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LESSON 3
PLANNING CONSIDERATION FOR THE CONDUCT OF A LIMITED VISIBILITY ATTACK
OVERVIEW
Lesson Description:
Planning considerations for a limited visibility platoon attack.
Terminal Learning Objective:
Action: |
Identify the planning considerations for the conduct of a limited visibility attack. |
Condition: |
Given the subcourse material contained in this lesson. |
Standard: |
The student will demonstrate his comprehension and knowledge by identifying the doctrinal, tactical, considerations, and planning for the conduct of a limited visibility attack for an infantry platoon (offense). |
| Reference: | The material contained in this lesson was derived from the following publications: FM 7-8 1992 |
Part A
DOCTRINAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR A LIMITED VISIBILITY ATTACK
1. General. Platoons may attack at night and during other periods of limited visibility as a part of a company. This is done to gain surprise, to press the enemy, to exploit the success of daylight operations, or to avoid heavy losses by using limited visibility as concealment.
a. Darkness is just one condition that reduces the soldier's ability to see. Smoke, fog, dust, and heavy rain or snow also limit visibility. This part discusses the night attack, but the techniques (with slight modifications) apply to attacks at times when visibility is reduced by other conditions.
b. A night attack may be non-illuminated or illuminated. In either case, illumination must always be planned. The attack may start non-illuminated and end illuminated. The company commander or battalion commander will normally decide which method to use or when to illuminate. Sources of illumination may be ground-fired flares, grenade launcher illuminating rounds, mortar and field artillery illuminating rounds, or aircraft flares. Nightsights and night vision devices should be used to ease movement and control.
c. Tactics for the illuminated attack are about the same as for the daylight attack.
d. We will now discuss the non-illuminated attack by stealth. You as the attacker tries to get as close to the enemy as you can without being detected. You try to surprise the enemy with the assault. In order to do this, leaders must have detailed intelligence about the enemy. They must know the terrain, conduct detailed planning, and conduct several rehearsals of the attack. Preparations may take up to several days. Conditions may exist in which the attack can be made by stealth to a point and then illumination used the rest of the way. For example, the enemy might have wire, minefields, or other obstacles to the front of his positions which can only be cleared or breached with the help of illumination. This may require blowing or breaching a path through the obstacles before the infantry can assault. Artillery and other supporting fire can be placed on the enemy to cover breaching operations. Illumination is used as needed.
e. Control of squads and platoons is much more difficult at night. Strict light and noise discipline is required.
2. Limited Visibility Attack Control Measures. The following control measures may be used when darkness, smoke, fog, dust and heavy rain or snow limit visibility.
a. Assembly Area. The assembly area is smaller and closer to the LD than for a daylight attack.
b. Attack Position. The attack position is always used for a night attack. It should be in defilade and should be easy to enter and exit.
c. Line of Departure. Same as daylight attack.
d. Point of Departure. A point of departure is the exact place where a unit crosses the LD. It is normally set by the company commander.
e. Release Points. The company commander releases control of his platoons to the platoon leaders at the platoon RP. Each platoon leader releases control of his squads to the squad leaders at the squad RP. Release points are far enough back to let units deploy before they reach the probable line of deployment. However, they are far enough forward to permit centralized control as long as possible. The platoon and squad RPs are normally beyond the LD.
f. Route. The company commander picks the route from the assembly area to the platoon RP. Each platoon leader picks the route from the platoon RP to the squad RP. Routes should be easy to move and navigate on. They should conceal troops from enemy night vision devices. Guides may help in the movement from RPs to the probable line of deployment.
g. Probable Line of Deployment. The PLD is where the company commander plans to complete deployment before moving forward with platoons on line, and squads on line. If the attack is not yet discovered at the PLD, the unit should stay silent until discovered or ordered to assault. The PLD should be on a terrain feature that is recognizable at night. It should be perpendicular to the direction of attack and as close as possible to known enemy positions on the objective without risking detection.
h. Objectives. The company commander assigns each platoon an objective, which should be on an easy-to-identify terrain feature. Platoon objectives should be small enough for a platoon to seize and clear in a single assault. Intermediate objectives should not be used in night attacks.
i. Limit of Advance. It should be easy to recognize in the dark (a stream, road, edge of woods) and far enough beyond the objective so security elements have space in which to operate. Fire support units are free to fire at targets beyond this line.
