7 replies to this topic

[Nebfer]

For the most part when it comes to organizations Battletech is fairly simplistic, four mechs/tanks to a Lance/Platoon, three or four Lances to a Company (12-16 units), three or four Companys to a Battalion, with or with out a optional command lance (36 to 52 units) and three or four battalions to a regiment, with or without the optional command company (108 to 224 units). Though base four units are uncommon, making the typical regiment with or without command elements 108 to 132 strong.

Out side this theirs is not much else, Infantry and Tanks are basically the same, theirs a few units that change this around a bit (like the Clans and Comstar).

But is their any details on what a Regiment might contain out side of it's direct combat units?

Their is in fact, at lest one source that provides a more detailed look at what a B-tech Regiment has under it's command. This being the 4th succession wars atlas parts 1 & 2.
This uses the original battleforce rules set, so as one can see it's a bit dated being only for 3025ish time frame, but it dose have a detailed look at Foot & motorized infantry, Tank and battlemech regiments.


Lets get started
Starting with the Infantry units, It dose not actually detail the foot infantry but dose mention that it's the same as the motorized regiment but only with foot battalions.

Motorized/Mechanized Infantry Regiment
Regimental Battlegroup (basically odds and ends, found at Regimental HQ level)
-Heavy Tracked Platoon (I.e. Rommel, Manticore, Pike)
-Light Tracked Platoon (I.e. Galleon, Scorpion)
-Motorized infantry Company

Regimental Support Battalion (it seems most regiments have a 4th battalion containing supporting elements)
Battalion HQ -Hover Vehicles (I.e. Condor, Falcon, J edger)

Recon Company
- Light Tracked Platoon
-2x Wheeled Scouts (I.e. Skulker, Pack Rat)

Transport Company
-3x Platoons of Armored Trucks

Artillery Battery
- 2x Motorized infantry Platoons
- Sniper Platoon

1st Battalion (Mechanized infantry)
HQ -Wheeled Scouts
3x Motorized Infantry Companys

2nd Battalion (Foot Infantry)
HQ -Wheeled Scouts
2x Infantry Companys
-3x Rifle platoons
1x Infantry Company
-3x Laser Platoons

3rd Battalion (Light Armor)
HQ -Light Tracked
2x Companys
-3x Light Tracked
1x Company
-3x Hovercraft

Notes: Foot Regiments are the same but are out fitted entirely as per 2nd Battalion (which would indicate that Roughly 1/3rd of all House infantry are equipped with laser rifles), I would also suspect that the HQ units at regimental use wheeled scouts instead of Heavy Tanks as well.

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A Tank Regiment has Identical Regimental units as well as the Support battalion units
-The only difference is that the Recon Company swaps the Light Tracked Platoon for a Hover Platoon.

1st Battalion
HQ -Assault Tanks
1x Assault Tank Company (I.e. Demolisher, Von Luckner)
1x Heavy Tank Company (I.e. Rommel, Manticore, Pike)
1x Medium Tank Company (I.e. Vedette, Goblin)

2nd & 3rd Battalions
HQ -Medium Tanks
2x Medium Tank Companys
1x Light Tank Company (I.e. Galleon, Scorpion)

This would be a basic Medium Armor Regiment, with it's 5 medium Tank Companys, I would assume that the Mot. Infantry found at regimental are largely their for local security and or light recon duty's.

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Battlemech Regiment
Being the premier unit in Battletech, Battlemech regiments, not surprisingly are afforded a bit more variation than the armor and infantry units where given.

In General the Regimental Battlegroup is larger and more capable, being comprised as following.
2x Mech Lances
2x Truck Platoons
2x Armored Truck Platoons
3x Sniper Artillery Platoons

Their a number of variations to this, one such is to swap out some of the Snipers for Long Toms, others swapping out some if not all of the Trucks or artillery for two extra mech lances (typically so that the unit would have a three light medh lances and a heavier Lance), in some cases they swapped out units for Tanks or Infantry (often company sized in the later)...

