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Miniatures Adventure => The Great War => Topic started by: armchairgeneral on November 05, 2019, 09:53:38 PM

Title: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: armchairgeneral on November 05, 2019, 09:53:38 PM
About a year ago someone kindly posted a link to a WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation. I can't seem to find it now. Can anyone help me with this please?
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: Driscoles on November 08, 2019, 05:33:11 PM
Iam sure Cuprum can help.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: armchairgeneral on November 08, 2019, 06:33:46 PM
Hopefully but last time someone else just posted a link.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on November 09, 2019, 01:59:54 PM
This is a very broad question.
During the war, the staff of the battalion changed. In addition, a lot depended on various nuances: what kind of front it was, the presence of weapons, which contingent went to form a battalion (for example, militia units). There were also separate battalions (for example, shock battalions). It is difficult to answer your question unequivocally.

States of separate battalions in the military time (1908)

Officers:

Separate battalion commander - 1
Company commanders (captains) - 4

Administration of officers:
- adjutant of battalion 1
- treasurer 1
- weapons manager 1
- clerk of the court 1

Junior officers 7

Total Officers: 16

Classroom officials:

- Junior doctor 1
- Clerk of the economic 1
Total class officials: 2

Lower ranks:

Sergeants 4
Captainarmus 5
Non-commissioned officers:
 - seniors 16
- younger 56
Company drummers - 8
Bugler - 1
Corporal 80
Private 780
Total lower combat rank 950

Volunteers - 4

Non-military lower ranks:

Clerks:
- battalion 1
- senior 2
- junior 2

Paramedics:
- senior 1
- junior 1
- company 4

Infirmaries 2
Patient Overseer 1
Gunsmith 1
Tailor 1
Artisans 6

Total non-combatant lower ranks 22
Total lower ranks 976
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: armchairgeneral on November 09, 2019, 06:50:26 PM
Thanks for the very detailed response Cuprum. The organisation I had before mentioned a cavalry scout force of 60 men being part of a battalion?

Can you also tell me how cavalry regiments were organised in terms of how many troops and squads in a troop (or the equivalent) and their approximate strengths?
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on November 10, 2019, 06:27:00 AM
The cavalry scout squad is a regimental level.


The tactical and counting unit in the cavalry was a squadron consisting of approximately 150 horsemen, of which 6 were supposed to be officers. In the Cossack units, the squadron was called the "hundred", but there were almost no organizational differences. In the Russian army at the beginning of World War I there were 734 squadrons.

Six squadrons plus some auxiliary units made up the cavalry regiment. In total, the cavalry regiment was supposed to have 980 soldiers and non-commissioned officers, 36 officers, 4 doctors, 3 clerks, and 1062 horses.

The cavalry division, as a rule, consisted of four regiments (dragoon, ulan, hussar and cossack). In addition to the cavalry units, the division also included a 12-gun equestrian artillery "division"(*) , which included 14 officers and 455 soldiers. The cavalry division also relied on a machine gun team of 132 people with 8 machine guns and a small horse-sapper team.

Thus, the cavalry division was approximately equal in strength to the infantry regiment.

By the start of World War I, the Russian army had 24 cavalry divisions and 8 separate cavalry brigades. The mobilization plan did not involve the creation of new cavalry units. The number of cavalry was to grow due to the Cossack troops, which were supposed to additionally expose about 560 "hundreds".

In Russian, there is a difference in the concepts of “division” (“дивизия” and “дивизион”).
"Дивизия" is the generally accepted meaning of the word.
"Дивизион" is usually a unit of two artillery batteries.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: armchairgeneral on November 10, 2019, 09:11:40 AM
Thanks very much for the detailed reply.

We’re cavalry squadrons organised down into further smaller units such as squads or troops?
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on November 10, 2019, 09:31:27 AM
The squadron is divided into 4 platoons. A platoon is divided into 2 units, having the name "zveno".
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: armchairgeneral on November 10, 2019, 04:47:35 PM
Okay thanks again Cuprum. You are a star!  :)
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: Armstrong47 on December 12, 2019, 09:13:45 PM
Fantastic detail and information.
Would the organisation be the same during the Russo - Japanese war?

