Regimental Headquarters & Whatever Company?

[salochin999]

IMTU I'd always considered the Navy and Marines to be Imperial and the army to be planetary with units requisitioned if needed (basically marines attack, army defends).

I think I'll change that now to

Planetary armies but the sub-sector capital's army is considered part of the Imperial army. Units assigned from other systems are considered auxiliaries.

I like the idea of a planetary (or sub-sector) naming convention: 4th Regina Rifles just sounds cool. (IMTU almost all these units will be coming from a handful of large systems anyway.)

The model I am looking at is the contemporary Regimental Combat Team.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regimental_combat_team

In the contemporary model a division has three regiments and a lot of supporting arms and an RCT is created ad hoc from one regiment and whatever support elements are allocated.

If you assume for the sake of argument that in a TL12 Traveller grav army a lot of the elements listed in the RCT wiki as being added to one of the Regiments from the division level have become part of the Regiment instead then you get contemporary RCT -> Traveller Regiment with the Regiment, each battalion and even each company as independent as possible.

edit:

The standard org chart - if there was such a thing - might vary with TL also.

 

[Reban]

If you do not like it, then research the Pentomic Division structure of the US Army in the 1950s, which was based on a smaller division of 5 reinforced battalions operating as battle groups.

I'm familiar with the Pentomic Division concept, or to give it it's proper name ROCID, that cutout the Battalion as a unit of command entirely and introduced five "Battle Groups". The reason the Pentomic idea was introduced was to reduce the size of the Infantry Division while increasing the fighting power of the four combat companies in each battle group, to give greater suitability on what everyone thought would be a nuclear battlefield. The concept was trialed between 1956 and 61.

The US Army's Infantry Magazine between 1957 and 58 carries a very detailed account of its introduction.

Testing showed that the concept was brilliant for defense but far too light to mount extended offensive operations so the battalion was reintroduced in the subsequent ROAD Division of the 60s. Hardly a model for any army expected to operate far from its home planet.

But I was commenting on the numbering and designation of battaiions not the organization of divisions.

 

[Reban]

How the UN does TO&E

The link below is to a PDF copy of "United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual Vol 1" which includes the TO&E for a standard UN Peacekeeping battalion.

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/documents/UNIBAM.Vol.I.pdf

It may be of interest to the OP and anyone following this thread because it shows how an international organization sets standards and criteria for nations contributing troops to its forces.

A multi-planet polity like the Imperium might publish a similar manual detailing how to equip and organize forces contributed by member worlds to the Imperial Army.

The basic battalion consists or 3 or 4 infantry or mechanized infantry companies, a support company and a headquarters company. See Chapter 8 p.127 for details. There are also tables of equipment and personnel.

Finally it may be of interest because we know from canon one of the tasks of the Imperial Army is Peacekeeping and the first part of the manual details what the tasks contained within the peacekeeping mission are.

Enjoy.

 

[Timerover51]

The link below is to a PDF copy of "United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual Vol 1" which includes the TO&E for a standard UN Peacekeeping battalion.

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/documents/UNIBAM.Vol.I.pdf

It may be of interest to the OP and anyone following this thread because it shows how an international organization sets standards and criteria for nations contributing troops to its forces.

A multi-planet polity like the Imperium might publish a similar manual detailing how to equip and organize forces contributed by member worlds to the Imperial Army.

The basic battalion consists or 3 or 4 infantry or mechanized infantry companies, a support company and a headquarters company. See Chapter 8 p.127 for details. There are also tables of equipment and personnel.

Finally it may be of interest because we know from canon one of the tasks of the Imperial Army is Peacekeeping and the first part of the manual details what the tasks contained within the peacekeeping mission are.

Enjoy.

A UN peacekeeping battalion is not intended for any combat role and would be pulled immediately upon a major conflict breaking out. Any further comment would get barred for being political in nature.

 

[Quint]

The link below is to a PDF copy of "United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual Vol 1" which includes the TO&E for a standard UN Peacekeeping battalion.

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/documents/UNIBAM.Vol.I.pdf

It may be of interest to the OP and anyone following this thread because it shows how an international organization sets standards and criteria for nations contributing troops to its forces.

A multi-planet polity like the Imperium might publish a similar manual detailing how to equip and organize forces contributed by member worlds to the Imperial Army.

The basic battalion consists or 3 or 4 infantry or mechanized infantry companies, a support company and a headquarters company. See Chapter 8 p.127 for details. There are also tables of equipment and personnel.

Finally it may be of interest because we know from canon one of the tasks of the Imperial Army is Peacekeeping and the first part of the manual details what the tasks contained within the peacekeeping mission are.

Enjoy.

Thank you! Very interesting! The first thing of interest that leapt out was the various "Substantive" components of the Mission HQ - not a bad reminder that there might well be more to the Imperial military G or S series than the standard 1-8. Also that the role and relationship with the Moot (or local nobles and/or polities) might be more complicated than simply "rolling the troops in" - especially when we start thinking about interacting with aliens.

D.

 

[Reban]

Thank you! Very interesting! The first thing of interest that leapt out was the various "Substantive" components of the Mission HQ - not a bad reminder that there might well be more to the Imperial military G or S series than the standard 1-8. Also that the role and relationship with the Moot (or local nobles and/or polities) might be more complicated than simply "rolling the troops in" - especially when we start thinking about interacting with aliens.

D.

Yes indeed, there are probably roles for interpreters, counselors, cultural advisers and perhaps environmental protection officers on the staff.