Most Mech Regiments have a Support battalion, a few did not, and some did not have a full battalion as well.
The Battalions HQ unit was often a Mech lance (and often light), though vehicles can be found at times. As for the three Company's that comprise the support battalion very quite a bit but their seems to be some commonality for each house. The Davions seemed to prefer a Recon Company (smiler to composition to the ones in Tank and Infantry Regiments), a Security Company (Various infantry types, though often Mot. or Jump) and a Fighter Squadron, though other unit types could be found from time to time, (like a Battlemech or Tank company).
House Kurita was similar though a Tank Company was a Common alternative company type.
The Lyrans used a Recon Co, Security Co and a Lightning Company (typically a light mech company)
And House Laio liked to use a Recon Co, Armor Co and a Security Co, though a fighter Squadron or an infantry company where alternatives, though the McCarron Regiments often ran with two Recon Cos and a Security co.

Sadly the Mariks did not have many units in the book (just two regiments AFAIK). Though the two units present use either 2x Recon Cos and a Security co or a Davion/Kurita style unit. The Regimental Group was the same in both though (1x Mech lance, 1x Light Tracked, 1x Truck, 3x Armored Truck, 2x Snipers and a Long Tom).

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A few things to note
Just about all Battalions and every Regiment had a HQ element present, contrary to a number of later sources...
Mech. infantry regiments contain a Light Armor Battalion (Combat operations also has a similar look at Mech. infantry units).

It's common for Regiments to have a organic infantry company for local security (particularly in non infantry units).

Any questions?

[Nebfer]

Marack Drock, on 25 March 2014 - 06:16 PM, said:

Yeah, what will we do with this information when retaining to this game? Just wondering -and this is not supposed to be a troll- because I don't know how we will be able to organize stuff like this in Community Warfare.

Are you saying you have never even done a company on company or battalion level engagements before?
Never wondered what the Organization of a Battletech unit was?

Using this is quite simple
A Battlemech battalion has effectively 10 lances (40 units)
The Regimental Support Battalion would have a HQ Lance, the Platoons of light vehicles for recon duty's, a Infantry company for rear area security and a Fighter squadron of three lances for local air support, or some other such configuration.
The Regimental units comprise of a pair of mech lances, 4 truck Platoons (largely representing some of the HQ & Logistical unit vehicles) and a artillery battery of 12 guns.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Nebfer, on 25 March 2014 - 08:20 PM, said:

an artillery battery of 12 guns.

First time I read that (usually read things a few times - but I read fast) I read 12 Puns.

Even among most players that I have heard/seen talk about it (not much of a community for it where I live - or rather not one I prefer to associate with) large scale engagements are rather rare.

Marack is still fairly new - so he would almost guaranteed not have had a chance at it.

[Skylarr]

These are the books you used correct?

• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1
  
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2

Nebfer, on 25 March 2014 - 05:59 PM, said:

Any questions?

Great information. What about Aerospace, DropShip and JumpShip/Warship support?

Quote

Inner Sphere military structure


Unit Organization

Each unit is organized differently in practice, but many follow a basic organizational structure that enables them to integrate with other units easily and effectively.

Lance

The lance is the smallest organizational unit, equivalent to an infantry platoon. A 'Mech lance consists of four separate BattleMechs (although occasionally a "light lance" consists of only three 'Mechs) and are categorized based upon the average weight of the 'Mechs that comprise it (Light, Medium, Heavy, Assault). A lance commander is usually either a non-commissioned officer (NCO) or a low grade officer (lieutenant or equivalent). Lance commanders are directly engaged in combat operations and are responsible for the 'Mechs under their command.

A Standard Lance consists of one light, one medium, and two heavy BattleMechs.

In addition to four 'Mech pilots, there are normally four to six additional support personnel, making a lance roughly ten individuals.

Augmented Lance

After learning of the Novas used by the Clans, the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces began to experiment with mixing unit types. Their first successful experiment created an Augmented Mech Lance that combined four BattleMechs with two combat vehicles. This became the "standard" augmented 'Mech lance. A "secondary" augmented 'Mech lance was created by combining four BattleMechs with two squads of battle armored infantry. The CCAF then turned their attention to armor lances. The "standard" augmented armor lance combines four combat vehicles with two BattleMechs; The "secondary" augmented armor lance combines four combat vehicles with four squads of battle armor-equipped infantry.

Air Lance

An Air Lance consists of four BattleMechs (usually a Standard Lance) with two attached aerospace fighters.

Company

A Company consists of three lances and normally some auxiliary units, scouts, armors, or artillery. A company commander is normally either a major or captain (or equivalent). The company commander is usually the leader of the command lance of a company and is directly involved in combat operations. Companies are more self-sufficient than lances and consist of the combat troops and support personnel, including medical, technical, and planetary transport vehicles (DropShips). Companies may also have reconnaissance and artillery support lances under its command.

