The staff and armament of a motorized rifle company. Motorized rifle battalion of the Russian army

Very often in feature films and literary works on military subjects such terms as company, battalion, regiment are used. The number of formations is not indicated by the author. Military people, of course, are aware of this issue, as well as many others related to the army.

This article is addressed to those who are far from the army, but still want to navigate the military hierarchy and know what a squad, company, battalion, division is. The number, structure and tasks of these formations are described in the article.

Smallest Formation

A subdivision, or department, is the smallest unit in the hierarchy of the Armed Forces of the Soviet, and later the Russian army. This formation is homogeneous in composition, that is, it consists of either infantrymen or cavalrymen, etc. When performing combat missions, the unit acts as a single unit. This formation is led by a full-time commander with the rank of junior sergeant or sergeant. Among the military, the term "dresser" is used, which means "squad leader" for short. Depending on the type of troops, units are called differently. For artillery, the term "crew" is used, and for tank troops, "crew".

The composition of the division

As part of this formation, the service is from 5 to 10 people. However, a motorized rifle squad consists of 10-13 soldiers. Unlike the Russian army, in the United States, a group is considered the smallest army formation. The unit itself in the US consists of two groups.

Platoon

In the Russian Armed Forces, a platoon consists of three to four squads. It is possible that there are more of them. The number of personnel is 45 people. The leadership of this military formation is carried out by a junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant.

Company

This army formation consists of 2-4 platoons. A company may also include independent squads that do not belong to any platoon. For example, a motorized rifle company may consist of three motorized rifle platoons, machine gun and anti-tank squads. The command of this army formation is carried out by a commander with the rank of captain. The strength of a battalion company is from 20 to 200 people. The number of military personnel depends on the type of troops. Thus, in a tank company, the smallest number of servicemen was noted: from 31 to 41. In a motorized rifle company, from 130 to 150 servicemen. In the landing - 80 soldiers.

A company is the smallest military formation of tactical importance. This means that company soldiers can perform small tactical tasks on the battlefield on their own. In this case, the company is not part of the battalion, but acts as a separate and autonomous formation. In some branches of the military, the term "company" is not used, but replaced by similar military formations. For example, cavalry is equipped with squadrons of one hundred people each, artillery with batteries, border troops with outposts, aviation with units.

Battalion

The number of this military formation depends on the type of troops. Often the number of servicemen in this case ranges from 250 to a thousand soldiers. There are battalions of up to a hundred soldiers. Such a formation is completed with 2-4 companies or platoons acting independently. Due to their significant numbers, battalions are used as the main tactical formations. It is commanded by an officer with the rank not lower than lieutenant colonel. The commander is also called "battalion commander". The activities of the battalion are coordinated at the command headquarters. Depending on the type of troops using one or another weapon, a battalion can be tank, motorized rifle, engineering, communications, etc. Motorized rifle battalion of 530 people (on the BTR-80) may include:

• motorized rifle companies, - a mortar battery;
• material support platoon;
• communications platoon.

Regiments are formed from battalions. In artillery, the concept of a battalion is not used. There it was replaced by similar formations - divisions.

The smallest tactical unit of the armored forces

TB (tank battalion) is a separate unit at the headquarters of the army or corps. Organizationally, a tank battalion is not included in tank or motorized rifle regiments.

Since the TB itself does not need to increase its firepower, it does not contain mortar batteries, anti-tank and grenade launcher platoons. TB can be reinforced by an anti-aircraft missile platoon. 213 soldiers - this is the size of the battalion.

Regiment

In the Soviet and Russian army, the word "regiment" was considered the key. This is due to the fact that the regiments are tactical and autonomous formations. The command is carried out by a colonel. Despite the fact that regiments are named according to the types of troops (tank, motorized rifle, etc.), they may include various units. The name of the regiment is determined by the name of the predominant formation. An example would be a motorized rifle regiment, consisting of three motorized rifle battalions and one tank battalion. In addition, the motorized rifle battalion is equipped with an anti-aircraft missile battalion, as well as companies:

• communications;
• intelligence;
• engineer-sapper;
• repair;
• material support.

