silencer
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Post by silencer on Dec 30, 2005 14:07:49 GMT -5
Do you guys know the formations the infantry or airborne used in WWII?
Also, what would be a platoons setup (like 4 squads 1 squad has 10 rifle men and 1 Sargent) something along those lines?
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2nd Bat
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Post by 2nd Bat on Dec 30, 2005 19:05:27 GMT -5
Probably too much to cover in a single post in much detail. There are however lots of great references on T/O&E's (Tables of Organization) online or in the library. A great resource is George Forty's US Army Handbook 1939-1945. Briefly: For a regular line Infantry Company Typically an Infantry squad would be 12 men. (Although rarely was it up to full strength) these 12 men would be armed with 10 M1 garand Rifles, one BAR and a Springfield 03 sniper rifle. There was a squad leader and two section leaders. The squad leader was an E-6 (Staff Sgt) and the section leaders were buck sgts. Corporals were assistant section leaders. The NCOs typically had a choice of weapons and often carried Thompson Sub machine guns or Grease guns. There were 3 squads like this in a platoon. In addition to the three "Rifle Squads" each squad had a platoon headquarters which consisted of a Platoon Sgt (Usually a SFC with 3 up and two down) and a second Lt. and a runner or Radio operator. There were three such platoons in a Rifle Company. In addition the Rifle company had a Weapons platoon which consisted of a plt HQs a MG section (Two 30 Cal MG teams, of 5 men each) and 3 60mm mortar teams. In addition there was a single 50 Cal heavy machine gun and three bazooka teams. Usually a company would have some medics assigned from the battalion Medical Section (Usually three medics per company) The Company HQs was was made up of the C.O. Commanding Officer (A Captain) and an X.O. Executive Officer (Usually a 1st Lt.) a Company First Sgt. (Three up and three down with a diamond in the middle!) and several radio/ telephone/ runners. Keep in mind this is the strict technical unit makeup. It virtually never existed as designed!
There were three rifle companies in a battalion and three battalions in a regiment and three regiments in a division. At each level there were additional support and attached weapons groups with the HQs sections and admin staff increasing exponentially in size.
Armored Infantry units and Airborne units were different in structure and size and Ranger Units were way smaller with a ranger Company consisting of only 63 men! with 3 officers divided into only two platoons. There were however 6 companies in a Ranger Battalion. Rangers had higher firepower with four to eight BARs authorized per company, four light machine guns, two bazookas and 12 sets of brass knuckles! In addition their company mortar section had six longer range heavier 81mm mortars. Thompson sub machine guns were also in greater abundance as they were athorized for all scouts and NCOs.
In the ETO Infantry units were virtually always way under strength especially as campaigns dragged on and units were on the line. It wasn't unusual for a sqd to be down to four men and still be expected to perform. You can therefore call whatever hodgepodge of airsoft players whatever you want. "You 12 guys are the first platoon." "You eight guys will be the 2nd platoon etc."
I hope this is the kind of detail you were looking for.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Dec 30, 2005 19:18:16 GMT -5
The primary Infantry formations were:
LINE FORMATION: Spread out side by side approaching the direction of expected enemy resistance. Used in direct assault with known location of enemy opposition. Provides maximum firepower toward the front. Very vulnerable to flank attack.
WEDGE FORMATION A "V" formation with the spear point toward the expected enemy position. Provides somewhat improved protection to each flank. usually used while moving toward the enemy with some uncertainty as to the point or direction of contact.
ESCHELON LEFT A line formation angled toward the left. Expected contact from the left. Often used by an element like a squad or platoon in conjunction with an adjacent unit performing and ESCHELON RIGHT so the two element create a WEDGE.
COLUMN FORMATION Men in a line one behind the other. Usually used in secure areas like the chow line! or at night when likelihood of contact is low and control and ease of movement is the criteria.
COLUMN OF TWOs. Same as a column but with two rows. Usually used on road marches. It spreads the element out more and shortens its overall length for greater control.
The element leader can direct the unit into these formations usually by verbal command. (repeated by everyone) or hand and arm signals.
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silencer
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Post by silencer on Dec 30, 2005 23:15:26 GMT -5
Wow, ok thanks thats exactly what I was looking for. Since squads were so undermaned as the war went on did they get reenforced? A lot of the time you hear about reenforcements.
How many thompsons would you see in a squad, I think you said the NCOs could get them which would mean 2 or 3? How about carbines, would only NCOs get those as well?
Thanks for the information.
Edit: One more thing, do you know how much ammo a soldier typically carried, obviously that varried as well.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Dec 31, 2005 0:23:11 GMT -5
Following extensive combat, a unit would be "pulled off the line" and reinforced by replacements. Often times a unit feared it was going back to the front when a determined effort had been made to bring it back up to authorized strength.
In Europe there were replacement posts where troops accumulated to be distributed as needed. Most of the accumulated troops were fresh off the boat but some were previously wounded vets who were sufficiently healed to be placed back in a unit. Sadly many were not sent back to their original units. Because of this many soldiers did everything they could to skip the replacement centers and find their way back to their original units. Often because of this they were reported as AWOL and in many cases got busted down in rank. These were called Repple depples and they were much maligned. Soldiers some times languished in them for weeks of boredom and suspense.
Even during campaigns and intense front line duty replacements would be sprinkled into a unit. Sadly veterans report with great frequency they were killed often within the first few days. The instincts just weren't developed or they were trying to prove themselves or no one as yet had, had time to overcome the often bad stateside training they'd receive. Veterans consistently say they were very reluctant to get to know a new guy as they so often died or were wounded within a weeek. This anecdotal statement is just as common with German forces as American.
Late in the war non Infantry trained soldiers were funneled into combat units as Infantry soldiers (which constituted a very small percentage of overall soldiers in the theater). Infantry units were depleted horribly and not enough could be trained quickly enough. There was also a high number of educated and older (mid to late 20s) soldiers who were rolled into Infantry units that had originally been intended to be made into officers.
Carbines were supposed to be a replacement for the .45 pistol giving rear eschelon troops greater firepower in a rapidly changing environment brought about by mechanized warfare. Hence officers in combat units might recieve them often along with a .45 pistol. Typically they'd be issued to support troops. AT Gunners, Assistant gunners, drivers, MPs, ammo bearers, clerks and supply personnel. That was the plan. In fact they were quite commonplace and were often seen even down to the Infantry squad level.
Combat loads varied greatly depending on mission and availability. Rarely was it more then 200 rounds, at least not clipped or loaded in magazines. WW2 ammunition was heavy so anything more began to effect the soldiers mobility and endurance for combat. Especially when combined with all the other things they had to carry.
Generally a WW2 combat soldier had 60 to 70 lbs of kit while expected to fight. Sometimes far more. Obviously they dumped some of that for assaults if possible but you never wanted it to be too far away. Bringing up ammo even after short actions was commonplace on European and Pacific battlefields. A Jeep and trailer was a popular sight.
Again hope that info is worth reading about.
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silencer
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Post by silencer on Dec 31, 2005 0:59:46 GMT -5
Thanks a bunch that answers every question I have in far more detail than I could ever imagine. The info kept me busy a long time thanks again.
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