304 Infantry Brigade • 304 Infanteriebrigade (304 Infbrig)

Last updated: 08.01.2018

304 Infantry Brigade
304 Infanteriebrigade (304 Infbrig)

Unit	Main Equipment	Location	Peace Strength	War Strength
Staff and Staff Company 304 Infantry Brigade [a]		–	–	21/24/127/2 (174)
303 Light Reconnaissance Squadron [b]		–	–	7/22/105 (134)
304 Light Reconnaissance Squadron [c]		–	–	7/22/105 (134)
319 Infantry Battalion [d]		–	–	34/117/597/2 (750)
321 Infantry Battalion [e]		–	–	34/117/597/2 (750)
322 Infantry Battalion [f]		–	–	34/117/597/2 (750)
325 Infantry Battalion [g]		–	–	34/117/597/2 (750)
304 Horse Artillery Battalion [h]	M101A1	–	–	44/105/407/2 (558)
423 Light Transport Company [i]		–	–	5/16/141 (162)
424 Light Transport Company [j]		–	–	5/16/141 (162)

304 Infantry Brigade Peace Strength: –

304 Infantry Brigade War Strength: 225/673/3414/12 (4324)

Notes

a.	Filled by mobilisable personnel that had fulfilled their active-duty period in Staff and Staff Company, 43 Armoured Infantry Brigade up to five and a half years prior to mobilisation.¹
b.	Filled by mobilisable personnel from 53 Reconnaissance Squadron (RIM) (disbanded in 1983²) after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had expired, up to eight years prior to mobilisation. After 1987 filled by A Squadron, 105 Reconnaissance Battalion (RIM).^1 6
c.	Filled by mobilisable personnel from A Squadron, 105 Reconnaissance Battalion (RIM) after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had expired, up to eight years prior to mobilisation.^1 6
d.	Filled by mobilisable personnel that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 41 Armoured Infantry Battalion up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.¹
e.	Filled by mobilisable personnel that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 12 Armoured Infantry Battalion up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.¹
f.	Filled by mobilisable personnel that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 11 Armoured Infantry Battalion up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.¹
g.	Filled by mobilisable personnel that had fulfilled their active-duty period in 43 Armoured Infantry Battalion up to eight and a half years prior to mobilisation.¹
h.	Filled by mobilisable personnel from 13 Horse Artillery Battalion (RIM) after their fourteen to sixteen-month RIM period in that unit had expired, up to eight years prior to mobilisation.^1 6 Organised similarly to the field artillery battalion M114A1, with a staff and support battery and three field batteries. Each field battery had 6 x M101A1 towed howitzer 105 mm. The battalion probably had one brigade liaison group, four battalion liaison groups, and twelve forward observation groups (one for each infantry company).³
i.	Filled by personnel from the general pool of mobilisable reserves (vrij-indeelbaar bestand) that had fulfilled their active-duty period in relevant functions up to twelve and a half years prior to mobilisation.¹ These companies enabled the brigade to (re)deploy in one move. Each company had three platoons, each probably with 20 x three-tonne truck (DAF YA-314 or perhaps YA-328) and 1 x DAF YA-314 with one-tonne trailer.⁴

Operational Role

Together with 302 Infantry Brigade and 305 Commando Battalion this brigade formed the mobile general reserve of National Territorial Commander. Missions might include reinforcement of Provincial Military Commands or dealing with enemy airborne forces. 304 Infantry Brigade would operate south of the major rivers (approximately Waal-Nieuwe Maas) from positions around vulnerable points in the west-east Lines of Communications (LOCs). If needed the brigade would be called upon to secure the vital Maas river crossings against enemy airborne operations.⁵

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1.		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.
2.		NL-HaNA 2.13.182, inv. nr. 514, Planningsmemorandum Reorganisatie Tank- en Verkenningseenheden d.d. 1 november 1982, Bijlage I-B.
3.		VS 6-20/1, 3-4.
4.		Capacity: Geerts, De territoriale beveiliging, 313. Organisation and equipment outline: Website Geschiedenis Bevoorrading en Transport, 105 Transportbataljon.
5.		Felius, Einde oefening, 207-208, 211. Hoffenaar en Schoenmaker, Met de blik, 326. Geerts, op. cit., 311. Line of communications: "A route, either land, water, and/or air, which connects an operating military force with a base of operations and along which supplies and military forces move." US Department of Defense Dictionary, 253.
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 Today, Military Review April 1982, 23-28.