In addition, there is an orchestra and a medical center. The personnel of the regiment does not exceed two thousand people. In artillery regiments, in contrast to similar formations in other branches of the armed forces, the number of servicemen is smaller. The number of soldiers depends on how many divisions the regiment consists of. If there are three of them, then the number of military personnel of the regiment is up to 1200 people. If there are four divisions, then the personnel of the regiment has 1,500 soldiers. Thus, the strength of a battalion of a regiment of a division cannot be less than 400 people.

brigade

Just like the regiment, the brigade belongs to the main tactical formations. However, the number of personnel in the brigade is higher: from 2 to 8 thousand soldiers. In a motorized rifle brigade of motorized rifle and tank battalions, the number of servicemen is twice as large as in a regiment. The brigades include two regiments, several battalions and auxiliary companies. The brigade is commanded by an officer with the rank of colonel.

The structure and strength of the division

The division is the main operational-tactical formation, completed from various units. Just like a regiment, a division is named after its predominant branch of service. The structure of a motorized rifle division is identical to that of a tank division. The difference between them is that a motorized rifle division is formed from three motorized rifle regiments and one tank regiment, and a tank division is formed from three tank regiments and one motorized rifle. The division is also equipped with:

• two artillery regiments;
• one anti-aircraft missile regiment;
• jet division;
• missile division;
• helicopter squadron;
• one company of chemical protection and several auxiliary ones;
• reconnaissance, repair and restoration, medical and sanitary, engineering and sapper battalions;
• one battalion of electronic warfare.

In each division, under the command of a major general, from 12 to 24 thousand people are serving.

What is a corpus?

The army corps is a combined arms formation. There is no predominance of one division or another in a tank, artillery, or any other type of corps. There is no single structure in the formation of corps. Their formation is largely influenced by the military-political situation. The corps is an intermediate link between such military formations as a division and an army. Corps are being formed where it is impractical to create an army.

Army

The term "army" is used in the following meanings:

• the armed forces of the country as a whole;
• large military formation of operational purpose.

An army usually consists of one or more corps. It is difficult to indicate the exact number of servicemen in the army, as well as in the corps themselves, since each of these formations differs in its own structure and strength.

Conclusion

Military affairs are developing and improving every year, enriched with new technologies and types of troops, due to which, in the near future, as the military believes, the way wars are waged can be radically changed. And this, in turn, will entail an adjustment in the number of personnel of many military formations.

A motorized rifle platoon includes a control group and three squads. Typically, the MSV operates as part of a company. However, in marching, combat guards and in reconnaissance, the MSV can act independently.

To solve individual tasks, the platoon can be given additional forces of other branches of the armed forces and special units.

There are motorized rifle platoons operating on armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles.

Platoon on BMP

A motorized rifle platoon on an infantry fighting vehicle also consists of a control group and three motorized rifle squads. The composition of the control group is similar to the control group of the MSV on the APC. Only the composition of the squads on the BMP differs, about which you can read the relevant articles (link to the articles above)

Total. There are 30 fighters in a motorized rifle platoon on an infantry fighting vehicle.

MSV armament includes:

Kalashnikov assault rifles: 16 units per BMP;

AKSU-74: 6 units;

PK (Kalashnikov machine gun): 1 unit;

(Dragunov sniper rifle): 1 unit;

RPKT (machine gun on vehicles): 3 units;

RPG-7v (hand grenade launchers): 3 units.

The main tasks of a motorized rifle platoon

A motorized rifle platoon, organization and armament allow solving the following tactical and special tasks:

Organization of defense in the area of ​​400 meters;

Establishment and retention of the MSV stronghold in the area of ​​400 by 300 meters;

Offensive as part of a battalion or separately, to defeat enemy units;

Capturing buildings and lines of defense, pursuing the retreating;

Conduct reconnaissance;

Carry out independent security;

Capture individual settlements, break through fortified areas, with the organization of assault groups.

To solve special tasks, MSVs are attached to additional units of other military branches.

Question number 2. Organization, weapons and military equipment of a motorized infantry (infantry) platoon of the army of foreign states. Tactical and technical characteristics of weapons and military equipment of a motorized infantry (infantry) platoon - 30 min.

Organizational and methodological instructions

Leader actions:

1. Announces a training question and the procedure for its development.

2. Presents the material of the educational question, using a presentation on this topic, while supervising the work of students in taking notes.

3. After presenting the educational question, answers the questions of students, conducts a control survey on the material of the educational question, evaluates the answers of students.

Student actions:

1. Listen to the leader of the lesson and take notes.

2. If necessary, after the end of the presentation of the material of the educational issue, ask the leader questions.

3. Answer control questions on the material of the educational question.

Armed Forces of China.

The Chinese Armed Forces consist of the PLA People's Liberation Army, the People's Armed Police (PPA), and the People's Militia (NO).

