Military units

[IanBruntlett]

Hi,

I don't know anything about military units and the Traveller books use them without defining them.

For a navy, how many and what kind of ships are in a squadron? or in a routine sub-sector patrol?

For the ground forces, what are a company, battalion, regiment?

TIA


Ian

 

[StephenT]

Individual infantrymen operate in 'fire teams' of about 4 people each.
Two or three fire teams make up a squad, which is the basic tactical unit of organisation, numbering 8-12 people. A squad is commanded by a Sergeant.

An infantry platoon contains 3 - 5 squads plus some support elements - medics, radio operators, APC drivers, etc. Call it about 50 people. A tank platoon usually contains 4 tanks (a tank is therefore the equivalent of an infantry squad, organisationally); an artillery platoon contains 4 guns. A platoon is commanded by a Lieutenant.

Platoons are grouped together into 'companies', commanded by a Captain. A company would have 3 - 5 platoons: so 150-250 men in an infantry company; 12-20 tanks in a tank platoon ('troop'), or 12-20 guns in an artillery company ('battery'). A company is the smallest unit that's likely to be encountered operating by itself in one region of a planet.

The next step up from a Company is a Battalion, commanded by a Major or Colonel. As before, a battalion would include 3 - 5 companies. An infantry battalion might have 3 normal infantry platoons plus a fire support platoon with heavy weapons (mortars, even tanks). There'd also be a fairly sizeable headquarters element with medical, maintenance, supply and administration services. A battalion numbers about 500-1,000 people or 40 - 50 tanks.

Depending on the army, the next step up from the Battalion is either the Regiment or the Brigade: terminology differs here. In SG Games' Ground Forces, the Imperial Army is described as using the British system: battalions are linked together into regiments for historic and traditional purposes; units in the same regiment share battle honours, provide veterans' benefits, and so on; but for actual combat purposes the next step up is the Brigade.

A Brigade would be 3 - 5 battalions commanded by a Brigadier-General or Colonel. At this stage, you would see mixing and matching; a brigade might include two infantry battalions and a tank battalion, for example. Brigades are largely self-sufficient and can be committed to battle independently. It would number 3,000 - 5,000 people. This is the largest formation that's pretty much permanent.

The next step up is the Division, composed of 2 - 4 Brigades. Divisions are commanded by a Major-General, and they're a self-contained army in miniature, with a balanced mix of infantry, artillery and tanks plus all the support and logistics services necessary. (An armoured or tank division would include more tanks than an infantry division, but it would still include plenty of infantry and artillery, and vice-versa). A division isn't necessarily a permanent, unchanging formation - brigades can be exchanged between divisions to strengthen them or customise them for a particular mission, or extra battalions can be attached temporarily.

A major operation, such as a planetary invasion, would be given to a division. Divisions number from 10,000 to 20,000 people.

Next up from the division is the Corps, commanded by a Lieutenant General. Corps are temporary formations grouping together all divisions operating in a particular combat theatre. They might also have specialist assets under their control (meson artillery, ground attack starships...) which are allocated to individual divisions as required.

Finally, there's the Field Army, commanded by a General, which comprises several Corps. The Third Imperium doesn't normally have any field Armies in peacetime, organising them as needed for a specific military campaign.

 

[Golan2072]

For the ground forces, what are a company, battalion, regiment?

I am no soldier, but I'll try to help you about ground forcesfrom memory:

A Fireteam is 3-4 soldiers (4 in the OTU Imperium) usually commanded by a Corporal.

A Squad is 2-5 fireteams (2 in the OTU Imperium) commanded by a Sargent (who might also be the commander of one of these fireteams).

A Section is optional. If used, it is typically composed of 2 squads and commanded by a Sargent or Gunnery Sargent.

A Platoon is 2-5 squads (or two sections) commanded by a Lieutenant or by a "headquarters element" composed of a Lieutenant and 2-4 additional personnel (such as a medic, a communication officer, an NCO second in command and so on).

A Company is 2-5 platoons commanded by a Captain or Major (who are usually assisted by a small team of HQ personnel such as a comm specialist, an NCO or Lieutenant as second in command and so on).

A Battalion is 2-5 companies commanded by a Major or a Lieutenant Colonel (usually assisted by HQ staff including an executive officer [Captain or Major], a senior NCO [Sargent Major] and many support personnel such as mechanics, doctors and so on).

A Regiment is 2-5 battalions commanded by a Colonel (usually assisted by various HQ staff).

A Brigade is 2-5 battalions OR 2-5 regiments (depends on the army) commanded by a Colonel or Brigadier or Brigadier General (usually assisted by various HQ staff). Regiment and Brigades may be different steps in the unit hierarchy or used to describe the same unit size.

