Anti-Armour Platoon in reserves

[Blunt Object]

Do the reserves have anti-armour elements? If so is there a special course to take or are you just assigned to an 84 as a number 1 or 2?

 

[m410]

Some units used to have combat support platoons (airborne, mortars, recce, anti-armour) but those days are pretty much gone.  There is no reserve anti-armour course and when units even care to bring out the 84 into the field it's going to be carried by the big fella or the one the platoon 2IC doesn't like!  Even if it wasn't heavy and awkward there is just something not fun about carrying around a metal tube that can't fire blanks on exercise.  Your mileage may vary.

 

[Fusaki]

Even if it wasn't heavy and awkward there is just something not fun about carrying around a metal tube that can't fire blanks on exercise.

Reminds me of something horrible that happened to a friend of mine.

The Carl G doesn't have blanks but on my buddy's battleschool the instructors were throwing T-Flashes into the tube to simulate fire during various exercises. No word of a lie, this really happened. I know the person involved very well, having been in my section during a 6 month deployment and he is NOT the kind of guy to tell war stories and tall tales. I know for a fact that these days he can't hear worth sh*t because when I call to get his attention from his right side he doesn't hear me. Now he's on T-Cat and is not allowed on any ranges so as not to further damage his hearing and I can forsee a component transfer in his near future.

A bad go, all around. :-\

 

[3rd Herd]

Some units used to have combat support platoons (airborne, mortars, recce, anti-armour) but those days are pretty much gone.  There is no reserve anti-armour course and when units even care to bring out the 84 into the field it's going to be carried by the big fella or the one the platoon 2IC doesn't like!  Even if it wasn't heavy and awkward there is just something not fun about carrying around a metal tube that can't fire blanks on exercise.  Your mileage may vary.

Ah those were the days, Ruck, C1, 140 rounds, Carl G. and two rounds, prick 25, spare batteries, FA pack and a 20 mile romp. 2IC was humping the .50 cal tripod and then tripping over a wasps nest at the 2 mile point. The big guys were humping tubes and base plates.

 

[pbi]

Reminds me of something horrible that happened to a friend of mine.

The Carl G doesn't have blanks but on my buddy's battleschool the instructors were throwing T-Flashes into the tube to simulate fire during various exercises. No word of a lie, this really happened. I know the person involved very well, having been in my section during a 6 month deployment and he is NOT the kind of guy to tell war stories and tall tales. I know for a fact that these days he can't hear worth **** because when I call to get his attention from his right side he doesn't hear me. Now he's on T-Cat and is not allowed on any ranges so as not to further damage his hearing and I can forsee a component transfer in his near future.

A bad go, all around. :-\

This was once a fairly common practice, although never an authorized one. I have seen it done on a few occasions incl in RegF units. I guess, looking back, we should have known better. Besides whatever dangers it posed to the Number One, it (supposedly) also damaged the lining of the barrel, which being a recoilless system was not intended to have explosions inside the chamber, but rather to vent the force of the explosion out through the venturi. I see it is still going on.

Cheers

 

[Danjanou]

Ah those were the days, Ruck, C1, 140 rounds, Carl G. and two rounds, prick 25, spare batteries, FA pack and a 20 mile romp. 2IC was humping the .50 cal tripod and then tripping over a wasps nest at the 2 mile point. The big guys were humping tubes and base plates.

Don't you just love the "Light" part in Light Infantry ;D

I've heard of, but never saw personally the T-flash in the 84mm trick. Don't think I'd have wanted to either.

 

[a_majoor]

Some wishful thinking on my part, but with the pending introduction of the Javelin or Spike fire and forget anti armour missile (under whatever acronym of the week we plan to use), Light and reserve Infantry will have a powerful anti-armour weapons which can be used at the platoon level. Technology is gradually unravelling the need for specialized support formations, and here is one case where we can apply the savings in manpower and organizational "overhead" to our benefit.

(Still need the mortars and pioneers though...)

 

[ProPatria05]

I don't know if it ever amounted to anything, but under the LFRR a few years back each Infantry reserve Regiment was supposed to be assigned a specific task (e.g. light infantry, anti-armour, etc.), at least in 33 Bde. The unit I was with at the time (2nd Bn, Irish Regt) was to be tasked with the anti-armour role. Now, I don't know if anything ever came of this, because several months after this plan being explained to us, I transferred to the Reg Force. So I don't know whether it ever came to fruition.

Anyone else remember this plan? Or know what happened to it?

 

[dapaterson]

The LFRR Master Implementation Plan gave no mandates to grow anything beyond generic infantry.  Area commanders were given the latitude to assign specific tasks to units; however, there was no national resource allocation to support those self-selected roles.

Specific tasks can provide interesting additional training to units; however, they shouldn't detract from the maintenance of core competencies.  With 37.5 days of training from Sept to May, there are limits to what training can be effectively delivered.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Some wishful thinking on my part, but with the pending introduction of the Javelin or Spike fire and forget anti armour missile (under whatever acronym of the week we plan to use), Light and reserve Infantry will have a powerful anti-armour weapons which can be used at the platoon level. Technology is gradually unravelling the need for specialized support formations, and here is one case where we can apply the savings in manpower and organizational "overhead" to our benefit.

(Still need the mortars and pioneers though...)

Art,

They won't give you two RAP rounds for the 84, why would they give you a missle worth thousands? You'll have to go all the way to Stalag Meaford and fight for the one simulator LFCA will be allocatted. ;D

 

[a_majoor]

Art,

They won't give you two RAP rounds for the 84, why would they give you a missle worth thousands? You'll have to go all the way to Stalag Meaford and fight for the one simulator LFCA will be allocatted. ;D

I did say it was wishful thinking,