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Company HQ
Commanding the company is a Major, an officer of
around 10 years experience, known as the Officer
Commanding (e.g. OC A Company or just OC A). The British
Army has much more experienced company commanders than
other armies, who normally use Captains.
The OC commands from Company Headquarters. This
normally consists of three vehicles, either Riflemen or
Templers depending on what the battalion is equipped
with. The OC with his signaller/ body guard travels in
one vehicle, known as the Tactical HQ or 'Tac'. The 'Tac'
will normally be right up with the leading troops.
Further back will be a converted vehicle known as the
Command Vehicle or CV. The CV is commanded by the Company
Second in Command or 2 i/c, and contains a further two
signallers. It is the job of the CV to maintain links up
to the battle group and down to the fighting platoons.
Also the CV does the basic administration leaving the OC
free to 'fight' his company with the minimum of fuss.
The last vehicle is Commanded by the Company Sergeant
Major who is in charge of casualty evacuation and
resupply of ammunition, food and other necessities. The
vehicle is fully armed in case the CSM has to fight his
way forward. The Company HQ has 2 officers, the CSM, four
signallers and six vehicle crew members. In combat the
Company HQ might be joined by Forward Observers from the
Royal Artillery or battalion mortar platoon (FOO and MFC
respectively) to bring in fire support. In addition other
fighting units at Troop or Platoon level might be
attached, as well as fire support teams from Support
Company.
Rifle Platoons
Each company consist of three platoons numbered
sequentially, i.e. A Coy, has 1,2 and 3 Platoons. B has
4, 5 and 6. C has 7, 8 and 9 etc. (although as ever in
the British Army, there are exceptions to every rule.)
The platoons are the basic fighting element of the
battalion and is the smallest group of soldiers that will
be deployed.
Each platoon has a Platoon HQ and three Sections
mounted in four armoured vehicles. Although like at
battle group or company level there might be attachments
such as MFC or Anti-Tank teams.
Platoon HQ consists of the Platoon Commander (a
Lieutenant (pronounced Lef-tenant)) the Platoon
Sergeant, a signaller and a two man weapon team. The
Platoon Commander (or PC) is in charge of the tactical
operation of the platoon and will always be in close
proximity to them either mounted or dismounted. The
signaller is always very close to the PC. The Platoon
Sergeant is in charge of casualty evacuation and resupply
and other administrative tasks in addition in combat he
will normally co-ordinate fire support. To this end the
weapon team stays close to the Platoon Sergeant and can
be equipped with a range of weapons depending on the CO's
preference, machine guns or heavy plasma weapons are
favourites.
The three Sections (called squads in US trained
Armies) each consist of eight men broken down into two
fire teams. Each platoon has its Sections numbered 1 to 3
(there is little variation), and each section has its two
fireteams known as Charlie and Delta. This gives the
radio call sign for each sub unit on the company net
(e.g. 11C is Charlie Fireteam, 1 Section, 1 Platoon. 23D,
Delta Fireteam, 3 Sect, 2 Plt), the Bravo call sign
refers to the Section vehicle. The platoon radio net is a
'chatter net' and rarely uses call signs.
The Section and Charlie Fireteam are both commanded by
the Section Commander, who is normally a Corporal of
around five years service. British section commanders are
highly aggressive and very professional and are often the
difference between the British Army and its enemies.
Delta is commanded by the section 2 i/c who is normally a
Lance Corporal.
Each fireteam consists of the commander armed with a
rifle L142, and three privates. One is armed with a rifle
L142, one with the light plasma weapon and one with a 7.5
mm L95A1 machine gun replacing the unloved LSW L144 in
combat battalions. The commander normally pairs off with
the plasma gunner, whilst the remaining rifleman works
with the machine gunner. Although sometimes the machine
and plasma gunners pair off in what is known as a
'Vickers Group.' The commander and rifleman also normally
carry a LAW.
The platoon consists of 37 men. 5 in platoon HQ, 24 in
the sections and 8 vehicle crewmen. A company has 125
men, plus any attachments.
Tactics
Tactics are based on the age old principle of fire and
manoeuvre. At the platoon level this normally means that
when attacking, one section plus any support will provide
fire-support to suppress the enemy. The remaining forces
will the launch an attack on the flanks from where the
ACV's will de-bus the infantry and provide further fire
support. The two dismounted sections, with the platoon
commander just behind them, will leapfrog forwards giving
mutual support. Closing onto the target (an enemy bunker
say) one section will 'go firm' and provide close fire
support and the other section will close on the target.
The assaulting section commander will then leave his
Delta Fireteam about 50m away from the target to give
even more fire support. At 20 metres, he'll probably be
crawling by this stage, he'll leave his machine gunner
and rifleman to give intimate fire support. He'll then
crawl up to the bunker with his plasma gunner, who will
fire a series of rounds at point blank range and then
post a grenade. The remains of the occupants will be
sprayed with rifle fire and probably bayoneted as well.
Adrenaline will be flowing and you don't want the enemy
coming to life behind you!
That section will then close up and go firm to provide
fire support for the other section to attack the next
target and so on. Although it might seem to be overkill
this is the most effective way of conducting an attack,
maximum firepower and maximum aggression. It has served
the British well over the years.
This basic principle extends upwards. Whilst one
platoon will be attacking, another will be providing
cover. The same applies for companies. On a larger level
it is standard British tactics to turn the enemies flanks
wherever possible, although if necessary frontal attacks
will be undertaken but only with substantial fire
support. The British have also experimented with German Sturmtaktik,
but find it a to be a dangerous manoeuvre against an
aware enemy. As a result they have not brought it into
operation.
