Rifle platoon information wanted

[glenm]

To support Mr. JG. In the 1944 TO&E in a rifle platoon ONLY the officer has a carbine (and NO .45 pistol) so it would seem the platoon radioman carried a rifle.

 

You do realise that a PLATOON radioman is just carrying an SCR536 "Handy-Talky", don't you, and not a BC1000? That's why he's just a Rifleman with a little bit extra to carry...

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[FTrooper]

Yes, in the 1944 TO&E there are no specified "radio" operators. There are only 6 SCR-536's to be allocated as the Company Commander feels necessary (most people agree the typical allocation was one to company headquarters, one to each rifle platoon, and two to the weapons platoon with the mortars getting one themselves).

 

In the June 1945 TO&E, there is added one RTO to company HQ who carried a carbine and a BC-1000. When this change occurred I do not know as I do not have any of the changes for the 1944 one (which sometimes those changes are just as valuable as anything else).

 

Of course to re-emphasis what many, including myself, have said. TO&E's are a great START point for research, but are far from perfect. Some items just weren't available and resulted in substitutions, units modified their TO&E's based on their experiences and mission needs (sometimes officially with battalion orders and sometimes unofficially). Also new TO&E's take time to implement and can't be done when a unit it in the lines. Example: the 91st Cavalry Recon Squadron did alot of modifications. According to the March 1943 TO&E they were supposed to have M8 Armored Cars, which weren't available, so they had M3A1 Scout Cars. The had an Anti-Tank Platoon in HQ Troop which was supposed to have M6 Gun Motor Carriages, which they learned quickly were about useless, and they were able to unofficially substitute m3 Gun Motor Carriages that were surplus from a Tank Destroyer Battalion that re-equipped with M10's in Sicily. In Sept. 1943 a new TO&E came out, but the unit was already in the front lines and stayed there till Spring on 1944...it was THEN that they pulled out of the lines and reorganized to the new TO&E. They got carbines to replace M1928A1 SMG's (which many hated and kept the Thompsons), the finally replaced the last of their M3A1's with M8's, they added E-Troop assault guns, but didn't have any M8 Gun Motor Carriages, so they used the M3 Gun Motor Carriages from the now defunct AT Platoon and assigned an Arty officer to teach the men indirect fire...this was done from Cassion to Anzio, Anzio to Rome when they could replace the M3 GMC's finally.

 

Also, Thanks J_Andrews for the information on the troop carrier equipment. My comment was an assumption based on the veteran account (who just said the C-47's were equipped with Thompsons) and an item a friend of my MANY years ago had in his collection. It was a "survival canister" from a B-17G (not sure of the exact nomenclature, that was 20+ years ago and a young college kid does not always pay attention to details). It was stored in the same place as the inflatable life raft I think. It was one of those items with specific places for everything, First Aid gear, canned water, rations, waterproof matches, and a spot for an "M1A1" SMG. we just assumed after reading the 101 veteran account that the Troop Carriers had the same "cans"

 

Chris Fischer

F-Troop