13 March 2016

Soviet Motor Rifle Squads - Updated with more content!!!

Ok - let's try this again...

I thought I should start out with some examples of what I want to do in the TO&E sections - by showing the basic Soviet Motor Rifle Squads.  I'll start with the BTR Squad.


Here is the TO&E according to FM 100-2-3.  My wargaming squad looks like this:

 


All the figures here are from RH Models or Liberation Miniatures.  From left to right:  Squad Leader w/AK-74, RPK Gunner, RPG Gunner and 5 soldiers w/AK-74.

The BMP-1 Squad (which I showed the TO&E for in the last thread) is exactly the same:



Again all the figures here are from RH Models or Liberation Miniatures. From left to right: Squad Leader w/AK-74, RPK Gunner, RPG Gunner and 5 soldiers w/AK-74.

The BMP-2 Squad is slightly different:



The only change is one less AK-74 armed soldier in the squad.

Possible squad upgrades include - replacing 1 AK-74 with an AK-74/BG-15, replacing the RPK with a PKM, and adding an RPG-18.  I wasn't sure if it was worth photographing the squad kitted out with all the upgrade options or not...

Up on the Northern Flank, Motor Rifle Plattons are equipped with the MTLB-V.  Here's how I've arranged their squads:



Basically exactly the same as the BTR and BMP-1 squad - as I can't find any evidence about this at all I just went with keeping it the same.  Seemed like the right Soviet bureaucratic appraoch to take!

So that's TO&E 1 - let me know what you think and if it's useful I will put up more.

Thanks

Richard

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for that old chap. I've been worrying away at my own TOE mainly based on Isby.

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  2. I think this is a great way to demonstrate TO&Es, so nicely done... but the TO&E notes state that the dismounted element is only seven men. The squad leader was also the vehicle commander and didn't dismount, his assistant led the dismounted group.

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  3. OMG - it's official! I can't count! I'll have to redo this whole page... Major embarrassment....

    Richard

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  4. OK - hopefully that is fixed. Please let me know of anymore embarrassing errors!

    Thanks

    Richard

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  5. All looks good to me now. Glad you added the MTLB squad, they always seem to get forgotten about.

    Cheers
    Richard

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  6. I'd like to know how everything is going with this.
    what was the outcome of the cold war

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  7. Love your blog, which I use as my go-to resource for info and inspiration, but man has this post confused me! Your BTR & BMP1 photos match the table in terms of number of dismounts, but your text refers to one additional rifleman? I also can't square away Jim's comments about the squad leader with the table, I.E. driver, gunner & leader on board leaves only 6 dismounts? ... Please help - am I missing something?!

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Hi Paul - sorry for the delay in replying - been out of action for a couple of weeks. Yes it is confusing! I'm trying to match the FM, and also match the info that the BMP-1 had two spare seats, while the BMP-2 had 1 spare seat. This is important at the platoon level because the Platoon Leader and Assistant Platoon leader take up 2 of those spare seats.

    I'm reasonably sure they (The PL and APL) did not dismount, but the Squad Leaders they displaced did - so 2 squads out of the three would have 8 dismonts rather than 7.

    For game purposes - I'm having the PL at least dismount - otherwise it could lead to even more confusion - but not sure yet.

    Hope that helps a little

    Richard

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  10. Hi Richard, got it - and thanks for the clarification! I can see how the PL and APL would throw a spanner in the numerical works...

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