Soviet infantry question

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Mike:

as you say - on exercise.

And as you say, certainly for personal defence only.

And as Pace Stick says - in the rear areas and only if they get over run.

Now how many battalions got over-run on the Russian Front?

Tell us!

And how many of those clerks do you really need when the company's platoons are down to 1 squad each total??

They then become riflemen - not clerks.

Are you really going to keep a full 100 or so non-combatants busy looking after a reduced company strength of anything like say 30-60?

Where on earth do I say that?

do you think, occasionally, a company commander migth be tempted to add a few of his "non-combatants" to the rifle platoons?

Well, duh. They then become combatants.

none of what you guys have said is really relevant - a rifle-armed soldier will use that rifle when needed. And they often will be in real combat. Not always to be sure - but they aren't padres or corpsmen!!

And they are usually only needed when they are employed as riflemen. Yes?

Oh - and I almost forgot - when I was a part time soldier we practicd a LOT at avoiding the front line rifle platoons and attacking the rear echelons.

Easy to do in practise. Of course, you probably screwed up a lot of training exercises - it is the job of the platoons to learn how to fight, not the rear echelon. Sounds like a dumb thing for you to have done - good practice for you, bad practice for the OPFOR.

I was in a Rifle Bn recce platoon - we usually acted as enemy.

Pity you didn't do more to help train your battalion properly, then.

we also acted as enemy for our EME, Artillery, transport and other reatr echelons. They were expected to practice and know their anti-ambush drills, etc.

Important stuff, and skills they needed to learn - but what were the rifle platoons doing while you were beating up on the rear areas? Doesn't sound like they got much value out of their training time.

[Pacestick]

It's all a matter of perspective - to the rifleman in the line, the company clerk is in the rear echelon. To the company clerk, 500 metres from the fighting, battalion headquarters is the rear echelon. To battalion headquarters, under direct observation and mortar fire, their regimental headquarters 3 km back is the rear echelon...[/QB]

[Michael Dorosh]

I'll give this a bump to see if JasonC wants to defend the 90 percent figure. He may have an insight into this that I am missing.