Frank Chadwick's rules, COMMAND DECISION, published by Games Designers'Workshop (GDW) have just about revolutionized World War II gaming. Currently however they concentrate on the European Theatre of Operations and actions in the Pacific are sadly neglected (although rumors abound about a soon to be published Pacific variant). The organizations that this author is presenting are his own and were developed without the knowledge of GDW. The organizations however reflect the terms and standards of those provided by the COMMAND DECISION rules which have rapidly become a kind of common standard for World War II gaming. 31ST U.S. INFANTRY REGIMENT (Experienced, 9) (Also the 45th and 57th Scouts) Regimental Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Support Stand, 1 Medium Truck Regimental AT-Company: 1 37L53, 1 Crew Stand, 1 Light Truck Three Infantry Battalions, each with: Battalion Headquarters: 1 Command Stand 3 Rifle Companies, each with: 1 Command Stand, 1 weapons Stand, 3 Infantry Stands 1 Weapons Company with: 1 81 mm or 75mm (3 inch) Mortar, 1 Crew Stand (DS), 2 MMG Stands (DS), 1 Light Truck 23RD ARTILLERY REGIMENT (PS) (Veteran, 10) Regimental Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Radio Truck, 1 FO Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Light Truck Firing Batteries: 2 75L28 Field Guns, 1 2.95" Mountain Howitzer, 3 Crew Stands (DS), 2 Medium Trucks, 1 Limber 24TH ARTILLERY REGIMENT (PS) (Veteran, 10) Regimental Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Radio Truck, 1 Command Car Two Battalions, each with: Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 FO Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Light Truck Two Batteries, each with: 2 75L28 Field Guns, 2 Crew Stands (DS), 2 Medium Trucks One Battery with: 1 2.95" Mountain Howitzer, 1 Crew Stand (DS), 1 Limber 86TH FIELD ARTILLERY (PS) (Veteran, 10) Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Radio Three Firing Batteries, each with: Truck, 1 FO Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Light Truck 3 155L39 (GPF), 3 Crew Stands (DS), 3 Medium Trucks 301ST U.S. FIELD ARTILLERY (Experience, 9) Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Radio Truck, 1 FO Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Light Truck Four Firing Batteries, each with: 4 155L39 (GPF), 4 Crew Stands (DS), 4 Medium Tractors 36TH CAVALRY (PS) (Veteran, 10) Headquarters: 1 Command Cavalry Stand, 1 Recon Stand, 1 M3 White Scout Car Two Squadrons, each with: 1 Command Cavalry Stand, 1 Recon Cavalry Stand, 1 Cavalry Weapons Stand Three Troops, each with: 1 Command Cavalry Stand, 2 Cavalry Stands, 1 Cavalry Weapons Stand PROVISIONAL TANK GROUP (Trained, 8) Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Staff Radio Truck 17th Ordnance Company: 3 Infantry Stands, 3 M2 Halftracks Two Battalions, each with: 1 Command Light Tank (M3) Three Tank Companies, each with: 1 Command Light Tank, 2 Light Tanks (all M3s) PROVISIONAL ARTILLERY GROUP (SPM) (Trained, 8) Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Radio Truck, 1 Command Car Four Battlaions, each with: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Truck, 1 FO Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Light Truck Three Batteries, each with: 1 Command Truck, 1 M2 Halftrack, 3 M3 GMC (751-33) 31ST DIVISION (PA) (Green, 7)* Division Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Stand, 1 Command Car, 1 Light Truck 2 or 3 Regiments, each with: Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Stand, 1 Command Car Mortar Company: 1 75mm/81mm Mortar, 1-Crew Stand, 1 FO Stand, 1 Light Truck AT-Company: 1 37L53 or 37L33 AT-Gun, 1-Crew Stand, 1 Limber Three Infantry Battalions, each with: 1 Command Stand Three Rifle Companies with 2 or three Infantry Stands One Weapons Company with 2 or 3 MMG Stands (DS) Artillery Regiment: 1 Command Stand, 1 Staff Stand, 140 Stand 2 or 3 Batteries with: 2 or 3 75L28 Field Guns, 2 or 3 Crew Stands (DS), 2 or 3 Limbers Engineer Battalion: 1 Command Engineer Stand, 2 or 3 Engineer Stands *The 31st Division (PA) is typical of most of the Philippine Army Divisions. Another group of units of interest is the provisional units formed by the disbanding and consolidation of Air Corps, Naval, and other Service Units. Poorly armed and equipped, they nonetheless held their own when the time came. The following is a typical organizational model. PROVISIONAL INFANTRY UNITS (Green, 9) Headquarters: 1 Command Stand, 1 MMG Stand (DS) One to Three "Companies", each with: 1 to 4 Infantry Stands An important thing to remember when developing a wargame organization for the various provisional units so commonly used in the middle and closing stages of the initial Philippine campaign is that the level of training increased as the campaign proceeded and that morale was pretty much intact until the last few days (early April, 1942), when a kind of critical mass was reached and the Filamerican forces finally disintegrated. WWII Philippine Campaign Historical Introduction Wargame Organization: Fila American Wargame Organization: Japanese Scenario: Scouts at Mabatang Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #56 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com