Non-Brad TO&E

[BuffaloSoldier]

Anyone have a TO&E for a non-Bradley (m113) mechanized infantry battalion?

Buff.

[tim]

try www.fas.org us army section. basically the same as M2 battalion with extra M901 units and optional mashine gun units.

[BuffaloSoldier]

Now there's a thought. To be a little more specific. I am referring to Cold War-era m113 mech infantry battalions in Europe. Not pre-"Division86" particularly, but maybe a mech infantry battalion that has not yet converted to the Bradley.

[charlie_zero_five]

Bless your heart, I was a PL and XO in a 113 BN ;)

For CO and above, look for 71-1 (CO TM) 71-2 (BN) and 71-3 (BCT) They arent available on the digital library anymore, because they are replaced.

1 MECH BDE had: 2 MECH BN (M113A3), 1 TANK BN (M1), 1 ENG BN(M113A2), 1 FA BN(M109A4?), Ammo CO, CAV PLT(M113), MI DET, CMEDD, and lots of ash and trash

Tho, from memory, Ill try to list the TOE for a 113 MECH BN

4xMECH rifle companies with:

3xRIFLE PLT of 3xM113, 11PAX squads, driver and TC, 9 dismount Infantry, 1xM-60 LMG, 2xM203, 2xDRAGON, 1xM113 PL track

1xHQ section with 2xM113 for CO and XO(bumper number C-05...hmmm).
1xM996HUMVEE for Top
1xM996HUMVEE for CO
1x2.5T truck with trailer for supply
1x2.5 for NBC NCO
1xFISTV habitual slice for FO

1xAT Company (E CO) with 4 PLT 2 sections of 2xM901
1xM901 (CO)
1xM113 (XO)
1xFISTV
1xM996 hummer CO
1xM996 hummer TOP
1x2.5T for supply
1x2.5T for NBC

1xHHC Company

A bunch of M113A3, and those command track type vehicles, around 10 total?

1xScout platoon (19D MOS) 4xM113A3 with 6 PAX driver, TC and 4 scouts, have also seen 8xM998 Humvee
1x5T truck company (4x5T)
1xSupport PLT (4x2.5)
1xMaint PLT (4xM113A3) with lots of wrenches and cut-torches inside, habitually sliced to companies
1xMed PLT (4XM113 MED) habitually sliced to companies
1xMess section, with 6x2.5T, and a bunch of trailers, water buffs, and MKT's
1x fueler section (4xHMMT?)
1xMortar PLT 4xMsomething mortar tracks with the 'ole 4.2 in mortars (4 duece)


Well...That's all i can remember ...lol kinda freaky actually. anyway, a CO TEAM usually loked like this:

1XTANK PLT
2XMECH PLT (M113)
1xENG Squad
1xFISTV
2xM901(AT)

A MECH BN in advanced guard formation usually had the Scout plt out front, followed by a CO, then the BN

[Chaplain]

The E Co's in Europe, circa 1991, had 20 ITV's.

My battalion had them grouped in 3 platoons. The first and third platoons had 6 ITV's and an M113 for the PL. The second platoon had 8 ITV's and an M113 for the PL. The PSG didn't have a vehicle.

Other battalions had the ITV's grouped into 3 platoons each with 4 ITV's and 1 M113, then 4 sections each with 2 ITV's. The 4 sections would be permanently divied up to the 4 line companies.

The first method put all the ITV's under the E Co Cdr, who would deploy them based on the desires of the Bn Cdr. The second method gave each line Co Cdr some AT punch to use as he would and yet reseved half of the Bn's ITV's to be deployed by the E Co and Bn Cdrs

The E Co Cdr had an M113, as did the maintenance slice. You cannot mount a double VRC radio system in an ITV, so the ITV as a vehicle was restricted to a single net. Therefore, the Co Cdr could not function as a leader without using an M113.

Similarly, the AT PL's and the PSG's would often fight over the platoon's single M113. The PSG wanted to use it to make food and ammo runs, but the PL needed it to be able to direct the sections during a battle. When you consider that the platoons were always sent in different directions, so that the E Co trains couldn't really resupply us, and that the line companies rarely took the effort to provide for the AT platoons, the PSG really had to spend a good deal of his time making supply runs for the platoon. E Co PSG's were really 1SG's in disguise.

As PL for the second platoon, I acted more like a Co Cdr at times. I had to split my platoon in half and send them to different sides of the battlefield. In each case the senior section leader would lead the 4 ITV's in his half and I would direct them via radio from as far as 2-3 miles away. (It was a real mess at times, since I was fresh out of IOBC and barely knew what I was doing.)

When the Bradley came into common use, this whole aspect of anti-tank warfare just disappeared from the US Army. Now all mechanized infantry sections need to be experts in long-range AT tactics as well as in close range combat. It's a simpler organization to equip and to train, but I think it is much more difficult to deploy it to effectively counter all threats. Of course, one must wonder if the AT units would really have been all that effective in a war in Europe, anyway. I was always more comfortable knowing that there were friendly tank platoons scattered around our positions.

[charlie_zero_five]

Nice add Chap, yeah, E CO boys are usually the "bastard children" of the BN hehe...kinda like EN PLT's and ADA guys

[BuffaloSoldier]

Praise the gods! Finally! I knew I would find some grunts out there who would know what I was talking about. Thank you very much for all of the great info.

Buff.