The Russian Rifle Battalion
The story of the Russian Rifle Battalion is a long and complicated tale of organisational amendments, which by turns increased and decreased firepower, but without exception reduced manpower. Between early 1941 and late 1942 there were some half dozen tables issued. To examine each in similar detail would take forever, so this description is restricted to those which represented various milestones on the journey.
For a more detailed examination of the roles of the Officers and men and the weapons and vehicles at their disposal, please navigate to the Example TOE page.
The Rifle Battalion, circa 1941
Battalion Headquarters (4 Officers, 1 man)
Signal Platoon (1 Officer, 32 men)
Anti Tank Platoon (1 Officer, 17 men)
Supply Platoon (1 Officer, 32 men)
Medical Detachment (1 Officer, 7 men)
Machine Gun Company (4 Officers, 1 Commissar, 90 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 1 Commissar, 6 men)
Three Platoons, each comprised of;
1 Officer, 28 men
Mortar Company (4 Officers, 1 Commissar, 47 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 1 Commissar, 5 men)
Three Platoons, each comprised of;
1 Officer, 14 men
Three Rifle Companies (5 Officers, 1 Commissar, 171 men) each comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 1 Commissar, 5 men)
Medical Detachment, 5 men
Machine Gun Platoon, comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1Officer, 1 man)
Two Squads, each comprised of 5 men
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 2 men)
Light Mortar Squad (4 men)
Four Rifle Squads, each comprised of 11 men
Total Strength of 775 all ranks (31 Officers, 5 Commissars and 739 men)
Points of note
This is the Battalion table under which the army operated at the time of the German invasion, and was the largest the unit would ever be. It bears many similarities to Western and German formations, with the obvious exception of the Political Officer (Commissar in my description) imposed on company leaders. The application of the term 'Company' to some elements is also misleading, as they were more akin to Platoons. Quite how many units actually achieved this strength during June 1941 is another matter entirely, but as this provided the basis for all subsequent reforms it is important to detail.
The elements of the Battalion
Battalion Headquarters - a notably sparse unit which comprised no more than the Battalion Commander and his staff officers.
Signal Platoon - maintained radio, wire and telephone communication between the Battalion and higher and parallel formations.
Anti Tank Platoon - where they were available, this unit served just two 45 mm AT guns. This weapon was the equivalent of the German 3.7 cm Pak, and indeed was actually copied from it. It provided the only organic anti tank gun of the Rifle Battalion throughout the war. It was already only marginally useful in 1941, but heavier 57 mm and 76 mm guns were allocated directly to Anti Tank or Armoured units. The 45 mm was hauled by hand and horse, and could also provide direct support with high explosive rounds, a far more useful tool than its minimal anti tank effect.
Supply Platoon - the Rifle Battalion had no motor pool to call upon, and I don't believe one was ever officially included. The Supply Platoon was entirely reliant on horses and wagons, as were the various weapons crews.
Machine Gun Platoon - perhaps the most enduring image of the Russian rifleman is a small team of men running hunched, trailing behind them a machine gun mounted on a two wheeled carriage. The original weapon was the M1910 Maxim, an extremely heavy item which had seen its debut in the Great War. Perhaps its only advantage was that it had a water cooled barrel, which allowed the weapon to produce sustained volleys of fire. The Platoon served four such weapons.
Mortar Platoon - more of a Section than a Platoon, this unit served a pair of 82 mm mortars, for a total of six in the Battalion. The 82 mm was a reasonably standard weapon, its only flaw being in its use rather than design. Fire control was practically non-existent, the responsive support enjoyed by German troops being a dream for the Russian. The 82 mm had a range of over 3000 m.
The Rifle Company - it was the standard Rifle Company that was to see the most turbulent reforms during the war, eventually falling to levels which would barely qualify it as a Platoon.
The Squad of eleven men formed the basis of its organisation. On paper this should have been a remarkably well armed unit. It comprised an NCO with rifle, two men equipped for close combat with sub machine guns, a large rifle element of six men, all armed with rifles, and a gunner and loader for the Squad's single light machine gun. The gunner carried a pistol, the loader a rifle. The issue of two SMGs was particularly notable for the time, and it set a trend for a massive increase in the use of the weapon. The remainder of the Squad is quite pedestrian, all rifles and one LMG. What should have made the Squad special was the rifle. It was intended to be the SVT 40 semi automatic model. However, as with so much else in the Red Army, paper and fact differed radically. There were never enough of the weapons to fully arm every Squad. Instead, a handful were issued allowing perhaps the leader and a couple of men to be so armed, if that. The SVT 40, and the earlier SVT 38, were semi automatic rifles firing the standard 7.62 mm round. Unfortunately, neither proved to be a popular design, the weapon having as many flaws as it did advantages. The more common rifle was the Mosin-Nagant bolt action weapon, little changed from the design which had first appeared in the 1890's. Like all such weapons it was mostly accurate and reliable but nothing special.