Thanks
Andy
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on December 13, 2019, 03:41:00 AM
I am not ready to say right away. I will look at the weekend in my library what information I have on this issue.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on December 14, 2019, 02:33:13 PM
States of the (Four Battalion) Infantry Regiment 1893-1908

Officers:

Regiment Commander Colonel 1
Battalion commanders, lieutenant colonels 4
Head of household, lieutenant colonel 1
Junior headquarters officer, lieutenant colonel 1
Company commanders: captains 16
Staff Captain 1

Administration of officers:

regimental adjutant 1
regimental treasurer 1
head of intelligence team 1
weapons manager 1
clerk of the regimental court 1
battalion adjutants 4

Junior officers 46

Total officers 79


Classroom officials:

Doctors:
senior 1
junior 4
Clerk on economic part 1
Priest 1

Total class officials 7


Lower ranks:

Sergeant major 17
Captainarmus 19
Non-commissioned officers:
seniors 69
junior 224

Musicians:
senior non-commissioned officers 1
junior non-commissioned officers 10
privates 24
Drummers:
regimental 1
company 32
Bugler Regimental 1

Corporal 320

Private 3120

Total lower combat rank 3838

Volunteers 16


Non-combatant lower ranks

Scribes:
regimental 1
seniors 4
junior 5
Paramedics:
senior 1
junior 4
pharmacy 1
company 16
veterinary 1
Infirmaries 6
Patient Overseer 1
Church 1
Gunsmith 1
Tailor Cutter 2
Artisans 18
Wagon drivers 105

Total non-combatant lower ranks 167

Total lower ranks in the regiment 4021

Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: Armstrong47 on December 15, 2019, 08:39:02 PM
Super stuff,as always,Cuprum.
Thank you very much,yet against n.
Cheers,
Andy
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 24, 2020, 10:15:00 PM
Hello Cuprum, hello Armstrong 47

I'm entering the discussion because I'm also interested in the Imperial Russian army during the WW1.
In building my games I try to keep some russian wording to get the players more involved.

I use sevral romanized words to determine the quality of troops.
Could you please confirm if I'm right?

-Guards: Gvardiya
-Riflemen: Strelkam
-Recruits: Frontoviki
-Cossaks: Kazachiy
-Crew (gun or MG) Komanda
-Genie: Inzhener
-Runner, messenger: Gonyets
-Maxim MG: Maksim? Maxima? (I've seen both)

Cheers

Pascal



Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on January 25, 2020, 03:20:52 AM
Hello!

Here you need to look at what level of command you are interested in. There may be differences.

All Guard Units of the Empire - Gvardiya
One soldier of the guard unit - Gvardeyets
Many soldiers of the guard unit - Gvardeytsy

One soldier of the rifle unit - Strelok
Many soldiers of the rifle unit - Strelki

One recruit (recruit) - Rekrut. Novobranets
Many recruits (recruits) - Rekruty. Novobrantsy

One veteran - Veteran, frontovik
Many veterans - Veterany, frontoviki

One Cossack - Kazak
Many Cossacks - Kazaki

One machine gun or artillery crew - Raschet
Machine gun unit (6 - 8 machine guns) - komanda
Artillery unit (4 - 6 guns) - batareya
The crew of an armored car, tank or armored train - Ekipazh

Engineer (always an officer) - Inzhener (saper)
His soldiers are sappers - sapery
One soldier - saper

Messenger - Vestovoy or posylnyy

The abbreviated name of the machine gun - Maksim
The full name of the machine gun - pulemet Maksima
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 25, 2020, 10:25:58 AM
Thanks a lot Cuprum, this helps a lot.

I'd like to use abreviations for the ranks
Would it work if I use
Por  : Poruchik
Kpt :  Kapitan

spasibo
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on January 25, 2020, 01:06:48 PM
I think you can do as you please.
I do not know the abbreviations that designate military ranks in the tsarist army. But I can offer such abbreviations for the Soviet and Russian army, but these names are somewhat different.

ryad. - ryadovoj
efr. - efrejtor
ml. s-t (ml. s-nt) - mladshij serzhant
s-t (s-nt) - serzhant
st. s-t (st. s-nt) - starshij serzhant
s-na - starshina
pr-k - praporshhik
st. pr-k - starshij praporshhik
ml. l-t - mladshij lejtenant
l-t - lejtenant
st. l-t - starshij lejtenant
k-n - kapitan
m-r - major
p/p-k - podpolkovnik
p-k - polkovnik

Second Lieutenant, by analogy with the above abbreviations will be something like:

por-k - poruchik
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 25, 2020, 04:33:01 PM
thanks a lot Cuprum

I believed that lejtenant was not a rank in the Imperial Russian Army except in the navy.
Am I wrong?
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on January 25, 2020, 05:11:41 PM
Yes, until 1917, military ranks were very different from the modern system. The proper names of military ranks were in the infantry, cavalry, among the Cossacks, among military officials, and there were also differences in the ranks of non-commissioned officers of artillery.

