Portugal OOB73

[RC4]

In 1946 we had 4 Infantry Divisions and equipment to mobilise 6 more from several garrison and independent formations. 3 of those Divisions were equipped by the British in 1943 with Radios and trucks and other weapons, in 1946 equipment arrived to the fourth one.
There were 4 Tank Groups (Battalions), in 2 Cavalry Regiments, each had a Heavy Sqn (10 Centauro) (HQ 2 tanks + 2 Troops of 4 tanks each) (in reality we used 5 Centauro in each Troop) and a Light Sqn (17 Valentine) (HQ 2 tanks + 3 Troops of 5 tanks each), we had 50 Centauro and 78 Valentine. Reconnaissance was performed by Humber Recon Sqns. Each had 3 Troops of 5 Humber and 3 Willys with MGs/Scouts/portable AT weapons. There were 4 Territorial Cavalry Regiments with Horse sqns, Bren Carriers, motorised riflemen, mortars, HMGs and AT guns (6 pounder).
Artillery was made of 4 Groups (Battalions) in each Division, 3 with 18 pieces of 25 pounder or leFH18 105mm, and the fourth with 18 Ordnance 140mm or sFH18 150mm. At Army Corps level there were Artillery Groups w/8 140mm and 4 114mm guns each.
Each of the 3 Infantry Regiments had 3 Battalions, an AT Coy with 12 6 pounder 57mm, a Recon Troop with 10 Bren Carrier (3 with Boys ATR), Engineer Platoon, Bicycle Platoon and a Defence Platoon (AA MGs and Boys ATR). Each Battalion had 3 Rifle Coy, a Support Coy and an Engineer Platoon. The Support Coy had 3 HMG Platoons (4 Breda HMG each) and a mortar Platoon (4 FBP m/937 81mm, licence built Italian WWII mortar, +4000m range, still active today). Each Rifle Coy had 3 Rifle Platoons (each 3 Rifle Sections of 13 men, lead by a Sargent w/MP34 9mm, a Dreyse 7,9mm LMG and Mauser 7,9mm rifles and hand grenades), There was a light mortar Section with 3 British 2 inch mortars and an AT Section with 3 Boys ATR, some PIAT were already in service since 1943 too). There was a Engineer Battalion at Divisional Level.
There were 13 independent Battalions, these being at 100% personnel and equipment (the most competent formations of the Portuguese Army). 10 were “Caçadores” (Hunters), 9 were stationed on the border with Spain since their civil war, the 5Th was at Lisboa and was full motorised, the other 3 Battalions were motorised MG Battalions, stationed at Lisboa, Porto and Figueira da Foz (near Coimbra). The “Caçadores” had 4 Rifle Coys, each had 3 regular rifle Platoons a support Platoon with 4 Breda HMG, 2 FBP m/937 81mm and a Boys ATR Section w/3 Boys), each battalion had a AT Coy with 8 6 pounder 57mm, a Gun Battery w/4 Ansaldo 75mm mountain guns, a Bicycle Platoon and an Engineer Platoon. The motorised MG Battalions had 3 motorised MG Coy, 1 Motorcycle Coy, 1 AT Coy with 8 6 pounder 57mm and 4 Flak38 20mm, an Engineer Platoon, a mortar Platoon (4 FBP m/937 81mm), and a Recon Platoon w/5 Bren Carrier(2 w/Boys). Each motorised MG Coy had 16 Borsig m/944 7,9mm (MG34 HMGs) in 4 Platoons, and a ATR Section w/2 Boys. The Motorcycle Coy had 4 Platoons w/3 MG34 LMGs each, a ATR Section w/3 Boys and light mortar Section with 3 British 2 inch mortars.

[RC4]