The Chinese Armed Forces are in the process of streamlining the organizational and staffing structure of formations and units, reducing the combat and numerical strength of regular troops without reducing their combat capabilities by transferring to new organizational and staffing structures, decommissioning obsolete equipment.

New structural components are being developed - the duty forces and the Rapid Reaction Forces, designed to quickly solve suddenly emerging tasks and, above all, to repel the first strike, ensure the deployment and rapid build-up of groupings of troops. At the same time, the military-political leadership of China assigns the Chinese Armed Forces the role of a gendarme in politically unstable regions of China.

Organizationally, motorized infantry units in the US and German armies are represented by motorized infantry platoons and squads.

The PLA consists of the branches of the armed forces:

Strategic Missile Forces (90-100 thousand people);

Ground forces (2.3 million people) incl.

Field troops;

local troops;

Armed Forces (including the country's air defense forces) about (450 thousand people);

Naval Forces. Up to (300 thousand people).

NVP (about 1 million people)

Troops of internal protection;

Border guard troops;

Special troops (fire and forest protection, production and construction).

Civil uprising,

Personnel militia 6.0-6.5 million people;

The total militia is about 30 million people.

Motorized rifle battalion of the Russian army consists of the battalion command, headquarters, combat units and support units. Compound motorized rifle battalion little has changed since the Soviet era, and all the changes are not of a fundamental nature. The main changes affected larger structures: instead of regiments and divisions, brigades appeared, which are now combined into corps.
to combat units motorized rifle battalion relate
three motorized rifle companies;
mortar battery;
anti-tank platoon;
grenade launcher platoon;
anti-aircraft missile platoon.
In addition, in motorized rifle battalion there are service and support units:
communications platoon;
support platoon;
battalion medical station
Battalion Command includes the battalion commander - usually a major or lieutenant colonel, his deputy for work with personnel and deputy for armaments.
battalion headquarters includes the chief of staff (he is also the deputy battalion commander), the battalion communications chief (he is also the commander of the communications platoon), the instructor chemist (ensign) and the clerk (private).
The communications platoon is designed to organize radio and wire communications in the battalion units.
communications platoon consists of a commander's armored personnel carrier (squad commander - he is also a senior radiotelephone operator, driver of an armored personnel carrier) and two radio departments, each consisting of a squad leader, a senior radioman of a low-power radio station in the first compartment and a senior radiotelephone operator in the second compartment, an armored personnel carrier-electromechanic driver in the first compartment and a driver armored personnel carrier in the second compartment.
In total, there are 13 people in the communications platoon of personnel, 1 commander's armored personnel carriers, 2 wheeled armored personnel carriers, 22 radio stations, 8 km of cable.
A motorized rifle company is a tactical unit that performs tasks, usually consisting of SME, but can also perform tasks independently in reconnaissance and security, as a tactical airborne assault force or a special detachment behind enemy lines.

Motorized rifle company on the consists of a company headquarters, three motorized rifle platoons, each of which has three motorized rifle squads. earlier, an anti-tank and machine-gun platoon was present in the company, but now its anti-tank unit was transferred to the battalion level, and machine guns were distributed among platoons.

Motorized rifle company has 101 people. personnel. The company has 11 9 RPG-7, 63 - 6, RPK - 9.

The composition of the motorized rifle squad

Motorized rifle company on the consists of a company management (11 people), three motorized rifle platoons of 30 people and three in each. In total, there are 92 people in the company, 12 (instead of 11 in Soviet times), 6 RPGs, 18 RPKs, 13 and 4. Compared with the Soviet period, the staffing of the company has decreased by nine, and the company has increased by two people. According to the states of 2011, the number in the company was planned to be increased to 15 pieces, but now all this is a big question.

There is an anti-tank platoon only in the battalion, whose motorized rifle companies are equipped with ami . In the mouth on each combat vehicle is equipped with its own. Instead of an anti-tank platoon, the company did not include a machine gun platoon, consisting of two machine gun squads of three company machine guns each.
grenade launcher platoon It is designed to destroy manpower and firepower of the enemy located outside shelters, in open trenches (trenches) and behind terrain folds.
A grenade launcher platoon consists of a platoon commander, a deputy platoon commander, those squads (in each squad leader, 2 senior grenade launcher gunners, 2 grenade launcher gunners, machine gunner, senior driver or driver).
In total, there are 26 people in the grenade launcher platoon of personnel, 30-mm automatic grenade launchers -17-6, - 3.
Anti-aircraft missile platoon designed to destroy aircraft, helicopters, unmanned vehicles and airborne assault forces of the enemy at low and medium altitudes.
A platoon consists of a platoon leader, a deputy platoon leader (also known as a squad leader), three squads (each squad leader, 2 anti-aircraft gunners, a machine gunner, a senior driver and a driver).
In total, there are 16 people in the platoon of personnel, launchers "Strela-2M" or "Needle" - 9, -3.
Battalion medical center designed to collect the wounded in the battalion and evacuate them, as well as to provide medical assistance. The platoon consists of the head of the medical center (ensign), a medical instructor, two orderlies, a senior driver, and three orderly drivers. The first-aid post has four cars and a trailer 1-AP-1.5.
Support Platoon designed for uninterrupted logistics, maintenance of the current repair of combat and transport equipment of the battalion,
The platoon consists of a platoon commander (ensign) and a deputy platoon commander (aka squad leader), from the maintenance department, the automobile department, and the economic department.

