US TOE Questions

[Marcello]

Well, the iraqis get the PKM, so that is a non issue.

[Marcello]

Another question. If I have understood correctly the Stryker company gets a MGS platoon and a couple of SP mortars as organic support. Now, does an US company mounted on M113s typically get a couple of organic SP mortars as well?

[thatguy96]

The only copy of FM 7-11 Rifle Company, Infantry, Airborne Infantry, and Mechanized Infantry I actually have on my comp is dated 16 Jan 1962. However, I would think that on a level the organization described would probably continue to this day in general terms. It would likely fluctuate no more than that of the standard Infantry Company. If you therefore have a more recent copy of the appropriate FM for a regular Infantry Company you could likely build from what I'm about to quote out of the FM that I have from around when the M113 was introduced.

"The weapons platoon of the mechanized infantry rifle company differs in that the four 3/4-ton trucks in the mortar section are replaced by one APC and three mortar carriers, full tracked. There are two radio telephone operators and one APC driver (who is also a radiotelephone operator) in the mortar section headquarters. Each mortar squad has only one ammunition bearer, and one APC driver who is also a radiotelephone operator."

[SGTGunn]

The Mechanized Infantry Platoon and Squad (M113)has two different tables of organizational equipment (TO&E): the older "H" TO&E and the newer "J" TO&E.

The "H" TO&E platoon has three 11-man rifle squads and one 7-man headquarters section.

The HQ section is comprised of the:

Vehicle Crew:

Driver
Track Commander/Gunner (Plt Sgt)

Dismounts:

Platoon Leader
Platoon RTO
Forward Observer
FO RTO
Plaoon Medic


The three squads are comprised of:

Vehicle crew:

Driver
Track Commander & Gunner (Team Leader)

Dismounts:

Squad Leader (M16)
Assistant Squad Leader (M16 and M203 GL)
Machine Gunner (M60 and M1911A1 or M9 pistol)
2 x Automatic Rifleman (M249 SAW or M16 SAW)
2 x Rifleman (M16)
Grenadier (M16 with M203 GL)
Anti-Armor Specialist (M47 Dragon & M16)

M67 frag grenades, M72 LAWs and M18 claymore mines would also be carried.

The "J" TO&E Platoon came about with the widespread adoption of the M249 SAW which lead to the removal of the M60 machine gunner as an organic "squad" member - but keeps the gun. It is comprised of one 7-man HQ section and three 9-man squads.

The HQ section is identical to the "H" TO&E with one exception - the Platoon Sgt though part of the HQ section rides in a squad APC - the idea was not to have your #1 & #2 man in the same track. One of the team leaders in the track the Plt Sgt rides in takes his place as TC/Gunner on the Plt HQ track. Confused yet? =)

The three squads are comprised of:

Vehicle crew:

Driver
Track Commander & Gunner (Team Leader)

Dismounts:

Squad Leader (M16)
Assistant Squad Leader (M16 - maybe M203 GL)
2 x Automatic Rifleman (M249 SAW or M16 SAW)
Rifleman (M16)
Grenadier (M16 with M203 GL)
Anti-Armor Specialist (M47 Dragon & M16)
M60 Machine Gun - no crew assigned. Weapon can be deployed for defense or in other scenarios were increased fire power is needed. It is likely that the MG would be manned by either an automatic rifleman or the grenadier, with the rifleman acting as the assistant gunner.

I suspect that whenever unit strength allowed it, an extra man would be carried in the squad to man the M60.

All of the above comes from FM 7-7 Mech Inf Plt & Sqd (M113)March 1985 (the last revision of this FM).

Adrian

[Marcello]

Is there anything specific on the mechanized infantry companies? All the stuff I have found is for the platoon level.

[thatguy96]

Its still FM 7-11, you just would want a more recent one that I've quoted from (though I'm sure the logic still stands, that whatever mortars an infantry company has at company level, a mech company has in tracks, same with other heavy weapons I'm sure)

[SGTGunn]

I'm not sure there is a newer version of FM 7-11 than the 1962 revision... I can look around my armory for a hard copy, but FM 7-11 is no longer "current" and is not available on AKO (Army Knowledge Online). Are you looking for an M113 based TO&E for a specific time period? During the 60's and 70's the M113 mech companies had 3 M125 81mm mortar carriers in the company mortar platoon plus 1 M113 for the FDC. These seem to have been dropped at some point, because a more recent M113 mech unit (Massachusetts Army National Guard) did not have mortar carriers at the company level. I think the unit had 3 81mm mortars, but they were not mounted in carriers. The only SP mortars were the M106A1 4.2" mortar carriers in the battalion mortar platoon. This was 1998-2000 time frame. Post 2000 the unit converted to a light infantry TO&E and was probably one of the last M113 based mech infantry battalions in the US Army.

Adrian