• Pardon the dust while the boys rebuild the site.

    The board will be in a state of disarray as I get things sorted out, for a little while at least.

    The new incarnation is using Xenforo as the system software. It is much like what we are used to, with a few differences. I will see about making a FAQ to help point out the differences for the members.

     

    One IMPORTANT difference for all of us old timers is that the 'mail' system is replaced with what are called 'conversations'/

    There is no 'Inbox' or 'Out box' or 'Sent' folders anymore.

    Think of Conversations as private 'threads' or topics that don't exist in a forum, that you start with another member. NOTE: Conversations can include more than one member if you or someone else in the conversaion, likes.
    Takes a little getting used to but I am sure you all can get a hang of it.

     

    Only a slightly modified default default Xenforo style is available for now. Once the new SAG style is ready it will be available.

    All existing users should be able to login with their usernames and passwords once the site goes up.

     

    If anyone has difficulties logging in please contact me at sixthvanguard@gmail.com.

     

    Thank you for your support and patience. I know it has been a loooong road.

Marine Corps Infantry Company

U

USMCPrice

Mortarman
The purpose of this thread is to answer questions raised in the thread "Marines Green Side Out Lotsa photos" without hijacking Tim's (pangaloss) thread. I know this sounds stupid, but I don't know/haven't tried to post photos on the forum. Any photos I've posted in the past were links to photo sharing sites I am a member of. I will endeavor to read the tutorials and get some pictures up here on this thread.

carentan88 wrote: Whoa! A full company of Marines in 1/6th? Holy Toledo that must be something to see. Are they all WWII era? My compliments to you, sir!
Click to expand...

Glidah Drivah wrote: A whole company!! Weren't USMC companies larger than those of the Army at the time, something around the order of 200-240 men!!!
Click to expand...

I said I had close to an Infantry Company. I have three platoons, a Head Quarters Section, Machine Gun and Mortar sections from weapons platoon and a number of attached troops. I have the figures to complete the company but lack certain hard to find parts to finish it out. I'll give a short historical overview, what I have and what I need to complete. Hopefully, I can figure out the picture posting thing and will post some pics to illustrate. Here goes.

The initial series "D" TO&E Infantry Company was similar to the Army's organization but the Marine Corps changed it several times during the war to make it more effective. I'm not that knowledgeable about U.S. Army WWII Company level organizational structure but I am very familiar with the Army's squad and platoon structure. (perhaps some of our duty experts here can step in and help us out here)

The series "D" TO&E had a company strength of 6 officers and 177 men. This is the structure the 1st and 2d MarDivs used during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
The Marine Corps decided, based on their combat experience, that the current unit structure did not allow for adequate command and control, and needed to be optimized for more flexability and firepower, to meet the requirements of jungle combat and forceable landings. They authorized and reorganized to the series "E" TO&E in April of 1943. This is the structure for Bougainville, Tarawa, New Georgia and some of the units in the Marshalls.
My first platoon is built to this structure with 12 man rifle squads. I'll try and get a picture up before I go further so I can illustrate what I'm writing.
 
Oh please post some pics as I would love to see your Marines. A guy I work with is a Marine and is always asking me where the Marines are as they were in WW2 also. I would love to throw this post up and say, "Check this out. Here you go." SHEP
 
Glidah Drivah wrote: A whole company!! Weren't USMC companies larger than those of the Army at the time, something around the order of 200-240 men!!!

USMCPrice wrote:
The series "D" TO&E had a company strength of 6 officers and 177 men. This is the structure the 1st and 2d MarDivs used during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

The original numbers were based on my time on Okinawa 5-10 years ago. In the Museum dedicated to the 1945 Battle on one of the bases (I think it was on Camp Hansen...whatever the southernmost Marine base was) one thing the Tunnel Rat guide stressed to show how severe the casualties for some of the frontline rifle companies were was to show a picture of one company that fought in the entire battle, from April 1st on. The company originally had about 240 men (which I believe was also what the typical company strength was in WWI); and after hostilities had ceased a picture was taken of all those that had not been killed or medevaced out. Basically all those not wounded or the "walking wounded." There were only about 20-25 Marines in the photo. :shock: :(
I'm not sure if the larger numbers were due to some companies being at "extra strength" to better absorb higher casualties in campaigns that were closer to the Japanese Main Islands; or if replacements added during the battle were included.
 
Series "E" Rifle Squad

O.K. so the series "E" TO&E introduced the 12 man rifle squad. The Company size increased from 6 officers and 177 men, to 6 officers and 190 men. Its organization allowed for increased command and control and increased firepower with an additional Automatic Rifleman team per squad. The squad was structured so that it could be broken into two 6 man teams. One headed by the squad leader the other by the assistant squad leader, each containing an automatic rifle team.