In Soviet times, the battalion had reconnaissance platoonand engineering platoon, but the current states do not provide for them.
Maintenance Department consists of a squad leader, a senior autoelectromechanic-accumulator, a car mechanic (fitter), a driver-car mechanic.
The department has: personnel - 4 people, a workshop for servicing vehicles MTO-AT-1, ZIL-131, ZIL-157 under MTO-AT-1.
Automotive department consists of a squad leader (aka deputy platoon leader), 3 senior drivers and 5 drivers. The department has: personnel - 9 people, GAZ-66 trucks for personal belongings and property of the company - 3; trucks GAZ-66 for kitchens and groceries - 4; trucks for ammunition - 2. The commander of the automobile department is the deputy commander of the support platoon.

Is a regiment. The size of its composition depends on the type of troops, and its full complement of personnel is one of the factors in ensuring the combat capability of the army. The regiment consists of smaller structural units. Let's find out what a company, regiment, battalion is, the number of these units according to the main branches of the military. We will pay special attention to the configuration of the artillery regiment.

What is a regiment?

First of all, let's find out. We will find out the number of personnel in various branches of the military in this unit later.

A regiment is a combat unit often commanded by an officer with the rank of colonel, although there are exceptions. The regiment of the Russian Federation is the main tactical unit on the basis of which

The regiment includes smaller structural units - battalions. The regiment itself can either be part of a formation or be a separate combat force. It is the command of the regiments that in most cases makes decisions of a tactical nature during a large-scale battle. Although quite often the shelves are used as completely separate and independent units.

Number of members

Now let's find out the number of military personnel in the regiment, taking as a basis the composition of the rifle regiment as the most typical. This military unit, as a rule, contains from 2000 to 3000 soldiers. Moreover, approximately this number is observed in almost all (except perhaps excluding artillery and some other types of troops) and even in law enforcement agencies. A similar number of servicemen, for example, has an infantry regiment, the number of soldiers in which also ranges from two to three thousand people. Although there are exceptions, the minimum number of military personnel in a regiment in any case cannot be less than 500 people.

A typical rifle regiment consists of a headquarters where major decisions are made, three motorized rifle battalions, a communications company, and a tank battalion. Also, this unit should include an anti-aircraft division, a reconnaissance company, an anti-tank battery, a communications company, an engineer company, a repair company, a company of chemical, biological and radiation protection. Recently, more and more important functions are performed by the company. Although in Soviet times this unit was also very significant. The composition of the regiment is supplemented by auxiliary units: a commandant's platoon, a medical company and an orchestra. But they are additional only conditionally, since, for example, the medical company performs functions that are much more important, if I may say so, than other units. After all, the lives of other soldiers depend on the soldiers of this structural unit.

Approximately such a structure has a typical regiment. You can see photos of the fighters of this formation above.

Composition of the battalion

Typically, two to four battalions form a regiment. We will now consider the number of military personnel in the battalion.

The battalion is considered the main tactical unit of the ground forces. The range of personnel strength of this unit generally ranges from 400 to 800 people. It includes several platoons, as well as individual companies.

If we consider artillery, then the combat unit that corresponds to a battalion is called a division.

As a rule, a battalion is commanded by a soldier with the rank of major. Although, of course, there are exceptions. Especially often they can be found during hostilities, when an acute shortage of officer personnel may arise in the armed forces of a country or a separate unit.

Consider the structure of a battalion using an example. As a rule, the backbone of this structural unit is three motorized rifle companies. In addition, the battalion includes a mortar battery, a grenade launcher platoon, an anti-tank platoon, and a control platoon. Additional, but no less important units are platoons of material and technical support, as well as a medical center.

