Warsaw Pact Squads

[Hellfish]

Hiya folks

I've been combing through my reference books and on the net but I'm having trouble finding out about squad structures throughout the Warsaw Pact. I'm mostly looking for squad size and normal armament in the '80s. I have Soviet and Czechoslovakian squads down pretty good, but I have no idea what East German, Polish, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Romanian squads looked like. I assume they all used AKM models (locally produced versions especially), but what were the normal light machineguns the squads used (i.e. Soviets used RPK-74s in the 80s, Czechs used Uk-59s) and how many were usually issued. Same for marksman rifles (like the SVD) and any anti-tank weaponry (RPG-7 I assume?).

Thanks for any help

[Brzeczyszczykiewicz]

Polish mechanized infantry squad:
- CO: AKM
- BMP driver: PM-84 SMG
- BMP gunner: PM-84 SMG
- machine gunner: PK/PKM
- assistant machine gunner: AKM
- RPG gunner: RPG-7 + PM-84 SMG
- assistant RPG gunner: AKM
- rifleman #1: AKM + grenade launcher
- rifleman #2: AKM

[Hellfish]

Ah, thanks. Was the AKM with grenade launcher the underbarrel version (GP-30?) or something more like the HK69/M79?

[Brzeczyszczykiewicz]

The grenade laucher was the Polish "Pallad". It came in two variants: underbarrel wz.74 (pic (http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafika:Rifle_wz.1988_Tantal_with_grenade_launcher_wz.74_Pallad.jpg)) and the self-standing wz.83 (pic (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Grenade_launcher_wz.83_Pallad_D.jpg)). The self-standing version was much more popular because of the wz.74's poor ergonomics.

[Hellfish]

Very cool. Thanks!

[haze99]

ARMSCOR, the South African arms firm also made a "unverisal" 40mm grenade-launcher that looks similar to the Wz.74. Though, it to has poor ergonomics as well. It mounted abit further foward on the lower handguard than the Wz.74 does! (I will look for a pic to post!) BTW, I thought the Wz.88 could fire rifle grenades? Plus, were those the same fired by the Wz.1960 rifle?

The Warsaw Pact Motorized Infantry squad appears to have been based off its USSR big brother. (Let me double check.) Though as you stated, they would have had their own domestic made small arms.

I think the DDR and Hungary had USSR SVD and PKM's? Since they didn't manufacture them.
Polish, Bulgarian, & Romanian troops would have all had domestic produced small arms by the early 1970's.
Czechslovakia used its own weapons, as stated Vz.58V, UZ.59, RPG-75 and Vz.54. (Not sure if they fielded USSR SVD's, then?)