UshCha | 05 Feb 2019 3:04 p.m. PST |
I am having some trouble finding out in a Soviet Squad roughly how many RPG rounds were carried by the Grenadier and his assistant? It looks like the Gunner grenadier carriers 2 rounds and the assistant about 6 is this reasonable? How many re-loads were carried in say a BMP-1 |
Herkybird | 05 Feb 2019 3:47 p.m. PST |
I don't think your numbers are unreasonable. I know the backpack carried 3 spare rounds on the assistant. The BMP-1 was pretty cramped, and had to make space for its 4 Sagger missiles too. I guess the crews could carry as many as they thought they needed without feeling overburdened?. |
Endless Grubs | 05 Feb 2019 6:19 p.m. PST |
Soviet doctrine required a kill team to have the grenadier carry two rounds and boosters and the assistant carry a three round pack. Assistant was required to be as proficient as the grenadier in using the RPG. Doctrine placed assistant on left side of grenadier. In actual practice? What you could carry…and water. |
Endless Grubs | 05 Feb 2019 6:29 p.m. PST |
BMP-1's were issued one RPG-7 launcher and five rounds as standard equipment. Per doctrine, each squad had at least one kill team. Theoretically, a BMP-1 squad with eight soldiers would also have a driver and gunner. The motorized squad was permanently assigned a vehicle, so the RPG and five rounds were organic to that squad and BMP. Non-motorized squads also had a kill team with 1 RPG-7 launcher and five rounds. |
Thresher01 | 05 Feb 2019 9:33 p.m. PST |
Is that five "extra rounds" not including the one already mounted in the tube, so six rounds total per RPG (counting the one I always see already in the weapon, or only five? |
Legion 4 | 06 Feb 2019 8:09 a.m. PST |
Yes, IIRC 5 rounds was the standard … with one in the tube ? |
Lion in the Stars | 06 Feb 2019 1:33 p.m. PST |
I've always seen that as Gunner with one in the weapon and carrying two more, plus the ammo mule with a backpack of 3. |
Endless Grubs | 06 Feb 2019 4:04 p.m. PST |
From a simple logistical perspective, packs with boosters were issued with three per pack, so I would assume (!) the grenadier was issued a pack as was the assistant for a total of six. Additional equipment such as starlight optics would have been standard issue to the team along with launcher. Since tanks were considered THE high priority targets for RPG teams, I would also expect late 80s and early 90s offense and defense kill teams to have mostly tandem rounds unless mission-specific (ie Urban Environment vs "technicals," other improvised, and house cleaning). |
Endless Grubs | 06 Feb 2019 4:15 p.m. PST |
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Thresher01 | 06 Feb 2019 10:07 p.m. PST |
Yea, I always assumed the three per pack too, so six total in the unit strength mentioned above. |
Barin1 | 07 Feb 2019 12:33 a.m. PST |
RPG's were also issued to artillery. When I was a howitzer operator, I had PM+RPG-7B. Somebody was wise enough to notice, that having AK behind your back will affect your performance when you're aiming the gun, but then it was decided as operator had less load than his comrades, he could have RPG. Well, at least I had a chance to make several shots with it. I had 2 extra rounds, 3 total, and I guess there were spares somewhere, but not in our gun lockers. |
Legion 4 | 07 Feb 2019 6:33 a.m. PST |
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