DIVISIONS 1st. Div. HQ. originally at Quito, as reserve unit; never embodied; later became the 7th. Div. (see below]. New lst Div. "El Oro" formed at Machala in 1940's with elements from Zone Militar I, 3rd. Div. and 5th. Div. In 1970's this Division comprised of the inf. Batt. No.1. "Constitucion", Inf. Batt. No.3. "Pichincha", G.Mec. 1."Machala", Escuadron Reconocimiento Mecanizacion. No.1. and Grupo de Artilleria No.4. "Bolivar". Suppressed in 1980 when components became the nucleus of Bda. de Inf. No.1. "El Oro". 2nd. Div. HQ. originally at Quayaquil, as a reserve unit; never formed as a permanent unit. 3rd. Div. HQ. originally at Cuenca as reserve unit; embodied in 1943 and consisted initially of Inf. Batt. No.2. "Quito", inf. Batt. No.6. "Manabi", Inf. Batt. No.7. "Jaramijo", Inf. BattA No.9. "Azuay" [later transferred to the 5th. Divikon], and Inf. Batt. No.17. "Eloy Alfaro", plus Grupo de Caballeria No.1. "Yaaquachi, Grupo de Caballeria No.3. "Alajuela", Grupo de Artilleria No.1. "Atahualpa and B.Z. No.1. "Esmeraldas"; later reduced to inf. Batt. No.9. "Imbabura" and Inf. Batt. No.11. "Cayambe", plus G.A. No.3. "Calderon"; becoming the nucleus of the new lst Division "Tarqui" in 1980. 4th. Div. Originally reserve unit in the Zone Militar 1V. Partially embodied in Z.M. II in 1943 on basis of inf. Batt. No.4. "Maranon", Inf. Batt. No.5. "Guayas" and inf. Batt. No.15. "Patria", with HQ. at Quayaquil; later to become 9th. Division (see below]. 5th. Div. Formed in 1943 with it's HQ. at Loja and comprising inf. Batt. No.3. "Pichincha", Inf. Batt. No.8. "Espana", Inf. Batt. No.9. "Azuay", Inf. Batt. No.16. "Tulcan" and inf. Batt. No.18. "Macara", plus G.C. No.4. "Febres Cordero", G.A. No.5. "Tarqui" and B.Z. No.4. "Montufar"; later reduced to inf. Batt. No.13. "Ctn. Diaz" and Inf. Batt. No.15. "Macara", G.Mec. No.l. "Azuay", Escn. de Rec. Mec. No.2. and G.A. No. 5. "Tarqui"; suppressed in 1980 when components formed nucleus of infantry Brigade No.7. "Loja". 6th. Div. "Division de Selva". Nominally existed in 1970's with HQ. at Puyo and comprising ten independent Jungle infantry Companies; suppressed in 1980. 7th. Div. Formed in Z.M.I. [HQ. Quitol late 1940's / early 1950's with inf. Batt. No.19. "Vencedcres", Inf. Batt. No.20. "Esmeraidas" and Inf. Batt. No.21. "Mayor Galo Molina"". plus G.C. No.1. "Yaguachi" and G.A. No.2. "Marshal Sucre"; suppressed in 1980 when components became inf. Brigade, No.13. "Pichincha" in 1980 [see below!. 9th. Div. Formed in Z..M.II. [HQ. Qu;yaquill late 1940's early 1950's with inf. Batt. No.5. "Guayas", Inf. Batt. No.25. "Maranon" and Inf. Batt. No.27. "Montufar", plus G.C. No.2. "Lieutenant Hugo Ortiz" and G.A. No.!. "Atahualpa"; suppressed in 1980 when components became Inf. Brigade No.5. "Guayas". BRIGADES Inf. Brigade No.1. Originally Brigada No.1. [HQ. Quito] with inf. Batts. No.1. "Constitucion", No.2. "Quito" and No.3. "Pichincha", plus Cav. Regt. No.1. "Yaquachi" and G.A. No.2. "Sucre"; inf. Batts. No.2. and No.3. transferred to Z.M.III in 1941, later followed by inf. Batt. No.l. to form the 1st Division "El Oro", together with G.Mec. No.1."Machala" and G.A. No.4."Bolivar"; replaced in Z.M.I by inf. Brigade No.7. "Pichincha" [see below]; the First Division became the nucleus of the Inf. Brigade No.l. in the re-organization of 1980. Brigade No.2. Originally Brigada No.2. [HQ. Quayaquill with Inf. Batts. No.4. "Maranon", No.5. "Guayas" and No.6. "Manabi"; Inf. Batt. No.6. and elements of Inf. Batt. No.5. transferred to Z.M.III in 1941; subsequently becoming Inf. Brigade No.9. "Guayas" with the Inf. Batts. No.5. "Guayas", No.25. "Maranon" and No.27. "Montufar", plus