[wulfir]

- Tank Battalion 49 -

OOB

- Tank Bn HQ
- Tank Bn HQ Coy
…..........................Coy HQ
…..........................Communication Plt
…..........................Recce Tropp (3 Motorcycle Recce Sections)
…..........................Tank Tropp (2 light tanks, 1 heavy tank)
…..........................Pioneer Tropp (2 Pioneer sections armed with Raketgevär (Rocket AT), 2 Tgb m/42 KP Armoured Personell Carriers)
…..........................Coy Supply



- Light Tank Company
…..........................Coy HQ (incl. Tank Tropp with 2 light tanks, 1 heavy tank, Medical section, Staff element)
…..........................Light tank Plt (4 light tanks)
…..........................Light tank Plt (4 light tanks)
…..........................Heavy tank Plt (4 heavy tanks)
…..........................Storm Pioneer Tropp (2 Storm Pioneer Sections, 2 Tgb m/42 APCs).
…..........................Company Supply

- Light Tank Coy (same as above)

- Heavy Tank Coy
…..........................Coy HQ (incl Heavy Tank Tropp with 3 heavy tanks, medical sec, Staff element).
…..........................Heavy Tank Platoon (3 Heavy tanks)
…..........................Heavy Tank Platoon (3 Heavy tanks)
…..........................Heavy Tank Platoon (3 Heavy tanks)
…..........................Heavy Tank Platoon (3 Heavy tanks)
…..........................Storm Pioneer Tropp (2 Storm Pioneer Sections, 2 Tgb m/42 APCs).
…..........................Coy Supply

- ”Följekompani” (this term is hard to translate, litteraly it would mean something like ”Tag-along Company”)
…..........................Coy HQ (Staff Element, Medical Element)
…..........................”Följe” Platoon (3 Sections of each 8 men with 1 Tgb m/42 APC and 1 single 8 cm Mortar)
…..........................”Följe” Platoon (same as above)
…..........................”Följe” Platoon (same as above)
….......................... Close Anti-Tank Platoon (3 Sections of each 10 men with 1 Tgb m/42 APC and 3 Granatgevär AT-weapons).
…..........................Coy Supply

- Tank Supply Company
…..........................Coy HQ
…..........................Ammo Element
…..........................Repair Element
…..........................Fuel Element
…..........................Food Element
…..........................Medical Element
…..........................Pioneer Tropp (2 Sections of 9 mean each, 2 Tgb m/42 – the name of this unit is apparently never changed to Storm Pioneer).
…..........................Coy Supply




During the existance of the 49 org formations the Pioneer Tropp is renamed Stormpioneer Tropp and the Pioneer Sections are renamed Stormpioneer sections – except for the Pioneers found in the supply company (who also lacks Rg AT weapons). The Tgb m/42 is also equipped with twin m/36 AAMG. Exaclty when these changes come into effect can as far as I know not be determined.

In the Swedish terminology ”Tropp” is an element usually somewhat larger than a section but smaller than a platoon. I'm not sure if there is a corresponding English term? The above mentioned Pioneer/Stormpioneer Tropp exists in the regular OOB066 under the name ”StormPi Trp”. In Sweden ”Tropp” is shortened ”To”. Would using ”Trp” for this type of element be confusing – in game it would be a weak platoon...?

My ambition is to include the fighting elements of the HQ and Supply Companies in a type of Armoured Battalion Support Company formation, which would then include:

Company HQ unit
Recce Tropp
Tank Tropp
Storm Pioneer Tropp
Pioneer Tropp

The tanks equipping these battalions were initially of WWII vintage and obsolete allready by the end of WWII. The light tanks were the Swedish version of a Czech's tank used by the Germans as PzKwf 38(t) – they were later rebuilt as APCs – the Pbv301. The heavier tanks were the Swedish design Strv m/42, armed with a largely inadequate short 75mm gun. They were later to be upgrade with a new turret and a longer and more powerful 75mm weapon – the Strv 74.

Sweden was at this time looking for a foreign and more capable tank. It was hoped that the British Centurion would be possible to purchase, but the response from London was not particulary positive. A small number of tanks could maybe be made available to Sweden sometime after 1958. The French AMX-13 was instead choosen for trials. Then a sort of trade imbalance between Sweden and Great Britain led to a British surprise offer of selling Centurion tanks. The first arrived in May 1953. This decision irritated the French and a high ranking Swedish officer, the army commander Ehrensvärd, who figured the lower price of the AMX-13 would have yielded more tanks. The AMX-13 was again considered but in the end Sweden went for moderninsing the older m/42 tank. A large number of French 155mm howitzers was bought as a sort of compensation for the failure of the AMX deal. The gun was in Swedish service named Haubits F, and nicknamed ”Fransyskan” (roughly ”The French Lady”) - it was later to be used by the artillery units of the armoured brigades.