Wargaming | Crossfire | Fogo Cruzado
Crossfire Order of Battle for the Portuguese Colonial War

Posted 18 Jun 2010 at 23:52

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.  

Portuguese

Note: All Portuguese units are Reckless like Russians and Japanese. They liked to close.

Light Infantry (Caçadores)

The Caçadores were the main stay of the Portuguese army during the war.

Light Infantry (Caçadores) Company

  • 1 x Company Command Team (+1)
  • 4 x Combat Groups
    • 1 x Combat Group Command Team (+1)
    • 1 x Combat Group Support Section
      • 0 or 1 x Bazooka Team
      • 0 or 1 x MMG Team
      • 0 or 1 x 60mm Mortar Team
      • 0 or 1 x 57mm Recoilless Rifle often mounted on a truck
    • 3 x Sections
      • 1 x Section Commander (+1)
      • 1 x Assault Rifle Team
      • 1 x Assault Rifle + LMG Team 
  • Morale: Green or Regular
  • Command and Control: Poor or OK
  • Reckless

 

Intervention units (unidades de intervenção)

This order of battle covers the:

  • Commandos (Comandos),
  • Paratroops (Pára-quedistas),
  • Special Paratrooper Groups (Grupos Especiais Pára-quedistas or GEP) and
  • Special Marine Detachments (Destacamentos de Fuzileiros Especiais or DFE)

All of them had a similar order of battle. For the first three this structure facilitated insertion by helicopter. The presence or absence of the back up team with RPG indicates whether Commando unit was from a "heavy" or "light" company; I don't think other intervention units had this team. 

Intervention unit (unidade de intervenção)

  • 1 x Command Team (+2)
  • 3 x Assault Rifle + LMG Teams
  • 0 or 2 x RPG Teams (only available to Commandos from a Heavy Company)
  • 0 - 5 Allouette III Helicopters, i.e. one per team if any are used
  • Morale: Veteran
  • Command and Control: Good
  • Reckless

Special Groups (Grupos Especiais or GE)

The Special Groups (Grupos Especiais or GE) were black para-military units.

Special Groups (Grupos Especiais or GE)

  • 1 x Special Group Command Team (+1)
  • 3 x Sections
    • 1 x Section Commander (+1)
    • 2 x Assault Rifle Teams
  • Morale: Green or Regular
  • Command and Control: Poor or OK

 

Insurgent

PAIGC Bi-group

 

PAIGC Bi-group

  • 1 x Bi-group Commander
  • 1 x Political Commissar
  • 2 x Groups
    • 1 x Group Commander
      2-4 x Teams chosen from any combination of:
      • Assault Rifle + LMG Team
      • Assault Rifle + RPG Team
      • Assault Rifle Team
      • SMG Team
      • Bolt Action Rifle Team
  • Morale: Regular
  • Command and Control: OK 

 

UNITA

UNITA had a good reputation but were poorly equipped.

UNITA Platoon

  • 1 x Platoon Commander (+1)
  • 3 x Sections
    • 1 x Section Commander (+1)
    • 2 x Bolt Action Rifle Teams
    Morale: Regular
  • Command and Control: OK 

 

Other Insurgents

Includes MPLA, FRELIMO, UPA / FNLA / GRAE and early period PAIGC.

Insurgent Group

  • 1 x Group Commander (0)
  • 0 or 1 x Political Commissar (appropriate for FRELIMO, MPLA and PAIGC)
  • 3 x Sections
    • 1 x Section Commander (0)
    • 2 x Teams chosen from any combination of:
      • Assault Rifle + LMG Team
      • Assault Rifle Team
      • SMG Team
      • Bolt Action Rifle Team
      • Bow Gang
      • Machete Gang
      • Assault Rifle + RPG Team
  • Morale: Usually Green sometimes Regular
  • Command and Control: Poor
  • Most insurgents have these special characteristics:
    • Untrained
    • Looter
  • Some insurgents would have these special characteristics:
    • Technology Gap - for any heavy support weapons
    • Timid - most appropriate for Green troops from the FNLA or MPLA
    • Reckless - for superstitious types such as the poor armed UPA followers in 1961