Ya wanna talk moving TO&E target? Well, do ya?

[jsallison]

Mid '70's
usareur-based ACR Cav Troop Platoon:
5x M114's, 4x 2 man sct tms
3x M551's
1x M113 and mech sqd (2 X 3-man fire teams, 1 LMG tm, 1 Dragon ATGM tm (all jammed into 1xM113)
1x M106 4.2" SP Mortar
For a troop, 3 of these plus an HQ group (small enough to fit in a 113), and a 113
For an ACR Squadron, 3 of these troops, plus a tank company (3x 5 tank platoons and a 2 tank HQ section) and a howitzer battery ( 6 X M109's and whatever ammo haulers you care for and an FO)

Late '70's: (also USAREUR based)
6 M551
1 Inf Sqd (2 X 3-man fire teams, 1 LMG tm, 1 Dragon ATGM tm (all jammed into 1xM113 able to fire Dragon mounted)
1 M106 4.2" SP Mortar
For a troop, 3 of these plus an HQ group (small enough to fit in a 113), and a 113
For an ACR Squadron, 3 of these troops, plus a tank company (3x 5 tank platoons and a 2 tank HQ section) and a howitzer battery ( 6 X M109's and whatever ammo haulers you care for and an FO)

Early '80's ACR Cav Troop Platoon: (call it '80 to '84-ish)
1 Scout Section = 3xM113(2 able to fire Dragon ATGM mounted),1x2 man plt hq, 2x3man sct tms (or Dragon tms if you want to do the dismount thing, but it's either/or, not both), 2xM150
1 tank section = 4 M60a1(early) or M60a3(late)
1 Inf Sqd (2 X 3-man fire teams, 1 LMG tm, 1 Dragon ATGM tm and an M113 again able to fire Dragon mounted
1 M106 4.2" SP Mortar

Mid '80's ACR Cav Troop Platoon: (call it '84 to '85-ish)
1 Scout Section = 3xM113(2 able to fire Dragon ATGM mounted),1x2 man plt hq, 2x3man sct tms (or Dragon tms if you want to do the dismount thing, but it's either/or, not both), 2x901 ITV's
1 tank section = 4 M60a1(early) or M60a3(late)
1 Inf Sqd (2 X 4-man fire teams, 1 LMG tm, 1 Dragon ATGM tm and an M113
1 M106 4.2" SP Mortar

Mid to late '80's ACR Cav Troop Platoon: (call it '85 to '86-ish)
1 Scout Section = 3xM113(2 able to fire Dragon ATGM mounted),1x2 man plt hq, 2x3man sct tms (or Dragon tms if you want to do the dismount thing, but it's either/or, not both), 2x901 ITV's
1 tank section = 4 M1/IPM1 MBT (M1 if 2d ACR, IPM1 if 11th ACR)
1 Inf Sqd (2 X 4-man fire teams, 1 LMG tm, 1 Dragon ATGM tm and an M113
1 M106 4.2" SP Mortar

When M3 CFV's make their appearance in the cav, the new TO&E of 2 sct platoons (6xM3 and 4 3man sct tms, at least two with Dragon), 2 tank platoons (4xM1 MBTs of whatever flavor), one 4.2" mortar section (2xM106) makes it's appearance.

Divisional Cav pretty much followed suit except that the 6x M551 variant above only applied to the regt'l units, divisional units never used it. And the lt armor section in 2nd ID (M) (korea) div cav squadron only had 2x M551. As well the M114's were assigned in europe, USA-based squadrons used M151's, yes, jeeps, instead of M114's, call 2 of the 4 2man scout tms Dragon tms. As well, 4 of the jeeps had pedestal mounted M60 MG's, think rat patrol. And the DivCav Squadrons didn't have organic tank companies or howitzer batteries. They had to make do with an air cav troop instead. Also, when DivCav Picked up the M1/M3 TO&E they lost third troop, at least for a time, which gave them two ground cav troops, and one air cav troop. You can bet your bippy numerous squadron commanders whined and sniveled at great length over this.

On the dragon mountings, there was only one sight provided to each vehicle so you could fire it mounted, or fire it dismounted, not both. Don't believe there's a way in the game to account for this other than player honesty. (is there such a thing?)

Our TOW and 4.2" mortar guys made a fetish out of making sure they could use it dismounted as well as mounted. Don't believe there's a mechanism in the game to make this work other than jiggering with the TO&E for a particular scenario. On FTX's none of them *ever* dismounted. Suspect that how you train is how you fight, in this case.

Yes, throughout the '70's and into the '80's, the cavalry was a heaping mound of equipment du jour seeking a doctrine. The english school (sneak and peek) and the german school (fight for info) fought it out and the german school ultimately won when technology (M1's) caught up with it. Ask the survivors of the Tawakalna Division from the Battle of 73'd Easting how that worked out.