In addition to twelve 'Mech pilots and the eighteen support personnel, there are usually additional support or specialist personnel, making a company roughly sixty individuals. Three companies comprise a battalion. Mercenary units commonly do not exceed the size of a company.

Augmented Company

This formation is used only by the CCAF. It has the twelve combat units of a typical company, but these are organized into two Augmented Lances of any type.

Battalion

A battalion consists of three companies and is a large organization. It is normally composed of at least thirty-six 'Mechs plus aerospace, artillery, reconnaissance, medical, and numerous other support staff and personnel. Overall, a battalion may consist of over two or three hundred individuals. Battalions are commanded by either a lieutenant colonel (or equivalent). Battalion commanders normally do not participate directly in combat operations, but personal preference dictates this. Most battalion commanders direct operations rather than engage enemy forces.

Battalions are extremely self-sufficient and capable fighting forces. They are capable of traveling over the surface of a planet and deploying significant fire power anywhere within a short period of time. Many mercenary units never achieve a size comparable to that of a battalion.

Augmented Battalion

This formation is used by the CCAF and consisted of four companies of two Augmented Lances each and a command lance.

The most commonly used augmented lance in these battalions consisted of four 'Mechs and a pair of conventional tanks. The four companies provided thirty-two 'Mechs and the command lance added four more. This gave the Augmented Battalion the same firepower as a standard battalion, but included sixteen armored vehicles for additional fire support.

Square Battalion

A variant battalion consisting of four companies, and may also have a Command Lance (48 BattleMechs/aerospace fighters). This organizational structure came about when the Inner Sphere militaries re-purposed the air lance that would support each company.

Regiment

Regiments are very large organizations and the great houses normally organize their regular units into regiments; these are the largest formations in common use. This is traditionally the lowest level of organization that a house's high command will direct (outside of mercenary units). Regiments are commanded by colonels or their equivalent. Regimental commanders rarely engage in combat operations personally; the ability to organize a regimental-sized group is usually not possible on the field of battle. The size of the unit in personnel is not just based upon the combat forces, but it also includes the technical, transportation, scout, and other support personnel and materiel. Regiments are self-sufficient units and usually have their own dedicated DropShips and possibly even JumpShip.

Regiments consist of three to five battalions, commanded by a Colonel or General, for a total of one hundred and eight to one hundred and eighty 'Mechs or combat vehicles. Additional support battalions such as infantry are often attached to the regiment as well.

Augmented Regiment

In 3081 the Capellan Confederation began organizing Augmented Regiments that expanded the use of their Augmented Lance and Augmented Company organization. Each 'Mech regiment of the CCAF was reorganized to include at least one Augmented Battalion.

Though rare, Augmented Regiments composed entirely of conventional vehicles and infantry also exist.

Regimental Combat Team

First developed by the Star League Defense Force, a Regimental Combat Team was originally composed of four combat regiments and a support and transport element. The most experienced regimental commander was put in charge of the RCT, and the four combat elements trained together to improve unit cohesion. These RCTs tended to be permanently assigned to a location in order to better understand and exploit the local terrain. A surviving example of the SLDF's RCT concept is the Eridani Light Horse.

The Federated Suns would develop their own Regimental Combat Teams thanks to First Prince Melissa Davion after she came to power in 2876. The Armed Forces of the Federated Suns' version of an RCT is a large multi-regiment formation that consists of a regiment of BattleMechs, three regiments of combat vehicles, five regiments of infantry, two aerospace fighter wings, and a battalion of artillery. Unlike the task forces that had been used previously, these regiments are permanently assigned to work together. These RCTs are usually named for the BattleMech regiment.

Light Combat Team

After the widespread destruction of the Jihad, the AFFS shifted over to a defensive mindset. Though it still had several RCTs on the rolls, the majority of the units were rebuilt as Light Combat Teams. A smaller version of the AFFS' traditional RCT, the LCT was a reinforced battalion of 'Mechs (typically three companies plus a two-to-three lance command company), two to three battalions of heavy and assault armor, an equal number of cavalry battalions, and an artillery company. Additionally the LCT includes a regimental-size Battle Armor formation (though in most cases the size is much smaller) and VTOL assets to provide transportation for the Battle Armor as well as reconnaissance for the LCT. The large conventional infantry forces of the RCT have been reduced to those troops needed to provide engineering, security, and other support roles.

