Author Topic: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Danaan  596 posts
Registered: Apr '08
22838_Luke
Date Posted: 9/9/08 9:14pm Subject: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
I'm doing some research for an upcoming fanfic that will involve Stormtroopers. Wookepedia has a lot, but not all details I'm interested in. So, how big would you say squads, platoons and companies would be, respectively?

The Wookepedia entry lists a battalion as 820 soldiers, so that leaves me with the impression that a company could be 100-200 men strong. Does that seem reasonable? And what about squads and platoons?

Thank you for your time!

 

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Thorn058  394 posts
Registered: Jul '08
6626_Y-Wing
Date Posted: 9/9/08 10:02pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
I suggest looking under U.S. army in wikipedia they give a good break down and a nice model for any type of troop numbers. You can of course modifiy it to fit a GFFA but it should work better then using ancient Roman battle formations as a standard of comparasion. I hope this helps

 

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Slaign 
Registered: Sep '08
Date Posted: 9/9/08 10:56pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Well, by Legacy a stormtrooper squad consists of 4 troopers and a sergeant.

The info on this is pretty vague. I've looked for it, as well as a nice list of ranks in various navies, armies, etc, and they seem hard to find. The canon sources don't address the ranking systems very explicitly I suppose, or no one has compiled the information into a nice accessible list.

 

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Katana_Geldar  28627 posts
Title: Former CR Tasmania, AU
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Registered: Mar '03
48693_Elaine (617092)
Date Posted: 9/10/08 1:09am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
12 troops in a squad led by a Sergeant
4 squads in a platoon led by a Lieutenant, 48 troops
4 platoons in a company led by a captain, 192 troops
4 companies in a battalion, led by a major, 768 troops
4 battalions in a regiment led by a Commander, 3072 troops

That's about the breakdown

 

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MsLanna  16353 posts
Title: CR GSFF Central
Registered: Jul '05
51770_VD102: Clone
Date Posted: 9/10/08 1:38am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Ooooh, I got different info.
Went to look things up because of the CW movie.
Let's see.

A Squad: 12 men
Platoon: 36 (4 squads)
Company: 144 (4 platoons)
Battalion: 576 (4 companies)
Legion: 9,216 (16 battallions)

It might be confusing that Clone Commandos are referred to as 'squads', too. Like Omega Squad, and they are only four men. silly But then, five suqads of that kind form a
Troop: 20 (five Clone Commando Squads).

All clarities removed? batting

 

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Katana_Geldar  28627 posts
Title: Former CR Tasmania, AU
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Registered: Mar '03
48693_Elaine (617092)
Date Posted: 9/10/08 1:49am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
12 x 4 = 48

That's how your numbers are wrong

 

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MsLanna  16353 posts
Title: CR GSFF Central
Registered: Jul '05
51770_VD102: Clone
Date Posted: 9/10/08 2:08am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes - Date Edited: 9/10/08 4:58am (1 edits total) Edited By: MsLanna
Wookieepedia posted:
In the Grand Army of the Republic, a standard platoon of clone troopers consisted of 4 squads, a total of 36 soldiers, led by a Lieutenant. Four such platoons formed a company.


Tell the wook? confused
It says that a squad is made up by 10-12 men, but to have four squads make up one platoon, there'd need be 9 men in one squad. *shrug*
I'm a fanficcer not a mathematician. tongue

Anyway, there's so many special cases listed in each entry that it probably doesn't even matter how many men you put inot any unit.

 

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Katana_Geldar  28627 posts
Title: Former CR Tasmania, AU
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Registered: Mar '03
48693_Elaine (617092)
Date Posted: 9/10/08 2:15am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
There isn't a set number of troops that make up a squad, so I guess it could be 36 men

 

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UrbanJedi  1789 posts
Registered: Dec '99
20233_Han Solo
Date Posted: 9/10/08 4:39am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Actually, being in the military myself, the breakdown would be as follows:

A Fireteam: 4 men
A Squad: 13 men (12 soldiers and 1 sergeant)
Platoon: 3 squads (39) + 5 command staff (Led by a Captain)
Company: 180 (4 platoons with command staff) Led by a Lt Col
Battalion: 730 (4 companies with command staff) Led by a Col or low ranking Brig General

But that's by US military standards. The command staff can always vary too

 

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Rigil_Kent  248 posts
Registered: Jan '04
41559_Vader
Date Posted: 9/10/08 10:09am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes - Date Edited: 9/14/08 12:07pm (3 edits total) Edited By: Rigil_Kent
UrbanJedi: Why is a captain leading a platoon? Shouldn't it be a lieutenant (1st or 2nd) in charge of the platoon, with a captain leading the company, the light colonel in charge of the battalion, and the bird colonel in charge of the brigade? Unless this change is recent ...

Back in the day ('90-'94) when I was active duty (Army infantry, hoo-ah), it was more akin to

A Fireteam: 3-4 men
A Squad: 9-12 men (8-11 soldiers and 1 sergeant)
Platoon: 3 squads (27-36) + 2 command staff (Led by a 1st or 2nd Lieutenant and a Sergeant First Class or Staff Sergeant)
Company: 116-152 (3 line platoons + support platoon) Led by a Captain and a First Sergeant. Company XO is the support platoon leader and is generally a 1LT.
Battalion: 580-912 (4-5 companies with HHQ company) Led by a Lieutenant Colonel and a Sergeant Major.

 

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Danaan  596 posts
Registered: Apr '08
22838_Luke
Date Posted: 9/10/08 12:38pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Awesome stuff, all of you! Keep it coming. Now, if we can only get some sort of consensus on the numbers, lol. For instance, Wookepedia mentions that a battalion during the Clone Wars was smaller than it later became during the Imperial age. Could that resolve anything?

 

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Katana_Geldar  28627 posts
Title: Former CR Tasmania, AU
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Registered: Mar '03
48693_Elaine (617092)
Date Posted: 9/10/08 10:57pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Read it again!

12 troops in a squad led by a Sergeant
4 squads in a platoon led by a Lieutenant, 48 troops
4 platoons in a company led by a Captain, 192 troops
4 companies in a battalion, led by a Major, 768 troops
4 battalions in a regiment led by a Commander, 3072 troops

 

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MsLanna  16353 posts
Title: CR GSFF Central
Registered: Jul '05
51770_VD102: Clone
Date Posted: 9/11/08 1:01am Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
RL unit size don't necessarily resolcve any SW issues, Katana. wink

Though I'd say that looking for fixed number in SW isn't working anyway.
Too many different people said too many different things. I'd say just look through all of it and take what fits the story best. happy

 

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Danaan  596 posts
Registered: Apr '08
22838_Luke
Date Posted: 9/12/08 3:09pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
Thanks all! Has been VERY helpful!

 

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Katana_Geldar  28627 posts
Title: Former CR Tasmania, AU
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Registered: Mar '03
48693_Elaine (617092)
Date Posted: 9/12/08 6:32pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
It was the clarify the officers who led particular groups as commented by Rigil

 

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Earthknight  3654 posts
Registered: Oct '02
46344_Rex (CC-7567) (3161)
Date Posted: 9/28/08 4:38pm Subject: RE: Research Question: Stormtrooper unit sizes
So what would Rex( from Clone Wars) be in charge of? A squad?

 

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