3. Additional Control Techniques. Other ways to ease control may include the use of:
a. Magnetic azimuth for maintaining direction.
b. Mortar or artillery rounds to orient attacking units.
c. Friendly tracer fire to help troops maintain direction.
d. Guides.
e. Reduced intervals between men and between squads.
f. A base squad or fire team on which all others in the platoon base their speed and direction.
g. Infrared or other night vision devices.
h. Identification of friendly troops by use of luminous tape or arm bands.
4. Communications. Wire is the main means of communications during the attack. The wire net should link the squad leaders, platoon leaders, and company commander. If possible, a security patrol should lay the wire before the attack. If not, the wire can be laid as the platoons move. You must take the following actions when laying wire and consider other means of communicating with your platoon:
a. For company net, the wire is laid from the company's assembly area to the platoon RP and from there to the squad RPs.
b. For platoon net, the wire is laid from the squad RP to each squad leader's position on the PLD.
c. Laying of wire before an attack could cause the attack to be discovered by the enemy if the wire is not properly hidden.
d. Other ways to communicate are by infrared and flashlight signals, personal contact, messengers, radios, flares, or pyrotechnics.
5. Formations and Movement Techniques. Formations are based on visibility, distance to the objective, and the likelihood of contact. Your platoon should not deploy on line until it is in assaulting distance of the objective.
a. The commander will decide what the company formation will be. Your platoon's formation will depend on its position in the company formation, the terrain, and the enemy situation.
b. Your platoon may cross the LD in column with squads in column (Figure 3-1), when--
(1) Visibility does not permit any other formation.
(2) Distance to the objective is great.
(3) Early contact with the enemy is not expected.
Figure 3-1. Squads in Column.
c. The platoon may cross the LD in a platoon line, squads in column (Figure 3-2), when--
(1) Visibility permits.
(2) Distance to the objective is short.
(3) Early contact with the enemy is expected.
Figure 3-2. Platoon Line, Squads in Column.
d. If the company is in contact with the enemy and the distance to the objective is short, the LD is the PLD. In this case, the platoons cross the LD/PLD on line, with their squads also on line.
6. Movement Techniques. The distances between men, fire teams, and squads are based on the visibility, terrain, and any other factors that affect control. Since visibility is poor, platoons and squads normally move either by traveling or by traveling overwatch. Bounding overwatch is rarely used at night without the help of night vision devices. Leaders stay near the front of their units for control.
7. Security Patrols. Before a night attack, if there is enough time and the enemy situation permits, each platoon sends a four-to six-man patrol to secure its part of the PLD. Each patrol will also guide its platoon from the platoon RP to the PLD.
a. The company order specifies--
(1) Size of each platoon's patrol.
(2) Time and place for the platoon patrols to link up and receive the company briefing.
(3) Time of departure.
(4) Who will be in charge of the platoon patrols.
b. Before you send your platoon's patrol to receive the company briefing, you brief it on--
(1) Who (from the company) will be in charge of all of the platoon patrols.
(2) Route from the platoon RP to the PLD.
(3) Positions of patrol members on the PLD.
(4) Recognition signals to be used between the guides and the platoon.
(5) Duties of guides.
(6) Laying of communications wire from the platoon RP to the PLD. (This may not always be done by the security patrol. It may be done later by the platoon. Leaders must insure that the wire is hidden if laid before the attack).
c. During the company briefing, the patrol is briefed on--
(1) The route from the LD to the platoon RP.
(2) Actions on enemy contact,
(3) Time of departure.
