WesWorld

A few months ago I started playing with a new order of battle for the Irish Army. The existing OOB was the first one I wrote and as such I didn't entirely know what I was doing: this is an attempt to fix that.

Currently the Irish Army is divided into ten regiments, scattered between two divisions and two brigades. The primary organizational unit is the regiment. In this reorganization, that will change: the various battalions will be reorganized into five brigades, each composed of five infantry battalions and one bicycle battalion, with the appropriate supporting units. The Irish Army will also maintain a Tank Squadron and an Armoured Car Squadron.

In wartime, between 1/4th to 1/3rd of the troops will be FCA (Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil / volunteer reservist) troops. In peacetime most of these reservists will be at their civilian jobs. One brigade, however, will always be kept at 100% strength. Ideally, peacetime strength will remain at or under 12,000 men, rising to 20,000+ during wartime. The Army will also maintain a coast-defense artillery group, a supplies organization, and the appropriate intelligence, training, etc organizations. (The below OOB is combat troops only.)

According to Ireland's principle of international neutrality and seeking the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the Irish Army will be willing to participate in LoN-organized peacekeeping missions (the Wilno deployment as an extreme example) on a case-by-case basis. (For instance, the historical UN-led deployments Ireland contributed to in the 1950s and onward.)

[SIZE=3]Order of Battle[/SIZE]
- 1st Brigade - The Irish Guards
--- The Tank Squadron
- 2nd Brigade - The Western Counties Fusiliers
- 3rd Brigade - The Dublin and Leinster Rifles
- 4th Brigade - The Munster Grenadiers
--- Armoured Car Squadron
- 5th Brigade - The South Irish Rifles

Quoted

Infantry Section
- 9 Privates: 8 rifles, 1 LMG
- 1 NCO: 1 SMG
- Total: 10 men, 8 rifles, 1 LMG, 1 SMG

Infantry Platoon
- 3 Sections: 10 men
- 1 command squad: 1 CO, 1 NCO, 3 runners
- Total: 35 men

Infantry Company
- 3 Platoons: 35 men
- 1 command squad: 4 messengers (4 carbines), mortar section (4 men, 1 mortar), antitank squad (10 men, 4 AT rifles/satchel charges, 1 horse). 18 men total.
- Total: 123 men.

Infantry Battalion
- 3 Companies: 123 men
- 1 machinegun platoon: 12xHMGs, 66 men
- 1 mortar platoon: 57 men and 4x81mm mortars
- 1 supplies platoon: 34 men
- 1 battalion HQ: 6 men
- 1 battalion commander
- 1 battalion XO
- 1 battalion NCO
- Total: 535 men, 7 mortars, 12 HMGs

Brigade
- 5 Infantry Battalions: 535 men
- 1 Bicycle Battalion: 535 men
- 1 Artillery Battalion: 24 guns, 378 men
- 1 Scout Company: 123 men
- 1 AT gun section: 4 Ordnance QF 2-pounder guns, 4 trucks, 16 men
- 1 AA battery: 111 men, 4 large, 4 medium, 12 light AA guns, 16 trucks
- 1 Supplies company: 110 men
- 1 Brigade HQ: 35 men
- Total: 3,983 men

Quoted

Artillery Battery
- 8 QF 4.5 inch (114.3mm) Howitzers, Ordnance QF 18-pounder field guns, or QF 25-pounders: 6 crew each
- 1 Battery HQ: 12 men
- 2 truck sections: 8 men, 8 trucks
- Total: 8 guns, 76 men, 8 trucks

Artillery Battalion
- 3 batteries: 8 guns, 76 men, 8 trucks
- 1 Supplies Company: 110 men
- 1 Battalion HQ/Communications: 40 men
- Total: 24 guns, 378 men

AA Battery
- 4 3.7" AA guns: 7 crew each
- 4 40mm Bofors AA guns: 4 crew each
- 12 .661cal AA machine guns: 3 crew each
- 1 Battery HQ: 15 men
- 2 truck sections: 8 men, 8 trucks
- Total: 111 men, 4 large, 4 medium, 12 light AA guns, 16 trucks

Quoted

Supplies Platoon
- 1 Field Kitchen: 10 men
- 1 Battalion Supplies Office: 4 men
- 1 transport truck section: 10 men, 8 trucks
- 1 Hygiene section (portable showers and latrines): 10 men
- Total: 34 men

Supplies Company
- 1 Field Kitchen: 35 men
- 1 Battalion Supplies Office: 15 men, 4 trucks
- 3 transport truck sections: 10 men, 8 trucks each
- 2 Hygiene sections (portable showers and latrines): 30 men
- Total: 110 men

Quoted

Tank Section:
- 2 tanks: 5 crew
- Total: 10 men, 2 tanks

Armoured Car Section:
- 2 armoured cars: 3 crew
- Total: 6 men, 2 armoured cars

Tank Lance:
- 3 Tank Sections: 10 men, 2 tanks
- 1 Command Section: 12 men, 2 tanks, 2 motorcycle messengers
- Total: 42 men, 8 tanks, 2 motorcycles

Armoured Car Lance:
- 3 AC Sections: 6 men, 2 armoured cars
- 1 Command Section: 8 men, 2 armoured cars, 2 motorcycle messengers
- Total: 26 men, 8 armoured cars, 2 motorcycles

Tank Company:
- 3 Tank Lances: 42 men, 8 tanks, 2 motorcycles
- 1 Armoured Car Lance: 26 men, 8 armoured cars, 2 motorcycles
- 1 Antitank squad: 10 men, 4 AT rifles/satchel charges
- 1 Command Section: 15 men, 2 armoured cars, 5 trucks
- 1 Maintenance section: 10 men, 1 recovery tractor, 4 trucks
- Total: 177 men, 24 tanks, 10 armoured cars, 8 motorcycles

Armoured Car Company:
- 3 Armoured Car Lances: 26 men, 8 armoured cars, 2 motorcycles
- 1 Tank Lances: 42 men, 8 tanks, 2 motorcycles
- 1 Antitank squad: 10 men, 4 AT rifles/satchel charges
- 1 Command Section: 15 men, 2 armoured cars, 5 trucks
- 1 Maintenance section: 10 men, 1 recovery tractor, 4 trucks
- Total: 155 men, 26 armoured cars, 8 tanks, 8 motorcycles

That's a pretty major reorg, I suppose it's lucky that the Irish Army doesn't have a long tradition to buck that change. What's the reasoning behind the reorg, anyway?

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
That's a pretty major reorg, I suppose it's lucky that the Irish Army doesn't have a long tradition to buck that change. What's the reasoning behind the reorg, anyway?

OOC, it's because I don't think the original order of battle handles everything a real army ought to handle, and I was dissatisfied with the look of it. Despite the fact I already had divisions and brigades, the Army's primary organization took place at the regimental level, and I wanted to move that higher a tad bit to provide more centralized C3I.