The original sub machine gun was the PPD which existed in several variants. Few of these weapons were in service at the time of the invasion. Its successor was to be of far greater importance. The light machine gun was the Degtaryev DP with its visually distinctive drum magazine. The DP was a robust weapon, perfectly suited for the harsh environment of the Eastern Front.
Platoon HQ was again a basic affair, consisting of an Officer, Sergeant and runner, armed with pistol, SMG and rifle respectively. The Mortar Squad was led by an NCO, with gunner and two ammunition bearers. The mortar gunner carried a pistol, and served the Platoon's single 50 mm weapon, the remainder carried rifles. The 50 mm had an impressive range of 800 m, which should have proven very handy for a Rifle Platoon, but it was destined for a relatively short service life.
Company HQ was almost exclusively a command unit, typical of the reduced administration elements of the Red Army. The Machine Gun Platoon served a pair of Maxim weapons, identical to those in the Machine Gun Company proper.
Summary
The Battalion as envisioned should have been a very sound unit. Unfortunately, it was crippled by lack of sufficient numbers of new weapons, and also basic equipment such as radios. The fourth Squad in each Rifle Platoon was only to be activated in time of war, so many units probably took the field notably under strength. The Battalion was now to see a number of swingeing reductions as the Red Army attempted to maintain some kind of force in the field in the face of catastrophic losses of men and materials.
Reductions of July 1941
The immediate aftermath of the German invasion saw the Rifle Battalion reduced tremendously in terms of both firepower and manpower.
Signals and Medical and Supply Platoons were all reduced in strength. The Anti Tank Gun Platoon was deleted entirely, denuding the Battalion of what minimal defence they could offer. The Mortar Company was reduced to a single Platoon of just two 82 mm tubes, and then even this was deleted. The Rifle Companies fared no better. The integral Machine Gun Platoon was deleted, as was the 50 mm mortar Squad in each Rifle Platoon. Worse still, there were insufficient DP light machine guns available to arm all four Squads, so only two were issued per Platoon, leaving two Squads devoid of any automatic firepower. SMG issue was also cutback.
The overall effect reduced the Battalion to a strength of just over 600 all ranks, a massive fall. In 'compensation' each Rifle Company received its own Political Officer. That must have cheered the men no end.
Reinforcing the Battalion
It was obvious that the reductions imposed could only be a temporary measure while the Army as a whole attempted to stabilise itself. Gradually, the trend was reversed, and the Battalion became a more capable unit again, beginning in late 1941.
Enough LMG's were found to equip three Squads per Platoon, though manpower shortages probably made the creation of a fourth Squad academic in most cases. By early 1942, every Rifle Squad had its own LMG again. A new weapon, in the form of the Anti Tank Rifle, was also added. The weapon had been available in limited supply in 1941, however ammunition for it was not. Quite what this obsolete item was expected to achieve is uncertain, but the Battalion got sixteen of them in a Company of 48 all ranks.
In mid 1942 a new table was issued that has some confusing connotations for the Rifle Company. Firstly though, the Mortar Company was reinstated, serving twelve 82 mm tubes in an ungainly six Platoons. The Machine Gun Company lost one gun per Platoon, for a reduced total of nine. Each Rifle Company received a 50 mm mortar Platoon of 1 Officer and 12 men serving four tubes. The source this is taken from says the Rifle Company was increased to a huge 190 all ranks, but frankly I can't see how. The previous version was only around 150 strong, so unless a Sniper Squad and a SMG Squad each of about ten men was created I cannot fathom it. Anyone out there know?
The question may be irrelevant, as the Battalion was changed again in mid 1942. It was by no means the last revision, but at least it lasted almost into 1943 before it was amended again.
