This article is an extract from the Red Alert book, which is currently in the works. Since the information about the divisional and regimental unit structures is too scientific, long and plain boring, it is unlikely that it will get into the book in such way as presented in this article.
On top of that, there was very hard to find two identical regiments in the Soviet Army, and even more so - identical divisions. They all very unique in their own way - number of subunits, vehicles used, arms in storage etc.
So in this article we are going to look at somewhat idealistic and average land unit regiment of the Soviet Army in the second half of the Cold War.
Soviet Army Regiment
In short, the regiment in its structure was a miniature version of the division. Regiment structure almost completely repeated the structure of the division, but in a reduced composition. It means that while there war a battalion in the division, there would be a company in the regiment. For example, as part of the division, an engineer-sapper battalion, and as part of the regiment - an engineer-sapper company. Such structure simplified the assembly army and made it possible to deploy in case of mobilization (while it was a good idea in theory, it was disastrous in practice)
Regimental Headquarters
The regimental commander had a rank of colonel.
The typical motor rifle regiment on BTRs or BMPs consisted of:
Commanders:
Commander,
Deputy for Political Education
Deputy for Armaments
Deputy for Logistics
Headquarters:
Chief of staff - Deputy Commander
Chief of Intelligence
Chief of communications
Chief of artillery
Chief of air defense
Chief of engineering service
Chief of the chemical service
Chief of the medical service
Chief of the financial service
Command platoon of the Chief of artillery
Command section of the Chief of air defense
Secret documentation unit
Technical unit
Logistics unit
Security platoon
Commandant's platoon
Combat units of the Soviet regiment
Typical Motor Rifle regiment consisted of:
3 Motor Rifle battalions
Tank battalion
Artillery squadron
Anti-aircraft missile artillery squadron
Anti-tank battery
Reconnaissance company
Engineering sapper company
Signals company
Radiation and chemical protection company
Tank battalion (reinforced):
Management and staff - 9 people
3 tank companies (each with 3 platoons of 4 tanks (T-72, T-80, T-64, T-62)
communications platoon (11 people, 2 infantry fighting vehicles
support platoon (25 people, 13 vehicles)
first-aid post (6 people)
In total, the tank battalion was 177 people strong, featuring 40 tanks, 2 infantry fighting vehicles and trucks. In a tank battalion of a tank regiment, there were 3 tanks per platoon with a grand a total of 144 people, 31 tanks and 2 infantry fighting vehicles. The number of people could vary depending on the tank modification (T-62 tanks have 4 crew members, unlike T-64 family of tanks)
Regimental artillery squadron:
management and staff 7 people
3 artillery batteries (6 D-30 122 mm howitzers each)
control platoon 24 people
support platoon of 21 people
first aid station 6 people
In total, there are 268 people in the squadron operating18 D-30 howitzers. 2S1 "Gvozdika" self propelled howitzers could have been used instead of D-30 howitzers.
Rear echelon units of the Soviet regiment
Repair company
management;
maintenance and repair platoon
armored vehicle repair platoon
RAV repair platoon
AT repair platoon
Regimental first-aid post (in wartime it would be company sized)
management
medical platoon
casualty collection and evacuation platoon
support platoon
In total, the number of personnel in a Motor Rifle regiments was between 2600 and 2700 people, depending on the vehicles used. In terms of vehicles, a given regiment would consist of 40 tanks, 140-160 infantry fighting vehicles or armored personnel carriers,
18 self-propelled howitzers or 18 howitzers D-30, 6 ZSU Shilka (Tunguska), 6 SAM Strela,
9 ATGM vehicles.
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