US Amoured Cavalry TOE and employment?

[scowlmovement]

HQ platoon for a heavy troop is:

1 M1 (Co)

1 M577 or M3 (Xo)

1 M88

2 mortar tracks

1 FIST-V

1 M113 (maintenance)

2 M998 HMMWV

2 2-1/2 ton trucks

1 2-1/2 ton wrecker

1 (sometimes 2) M113 Medic track(s) (attached)

1 Vulcan ADV or Bradley Linebacker (attached)

Secondly, the troop normally operates as two sections with 1 scout and 1 tank platoon each. During recon missions the tanks typically position themselves one terrain feature behind the scouts and provide overwatch, generally 500m-1km back.

Third, the scout platoons split according to the situation and the amount of area that has to be covered. Two three vehicle sections provide better C and C, and are best used for route recons and movements to contact while two three vehicle sections can cover a larger frontage and are preferred for screening and zone or area recons. Tank platoons will break into sections as appropriate to support their scouts.

Lastly, heavy cavalry's primary roles are armed reconnaissance and screening, but are fully capable of conventional offensive operations, particularly raids and flanking attacks for larger organizations. Your supposition on the defense is correct about holding ground, but few other forces are as adept at economy of force/delaying actions.

An armored cavalry regiment's TOE also included an air cavalry squadron, which could have been integrated into the regimental recce & security plan, or as a mobile anti-tank reserve, as there were two attack helicopter troops (companies) in the squadron. The ACR's combat power was tremendous for a unit of its size, and suitable for a wide variety of tasks I'm sure.

[Panzer_Leader]

I've been doing some more digging on this and just found an excellent original resource - the 11th ACR Welcome Paper from January 1988: http://www.eaglehorse.org/6_then_now/welcome_paper_1988/index.html

It shows they were still operating the M1 at this time but I can't tell if they are M1A0 or IPM1 from the grainy photos. Anyway, for the purposes of scenario development featuring 11th ACR it looks safe to use the M1 through 1987 and into early 1988 at least.

Further to this, I've been able to find a photo of 11th ACR with the M1A1 at REFORGER 88 (September 1988): http://www.eaglehorse.org/pictures/master/1/may0603_rfgr883.jpg. This suggests at least some of 11th ACR had reequipped with the M1A1 by that time.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Panzer_Leader
Updated with REFORGER 88 information

[blackhorse]

You need to make sure you get the call-signs right.

The correct ones are:

Anvil, Buccaneer, Coldsteel, Deathrider, and How Battery was Cannoneer.

This is what I'm going to use for the first part of my scenario/campaign "Battle for Hünfeld":

1st Cavalry Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop

A (Apache) Cavalry Troop:

B (Blackfeet) Cavalry Troop:

(Same as A Troop)

C (Comanche) Cavalry Troop:

(Same as A Troop)

D (Dakota) Tank Company:

Field Artillery Troop:

Still trying to figure what and how many tubes for the arty.

[scowlmovement]

You need to make sure you get the call-signs right.

The correct ones are:

Anvil, Buccaneer, Coldsteel, Deathrider, and How Battery was Cannoneer.

Don't forget about the squadron's call sign, "Iron Horse."

[GaryOwen]

And just because: 3d Squadron billted at Bad Hersfeld was "Work Horse" or "Bandit" by brevity code in the clear. Units were Invader, Killer, Leadhorse, and Mauler (the tank company). How Battery was Gunsmoke. 58th Combat Engineer Company was billted at Bad Hersfeld as well and was Red Devil.

[RomeoNovember12]

What would a typical callsign for an aeroscout or aeroweapons team have been?

 

 

[Mirzayev]

1 hour ago, RomeoNovember12 said:

What would a typical callsign for an aeroscout or aeroweapons team have been?

 

 

 

The Air Cavalry Squadron was called "Thunderhorse."

 

It was made up of the following:

 

A TRP (Combat Support Aviation): Miners

B TRP (Attack Aviation): Name Unknown

C TRP (Attack Aviation): Tankbusters

D TRP (Air Cavalry): Death Riders

E TRP (Air Cavalry): Name Unknown

F TRP (Air Cavalry): Name Unknown)

 

Also included is a maintenance platoon (Crazyhorse) and a military intelligence company (Trojanhorse). 

 

For actual flight call signs, I don't know specifics, but a "generic" solution would be naming them after the Troop, and then the flight lead callsign, ie. Tankbuster Red 1.

 

I'm not an expert, so feel free to add to this.

 

Edited February 4, 2018 by Mirzayev

[RomeoNovember12]

Thank you!

[Mogwa]

Here is the TOE for an ACR in 1994

ACR OOB.rar

[RomeoNovember12]

Guys,

 

I'm making some progress on my scenario mentioned in another thread, though there is a lot more to be done.

 

As I understand it Mirzayev states above that the callsign of D Troop/Air Cav Squadron was Deathrider and Blackhorse states that D Troop/1 Squadron was Deathrider. I can't imagine that they were called Deathrider. Who is correct? I would appreciate it if I could get the correct callsigns for both troops as they feature in my scenario.

 

/Mats