Platoon Organisations for NATO and War Pac forces in the 1980s

[Grimjack]

Does anyone have a way to access information on this topic?

I need British, US, West German, Soviet and East German platoon composition for the period 1980 - 1985 leg and mechanised preferably.

Basic 'squad / section', weaponry, ratio of NCO's and officers, radio operators, support weapons, types of weapons (LMG, etc.), plus anti-tank.

Really struggling for some reason to get all of this.

[Brax182]

ok here is the actuall  U.S. Army manual 1985 for mechanized infantry the platoon and company information you van dig out of the book. I can vouch for this because I was in the U.S. army 1983-1987 in Mechanized Company.
www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/FM7-7%2885%29.pdf

[Arlequín]

This blog is a mine of information and drawn from original documentation: http://coldwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/

As Brax182 demonstrates, U.S. Army manuals are relatively easy to find from WWII to almost the present, even easier if you have the 'FM' prefix to begin with. Sadly for us, most other forces, including the USMC are far harder to access, if they exist online at all.

[Grimjack]

Thanks gents, both very useful resources.

[tom_aargau]

There was also a field manual issued for the Soviet army organisation. Don^t think it goes down to platoon level but might be worth a look.

https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm100-2-3.pdf

[tom_aargau]

We also had a good discussion on East German platoons here

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=106873.0

[Grimjack]

Great stuff, thanks - just need information on the West Germans now!

[Arlequín]

Well you're probably in the right place for that, I'm sure there must surely be a few guys here that did their Wehrdienst (national service) in the '80s.

[Cessna]

Sadly for us, most other forces, including the USMC are far harder to access, if they exist online at all.

Google "MCRP 5-12D," it's the USMC Reference for organization.

[Arlequín]

Thanks, but the ones I'm chasing are so old that they are "NAVMC" or "FMFM" codes.  

[gimzod]

Does anyone have the organisation of a royal marine platoon?

[Arlequín]

As far as I know a standard 'Troop' was meant to be;

Platoon Leader
Platoon Sergeant

Two-man 51mm mortar team
Two-man 84mm Carl Gustav team

3 Sections of eight men.

The HQ, mortarman and CG gunner all carried Sterling SMG, their No.2s SLR.

Section Leaders - Sterlings, the rest SLR except the GPMG gunner.

In combat you'd find a L4 Bren added or on occasion a second GPMG, several LAW spread across the section and the Sterlings were usually swapped for SLR. M16/AR-15 substituted for Sterlings and some SLRs to taste and availability, M79 and M203 likewise. 

Non-standard kit was actively encouraged by many COs and kitting out was generally mission specific.

SA80 came in 1986 and LAW80 in 1987.

The RM usually treat WEs as guidelines. 

[gimzod]

Thank you.

Just need some heavy weapons and i have an over strength platoon.

[Arlequín]

Milans and 81mm mortars at company level, iirc six of each in 3 sections of two weapons (i.e. one section per platoon theoretically). In the Falklands the quantity of Milan was set as "as many as can be carried".