Soviet tank Battalion

lotharlutjens · **lotharlutjens**

Hey guys, I was just looking over the Gleemax board and came across some jokers discussing that a Soviet Tank Battalion was made up of 3 companies of 10 tanks each. FALSE !!!! A Soviet Tank BN TOE is 2 companies of 10 tanks each, I don't post there, I keep having problems with their special code they give you when you activate your account with them, so I wanted to go on record somewhere.

Tank Platoon = 3 Tanks
Tank Company = 10 Tanks ( 3 platoons + 1 Command Tank )
Tank Battalion = 21 Tanks ( 2 companies + 1 command tank )
Tank Brigade = 65 Tanks ( 3 battalions + Brigadier Tank and and adjutent tank )

This was standard TOE for Soviet Tanks circa 1941-1945

Heavy Tanks and Assault Gun TOE was a little different though
_________________
Gaming for 36 Years.

TorontoBizz · **TorontoBizz**

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that.

Do you know what the ratio or numbers/kind of tanks in a company or a battalion?
For example the 10 tanks in a company, how many T-34s, KV-1s? Any recon?

Just for my personal curiosity.

lotharlutjens · **lotharlutjens**

Particurally in the early going the Soviets spread their T-34's and KV's out and it was quite common for the Germans to encounter a mixed group of Russian tanks. For example a tank Battalion might have 21 tanks assigned but mixed in would be a T-34 or a KV or two, this mixing was not always the case bit it did happen during the first period of the war. The heavy tanks and assault guns were deployed a little differently in platoons of 2 with 2 platoons plus a command tank making a company, and 4 companies plus a command tank making the Battalion still totalling ( theoretically ) 21 tanks. The main battle tanks were grouped in 3 battalions plus 2 command tanks to form a tank Brigade, the heavy tanks and the assault guns were formed into regiments of 2 battalions and 2 command tanks totalling around 44 vehicles. Now this is not a hard and fast rule the 1941 Soviet army was vast and some unit variation occurred but in general that is the way it worked. The main battle tanks that equipped the Soviets when the Germans invaded June 22, 1941 were the T-26, BT-5, BT-7 and less common the T-28 and the T-34, the heavy tanks were made up with T-28, T-34, T-35, KV-I and the KV-II.
Assault guns didn't really appear in much quantity till 42 for the Russians.

Hope that helps.
_________________
Gaming for 36 Years.

TorontoBizz · **TorontoBizz**

Thanks lotharlutjens. Your info does help. I've found a lot of books on American, British and German formations (Canada too, but that's because I live in Canada). I find it more difficult to find books on other nations. I know I can find this stuff on line but I try to limit my credit card spending. I enjoy this site a lot because their is so much good info.