[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The end of this phase was marked by their firstsuccessful assault in August 1942 against the Japanese at Guadalcanal and Tulagi in theSolomons.4The structure of United States Army units is detailed in a formal document called the Table of Organization & Equipment. The  T/O&E details the number of men in eachunit, the ranks and positions for every size unit, and the weapons and equipment assignedto each man and each unit.Knowing how these various units were organized makes iteasier to understand each man s assignment, how each man was supplied, and how attackswere planned.In the early 1940s, the army adopted a new divisional organization.It was called the Triangular Division because of the use of three Infantry Regiments as the base.Theinfantry division was intended to be simple and mobile, and included only essential troopsand equipment.This new division included three infantry regiments and a variety ofcombat and combat support troops at the division level.The following table provides a simple  top-down understanding of the organizationwithin the infantry.U.S.ARMY TABLE OF ORGANIZATION, 1943Unit #Men Example DescriptionArmy 3rd Several Corps and Divisions; commanded by Lt.GeneralArmy or Full GeneralCorps XX 3 6 Divisions; commanded by Major GeneralsCORPSDivision 13,412 80th 3 Regiments; commanded by Major GeneralsInfantryDivisionRegiment 3,118 317th 3 Battalions; commanded by ColonelsInfantryRegimentBattalion 871 2d 3 Rifle Companies, Heavy Weapons Company;Battalion commanded by Lt.ColonelsRifle 193 Company 3  4 Platoons; commanded by CaptainsCompanyHeavy 166 Company 3  4 Platoons; commanded by CaptainsWeaponsCompanyPlatoon 40 45 1st 3  4 Squads; commanded by LieutenantsPlatoonSquad 12 2d Squad Ten men armed with M1 rifles, one with BAR, oneSniper armed with M1903 Springfield rifle; commandedby Jr.Sergeant or CorporalThe World War II Infantry DivisionThe division was the largest ground combat formation and normally included infantry,artillery, and armored components.A division was usually commanded by a majorgeneral.Divisions were fixed combined arms organizations of eight to eleven maneuverbattalions, three to four field artillery battalions, and other combat, combat support, andcombat service support units.They were self-sustaining and flexible units capable ofperforming any tactical mission.Divisions were (and still are) the basic units of maneuver at the strategic and tacticallevel.There are six types of divisions in various armies: infantry, light infantry,mechanized infantry, armored, airborne, and air assault.The U.S.Army had a peak strength of eighty-nine divisions during World War IIsixty-six infantry, sixteen armored, five airborne, one mountain, and one cavalry.For abrief time there were ninety divisions, but the 2nd Cavalry Division was deactivated inMay 1944.The size of divisions varied during the war.Under the Table of Organization in June1941 a U.S.infantry division had 15,245 officers and enlisted men; by June 1943 thenumber was reduced to 13,412 men; in January 1945 an infantry division was authorizedto have 14,037 men.The World War II Infantry RegimentThe regiment was a major army formation and the principal component of U.S.infantryand airborne divisions.They were normally commanded by colonels.Regiments were thelargest U.S.Army units with infantry, artillery, and armored components.The standardinfantry regiment consisted of three infantry battalions (1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions), ananti-tank company (with nine 57mm AT guns), a cannon company (with six 105mmHowitzers), a headquarters company, a service company, and a medical detachment.The infantry regiment of World War II was a powerful and flexible organization of unitsand was considered the core of the infantry division.Unfortunately, poor planning forreplacements in the early part of the war meant that the infantry regiment was chronicallyunderstrength.For example, on December 1, 1944, the Third Army was understrength bysome fiftyfive rifle companies.On average, each of the Third Army s infantry divisionswas operating at about two-thirds its strength in rifle companies.The World War II Infantry BattalionThe battalion consisted of three or four companies and a headquarters, and wasnormally commanded by a lieutenant colonel.Infantry, artillery, and armored battalionswere normally subordinate to regiments or divisions, although these and special-purposebattalions (e.g., signal, reconnaissance) were sometimes attached to higher formations orcould serve as independent units.Battalions attacked, defended, delayed, or moved toassume new positions.Battalions were numbered sequentially: 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions.In the 1943, U.S [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]