I've always been intrigued by what USMC Scout Sniper Platoons actually looked liked in terms of organisation, but despite my efforts had never been able to find an actual contemporary description, until recently.
One comes from 2nd Bn, 6th Mar Inf Regt, from the 1945 report on its participation on Okinawa.
Pl HQ – Lt, Pl Sgt, 2 messengers
Four Squads, each – Cpl, BAR man, Thompson gunner, 6 riflemen. Carbines for all Pl HQ personnel and Squad leaders, M1 rifles for all riflemen, plus one BAR and TSMG per Squad. Alternative weapons to be two sniper rifles per Squad, and extra weapons two Bazookas and four LMGs in reserve.
An alternative comes from 24th Mar Inf, also 1945.
Pl HQ – Lt, Pl Sgt, Sgt Guide, 4 riflemen, 2 communicators, plus one USN Corpsman
Two Groups, each of – Cpl, 4 riflemen (one each BAR, BAR Asst, M1903 Sniper, M1 rifleman)
One Squad of – Sgt and two Groups (each as above)
The figures for this don't quite add up from the description, and it's not entirely clear why and whether there were seemingly two Groups (5 men each) and a Squad (11 men) as separate elements.
Other references indicate the Sct/Snp Pls were only established when the Regts had an excess of personnel to draw on. I suspect the other Mar Inf Regts had their own distinct org for these subunits, but it was good to finally see something contemporary on them.
Gary
