WWII
Russian Light Tank Brigade
1938-Nov'39-Jul'41

All theatres

List R8

by Mark Bevis

1. Teeth

    Light Tank Battalion
      T-26/BT is:(D10):
        1: T-26TU/ BT-5 M33
        2: T-26A-2/BT-7-2 M37
        3: T-26A-3/BT-7M M39
        4-8: T-26B M33/BT-7-1
        9-0: T-26S M37/BT-5

      Bttn HQ: 1x BT-5/7 or 2x T-26
      4 Companies@

        CHQ: 2x BT-5/7 or T-26
        3-4 platoons@ 3-5x BT-5/7 or T-26

      1 Platoon: 3x BT-7A (only if BT-7s are fielded)

    Motor Rifle Battalion

      Bttn HQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      3 Companies@
        CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
        3 platoons@ 3 rifle sqds, 2 LMG, 3 trucks
        1 platoon: 2x MMG, 2 LMG teams, 3x 50mm, 3 trucks
      1 Support Company:
        CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
        1 platoon: 4 or 6x 45mm M37 A/T guns, truck tows
        3 platoons@ 4 MMG, 2 trucks
        1 battery: 6x 82mm mortars, 6 trucks, radio truck

2. Brigade Support

    Light Tank Brigade
      HQ: 2x BT-7 or T-26 with:
      2 Armoured Car Companies@
        CHQ: 2x Ba-10
        3 platoons@ 4x Ba-10

3. 'Mechanised Corps' Support

(actually divisional level) Up to:

    1 Recce Battalion
      Bttn HQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      1 Recce Platoon: 21 M/C Combos, 4 rifle sqds, 12 LMG
      1 Tank Company:
        CHQ: 2x T-27 or T-37 or T-38
        3 platoons@ 3x AFV as in CHQ
      1 Recce Company:
        CHQ: 2x Ba-10 or Ba-20 or Ba-7 or Ba-9 or Ba-27M or Ba-32
        3 platoons@ 3x armoured cars as in CHQ

    1 AA Regiment: 3 batteries@ 6x 37mm M39 or 76mmL55 M31, 6 trucks OR 4x ZIS-5 (Quad MMG on truck)

    3 Engineer Companies@

      CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      3 platoons@ 3 rifle/engineer sqds, 3 trucks

    1 Artillery Battalion:

      BHQ: 6 rifle sqds, 4 lorries, radio van
      3 batteries@ 6x 122mm M38, 6 lorries, Assigned FC

    2 Artillery Battalions@

      BHQ: 6 rifle sqds, 4 lorries, radio van
      3 batteries@ 6x 76mm M36, 6 trucks or T-26T, Assigned FC

4. Notes

    a) Radios are in Bttn HQs and above, vehicles so equipped have frame aerials and must be pointed out if requested.
    b) Infantry have no A/T grenades in 1938-39. From 1940 can have RPG-1940 A/T grenades.
    c) Ba-32 not available until late 1939.
    d) Eight such brigades existed, each having 4 Light Tank Battalions and 1 Motor Rifle Battalion. In theory 2 such brigades, along with a Heavy Tank Brigade (list R9) and a Motorised Brigade (list R10) formed the Mechanised Corps. In practice the brigades acted independently, and from November 1939 the Corps were disbanded, although some were still in existence in July 1941. Can use Corps and Army Support from List R18 throughout 1938-41.
    e) In theory the battalions should have 3 platoons each of 5 tanks in each tank company, with radios down to platoon level, but this maximum was rarely reached.
    f) T-26 variants not mixed with BT variants below brigade level.


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© Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999 by Mark Bevis and MicroMark.
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