A Division is 2-5 regiments OR 2-5 brigades (depends on the army) commanded by a General or Major General (usually assisted by a large HQ unit).

In most TO&Es (Tables of Organization and Equipment, i.e. military unit composition plans) a vehicle - especially a heavy one such as a tank - counts as a squad. So, in vehicle units, a Platoon is 2-5 vehicles.

EDIT: Apparently, StephenT beat me to it...

 

[StephenT]

Apparently, StephenT beat me to it...

8)

As for navies: things are less precise here. A 'squadron' is traditionally a group of 2 - 8 ships of the same general type. It might be subdivided into 'Divisions' of 2 - 4 ships. Squadrons might be permanent and operate independently as a unit, or might be simple subdivisions of a larger fleet.

A 'Flotilla' was similar to a squadron, but composed of smaller ships - destroyers or submarines.

Traditionally, a squadron would be all one kind of ship, but could have other smaller ships asssigned to support it (destroyer escorts, etc). During WW2, the US Navy and later others developed a more flexible 'task force' system that allowed individual ships to be assigned for particular missions.

In the OTU, the Imperial Navy organises itself into 'BatRons' - battleship squadrons, whose job is to engage the enemy fleet or attack their bases; and 'CruRons' - cruiser squadrons, whose job is to scout for the enemy and tell the battleships where they are, and also to raid enemy shipping and protect friendly merchants. There are also more specialist squadrons - troop transports, etc. In addition, the Navy also has plenty of small ships: destroyers and patrol craft.

On the higher level, several squadrons make up a Fleet. The Imperium has, on average, one fleet per subsector, which is given a number (such as the 213rd Fleet in Lunion Subsector). There is also a reserve fleet in each sector, named after the sector (so, the 'Spinward Marches Fleet'). In peacetime, the subsector fleets are kept quite small, and mostly engage in patrols, showing the flag or training exercises with small ships (destroyer-size). The heavy warships, which are very expensive to operate, are kept in reserve at central depots apart from the occasional exercise, under the control of the Sector Fleet.

There's also a 'Colonial Fleet' which is paid for and controlled by the nobility of each subsector themselves, out of local taxes. This uses smaller ships and obsolete cast-offs from the Imperial Navy; its main role is to maintain order and suppress piracy, and it's the type of warship most frequently encountered day-to-day. Finally, individual planets which can afford it would have their own non-jump-capable system defence fleet.

 

[AKAramis]

Some additional comments:

For units of Platoon and above, the NCO is never "second in command"... subunit commanders take over before NCOs.

The Senior NCO is an interface with the troops; to the average trooper, he speaks "with the CO's voice..." He provides a direct route to the CO from the enlisted men.

Half-Companies (2-3 platoons, a Lt) are used in some armies; sometimes as permanent units, other times as an ad-hoc subdivision of a company.

Regiments have been defined in the past by their companies... a US Civil War regiment was a colonel, and his 16-24 companies; Battalions were present, but functionally ignored.

A Regimental Combat Team is a collection of dissimilar regiments forming a combined arms unit. For example, a drop RCT might be a regiment of Drop Battle Dress troops, a regiment of grav Armor, a Battalion of Plan-Def Arty, and a Battalion of Scouts (in an informal regiment), and a group or wing of Aerospace Fighters.

Air orgs are typically:
Element: 2 aircraft (sometimes 3-4) or squad of troops
Flight: 2-4 elements, or a platoon.
Squadron: 12-24 functional aircraft of type
Group: 2-5 squadrons; roughly a battalion to regiment
Wing: 2-20 squadrons or 2-5 groups; roughly a regiment or brigade
Airforce: 2+ wings. Division or Corps are equivalent Some used Air-Corps.

Some airforces allow enlisted pilots; most use officers as pilots.

Cavalry:
Lance: squad, roughly. In Armor Cav, a vehicle.
Platoon: in Armored Cav, 3-6 vehicles.
Squadron: company
Battalion or group: battalion
Wing: Regiment

Note that cav do not always use the distinctive terms, and have had far more variation...

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

For those not tied to traditional 20th Century military units, I offer this alternative. It is most effective for higher TL (battle-dress equipped) armies.

Unit: 1 Soldier
Squad: 10 Soldiers (1 is a Sergeant, or Decon)
Company: 100 Soldiers (9 Sargeants/Decons, 1 Lieutenant/Centurion)
Force: 1000 Soldiers (9 Lieutenants/Centurions, 1 Major/Millon)
Legion: 10,000 Soldiers (9 Majors/Millons, 1 Colonel/Commander)

As TL goes up, individuality becomes more important. A single BD equipped soldier has the fire power of a modern Tank, or more. This is the unit philosophy of "An Army of ONE".

Basically, you can make up units however you want.

 

[atpollard]

Basically, you can make up units however you want.

