The Australian Infantry Battalion, mid 1943 to 1945
In 1943, Australian experience in the Pacific theatre resulted in a new War Establishment table for an Infantry Battalion in the tropics. This was markedly different from the previous organisation in respect of transport, with practically all vehicles removed.
For a more detailed description of the 1944 to 1945 War Establishment, please see the Australian Infantry Battalion entry in the Example TOE section.
The Infantry Battalion (Tropical Scale), circa mid 1943 to mid 1944
Battalion Headquarters (5 Officers, 56 men)
Headquarter Company (8 Officers, 188 men), comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 12 men)
Signal Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Medium Machine Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 42 men)
Tank Attack Platoon (1 Officer, 25 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 19 men)
Administrative Platoon (2 Officers, 28 men)
Four Rifle Companies (5 Officers, 127 men), each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 13 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 5 men)
Three Sections, each comprised of 11 men
Total strength of 785 all ranks (33 Officers and 752 men)
The Infantry Battalion (Tropical Scale), circa mid 1944 to mid 1945
Battalion Headquarters (6 Officers, 55 men)
Headquarter Company (8 Officers, 238 men), comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 13 men)
Signal Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Medium Machine Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 58 men)
Tank Attack Platoon (1 Officer, 25 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 39 men)
Administrative Platoon (2 Officers, 41 men)
Four Rifle Companies (5 Officers, 127 men), each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 13 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 5 men)
Three Sections, each comprised of 11 men
Total strength of 835 all ranks (33 Officers and 802 men)
Points of note
The most striking feature of this new organisation was as regards to transport. Initially, none was allocated. Not a single car, truck, lorry or carrier is given on the June 1943 table, not even a motorcycle or a bike! The May 1944 table however allowed for eight Jeeps and trailers with the Administrative Platoon, increased to twelve Jeeps shortly before the end of the war.
The effect on the Mortar and Tank Attack Platoons was most pronounced. In 1942 Australia had developed modifications of its own pattern Universal carrier, which could mount either a 3-inch mortar or a 2-pdr anti-tank gun in such a way that they could be fired from the vehicle. Despite some searching on the internet, I have not been able to confirm whether or not these self-propelled equipments were ever put into active service in the Pacific theatre. Based on this, and the fact there is no allocation for drivers, I must assume that all vehicles were stripped out of the Battalion. If anyone knows different, please drop me an email.
The elements of the Battalion
Medium Machine Gun Platoon - with the loss of the Carrier Platoon, the Battalion was reduced to four Vickers medium machine guns. The MMG Platoon had two Sections, each with a rangetaker, orderly and twelve gun numbers, allowing for a six man detachment to carry each Vickers and its accompanying ammunition and kit.
Mortar Platoon - the Mortar Platoon lost all its transport, but retained its high concentration of eight 3-inch mortars. It seems the assumption was that each four man detachment could carry its mortar and ammunition without the aid of transport. This was, to say the least, a tall order, and the Platoon was subsequently increased by sixteen men, allowing two extra personnel for each detachment.
Tank Attack Platoon - during 1943 the Australian Army replaced the term 'anti-tank' with that of 'tank attack'. Despite the change in name, weapons remained as before. Of all the elements of the Battalion, it is in the Tank Attack Platoon where the decision to strip out all transport seems the most bizarre. The Platoon had four towed 2-pdr anti-tank guns, but no vehicles to tow them with. Each gun detachment was only five strong, and along with the gun there was the ammunition and Bren to be carried.
It seems likely that the Jeeps of the Admin Platoon were provided as a transport pool for both 3-inch mortars and anti-tank guns, but the tables do not offer any clarification on this point.
Pioneer Platoon - the Platoon underwent a significant increase from ten to thirty pioneers, plus the usual specialist tradesmen of a blacksmith and carpenters.
The Rifle Company – the Rifle Companies and Platoons remained largely as before. Company HQ lost its allocation of vehicles and the pool of three.55-inch anti-tank rifles held for issue to Platoons was also deleted.
Within the Rifle Platoons there were some changes to individual weapons. The provision of a rifle for the Bren gunner in each Section as an alternate arm was finally done away with, and the two man crew of the Platoon 2-inch mortar swapped their rifles for pistols. Other than that, the Rifle Platoon remained almost the same as that used at the beginning of the war.
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The Australian Infantry Battalion