US Armoured Rifle Infantry Platoon: CoC Army List for the operations in the Mediterranean 1942-1943

This list has been compiled for the combat operations in the Mediterranean region in mind, i.e. ‘Operation Torch’ and the subsequent fighting in Tunisia until the surrender of the Germans and Italians, ‘Operation Husky’ and the conquest of Sicily, up to the landing on the Italian mainland.

It ends with the year 1943.

This CoC Army List for a Rifle Platoon of the Armoured Divisions is based on original sources like the ToE T/O 7-27 and documents like FM 17 - 71 which describe how an Armoured platoon acts in battle, be it in attack, defence, or on the march, etc.

Here, for example, it is also stated that at least the drivers usually stick to their half-tracks, in defence in any case. It also states that in such cases the co-driver mans the machine gun.

Accordingly, my version of the list for a US Armoured platoon includes neither the driver nor the co-driver.

The options include the support units that are possible and typical for the period and the Mediterranean region.

For the complete list just click on the picture of the list above.

Suggestions, comments and corrections are always welcome of course.

Used and recommended sources:

• FM 17-40 Armored Infantry Company
• FM 17-42 Armored Infantry Battalion
• FM 17-71 Armoured Command Crew Drill for Half-Track Vehicles
• T/O&E 17-37 Detailed Organization American Armored Division Reconnaissance Company for Armored Regiment or Armored Reconnaissance Battalio
• T/O&E 7-27 RIFLE COMPANY, ARMORED INFANTRY BATTALION
• CORG-M-198. The Evolution of the Armored Infantry Rifle Squad
• CMH Pub 2-1 THE ORGANIZATION OF GROUND COMBAT TROOPS; Kent Roberts Greenfield, Robert R. Palmer  and Bell I. Wiley
• World War II US Armored Infantry Tactics; Gordon L. Rottman, Elite 176, Osprey Publishing

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US Parachute Infantry Platoon: CoC Army List for the operations in the Mediterranean 1942-1943

The standard Platoon of US Parachute Infantry, as it was used during ‘Operation Torch’, ‘Operation Husky’ and after the landing on the Italian mainland too.

They belonged to the 82nd Airborne Division and were organised into two squads which would only change with ‘Operation Market Garden’ (from then on, they switched to 3 squads per platoon)

I have included the option to play them as Elite, even if the first missions were not brilliant, especially during ‘Operation Torch’ as most of the paratroopers were simply captured by the Vichy French and some even by the Spanish in Spanish Marocco (they were released just months later).

This changed completely with ‘Husky’, where the paratroopers, although mostly scattered and fighting in small groups, fought hard battles against the Axis forces.

The list itself matches that of the US Parachute Infantry from the rulebook, but the options are adapted to the time period and the mediterranean theatre of operations of course.

For the complete list just click on the picture of the list above.

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Project Livorno in 15mm: squadra Mortaio d'assalto Brixia Mod. 35

As I wrote in my Blog posts regarding the CoC Army Lists for the divisione "Livorno" (https://utgaards-blog.blogspot.com/2025/01/project-livorno-chain-of-command-army.html) and the standard organisation of the Metropolitan Fucilieri platoons (https://utgaards-blog.blogspot.com/2025/02/project-italy-ww2-chain-of-command-army.html), depending on the mission, the Brixia M35s could be assigned individually to the platoons, but were primarily intended to operate as a squad to concentrate their fire on a single target.

Either to prepare an assault or to defend a position.

So I needed not just one model of the Brixia M35 of course but three of them - including 3 fucilieri acting as additional loaders and a sergente (Junior Leader for CoC) to command this squad.

Models are 3D printed ones, STLs made by 3D Breed. As always, I not only re-scaled them to 15mm, but also adjusted the proportions so that they don't look so cartoonish and fit in better with the other 15mm figures from the usual manufacturers.

The completed squad.

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Chain of Command AAR: Reconnaissance-in-force

Max and I used our monthly CoC game last Saturday to further refine our self-designed scenario.

It is roughly based on a reconnaissance-in-force in which a central object has to be captured - in our case a farm dominating an important crossroads.

A normal patrol phase is played, followed by a reconnaissance phase of variable duration in which only light troops, scouts and motorised squads may be deployed, the number of which is secretly determined by both players (but the more troops are deployed, the more difficult it becomes to bring reinforcements into play).

All other troops then appear in the normal game following this phase.

Max took over a platoon of US Parachute Infantry (Elite), which was reinforced by a squad of Goumiers and a 57mm Anti-Tank gun.

