Command Decision provides many examples of unit organizations, including in the Barbarossa 25 supplement, Tables of Organization for the Soviet Rifle and Marine Brigades (identical). Once in combat, one often finds units will modify their own TO&E from what is written down, so that even in units with the same organization on paper, one will find variations. In the case of the Soviet Rifle Brigade, it appears that there was no strict organizational structure, with the result that a multitude of completely different organizations existed at the same time. This can be used to the advantage of the gamer who chooses to play Command Decision, because the Soviet Rifle Brigade is an ideally sized unit to put on the gaming table. The variety of organizational structures allows for a little fog of war for your German opponent, who simply can't consult the booklet and know exactly what you have, down to the last machinegun. I have enclosed a TO&E breakdown of 18 Soviet Rifle, Marine and Mountain brigades, based on their actual elements as of January 1943. To round out the numbers, and make for an even 20, I have added a special mountain regiment, and a 1941 motorized brigade. Except for the last, all of these units served on the ends of the lines on the Eastern Front, with 9 fighting east of Leningrad, and the other ten around Novorossisk on the Black Sea. It is difficult, but not impossible to find more than a couple that are built the same. To determine your force, roll a D20, and use that brigade from the list. (If you get one of the weak sisters, you might want to stiffen it with a AT Battalion and a few mortars.) Standard Units The following sub units are assumed to have a standard organization, and will riot be listed individually unless their structure is different then that listed below: Brigade Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 command infantry stand 1 staff radio wagon 1 recon SMG stand 1 engineer stand Rifle Battalion, with: 1 command infantry stand 6 infantry stands 1 MMG stand 1 AT rifle stand 1 82mm mortar stand (ds) Submachinegun Battalion, with: 1 command SMG stand 6 SMG stands Light Artillery Battalion, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter 3 gun crew stands (ds) 3 76.2 field guns 3 limbers 1 supply wagon 82mm Mortar Battalion, with: 1 command stand 3 82mm mortar stands (ds) 1 supply wagon 1 120mm Mortar Battalion, with: 1 command stand 1 spotter stand 3 gun crew stands (ds) 3 120mm mortars 3 wagons 1 supply wagon Engineer Battalion, with: 1 command/engineer stand 2 engineer stands 1 supply wagon 1 Antitank Battalion, with: 1 command stand 1 SMG stand 4 AT stands 3 gun crew stands 3 45L66 antitank guns 3 limbers (1) 1st Mountain Brigade Leningrad-Experienced; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 3 Rifle Battalions 1 Support Battalion, with: 2 gun crew stands (ds) 1 76.2 infantry gun 1 limber 1 120mm mortar 1 wagon (2) 55th Marine Brigade Leningrad-Veteran; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions 1 Light Artillery Battalion (3) 73rd Marine Brigade Leningrad-Experienced; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions 82mm Mortar Battalion MG/Artillery Battalion, wtih: 1 command stand 2 MMG stands 2 AT rifle stands 1 gun crew stand 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 45L66 antitank gun 1 76.2L16 infantry gun 2 limbers (4) 83rd Marine Brigade Novorossisk-Veteran; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 5 Rifle Battalions 1 Engineer Battalion 1 SMG Company, with 2 SMG stands Support Battalion, with: 1 gun crew stands 2 gun crew stands (ds) 1 45L66 antitank gun 1 76.2L16 infantry gun 105L16 pack howitzer 3 limbers (5) 142nd Marine Brigade Leningrad-Experienced; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions 1 Light Artillery Battalion (6) 255th Marine Brigade Novorossisk-Veteran; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 5 Rifle Battalions 82mm Mortar Battalion 1 Engineer Battalion 1 SMG Company, with 2 SMG stands Support Battalion, with: 1 gun crew stands 2 gun crew stands (ds) 1 45L66 antitank gun 1 76.2L16 infantry gun 1 105L16 pack howitzer 3 limbers (7) 9th Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Regular; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions Support Battalion, with: 1 gun crew stand 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 45L46 antitank gun 1 76.2LI6 infantry gun 2 limbers (8) 11th Rifle Brigade Leningrad- Veteran; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions (9) 51st Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Trained; Morale: 7 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions 1 Engineer Battalion 1 MG Battalion, with: 3 MG stands 120mm Mortar Battalion (10) 53rd Rifle Brigade Leningrad-Veteran; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions (11) 60th Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Veteran; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 3 Rifle Battalions 1 Light Artillery Battalion (12) 102nd Rife Brigade Leningrad-Regular; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions 1 SMG Battalion 82mm Mortar Battalion MG/Artillery Battalion, with: 1 command stand 2 MMG stands 2 AT rifle stands 1 gun crew stand 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 451A6 antitank gun 1 76.2L16 infantry gun 2 limbers (13) 107th Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Regular; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions 1 MG Battalion, with 3 MG stands 1 120mm Mortar Battalion 1 Antitank Battalion (14) 123rd Rifle Brigade Leningrad-Experienced; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 3 Rifle Battalions 1 Light Artillery Battalion (15) 128th Rifle Brigade Leningrad-Regular; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 4 Rifle Battalions Light Artillery Battalion (16) 155th Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Veteran; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters 3 Rifle Battalions 1 Support Battalion, with: 1 command stand 2 MMG stands 2 AT rifle stands 1 gun crew stand 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 45L46 antitank gun 1 76.2L16 infantry gun 2 limbers (17) 165th Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Experienced; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 3 Rifle Battalions 82mm Mortar Battalion 1 Engineer Battalion (18) 18th Guards Rifle Brigade Novorossisk-Veteran; Morale: 9 Brigade Headquarters 3 Rifle Battalions 1 SMG Battalion I Engineer Battalion 1 Light Artillery Battalion 1 M13 Katyusha Battalion, with: 1 command stand 1 car 2 M-13 Katyushas 1 medium supply truck with trailer 1 Antitank Battalion (19) 897th Mountain Regiment Novorossisk-Elite; Morale: 9 Regimental Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 command infantry stand 1 staff radio stand 3 pack mule stands 1 recon SMG stand Engineer Company, with 2 engineer stands Mortar Company, with 2 82 mm mortar stands (ds) 5 Mountain Rifle Companies, each with: 1 mountain infantry stand 1 mountain weapons stand (20) 151st Motorized Brigade Western, tanks Trained; Morale: 8 All other elements, Regular; Morale: 8 Brigade Headquarters, with 1 command stand 1 car I staff radio truck 1 quad AAA machinegun truck 3 Motorized Infantry Battalions, each with: Battalion Headquarters, with: 1 command stand 1 car 1 recon motorcycle stand 1 medium supply truck with trailer 3 Rifle Companies, each with: 2 infantry stands 1 medium truck Machinegun Company, with: 2 MMG stands 1 medium truck Mortar Company, with: 1 82mm mortar stand (ds) 1 medium truck Antitank Company, with: 1 45L46 AT gun 1 gun crew stand 1 light truck 1 Tank Battalion, with: 1 command T- 34/40-41 3 T-34/40-41 Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly #1 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com