(4) Any other information needed by the patrols to perform their mission.
d. The patrols, under the control of the senior patrol leader, move forward to the platoon RP. They then move forward and secure their respective parts of the PLD and observe the objective, using night vision devices. The platoon guides come back to the platoon RP to guide their platoons to the squad RP and to the PLD. Each patrol leader and the rest of his patrol members stay on the PLD and help position the squads when they arrive.
8. Supporting Fire in a Night Attack. The platoon attacks taking its Dragon and machine guns, leaving no fire element. The company commander controls the supporting fire. If the attack is to be made by stealth, fire is planned but is delivered only on call. Fire is planned on the objective, and on its flanks and rear to isolate it during consolidation.
9. Summary. This completes the discussions on the doctrinal considerations for a limited visibility attack. We discussed the reasons a platoon may attack at night, whether attacks are non-illuminated or illuminated, attack control measures, communications, formations and movement techniques, security patrols and supporting fire in a night attack. We will now move to a discussion of the tactical considerations for a limited visibility attack.
Part B
TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR A LIMITED VISIBILITY ATTACK
1. Planning for the Attack. You will need more time to plan and coordinate for a night attack then for a daylight attack. You must keep the scheme of maneuver and fire support plan simple. Your troop-leading procedures start on receipt of the warning order.
a. After getting the company attack order, if there is enough time, you plan for--
(1) reconnaissance by leaders in daylight, at dusk, and in darkness (this gives them a chance to see the ground in different light levels).
(2) a security patrol.
(3) control measures, formations, and movement techniques from the assembly area to the objective.
(4) use of machine guns, Dragons, and fire support.
(5) action at the PLD.
(6) action when the attack is discovered.
(7) the assault.
(8) consolidation.
b. A night attack order is more detailed than a daylight attack order because more control measures and special instructions are needed.
2. Conduct of the Attack. The following portrayal will show you how a night attack is conducted.
a. The company moves from the assembly area, crosses the LD, and moves to the platoon RP. At the platoon RP, the platoons meet their guides and continue to their squad RPs. The platoon uses its night vision devices to help detect the enemy.
b. Once the company crosses the LD, movement to the PLD is continuous. The rate of advance is slow to maintain stealth.
c. If enemy flares burst overhead as troops are moving, the troops quickly lie down until the flares burn out.
d. If caught in the light of a ground flare, troops move out of the lighted area quickly and quietly.
e. If the attack is to be illuminated, the battalion commander or company commander will give the signal to start illumination.
f. Squads are released at the squad RP so they can be deployed before they reach the PLD. Members of the security patrols help the squad leaders position the squads on the PLD. Once their men are deployed, the squad leaders notify their platoon leader.
g. When your platoon is fully deployed, you inform the company commander. On the commander's order, platoons move forward silently from the PLD. They guide on the base platoon; the squads guide on the base squad.
h. When the attack is discovered, or on the company commander's order, the platoons assault. Scattered enemy fire must not be taken as loss of surprise and should not be cause to start the assault.
i. Once the assault is started, troops assault aggressively. They move by fire and movement using short rushes. This is done either singly, by pairs, by fire teams, or by squads. They must quickly gain fire superiority with a heavy volume of fire. Troops shout and create noise to confuse the enemy. Tracers are used to get better accuracy, to help control fire, and to scare the enemy. The FO calls for indirect fire around the objective to stop enemy reinforcement. Troops must not go beyond the limit of advance.
j. When the objective has been seized, platoons consolidate and reorganize. OPs are posted, but not beyond the limit of advance.
k. If the enemy discovers the attack before the company reaches the PLD, the company commander--
(1) Calls for planned supporting fire to suppress the enemy.
(2) Calls for illumination to ease control and movement.
(3) Continues as if it were a daylight attack.
3. Summary. This concludes the discussions on the tactical considerations for a limited visibility attack. We covered planning for the attack, conduct of the attack, and a limited visibility attack situation and platoon order.
4. Conclusion. This completes lesson three. You should know the doctrinal and tactical considerations for a limited visibility attack and how to issue a platoon order for a limited visibility attack. After reviewing all the material in this lesson, you should complete the practice exercise for lesson three.