Company size

A company is a smaller structural unit that is part of a battalion. As a rule, it is commanded by a captain, and in some cases by a major.

The size of a battalion company varies greatly depending on the specific type of troops. Most soldiers are in companies of construction battalions. There their number reaches 250 people. In motorized rifle units, it varies from 60 to 101 servicemen. Slightly fewer personnel in the landing troops. Here the number of army men does not exceed 80 people. But the least soldiers are in tank companies. There are only 31 to 41 military personnel there. In general, depending on the type of troops and on a particular state, the number of military personnel in a company can vary from 18 to 280 people.

In addition, in some military branches there is no such unit as a company, but at the same time there are analogues. For cavalry, this is a squadron, which includes about a hundred people, for artillery - a battery, for border troops - an outpost, for aviation - a link.

The company consists of command personnel and several platoons. Also, a company may include special squads that are not part of platoons.

Smaller divisions

The platoon consists of several squads, and the number of its personnel varies from 9 to 50 people. As a rule, the platoon commander is a soldier with the rank of lieutenant.

The smallest permanent unit in the army is the branch. The number of military personnel in it ranges from three to sixteen people. In most cases, a soldier with the rank of sergeant or senior sergeant is appointed as the squad leader.

The number of artillery regiment

The time has come to consider in more detail what an artillery regiment is, the number of personnel of this unit and some other parameters.

An artillery regiment is a structural unit of such a type of troops as artillery. As a rule, it is included as an integral part of an artillery division, consisting of three or four divisions.

The strength of an artillery regiment is smaller than the corresponding unit in other branches of the military. This indicator depends on how many divisions are included in the regiment. In the presence of three divisions, its strength is from 1000 to 1200 people. If there are four divisions, then the number of servicemen reaches 1,500 soldiers.

Artillery regiment structure

Like any other military unit, an artillery regiment has its own structure. Let's study it.

The structural elements of an artillery regiment are divided into three main groups: command and control, logistic and combat support units, as well as directly the main strike force - linear units.

It is these elements that make up the artillery regiment. A photo of the regiment's structure is located above.

Composition of the regiment

In turn, the management of the regiment is divided into the following elements: command, headquarters, technical unit and rear.

The command includes the regiment commander (most often with the rank of colonel or lieutenant colonel), his deputy, the head of physical training and the assistant commander for educational work. The last post in Soviet times corresponded to the post of political officer.

The headquarters unit includes the chief of staff, his deputy, as well as the heads of intelligence, the topographic service, communications, the secret part, the computer department and the assistant for the combat unit.

In the rear part of the regiment's administration are the deputy commander for logistics, the heads of the food, clothing, fuel and lubricants and clothing services.

The technical part of the regiment's administration includes the deputy for armaments, the heads of the armored, automobile, and missile and artillery services.

In addition, the chiefs of financial, chemical and medical services report directly to the regiment commander.

The composition of the logistic and combat support unit

The logistic and combat support unit is divided into the following structural elements: a medical center, a club, a repair company, a material support company, a battery and a control battery.

This unit is commanded by the deputy commander of the regiment for rear, who himself is part of the administrative part of the regiment, as mentioned above.

Composition of line divisions

It is on the line subunits that the main function of the existence of an artillery regiment is entrusted, since they conduct direct fire at the enemy from guns.

The regiment consists of four linear divisions: self-propelled, mixed, howitzer and jet. Sometimes a mixed division may be missing. In this case, the backbone of the regiment remains three units.

Each division is subdivided, as a rule, into three batteries, which, in turn, consist of three to four platoons.

The number and structure of the division

As mentioned above, three or four regiments form an artillery division. The number of personnel in such a unit reaches six thousand people. As a rule, the command of a division is entrusted to a soldier with the rank of major general, but there have been cases when these units were commanded by colonels and even lieutenant colonels.

Two divisions form the largest link in artillery - the corps. The number of military personnel in artillery corps can reach 12,000 people. The commander of such a unit is often a lieutenant general.

General principles for the formation of the number of units

We studied the size of a division, regiment, company, battalion, division and smaller structural units of various branches of the military, with an emphasis on artillery. As you can see, the number of servicemen in similar units in different troops can vary significantly. This is due to the direct purpose of the various branches of the armed forces. The most optimal number of servicemen to perform specific tasks is taken as a basis. Each indicator is not only the product of rigorous scientific calculation, but also the experience of combat operations in practice. That is, each figure is based on the spilled blood of the fighters.

