Historically speaking, there is:
- penal company, for soldiers and sergeant
- penal battalion, for officers. Officers have more training than soldiers
During the entire war (that is, not simultaneously), on all fronts during the years of the Great Patriotic War, 65 separate penal battalions (oshb) and 1048 separate penal companies (oshr) were formed in the Armed Forces of the USSR. Usually these parts disbanded after a few months. From 1942 to 1945, only one separate penal battalion existed - the 9th separate penal.
Penalties used the same weapon as reular troops, the only difference between them was missions, they were sent to the most difficult sectors of the front.
But I also think that having two main main infantry units at the start is an extremely bad design.
- rename "conscripts" to "strelki", take away the merger, give an upgrade to six SVT-40
- remove “penal troops” from T1 rename to “conscripts” put in the ability: rapir conscript, add merge, transfer the explosive charge to the engineers.
- instead of "penal troops" in T1 add - "broneboyshchiki" - anti-tank riflemen. four men - conscripts skin, armed with two PTRS-41, two Mosin rifles. Abilities: anti-tank explosive charge, anti-tank mines, ambush camouflage.
Faction + Commander Name: UKF Canadian Assault Regiment
Theme: Canadians were always known as the Commonwealth's "shock troops", all the way since World War 1 they had proven themselves in the muddy fields of Passchendaele up to the urban fighting of World War 2. Using American equipment together with stout Canadian men and British air support are a sure recipe for victory.
Canadian infantrymen can be reinforced with body armor, since in most cases it was worn under a uniform, there is no need to change the skin, only the characteristics.
Trophy collector commander. This commander knows how to strengthen his troops, he will take everything that lies without supervision.
captured weapon
gives MG-34 for conscript and MP-40 for engineers
Engineer Scavenger Kit
PAK-40 Anti-tank artillery
Soviet anti-tank snipers - IPTAP. The most experienced and effective gun crews are transferred to these troops. Separate anti-tank units partially armed with captured Pak 38 and Pak 40 anti-tank guns.
Abilities: ambush camouflage, sabot projectile.
commander PzKpfw IV
Artillery strike or other ability using ammunition
Czechoslovak Army Corps. The formation was started on January 5, 1942. On organizational issues, the battalion submitted to the Czechoslovak government in exile (in London), in operational matters - to the higher command of those Soviet military units to which it was attached. In the future, this order was maintained until the end of the war. The uniform was a British sample and was sent from the UK. Used SVT-40 in very large quantities.
Bofors 40mm AA gun
paratroopers of the 2nd Czechoslovak Separate Airborne Brigade
6 people squad, armed with three Mosin carbine, three SVT-40. Can buy three more SVT-40 or six PPSh-41. They can throw an F1 grenade and throw a explosive charge against howitzers. Can be parachuted into the fog of war.
parachute anti-tank group
M-42 gun, ambush camouflage, sabotage shells.
M-42 crew - 6 people, merger. Upgrade: two PTRS-41, cancels the merger, gives anti-tank grenade, anti-tank mines (expensive and only anti tank, like German), ambush camouflage.
They shouldnt make a complete country as a faction. There is nothing wrong with seperate factions per country like "Russian Armored Army", "Russian Paratrooper Army"
I think splitting is reasonable. For the USSR, you can make at least 2 more factions:
- Guards Army in Europe, there are still many Soviet tanks that are not yet involved in the game:motorcycle with mortar or DP-27, GAZ-AAA with 25 anti-aircraft gun, BA-64,T-37/38/40/41 amphibious tanks (used by paratroopers), T-60, T-80, T-34-57 (43), T-34-76 with additional armor, T-34-85 with mesh screens, SU-76I, SG-122, SU-122, KV-85, IS-1, ISU-122, SU-100.
many infantry units that have not yet been used: paratroopers, marines, scouts.
- Trans-Baikal group of troops, mix pre-war and modern equipment and tanks
But there is about the "Russian paratroopers" - I thought it would be cool if you take this commander, the engineers and conscripts skins are replaced with different skins of paratroopers. I read the memoirs of the Soviet engineer paratroopers - they could do everything that infantry engineers did and Soviet paratroopers also had flamethrowers.
If the idea is to stay with lend-lease concept then I must disappoint you, since USSR didn't get any BARs through lend-lease. They used a small number of polish BARs, but these were captured guns.
Yes I know. But the USSR still used the BAR, as well as received the rest of the weapon: Bazooka, PIAT, Bren. So it fits perfectly (not perfectly, but fits) into the concept of Lend-Lease.
Small copy-paste with changes. Hungary would be a perfect 3rd faction. These are not successive Germans, but there are many things that people love.
- armored car: 39M Csába
- light tanks: 38M Toldi, can get anti-tank missiles.
- medium tanks: 40M Turán I / II
from 74 to 84 PzKpfw IV Ausf.F1, Ausf.F2, Ausf.H and Ausf.J
captured T-34-76
- self-propelled guns: Marder II
43.M Zríni
Hetzer, Hungary received 75 Hetzer.
- Anti-aircraft tank: 40M Nimród
- Armored personnel carrier: 43M Lehel, used as an ambulance.
- Heavy Tank: Tiger, Hungary received 13 Tiger tank.
German King Tiger support.
The Hungarians had 44M grenade launchers and anti-tank missiles.
The US rifleman are even more powerful and more versatile than penal troops and they can have a double BAR, the fact that the penal troops have one soldier will no longer make them a super OP. Moreover, you can balance the ability of the CP (3-4 CP I think it is appropriate) and the additional markup for the gun.