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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMgreat speed. Responsibilities for traf-other traffic control personnel, thefic regulation and control must be de- traffic headquarters (at divisionfined clearly. Engineer support re- level), and holding areas.quired to prepare the defile site for c. Alternate Routes. In the planning for apassage should be accomplished under passage of a defile, alternate routes must beconditions of reduced visibility or at designated. Alternate routes should take adnight,when practicable. The defile vantage of concealed approaches to andtarget zone coordinator is completely through the target zone if possible. The negoresponsiblefor planning, regulating, tiation of the defile by combat units should notand controlling traffic into, through, be dependent exclusively on roads. All routesand beyond the target zone. He es- must be reconnoitered and made suitable fortablishes priorities for movement; the anticipated volume of traffic.schedule of movement; rates ofmarch; size of march units; and input d. Deception. Adequate deception measuresof traffic into the target zone. Traffic must be planned to further the success of theregulation must be enforced rigidly to main defile passage operation. Dummy equipinsuresmooth, constant flow and pre- ment should be placed at selected defile sitesvent disruption.to deceive the enemy and cause him to expendnuclear weapons on this site.(2) To assist the defile target coordinatora traffic control headquarters is estab- e. Retrograde Passages. The procedures eslishedand controls-tablished for the passage of a defile during theadvance are equally applicable to retrogradeareas on the near side of the target movements. In fact, plans for a passage of adefile during the offense should encompasszone.plans for a retrograde movement.(b) Movement from holding areas (ifused) on the far side of the target f. Use of Air Vehicles. Air vehicles may bezone.used for airlifting certain troops, supplies, and(c) Normal movement beyond holding equipment over or around the defile to reducesubstantially the number of ground elementszone.areaszone. thfridoterequired to negotiate the target zone.(3) To facilitate rapid movement of traf- g. Security. Security units should be proficthrough the target zone, the defile vided the defile target zone coordinator as atarget zone coordinator establishes ready force to eliminate enemy countermeastrafficcontrol points between the hold- ures. Security outside the target zone remainsing areas and the perimeter of the the responsibility of the commander concerned.target zone, within the target zone, However, security plans must be coordinated.and beyond the target zone up to hold- h. Ground and Air Reconnaissance and Suringareas on the far side. Wreckers veillance. In operations at a defile, reconnaisshouldbe stationed at critical points sance and area surveillance are of utmost imalongall routes, including alternate portance. It is imperative that the commandroutes, and preferably rear traffic con- be warned of the presence or approach of thetrol points, to be immediately avail- enemy at the earliest possible moment and theable. The engineer must have at his longest ranges possible.immediate disposal equipment andmateriel, located in equipment parks, 338. Brigade-Level Passagesnecessary to reduce obstructions tonecessary to reduce obstructions to Tactical considerations are shown in a and bfree-moving traffic. Communicationmust be maintained among the defiletarget zone coordinator, wreckers, the a. Offense. When the brigade must passtraffic control points, the engineer at through a defile, armored cavalry elementsthe defile site, the military police or should precede the main body and reconnoiter168 AGO MA