Combat Mission: Afrika Korps

The First Special Service Force was a unique fighting force in many ways. Chiefly, and most famously thanks to the 1968 motion picture by United Artists, the force was bi-national, consisting of American and Canadian personnel. This unit, trained in amphibious, mountain, and airborne warfare was perhaps the most highly trained unit of its size to emerge from the Second World War.

First Special Service Force
First Regiment		Second Regiment	Third Regiment	Service Battalion
1st Battalion	2nd Battalion	as at left	as at left	Maintenance Company Service Company
3 x Company	3 x Company

The platoon commander (a lieutenant) would be armed most likely with a carbine and .45 calibre pistol.

The "section" is described as being twelve men led by a Staff Sergeant. The breakdown of the section would be as thus for each platoon:

First Section

Second Section

Section leader - Thompson SMG

BAR gunner

Bazooka

60mm Mortar

M-1 Garand

Johnson LMG

The portrayal of the FSSF Company in CM is rather straight-forward, as the US Airborne Parachute Company is organized very similarly, being available in two-squad platoons. For each platoon that is purchased, add a bazooka team, a 60mm mortar team, and two BAR teams (to represent the Johnson LMG which is not available in CM) and be sure to group the additional teams under the same platoon headquarters.

As the FSSF was a light infantry unit, it required heavier support units on occasion.

The FSSF arrived in the Anzio beachhead with this unit attached as "semi-permanent" fire support. The battalion was comprised of three batteries, each with 4 x M1A1 75mm pack howitzers. It also had an anti-tank platoon of four x M3A1 37mm anti-tank guns.

456th Parachute Artillery Battalion
Battalion Headquarters		75mm Battery		75mm Battery	75mm Battery	AT Platoon
Security	Signals, Supply, Maintenance	Section	Section	as at left	as at left	4 x 37mm AT Gun 4 x Jeep
2 x .50 cal HMG 2 x Truck	No CM equivalent	2 x 75mm 2 x Jeep	2 x 75mm 2 x Jeep

This battalion (part of the 1st US Armored Division) was sometimes used in support of the FSSF, and in CM terms probably operated with one recon company (as shown below) in support of each FSSF battalion.

Jeep	MG Jeep	M8 Greyhound	M5A1
The 81st Reconaissance Battalion used M8 Greyhound armoured cars, M5A1 Stuart light tanks, the M19 60mm mortar, and the 1/4 ton truck (both armed and unarmed).

Recon Company

Armoured Car Platoon

Light Tank Platoon

Sardinian Mule Company

3 x M8 Greyhound

3 x Jeep (MG)

3 x Jeep

3 x 60mm Mortar

5 x M5A1 Light Tank
(1 platoon)

No CM Equivalent

FSSF Company
HQ Platoon	1st Platoon	2nd Platoon	3rd Platoon
	Platoon HQ Section Section	as at left	as at left