Red Army Infantry Forces

The Red Army infantry Division of 1941 was a lumbering, under equipped, poorly trained entity, whose paper strength was rarely equivalent to its actual disposition. Despite the experience gained during the Spanish Civil War, the border conflict with Japan and the war with Finland, the bulk of its forces had still to see action. Stalin's purges of the officer Corps during the late 1930's had decimated its ranks, depriving the Army of experienced commanders. Worse still the new commanders that had replaced them, were restricted from commanding their units by political officers who were attached to watch over them. Despite these early failings, the greatest success of the Red Army was its ability to reinvent itself. Despite its huge losses in 1941/42, it gradually learned the harsh lessons and adapted itself into a more efficient and formidable fighting force. By the end of the war, the Red Army had evolved into a gargantuan force, with over five hundred Infantry Divisions alone. These infantry Divisions were constantly reorganized throughout the campaign on the eastern Front to mould them into a more effective fighting force.

The Rifle Division

The Rifle Division in 1941 consisted of a Divisional Headquarters, with its own security Platoon, three infantry Regiments, a transport Company equipped with thirteen trucks and the Divisional support elements.
Support elements within the Division included a reconnaissance Battalion, consisting of a motorized rifle Company carried in nine trucks, an armoured car Company equipped with ten, BA-10 armoured cars and a light tank Company equipped with five T-38 tankettes.
Other support elements included the Divisional artillery Regiment, consisting of two field Battalions, each with two Gun Batteries, equipped with four 76mm F-22 USV guns and one howitzer Battery, equipped with four 122mm M30 howitzers. In addition there was a howitzer Regiment, consisting of two light Battalions, each with three Batteries of four 122mm M30 howitzers and one medium Battalion, with three Batteries of four 152mm M1938 howitzers. In 1942, the strength of the Regiment was increased to three Battalions, but the third Battalion consisted of only one 76mm Battery. In late 1944, the Regiment was reorganized for the final time. It was comprised of five 76mm F-22 USV Batteries, one 122mm Battery and one 120mm mortar Battery. Each battery was equipped with four weapons.
The Divisional anti tank Battalion was equipped with twelve 45mm M1937 guns, in three Batteries. From 1943 onwards, the anti tank Battalions were gradually re-armed with the more modern 76mm Zis-3 guns.
The Divisional anti aircraft Battalion was comprised of two light Batteries, each equipped with four 37mm 72K M1939 guns and a heavy Battery equipped with four 76mm 61K M1931 guns and was supported by a fire control section.
The pioneer Battalion was comprised of three Companies, including a bridging Platoon capable of creating an 110m long, 3-ton bridge.
The chemical Company was comprised of a decontamination platoon, and a flamethrower platoon, equipped with 30 backpack flamethrowers, grouped into three platoons, each with three 8-man squads.
Other support elements included a medical Battalion and a motor transport Battalion, comprised of an ammunition Platoon, a POL Platoon and a repair Platoon. The motor transport Battalion maintained a total of 120 trucks.
The Divisions three Infantry Regiments were each comprised of a Regimental HQ, including both horse mounted and infantry reconnaissance Platoons, three infantry Battalions, a signal Company, an anti tank Battery which was comprised of three platoons, each equipped with two 45mm M1937 guns, an infantry gun Battalion, also of three Platoons and each quipped with two 76mm M1927 guns, a heavy mortar Battery, which operated four 120mm M1938 mortars, an anti aircraft Company, equipped with three quad mounted 7.62mm 4M M1931 machine guns and six 12.7mm DShK machine guns, and a pioneer Company consisting of two pioneer Platoons and a chemical Platoon.