G.C. No.2 "Lieutenant Hugo Ortiz" and G.A. No.1. "Atahualpa"; later to become the Brigade No.5. "Guayas" in 1980 with units re- numbered Inf. Batts. Nos. 13, 14, and 15, plus G.C. No.5. and G.A. No.5. Brigade No.3. Originally inf. Batts. No.7. "Jaramijo", No.8. "Espana" and No.9. "Azuay" [HQ. Cuenca]; later with Inf. Batt. No.9. "Imbabura and Inf. Batt.No.11. "Cayambe" as part of 3rd Division; Inf. Batt. No.9. subsequently tranferred to the 5th Division and was later replaced by a new inf. Batt. No.9. "Imbabura" when converted into a mechanized unit; subsequently reduced to Inf. Batts. Nos. 9 and 11, and finally suppressed in 1980; units either dispersed to Brigades No.1 and No.7. or became nucleus for the 1st Division. Brigade No.4. Originally nominal unit covering Z.M. No.4.; never embodied. Inf. Brigade No.5. Formed in 1941 in Z.M. No.3. with Inf. Batts. No.10. "Carchi", No.11. "Cayambe", and No.12. "Montecristi", plus G.C. No.1. "Yaguachi", G.A. No.4. "Marshal Sucre" and Engineer Batt. No.3. "General Cordova"; largely destroyed in Peruvian invasion; Inf. Batt. No.11. later formed part of the Inf. Brigade No.3.; G.C. No.1. and G.A. No.4. both re-absorbed into parent units in Z.M. No.1. Inf. Batt. No.11 becoming part of the Infantry Brigade Nc.3. Brigade No.6. Nominally existed in Z.M. No.4. as necleus of the "Division de Selva". Never embodied. Inf. Brigade No.7. "Pichincha". Replaced Brigade No.1. at Quito with inf. Batts. No.19 "Vencedores", No.20. "Esmeraldas" and No.21. "Mayor Galo Mclina, plus the G.C. No.l. "Yaguachi" and G.A. No.2. "Sucre" on re-deployment of Brigade No.1. to Z.M. No.3.; became Infantry Brigade No.13 in 1980, current Brigade No.7. "Lola" at Loja with Inf. Batts. No.19. "Cayambe", No.20. "Captain Diaz", and No.21. "Macara", plus Escn. de Rec. Mec. No.7. and G.A. No.7. "Tarqui". Brigade de Fuerzas Especial No.9. "Patria". Originally Brigade de Fuerzas Especial No.1. with Grupo Paracaidistas No.1. and Grupo Fuerzas Especials Nos.1, 2 and 3.; became Brigade No.9. in 1980; component units may have been renumbered G. Para. No.24. and G. Fzas. Esps. Nos.25, 26 and 27. Cavalry Brigade Blindada No.11. Formed at Riobamba in the 1960's as Brigada de Caballeria No.1. with Grupo de Caballeria No.3. and No.4.; subsequently part of 3rd Division and then of the 1st Division, from 1980 when it acquired Grupo Mecanizacion Nos.1. and No.2, plus Grupo de Artilleria No.3.; component units probably renumbered G.C.Bl. No.30. and No.31. and G.Mec. No.32. and No.33. plus G.A. No.11. Inf. Brigade No.13. "Pichincha". Formerly Bda. No.7. at Quito; renumbered in 1980 with Inf. Batts. No.37 "Vencedores", No.38. "Esmeraldas" and No.39. "Major Galo Molina, G.C. No.13. "Yaguachi", Escn. de Rec. Mec. No.13. and G.A. No.13. "Mariscal Sucre". Brigade de Aviacion de Ejercito No.15. Formed in 1980 as parent formation for Army Aviation units. Inf. Brigade de Selva No.17. "Pastaza". Formed in 1980 with it's HQ. at Puyo with Inf. Batt. de Selva Nos.49. 50. and 51. Inf. Brigade de Selva No.19 "Napo". Formed in 1980, HQ. at Coca with the Inf. Batt. de Selva Nos.54., 55., 56. and 57. Inf. Brigade de Selva No.21. "Condor". Formed in 1980 with HQ. at Pictuca, with the inf. Batt. de Silva Nos. 61., 62. and 63. Engineer Brigade No.23. Formed in 1980 as parent formation for Engineer units. Brigade de Apoyo Logistico No.25. Formed in 1980 as parent formation for Logistic units. Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol V No. 4 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by The South and Central American Military Historians Society 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