US Army Mechanized Infantry AT Companies

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

If I recall correctly, no one from European based units took their Echo companies with them to the desert for the '91 war. Does anyone know if 24th ID and other units from CONUS brought them?

1st Cavalry brought their Echo companies, they were theater reserve and not released until late in the ground fighting.

1st Infantry Division brought theirs, they were the breaching force and did make more use of their M-901s, but there are a lot of reports of stuck ITVs as well as issues with sand contamination of the hammerheads themselves.

24th Infantry also brought their Echo companies and reported mobility issues with the M-901s. There is a story that so bad was the problem that the brigade commanders, "grouped" the M-901s and had them follow along as best as possible or escort supply convoys forward.

Offically, the Army reported that the M-901 worked well and that there were no troop compliants...

[Abbott Shaull]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

1st Cavalry brought their Echo companies, they were theater reserve and not released until late in the ground fighting.

1st Infantry Division brought theirs, they were the breaching force and did make more use of their M-901s, but there are a lot of reports of stuck ITVs as well as issues with sand contamination of the hammerheads themselves.

24th Infantry also brought their Echo companies and reported mobility issues with the M-901s. There is a story that so bad was the problem that the brigade commanders, "grouped" the M-901s and had them follow along as best as possible or escort supply convoys forward.

Offically, the Army reported that the M-901 worked well and that there were no troop compliants...

Of course the Army would report there were no complaints.

Yeah for the most part the AT Companies that still had M901 would be more or less pulled from their Battalions and put in places where they could be used for convoy protection and other duties. Maybe used as flank protection on exposed flanks. Yeah sand would seem to be a real problem with them out there.

[Abbott Shaull]

Which leads to another idea, would Echo companies be stripped out of the Mechanized Battalion and then consolidated into a Battalion or 2 of their own under the Divisional Command control where they can used as need. Or they could be used to make 4th Combat Brigade with 3 Brigades with 1 Armor, 1 Mechanized, and 1 AT Battalion.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Abbott Shaull

Which leads to another idea, would Echo companies be stripped out of the Mechanized Battalion and then consolidated into a Battalion or 2 of their own under the Divisional Command control where they can used as need. Or they could be used to make 4th Combat Brigade with 3 Brigades with 1 Armor, 1 Mechanized, and 1 AT Battalion.

I would expect to see the Echo Companies, either disbanded and their personnel reassigned to the rifle companies. If there was any consolidation at all, it would most likely be along the lines of a Brigade level AT Company. If there was a divisional level AT Battalion, it would spend most of its time broken up into attachments, defeating the purpose of such a consolidation.

[Abbott Shaull]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

I would expect to see the Echo Companies, either disbanded and their personnel reassigned to the rifle companies. If there was any consolidation at all, it would most likely be along the lines of a Brigade level AT Company. If there was a divisional level AT Battalion, it would spend most of its time broken up into attachments, defeating the purpose of such a consolidation.

Yeah but that was part of the problem with the original Echo Company in the Mechanized Battalion. They were usually broken up into various attachments to the other Companies of the Battalion.

Yeah more than likely they would be reassigned to the rifle companies with the Echo Companies being disbanded. On another hand, it does lend itself to other option too.

[pmulcahy11b]

A lot of National Guard units might still have the M113/M901 mix, or did not receive enough Bradleys to replace the Echo company.

[Abbott Shaull]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

A lot of National Guard units might still have the M113/M901 mix, or did not receive enough Bradleys to replace the Echo company.

Yeah seeing lot of National Guard units still having the M901 even if they had been given M2 for the other companies or even LAV-25 or something similar. One of the thing when the Battalion is holding a line, the M901 has it place. While the Battalion is in attack mode, it is invitation for set up of being ambushed, especially if the other Companies are in anything other than M113. If they are in the M113, think of the joy the Pact Tank Company Commander would feel when he found these slow movers in and catch them in their flank...Ugh makes my head spin to think about. Then again there enough Pact APC and lighter units would their commanders would have to worry about the same things.

After the war starts I can see the Mechanized Companies having their M113s replaced when possible. The Echo Company especially in battalions being converted to M2s would be low priority since each Bradley already had two TOW ready to fire. The M113 and all those various type of vehicle based off this chassis would be in support at best. Even at the rate the 3rd Mechanized moved in Iraq, they at time had to slow things down so support units and HQ could keep up with their displacement and set up.