Thus, we see that in the army there are both very small units, in which the number of servicemen can be equal to even three people, and the largest units, where the total number is in the tens of thousands of servicemen. At the same time, it must also be taken into account that in foreign countries the number of similar units may differ significantly from domestic options.

Like everything in this world, the science of warfare is progressing, new technologies and even new types of troops are emerging. For example, in Russia, the Aerospace Forces appeared not so long ago, which are a product of the evolution and development of the Air Force. With the advent of new types of troops and changes in the forms of warfare, it is certainly possible to adjust the number of personnel of subunits, taking into account the new conditions.

If the Soviet and German rifle squads and platoons were approximately similar in composition and structure, then there were very significant differences between the Soviet rifle and German infantry companies.
The main difference was that the Soviet rifle company, unlike the German one, did not have material supply and support units in its structure.

It was a 100% combat unit.
The rear support of the company was a rifle battalion and a regiment. There were corresponding rear structures, rear convoys, etc.

At the level of a rifle company, the only person who was directly involved in providing the company was the company commander himself and the company foreman. It was on them that all the care for a simple company economy hung.

The rifle company did not even have its own field kitchen. Therefore, hot meals were provided at the battalion or regiment level.

The situation was quite different in the German infantry company.

A German infantry company can be conditionally divided into two parts: combat and logistics (convoy, two quartermaster detachments, a mobile workshop).
These are the rear divisions of the company, which were engaged in supplying the company with everything necessary.

They did not participate directly in the fighting at the forefront and during the offensive of the company they were directly subordinate to the battalion and regimental rear structures.

From the front line, these units were at a distance of 3-5 km.

And what was the combat unit of the German infantry company?

German infantry company (Schuetzenkompanie).

The total strength of the German infantry company - 191 people (in the Soviet rifle company 179 people).
This is what it looks like schematically:

Four messengers up to and including Gefreiter.
One of them is simultaneously a bugler, the other a light signaller.
Armed with carbines.

Two cyclists in the rank from to gefreiter (Gefreiter) inclusive.
Armed with carbines. They ride bicycles.

Two coachmen in the rank up to Gefreiter inclusive. They drive a heavy horse-drawn carriage drawn by four horses.
Armed with carbines.

Groom for an officer's horse up to and including Gefreiter. Armed with a carbine. For movement is equipped with a bicycle.

Thus, the total number of combat units of the control department was not 12, but 9 people. With the company commander - 10 people.

The basis of the combat unit of an infantry company was infantry platoons.
There were 3 of them, just like in the Soviet rifle company.

The total number of soldiers in infantry platoons was 49x3 = 147 people.
Taking into account the number of combat units of the control section, including the company commander (10 people), we get 157 people.

Infantry platoons at the company level received reinforcements in the form of an anti-tank squad (Panzerabwehrbuchsentrupp).

There are 7 people in the department. Of these, 1 non-commissioned officer and 6 soldiers.
The group weapons of the squad are three Pz.B.39 anti-tank rifles.
Squad leader in rank from Obergeifreiter to Unterfeldwebel. Armed with a carbine.

Three calculations of anti-tank guns.
Each calculation consisted of a PR shooter in ranks up to Gefreiter inclusive (personal weapons - a pistol) and his assistant in ranks up to Gefreiter inclusive. Armed with a carbine.

The total number of calculation is 4 people.
Squad strength - 7 people (3x2 +1 squad leader)
The anti-tank squad was armed with:
Anti-tank gun Pz.B.39 - 3 pcs.
Mauser 98k magazine rifle - 4 pcs.
Pistol 8-shot - 3 pcs.

In total, in a German infantry company of combat strength 157 + 7 \u003d 164 people out of 191 people in the company.

27 people are rear guards.

Vehicles:
1. Riding horse - 1 pc.
2. Bicycle - 3 pcs.

Only 4 horses per company.

A few words about the Pz.B.39 anti-tank rifle.

German anti-tank gun Pz.B.39

The German army in the Second World War had two main types of anti-tank guns - the PzB-38 and its later modification PzB-39.

The abbreviation PzB stands for Panzerbüchse (anti-tank rifle).
Both the PzB-38 and the PzB-39 used the "Patrone 318" 7.92x94 mm cartridge.
Several types of such cartridges were produced:
Patrone 318 SmK-Rs-L"spur- a cartridge with a pointed bullet in a shell, with a poisonous reagent, tracer.

Patrone 318 SmKH-Rs-L"spur.- a cartridge with a pointed bullet in a shell (solid) with a poisonous reagent, tracer.
This is actually an armor-piercing cartridge.

