Der Alte Fritz wrote:
This chart gives the number of radios in the motorized brigade 010/420: 1 RSB, 7 RB with large antennas, 7 RB, 12 RBS, total 27. I suppose, the distribution of radios was as follows:
1 RB and 4 RBS radios in every rifle battalion, total 15 radios
Artillery battalion - 1 RB in the battalion HQ and 1 RB in every battery, total 4
Mortar battalion - 1 RB
The remaining 7 are divided between the HQ company and recce company. Probably 5 (including 1 RSB) in the signals platoon/HQ company and 2 in the recce company.
Inclusion of the AA company must give 1 extra radio, inclusion of the tank regiment 010/414 - 2 radios.
Worth to note that the motor rifle battalion was far better supplied with radios than "normal" Soviet infantry, where a rifle battalion, if lucky, could only have 1 radio for communication with a regiment. On the other hand the artillery battalion had only the most limited means of communications, which determined its employment in the direct fire mode. This notion is supported by actual after-action reports.
Returning to the previous discussion I suppose the organization of the service platoon/motor rifle battalion 010/421 was:
- platoon commander
- motor workshop (foremen, electric mechanic, 2 mechanics, driver/mechanic, driver, "A" type mobile workshop, truck for spare parts)
- weapons workshop (artillery technician, artillery master, machine gun master, chemical master, radio master, driver, 1 truck for personnel and instruments)
- 6 trucks for ammunition/fuel etc, 6 drivers (one is a also leader of the transport section)
- 1 car for the battalion HQ with a driver
- 1 motorcycle for the battalion HQ with a driver
- 3 trucks for rations and kitchens, 3 kitchen trailers, 3 drivers
- administrative section leader (probably also a senior cook)
- 3 cooks
- 1 storeman
Total 29 men (including 1 "A" wotkshop), 12 trucks, 1 car, 1 motorcycle