Against Kafer units on Beta Canum-4 it was common
practise for exceptionally violent assaults to be
launched onto defended positions. Kafer initial tactical
confusion would be exploited by the near simultaneous
arrival of the Templer IFV's and indirect fire support on
to the enemy position. The infantry would then debuss and
undertake the bitter close quarter fighting needed to
seize and maintain a foothold. The initial assault would
then face a very rapid Kafer counter-attack, so the
immediate establishment of a defensive perimeter would be
vital. Once the counter-attack was beaten off, usually
with the help of large levels of direct and indirect
firesupport, the infantry would break out of their
perimeter to clear the remainder of the position.
In defence it was a rare occurence for the armoured
infantry battalions to be used in fixed defensive
positions. Instead they would be used as highly mobile
reserves for counter-attacks on the enemies flanks.
However when called upon to fight in an entrenched
defensive position the maximum use of the Templer IFV's
sensors and direct fire weaponry would be used to secure
the flanks from Kafer infiltration tactics.
Support
Company
To provide integral fire support to the battalion, the
British group their heavy weapons into a Support Company.
The US attach their heavy weapons directly to the rifle
companies, but the British view is that this compromises
flexibility. The rifle companies will have units of
Support Company under command depending on the task and
threat faced.
In a armoured infantry battalion consists of a Mortar
Platoon, Reconnaissance (Recce) Platoon, Anti-Tank
Platoon, Assault Pioneer Platoon, Anti-Aircraft Section
and a Sniper Section. The soldiers in Support Company are
normally long service veterans with years of experience
behind them and are highly skilled.
Mortar Platoon consists of six mortar carrying ACV's
divided into two sections of three vehicles each. The
mortars are clip fed 120mm heavy mortars that provide
indirect fire support to the forward companies. As well
as conventional rounds the 120 mm is now equipped with
SAP (Smart Anti-Personnel) munitions which dispense
grenade sized munitions over a 30 m radius that home in
on body heat. SAT (Smart Anti-Tank) are also in service.
The Mortar Platoon is commanded by a Captain. Mortar
Platoon also provides groups of forward observers called
Mortar Fire Controllers (MFC) who operate in pairs
attached to the rifle companies to call in fire support.
MFC's can also adjust artillery fire in the absence of a
FOO.
Recce Platoon is also commanded by a captain and
deploys eight armoured recce vehicles to provide close
reconnaissance in front of the battle group. Recce
normally operates in pairs of vehicles, whose crews also
dismount to conduct Close Target Recce (CTR) and
Observation Post (OP) duties. Recce personnel are
normally chosen from the best soldiers in the battalion.
Anti-Tank platoon also consists of eight vehicles that
operate in pairs and is commanded by a Captain. The
Anti-tank's ACV's are modified to carry heavy anti-tank
missiles which are effective against all but the heaviest
battle tanks.
Assault Pioneers are organised much like a rifle
platoon, but are commanded by a Senior NCO, known as the
APWO (Assault Pioneer Warrant Officer). Pioneers are
infantrymen who have been trained in demolition and
combat engineering and are called upon to create or
destroy obstacles. They give the battle group some
integral combat engineer support, but for larger tasks
the Royal Engineers attached to Brigade or higher
organisations will be called in. The Pioneer Platoon can
also be deployed as normal infantry.
Anti Aircraft section consists of two vehicles
equipped with heavy AA missiles and exists to give the
battle group some defence against enemy aircraft. Most
ground AA defences are attached to Division or Corps
level. The section is commanded by a Sergeant.
Sniper Section consists of ten soldiers who operate in
pairs and are commanded by a sergeant. The snipers are
highly trained in marksmanship, fieldcraft and forward
observation. They are normally deployed as extra
reconnaissance assets, but can take on high value targets
when ordered. They can also bring down artillery and
mortar fire on enemy concentrations. Snipers are equipped
with high power laser rifles and clad in their
distinctive 'ghillie suits' that provided thermal and IR
protection as well as normal visual concealment.
HQ Company
Without administration, command and logistic elements
no military formation can function. In a battalion this
is provided by the HQ Company. The Platoons of HQ Company
are Quarter Master (QM) Platoon, Signals Platoon and
Motor Transport (MT). Also attached is the Regimental Aid
Post (RAP) that provides medical aid to the battle group,
and the Drone Section that operates remote drones.
To command the Battle Group the CO has his Tactical
HQ, or Tac 1. Which consists of one fighting vehicle and
one command vehicle, plus support attachments of forward
observers and the like. This group allows the CO to
operate just behind his forward elements an to see what
is going on. The British Army frowns on commanders
sitting back in a comfortable CV giving orders by video
link.
Tac 2 is organised identically to Tac 1 and is
commanded by the Battalion 2 i/c, a Major. If the CO is
killed, injured or out of contact then the 2 i/c can take
over virtually instantly and continue fighting the
battle. The remainder of the personnel man Battalion
Main, commanded by the Adjutant which takes care of
routine admin for the CO leaving him free to fight his
battle.
QM and MT personnel combine to create A and B Echelons
which are responsible for collecting supplies and ammo
from brigade and getting them up to the battalion. The
RAP has two armoured ambulances and an armoured automed
unit. It is the job of the RAP to treat injured soldiers
and get them back to better facilities in the rear.
Copyright 2009, D Hebditch
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