Number 318 was the reciprocal of the old designation (813 - 8 mm bullet in a 13 mm sleeve).
smk meant Spitzgeschoss mit Kern (pointed bullet in a sheath)
SmKH- Spitzgeschoss mit Kern (Hart) (pointed bullet in a jacket (Hard)
Rs- Reizstoff (Poison agent), because the bullet had a small amount of tear gas to affect the crew of armored vehicles, chlor-acetophenone was placed in the recess at the bottom of the core - a tear poison, but due to the small amount of tear gas in the capsule, the crew most often simply did not notice. By the way, until the German samples of anti-tank rifles were captured, no one suspected that there was gas in their bullets.
L "spur- Leuchtspur (tracer), the bullet had a small tracer in the back.

His bullet weighing 14.5 g accelerated in the barrel to 1180 m / s. A rather high armor-piercing effect of a bullet penetrating 20 mm armor set at an angle of 20 ° to the normal at a distance of 400 m was provided by a tungsten core.

According to other data, the PTR pierced 20 mm armor from a distance of 300 m and 30 mm armor from a distance of 100 m at an angle of 90 °.
In practice, fire was fired from a distance of 100 to 200 m, mainly on the tracks and fuel tanks of the tank in order to stop it.
However, at the same time, the PTRovets very quickly found its position and became an excellent target for shooters.
Therefore, if the PTRs were a strengthening of the German infantry company in the confrontation with tanks, then not too significant.

The bulk of the tanks were still destroyed by anti-tank guns, which were not at the disposal of the German infantry company.

Now let's compare a German infantry company with a Soviet infantry company not from the point of view of the total number of staff, but from the point of view of the combat strength of those who were directly at the forefront.

Soviet rifle company
The rifle company was the next largest tactical unit after the platoon and was part of the rifle battalion.

He commanded a rifle company company commander (company commander) with the rank of captain.
The company commander relied on a riding horse.
Because on the march of the company, he had to control the movement of the company, which was stretched during the march, and if necessary, the horse could be used to communicate with other companies or the battalion command.
Armed with a TT pistol.

The assistant commander of the company was a company political instructor.
He conducted political educational work in the divisions of the company and kept in touch with the political department of the battalion and regiment.
Armed with a TT pistol.

But the actual assistant to the company commander was the company foreman.
He was in charge of a poor, it must be said frankly, company economy, dealt with issues of providing the company units with everything necessary, getting everything they needed in the battalion, which included a rifle company.
For these purposes, the company had one horse with a cart, which was driven by a rider in the rank of private, armed like a foreman with a rifle.

The company had its own clerk. He was also armed with a rifle.

There was one messenger in the company with the rank of private. But despite the ordinary rank, he was, perhaps, the left hand of the company commander. He was entrusted with responsible tasks, he was always close to the battalion commander, he knew all the platoon and squad commanders well, etc. And he was known not only in the divisions of the company, but also in the battalion.
He was also armed with a rifle.

The basis of a rifle company was rifle platoons.
There were 3 such platoons in a rifle company.
At the company level, rifle platoons received reinforcements, primarily in the form of a machine-gun platoon.

Machine gun platoon.
The machine gun platoon was led by a machine gun platoon commander with the rank of lieutenant.
Armament - TT pistol.

The machine-gun platoon consisted of two crews of the Maxim machine gun.
Each crew was commanded by a sergeant.
Armament - TT pistol.

The calculation consisted of a calculation commander and four privates (gunner, assistant gunner, cartridge carrier and rider), armed with rifles.
According to the state, each calculation relied on a horse and a cart for transporting a machine gun (tachanka). The calculation was armed with rifles.

The number of machine-gun crew was 6 fighters.
The number of machine gun platoon was (6x2 + platoon leader) = 13 fighters.
In service with a machine gun platoon:
Machine gun "Maxima" - 2 pcs.
Self-loading rifle SVT 38/40 - (4x2) = 8 pcs.
TT pistol - 3 pcs.

The main purpose of the Maxim machine gun was to suppress enemy firing points and support infantry.
The high rate of fire (combat 600 rounds per minute) and the high accuracy of the machine gun fire made it possible to carry out this task from a distance of 100 to 1000 m to friendly troops.
All fighters of the machine gun crew had the same skills in shooting from a machine gun and, if necessary, could change the crew commander, gunner, etc.
Each machine gun carried a combat set of cartridges, 12 boxes of machine-gun belts (tape - 250 rounds), two spare barrels, one box of spare parts, one box of accessories, three cans for water and lubricants, an optical machine gun sight.
The machine gun had an armored shield that protected against shrapnel, light bullets, etc.
Shield thickness - 6 mm.

