Thuppahi's Blog

David Blacker

The commandos, Chindits, SAS, etc of WW2 were strategic troops, kept under the control of a theatre commander. The SIOTs, on the other hand, are tactical, under the control of a battalion commander. Their concept can probably be compared to a historical unit from the latter portion of the 19th century — the Skirmishers. These light infantry troops, typically a battalion within a brigade or division, were fast-marching dark-uniformed riflemen, often armed with the first breech-loaders. They carried no colours, and their regimental badges, rank chevrons, and webbing were black. Unlike the rest of the infantry, they didn’t march or fight in tightly packed ranks, but rather in loose skirmish lines. They marched ahead of the rest of the army and met the enemy first, softening him up, using cover, movement, and rapid fire to decimate his lines, falling back if he advanced, harrying him if he retreated, until the main body of the infantry arrived with its heavy fire power of supporting artillery. The Sinha Regiment, the now disbanded Rajarata Rifles, and the volunteer Planters Rifles, all follow this infantry tradition, though the skirmish tactic is now obsolete. The Sinha Regiment marching speed (180 paces a minute) is therefore faster than the rest of the SL Army, an idiosyncratic tradition that still causes problems when  parading with other regiments, as on Independence Day.

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