US Airborne Light Infantry Company 1944 [IFA3]
IFA3 faction mod that adds a US Airborne Light Infantry Company from between August 1944 to early-mid 1945. It is an organisation from the US Army with 5 officers and 125 Enlisted men. All the men have the correct weapons and equipment as of August 1944 from the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) of the 101st Airborne.
The Faction-
A WW2 era faction mod, with the bulk of the forces consisting of three rifle platoons. All the soldiers wear M1943 uniforms, and armament consists of M1 Garands, M1 and M1A1 Carbines, M1 Thompsons, M3 Grease Guns and supported by weapons such as the M1 Bazooka, M1903 Springfield and M1919A6 machineguns at the squad level, with a dedicated Mortar Squad per platoon of soldiers.
Each Rifle Platoon is the following units, and three Rifle Platoons made up the larger Company itself-
Platoon Headquarters (6 men, plus attachments like medics and specialist weapons)
Containing the commander, assistant commander, supporting Sergeants, the Platoon Guide/Scout and a RTO as well as Messengers.
Rifle Squad (12 men, and the main infantry organisation, with a range of different equipment sets and size/compositions)
The Rifle Squad is armed mostly with M1 Garands, supported by a Demolitions soldier who is the squad’s second in command, and a single M1919A6 machinegun. The Airborne during WW2 much preferred the firepower of a M1919 over a more mobile, but less capable sustained fire weapon like the BAR. The majority of the Airborne by 1944 were armed with M1 Garands or M1 and M1A1 Carbines. The paratroopers were well known for acquiring more weapons, particularly SMG’s, than what they were issued, particularly M1 Thompsons before early-mid 1944 and M3 ‘Grease Guns" due to M1 Thompson shortages later in 1944 and into 1945.
Mortar Squad (6 men, both the mortar team itself and supporting riflemen with extra ammunition)
The mortar squad is a smaller supporting element, and is the mortar gunner and his supporting ammo bearers and riflemen. These were considered very important for the Airborne to provide them with additional firepower within the platoon, rather than as a separate weapons detachment.
Specialist Elements-
Because of the way each of the Airborne Light Infantry Companies were organised, a vast majority of the men were riflemen who were able to be re-armed and equipped for whatever roles were needed. Each company was allotted at least 6 submachineguns, initially M1 Thompsons but by the time this faction mod is set it was supplemented by M3 ‘Grease Guns’. Other specialist weapons like M1903A4 Sniper rifles and M1 Bazookas were also handed out as needed, and this is reflected in the faction. An Airborne platoon HQ by the time of the invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944 would have had 4 Bazookas per company, following combat experience in Sicily and Italy that made them higher priority than before.
In addition to these, units like the Radio Telephone Operators, Messengers, Medics and Platoon Guides/Scouts are included within the Company.
Command Elements-
Above the three Rifle Platoon units was the Company Headquarters, which contained the CO, a Captain and his supporting soldiers, directly another officer and the companies First Sergeant, as well as another RTO, but also supporting units armed with M1 Garands and Carbines. Two Messengers are present in the HQ, and twelve rifleman with a range of armaments make up the Headquarter’s security element.
Sources-
https://www.ablecompany502pir.org/files/TO_E_7-37_August_1944.pdf
Table of Organisation and Equipment, No. 7-37, War Department, Washington 25, D.C, 1st August 1944.
INFANTRY RIFLE COMPANY, PARACHUTE
http://warestablishments.net/U.S.A/Airborne/Infantry%20Regiment%20Parachute%20December%201944.pdf
Table of Organisation and Equipment, No. 7-13, War Department, Washington 25, D.C, 16th December 1944.
INFANTRY REGIMENT, PARACHUTE
"US World War II Parachute Infantry Regiments" by Gordon L. Rottman, 2014
The faction is fully compatible with Editor, ACE3, Zeus and ALiVE (Faction Classname I_USAB ) It should be pretty accurate, but some liberties were taken for units that do not have a gameplay difference- a Clerk for example, has no role in Arma 3 so a Rifleman with the same rank and armament was used instead, and some of the squad organisations are sub-divided more than real life due to Arma not liking massive squads.
Required items:
Click the title to search on this site.
CBA_A3 — Steam Workshop
IFA3 AIO — Steam Workshop
