"Hmm, so you may be able to answer a few questions I've got about the composition of a cavalry squadron then? I'm having trouble specifically with Squadron HQ and supporting troops.
Basically, how many vehicles, which types and how were they organised in the early to mid 90's?" - Legbreaker
"Assault Troopers were meant to be qualified in infantry & recce work meaning they were (ideally) to be trained in shallow water diving, parachuting, light demolitions, some field engineering and using motorbikes for recce. Reality was that training/operating with parachuting, shallow water diving and the motorbikes never occured for most units." - Stainlesssteelcynic
Well I'm not sure how much help I can be with this topic as it was along time ago that I served, but I'll try. OT with a bit of background, first. I was in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Reconnaissance) back in the early ninties and back then (unlike now) 2 Cav was not running at full strength. Instead of three line squadrons, we only had two; A & B + HQ and Support SQN's. I was in B SQN and was a qualifed M113A1 APC Driver/ Signalman and Assault Trooper, but mainly worked as the latter; as the Scout of an 8-man Section. So in a nut shell I was both Armoured and Infantry trained - more or less. BTW if we were meant to be trained in parachuting, scuba diving, demolitions etc as mentioned above; yeah that never really happened when I was there but some guys had done scuba and small boat training previously. While there a few became sniper qualified too. We only had basic demolitions training i.e. familiarisation with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, mine detection (not disposal) and how to place and detect booby traps, both explosive and improvised. We were trained in, and maintained the full array of both Armoured and Infantry weapons and equipment, but our main focus was on recon, both mounted and dismounted, and everything that goes along with that. Oh, and we did have one dirt bike per troop with us from time to time - a Honda XR-250, all spray painted cammo for recce purposes, but we didn't use it enough for my liking!
A cavalry regiment typically conducts medium reconnaissance. The four main tenents being; Mobility, Communications, Flexibility and Firepower! There were 5 vehicles to a Troop and only 2 Troops to a SQN at that time. There may have been 3 Troops per SQN but I'm not sure now; and there should have been 5 I think ideally. 161 Recce SQN (Aviation) just across the way was really I suppose our defacto C SQN for all practical purposes. They were our eyes in the sky. Anyway, we had three carriers or LRV's per troop and 2 MRV's. The Troop Lance Cpl commanded the lead vehicle, an LRV, and scouted ahead followed by the Troop Cpl commanding an MRV, then the boss or Troop Leader, a Lt. in a LRV (we just called these carriers btw), then the Sarge in an MRV and then came us bringing up the rear - the Assault section - in an APC as the last vehicle. They called us "Vegies" as they reckoned we just sat there and vegitated, but I swear that's simply not true! Well mostly anyway. We were kept pretty busy clearing defiles like bridges, conducting clearing patrols, going out on patrols, setting up OP's, roadblocks, and ambushes and maintaining constant perimeter security. In fact working as a Scout, I seem to recall getting alot less downtime than most. And whereas the Regiment itself conducted medium recon, we as the Assault section conducted close recon for our troop/ unit. 'Assault Trooper' was later changed to 'Recon Scout' I think, to better describe the role, and then maybe later to something like Cavalryman-Dismounted (?) but don't quote me on that.
Assault sections, although attached to the individual SQN's on a semi-permanent basis for operational purposes, were actually a part of a troop in their own right, and from time to time (usually for training reasons) would form up as Assault Troop. This consisted of three 10 man sections + the Command element including our own Troop Leader, a Lt, a Troop Sgt and a Signalman, and we were basically a recon platoon if you like. And this is where I begin to get a bit confused, (it has been 20yrs!), I think technically we were actually a part of HQ SQN, same as Surveillance Troop with all their radar gear. Who btw consisted of a 5 vehicle troop of carriers, all modified specifically for their covert role. One of which may have had a command variant used for data collection/ dissemination. HQ Troop itself was, a 5 vehicle troop the same as A & B SQN but with command variants, I think, instead of MRV's. The CO of the regiment commanded his own LRV within this (his) troop. HQ SQN also had an Admin Troop that used several Land Rovers and may have had a Unimog truck or two as well. I think one of these was for the Catering Staff and their field kitchen. The Q Staff were part of Admin Troop also and did all of the refueling & resupplying in the field and got around in TSV's and Unimogs. All TSV's and Unimogs had .50 Cals on pintal mounts but the Land Rovers we not armed. They only had a had trailer!
Which then brings us to Support SQN; consisting of the RAEME 'Spanners' with their recovery vehicle carrier variant plus several Land Rovers, and Unimogs carrying spare parts, and even a Mack truck/ road train that could carry two or three of the unit's vehicles if needed. Support SQN may have been spilt into 2 or 3 troops but I can't say for sure. I think the unit's Armourer/Support SQN's SSM may have got around in an LRV as did maybe the OC of the SQN (who btw was a RAEME major) and they may have have had a couple of armed TSV's as well. Support SQN was all RAEME personnel yet they were an integral part of the unit and where applicable were Armour trained.
Note: We had no mortar carriers, although we were meant to have two I think. And by about 91' A SQN changed over to LAV 25's later modified and called ASLAV's. B SQN however remained old school with M113's till about 94 (?). Now, this being the case, what happened to all these vehicles? They were recycled/ handed down to Army Reserve units i.e. 3rd/9th Light Horse and 10th Light Horse etc. If we are looking for more vehicles to send to Korea in T2K by the mid-90's, 2 Cav had alot of M113's to pass along to those most in need. Send in the Cavalry!