An old wargamer (Uncle Bob?, IIRC) on another board once suggested that a base 3 had merit for building units. Two men can acomplish most basic tasks with the third man allowing the unit to take casualties and still complete the mission.

A grouping of three sub units allows the comander to assign two tasks with a reserve to reinforce either unit as needed.

His discussion was more detailed, but that was the gist of it.

 

[collins355]

Basically, you can make up units however you want.

Agreed, its SF after all.

That said, there are a variety of 'canon' unit organisations (both army/marine and naval) that have appeared in Traveller material over the years. In the original LBB4: Mercenary the standard generic descriptions of fire teams, squads, platoons, etc recited in earlier posts in this thread were first laid down in the OTU, and then repeated in later MegaTraveller and TNE and GURPS publications almost verbatim.

'Spinward Marches Campaign' gave us the organisation of an Imperial Navy Battle Rider Squadron and the Duke of Regina's 4518th Lift Infantry Regiment (the latter also given in JTAS #9) from the Fifth Frontier War era.

JTAS #9 also gave us 'Battle Fleets of the Marches' describing the organisation of space navies in the OTU.

JTAS #10 gave us 'Troops in the Fifth Frontier War' explaining how GDW came up with planetary army strengths for their boardgame of that conflict.

JTAS #11 unveiled Zhodani Military Organisation, including a Zho' lift infantry battalion and the feared commando groupment.

JTAS #12 covered the Imperial Marines and illustrated how an Imperial Marine Task Force (one of three in each Marine Regiment) might look.

LBB Supplement 9 'Fighting Ships' covers at the beginning of the book Imperial Navy organisation.

LBB Adventure 7 'Broadsword' detailed the organisation of a Sword Worlds (well Gram actually) Lift Infantry Battalion and a Zhodani Marine platoon.

Traveller's Digest #9 featured the Imperial Guard Corps and detailed its component regiments, inter alia describing artillery and cavalry units of the Imperial Army.

FASA's 'Aslan Mercenary Ships' detailed the organisation of an Aslan Mercenary Regiment and transporting naval squadron (the Aslan Hierate has nothing like a standing army in the OTU).

MegaTraveller 'COACC' has information on organisation of the Close Orbit & Aerospace Control Command (aka air force).

MegaTraveller 'Rebellion Sourcebook' synthesises & reiterates much CT material on the Imperial Navy and ground forces organisation principles and introduces Aslan naval organisation.

TNE/Striker II has loads of unit organisations...the well-known 4518th Lift Infantry and Zhodani units, Imperial Guard units, Imperial Marine units, various Reformation Coalition and Regency units, etc.

GURPS Traveller 'Ground Forces' has a slightly different view of the Imperial ground forces than had been presented up to that time in canon material. Some people love it, I'm not one of them...

 

[StephenT]

An old wargamer (Uncle Bob?, IIRC) on another board once suggested that a base 3 had merit for building units. Two men can acomplish most basic tasks with the third man allowing the unit to take casualties and still complete the mission.

There are actually several practical rules of thumb developed over the years for organising military units. An army in the future doesn't have to follow them, but it's likely to be more efficient if it does.

First, there's 'span of command'. The average human finds it difficult to actively control the activities of more than 7 subordinates - 5 is a more sensible limit. More than that, and you have to either leave some of them to do their own thing without your supervision, or you have to delegate control to a second-in-command (which effectively means reducing your span of command back to a more effective size).

That's why you never see modern armies organised on a decimal pattern, with 10 sub-units under a single commander. It's too many to control effectively. (Of course, this is humans. Alien races - or advanced AIs - might be more or less capable.)

Secondly, it's been found that a "triangular organisation" - three sub-units in a larger unit - offers a good balance between effectiveness and economy of force. It lets you put two of your sub-units into the front line, where they can support each other; and you keep the other unit, 1/3 of your total force, back in reserve. (Also called "two up, one back" in military jargon).

If you have a "square organisation" with four sub-units, then you've got a different choice. You either go "two up, two back" - so your front line only has 50% of your force instead of 66% of it. Or you only keep one unit in reserve, which gives you a stronger front line but a much smaller reserve in case something goes wrong.

Most Western armies began the 20th century with a square organisation, but during WW1 found that stripping one unit out of each division to make them triangular (and use the extra units gained to form more divisions) actually didn't affect their combat power all that much. So today, most armies follow a triangular pattern. (Or a more flexible battlegroup model that allows sub-units to be swapped around almost at will).

 

[Baron Sidur Haski]

http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/graphics/mandel/MAND2.gif

Always wanted to try fielding a Sierpinski Gasket structured army. With each black triangle represneting a battledress troop, and each white triangle representing a heavy weapon or armored vehicle.[/img]