Enclosure 3 - The New Army of White Russia "Official New Normal Army Organization, February 1919" by V.Zh. Tsvetkov, Posev 2000, Moscow. ISBN 5-85824-127-1 The over-riding principle in the creation of the Army of South Russia was for the Liberation of Russia from Bolshevism. The organization called for new procedures and organization that was non-standard, but was gained through the experience of the civil war (it is obvious that in this context, the reference is to the “military art of the civil war”). Put forth in Supreme Command of the Army of South Russia Order no. 213, 30 November 1918 was the creation of a special “organization” commission, which created the “New Normal Army Organization” by January 1919. Below is the complete text of this report, which was used later by the Soviet (Red) Army for its structure. The new normal Army organization is based on the following principles. 1) Maneuverable flexibility of the unit 2) Managability 3) Power of artillery, rifle, and machinegun fire 4) Effective engineering capability in the units In principle, a three-point system of organization fully satisfies by the first couple points, situated from the basic structure of Regiment, Division, Corps and observed in the measure of capabilities for the organization of lighter units. Translator note: References below to number of "bayonets" and number of "sabers" specifically means combat infantry and combat cavalry members. This represents the combat power. Support units are numbered separately. INFANTRY Company consists of five platoons – 4 rifle and 1 machinegun. Personnel stats in the company are 7 officers and 255 soldiers. Combat composition of these numbers is 160 infantrymen (bayonets), the remaining 95 personnel are machinegunners, support, and standing headquarters. Each company has two machineguns (in one platoon). Battalion consists of four companies and a battalion machinegun command – 4 machineguns. Total in the battalion is 640 bayonets and 12 machineguns. Regiment consists of 3 battalions and a machinegun command – 12 machineguns, a training command, bomb-mortar – 2 bombards, and 2 mortars; sappers – 3 platoons; communications and horse orderlies; foot reconnaissance; horse reconnaissance; commandant (quartermaster) and musical command. Besides these in the regiment, there is also a non-combatant company, baggage 1st and 2nd detachments. Total in the regiment: 3 battalions of 12 companies: 1920 bayonets and 42 machineguns, 2 bombards, and 2 mortars. General numbers for a full regiment are 149 officers, 4274 soldiers, 599 horses, and 242 wagons. In the regimental communications command – 35 phone/telephone devices, 60 verst (almost exactly 40 miles) of wire, 25% extra wire and phones. Besides that, in each regiment are 4 samokat (merry-go-rounds?). Division 1) 3 infantry regiments – 9 battalions (36 companies), 5760 bayonets, 144 machineguns, 6 bombards, and 6 mortars. 2) 2 squadrons of divisional cavalry – 288 sabers and 8 machineguns 3) Artillery brigade with the following: 4 two-battery battalions, the first two consist of one 3-inch and one 8-inch batteries; the third battalion consists of two 3-inch batteries; and the fourth consists of one mountain and one 6-inch howitzer batteries. Each battery consists of four guns and a machinegun platoon (two machineguns). In all, the artillery brigade has 32 cannons/guns and 16 machineguns. Accepting that the artillery brigade is dependent on availability of cannons/guns, the leadership could change the number and type of artillery with the approval of the Supreme Command. In this regard, the commission would not recommend anything more than 48 cannons/guns, which would break down to four three-battery brigades. The Commander of the artillery brigade in an operational relationship will have three airplanes assigned by the corps. For ammunition sustainment of the battalions, there will be an artillery park battalion of three parks divided into five detachments. 4) The Chief of the Division Staff, in an operational relationship as part of the division, will also have assigned the following: a) Armored Battery – 8 armored cars (4 cannon, 4 machinegun) divided into four platoons. b) communications company with 30 phones, 60 verst (almost exactly 40 miles) of wire, and 15% supply of other communications gear. Besides these, the Division Headquarters will have 2 cars, 2 motorcycles, and 2 airplanes. Commander of the communications company is the Chief of Communications for the Division. c) Not included as part of the Chief of Staff or divisional composition, but in an operational relationship, will have assigned by Corps three reconnaissance aircraft from the aviation division. 5) Engineering Battalion with one sapper company and one military-road company and a platoon of field engineers. The sapper and the military-road company consist of 4 platoons – one for each regiment and one surplus for special work. The platoon for the field engineering (park) consists of two detachments – one for instrumentation and one for materiel. Engineering Battalion commander is the Divisional Engineering Officer. 6) For casualties and their evacuation, the division will designate a marching battalion of six companies – 1/6th the composition of the division. In the marching battalion, it is not necessary to have a machinegun command using the 1/6th of the division calculation, but lesser numbers of machineguns. 7) Field sanitation and medical services administration are coordinated by the divisional doctor and corpsman. TOTAL in this type of division: 9 battalions – 5760 bayonets, 160 machineguns, 32 cannons/guns, 8 armored cars, 6 bombards and 2 horse squadrons – 288 sabers with rifles & machineguns. CAVALRY Squadron consists of four platoons of 18 rows, and four machineguns. Total in a squadron is 220 men. Regiment consists of six squadrons, a horse-machinegun command – 8 machineguns. In the Regiment are also the headquarters, communications and horse orderlies, training, irregulars, and regimental supply. In the communications command there are 16 phones and 46 verst (approximately 30.5 miles) of wire. TOTAL in the regiment: 57 officers, 960 sabers and 32 machineguns (from which 24 of the machineguns are type Schosh and Lewis). Total stats for the regiment – 66 officers, 1737 soldiers, 2020 horses, 93 wagons, and 138 packs. Division The cavalry division is the highest tactical union of horse: it consists of 3 brigades (6 regiments) and 3 brigades of artillery. On paper the artillery brigade is assigned to each cavalry brigades (4 cannons in each, under the operational control of the assigned brigade). The organization of the division includes a rifle regiment (two battalions) and two 48-inch howitzer batteries. Employment of the entire artillery brigade is concentrated in the hands of the Chief of the Cavalry Artillery Brigade. Within the division: a horse-sapper squadron, communications command, horse radio-telegraph detachment; machinegun training command; commandant command; marching squadron; and also divisional and veterinarian doctors and supply. Except for all the above, there can be operationally assigned to the division chief of staff – two airplanes. IN ALL in the cavalry division: 6 cavalry regiments – 36 squadrons – 5760 sabers and a rifle regiment – 960 bayonets; 232 machineguns (from which 144 are gun-machineguns like the Lewis), 8 batteries – 32 cannons (from which are 8 48-inch howitzers). Cavalry divisions for independent actions are able to form into an operational relationship of cavalry groups, depending on the situation and disposition. Composition of the Volunteer Army for 1st Kuban Campaign, Feb 1918 Back to The Gauntlet No. 22 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Craig Martelle Publications 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