"US Infantry Regiment - plans for June 1945" Topic
11 Posts
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Starfury Rider | 28 Apr 2019 9:46 a.m. PST |
I've been able to get hold of the details for the US Infantry Regiment organisation authorised from June 1945. My understanding is that this is the T/O that would have been used by Inf Regts in the anticipated invasion of the Japanese Home Islands set for late 1945. It wasn't that much different from the framework laid out since July 1943, but increased firepower and put a number of new weapons into the hands of the infantry. To the best of my knowledge it wasn't put into effect during the immediate post-war period but it does complete the evolution of the Regiment during the course of the war. Hopefully it may be of interest to some. Regtl HQ – 8 officers HQ Company (6 officers, 1 WO, 160 EM)(total 25 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton truck, 2x 1.5-ton trucks and 1x 2.5-ton truck) Co HQ – 2 officers, 28 EM (1x .50-cal and 4x 2.36-in launchers) Counterfire Section – 1 officer, 19 EM Comms Pl – 1 officer, 1 WO, 59 EM Intel & Recn Pl – 1 officer, 24 EM (1x .50-cal, 10 Jeeps) Antitank Mine Pl – 1 officer, 30 EM Service Co (8 officers, 4 WOs, 76 EM) (total 7 Jeeps, 3x 3/4-ton trucks, 39x 2.5-ton trucks, 2 tank recovery vehicles, 11x .50-cals and 10x 2.36-in launchers) Inf Cannon Co (5 officers, 96 EM) (total 6 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton and 1x 1.5-ton truck) Co HQ – 2 officers, 33 men (1x .50-cam and 1x 2.36-in) Three Pls, each – 1 officer, 21 men (3x heavy tank (105-mm howitzer)) Antitank Co (5 officers, 96 EM) (total 6 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton and 1x 1.5-ton truck) Co HQ – 2 officers, 33 men (1x .50-cam and 1x 2.36-in) Three Pls, each – 1 officer, 21 men (3x heavy tank (90-mm gun)) Three Inf Bns, each 37 officers and 977 EM Bn HQ – 5 officers HQ Co (4 officers, 84 EM) (total 9 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton truck, 1x 1.5-ton truck, 1x 50-cal, 5x 2.36-in launchers) Co HQ – 2 officers, 20 EM Bn HQ Sec – 13 EM (3 Jeeps) Comms Pl – 1 officer, 26 EM Amn & Pio Pl – 1 officer, 26 EM Heavy Wpns Co (7 officers, 188 EM) (total 20 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton truck, 3x 1.5-ton truck) Two HMG Pls, each – 1 officer, 35 EM (4x M1917s, 4x M1919s, 2x 2.36-in launchers) 81-mm Mortar Pl – 2 officers, 56 EM (6x 81-mm mortars, 2x 2.36-in launchers) Gun Pl – 1 officers, 32 EM (1x .50-cal, 6x 75-mm recoiless rifles, 3x 2.36-in launchers) Three Rifles Cos, each (7 officers, 235 EM) (4 jeeps) Co HQ – 2 officers, 40 EM (also 6 unallocated BARs) Wpns Pl – 2 officers, 75 EM; Pl HQ – 2 officers, 7 EM (4 Jeeps, 1x .50-cal) LMG Sec – 12 EM, 2 M1919s Mortar Sec – 17 EM, 3x 60-mm mortars Special Wpns Sec – 17 EM (3x 57-mm recoiless rifles) Assault Sec – 22 EM (6x 2.36-in launchers; each gunner, asst and amn bearer) Three Rifle Pls – 1 officer, 40 men; (1 rifle per Pl is M1C sniper) Pl HQ – 1 officer, 4 EM (2 Sgts, 2 messengers) Three Squads, each – 12 EM (2 Sgts, 10 Pvts, 11 M1 rifles and 1 BAR); also note that the BAR man was now a Corporal. Total Regt (less Med) – 143 officers, 5 WOs, 3414 EM = 3562 all ranks Gary |
ScottWashburn | 28 Apr 2019 2:59 p.m. PST |
Interesting, I think I've come across this before. In addition to the recoilless rifles, the regiment gets nine M26 Pershing tanks in its anti-tank company and M26E2, with the 105mm howitzer in the cannon company. Some serious firepower! |
Thresher01 | 28 Apr 2019 7:03 p.m. PST |
Thanks for sharing. Seems to me like the squads are under-represented with BARs, since from what I've read of the Pacific, they might have 2 – 3 of those in US Marine squads of 12 – 13 men. Of course, those were probably not officially on their TO&Es either, but were acquired over time, and, no doubt, the Marines are different from the Army, so……. |
Lion in the Stars | 28 Apr 2019 7:31 p.m. PST |
Those were Pershings in support?!? 9x standard Pershings and 9x 105mm Pershings? Ouch! I'd also expect there to be 'extra' BARs in the infantry companies. Probably 2x, though if any/many of the grunts and officers had been part of the island-hopping campaign I might expect 3x BARs. Would be fun to run against my Weird War Germans, E50s with night vision gear (and Katzchen APCs, also with NV gear). |
Griefbringer | 29 Apr 2019 1:16 a.m. PST |
Inf Cannon Co (5 officers, 96 EM) (total 6 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton and 1x 1.5-ton truck)Antitank Co (5 officers, 96 EM) (total 6 Jeeps, 1x 3/4-ton and 1x 1.5-ton truck)
This seems like quite a low allocation of vehicles considering the number men, even when taking into account that 45 men per company would be crewing the tanks. Also, not much cargo capacity for ammo transport. Seems to me like the squads are under-represented with BARs, since from what I've read of the Pacific, they might have 2 – 3 of those in US Marine squads of 12 – 13 men.Of course, those were probably not officially on their TO&Es either The USMC squad organisations with 12 men + 2 BARs and 13 men + 3 BARs were actually official TOEs. |
Jozis Tin Man | 29 Apr 2019 5:13 a.m. PST |
This is very interesting and dovetails with my Korea project. Thanks for sharing! The main difference I see with the 1950 TOE (issued in 1946 I think) is the deletion of Cannon and Anti-Tank companies, addition of a Regimental Tank Company with 22 tanks in 4 platoons, and a Regimental 4.7" Mortar Company (I forget how many tubes, 9 I think) At the Company level, the M1919's and Bazookas are organic to the platoon and no longer held at company level. My understanding, at least during Korea, is that a BAR was an individual issued weapon, so if your BAR gunner is evacuated to the rear, he leaves his personal weapon. A replacement shows up with his BAR, so that is how you get two per squad. By the end of Korea, 2 BAR's were TOE for the Army. This is a LOT of firepower, and don't forget the Artillery hammer sitting behind the Infantry Regiments. You are right, this would make for some interesting scenarios. |
