Thai Calvary Division in attack of Burma?

[Leonard]

Some of my source state that Thailand (Siam) has a calvary division among those attacking Burma. But this unit is not seen in my English source. Can anyone confirm the existence of this unit?

[major grubert]

Lt. Col. Thwuan Wichaikhatkha's Cavalry Division served as the Phayap Army's left flank on the Salween.

It consisted of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Cavalry Battalions, as well as two independent companies of motorised recon. troops.

[Leonard]

Thanks! That's really helpful.


May I also confirm if the rest of the Pahyap Army consists of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th division?

[major grubert]

Yes, that is correct.

[Leonard]

I am currently doing some research about military units in the area, and would like to seek your advice on a few things:

From the "Thailand and the Second World War" site, http://www.geocities.com/thailandwwii/
there were 6 divisions on Oct 41 (changed from Army Monthon) and their deployments were as follows:
1D Bangkok
2D Prachinburi
3D Nakhon Ratchasima
4D Nakhon Sawan
5D Phetchaburi
6D Nakhon Sri Thammarat

How many men were there in each of these divisions? Are the deployments the same when Japanese invaded in Dec?

When Phayap Army was formed, there was a Cavalry Division, when was this organized? This division disappeared in the Order of Battle in 1943. Was it destroyed / reorganized?

There is a Road Construction Division in Oct 42 (of 15000 men). Was this merely an engineer unit?

When the 2nd Army was formed in Sep 43, there was a 7th division. When was it formed?

And then there was a 37th division on Feb 45. According to the website it was to aid the Free Thai guerrilla there. How so?

Thanks a lot!

[Wisarut]

1D Bangkok
2D Prachinburi
3D Nakhon Ratchasima
4D Nakhon Sawan
5D Phetchaburi
6D Nakhon Sri Thammarat

How many men were there in each of these divisions? Are the deployments the same when Japanese invaded in Dec?

When Phayap Army was formed, there was a Cavalry Division, when was this organized? This division disappeared in the Order of Battle in 1943. Was it destroyed / reorganized?


Thanks a lot!

It is like that the Cavalry Divisioon has been reorganized - after the horses were dead by diseases and exhausion in Shan state - alogn ieht the trugs in quackmire .... necessitate to use local ponies to replace the dead horses ...

1D is reserived in BKK. - not putting into Phayap Army as the 2D - 4D

Later on, the rest of RTA has formed the 2nd Army - and set up 1st machine gun Battalion & 11th machine gun Battalion ... and the 20th Inf Reg. while turnign the Youth Army into 55th Inf Batt and 56 Inf batt ...

[cortodanzigese]

I'm sorry for question that may look silly, but I'm not familiar with that topic: how many men ordinary thai division had?

[Wisarut]

I'm sorry for question that may look silly, but I'm not familiar with that topic: how many men ordinary thai division had?

1 Division consisted of 4 regiments
1 Regiment has 4 battalions
1 Battalion consisted of 4 Company with the 4th company is the heavy machine gun company
1 company has 4 platoons
1 plattons has 4 squards
1 squard has 12 men + the squard leader

[cortodanzigese]

Thanks!

[Wisarut]

The organization of Royal Thai Arm,y durign WWII consisted of

1. Phayap Army (regular HQ at Lampang) which consisted of
1.1 2nd Division -> regular HQ at Chiang Mai
1.2 3rd Division -> regular HQ at Chiang Rai
1.3 4th Division -> regular HQ at Nakhon Sawan
1.4 Cavalry Division
1.5 12th Cavalry Regiment
1.6 Artillery Unit of Army
1.7 Army Engineer Unit of Army
1.8 Army Signal Unit of Army
1.9 Anti Aircraft
1.10 Army Wing
1.11 the 35th Inf. Baf.
1.12 Armor Vehicle Unit - 1st and 2nd District
1.13 Maintainace units, Medical, ordinance, transport and Quartermaster

2. Reserved Forces
2.1 1st Division (HQ in Bangkok)
2.2 12th Inf. Bat.
2.2 16th Artillery Bat. (HQ in Lopburi)
2.3 Anti-Aircraft unit
2.4 Armour Vehicle Unit

