US Forces

[kobayashi]

Strictly speaking this is not about Gulf II but I was just reading a recent issue of Time magazine. Its got some pretty strange stuff.

OK I suppose I knew the 1st 'Marine' EU has got its own F-18s, Harriers and Copter gunships...and they were supposed to be getting their armour from the British 1st Armoured Division.

The 173 Airborne Regiment seems to be Airborne.

but

The 101st 'Airborne' division is actually a 'massive fleet' of Apache attack helicopters and are tasked with providing cover for the 3rd Infantry division.

The 82nd 'Airborne' doesn't jump out of planes, It just arrives in C-130s.

also, the third 'Infantry' division on the other hand has 200 M-1 tanks and 260 M-2 AFVs and very little infantry.

What happened to Air Cavalry and Armoured Divisions...have they gone out of style or what?

From what I searched on the net, there are still active units like the 1st and 49th Armoured Division and 1st Cavalry Division as well as the 28th Mechanized Division.

 

[G-Man]

The 101st do have ground forces - they're convering the north west of Baghdad.
The 82nd airborne can probably parachute, but it's safer and easier to bring them by planes where you don't need parachuting.

 

[willemvanoranje]

Originally posted by kobayashi
The 101st 'Airborne' division is actually a 'massive fleet' of Apache attack helicopters and are tasked with providing cover for the 3rd Infantry division.

a shame. They should've honored the heroes of WW II of the 101st (especially at Bastogne) and let the 101st be true parachutists.

 

[SewerStarFish]

The 82nd Airborne Division can parachute. It's safer to air transport - so it does unless a parachute operation is required.

The 101st Airborne is an air assault division. Attack helicopters (ala Civ II) and its infantry is air mobile (they ride in helicopters)

US Infantry divisions are all mechanized. They ride into battle in Bradley armored vehicles. And yes they have tanks with them. All Infantry division can "dismount" and fight the old fashion way if they need to.

US Armored divisions are tanks - lots of them.

US Cavalry are helicopter assault units that perform the traditional role of cavalry - recon in force, flanking attack and of course charging to the rescue.

All US Marine divisions are expeditionary - that is, they are self sufficient. They have their own tanks, helicopters and air craft.

The UK's Royal Marines have a special armoured regiment that is in use in Iraq. Several US Marine units have been subordinated to UK command and they may be making use of this UK unit (73rd Commando ?)

So Civ III-wise, the US and UK have upgraded all their infantry to mech and all their armor to modern armor.

 

[PinkyGen]

Originally posted by kobayashi
Strictly speaking this is not about Gulf II but I was just reading a recent issue of Time magazine. Its got some pretty strange stuff.

OK I suppose I knew the 1st 'Marine' EU has got its own F-18s, Harriers and Copter gunships...and they were supposed to be getting their armour from the British 1st Armoured Division.

The 173 Airborne Regiment seems to be Airborne.

but

The 101st 'Airborne' division is actually a 'massive fleet' of Apache attack helicopters and are tasked with providing cover for the 3rd Infantry division.

They are more than a massive fleet of Apache helicotpers, though they have tons of those. They are very mobile, being entirely helicopter based. Instead of paratrooping or riding C-130's, they can ride helicopters into combat. I guess they are the closest thing to the old air cavalry. I think they are doing more than providing air cover. After dropped from helicopters, they are essentially elite, but light infantry


The 82nd 'Airborne' doesn't jump out of planes, It just arrives in C-130s.

They can jump, but why jump unless you have to. Jumps are typically very risky. Instead, you can fly them in and have another rapidly responding light infantry force

also, the third 'Infantry' division on the other hand has 200 M-1 tanks and 260 M-2 AFVs and very little infantry.

If you look at their name, they are 3rd Infantry (Mechanized) divison. Means the Infantry rides in the AFV's, not on foot. They don't have as many tanks as an armored division, instead more Bradley troop carriers. The emphasis is more on combined arms, of balancing infantry, giving them Bradley's to be mobile, and tanks.
They are a few light infantry US army divisions that aren't mechanized. 10th Mountain Division is one I can think of.




What happened to Air Cavalry and Armoured Divisions...have they gone out of style or what?

Not sure about Air Cav, I think 101st is closest to that. Armoured divisions are still their, and one is being sent for reinforcements. I think they have gone somewhat out of style, because M-1 tanks are slower compared to other forces, and they are basically best at fighting other heavy tank divisions, of which Iraq's ones are not of that good quality anyway


From what I searched on the net, there are still active units like the 1st and 49th Armoured Division and 1st Cavalry Division as well as the 28th Mechanized Division.

 

[wilbill]

Originally posted by kobayashi
also, the third 'Infantry' division on the other hand has 200 M-1 tanks and 260 M-2 AFVs and very little infantry.

As far back as WW2, the mixture of armored and infantry elements into brigade and division size units was common. The German Panzergrenadier divisions were mechanized infantry (halftracks for transport and tracked artillery) with a tank regiment thrown in. Armored divisions of most armies, even in WW2 had at least a regiment of mech infantry included. As stated earlier, the infantry in a U.S. infantry division is carried in the Bradley AFV's, which actually are overgrown armored personnel carriers, despite looking like light tanks.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

As has already been alluded to, the 101st Airborne are Air Assault, similar to the Air Cav, but not identical. They are a light infantry division, essentially, as are the 82nd, the 10th Mountain, and the 25th.
The 82nd can jump, but is not limited to this.

There is still the 1st Armored Division, and the 1st Cavalry Division as old type 'heavy' divisions. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry divisions are all mechanized.
These are the 10 divisions in the regular US Army, with 8 in the National Guard, down from 18 regular in 1989.

Each division has three manuever brigades, divisional artillery brigade, and an aerial brigade (which has a cavalry squadron attached; equivalent to about a battalion).

An armored division has two armored brigades and one mechanised infantry brigade. A mechanised infantry division has two mech and one armor.

An armored brigade consists of two armored battalions and one mech battalion, and a mechanised brigade consists of the reverse.

Therefore, a mechanised infantry division has 5 and 4. The 3rd in Iraq is operating with extra battalions attached, as are the Marines.

The Marines have a tank battalion of 58 tanks attached to a division, but in this circumstance, a fair few more are operating with them.

The 101st has three infantry brigades, and helicopter lift capacity for a fair proportion of them at any one time, as well as a somewhat bigger component of attack helos.

There are no motorized infantry in the US Army; the experimental 9th Infantry Division of the 1980s has evolved into the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light).

The base unit is the Mechanised Rifle Company or the Tank Company, each consisting of 14 vehicles of the relevant type.