What's New on Battle Order? (2026 Jan 12)

This is a listing of some additions to the Battle Order website over the past month.

Graphics

I am posting these new graphics here before I put them in main galleries because I am pondering if I want to re-do how those galleries are designed.

Proposed U.S. Marine Rifle Squad, 1980 Infantry Battalion Study Purely theoretical with future weapons (M16A2, M249 SAW) and unprocured weapons (Rifleman's Assault Weapon). The structure was implemented under the C-series T/O starting Oct 1982.	U.S. Marine Rifle Squad (1982), C-Series T/O Standard in active battalions from FY83-FY85, although all battalions were not converted before it was announced replaced in mid-1985. 3/6 Marines converted to it in Oct 1982 and 2/8 Marines was organized as such when it was part of 22d MAU during Operation Urgent Fury and its Nov 1983 deployment to Beirut.	Indian Infantry Section (1967) A theoretical Indian Infantry Section manual based on an officer candidate training manual from 1967. Rifles are domestically produced 1A1s, which were a mix of inch and metric pattern FN FALs. The machine gun is a variant of the British L4 Bren in 7.62mm. Both Sterlings (SAF) and Stens (SMC) were in service at the time, and the SMLE was designated for grenade firing.
U.S. Army Parachute Infantry Rifle Platoon (24 February 1944) The most recent TO&E going into Operation Overlord, probably Operation Dragoon, and possibly Operation Market Garden depending on if units were early adopters of the August 1944 TO&E change or not.	U.S. Army Air-Borne Rifle Squad (15 September 1941) One of the early Rifle Squad organizations for airlanding troops, which would evolve into the Glider Infantry Regiments. They were basically identical to regular infantry squads, although they interestingly included the hypothetical Light Rifle for the Assistant Automatic Rifleman (what would be adopted as the M1 Carbine this month, but not issued until 1942).	U.S. Army Cavalry Light Machine Gun Squad (1 November 1940) In the early 1940s the U.S. Army Cavalry Rifle Troop (the horse-mounted infantry kind, not the mechanized kind) had a Machine Gun Platoon. In 1940 they operated the M1919A2, a version of the original tank-mounted M1919 modified for cavalry use. Each squad had 2 machine guns, 8 riding horses, and 3 pack horses (2 for guns and 1 for ammo).
U.S. Army Cavalry Machine Rifle Squad (1 July 1929) Before the M1919A2 Machine Gun Platoon, U.S. Army Cavalry Rifle Troops had a Machine Rifle Platoon operating the M1922 Machine Rifle (a version of the M1918 Automatic Rifle modified for cavalry use). The Machine Rifle Platoon had enough squads to attach one to each Rifle Platoon.	U.S. Army Infantry Machine Gun Squad (25 Feb 1914) An early pre-World War II U.S. Army Machine Gun Squad operating the M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun. Each Infantry Regiment was authorized a Provisional Machine Gun Company with 4 guns in wartime or 2 guns in peacetime. Note that the Infantry Regt T/O actually has enough pack mules for 4 per squad, the same as in Cavalry Regiments. However, I am depicting the organization laid out in the M1909 drill manual of 1915 and 1917 with 3 draft mules per infantry squad. This is more consistent with the allotment of privates in the T/O and it is specifically juxtaposed against the cavalry version with 4 draft mules. However, if they had 4 draft mules then No. 7 would be a Pack Driver, although the 4-mule cavalry version had 2 additional crew per squad.	U.S. Army Light Motorized Rifle Platoon, 9th Infantry Division (1 April 1987) This was a special Rifle Platoon design tested by the 9th Infantry Division as part of its Light Motorized/High-Technology Testbed concept. It features my recreation of the M998T Interim Squad Carrier, which was a “heavy” 2-door M998 modified with roll bars, seats, seat belts, and a Mk19 automatic grenade launcher. The 9th Infantry Division had a huge allotment of Mk19s as it was likely testing them as part of its mission.

 Archive

I have added multiple new directory pages for cataloging primary source documents (e.g. TO&Es, manuals, station lists, etc.)

• WWII U.S. Sources - Created with links to all the big sites and papers that provide all the TO&E information you could want, the best TO&E books for the U.S. Army, where you can read Shelby Stanton's US Army ORBAT Book for free, 14 sets of actual TO&Es, 3 reference data books, 2 shorter logistical data sheets for 1941 armored divisions, and a letter from October 1944 talking about the ETO requesting ordnance to facilitate the addition of 6 BARs per Rifle Company and 6 M1919A6s per Infantry Battalion.

• Cold War U.S. Sources - Created with 2 field manuals, 8 actual TO&Es, links to 17 TO&E digitizations that were on warestablishments.net, 22 force structure reference data books and staff officers' manuals, link to bits.de repository of U.S. Army field manuals, 27 National Guard Adjutant General Reports (either in full or relevent excerpts) and a newspaper clipping covering 18 states and territories.

• Cold War British Sources - Created with 2 infantry platoon manuals (pamhplets), 4 Staff Officers Handbook chapters on organizations, and links to digitized Cold War TO&Es that were on warestablishments.net