Wargames Unit - Soviet MRR and TR, Recce Company

The Soviet MRR Recce Company creates a few conundrums as to how it should be represented as a wargames unit when using a 1:3 vehicle scale. The real Company deploys a BMP2 Platoon, a BRDM2 platoon a motorcycle platoon and an HQ element equipped with 1 BRM with a ground surveillance radar. Previously I have used 1 BRM and 1 BRDM 2 which represents the right amount of armoured vehicles and allows access to the ground surveillance radar.

ACE BMP2 and BRM S&S BRDM2

One of the other issues faced when following the "Rapid Fire" approach to orbats is that infantry companies are traditionally represented by a single vehicle, primarily because dismounting two or three figures out the back looks a bit silly, consequently APCs tend to be under represented.

For the Soviets this becomes a problem as it is then difficult to represent the various march security elements they deploy. As a means of addressing this and to acknowledge the additional manoeuvre element not represented I am intending to use the BRM as the HQ and a BMP2 and BRDM2 as the Recce Platoons giving me a three vehicle unit.

The totality of the Recce element will then comprise the Recce Company, Artillery Recce, and Engineer Recce with its associated Chemical Recce element. Whilst I have clear evidence that Engineer and Chemical Recce were grouped within the MSD, I have yet to discover anything that suggests this operated under a unified command with the other Recce elements other than that provided by the Regimental HQ, so general coordination and communication rather than the fighting of Recce as a single group as in the British model.

There was a degree of variance in the equipment used over time and geographically with a transition from the PT76 , BRDM 1 through the BMP 1, BRDM 2 to the BRM, BMP1, BRDM 2 combination followed by the BRM, BMP 2, BRDM2. In the Western TVD the progression described probably covered:

• early 70s; PT76, BRDM1 or BMP1, BRDM2
• late 70s early 80s; BMP1, BRDM 2 or BRM, BMP1, BRDM2, or BRM, BMP 2, BRDM2
• late 80s; BRM, BMP1, BRDM2, or BRM, BMP 2, BRDM2
• Early 90s; BRM, BMP 2, BRDM2 or BRM, BMP 2d, BRDM2

In other TVDs with higher volumes of obsolete equipment the PT 76 could be fielded all the way through to the end of the Cold War.

References:

FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Amy Troops, Organisation and Equipment

BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1967 - 1994, Osprey

Soviet Army Ground Force Trends, CIA 1984