Marines/TRADOC/Soundingboard12

Maquis Forces Marine Corps
Marine Armored Forces

The Marine Armored Force can trace its roots from the first Tanks on Earth during it First World War. Tanks were invented and first manufactured for World War I in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, by the British Royal Navy, to break the deadlock of trench warfare. A vehicle that could withstand machine-gun bullets and artillery shrapnel might reach the enemy trench lines, suppressing or destroying enemy machine-gun nests and other strong-points. The resulting breakthrough was then ideally to be followed up by deep penetration into enemy rear areas. Tanks seldom operate alone, being organized into armored units, usually in combined arms forces. Without such support, tanks are vulnerable to special anti-tank artillery, other tanks, anti-tank mines, and (at short ranges) infantry, as well as specialized anti-tank aircraft.

While tanks are expensive to operate and support, they remain among the most formidable and versatile weapons of the modern battlefield, both for their ability to engage other ground targets (including fortifications) and their shock value against infantry. Tanks and armor tactics have undergone many generations of evolution over nearly a century. Although weapons systems and armor continue to be developed, often at very high cost, many nations have reconsidered the need for such heavy weaponry in a period characterized by unconventional warfare.

So, over the next few hundred years Tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers begin to be the main stay of all military forces on Earth and they still are a big part of controlling to current battlefields that we fight on today.

Tank Battalion, Marine Division

A. Mission

The mission of the tank battalion is to close with and destroy the enemy by using armor-protected firepower, shock effect, and maneuver and to provide antimechanized fire in support of the Marine division.

B. Concept of Organization
A typical tank battalion consists of an H&S company, one antitank platoon, and four tank companies. The tank companies are the basic tactical unit with which the battalion accomplishes its mission. The antitank platoon provides antimechanized support to the division. The tank battalion has 58 tanks, 26 M83A2 SADAR (Shoulder-launched Active-homing Disposable Anti-tank Rocket) Weapons Systems and 5 M770 ‘Buffalo’ Armored Recovery Vehicle.

C. Concept of Employment The battalion is best employed as a maneuver force without detaching units. However, the division commander may task organize forces of tanks, mechanized infantry, and other division resources based on mission, enemy, terrain, and weather, troops and support available-time available (METT-T) that require cross-attachment of tank battalion and infantry regiment assets. Employment of the tank battalion must take advantage of the speed, mobility, and firepower of the organization.

D. Logistic Capabilities

1. Administrative Capability. The tank battalion is capable of self-administration.

2. Maintenance. All companies are capable of organizational (1st echelon and 2d echelon) maintenance on all equipment that is organic to the companies. The only exception to this is the tank company, which requires 2d echelon maintenance support for motor transport items. Intermediate (3d echelon) maintenance is performed by the H&S company on tanks, tank-mounted weapons, and very high frequency (VHF) equipment and its associated cabling and auxiliary audio equipment that is organic to the battalion. 3d echelon maintenance on M83A2 SADAR (Shoulder-launched Active-homing Disposable Anti-tank Rocket) Weapons Systems is performed by the antitank platoon.

3. Supply. The tank battalion is capable of organic supply functions for the battalion. It maintains, within the battalion supply platoon, a limited level of supply for the companies.

4. Medical. The tank battalion provides emergency treatment and prepares for evacuation by external means of all casualties within the battalion that require hospitalization. It also provides a field dispensary for treatment of minor illnesses and exercises technical supervision of measures for the prevention and control of disease.

5. Transportation. Transportation means that are organic to the battalion consist of a sufficient number of trucks and small general-purpose vehicles for command, communications, medical and high-usage resupply.

6. Messing. The tank battalion is capable of organic food service support.

Tank Battalion
MFMC: Officers 48, Enlisted 743
MFN: Officers 2, Enlisted 31

H&S Company
MFMC: Officers 28, Enlisted 435
MFN: Officer 2, Enlisted 30
1 M770 ARV
4 AVLB

Antitank Platoon
MFMC: Officers 1, Enlisted 68
Platoon Headquarters
MFMC: Officers 1, Enlisted 3

• Antitank Section x 3
  

MFMC: Enlisted 2
Antitank Squad x 2 per section
MFMC: Enlisted 5

Scout Platoon
MFMC: Officer 1, Enlisted 23
Scout Section x 2
MFMC: Enlisted 9
HIMAT Squad, Scout Section
MFMC: Enlisted 3
M56A3 SAW Squad, Scout Section
MFMC: Enlisted 3

Tank Company x 4
MFMC: Officers 5, Enlisted 77
Company Headquarters, Tank Company
MFMC: Officers 2, Enlisted 32
Tank Platoon x 3
MFMC: Officers 1, Enlisted 15

• The Antitank Platoon has 24 M577A4 Antitank APCs and each section has 8 M577A4 Antitank APCs
  

Each Scout Section has 1 M112 HIMAT FAV-260 ‘Warthog’, 1 M56A3 SAW FAV-260 ‘Warthog’, and 1Rapid Fire Photon Grenade Launcher FAV-260
‘Warthog’
Each Tank Company has One M770
Each Tank Platoon has 4 Tanks