Where you are fighting on a planet where there is native intelligent life who are either the enemy or just caught in the conflict it would be a good idea to attach someone with knowledge of them to the relevant staff.

I've always seen this as a role for the Scouts. In time of war they come under the command of the Navy but there's no reason that in case of a ground conflict Scouts with specific knowledge of the planet or natives shouldn't be attached.

 

[Reban]

A UN peacekeeping battalion is not intended for any combat role and would be pulled immediately upon a major conflict breaking out. Any further comment would get barred for being political in nature.

Did I claim this was an example of a combat unit? No.

What I said, if you read it, was that this was a possible example how the Imperium might set standards for member world's forces seconded to the Imperial Army. It makes sense for the high command to set a basic set of standards and a TO&E. This of course would also apply to non combat and supporting unit too.

I also noted that Peacekeeping is a mission performed by the Imperial Army.

And unfortunately in the real world our peacekeepers can't always be withdrawn before a conflict roles over them.

It would make quite an interesting scenario to have the PCs play an Imperial Army Peacekeeping Force fireteam or section trapped in an observation post as two lower TL sides restart the conflict around them. With their sensors they would be able to "see" everything happening around them, from the incoming artillery to the breaches of the Imperial Rules of War.

Do they sit tight? Do they wait for a lull in the conflict to allow reinforcement or extraction? Or perhaps they have to exfiltrate the post using both their soldiering skill and technology to get through the conflicting sides lines and back to friendly forces.

A particularly nasty Ref like me might impose strict rules-of-engagement for them to abide by, and they might as a subsequent adventure have to defend their actions to a court of inquiry.

Maybe what they witnessed were war crimes and now they have a price on their heads. Films like "Behind Enemy Lines" with Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman spring to mind as inspiration or books such as Blood, Sweat and Tears by Dr. Tom Clonan for background on what its like to be a peacekeeper on the Blue Line.

 

[Timerover51]

Here is the organization of the First Marine Brigade (Provisional) which occupied Iceland in 1941 into 1942.

Brigade Hq. Platoon
Company A, 2nd Tank Battalion (less one platoon)
Company C, 1st Engineer Battalion
3rd Platoon, 1st Scout Company
Chemical Platoon
Company A, 2nd Medical Battalion
1st Platoon, Company A, 2nd Service Battalion
Two Bakery Units
Band
6th Marines
2nd Battalion, 10th Marines (the 10th Marines were an Artillery Regiment)
5th Defense Battalion (less 5" Artillery Group)

For a brief history of the Unit, see the following link:

https://archive.org/details/firstmarinebriga00unit

For information on the organization of the Marine Corps Defense Battalions, see the following links on the Marine Corps Historical Division site:

https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydiv...s/Publication PDFs/Thomas_Holcomb_1936-41.pdf

https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydiv...ttalions in World War II PCN 19000313300.pdf

For combat reports on Marine Defense Battalions, see the following:

https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydiv...ublication PDFs/Heinl_The Defense of Wake.pdf

https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydiv.../Publication PDFs/Heinl_Marines at Midway.pdf

All of the above links are to US Government publications which are in the public domain, and may be downloaded for free.

 

[Timerover51]

I cannot remember if I posted this earlier, but I doubt it. It covers the organization of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), more commonly known as Merrill's Marauders. The unit was the only organized US combat force to serve on the ground in the China-Burma-India Theater in World War 2. It is in html format, but it is possible to find PDF downloads online as well.

http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/marauders/marauders-fw.htm

See here for a PDF download:

https://archive.org/details/MerrillsMarauders

The following is a Combat Studies Institute publication covering the force

http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/carl/download/csipubs/bjorge.pdf

Note, this unit did not follow the standard US World War 2 organization at all, nor did it resemble the Ranger battalions.

 

[Timerover51]

US Marine Corps Regiment TO&E as of 27 March 1944, based on combat experience up to then. Notice the 13 man rifle squad with three 4-man fire teams.

https://archive.org/details/organizationofma00unse

 

[BillDowns]

IMTU I'd always considered the Navy and Marines to be Imperial and the army to be planetary with units requisitioned if needed (basically marines attack, army defends).

I think I'll change that now to

Planetary armies but the sub-sector capital's army is considered part of the Imperial army. Units assigned from other systems are considered auxiliaries.

I like the idea of a planetary (or sub-sector) naming convention: 4th Regina Rifles just sounds cool. (IMTU almost all these units will be coming from a handful of large systems anyway.)

I always considered Imperial Army to be more like the antebellum US Army: Regular units backed by Militia. Or something like the British Army, with Guards, Line, and Colonial units.

The model I am looking at is the contemporary Regimental Combat Team.

...

If you assume for the sake of argument that in a TL12 Traveller grav army a lot of the elements listed in the RCT wiki as being added to one of the Regiments from the division level have become part of the Regiment instead then you get contemporary RCT -> Traveller Regiment with the Regiment, each battalion and even each company as independent as possible.

In the vein of my earlier comment, in my vision, an Imperial unit will always be TL15. The Planetary, Subsector, or Sector "Militia" units will vary.

I also imagine certain standard Imperial units, like Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Cavalry, Air Cavalry, Aerial Fighters & Bombers, etc. These would be regular fixed units, but when being doled out for missions, they would be grouped into Brigades, Demi-brigades, Legions, what have you with multi-role resources attached as required for the mission. Militia units can also be attached as desired.

I also envision "cadre" units which can be embedded into Militia to reinforce certain "cooperative" elements. Badly worded there, but the idea is to make the Militia meld together with other Militia and Imperials.