The United States Infantry Battalion, mid 1943 to 1945
In 1943 the Infantry Battalion underwent its final major reorganisation. The basic structure was retained, however its personnel and transport strengths were both reduced.
For a more detailed description of the Battalion, please see the US Infantry Battalion entry in the Example TOE section.
The Infantry Battalion, circa 1943 to 1945
Battalion Headquarters (4 Officers)
Headquarters Company (5 Officers, 117 men), comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 24 men) * reduced by 5 men, June 1944
Battalion HQ Section (13 men)
Communications Platoon (1 Officer, 22 men)
Ammunition & Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 26 men)
Antitank Platoon (1 Officer, 32 men)
Heavy Weapons Company (8 Officers, 158 men), comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 32 men) * reduced by 6 men, June 1944
Two Machine Gun Platoons, each (1 Officer, 35 men)
Mortar Platoon (4 Officers, 56 men)
Three Rifle Companies (6 Officers, 187 men), each comprised of;
Company HQ (2 Officers, 33 men)
Weapons Platoon comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 5 men)
Mortar Section (17 men)
Machine Gun Section (12 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 4 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Total Strength of 871 all ranks (35 Officers and 836 men) * reduced by 11 men, June 1944
Points of note
The Battalion was now almost entirely reliant upon the ¼-ton Jeep and trailer for its transport, with just a couple of ¾-ton weapons carriers and 1½-ton trucks for a total of forty wheeled vehicles. Anti-aircraft protection was now provided by six .50-cal M2HB heavy machine guns, replacing the previous issue of BARs to various drivers.
Perhaps the most notable omission from the official tables of organisation for the US Infantry Battalion is that of the submachine gun. The first reference to their issue to Infantry units comes with the amendments of June 1944, which allowed for six per Rifle Company plus two more in Headquarters Company, all unallocated. Submachine were most certainly in use far earlier on, and extremely valuable, but the early rate of issue cannot be gauged from official sources.
The elements of the Battalion
Battalion Headquarters - Battalion commander (Lieutenant Colonel), Executive Officer (Major), Adjutant (Captain) and Intelligence Officer (Lieutenant)
Company HQ - the HQ of the HQ Company provided the various cooks, supply men and specialists required to keep the Battalion functioning.
Battalion Headquarters Section - provided scouts and drivers to the Officers at Battalion HQ.
Communications Platoon - maintained radio, wire and telephone communication between the Battalion and higher and parallel formations.
Ammunition & Pioneer Platoon - the A & P Platoon provided a pool of men who could undertake all manner of manual tasks, including hauling ammunition to forward positions, sometimes under enemy fire. It was commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant with a Sergeant and driver for the Platoon truck, which mounted a .50 cal heavy machine gun. Each of its three eight man squads was led by a Corporal, promoted to Sergeant in 1944. The four NCOs carried rifles, all others carbines, and the Platoon carried two Bazookas for antitank defence.
Antitank Platoon - the Antitank Platoon provided the Battalion with a limited ability to resist armoured attack. It was commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant, with a Sergeant and driver for his Jeep. Its three squads each served a single 57-mm antitank Gun. The 57-mm was actually the British 6 pdr, produced under licence by America to replace the obsolete 37-mm gun. Each gun squad had ten men, armed with rifles, carbines and pistols, and a truck to transport crew, guns and ammunition. Each Squad initially also carried two Bazookas in addition to its towed gun. By 1944 this was halved to one launcher per Squad. One of the three trucks mounted a .50 cal heavy machine gun.
Heavy Weapons Company HQ - this unit provided similar command and administrative facilities as that of the Rifle Companies and HQ Company, and added a .50 cal HMG mounted on its 3/4 ton Weapons Carrier.
Machine Gun Platoon - each of the two Machine Gun Platoons served four .30 cal Browning M1917 heavy machine guns. Each of the four squads was provided with a Jeep and trailer, with a further Jeep at Platoon HQ. Two Bazookas were added in early 1944.
Mortar Platoon - the Mortar Platoon provided the Battalion with its real firepower. It served six 81-mm weapons, paired up into three Sections, uniquely each commanded by its own 2nd Lieutenant, with a 1st Lieutenant at Platoon HQ. Each Mortar Squad had its own Jeep and trailer, with a further Jeep at Platoon HQ. The 81-mm mortar could fire up to 3000m, providing a long reach for the Battalion. Originally, the Mortar Platoon had six Bazookas, but in early 1944 these were divided out to provide the Mortar Platoon and each Machine gun Platoon with two apiece.
The Rifle Company - the ultimate staying power of the Battalion was provided by its three Rifle Companies, each with a Weapons Platoon and three Rifle Platoons.
