Portuguese 1980S TO&Es V1.2
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Portuguese 1980s TO&Es v1.2 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-01 Portuguese Independent Mixed Brigade 1980s (ae) Command HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 (a) The Portuguese 1st Independent Mixed Brigade (1a Brigada Transport/Recce Mista Autonoma) was Portugal’s only permanent, fully-manned, x1 M577A2 Armoured Command Vehicle CWPT-17 deployable, major combat formation. However, there were no regiments permanently assigned to the Brigade: it was manned by Forward Air Controller/Recce personnel drawn on rotation from regiments of the four Portuguese x4 Forward Observer CWPT-37 Military Regions. In the event of a war between NATO and the Transport/Recce Warsaw Pact, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade would be deployed x4 M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier CWPT-12 to Italy and would come under command of Italian III Corps. In theory, as many as x4 Independent Mixed Brigades were to be BATTLEGROUPS formed in wartime, but for most of the 1980s Portugal did not have sufficient tanks and APCs to form even a second Independent Mixed BATTLEGROUP CWPT-09 Brigade, let alone a third and a fourth. This situation was partially x1 Armoured Battalion (b) rectified by 1989 (thanks to US military aid) and the Portuguese finally had enough tanks and other heavy equipment to form a 2nd BATTLEGROUP CWPT-11 Independent Mixed Brigade. However, there was no permanent establishment for the 2nd Brigade – the equipment was to be kept in (c) x1 Mechanised Infantry Battalion storage so that it could be formed in wartime. BATTLEGROUP CWPT-12 (b) In 1985, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade’s Armoured Battalion x2 Motorised Infantry Battalion had x2 Squadrons of M47 Medium Tanks and x1 Squadron of M48A5 Medium Tanks. The Armoured Cavalry Squadron was also MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS equipped with M48A5s. The only other tanks in the Portuguese Army were a single Armoured Cavalry Squadron equipped with M24 Chaffee Light Tanks. By 1989, US military aid had made a massive MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-02 difference – all tanks in the 1st Mixed Brigade were now M48A5, with x1 Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (b) x2 Squadrons of M48A5 and x3 Squadrons of M47 in surplus (most of which, presumably went to form the 2nd Mixed Brigade) MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-11 x1 Armoured Combat Engineer Company (c) (c) In 1985 there were only enough M113 variants to equip the units shown here. By 1989 there were sufficient M113s to equip the 2nd Mixed Brigade. MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-12 x1 Self-Propelled Antiaircraft Company (e) (d) In 1985 there were only enough Vulcan, Chaparral and Blowpipe air defence systems to equip the units shown here. By 1989 there MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-13 were sufficient weapons to equip another two brigades. x1 Self-Propelled SAM Company (e) (e) Although there was a nominal ‘I Portuguese Corps’ command, the Portuguese did not have sufficient military capability to field a MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-14 division, let alone a corps. There were therefore, no corps combat x1 Light SAM Company (e) support elements such as heavy artillery, etc. However, the Lisbon Military Region did have a single permanently-manned Field Artillery FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENTS Battalion (FSE CWPT-04) and an Air Defence Battalion with x2 Light Antiaircraft Companies (ME CWPT-18), which may have been FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT CWPT-01 allocated to support the Mixed Brigades. x1 Mixed Field Artillery Battalion BATTLEGROUP CWPT-02 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-03 Portuguese Parachute Brigade 1980s (a) Portuguese Commando Brigade 1980s (a) Command Command HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 Transport Transport x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 Forward Air Controller/Recce Forward Air Controller/Recce x3 Forward Observer CWPT-37 x3 Forward Observer CWPT-37 Transport Transport x3 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 x3 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUP CWPT-13 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-14 x3 Parachute Infantry Battalion (b) x3 Commando Battalion (b) MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS (a) The Portuguese Commando Brigade was permanently established in peacetime as a light, rapid-reaction force. As the MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-15 Portuguese Parachute Brigade was controlled by the Air Force and x1 Parachute Antitank Company the Marine Regiment was controlled by the Navy, the Commando Brigade gave the Army its own rapid-reaction special forces MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-16 capability. x1 Parachute Reconnaissance Company (b) Only two battalions were fully-manned in peacetime. The 3rd FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENTS Commando Battalion was a training cadre. FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT CWPT-07 x1 Parachute Heavy Mortar Company (a) The Portuguese Parachute Brigade (Corpo de Tropas Para- Quedistas) was controlled by the Air Force. It was not established in peacetime, so would take some time to form during preparations for war. With only short notice, the Portuguese could only hope to form a strong para battalion group. (b) The Brigade’s Para Battalions were designated 11th, 21st and 31st. However, only the 11th was