Larger Formations

Though no longer in common use, there are several larger formations that military planners accept as common terms.

Brigade

A Brigade is a military formation typically consisting of 3 or more regiments, usually of similar weight classes and capabilities. This formation was used extensively by the SLDF, but is no longer used by most Inner Sphere militaries. Brigades were usually commanded by a Lieutenant General and limited to being no more than five regiments in size for administrative purposes. Some Regimental Combat Teams were also categorized as brigades.

Examples of BattleMech brigades include the Eridani Light Horse, Northwind Highlanders, Deneb Light Cavalry, or the Sword of Light. The Armor and Infantry units of the Federated Sun's Regimental Combat Teams are also referred to as brigades.

Division

A Division is a grouping of three brigades, as well as reserves, support units, and an ASF Wing. They were commanded by a Major General or General. The Division was the heart of the SLDF, and was typically assigned to protect a group of star systems within one jump radius of each other, or a particularly important planet. There are no division-sized formations known to exist in the Inner Sphere.

The ComGuards use the term Division to refer to their Level IV units, which consist of 216 combat units. In reality these units are approximately the size of two mixed regiments of 'Mechs, conventional armor, and infantry.

Corps

Used only by the SLDF, a Corps was a group of military forces that defended between 30 and 100 worlds. Unlike regiments, brigades, and divisions, there was no "standard" or "typical" corps. They typically consisted of one to three BattleMech Divisions, two to seven infantry divisions, several independent regiments, and enough WarShips and transport JumpShips to move the entire unit. Each Star League Member State hosted between one and four Corps-sized units.

Later military planners would consider a corps a group of five to ten divisions, but didn't organize them by type (infantry, BattleMech, etc.).


Army

During the Reunification War, the Army replaced the Corps as the main organizational unit of the SLDF. Each Army consisted of the Corps level units hosted by the Star League Member State.

As units of this size became impossible due to the damage of the Succession Wars, the term fell out of common military parlance until the Com Guards reactivated it to describe their Level V units. These units, like the SLDF Corps and Armies that preceded them, covered large parts of each of the Successor States, each of the then-twelve armies covering an "hour" on the "Inner Sphere Clock". Unlike the SLDF, a Com Guard Army is mostly an administrative term. The Battle of Tukayyid and Operation SCOUR were the only times ComStar deployed Army-sized formations in combat.

Typically an Army consisted of three to five Corps.


Variations

• 2.1 Aerospace
  
• 2.2 Infantry
  
• 2.3 Battle Armor

Edited by Skylarr, 26 March 2014 - 07:25 AM.

[CyclonerM]

There would also be aerospace fighters air lances and wings, somewhere..

[Nebfer]

Skylarr, on 26 March 2014 - 07:16 AM, said:

These are the books you used correct?

• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1
  
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2

Great information. What about Aerospace, DropShip and JumpShip/Warship support?


[b]

Yes thoughs are the books, though the books do not really talk much about their organization, their more of Charts and some rules for if you want a unit to play around with in the 4th Succession war using the Battle force rules, the main part of the book talks about what was going on in the War, with a small section at the back detailing some of the regiments.
As for fighters It dose not give them a chart of their own out side of the one or two squadrons that occasionally show up, though one merc unit dose have a full Wing (Battalion) and is orged like all the other battalions in the book, 3 Companys (Squadrons) and a HQ lance (which for fighters would be 20 units). As for the "independent wings" like the ones we see in books like the 3060s era field manuals (and the house books) it dose not really talk much about them.
As for the Transports it dose not bother (out side of mentions in the main part of the book) as theirs not much to detail as it's uncommon for units larger than a "Company sized" formation and doing crew breakdowns is not part of scope in this section of the book (This is a battleforce section, which uses Lances or Platoons as the base units not individual men like the RPGs).

Needless to say the House books and later field manuals are what you want for a description of Aerospace assets (which have been a bit of a redheaded stepchild of the universe).
Though they would contain their own engineer & security units like their counter parts. (Heh, Engineers are rarely talked about as well, let alone listed).

Warships are having an existence failure at this time frame (theirs none around, also the Clans do not exist at this time frame, in real life I mean, the books where written about 2-3 years before they where first published).