HomeOne Level Up Last updated: 15.05.2017

52 Armoured Infantry Brigade 1
52 Pantserinfanteriebrigade (52 Painfbrig)

52 Briggnkcie44 Painfbat52 Hrstcie Painfbrig52 Bevocie Painfbrig51 Afdva51 Pagncie52 Tkbat52 Paatcie15 PainfbatStstcie 52 Painfbrig52 Painfbrig

Unit Main Equipment Location Peace Strength War Strength
Staff and Staff Company
52 Armoured Infantry Brigade [a]
                  Arnhem 2/2/1 (5)
32/34/148/2 (216)
44 Armoured Infantry Battalion [b] YP-408 Zuidlaren 36/108/490 (634) 41/117/661/2 (821)
15 Armoured Infantry Battalion [c] YP-408 41/117/661/2 (821)
52 Armoured Antitank Company [d] YPR-765 PRAT 9/26/135 (170)
52 Tank Battalion [e] Centurion Mk 5/2 36/96/433/2 (567)
51 Armoured Engineer Company [f]                     9/25/183 (217)
51 Field Artillery Battalion [g] M109A2/A3 31/91/438/2 (562)
52 Brigade Supply Company [h]                         8/29/230 (267)
52 Brigade Repair Company [i]                         8/46/176 (230)
52 Brigade Medical Company [j]                       19/21/144/2 (186)

52 Armoured Infantry Brigade Peace Strength: 2/2/1 (5)
52 Armoured Infantry Brigade War Strength: 234/602/3209/12 (4057)

Notes

a. Filled out by mobilisable personnel that had fulfilled their active-duty period in Staff and Staff Company, 11 Armoured Infantry Brigade up to six and a half years prior to mobilisation.2
b. Wartime organisation; under command of 42 Armoured Infantry Brigade in peacetime.
c. RIM battalion, filled by mobilisable companies and platoons that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 13 Armoured Infantry Battalion between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6
d. RIM company, filled by mobilisable platoons that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 11 Armoured Antitank Company between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6
e 52 Tank Battalion was to transition from Centurion Mk 5/2 to Leopard 1V as a whole in May 1987, concurrently adopting a new organisation type which would add a fourth tank squadron to the battalion's war strength (the old battalion organisation is described in detail here). This is per the planning of July 1985; given the persistence of the problems with the Leopard 1 upgrading programme and the delays these had already caused it is quite possible that further delays occurred. The last Leopard 1V was delivered on 16 December 1987, however.3 Once the transition was completed the battalion would be filled under the RIM system by 101 Tank Battalion.2 6 D Squadron, not falling under the RIM system, would be filled by the personnel of A Squadron for ten months after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had expired.4 Before the transition to Leopard 1V the battalion was filled out with mobilisable personnel from 57 Tank Battalion (RIM) after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had expired, up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.5
f. RIM company, filled by mobilisable platoons that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 11 Armoured Engineer Company between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6
g. RIM battalion, filled by mobilisable batteries that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 42 Field Artillery Battalion between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6
h. GRIM company, largely filled by mobilisable platoons that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 11 Brigade Supply Company between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6
i. GRIM company, largely filled by mobilisable platoons that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 11 Brigade Repair Company between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6
j. RIM company, filled by mobilisable platoons that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 11 Brigade Medical Company between four and twenty months prior to mobilisation.2 6

Combat Formations

Following the Royal Army's tactical doctrine and established modus operandi the brigade would not fight in the organic order of battle displayed above but form combined-arms battle groups, as illustrated in Unit Organisation and Equipment, Mixed Battalions and Company Teams.

_________________________________________________

1. For the brigade's role in 1 (NL) Corps covering force between 1979 and 1985, see 41Armoured Brigade, Operational Role: The Corps Covering Force.
2. NIMH 205A/10, Aflossing van mobilisabele eenheden en -aanvullingen d.d. 27 mei 1980. Ibid., d.d. 11 november 1983. Ibid., d.d. 17 juni 1985.
3. SSA-MvD, CLAS/BLS 7486, Memorandum Realisatie Legerplan 149-4E d.d. 10 juli 1985. According to the initial planning of 1982, 52 Tank Battalion was to transition between March and September 1985, with D Squadron to be added in March 1986. SSA-MvD, CLAS/BLS 7486, Planningsmemorandum Instroming Leopard 1V, Leopard 2 (etc.) d.d. 29 december 1982. The last Leopard 1V delivered: Smit, Leopard 1, 95-96. For a detailed analysis of the problems with the Leopard 1 upgrading programme and their consequences, see NL-HaNA 2.13.182, inv. nr. 682, Aantekening DMKL "Het wapensysteem Leopard 1V" d.d. 28 augustus 1986, 6-8; HTK 1989-1990, kamerstuknr. 21610 ondernr. 2 (Rapport Leopardtanks Algemene Rekenkamer), 52-61, 68-71; Smit, Leopard 1, 95-100.
4. NIMH 205A/10, Aflossing van mobilisabele eenheden en -aanvullingen d.d. 17 juni 1985, Bijlage A1. Previous to that A Squadron, 52 Tank Battalion would have fulfilled their active-duty period as A Squadron, 101 Tank Battalion. Ibid. The ten-month cycle of D Squadron: Selles, Personele vulling, 457.
5. The battalion was last filled with mobilisable personnel from 57 Tank Battalion (RIM) in 1982, when that battalion was still equipped with Centurion Mk 5/2. This personnel had previously fulfilled their active-duty period in 101 Tank Battalion, also equipped with Centurion Mk 5/2 at the time. NIMH 205A/10, Aflossing van mobilisabele eenheden en -aanvullingen d.d. 27 mei 1980, Bijlage 1 en 3.
6. RIM was the Dutch acronym for Direct Influx into Mobilisable Units (Rechtstreekse Instroming in Mobilisabele Eenheden). GRIM was a variant of this system, meaning "Largely RIM" (Grotendeels Rechtstreekse Instroming in Mobilisabele Eenheden). For a survey of the Royal Army's unit filling and reserve system see Gijsbers, Blik in de smidse, 2222-2231; Selles, Personele vulling; Berghuijs, Opleiding, 14-23. In English: Isby and Kamps, Armies, 341-343; Sorrell, Je Maintiendrai, 94-96; Van Vuren, The Royal Netherlands Army TodayMilitary Review April 1982, 23-28.