German machine gunners have no protection other than a helmet.

True, this shield did not always save the machine gunner.

Bullet hits are visible.

And here in general a sieve. Apparently fired from armor-piercing cartridges.
And the trunk got it.

Thus, the main armament of the platoons at the company level was the 7.62 mm machine gun of the Maxim system of the 1910/30 model.

In addition, as a company reinforcement of platoons during the battle, there were 2 snipers in the company.
Sufficiently powerful strengthening of company units for the purpose of destroying enemy firing points from a long distance and incapacitating enemy unit commanders.
The snipers were armed with a Mosin rifle (three-line) with a PU optical sight (short sight).
What is a sniper? A good sniper from a distance of 300 m per minute of shooting can easily lay down an infantry squad. And in pairs - half a platoon. Not to mention machine-gun points, gun crews, etc.

But they could work from 800 m.

The company also included a sanitary department.
The department was commanded by the commander of the department, a sergeant-medical instructor.
He had 4 nurses under him.
The squad is armed with 1 pistol.
Well, this is practically one orderly per platoon.
In rifle platoons, unlike the German infantry, the orderly was not supposed to be in the state.
But as we can see, the platoon still did not remain without a nurse.
Total: 5 people. Armed with one pistol.

Total company strength:
Company commander - 1 person.
Political instructor of the company - 1 person.
Company foreman - 1 person.
Messenger - 1 person.
Scribe - 1 person
Riding - 1 person.
Rifle platoons - 51x3 = 153 people
Machine gun platoon - 13 people
Sniper - 2 people
Sanitary department - 5 people.
Total: 179 people.

In service with the company:
Machine gun "Maxima" - 2 pcs.
Machine gun PD Degtyarev - 12 pcs. (4 pieces each in each rifle platoon)
Light 50 mm mortar - 3 pcs. (1 piece each in each rifle platoon)
Submachine gun PPD - 27 pcs. (9 pieces in each platoon)
Rifle SVT-38, SVT-40 - 152 pcs. (36 pieces in each platoon + 8x4 = 32 + 8 pieces in a machine gun platoon + 4 for the rest)
Mosin sniper rifle with PU sight - 2 pcs.
TT pistols - 22 pcs. (6 pieces in each platoon + 1 in the machine gun platoon + 1 in the sanitary department + 2 in the commander of the company and political officer)

Vehicles:
Riding horse - 1 pc.
Horse with a cart - 3 pcs.
Total 4 horses

In service with a German infantry company / in comparison with a Soviet rifle company:

1. Light machine gun - 12/12
2. Machine gun - 0/2
3. Submachine gun - 16/27
4. Magazine rifle - 132/0
5. Self-loading rifle - 0/152
6. Sniper rifle - 0/2
7. Mortar 50 mm - 3/3
8. Anti-tank rifle - 3/0
9. Pistol - 47/22

From this we can conclude that the Soviet rifle company at the company level significantly outnumbered the German infantry company in terms of firepower and armament.

Conclusions on the number.
The total strength of a German infantry company is 191 people. (Soviet rifle company - 179 people)
However, the combat unit of an infantry company was only 164 people. The rest belonged to the rear services of the company.

Thus, the Soviet rifle company also outnumbered the German infantry company by 15 people (179-164) in terms of the number of combat personnel.
At the battalion level, this excess was 15x3 = 45 people.
At the regimental level 45x3 = 135 people
At the divisional 135x3 = 405 people.
405 people is almost 2.5 companies, that is, almost an infantry battalion.

The advantage in vehicles, wagons and draft power at the company level in a German infantry company was associated with the work of the rear services of a German company.
The combat unit of the company moved on foot in the same way as the Soviet rifle company.

Vehicles of the combat unit of the Soviet rifle company:
1. Riding horse - 1 pc.
2. Horse and cart - 3 pcs.
Only 4 horses per rifle company

Vehicles of the combat unit of the German infantry company:
1. Riding horse - 1 pc.
2. Bicycle - 3 pcs.
3. 4-horse heavy wagon - 1 pc.
Only 4 horses per infantry company.

On the march, the German infantry company moved exclusively on foot, as did the fighters of the Soviet rifle company.

Therefore, the German infantry company had no advantage in vehicles over the Soviet rifle company.

Making a general conclusion, we can conclude that both in terms of the number of combat personnel and in terms of armament and firepower, the Soviet rifle company was superior to the German infantry company, yielding to it only in the supply organization system.