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Order of Battle for the
Section de Combat
Rifle Platoon

Rifle Platoon

The rifle platoon (section de combat) contained one command section and three combat rifle sections.

Note that the English unit platoon translates as section in French and the English unit section as groupe in French: this can cause confusion!

Command Section

The rifle platoon’s command section was organised as follows:

  • 1 officer, platoon leader
  • 1 NCO, assistant platoon leader
  • 1 corporal, VB rifle grenade launcher (in command of VBs when they are grouped at platoon level)
  • 1 runner
  • 1 observer

The platoon’s 3 VB rifle grenadiers could be, and normally were, grouped into a provisional section at platoon level under the command of the corporal.

Rifle Section

The rifle section (groupe de combat) contained 12 men organised into two half-sections. The fusilier half-section provided the fire element and the voltigeur half-section provided the shock element. The VB rifle grenadier from each section could be grouped at platoon level under the command of the platoons VB grenade armed corporal.

Fusilier half-section (demi-groupe de fusiliers)

  • 1 sergeant, section leader
  • 1 corporal
  • 1 LMG gunner
  • 1 LMG loader
  • 3 ammunition bearers

Voltigeur half-section (demi-groupe de voltigeurs)

  • 1 first voltigeur
  • 3 voltigeurs
  • 1 VB rifle grenadier

With 8mm 1907/15 M16 rifle

Most infantry sections we still equipped with World War 1 rifles; the 8mm 1907/15 M16. This rifle was too fragile to sustain grenade firing so the rifle grenadier was equipped with the even older Lebel 1886/93 rifle with its grenade-launcher or tromblon attached to the muzzle.

Fusilier half-section

  • 1 sergeant - 8mm 1907/15 M16 rifle - 45 x 8mm and 25 x 7.5mm in 1 LMG magazine
  • 1 corporal - 8mm 1907/15 M16 rifle – 45 x 8mm and 50 x 7.5mm in 2 LMG magazines
  • 1 LMG gunner - 7.5mm Chatellerault Fusil-Mitrailleur FM 24/29 LMG - 75 x 7.5mm in 3 LMG magazines (some sources show a Ruby pistol but this seems to have been discontinued in 1937)
  • 1 LMG loader - 7.65mm Ruby pistol – 27 x 7.65mm in 3 pistol magazines and 325 x 7.5mm in 13 LMG magazines
  • 3 ammunition bearers - 8mm 1892 M16 carbine– 45 x 8mm and 250 x 7.5mm in 4 LMG magazines and 2 bags

Voltigeurs half-section

  • 1 first Voltigeur - 8mm 1907/15 M16 rifle - 90 x 8mm
  • 3 Voltigeurs - 8mm 1907/15 M16 rifle - 90 x 8mm
  • 1 VB rifle grenadier – 8mm 1886/93 rifle and VB grenade launcher – 8 rifle grenades and ?? 8mm

This was a lot of ammunition for the loader and when the 1935-pattern equipment was issued the sergeant and the corporal then carried 75 x 7.5mm in 3 LMG magazines and the loader had his burden reduced to 250 x 7.5mm in 10 LMG magazines; thus the same amount of FM ammunition was still carried by the section: 1325 rounds. It should be noted however that many regiments still went to war with the old 1893-pattern equipment.

With 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle

From this it can be seen from the above that the section needed to carry both 7.5mm and 8mm calibres of ammunition. A 7.5mm rifle, the MAS 36, was intended to rectify this problem and had started being issued to a few units; it also had a 5-round magazine instead of the 3-round magazine in the 1907/15. The MAS 36 also had the advantage that it could be fitted with a grenade launcher. The MAS 36 was planned to be followed by the semi-automatic MAS 40 but this was never produced. The MAS 36 was intended to replace both the 1907/15 M16 rifle and the 1892 M16 carbine.

Fusilier half-section

  • 1 sergeant – 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle
  • 1 corporal - 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle
  • 1 LMG gunner - 7.5mm FM 24/29 LMG
  • 1 LMG loader - 7.65mm Ruby pistol
  • 3 ammunition bearers - 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle

Voltigeurs half-section

  • 1 first Voltigeur - 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle
  • 3 Voltigeurs - 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle
  • 1 VB rifle grenadier – 7.5mm MAS 36 rifle and VB grenade launcher

Planned 1940 Rifle Platoon

It was planned to swap out the rifle platoon’s VB grenade launchers for a single 50mm mortar. Although 20 000 of these had be built by June 1940, they were not yet distributed because the troops had not be trained in its use and there was a shortage of ammunition. It was planned to distribute the 50mm mortars in September 1940.

The rifle platoon’s command section lost it corporal and the rifle sections lost their VB rifle grenadiers. These four men formed a new 50mm mortar section. Thus the new 1940 rifle platoon was planned to contain one command section, three rifle sections and one 50mm mortar section.