In 1951 the NATO Division was formed from to fight in south France, it was operational only from 1953, each of the 3 Infantry Regiments had a tank Sqn of 22 M47 (HQ 2 tanks + 4 Troops of 5 tanks each), the Divisional Tank Group had 3 Sqns of 22 M47 each. There was a Recon Sqn w/16 M24.
In the Artillery the leFH18 105mm received new barrels from France to fire NATO M1 105mm ammo, the fourth Group had the same 18 Ordnance 140mm
Each of the 3 Infantry Regiments had 3 Battalions, an Heavy Mortar Coy w/8 107mm mortars, the Tank Sqn w/22 M47, and a Defence Platoon (AA MGs and Bazookas). Each Battalion had 3 Rifle Coy, a Support Coy and an Engineer Platoon. The Support Coy had 1 HMG Platoon (6 Breda HMG each) and a mortar Platoon (6 FBP m/937 81mm), a Recon Troop w/Willys and a RR Platoon w/6 RR 75mm(from 1955 4x106mm + 2x75mm). Each Rifle Coy had 3 Rifle Platoons (each 3 Rifle Sections of 9 men, lead by a Sargent w/MP34 9mm, a Dreyse 7,9mm LMG and Mauser 7,9mm rifles and hand grenades), there was a light mortar Section with 3 US 60mm M2 mortars and an AT Section with 3 57mm RR. Each Rifle Platoon had an M20 Bazooka. There was a Engineer Battalion at Divisional Level. There was a Signals Battalion instead of the old Signals coy.
From then on, the independent units reverted to Territorial status mostly, the NATO Division was formed from units mobilised from the 4 Infantry Divisions, so its organization was adapted to all 4 Divisions with exceptions in the 3 non NATO formations. Instead of the M47 they had Centurion/Valentine. Their Sqns had 17 tanks each instead of 22, there were tanks at Divisional level only, the IRs had an AT Gun Coy w/20 6 Pounder in place. The artillery had the 25 Pounder instead of the 105mm. There was a shortage of RRs, so they used older Boys/PIAT etc.
In 1955 the Portuguese Government released 2 more Divisions to help NATO defend the Pyrenees in Spain, to do that job, NATO send older equipment from Canada to those 2 Divisions, so the M4 Shermans, M5 Stuart, M74, Fox, Otter, Sexton, M9 Bazooka arrived. We didn’t have 17 Pounder.
In 1959 we started receiving the new Panhard EBR with the Panther 75mm gun. The Job of these fast moving Cavalry Groups was to make recon in front of those NATO Divisions, they could hunt T54 tanks.

[RC4]

In 1961 a revolution started in Angola, followed by Mozambique and Guinea. From then on, the Portuguese Army reverted to COIN, mobilizing for a war in Africa lasting in 1975.
The main combat formations were “Caçadores” Battalions w/3 Caçadores Coy and a HQ & Support Coy. These units were scattered in the colonies, with the HQ & Support Coy and a Caçadores Coy stationed at a location, and the other 2 Caçadores Coy employed independently. For this they organized in 4 Combat Groups (Platoons) of 3 Sections each, all the support weapons were spread to all the combat groups, usually rotation was with one on guard duty, other on patrol, other in rest and the last on reserve. Usually they had 3 Sections of 9 men, and were commanded by an officer. Offensive operations were reserved to Elite Forces (Comandos, Paraquedistas, Fuzileiros, etc).
The Cavalry employed horse formations. They were very successful on pursuit missions of revel groups.

[RC4]

We never had Hawk or I-Hawk, in the Helicopters never had EC635, Bell 205, NH90 or AH1F. Never had M16 AAMG.
We are still employing M60A3TTS in its original state, we didn’t upgrade them, they are used in the 3rd Sqn of the Tank Group of the Mechanized Brigade.

[DRG]

IN the final analysis, the easiest....... ( easiest as in a choice between hard, harder and hardest....hard is "easier"....).....solution that involved using the work you did was to use your OOB with slight modifications ( you cannot make mortars off map arty for one......minimum range for off map arty units is 200+ ) and adjust the picklist to suit which meant re-writing all of them.( "fun" job.....) The end result is still under testing but so far so good. Is Joao Maganinho your full name? Contact me in a PM if you like

[RC4]

My name is João Paulo Maganinho, I Live near Porto in north Portugal. I served in the Portuguese Army from June 1994 to May 1998. I was a 2nd Sargent, half of my time I was at the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Azores Territorial Defence Group, the other I was at the Tank Group of the Mechanized Brigade at Santa Margarida.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiYcNcfJk3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8MoHyMjhls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbbmmjuhUmU
Thanks

[DRG]

I was lucky and happy that one one and only scenario that used Portugal only had only minor changes to make it playable with this revised OOB. I've had to make a few changes to make it compatible with other OOB's but the main job was the picklists which I am still fine tuning......but you did go a bit overboard with the SOF Snipers..I think 28 is a new record..... and that one "Rambo" HQ was changed to fit the common standard for HQ's

[DRG]

Question

You have every rifle co including a mortar section. We do that with other nations infantry co as well but usually there is a basic rifle co and a rifle co + that includes other things like mortars or maybe ATGM...it varys from OOB to OOB.. your OOB does not have a basic infantry only co.....are you saying that without exception every infantry coy in the Portuguese Army operates with an attached mortar section ? Never as "just infantry" ?

