1919> British force... Here you go

[Meier_Elf_Fanatic]

Hi All,

Some of you may be interested in using British in Shackleton uniforms but not know what to buy.


Well, here's a 1919 onwards grouping (under strength Coy) based on the standard military pamphlets of the time.

Essentially you get:

Company HQ

 4 figures

Platoon A

HQ - 4 figures

2 Lewis section - 7 figures each

2 Rifle sections - 7 figures each

Platoon B

HQ - 4 figures

2 Lewis section - 7 figures each

2 Rifle sections - 7 figures each


Support

2 Vickers teams detached from assets (by 1923 there would be 16 Vickers in each company)



Using the HLBS Winter War range you need 19 packs as follows

1 x GNB1
2 x GNB2
12 x GNB3
2 x GNB4
2 x GNB5


You will have no leftover figures

Add a pair of RR armoured cars and watch the opposition just melt away

Platoon Training 1919 -  'The section is the unit from which infantry organisation is built. It consists of a leader and six men, and is the fire unit. It will not go into action more than seven strong or with less than three men. The platoon is the “fighting” or “tactical unit” of the infantry” consists of a platoon HQ (one officer, one sergeant, one runner and a batman trained as a runner), and two rifle sections and two Lewis gun sections. If a platoon falls below an effective strength of two sections (each of three other ranks) it may be attached temporarily to another platoon in the same company.'

By the time “Section Leading in Attack and Defence” was published in 1923 the British battalion had been restructured to reflect it’s normal role outside a division - there were three infantry companies, of four platoons each with two Lewis and two rifle sections each with seven men, and a machine gun company with 16 Vickers guns.


My thanks to John Armatys for the reference above


Hope this interests a few of you for your 'What if?' scenarios on the roof of the world

[carlos marighela]

I thought the Imperial Organisation with the three rifle coys and the MG coy came into being somewhat later than 1923, I may be wrong. I am fairly certain that the concentration of Vickers in the battalion didn't take place until afte the disbanding of the Machine Gun Corps in 1922. I think you'll find that the classic four square organisation was still in place in North Russia in 1919.

[carlos marighela]

So the pamphlets suggest a three company organisation with a machinegun company of 16 Vickers for 1918-19? Interesting.  I'd really like to see those pamphlets as that is unlike any other account of Great War era battalion organisation I have ever seen. There was a later organisation on those lines, so I'd be really curious to see the actual sources.

[carlos marighela]

Curious, there seems to be a missing post between mine. Some sort of bug?

[Meier_Elf_Fanatic]

No,

I'd listed all the pamphlets with dates but my wife said it was time I stopped and I logged out before pressing send - DOH!

[Christopher]

Anyone idea how the HLBS codes translate into the new Tiger Miniatures codes?

[Metternich]

Did the British 1919 infantry platoon retain a percentage of the riflemen as being equipped with rifle grenades?  In WWI, this had become standard by 1918.

[juergen c. olk]

Thanx I now have a organization for my troops I painted. I like painting the figures,they are a little large ,but fit fine w/ my /brigade minis Americans. The only thing wrong for both in Northern Russia all allied troops had Moisin Nagant rifles,I guess there where plenty around. I now need to paint up my Poles. Thanx for info.