fully-manned during peacetime. The other two battalions each had one full-manned company, which served as training cadres. BATTLEGROUP CWPT-04 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-05 Portuguese Military Region 1980s (a) Portuguese Military Zone 1980s (a) Command Command HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 Transport Transport x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUP CWPT-10 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-08 x1 Cavalry Regiment x1 or x2 Garrison Infantry Regiment (b) BATTLEGROUP CWPT-07 MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS x1 to x4 Infantry Regiment MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-02 x1 Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS (a) The Portuguese Atlantic island provinces of Madeira and the MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-02 Azores were each designated as Military Zones. Up to x1 Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (b) The Madeira Military Zone had x1 Infantry Regiment, while MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-17 the Azores Military Zone had x2 Infantry Regiments under Up to x3 Combat Engineer Company command. MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-18 Up to x3 Light Antiaircraft Company MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS BATTLEGROUP CWPT-06 FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT CWPT-04 Portuguese Marine Infantry Regiment 1980s (a) Up to x1 Field Artillery Battalion Command HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 (a) The four Portuguese Military Regions were brigade-sized, administrative holding and training formations and were not really Transport field manoeuvre formations. Northern Region (HQ at Porto) had x3 x1 V-200 VBTP Chaimite APC CWPT-18 Infantry Regiments, x1 Cavalry Regiment, x1 Independent Cavalry Forward Air Controller/Recce Squadron, x1 Artillery Regiment and x1 Engineer Regiment. Central x3 Forward Observer CWPT-37 Region (HQ at Coimbra) had x1 Cavalry Regiment, x4 Infantry Transport Regiments and x1 Independent Cavalry Squadron. Southern x3 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 Region (HQ at Évora) had x3 Infantry Regiments, x1 Cavalry Regiment and x1 Independent Cavalry Squadron. Lisbon Region BATTLEGROUPS was something of a reserve formation and had mostly permanently- manned units under command: it had x1 Infantry Regiment, x1 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-15 Artillery Regiment, x1 Air Defence Artillery Regiment, x1 Coastal x3 Marine Infantry Battalion (b) Artillery Regiment and x1 Engineer Regiment. The Military Regions supplied units on rotation to the 1st Mixed Brigade and would in wartime have formed the nuclei of the projected 2nd, 3rd and 4th MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS Mixed Brigades. MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-19 x1 Marine Weapons Support Unit (b) MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-20 x1 Marine Transport Support Unit (b) MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-21 x1 Marine Amphibious Support Unit (b) FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENTS MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-08 x1 Marine Mortar Support Unit (b) (a) The Portuguese Marine Regiment (Fuzilerios Navais Regiment) came under command of the Navy and was permanently established in peacetime. (b) The Marine Infantry Battalions had no organic heavy weapons or transport elements. They would draw heavy weapons and transport as attachments as required from the regimental support companies. BATTLEGROUP CWPT-07 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-08 Portuguese Infantry Regiment 1980s Portuguese Garrison Infantry Regiment 1980s Command Command HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 HQ x1 Commander CWPT-29 Transport Transport x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 Forward Air Controller/Recce Forward Air Controller/Recce x1 Forward Observer CWPT-37 x1 Forward Observer CWPT-37 Transport Transport x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 x1 Jeep (no MG) CWPT-25 BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUP CWPT-16 BATTLEGROUP CWPT-16 Up to x2 Infantry Battalion (a) Up to x2 Infantry Battalion (a) MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-22 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-22 x1 Antitank Company (a) x1 Antitank Company (a) MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-23 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-23 x1 Reconnaissance Company (a) x1 Reconnaissance Company (a) MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-24 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-24 x1 Transport Company (a) x1 Transport Company (a) FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENTS MANOEUVRE ELEMENT CWPT-18 FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT CWPT-06 x1 Light Antiaircraft Company (a) x1 Mortar Company (a) FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENTS (a) In peacetime, only the 1st Battalion in each regiment was operational and was often at reduced strength, with only x1 or x2 FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT CWPT-06 Companies fully-manned. The 2nd Battalion served as the x1 Mortar Company (a) regimental training unit in peacetime. The support companies would similarly be on minimal manning, with maybe one platoon in each FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT CWPT-09 company fully manned. Additionally, elements of the regiment might x1 Light Artillery Battery (a) be rotated out to serve in the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade.