"French Platoon/Squad organisation during 1914-1935?" Topic

Can someone help me with finding French Army platoob and squad organisation during 1914-1935? I know that it may change during WW1 and Interwar Era, but I am going to buy french infantry to be used for late WW1 and Interwar period, so I need to know how many figures to buy.

For 1940 I found this organisation link I suppose this is valid for post 1925, because
FM 24/29 light machine gun was made in 1925, but what about WW1 and 1919-1915 period?
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4 Infantry Platoons, each containing:

Command Squad

Lieutenant or Sous-lieutenant (rifle and pistol), Sergeant (rifle), VB Caporal in charge of rifle grenades action (Lebel 86M93 rifle with VB Launcher and 8 VB Grenades), 1 transmission agent (carbine) and 1 observer (rifle).

3 Infantry Squads, each containing:

Squad Leader (Sergeant; rifle with 45 rounds and 1 LMG magazine), Assistant Squad Leader (Caporal; rifle with 45 rounds and 2 LMG magazines), LMG gunner (Chatellerault M24/29 LMG with 3 magazines). LMG loader (pistol, 3 LMG magazines and 325 rounds of ammo), 3 ammo carriers (carbine with 45 rounds and 4 LMG magazines and 150 rounds of ammo), 1 first rifleman (Soldat 1re Classe; rifle with 90 rounds), 3 riflemen (rifle with 90 rounds), and a rifle grenadier (Lebel 86M93 rifle with VB Launcher and 8 VB Grenades).

Infantry Squad Tactics
In practice, the infantry squads were split up into a Fire Element containing the assistant squad leader, LMG gunner, loader, and ammo carriers, and the Shock Element containing the four riflemen and (technically) the rifle grenadier, with the squad leader directing them all as needed. The Fire Element was tasked with providing suppressive fire for the Shock Element, which would then try to outflank the enemy.

Rifle Grenadiers
The rifle grenadiers in each infantry platoon were dispatched by the VB Caporal at the platoon level, who would direct their fire as necessary.

April 1916 – October 1917

CHQ
4 x Platoons, each:
PHQ
Bombing squad (8 rifles)
MG squad (1 chauchat, 6 rifles)
2 x rifle squads (12 rifles ea incl 2 x VB gl)
usually operated into two half platoons.

Oct 1917 – Oct 1918

CHQ
4 x Inf Platoons each:
PHQ
2 x half platoons each:
LMG/GL squad (7 men, 1 x Chauchat, 3 x VB gl)
Rifle/bomber squad (7 men incl 2 bombers)

Oct 1918 – ??

CHQ
4 x infantry platoons each:
PHQ
3 x 'groupe de combat' each:
1 x bombing team (6 men with rifles, bombs & 1 x VB gl)
1 x MG team (6 men with 1 x Chauchat & 5 rifles)

ie a modern infantry platoon with three 12 man sections each subdivided into a gun group and a rifle group.

Sounds like the basic organisation remained unchanged from Oct 1918 until 1940.

Sorry, meant to add that two of the men in the Chauchat group were ammo carriers.

Thanx! I can see that squad size and composition was not changed much from 1919 to 1940. LMG type was changed and 3 men became ammo carriers :)

It's interesting that the French put so much weight on rifle grenades. If you're going to do 1940 scenarios, you need to have good rules for them!

"It's interesting that the French put so much weight on rifle grenades. If you're going to do 1940 scenarios, you need to have good rules for them!"

Yes, in most WW1 rules they are quite effective for clearing out enemy behind obstacles, in trenches etc – like mini-mortars. I guess there was just less of that going on by 1939.

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but in the above, what does "VB gl" stand for?

thanks

V-B Grenade Launcher, named after the inventors, Vivien and Bessières.

Rifle grenades are still in use in the French army.

Greek platoon, 1919, Odessa – they essentially were trained by he French, and used French organisation in WW1 and after.

32 men + Officer in picture, so a bit short staffed (or maybe its a 10 man squads?). You can see 3 VB and 3 Chauchats. In 1940 a Greek squad was theretically 13 men – Sergeant/Corporal, 5 man Chauchat/Hotchkiss team, Lance Corporal, 6 man rifle team incl 1 VB. However, 10-11 men was common in active units.