Opposite them was a platoon of Fucilieri of the ‘Livorno’, reinforced by a squadra esploratori, a squad of Brixia mortars, a FIAT 3000 and a SPA AS.37, in which one of the Livorno squads embarked, and I had also allowed myself a Red Dice ... 2 wasted support points, as it turned out ...

The farm that needs to be secured

The Battlefield, the Italians will enter it from this side.

Just another small village on Sicily.

My squadra esploratori could enter the farm first even though it had to take its first losses.

First squad of the US Paras take defennsive position at the edge of an Olivie grove.

While a squad Fucilieri disembarked from their transport and entered some buildings within the village and not to soon, as just a few moments later a squad of Goumiers appears.

Suddenly a bazooka team of the Paras appears and the transporter turns into a smoking wreck.

After another squad of Paras is deployed, devastating crossfire hails down on the isolated squad of Italians in the farm and the losses take on disastrous proportions.

My squad of Brixia mortars ...

... in combination with a squad of Fucilieri was able to distract one of the enemy squads and inflict heavy losses on it,

but could not prevent the attack on the few remaining defenders of the farm by the other squad of Paras.

The Paras try to mitigate the fire of the mortars with smoke grenades.

The farm has been captured by the Paras, the commander of the Italians has fallen together with the defending squad and the rest of the platoon is now hastily retreating from the battlefield.

Conclusion:

The Red Dice failed me completely, only once it showed a usable two - otherwise the whole game only fives/sixes, exactly the two numbers that don't count with it ...

Above all, however, I made some fatal mistakes and therefore deserved to lose:

I should have let the motorised Fucilieri squad disembark at the farm instead of sending them into the village.

This would have allowed me to better mitigate the losses and hold the farm together with the scout squad, but above all it would not have been completely isolated there, as was the case in the village.

Because of this isolated position, I was forced to activate the squad in the village at all times - on the one hand to reduce shock, which accumulated over time, and on the other to be able to return fire from the Goumiers and the bazooka team.

And in the end, it were exactly these orders that I lacked elsewhere, for example to bring my reinforcements into play.

Max, on the other hand, played it smart, focussed his fire on the few defenders in the farm and therefore deserved his victory.

Congratulations!

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Italian Fucilieri Platoon outside Africa Settentrionale (North Africa): CoC Army List for the operations in the Mediterranean 1942-1943

After my CoC Army List for the different structured platoons of the "Livorno", "Superga" (and later "Friuli") was ready it's now time for an Army List for the remaining Metropolitan (in Italy itself, or stationed in Albania, Greece and so on) divisions.

This includes the fanteria costiera (Coastal Divisions) and camicie nere (Blackshirt).

In contrast to the organisation of the British, Americans and Germans, it is much more difficult and time-consuming to obtain reliable information for Italian army units, the sources I have used are listed at the end of this post.

In 1943 there was a reorganisation of many of the infantry divisions outside Africa Settentrionale (North Africa) but without touching the structure of the infantry platoons itself - they stayed with two squads per platoon.

But as now there were much more SMGs available, the fucilieri were issued 3 SMG per squad - one for the leader and two for the riflemen.

For the information regarding the historical support weapons used please look at:

https://utgaards-blog.blogspot.com/2025/01/project-livorno-chain-of-command-army.html

For the complete list just click on the picture of the list above.

Used and recommended sources

"LE SQUADRE DELLA FANTERIA"; Scuola di applicazione di fanteria", Turin 1943

Official document of the infantry schools dating from 1943, containing the structure and deployment of an infantry squad.

„Tactical Structure in World War II. Italy. Infantry“; Leland Ness, 2 May 2023

Firstly he used original Italian sources that were captured by Germany 1943 and in turn captured by the Americans who microfilmed the sources before being returned to Italy.

And secondly he visited the Ufficio Storico, the Italian Army's historical office located in Rome.

For up-to-date information regarding the weapons of the Regio Esercito I strongly recommend:

„Le armi della fanteria italiana“; Filippo Cappellano and Nicola Pignato.

Colonel Dr. Filippo Cappellano is the chief of the Italian Army Historical Branch (Ufficio Storico SME) and his detailed description of the Brixia M35 mortar, its handling technical data, but also information on its tactical use in combat was very enlightening.

A good starting point too is the handbook based on the gathered informations by the US Military, dating from August 1943, which is freely available as PDF:

"TME30-420. Handbook on the Italian Forces."

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