US Army Rifle Company - Force Composition

Knowing which figures were available from the various suppliers and using Barrie Lovell's organisation charts, I calculated how I was going to construct the various elements of the US forces. I wanted to minimise as much as possible the purchase of figures over and above what was absolutely necessary.

When considering the organisation of a US Infantry Company there are several issues that needed to be resolved.

• what to do about the weapons squad in the rifle platoon - the organisational charts depict the squad as being represented by an HMG stand (or a fire team stand), and an anti-tank team with 90mm recoilless rifles.
• what to do about the Weapons Platoon of the rifle company - specifically whether to field the anti-tank section of two 106mm recoilless rifles.

What I decided to do in these instances was as follows;

• the weapons squad will be represented by a single stand of 4 figures which will include two M-60 machine gunners and will be fielded as an HMG stand. The organisation charts suggest that this squad was often used to keep the three rifle squads up to strength and in this instance it is a simple expedient not to field the HMG stand when such circumstances are to be represented.
• I decided not to field the anti-tank team of the weapons squad with it's 90mm recoilless rifles since this was historically accurate - they were rarely taken into the field. Instead, for games set in the appropriate time-frame I will field LAW teams (2 figures) which I will be attached to the rifle squads in the manner of the NVA RPG teams and are covered in Barrie Lovell's Vietnam Incoming!
• With regard to the anti-tank section of the company weapons platoon, I intend at this stage not to field the 106mm recoilless rifles. These weapons, when used, were invariably deployed in static positions at NDPs or base camps. Since I would not be fielding a full-strength weapons platoon, I also decided not to field the Weapons Platoon HQ. This means that the weapons platoon will, when represented in the field, consist only of the Mortar Section Command Group and three stands of 81mm Mortars with crews and a mortar FO team.

Rifle Company

The company HQ group consists of 3 stands for a total of 7 figures:

• Company Command Group (2 x Command figures and 2 x RTO figures)
• Add the attached Artillery FO team (1 x Command figure and 1 x RTO figure)
• Company Medic (1 x M-16 figure)

Rifle Platoon

There are three of these platoons in the US rifle company. Each platoon consists of 9 stands, for a total of 32 figures.

• Platoon Command Group (2 x Command figures and 1 x RTO figure)
• Platoon Medic (1 x M-16 figure)
• 3 x Rifle Squad (each 2 fire teams each of 4 figs; 1 x M-79, 1 x Shotgun and 6 x M-16)
• 1 x Weapons Squad (4 figures; 2 x M-60 and 2 x M-16)

This adds a further 27 stands to the company and 96 figures.

Company Weapons Platoon

• Platoon Command Group: in effect, this is the mortar section HQ ( 2 x Command figures and 1 x RTO figure)
• 3 x 81mm mortar squads (each 1 x 81mm mortar, 3 x crew figures)
• 1 x Mortar FO team (1 x command figure, 1 x RTO figure)

Figures Required

Total US figures required to build a Company are as follows (minimum number of 'packs' required is given in brackets);

• Command figures = 12 (3*)
• RTOs = 8 (*)
• M-79 = 8 (1**)
• Shotgun = 8 (1**)
• M-60 = 6 (1)
• M-16 = 66 (9)
• Medic = 5 (***)
• 81mm Mortars and Crews = 3 (2)

* Note that the US Command figures and RTO figures are all provided for with the purchase of 3 Command packs (5 command figures and 3 RTOs per pack)

** Note that in order not to have to buy a second pack of both M-79 and Shotgun figures in order to obtain the ninth required figure of each, I intend to leave one squad in the company without these figures and replace them with two M-16 figures. This has been catered for in the calculations above concerning the number of M-16 figures required.

*** Note that the Medics will be represented by M-16 figures and these have been catered for in the calculations above concerning the number of M-16 figures required.

Total number of packs required for the Company = 17

Total Cost (at time of writing) for the Company excluding p&p @ £1.50 per pack = £25.50

On these calculations, a full battalion is going to cost a little over £100.00 (excluding p&p). This cost could be higher since, unlike the NVA, the US infantry company can contain four rifle companies as well as a Service and Support Company (which I do not plan to field). The catalogue offers 'free postage' on orders over £40.00 so if you can afford to do it you will be better off purchasing in bulk, say two full companies at a time.