Organization of the
Red Army Motor Rifle-MG Battalion and
Motor SMG Battalion
1942 to 1945
In early 1942 the Red Army began
to field new Tank Brigades, each of which included one Motor Rifle-Machine Gun
Battalion. In late 1943 the unit was
retitled a Motor Submachine Gun Battalion and rearmed accordingly. The Motor Rifle-MG and Motor SMG Battalions
were particular to Tank Brigades, while the Motorised Rifle
Battalions were a different type of unit found in Motorised or Mechanised
Brigades.
For the purposes of this
study the evolution of the Motor Rifle-MG and Motor SMG Battalion can be divided
into three stages;
1.
The Motor Rifle-MG Battalion in its initial
form, as authorised in February 1942.
2.
The first minor revisions of July 1942, with
more substantial amendments being made by June 1943.
3.
The final organization of November 1943,
which brought the Brigade’s previously separate Anti-tank units into the
Battalion, which was now reorganized and re-equipped as a Motor Submachine Gun
Battalion.
Below are links to the files
that make up this study. The first is a
narrative of the Battalion organization and how it evolved between 1942 and
1945. There are then separate files
detailing in full the information as found in the штат, or
Shtat (State) for the unit concerned, which gave
the authorised numbers of personnel, transport and weapons for the unit at full
strength.
All files in the below links
are in PDF.
Organization of the Red Army
Motor Rifle-MG and Motor SMG Battalion 1942 to 1945
Red Army Motor Rifle-MG
Battalion February 1942
Red Army Motor Rifle-MG
Battalion July 1942
Red Army Motor Rifle-MG
Battalion June 1943
Red Army Motor Submachine Gun
Battalion November 1943
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