Marine Rifle Platoon (28 March 1941)

Battalion: An Organizational Study of United States Infantry

The estate of the late John Sayen has graciously allowed the Tactical Notebook to serialize his study of the organizational evolution of American infantry battalions. The author’s preface, as well as some previously posted parts of this book, may be found below, in the section marked “For Further Reading.”

America’s Marines resisted the Siren song of the M1 Garand for two years longer than their counterparts in the Army. As a result, the Marine Corps rifle platoon authorized by the tables of organization of 28 March 1941 wielded thirty-five M1903 Springfield rifles (three of which were fitted with grenade launchers) and six Browning automatic rifles, but no shoulder weapons of the semi-automatic persuasion.

The automatic rifle squad owned three of the six automatic rifles. Of these, one served as a “spare weapon,” to be used when the platoon took up a defensive posture. (In such situations, when ammunition could be stored near firing positions, there was no need to employ two men to carry extra magazines for each automatic rifle.)

Each of the three rifle squads also rated a Browning Automatic Rifle. In addition to this, it employed one of the Springfield rifles that had been fitted with a grenade launcher.

All four of the squad leaders of the rifle platoon ranked as corporals. Thus, the only sergeant in the platoon was the platoon guide. (The platoon sergeant wore the rank of platoon sergeant, which put him in the same pay grade as staff sergeants and chief cooks.)

Thanks to the presence of two assistants, the platoon commander enjoyed the option of forming task forces of various sizes. He could, for example, assemble all three of the grenadiers in his platoon to form a “battery” of grenade launchers.

For Further Reading:

Author's Preface

The Marine Infantry Regiment of 1941

The Regimental Weapons Company of 1941

The US Army at the Start of World War II