MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery Operations.pdf - Marine Corps Community ...

Artillery Operations ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 5-11
less vulnerable to threat attack. For short
periods, a control cell (S-3, S-2, and essential
equipment) may be required to extend the battalion’s
capability to maintain control.
Firing Positions Outside the Perimeter
A battery may also prepare firing positions
outside its perimeter. The battery occupies the
supplementary firing position with only the
necessary personnel, equipment, and supplies for
a specific mission; e.g. limited artillery raid,
registration to the rear or offset registration.
Following the mission, the battery or those
elements conducting the mission return to their
primary position. This technique can extend the
range of the battery and reduce the threat’s
counterfire effectiveness. C2, CSS, and security
are simplified since the elements of the battalion
are usually together. However, the battalion’s
ability to deliver massed or sustained fire may be
degraded when units are not outside the battalion
position conducting other missions. Additional
positions and routes, time, survey, and communications
are required. The vulnerability of the
battery while displacing must be considered.
Battery Positioning
Like battalion PAs, battery PAs are general in
nature. Battery commanders reconnoiter their
assigned PAs as part of the battalion commander’s
party or they may plan and execute their reconnaissance.
When required, the battalion may assign
a battery a position to occupy. In contrast to the
battalion PA, the battery position is the specific
location occupied or to be occupied by the battery;
i.e., grid coordinates. This may occur when the
battalion desires to positively control the positioning
of artillery. Several factors affect selecting
battery PAs as follows.
Control and Coordination
Disposition of the battalion on the ground will
affect its overall capability to meet its fire support
requirements and its survivability.
Supported Unit’s Mission and Plans
Battery PAs should not interfere with other troops
or installations. For example, in a movement to
contact, areas should be positioned near roads to
allow artillery to keep up with the fluidity and
speed of the battle.
Firing Capability
Battery positions should be mutually supporting
with at least 3,000 meters overlap in their
firing capability fans. Other considerations
include gun-target line, firing range, and
capability to mass. Positioning that requires a
battery to fire directly overhead of another
battery should be avoided.
Threat Capability
Positioning will be influenced by the threat’s
capability and means to detect and attack artillery.
Table 5-1 contains battery positioning
techniques that correspond to threat types.
Additional Positioning Considerations
Terrain
Table 5-1. Battle Positioning.
Threat Battery Positioning
Radio direction-finding Laterally to degrade this
capability.
Counterfire Minimum of 1,000 meters apart.
NBC To minimize the effects and
exposure to these weapons.
Air Randomly and dispersed.
Ground To take advantage of existing
security of other units; for
mutual support; outside range
of threat long-range direct fire
weapons.
Terrain can limit availability of suitable firing
positions as well as minimize detection and
vulnerability to the threat’s attack. A position can
be selected against an embankment to afford