Rifle Squad organisation 1939-40

[Gary Kennedy]

A post on another forum raised the question of the organisation for the Rifle Squad in the Red Army Rifle Regt as of the Winter War period.

I checked firstly in the Red Army Handbook (Zaloga and Ness), which referred to the 1939 Rifle Division organisation in shtat 04/20-38 of Sep1939. It doesn't give a detailed structure of the Regt, but refers to a Rifle Squad within it having 11 rifles and 1 LMG, suggesting 12 men overall. At the start of the chapter on Red Army Infantry, the handbook gives a description of the Dec1935 Rifle Regt, and for the Squad states this consisted of an NCO, a scout/observer, 2 LMG numbers, 2 rifle grenadiers and 6 riflemen, giving 12 men total.

The other forum discussion mentioned a 15-man Rifle Squad, and I remembered to check over at www.rkka.ru. That shows a few schematics for early period Rifle Divisions and Regts, including this one;

https://translate.googleusercontent.com ... BQVagohgPQ

That shows the Squad as 15 strong under the 04/21 shtat, rather than the 12 suggested by the handbook.

Anyone know which one it was at least supposed to be?

Gary

[Eugen Pinak]

Anyone know which one it was at least supposed to be?

According to the latest divisional shtat 04/20 from 13.09.1939 Soviet rifle platoon consisted of HQ (5 men) and 4 rifle squads of 14 men each (1 LMG, 13 rifles, of them one with grenade discharger).
Before that shtat 04/820 from 1938 was roughly similar, but apparently HQ consisted only of Platoon commander and squads were smaller (13 men strong-?).

[Paul_Atreides]

According to the latest divisional shtat 04/20 from 13.09.1939 Soviet rifle platoon consisted of HQ (5 men) and 4 rifle squads of 14 men each (1 LMG, 13 rifles, of them one with grenade discharger).

In HQ have to be 2 or 6 men

[Eugen Pinak]

According to the latest divisional shtat 04/20 from 13.09.1939 Soviet rifle platoon consisted of HQ (5 men) and 4 rifle squads of 14 men each (1 LMG, 13 rifles, of them one with grenade discharger).

In HQ have to be 2 or 6 men

Of course! I've forgot to count platoon commander
So correct answer is: platoon CO, platoon HQ (5 men) and 4 rifle squads of 14 men each (1 LMG, 13 rifles, of them one with grenade discharger).

[Gary Kennedy]

Thanks both, info passed on!

Gary

[Eugen Pinak]

Thanks both, info passed on!

Gary

Gary - you're always welcome.