Veteran.
(8) I guess the scout stand in the goum could be attached to a platoon before the game, in the same way HMG are.
References
Bevis, M. (2004). MicroMark Army List FF3A Free French Expeditionary Corps Support 1944-1945 Europe BT3. MicroMark.
Flames of War: Goum Company HQ and Heavy Weapons Platoon (FR801)