During the early periods of the Soviet involvement in WW2, say between 1939 and 1941, what would a Soviet reconnaissance group have looked like? Notably, the reconnaissance element of an Infantry division.
Would the force have been mounted, or on foot? If they were mounted is it more likely they would have been on horseback or bicycle?
Would a reconnaissance team have carried a radio with them? Or would they have relied on using a runner to report back?
How far ahead would a reconnaissance team have been likely to scout? Would they be close enough to draw in larger elements of the Soviet line to assist them?
Finally, what size would a reconnaissance team most likely have been? Is this something that would have been accomplished at the section level? Platoon? Company, even?
Thanks in advance!
Rifle Division Reconnaissance
Per Shtat (table of organization) 04/400 of May 4, 1941, each Soviet Rifle Division had in its headquarters a 285-man motorized reconnaissance battalion of:
A 2-man battalion headquarters
A 26-man battalion headquarters detachment of staff, a signal platoon, and a quartermaster detachment
A 44-man armored car company consisting of a headquarters and three platoons
A 45-man amphibious tank company of a headquarters and three platoons
A 124-man motorized rifle company of a headquarters and three platoons, each platoon having three rifle squads and a mortar squad
A 34-man battalion trains of a headquarters, truck company, and field kitchen
A 5-man ordnance workshop
A 5-man medical detachment
Below, I will list the men and major equipment of the unit
Battalion Headquarters
| Personnel | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| Commissar | 1 |
Battalion Headquarters Detachment
Staff
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 4 |
| Commissar | 1 |
| NCO | 1 |
Signal Platoon with 3 radio squads and a messenger squad
3 radio squads. Per squad;
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 2 |
| 5-AK radio and vehicle | 1 |
Messenger squad
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 4 |
| Motorcycle | 5 |
Quartermaster detachment
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 4 |
| NCO | 2 |
Armored Car Company
Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 2 |
| Commissar | 1 |
| NCO | 2 |
| Enlisted man | 3 |
| Motorcycle | 1 |
| Armored car | 1 |
3 armored car platoons. Per platoon;
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| NCO | 2 |
| Enlisted man | 9 |
| Armored car | 3 |
Amphibious Tank Company
Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 2 |
| Commissar | 1 |
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 2 |
| T-38 tank | 1 |
| Motorcycle | 1 |
3 amphibious tank platoons. Per platoon;
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| NCO | 4 |
| Enlisted man | 5 |
| T-38 tank | 5 |
Motorized Rifle Company
Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| Commissar | 1 |
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 1 |
3 motorized rifle platoons. Per platoon;
Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| NCO | 1 |
3 motorized rifle squads. Per squad;
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 11 |
| Machine gun | 1 |
| Truck | 1 |
Mortar squad
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 3 |
| 50 mm mortar | 1 |
Battalion Trains
Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
Truck company
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 2 |
| Enlisted man | 27 |
| Truck | 13 |
| Staff car | 1 |
Kitchen
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 3 |
| Field kitchen | 1 |
Ordnance Workshop
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| NCO | 2 |
| Enlisted man | 2 |
| Truck | 2 |
Medical Detachment
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| NCO | 2 |
| Enlisted man | 2 |
| Ambulance | 1 |
Rifle Regiment Reconnaissance
Each of the Rifle Division's three Rifle Regiments had a horse-mounted 32-man Reconnaissance Platoon, consisting of;
A platoon headquarters
Three reconnaissance squads
Below, I will list the men and major equipment of the unit
Platoon Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 1 |
| NCO | 1 |
Three Reconnaissance Squads. Per squad;
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 9 |
| Riding horse | 10 |
| Light machine gun | 1 |
The Rifle Regiment also had a 53-man Scout Platoon, consisting of;
A platoon headquarters
Four scouting squads
Platoon Headquarters
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Officer | 2 |
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 2 |
Four Scouting Squads. Per squad;
| Personnel or equipment | Quantity |
|---|---|
| NCO | 1 |
| Enlisted man | 11 |
| Light machine gun | 1 |
Source: