Soviet reconnaissance, artillery, and Air defence

[JDR Dragoon]

The principles of a Soviet "Forward Detachment" or if you will, a recon detachment with a mission. ;)

Somewhat. The Forward detachment (or Operational Manuever Group as it is sometimes called) is not so much meant as an economy of force, recon, security and freedom of movement measure, but as a "Strike Force" dedicated to taking a single objective. What that objective might be and how far in the enemy rear it resides depends on the scale of the forward detachment. A Motorrifle Division using its Tank regiment or independent Tank battalion might be using it to strike for a critical bridge or piece of ground in the divisions immediate area, while an Front might use an entire Tank Army waiting to strike for an important strategic objective.

But do you have an idea how the recon battalion operates? I mean does it operate in simple company columns, or does it have different task groupings it can form out of its units?
That was the reason why I looked in the reconnaissance chapter, to enlighten me on how the reconnaissance assets of army, division and regiment operates. :chin:

It has 3 companies (plus some EW and signals intelligence company sized units, but that isn´t really important regarding how it conducts ground recon). Each company will usually get a major route to scout along or a major area to scout into. That means the division can uitilize up to 3 main routes of advance at the same time, but will usually only use 2. These two routes will each get a company (typically the BMP/BRM/Tank equipped ones). The last company might be held in reserve, to take over one of the routes if one of the other companies take debiliating losses or if it is the BRDM equipped company it might be tasked with sneaking even further ahead than the BRM/BMP equipped ones in order to get into the enemy rear areas quickly. Som older types of units might only have BRDM equipped recon battalions (typically backed up by PT 76 light tanks). In that case the procedure is similar, but the combat potential of the unit is even less and it will rely much more on quickly using its vehicles to infiltrate dismounted scouts forwards.

Tactically they do this by sending out scouting patrols of perhaps a platoon along the major route itself and patrols 1-2 vehicles driving along secondary roads/logging trails etc. parallel to the main route. Patrols of 1-2 vehicles might also be sent out to recon particular pieces of ground (large farm complexes, large tracts of forest, villages etc.) that might house a hidden enemy presence waiting for the recon units to roll past so that they can get a crack at the units following behind.

Movement wise the units tend to move forwards continously if no heavy enemy resistance is expected. They then gradually become more cautious, beginning to employ bounding and stationary overwatch. The BRM equipped units will also use their ground search radars. If enemy resistance is expected to be imminent the movement will be by short bounds from cover to cover, typically stopping in defilade and sending out dismounted scouts to quickly check out just what lies ahead over that hill before driving the vehicles across.