Pretty basic AHC, IOTL there have been talks on establishing a naval infantry component for each respective nation but the plans have near really come to fruition. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to make the two nations above possess an equivalent to the UK's Royal Marines. Bonus points if you can make them "fighting arms" of their respective navies.
AHC: Royal Canadian and Royal Australian Marines?
- Thread starter USS_Ward
- Start date
I have given it a lot of thought for the RCM (Royal Canadian Marines)
The POD might have to go back to the war of 1812. During the Great Lakes battles, the Royal Navy train up a group of Canadians to help supplement the Royal Marines. The battalion gets battle honours.
Fast Forward to Boer War, when building up, the same battalion gets fully funded and is used as the first group to head south, gaining more battle hounors.
During WW1, the battalion becomes a full brigade and is used to assist in any landings. During the war, all ships carry at least 1 squad of this regiment due to their special training in ship to ship and navel landings. One of the squads capture a U-boat and they become heroes for doing it.
Before the war ends, the battalion become the RCM.
During the interwar years they train with both the Royal Marines and the USMC to create their own blend of Marines.
During WW2 and the Dieppe Raid, they show what needs to be done. The raid is preplanned with them and is a success. They keep it up with Juno beach and Sicily. If a beach needs to be stormed they can do it, if a ship needs to be taken they can do it as well.
After the war, they are made in to 3 Brigades, 1 east coast, 1 west cost, 1 Québec/Francophone.
They have a very friendly rivalry with the USMC and the Royal Marines,
On the West Coast their main base is up in Comox and there is one of the greatest obstacle courses known. Every year teams from the RCM, RAM, RM and USMC all compete to finish it with the best times.
The POD might have to go back to the war of 1812. During the Great Lakes battles, the Royal Navy train up a group of Canadians to help supplement the Royal Marines. The battalion gets battle honours.
Fast Forward to Boer War, when building up, the same battalion gets fully funded and is used as the first group to head south, gaining more battle hounors.
During WW1, the battalion becomes a full brigade and is used to assist in any landings. During the war, all ships carry at least 1 squad of this regiment due to their special training in ship to ship and navel landings. One of the squads capture a U-boat and they become heroes for doing it.
Before the war ends, the battalion become the RCM.
During the interwar years they train with both the Royal Marines and the USMC to create their own blend of Marines.
During WW2 and the Dieppe Raid, they show what needs to be done. The raid is preplanned with them and is a success. They keep it up with Juno beach and Sicily. If a beach needs to be stormed they can do it, if a ship needs to be taken they can do it as well.
After the war, they are made in to 3 Brigades, 1 east coast, 1 west cost, 1 Québec/Francophone.
They have a very friendly rivalry with the USMC and the Royal Marines,
On the West Coast their main base is up in Comox and there is one of the greatest obstacle courses known. Every year teams from the RCM, RAM, RM and USMC all compete to finish it with the best times.
I actually think the best PoD may be a fairly late one. Canada had some pretty non-traditional force structures during the period of Armed Forces Unification. I could see a battalion or two shuffled into "Maritime Command" (aka the not!Navy) as not!marines, and when the Navy, Army, and Air Force are re-established in 2011 the Maritime Command Infantry Force (or whatever other complex name was assigned during unification) are kept as part of the Royal Canadian Navy and are bestowed the title Royal Canadian Marines.
Their principal functions these days are similar to OTL's Naval Tactical Operations Group and Naval Security Team, but more numerous and less ad-hoc.
Their principal functions these days are similar to OTL's Naval Tactical Operations Group and Naval Security Team, but more numerous and less ad-hoc.
That's a tad large. Like, reg force is three brigades...
As far as I can tell throughout history, the Royal Canadian Navy never had any established marine units largely due to the fact that the Navy was hard pressed for budget and manpower was it was. Historically the RCN just embarked Militia members for any shore engagement they expected or if they did not have that ability, they would just have a shore party of sailors armed with weapons from arms lockers aboard the ships.
It would require having a larger and better funded navy to start with alongside likely having a unit created early enough to distinguish itself. It's also something to take into consideration that in our timeline, the RCN had to fight tooth and nail with the Militia to even remain in existence during the interwar period. The Militia effectively took control of the Royal Canadian Airforce and I would imagine they would take very unkindly to the RCN having its own infantry unit. You'd also need to have the unit be large enough to have its own amphibious capability alongside having the modern RCN invest in that capability with ships to make the unit worthwhile.
It can be done I think but there's a lot of roadblocks to jump.
It would require having a larger and better funded navy to start with alongside likely having a unit created early enough to distinguish itself. It's also something to take into consideration that in our timeline, the RCN had to fight tooth and nail with the Militia to even remain in existence during the interwar period. The Militia effectively took control of the Royal Canadian Airforce and I would imagine they would take very unkindly to the RCN having its own infantry unit. You'd also need to have the unit be large enough to have its own amphibious capability alongside having the modern RCN invest in that capability with ships to make the unit worthwhile.
It can be done I think but there's a lot of roadblocks to jump.
Fuzzy Dunlop
Banned
It's quite doable as the RM of the UK's armed forces only has around 6,700 personnel on average through the 1980's.
Not sure about the Amphib' vessels though unless both the RAN/RCN increase their fleet size for LPD's & LSD's.
Riain
Banned
Australia's neglect of amphibious warfare borders on sinful, the RAN had 6 LSTs in the early-mid 50s but was not interested in this capability and disposed of these ships. The Army then bought 4 LSTs from the USN and built a couple of biggish LCTs and small Landing craft for use in the Vietnam era and ordered 8 LCH in the early 70s at which point the Navy took over their operation. These amphibious craft were mostly used for supply in the undeveloped north of Australia and PNG as well as in Vietnam rather than conducting amphibious warfare.
In the last 20 yeas or so Australia has gotten serious about amphibious warfare. 2 RAR is structured as a pre landing force of 2 reinforced combined arms companies that can either act independently or together as the lead of a larger follow on force.
I'd suggest that if the RAN kept the amphibious ships it could create a small force of Marines along the lines of 2 RAR, much like the RAAF raised the Airfield Defence Guards in the 60s to defend airbases and man the machineguns on RAAF helicopters. A Marine company or two could provide the core amphibious skills while the Army could provide the mass in the follow on.
In the last 20 yeas or so Australia has gotten serious about amphibious warfare. 2 RAR is structured as a pre landing force of 2 reinforced combined arms companies that can either act independently or together as the lead of a larger follow on force.
I'd suggest that if the RAN kept the amphibious ships it could create a small force of Marines along the lines of 2 RAR, much like the RAAF raised the Airfield Defence Guards in the 60s to defend airbases and man the machineguns on RAAF helicopters. A Marine company or two could provide the core amphibious skills while the Army could provide the mass in the follow on.
How about 1 battalion with 3 reserve/militia battalions? The regular unit could specialize in other environments besides amphibious warfare such as arctic or mountain.
In the post war years the Commandos were part of the Australian Army Reserves, so the first step is to create a Naval Infantry Regiment to safeguard HMA Shore facilities and to provide force protection & boarding party details during Konfrontasi. This then morphs into a full time component with a small SF capability, so all in all very similar to how the Dutch Marines are structured (except probably smaller).
This bit actually happened. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment spent much of the war serving as marines on the Great Lakes.