1963 US Army Vietnam War Armor Operations ... - Survival Books

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMWire teams move with the assault echelon to the terrain may restrict deployment to theprovide communication to the rear. Increased vicinity of the trail and may limit operations toreliance is placed on dismounted messengers a one-tank front. Tanks must be protectedand prearranged visual signals.closely by dismounted patrols that reconnoiterd. The jungle gives ideal concealment for for routes of advance, antitank guns, and antioffensiveoperations. This permits dismounted tank obstacles. Riflemen are designated to proinfantryto advance close to the enemy before tect the flanks and rear of each tank. Whenlaunching their attack. However, concealing the tanks are engaged, rifleman use the tanksfoliage also permits ambush and infiltrminingthe location ofattacks, and requires increased security, the enemy firing position. When the enemyis located the tank-infantry team attack ande. Certain effects of particular interest to destroy him. At times, close terrain makes itarmor should be considered in nuclear warfarein jungles-shielding by thick vegetation; self from the turret to locate targets and mainsevereobstacles created by blowdown; and diffi- tai contact with nearby tanks.culty in accurately locating suitable nucleartargets.c. Sometimes the terrain makes it impossiblefor tanks to take part in the assault. In this306. Offensive Operations in Jungle case the tanks may support the attack withoverhead and flanking fire. A tank forwarda. The fundamentals of employment and observer may go with the assault rifle companyconsiderations of the offense, for armor forces, to call for supporting fires.apply to offensive combat in jungles. Roads,trails, and rivers are key terrain in jungle oper- 307. Defense in Junglesations. Mounting flame kits on a number oftanks in each tank company and the increase a. In light jungles, the principles of defenseuse of the cannister round should be considered in woods generally apply. Thorough and consincejungle conditions often require a variety tinuous ground reconnaissance is necessary, beofmunitions,cause the observation of security elements isrestricted and air reconnaissance is often inb.Jungle combat is essentially a fight by effective. Long range fires can seldom besmall dismounted infantry units operating ex- employed.tremely close to the enemy. A tank platoon maybe attached to an assault rifle company to re- b. In a dense jungle, troops are disposedduce enemy automatic weapons by close-range along the forward edge of the battle area withfires. In close terrain, dismounted troops and minimum intervals between foxholes and notanks move together at the same rate of speed. gaps between units. Security elements consistOn trails, dismounted troops generally precede of small groups, dug in for all-round defense,the tanks at about 25 to 50 meters, depending to cover trails and other approaches to theon the terrain and enemy resistance. At times position.Section III. DESERT OPERATIONS308. General 309. Effects of DesertAll deserts have certain characteristics- a. Camouflage. The lack of vegetation in thelack of water; absence of vegetation; large desert makes concealment of men and equipareasof sand; extreme temperature ranges; ment difficult. Artificial means of camouflageand brilliant sunlight. The terrain is not neces- are employed extensively, including protectivesarily flat and level. There are hills, depres- painting for all vehicles. Maximum use is madesions, sand dunes, rocks, shale, and salt of shadows in broken ground, dried-out streammarshes, as well as great expanses of sand; beds (wadies), and sand dunes.however, these terrain features usually present, b. Mobility. As a rule it is easy to move inat most, only local obstacles to movement, desert areas; therefore, the force that has the156 AGO 91sla