BKC8 British Armoured Infantry Battalion query

[old smokie]

I bought a BKC8 British Armoured Infantry Battalion 

1 x BR70         White scout car    
8 x BR7/7A         Bren carrier with crew, Camouflaged Bren carrier with crew       
8 x BR46/47      M3 Halftrack, M3 Halftrack with tilt       
1 x BR24          6pdr A/T with crew
3 x BR1/2/3/6/23    Riflemen, Sten, Bren, Officers, Riflemen firing
2 x BR4         Vickers MG team
2 x BR9         3" mortar with crew
3 x BR49         Morris commercial 3/4 tonne truck

can anyone tell me what all the Bren carriers and half tracks are for, I am right and thinking that the half tracks are for the infantry ? also the infantry how many stands would you get out of the above assuming 5 figures per stand, any help appreciated

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

this is an odd organisation. It has just 3 Rifle Coy + HQ.

Each company has an Hq - in the White SC or M9 1/2 Track (2 of these), and often a scout car(Damiler), a section of 2 Vikcers Mg in carrier, 2 3"mortar in carrier, and 2 6pdr towed by carrier or Loyd carrier, 3 Rifle platoons - nominally organised like an ordinary Rifle Plt in 1/2 Tracks, although the sections were smaller 6 to 8 men. Some Btn used a scout car for PHQ. Finally the company had a carrier platoon of Hq of 1 carrier, 1 Scout Car, and 3 Sections of 3 carriers with 3 LMG, 1 PIAT, and 1 dismountable 2" Mtr. 1/2 Tracks normally used the section Brens as weapons, and the carriers a 2" mortar - primarily for smoke.

You have enough stuff to do the supports and 2 Rifle companies, need 1 more 1/2 track, and 6 more carriers. Could probably also use another pack of rifles or mixed rifle/Bren to complete a btn. This depends on rules and how you are going to do the carriers, I use one per section.

IanS

[old smokie]

thanks Ian, using BKC 2 for rules

[Leon]

The BKC packs were made up for the original BKC rules, but I've not got a copy to hand to check.  We will be switching them over to the BKC II lists soon though.

[NTM]

Each company has ... a section of 2 Vikcers Mg in carrier ... and 2 6pdr towed by carrier or Loyd carrier,

There were actually 2 platoons of 4 Vickers and 3 platoons of 4 6pdr per bttln but they were probably farmed out to individual companies as they often supported the armoured regiments 1 coy per regt. The bttln had 53 universal carriers on strength.

http://www.warestablishments.net/Great%20Britain/Infantry/Motor%20Battalion%20June%201943.pdf

http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/British/Motor/british_motor_battalion%201943%20to%201945.htm

[fred.]

I've got a webpage that gives an Motor Battalion at 1 stand = 1 platoon level for NWE

http://www.kerynne.com/games/BritishMotorBattalion.html

It is 3 rifle companies and a strong support company

For BKC its quite hard to determine what to categorise the extra Universal carriers in the Rifle Companies as - one good option is to use them as Wasp Flame Throwers 

[NTM]

For BKC its quite hard to determine what to categorise the extra Universal carriers in the Rifle Companies as - one good option is to use them as Wasp Flame Throwers 

I believe Wasps were put in the MG Coy of the Lorried Inf Brigade in Armoured Divisions rather than replacing sections of the Carrier Platoon as they did in Infantry Divisions (I've even seen pictures of a Wasp in a Carrier Troop of 43 Recce too)

[old smokie]

thanks for all the reply's, and the confusion  , so what would the  3 x BR49 Morris commercial 3/4 tonne trucks be used for in the pack

[nikharwood]

thanks for all the reply's, and the confusion  , so what would the  3 x BR49 Morris commercial 3/4 tonne trucks be used for in the pack

Dragging round the two ATG - and one for your CO's stand I reckon...

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

No - Europe 44 the 3/4ton would be for 2nd line stuff in a Motor Btn. Guns would be towed by loyd or Universal Carriers.

I'd use 1 Carrier base per section, giving 3 per company. Expensive option but would reflect the way they were used.

IanS

[nikharwood]

That's as may be...but in terms of using them with what's in the pack (which was the question), that's what I'd do with them