Generals:
- general-fel'dmarshal
- general ot "infanterіi", "kavalerіi"с, etc. (the so-called "full general")
- general-lejtenant
- general-major

Headquarters officers:
- polkovnik
- podpolkovnik (vojskovoj starshina k) -
- major (vojskovoj starshina k)

Chief officers:
- kapitan (rotmistr с, esaul k)
- shtabs-kapitan (shtabs-rotmistr , podesaul k)
- poruchik (sotnik k)
- podporuchik (kornet c, khorunzhіj k)
- praporshhik

Lower ranks:
- zauryad-praporshhik
- podpraporshhik
- fel'dfebel (vakhmistr c)
- starshij unter-ofitser (starshij fejerverker a, starshij uryadnik k)
- mladshij unter-ofitser (mladshij fejerverker a, mladshij uryadnik k)
- efrejtor (bombardir a, prikaznyj k)
-ryadovoj (kanonir a, kazak k)

Ranks differing from infantry and combined arms are marked with thick letters:
a - artillery
c - cavalry
k - Cossack troops
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 25, 2020, 07:55:58 PM
Thanks a lot Cuprum

Have you heard of the mutiny of russian soldiers in France in 1917?
This mutiny resulted in a 3 days battle "loyal" russian troops fighting "rebel" troops.
I have a long article for you if you want to know more.

Pascal
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on January 26, 2020, 03:28:38 AM
Thank you Pascal. I am well acquainted with this story.

My main interest is the uniform of the Civil War in Russia (red, white, nationalists, interventionists). If you have information on this topic, I will be glad.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 26, 2020, 10:37:53 AM
Cuprum, I'm not in the RCW for now.
 I first want to study the WW1 Eastern Front and after that I'll open my RCW and back of beyond books.

Thanks a lot for your help, I might come back with more questions.
In the meantime I'm still readding all the messages on this forum.
Have a nice day.
Pascal
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on January 27, 2020, 02:19:56 AM
Always happy to help.
Michael.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 27, 2020, 05:09:35 PM
Cuprum

according to Wikipedia which sources are this book: В. И. Шунков. Боевое и служебное оружие России. М., ЭКСМО, 2012. стр.7

the Russian Empire received 6100 Chauchat (Light MG) from France.
Would you have an idea of when these weapons were received?

I know that the lewis were received in 1917.

Pascal
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on January 28, 2020, 03:17:58 PM
The first batch of these machine guns (500 pieces) arrived in Russia at the end of 1916.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on January 28, 2020, 07:54:57 PM
thanks a lot Cuprum.

I will be inserting the RUSSO-BALT and GARDFORD-PUTILOV vehicles in my games.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on February 06, 2020, 10:22:58 AM
Priwét Cuprum

a russian player proposed an alternativ to: Many soldiers of the rifle unit - Strelki
Many soldiers of the rifle unit - Pehota

What do you think?

Another subject:
is there any book or online source on the actions that saw " the first organic company of Russian Automobile Corps composed
of 15 Russian-Balt armored cars armed with machine guns and 3 Gardford-Putilov armored trucks equipped 76.2 mm cannon." (source is Russian and Soviet tanks 1914-41 by Maximino Argüelles Martínez.)
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on February 06, 2020, 02:07:06 PM
Hi.
I didn’t understand your question exactly
Arrows and infantry will not be much different on the battlefield.

There are a lot of books. But what I know is published in Russian.

The 1st automobile machine-gun company (1914) was armed with:
8 machine gun armored vehicles "Russo-Balt"
1 cannon armored car "Mannesman" (based on a German truck)
2 unarmored artillery gun trucks
19 cars
8 trucks
18 motorcycles
15 officers
150 lower ranks
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on February 06, 2020, 02:59:24 PM
Cuprum
my question is: is it more accurate to use Strelki or pehota as a translation for "Many soldiers of the rifle unit" ?

ok I'll try my chance online concerning the vehicle actions.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on February 07, 2020, 01:09:18 AM
In the Russian army, by 1914, the pehota (infantry) and Strelki (rifle units) had no real differences other than the name. Tribute to tradition.
The Strelki are the heirs of Jaegers and other light infantry. The pehota units are the heirs of the ordinary line infantry.
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: cuprum on February 07, 2020, 01:16:51 AM
Here are a couple of articles in Russian where there is information about the armored car part you are interested in. Try reading using Google translator.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-%D1%8F_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%91%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0

https://modelist-konstruktor.com/bronekollekcziya/bronya-pervoj-avtopulemetnoj
Title: Re: WW1 Russian Infantry Battalion Organisation
Post by: paspas on February 07, 2020, 08:54:30 AM
Thanks Cuprum for your explanation on pehota/strelki nuances.

And a big thank you for the links!