Griefbringer | 29 Apr 2019 10:33 a.m. PST |
Certainly those cannon and anti-tank companies re-armed with tanks look like something begging to be merged. Overall they had 18 tanks, split into six platoons of three tanks. For comparison, the standard US medium tank company in WWII was 18 tanks, split into a three tank HQ and three platoons of five tanks each. On another note, seems like the ATG platoon at the battalion level was also removed, with the new recoilless gun platoon as the closest thing. Considering how much the rifle company weapons platoon was enlarged, I am still wondering why the MG section was not allocated a third MG team, though. |
Starfury Rider | 29 Apr 2019 12:30 p.m. PST |
The Antitank and Cannon Companies are shown with the M26 (90-mm gun) and M45 (105-mm how) respectively. I understand the M45 was the 105-mm armed M26 but didn't see much production with the end of the war. The two Companies are effectively the same, the only difference being the tank armament. I got hold of a reference data booklet hoping it would cover the Infantry Regiment at the end of the war in Europe but found it covered the June 1945 model instead. It has the closest I've seen to a 'Table of Organization' in a British WE, showing the suggested allocation of personnel to transport, for a US document. Co HQ carried about 24 of its 35 men in its vehicles (three Jeeps and one each 3/4-ton and 1.5-ton trucks). A chart for the whole Regt, including the Medical Det, shows approx. 1200 riding and 2500 walking; well it is still the infantry after all. The Tank Pls each had one Jeep for four men, with 15 in the tanks and 'In order that the Platoon be Completely Motorized' the last three men riding as passengers on the tanks. Each tank is shown with 70 rounds of main gun amn, plus 23 rnds 90-mm and 27 rnds 105-mm per tank on the Regtl Train. No amn supply detailed for the Co HQ transport. Yes, the 57-mm anti-tank guns were gone, that job going to the 75-mm M20, which isn't something I'm very familiar with (though I understand it saw some limited trial usage in both the ETO and the PTO in 1945). The MG Pls in the Heavy Wpns Co of the Inf Bns did have four each of LMGs and HMGs, but no change in crew provision. It's not explicitly stated but I'd imagine it was to allow for the most appropriate weapon to be used, and that did reflect USMC practice. That's pretty much the only change to the provision of fully automatic weapons from the June 1944 model. The six BARs in Rifle Co HQs are definitely spares, every other personal weapon is accounted for. In the post-war General Board report on the US Infantry Division (particular to the ETO), the provision of an extra BAR per Rifle Squad is mentioned and dismissed as 'undesirable' as it would impact the manoeuvre element. It refers to comments by a number of Inf Divs but doesn't go on to provide them. Also to my surprise the six .45-cal SMGs previously added per Rifle Co are stricken. There are very specific calculations for the amount of amn to be carried for weapons on the available transport, which as noted above isn't that much. The weight for 360 rounds per BAR on Regtl Trains comes in at 3846lbs, or 1.92 US tons. That doesn't include the 380 rounds per BAR to be carried by Rifle Squads. I can't find a hint as to whether the spare BARs were only given the reserve of 360 or the full 740 per weapon, but suspect it's the former. Gary |
Griefbringer | 30 Apr 2019 8:56 a.m. PST |
The Tank Pls each had one Jeep for four men, with 15 in the tanks and 'In order that the Platoon be Completely Motorized' the last three men riding as passengers on the tanks. Each tank is shown with 70 rounds of main gun amn, plus 23 rnds 90-mm and 27 rnds 105-mm per tank on the Regtl Train. Makes me wonder what was the role of those "dismounted" fellows in the tank platoon. I presume that they could be useful in a scouting or liaison role, and maybe as a small security section to keep an eye on hostile infantrymen in close vicinity. That ammo allocation on the regimental train sounds a bit spartan, though there would be more somewhere in the divisional train. Yes, the 57-mm anti-tank guns were gone, that job going to the 75-mm M20 That is certainly much lighter than the 57 mm gun, and could be easily manhandled into all sorts of places to lob HE at enemy. That said, there seems to be only 4-5 crew per gun which would limit the amount of HE ammo they could easily transport. Then again, with the high firing signature it might also be a good idea to change the position after a while… |
Andy ONeill | 30 Apr 2019 10:50 a.m. PST |
The m20 was intended just for occasional support. The highly noticeable signature was considered a reasonable price to pay for ease of movement. The 3" atg was pretty heavy and difficult to manhandle. The german army also kept on asking for lighter guns. One result of which was the high-low system used in the PAW. Probably better known in the 40mm grenade launcher.
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d88mm1940 | 30 Apr 2019 1:41 p.m. PST |
Here is an excellent video on the rifle squad as it evolved throughout WW2: YouTube link |
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