For convenience I use indented lists for my orders of battle in my Crossfire scenarios. But, inspired by those of Flames of War, I have wondered whether I should move to a prettier format. Okay, not with silhouettes of troops or whatnot, but a bit more graphic. This is what I came up with.
Crossfire Orbat
When playing Crossfire, Arty Conliffe’s company level WW2 game, I mostly play using variations on the orders of battle in the rules. However, occasionally I delve into new territories. For example, I’m interested in how the Soviets changed their company and battalion level organisations as the World War II progressed. I’m also interested in what higher level – regiment, brigade or division – a company or battalion might have in support.
Standard Crossfire Orders of Battle
Orders of battle are a central part of Scenarios so I wanted one place where I could find the Crossfire Orders of Battle I use regularly. I can just copy and paste into a new scenario. Obviously I’ve got an bias towards the Eastern Front.
Crossfire Order of Battle for the Portuguese Colonial War
These are the orders of battle for Fogo Cruzado my Crossfire variant of for the Portuguese Colonial War of the 1960s and 1970s. They are based on the historical orders of battle. As Fogo Cruzado is more or less 1:1 scale the basic stand is a Fire Team rather than a Squad. Similarly heavier weapons such as Medium Machine Guns (MMG) are individual weapons rather than sections of 2 or 3.
Steven’s 2nd Tabor of Regulares of Tetuán
I’m building up the 2nd Tabor of Regulares of Tetuán from Column Asensio of 1936. Battalion Code = “T” for Tabor or Turban or Tetuán within the Unit ID for Crossfire.
As long as you led from the front
where they [the Moroccans] could clearly see you upright,
they would follow.
Alferez Juan Crespo.
Steven’s Russian Naval Infantry Battalion
Russian Naval Infantry feature heavily in accounts of Stalingrad and Sevastopol, so I couldn’t resist when BattleFront put out a pack. I got enough for a Crossfire battalion. I painted them in two weeks which I now regret as it would have helped to have new glasses before I did it. Then it took a year before I finally found a flocking style to use. I use the Black Undercoat Method.
Other Russian Orbats for Crossfire to convert to new format
Other Russian Orbats for Crossfire to convert to new format
Soviet Rifle Division Dec 1941 – Feb 1942 in Crossfire
Zaloga and Ness (2003) (p. 15-19) describe the TO&E for the Soviet Rifle Division in the period Dec 1941 – Feb 1942 (TO 04/750-769). This is the Crossfire Orbat.
Soviet Rifle Division Oct – Nov 1941 in Crossfire
Zaloga and Ness (2003) (p. 11-15) describe the TO&E for the Soviet Rifle Division in the period Oct – Nov 1941 (a variant of TO 04/600-616). This is the Crossfire Orbat.
Soviet Rifle Division Jul – Sep 1941 in Crossfire
Zaloga and Ness (2003) (p. 11-15) describe the TO&E for the Soviet Rifle Division in the period Jul – Sep 1941 (TO 04/600-616). This is the Crossfire Orbat.
Soviet Rifle Division Apr – Jun 1941 in Crossfire
Zaloga and Ness (2003) (p. 6-11) describe the TO&E for the Soviet Rifle Division in the period Apr – Jun 1941 (TO 04/400-417). This is the Crossfire Orbat.
Soviet Rifle Brigade Oct 1941 to Jun 1942 in Crossfire
Crossfire Orbat for the TO&E described on p. 36-41 in Zaloga and Ness (2003):
Steven’s Russian Rifle Battalion
Once I had my Grenadiers of the Spanish Blue Division I had to get somebody to fight them. Russians of course, and the default unit is a Rifle Battalion. And of course this is for Crossfire.
Steven’s Blue Division Battalion
The Spanish Blue Division is what got me into WW2. Officially the 250th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht and comprising Spanish Volunteers, this unit was also know as the Spanish Volunteer Division, Division Azul, or the Blue Division. They are Spanish, of course, but I use them as Germans when needed.
Fielding the French Expeditionary Corps under Crossfire
This is how I’d field the French Expeditionary Corps (FEC) with Arty Conliffe’s Crossfire. Use the French organisation in Crossfire except …