International Brigades Organisation

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Hi all,
I'm looking for information on the organisation of the Companies of the Intl. Brigades during the SCW. I've found a lot of info on the Battalions and Divisions in the Osprey book on the Republican Army, but nothing on the composition below that. I know what a single platoon looks like from the "Espana" supplement to Chain of Command, but I'm struggling with relevant information of the companies.

thanks in advance for any help!

[FramFramson]

I'm afraid I'm not much help other than to say "organization" might not be the best word when it comes to the International Brigades! 

[tercio39]

Hello Captain  , it would  all depend on which brigade/battalion  you are talking about and during which period . The British Battalion went into the Jarama battle approximately 500 strong  , organised into 4 companies , three rifle companies and a machine gun company ,  and a battalion HQ .  If you’d like more detail or information on another period or battalion let me know and I will endeavour to find out for you . Cheers Alex

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Hi Alex,
The British Battalion would be a great start, as that particular formation is what I'm aiming for. As I understand it, each rifle company was built around 3 pelotons, each with three sections, is that correct?

[SJWi]

Hi, according to the Osprey Elite series book on the International Brigades the British Battalion had three rifle companies and an MG company. Each co had c100 men, although No 1 Co at one point had 145. Each rifle Co broke down into three sections and each section into three 8-man "platoons".The Brigade anti-tank battery was often attached with its 3 x Russian 37mm  A/T guns. I believe the MG Company had 8 M1910 Russian-made maxim guns.

Hope this helps.

 

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Thanks, that was really helpful! I'll have to get my hands on that volume - the issue on the Republican Army is (understandably) not very specific.

[tercio39]

Hi Captain , yes from what I can gather each company was composed of 3 sections ,Pelotons in Spanish ,  each of approximately 30 men and led by a sergeant . The machine gun company at Jarama consisted of 72 men and as stated by SJWi 8 First World War Maxim machine guns . The other three companies  also had M1915 Chauchat light machine guns and M1895 colt-brownings at Jarama . The  following may be of interest to you in that it relates to the Nationalists organisation .   Peter Kemp served with the Spanish Foreign Legion and he says that ‘ a Spanish infantry platoon is divided into two sections or half platoons of 20-25 men each commanded by a sergeant . It is confusing that the Spanish word for platoon is seccion , and the term for a section or half platoon is Peloton . A Peloton contains three Escuadras each commanded by a corporal or senior private ‘ . Hope this is of some use . Alex