[RC4]

Yes, we love mortars, you can see that in 1946 we only had 3 2inch in each rifle coy, from 1952 the US supplied 3 M2 60mm m/52 for replacement. Then came the colonial wars and the FBP factory develop the m/65 60mm to replace the m/52. Troops in African Jungles asked for a Commando type mortar to better react to ambushes and the Morteirete m/68 60mm was born. During this time Battalion level fire support was provided by 4-6 FBP m/937 81mm mortars, a licence built Italian WWII mortar. This was the best ranged mortar +4000m and fired light and heavy grenades. During war in Africa sometimes they carried them into the jungle, usually when a man had to sit down with the mortar on its back, it took 2 men to help lift him, but the result was very satisfactory with the blast effect compared to a 105mm artillery shell.
After the war we prepared to fight in Europe again, there were plenty of roads to travel, plenty of motor vehicles to use it and plenty of mortars. The Portuguese Armed Forces went down from some 250000 men in 1975 to some 50000 men in 1982. They decided to invest in firepower, so when I was at Azores a Rifle Coy was:
CAt (Companhia de Atiradores) (143) (Rifle Coy)
Cmdt (Comandante) (1) (1 P38) (Coy Commander)
SecCmd (Secção de Comando) (7) (HQ Sec)
Secretaria (3) (1 P38+1 M2HB+2 G3A3+1 G3A3 c/HK79) (Quartermaster)
Reabastecimentos (2) (1 VTP+1 AtrM+1 M2HB+2 G3A3+36 M72) (Supply)
Transmissões (2) (1 VTL+2 G3A3) (Signals)
3x PlAt (Pelotão de Atiradores) (34) (1of+4sar+9cb+20sol) (Rifle Platoon)
Cmd PlAt (3) (3 G3A3+1 P/PRC425 radio) (Platoon HQ)
3x SecAt (Secção de Atiradores) (11) (Rifle Sec)
Cmdt SecAt (1) (1 G3A3) (Section Commander)
2x EqAt (Esquadra de Atiradores) (5) (Rifle Squad)
Each (3 G3A3+1 G3A3 c/Bipé+1 G3A3 c/HK79+2 M72)
2x EqMeL (Esquadra de Metralhadora Ligeira) (3) (LMG Squad)
Each (1 HK21+1 G3A3+2 P38)
PlAp (Pelotão de Apoio) (33) (Support Platoon)
Cmd PlAp (3) (3 G3A3) (Platoon HQ)
SecACar (Secção Anti-carro) (7) (Antitank Sec)
Cmdt SecACar (1) (1 G3A3) (Commander)
2x EqACar (Esquadra Anti-carro) (3) (Antitank Squad)
Each (1 M-40A1 106mm+1 G3A3+2 P38+1 M72) (1 VTL)
SecMoMed (Secção de Morteiros Médios) (23) (Medium Mortar Sec)
Cmd SecMoMed (2) (1 G3A3+1 P38) (Sec HQ)
4x EqMoMed (Esquadra de Morteiros Médios) (5) (Medium Mortar Squad)
Each (1 m/937 81mm+1 G3A3+4 P38) (1 VTM+1 AtrM)
3x EqOAv (Esquadra de Observadores Avançados) (2) (FO Squad)
Each (1 G3A3+1 G3A3 c/HK79+ P/PRC425)

At Battalion level there was a Heavy Mortar Platoon with 4 Tampella B m/74 120mm
PlMoP (Pelotão de Morteiros Pesados) (36)
Cmd PlMoP (8) (6 G3A3+1 G3A3 c/HK79+1 P38) (1 VTL+1 VTM+1 AtrL+1 AtrM)
4x SecMoP (Secção de Morteiros Pesados) (7)
Each (1 Tampella 120mm+2 G3A3+1 G3A3 c/HK79+4 P38) (1 VTM+1 AtrM)

VTP – Heavy Truck
VTM – Medium Truck
VTL – Jeep
AtrM – Medium Trailer
AtrL – Light Trailer

When I went to the Mechanized Brigade, the Mechanized Infantry Bns had 3 M125A1 in each Coy and 4 M106A1 at Battalion level

So my answer is yes, every normal rifle coy has 3 81mm mortars, and when we went to the field we took them with us, sometimes by foot with some ammo.

Right now there are 3 “normal” Infantry Bns at the PO Army, two in the Azores and one in Madeira. On the Continent the Mechanized Brigade have just one Mechanized Infantry Bn (Track-M113), the Intervention Brigade has two Mechanized Infantry Bn (Wheal-Pandur) and the Rapid Reaction Brigade have two Paratrooper Bns, one Commando Bn and a Special Forces Bn.
Thanks