General de Brigade

[Teppsta]

Hi everyone

I'm new to the forum and play a wide variery of periods including Ancients, Napoleonics, ACW and WW2.

Having recently got the Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier rules I am about to embark on my first army - 1944 British Paratroopers.

My question is about the correct composition of the sections in a platoon. In the rules it suggests 2 x rifle sections, 1 x LMG (bren) and 1 x command. However it seems to me that late war paratroopers were also using quite a few SMG - so should I make that 1x rifles, 1 x SMG, 1 x LMG and 1 x command? I would like the composition to be historically accurate.

I am planning 2 companies of 3 platoons plus a support platoon each.

I also want to add a little "extra" firepower by adding 2 x 6lb guns and tow jeeps. Should these take slots in one of the support platoons - or can they be separately commanded by the company HQ?

Many thanks (in advance) for any responses.

Cheers

Teppsta

[B.Rubble]

Teppsta,
I read somewhere that a Brit para battalion had an allocation of 300 Sten guns, to be distributed at the CO saw fit. I'd say that pretty much lets you do what you want
The battalion AT platoon had PIATs not 6pdrs, so would be represented with a command stand and three PIAT stands. There were also PIATs distributed out to the rifle platoons, so you could have additional weapons at this level as well (the equivalent of having panzer fausts in a german rifle section I suppose) for a slightly reduced AT factor. 6pdr AT weapons were from an air landing unit at the divisional level, but I see no reason not to add them. They would have a command stand and two guns per "unit" with jeeps for tows and transport / ammo etc.

Just as an aside I also read that the mortar platoon could swap or add Vickers guns to it's strength at the discretion of the unit commander. I suppose this could be evened out two a mortar platoon of two 'tubes' plus command and an MMG platoon again with two weapons and command. Again, the choice here is yours

B.

[Teppsta]

[quote:="B.Rubble"]There were also PIATs distributed out to the rifle platoons, so you could have additional weapons at this level as well (the equivalent of having panzer fausts in a german rifle section I suppose).[/quote:]

Thanks Barney. If each platoon was 1 x command, 1 x rifles + piat, 1 x SMG and 1 x LMG - would that be too "cheesy"?

[quote:="B.Rubble"]6pdr AT weapons were from an air landing unit at the divisional level, but I see no reason not to add them. They would have a command stand and two guns per "unit" with jeeps for tows and transport / ammo etc.[/quote:]

Excellent - I think it is actually 75mm 6lb howitzers that I will use since my Arnhem book refers to them being dropped with the troops there.

[quote:="B.Rubble"]Just as an aside I also read that the mortar platoon could swap or add Vickers guns to it's strength at the discretion of the unit commander. I suppose this could be evened out two a mortar platoon of two 'tubes' plus command and an MMG platoon again with two weapons and command. [/quote:]

Perfect - I was planning 1 x 2" mortar, 1 x 3" mortar and a MMG (Vickers) plus command for each support platoon.

Many thanks - any further comments would be appreciated.

Teppsta

[Alexb83]

I was having a bit of a think about this as they're my next planned purchase - something along the lines of:

Company command (basing up with jeep and without - one for all occasions!)

3 Platoons of: Command Stand. Rifle + Sten stand, Rifle + Sten stand, Bren stand, Piat stand

Rather than distinguish between SMG/Rifle I was of the opinion that they were available in numbers sufficient that you could treat each rifle stand as per the suggested rules for the Garand (ie. shoot as rifles, assault as SMGs).

1 Support Platoon of: Command Stand, 2 Vickers stands, 1 2 inch mortar

3 inch mortar battery (1 to 4 tubes)
75mm Pack Howitzer (1-2 guns) or 6pdr (1-2 guns)

A Tetrarch

4 Jeeps - with MGs or without.