First here's a photo of my 1st and 2d squads 1st platoon, a series "E" rifle platoon had three 12 man squads plus a headquarters section:
normal_Marines%20001.jpg


1.)Squad Leader (Sgt/M1 Rifle)
2.)Asst. Squad Leader(Cpl/M1 Rifle)
normal_Marines%20002.jpg


3.)Automatic Rifleman (BAR)
4.)Asst. Automatic Rifleman (M1 Carbine)
5.)Automatic Rifleman (BAR)
6.)Asst. Automatic Rifleman (M1 Carbine)
normal_Marines%20003.jpg


7.)Grenadier (1903 Springfield/grenade launcher)
normal_Marines%20004.jpg


8.-12.)Riflemen (M1 Rifle)
normal_Marines%20005.jpg


Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures, I'll try to do better as I go along.
 
GREAT LOOKING MARINES!!!

USMCPrice Posted:
Okinawa, were you a Leatherneck also?

Not quite; I was in the Navy. First on the mainland at Sasebo; then on Okinawa (Camp Foster, then Camp Lester) The (few) Marines and Corpsman I have are meant to represent 6th MARDIV personnel on Okinawa.

The numbers I was given do sound more in the realm of the "E" TO&E Company. 200+ isn't that much more than the given standard of 196 officers and men; especially when support personnel and replacements are factored in.
 
Glidah Drivah,
The numbers I was given do sound more in the realm of the "E" TO&E Company. 200+ isn't that much more than the given standard of 196 officers and men; especially when support personnel and replacements are factored in.
Click to expand...

No, the numbers you were given were entirely correct. I just hadn't gotten that far in the thread yet. The series "F" TO&E replaced the series "E" TO&E in 1944, the infantry squad reorganized into the 13 man squad, composed of a squad leader and three x four man fire teams. This provided additional small unit control, further increased firepower and is the squad structure still in use by the Marine Corps today (albeit with different weapons). The increase in the rifle squads was minimal 1 man per squad, three men per platoon, nine per company, the major reorganization was in the weapons and headquarters platoons and the elimination on the battalion level of the weapons companies (D,H,M). Firepower and control were emphasized. The company size increased from 6 officers/190 enlisted to 7officers/240 enlisted (the range you quoted). The interesting thing is that it was accomplished while shrinking the battalions from 953 officers and men to 912 officers and men. The "F" series TO&E was approved by Headquarters Marine Corps on 5 May 1944 but the infantry units had started reorganizing back in January. The Raider battalions had used the fire team concept, unofficially, since being raised in 1941. When the Raiders were disbanded and used to form the new 4th Marines in Feb. 1944 they retained this structure. During the Marshalls campaign (Kwajalein/Eniwetok) in Feb. 1944 all units were still using the "E" series organization except for the 22d Marines which made the operation under the series"F" structure and proved the concept in combat. All units converted rapidly thereafter.
 
BTW, it's nice to see Marines in the camouflage utilities! (Though I know the sage green ones were as if not more common..)

"The interesting thing is that it was accomplished while shrinking the battalions from 953 officers and men to 912 officers and men."

-Was this partially as a result of removing the Heavy Weapons Platoon from the company; and transferring that to the Regimental level? (Which I believe happened in either late '44 or early '45...)
 
Thanks for the pics. They look great and ready for some action. I have enjoyed reading this thread and looking at the pics. SHEP
 
Sheppard1972
Thanks for the pics. They look great and ready for some action. I have enjoyed reading this thread and looking at the pics. SHEP
Click to expand...
I intend to post more pictures, the ones I've posted are only two of the three squads in first platoon. I have three platoons, a headquarters section, weapons platoon, attached engineers, attached 37mm AT gun crew, and several other attachments. I suck at picture taking and was really disappointed with how the pictures I posted looked so I've been working on better pictures.

Glidah Drivah
-Was this partially as a result of removing the Heavy Weapons Platoon from the company; and transferring that to the Regimental level? (Which I believe happened in either late '44 or early '45...)
Click to expand...
In the series "F" TO&E the company weapons platoon was changed to a machine gun only platoon, the mortars were moved to headquarters platoon. The battalion weapons companies were deleted and their assets redistributed. The machine guns were reassigned to the line companies machine gun platoons, doubling the number of guns in each. The 81mm mortar platoon from the battalion weapons company was moved to the battalion H & S Co. The regimental heavy weapons company stayed basically the same but had two M2 GMC's added bringing their total to 4. The six 37mm AT guns alloted remained unchanged.

Hammer's Africaners
Nice looking group of Marines.,
Click to expand...
Thanks

Just an idea you should paint the dowels holding them up same as there uniforms to get it to blend better
Click to expand...
Very good tip, I will probably use it when necessary for my display figures in the den. The shelves/dowels in the pictures are more for storage than display. I used to store the figures in plastic containers, but things kept getting broken or parts fell off and they had to be reassembled to take outside. The third squad from each platoon is still in plastic containers because of lack of room. Hopefully I'll get more shelving put up soon.
 
Thanks for the TO&E info! In regards to your figures, what kind of uniforms are your gyrenes wearing? It looks like BGT with a few 21st here and there...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top