The Rifle Squad was commanded by a Sergeant assisted by a Corporal, promoted to Staff Sergeant and Sergeant respectively by 1944. They commanded an assault group of seven men, two of whom were designated as scouts, and an Automatic Rifle group of an automatic rifleman, his assistant and an ammunition bearer. On paper, the automatic rifleman carried the Squad's single Browning Automatic Rifle, and every other man an M1 Rifle. The BAR was a well liked but limited weapon. It could not be truly described as a light machine gun in the same way as a Bren or German MG34/42. Instead, it was what is was called; a rifle capable of firing short bursts of automatic fire from its 20 round magazine. The barrel could not be changed, and so prolonged use was not advisable. It had been designed for use back in the First World War, hence its designation M1918, and no replacement had been sought. That was because the US Army placed its emphasis not on a small number of light machine guns, but on a large number of semi-automatic rifles. The M1 Rifle, the Garand, was the weapon chosen to employ this doctrine. Each man could fire his eight round magazine in seconds, without pausing to operate the manual bolt action required by other rifles. This gave the US soldier an undoubted advantage that was the envy of every ally and adversary. The British No.6 Commando was issued Garands during Operation Torch. Following its conclusion, they declined to return them in favour of their Lee Enfields. High praise indeed. When the M1 received a rifle grenade adapter during 1943 three were issued to each Squad.
The real scale at which Thompson and the later M3 'Grease' gun submachine guns supplanted rifles in the squad can only be guessed at. Such weapons tend to gravitate towards NCOs who are not necessarily needed to engage in long range fire fights, but who do need to lead the close assault when such a weapon becomes vital. One or two would seem reasonable, with perhaps a lightweight Carbine finding its way into the gun group. Certainly any greater issue would diminish the rifle power upon which the squad was predicated. In action, the assistant leader would control the fire of the BAR, while the assault group would manoeuvre towards the enemy. The leader could be found anywhere he was needed. The function of the scouts was to probe the enemy line, but they were also needed to add their fire to that of the assault group.
Rifle Platoon HQ was a simple affair consisting of a 1st or 2nd Lieutenant, two Sergeants (one Platoon Leader, the other Platoon Guide), and two runners. The Platoon Commander was actually issued not a pistol, though many acquired them, but a Carbine, the lightweight M1 (no relation to the Garand). This self-loading weapon was probably more use than a pistol, but I wonder how many officers swapped it for a proper rifle or a Thompson? The other men all carried the Garand. From 1943, one man in each Platoon, at the direction of his officer, was armed with the M1903A4 Springfield bolt action rifle, fitted with a sniper scope. A radio, usually the famous 'walkie-talkie' was also carried.
The Weapons Platoon helped to alleviate the deficiencies in the firepower of the squads. Its light mortar section served three 60-mm weapons, each with a range of up to 1800m. The light machine gun section served two belt fed M1919 Brownings. The M1919 was heavier perhaps too heavy to be truly called a light machine gun, weighing in at 14kg with a further 6kg for the tripod mount. Its belt fed operation though enabled it to lay down a steady stream of fire and it provided valuable support. Weapon Platoon HQ added two Jeeps and trailers, plus a.50 cal HMG for local anti-aircraft defence.
Company HQ was a sizeable unit, split between the usual command and administrative functions. The commander was a Captain, a 1st Lieutenant serving as his Executive Officer. What swelled the size of the HQ was the allocation of no less than seventeen man described as 'Basics'. Every other man in the Company had a task to perform, but the Basics were different. I am reliably informed they were intended to act as a replacement pool, to make good losses sustained in the Squads. Also, they could be detailed for the defence of the HQ if needed. Perhaps in up to strength units they were used to provide crews for the Bazookas?
Similarly to the British, the US Company had first three, and by 1944 five Bazookas for immediate antitank defence. The Bazooka was I think the first rocket launcher placed in the hands of the lowly rifleman. It was ineffective against heavy German tanks, but could still engage the myriad of other enemy armoured vehicles in service. It was perhaps best used as a bunker buster, able to lob a round into an occupied house or machine gun nest. There was no standing crew, and the weapons were issued by the Company commander as necessary.
Summary
The US Infantry Battalion seems a very Spartan formation in some ways. Its great advantage was the fact that, snipers apart, every man had at least a semiautomatic weapon. This gave the Battalion an immense advantage over other formations who were still reliant on clunky bolt action rifles for the bulk of their weapons. But I cannot help but think this flattered to deceive. The Rifle Squads were terribly under armed, their Garands unable to deliver the kind of prolonged intensity of automatic fire they needed, while the BAR could offer only minimal support. The weapons they needed, the belt fed M1919's were up at Company level, too far away and too few in number.
Steps to increase firepower were taken during the months following D-Day. Firstly, each Battalion received an additional six M1919 belt fed light machine guns at HQ Company for issue to subunits as required. Each Rifle Company received a further six BARs. No new men were produced to man any of these weapons, and they were seemingly allocated to the existing units as deemed appropriate. It would certainly have aided matters, but it was probably left to Squads to find ways of increasing their own firepower sufficiently.
I've been surprised to find some criticism of the 'fighting spirit' of the US Infantryman in some areas. I don't believe that stands up honestly (and I'm British so not partisan). Given the tools available, and that no new weapons were issued between the invasion of Sicily and VE-Day to the frontline grunt, I think they did the best they could, ill supported as they were at Battalion level. And as every General found, no matter how devastating the preparatory artillery barrage, someone still has to go in with a rifle and bayonet and make sure. And in that role, the US Infantryman was as good as any.
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The United States Infantry Battalion