The Rifle Battalion

The Russian rifle Battalion of June 1941, was composed of a Battalion Headquarters, formed by a Battalion Commander, his staff officers and a political officer. The HQ group also included a signal Platoon to maintain radio, wire and telephone communications, an anti tank Platoon, equipped with two 45mm M1937 guns, a supply Platoon which was entirely reliant on horses and wagons and a medical Detachment.
Support elements within the Battalion consisted of a machine gun Company, which was comprised of a Company HQ and three Platoons, each equipped with four M1910 Maxim machine guns and a mortar Company comprising of a Company HQ and three Platoons, each equipped with a pair of PM-41 82mm mortars.
The Battalions three Rifle Companies each comprised of a Company HQ, three Rifle Platoons, a Medical Detachment and a Machine Gun Platoon equipped with a pair of M1910 Maxims.
The three Rifle Platoons each consisted of a Platoon HQ with an Officer, Sergeant and runner and a Light Mortar Squad, which was led by an NCO, with a gunner and two ammunition bearers. The squad was equipped with a single 50mm light mortar.
The four Rifle Squads within each Platoon were comprised of 11 men. On paper this should have been a remarkably well-armed unit. It comprised an NCO with a rifle, two men equipped for close combat with PPD sub machine guns, a large rifle element of six men, all armed with either the Mosin-Nagant or occasionally the SVT 40, and a gunner and loader for the Squad's single light machine gun, the Degtaryev DP.
The severe losses suffered in the immediate aftermath of the German invasion saw manpower within the Rifle Battalions reduced in July 1941, in an attempt to reorganise them into an effective fighting force.
The Signals and Medical and Supply Platoons were all reduced in strength. The Anti Tank Gun Platoon was deleted entirely, denuding the Battalion of what minimal defence they could offer. The Mortar Company was reduced to a single Platoon of just two 82mm tubes, and then even this was deleted.
Within the Rifle Companies, the integral Machine Gun Platoon was deleted, as was the 50mm mortar Squad in each Rifle Platoon. Worse still, there were insufficient DP light machine guns available to arm all four Squads, so only two were issued per Platoon, leaving two Squads devoid of any automatic firepower. The issue of PPsh 41 SMG's was also cutback. In addition each Rifle Company now received its own Political Officer.
It was obvious that the reductions imposed could only be a temporary measure while the Army as a whole attempted to stabilise itself. Gradually, the trend was reversed, and the Battalion became a more capable unit again.
Beginning in late 1941, enough LMG's were found to equip three Squads per Platoon, though manpower shortages probably made the creation of a fourth Squad academic in most cases. By early 1942, every Rifle Squad had its own LMG again. A new weapon, in the form of an Anti Tank Rifle, was also added. The weapon had been available in limited supply in 1941, however ammunition for it was not. The Battalion received sixteen of them in an anti-tank rifle Company of 48 men.
In mid 1942 a new table of organisation was issued. The Mortar Company was reinstated, consisting of twelve 82mm tubes in an ungainly six Platoons. The Machine Gun Company lost one gun per Platoon, for a reduced total of nine. Each Rifle Company also received a 50mm mortar Platoon serving four tubes. The Rifle Squad's within the Platoons were reduced to nine men, consisting of a commander with an SMG, a gunner and loader serving the DP light machine gun, and six riflemen. The PPsh 41 sub machine gun was by now available in large numbers.
At the end of 1942 several further amendments were made. Within the Rifle Squads, two Squads per Platoon were issued with a second DP light machine gun for a total of six in the Platoon. At Company level, the Mortar Platoon was reduced to seven men serving two tubes, while a four man Squad manning a Maxim machine gun were added. Of more importance, the Battalion finally received its own anti-tank guns, albeit only the 45mm, with two small Squads each serving a single gun.

The Motor Rifle Battalion

The motor rifle Battalion, were the Desant troops, riding with or in close proximity of the tanks they supported and deploying on foot during the assault, before jumping back onto their mounts to renew the advance. The support elements of the Battalion would be mainly truck borne to enable them to keep up with the rapid movement of the armoured forces they were tasked with supporting. The Battalion was a very lean formation and was provided with the bare minimum of support elements required to help it achieve its tasks.
The Battalion was comprised of a Battalion Headquarters with a small medical Detachment and a signals Platoon. In mid 1942, three armoured cars, of varying types were added as a light reconnaissance arm. The remainder of the Battalion was formed by three Rifle Companies, a mortar Platoon, equipped with six PM-41 82mm mortars, a machine gun Platoon, equipped with six DP LMG's, an anti tank Platoon equipped with two 45mm M1937 guns and a supply Platoon.
Of the three rifle Companies, one was a submachine gun Company which rode with the tanks and two were lorry borne rifle Companies.
The submachine gun Company was comprised of a Company HQ and three rifle Platoons, each formed from a Platoon HQ and three 8-man squads, all riflemen being equipped with the PPsh-41 sub machine gun. From 1943 onwards, the number of men in the rifle squad was increased to ten.
The rifle Companies were comprised of a Company HQ with a medical squad, and three rifle platoons each formed from a Platoon HQ and three 8-man squads.

The Motorised Infantry Battalion

The motorised infantry Battalion was a lorry borne unit, equipped with around sixty motor vehicles. It was very similar to the rifle Battalion of mid 1942 described previously. The major differences were as follows.
Each of its three Rifle Companies deployed three Platoons of four Squads, with one DP LMG each. The 50mm mortar Platoon was replaced by a two-gun machine gun Platoon. Initially, there was no integral machine gun Company, but later one was added serving nine weapons. The mortar Company was equipped with six 82mm tubes and the anti tank Battery was equipped with four 45mm guns.