The Rifle Battalion, circa 1942
Battalion Headquarters (3 Officers, 1 Commissar)
Signal Platoon (1 Officer, 10 men)
Anti Tank Rifle Platoon (1 Officer, 22 men)
Supply Platoon (1 Officer, 11 men)
Medical Detachment (5 men)
Machine Gun Company (5 Officers, 1 Commissar, 52 men)
Company HQ (2 Officers, 1 Commissar, 1 man)
Three Platoons, each comprised of;
1 Officer, 17 men
Mortar Company (5 Officers, 1 Commissar, 55 men)
Company HQ (2 Officers, 1 Commissar, 1 man)
Three Platoons, each comprised of;
1 Officer, 18 men
Three Rifle Companies (6 Officers, 1 Commissar, 138 men) each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 1 Commissar, 7 men)
Medical Detachment, 5 men
Mortar Platoon, comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1Officer)
Three Squads, each comprised of 3 men
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 3 men)
Four Rifle Squads, each comprised of 9 men
Total Strength of 609 all ranks (33 Officers, 6 Commissars and 570 men)
Points of note
The generous allocation of mortars in the previous version had been reduced somewhat. Battalion strength was confirmed at around the 600 mark, noticeably smaller than its Western or German contemporaries. Anti tank defence was still entirely dependent on the ATR, and what suicidal concoctions could be created by the soldiers themselves.
The elements of the Battalion
Machine Gun Platoon - reduced in size, the Platoon was still likely to serve the M1910 Maxim, however its replacement, the SG43 was beginning to reach the troops. It was a modernised design, but used the same distinctive two wheeled carriage for mobility. Whichever weapon was fielded, the Platoon deployed three guns for a total of nine in the Company.
Mortar Platoon - the Mortar Platoon was similarly cut to the bone, its three Squads each serving a single 82 mm tube for an impressive array of nine in the Company.
Anti Tank Rifle Platoon - the Platoon deployed three Squads, each serving three ATRs. The weapon was most likely the bolt action PTRD, but there was also an ambitious and less successful semi automatic equivalent, the PTRS. Both fired a powerful 14.5 mm projectile which, while ineffective against frontal tank armour, could still be used against the myriad of light armoured vehicles deployed by the Axis forces in Russia. If they managed to accurately target a Panzer's view port though, the effect could be rather messy for the crewman concerned.
The Rifle Company - the amendments made to the Rifle Company pose several questions of minute detail, but the overall effect is clear.
The basic Rifle Squad was reduced to nine men, a leader with SMG, a gunner and loader serving the DP light machine gun, and six riflemen, one acting as scout. The PPsh 41 sub machine gun was by now available in large numbers. It is sometimes referred to as a Russian Sten gun, but in reality it was a much better weapon. It fired the 7.62 mm pistol cartridge from a capacious 71 round drum magazine derived from the earlier PPD. It was as popular among the Germans who adopted so many weapons the Reich had to start producing suitable ammunition for it! As can be seen in other pages, the popularity of the 'Papa-sha' was to have a profound impact on its use.
The size of Platoon HQ is somewhat perplexing, it seems to have gained a sniper. The 50 mm mortar Platoon was reduced to three tubes, and presumably one Officer and nine men. A couple more snipers may have been present at Company level also.
At the end of 1942 several further amendments were made. The most striking again concerned the Rifle Squad. Perhaps in belated compensation for previous misdeeds, two Squads per Platoon were issued a second DP light machine gun for a total of six in the Platoon. The Platoon now also possessed two sniper rifles, but still forty men, so perhaps the runner was now reassigned. At Company level, the Mortar Platoon was reduced to seven men serving two tubes, while a four man Squad manning a Maxim type heavy machine gun were added. Some sources suggest the snipers were only present at Platoon level for a short time before being deployed with company HQ. The figures provided never quite add up.
Of more importance, the Battalion finally received its own anti tank guns, albeit the same 45 mm weapons they had started the war with. Two small Squads each served a single gun.
Overall, Battalion strength rose slightly to 612 all ranks. If only that were the end of the story...
Summary
As the Red Army entered its second year of war, still fighting to free its own soil of invaders, it finally settled on a very decent Battalion structure. Mortars were placed back under command, after a brief spell of being concentrated in Regimental level units, and some meagre measure of anti tank defence arrived.
However, even this slim formation, with an unheard of 'tooth to tail' ratio, would not suffice for long. The simple truth was, too many men were dying to keep even this basic structure intact. The German Army faced the self same problem at the self same time, 1943. The Wehrmacht opted for deep cuts in the number of Battalions, and the strength of those remaining. The Red Army declined the obvious choice of dissolving under strength Divisions and placing their survivors in other units. No Rifle Divisions were to be stood down. Instead, they were to be reduced in strength to evermore absurd degrees.
Return to...
Reduced Strength Rifle Battalions
Russian Divisional Organisations