3. SOuthern Border and Transportation Unit
3.1 6th Div (Nakhon Srithammaraj) - 3 Inf. Reg. + 2 Inf. Artillery Bat.
3.2 18th Brigade - the actual unit to run the affairs within 4 States of Melayu
http://www.rta.mi.th/21000u/hitory/hito ... ailand.htm

Royal Thai Navy has 2 operating zone

1. Bangkok Zone - by Bangkok naval Station

2. Sattahip Zone - by Sattahip Naval Station

Howevery, the opeatio beyond these 2 zones includign the area under Kor Kai (Gulf of Thailand beyond Sattahip) require consent and approval from IJN due to the damage Royal Thai Navy had to sustain durign Indochin War.

In 1944, Field Marshall Plaek has set up the 2nd Army as Phayap Army has beocme shipwrecked by Malaria by callgin all the reserived force and Youth Army to set up the 2nd Army (HQ in Lopburi) along with the 7th Division, 55th Inf. bat, 56 Inf. Bat., 1st Machine Gun Bat (HQ in Lampang), the 11th machine gun Bat., the 20th Reg. However, these unit has been dissolved right after the war.

[savangvong]

Some more questions, if you don't mind.

Concerning the Battalion and Company TOEs, I believe you may have overlooked a couple of points. How many men did Battalion Headquarters have? Were there signals, pioneer, medical, and administrative platoons in it? And if so, how many squads and men did they have?

Similarly, how many men were in a company's headquarters squad?

Do you know how many light machine guns were distributed among a company, and how many machine guns the battalion machine gun company had?

Was a cavalry battalion organized similarly?

Also, how was the Armour Vehicle Unit organized? And was it the same one that served in the Phayap Army?

[Wisarut]

Some more questions, if you don't mind.

Concerning the Battalion and Company TOEs, I believe you may have overlooked a couple of points. How many men did Battalion Headquarters have? Were there signals, pioneer, medical, and administrative platoons in it? And if so, how many squads and men did they have?

Similarly, how many men were in a company's headquarters squad?

Do you know how many light machine guns were distributed among a company, and how many machine guns the battalion machine gun company had?

Was a cavalry battalion organized similarly?

Also, how was the Armour Vehicle Unit organized? And was it the same one that served in the Phayap Army?

Thsi would be quite hard to say since it require me to dick up the records of Army men during WWII to deal with this matter. Nevertheless the estimation shopudlk be soemthign liek this:

Cavary battalion:
- HQ & Service Company
- The First Company
- The Second Company
- The Third Company
- Reconnessant Unit

BTW, the Armour Vehicle Unit (Tanks) have been separated unit from Cavary until 1952 whei n The govemrnt of the day wants to modernize RTA by reforming the armour vehicle units and cavary units with ponies and Australian Horses by the military Aids form US Government to buy the new tanks (M24 Chaffee), Jeeps with heavy machine guns, rubber tyre tanks before retiring those old horses and the Type 95 Hago tanks algon with Pre WWII Tanks in 1953.

REF: http://www.tank8.net/modules.php?name=C ... page&pid=1
http://www.cavalry1006.com/history.htm

The modern Cavalry battations (30 Battalions) can be seen here:
the first division at Fort Pho khun Pha Muang http://www.tank16.com/division1.html
the second division (Royal Guard) at Sanam Pao http://www.tank16.com/division2.html
Cavalry Battaions within Infantry Divisions or ther major units http://www.tank16.com/division-n.html


For the case of the 46th Cal Reg - after dissolving the 4th Cal. Bat. and movign the 6th Cav. Bat. to Uttaradit in 1943 deu to the deterioratign condition of cavlary men, the 6th Cal Bt has become the 4th Cal Bat on 4 Dec 1945 and this unbti has beocme the 7th Cal Bat by the order on 24 July 1952.

REF: http://www.ryt9.com/s/bmnd/867406

[Wisarut]

1 Cavalry Battalion during the day of mounting on the horseback consisted of 250 men (NCO + CO) + 120 Horses ... even thoguh during the peace time the number of personnel woudl be reduced to 100 men .. Those who did not on the horsebacks would be the Chasseurs à cheval