French Mech Platoon TO &E - Cold War?

[Mako]

I'd like to know the number of AMX-10 P IFVs in a French mech platoon and company during the Cold War period?

Thinking 3 per platoon x 3 platoons, but not 100% sure, and don't know how many in the company HQ.

Same question for an AMX-30 tank company. Perhaps the same organization and numbers?

Bonus question - how many vehicles in the AMX-10 RC armored car platoons and company?

[carlos marighela]

Four per platoon, same as the VAB. One for PHQ, one for each peleton (squad). Two at CHQ for a total of fourteen in the company.

AMX-30 company was 4 X 4 tank platoons plus another at CHQ, the company commander's mount. Same total as the old US H-Series TO%E but organised more rationally.

[Mako]

Thank you for the info.

[carlos marighela]

Missed your bonus question. The AMX-10RCs in Light Armoured Regts were organised as three vehicles per platoon. Four platoons plus another AMX-10 RC for a total of 13 per squadron. There was also a mechniased platoon with 4 X VAB and Milan.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I bow to Carlos' superior knowledge, but I offer a retro TOE option from Digest 4 (1989) by the late Bruce Rea-Taylor and Dave Shepherd.(page 25).

Tank companies have an option of an infantry platoon comprising:
1 x AMX10P + Command + Milan
2 x AMX10P + Infantry

YMMV.

[carlos marighela]

Until relatively recently, French organisational structure of the platoon has remained remarkably stable. Twas four vehicles in the 1970s/ 1980s and remained so into the 2000s. Would have been passing strange had they suddenly elected to eliminate an entire squad in 1989 only to reinstate it.

The option for a mech platoon in the company merely represents internal cross attachment, armoured regiments typically (but not quite universally) having a mechanised infantry company as part of their structure. I should have asked when the armoured company organisation info was sought. Pre 1984 many AMX-30 tank companies would have had a fifth platoon. Many would have continued with this structure until the end of the cold war.

There are some weird outliers. My research on Berlin indicates that the armoured regiment in the garrison (11 Rch) consisted of two companies of AMX-30 on the four platoon basis plus an additional company of AMX-13/90 for much of the 1980s. The status of a mech company is unclear although I have seen photos of AMX VCIs in the early 1980s which clearly were not part of the garrison infantry battalion (46 RI) and these were temporaily replaced with AMX-10 Ps by the unit relieving 11 RCh when it deployed out of Berlin to conduct annual field exercises and gunnery training.

[Mako]

Thank you for the replies and info. I really appreciate them.