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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMpassed, the following company teamnate units must be commensurate withassumes the lead in the advance whentheir capabilities.the original lead company team has (2) Formations, although influenced bybeen depleted; otherwise the follow-frontages and zone of action, musting company teams may relieve these provide for reserves. These forcesforces, permitting them to continueshould be well forward to add motheadvance with their company team.mentum to the attack, exploit success,360. Control Measuresrepel counterattacks, and protect theflanks and rear against enemy action.The conduct of combat in built-up areas re- d. Phase Lines. Phase lines may be emquiresspecific control measures, with which ployed to further control by regulating the adalltroops must be familiar. Such measures vance of attacking forces and delineatinginclude-where, in the visualization of the commander,a. Boundaries. In order to provide easy and the command is expected to pass from onedefinite identification in denser portions of phase of the assault to another. Since phaseblock-type areas, boundaries are placed along lines are less restrictive than objectives, theyone side of the street with the street inclusive provide for the rapid exploitation of successto one unit. In areas of semidetached construc- without halting. Principal streets, rivers, troltionwhere observation and movement are less ley lines, and railroad lines are appropriate forrestrictive, the boundaries may be placed in use as phase lines.the alleys or within the blocks so that both e. Checkpoints. Street corners, buildings,sides of the street are included in one unit zone. railway crossings, bridges, or any easily identib.Objectives. Objectives are specific and fiable feature may be designated as check orlimited. The assignment as objectives of major contact points.street intersections, principal buildings, orother readily identifiable physical features fa- 361. Mission of Mechanized Infantrycilitates control. The numbering of the build- in Street Fightingings along the route of attack simplifies the as- a. Location of targets for engagement bysignment of objectives and reporting. When tank weapons.assigning a street as an objective, always desig- b. Neutralization and destruction of enemynate the near side as the objective. If the far antitank weapons.side of the street is assigned, it will be necessaryto hold buildings on both sides of the c.clearanceAssault andof buildingsreductionunderofthepositions,coveringandfirestreet to secure the objective. Units promptly clearance of buildings under the covering firereport their seizure of objectives and continuethe attack on order of the next higher com- d. Protection of tanks against individualmander.antitank measures.c. Frontages, Formations, and Zones of e. Security and defense of the area onceAction.cleared.(1) Attacking battalions will normally beassigned relatively narrow zones of362. Mission of Tanks in Street Fightingaction. The frontages assigned will a. Neutralization of enemy positions by mabedependent on enemy strength, size chinegun fire to allow the mechanized infantryof the buildings, and resistance antici- to close with and destroy the enemy.pated. Normally, a battalion task b. Destruction of enemy strongpoints byforce will be assigned a frontage of appropriate tank fire.from 3 to 6 blocks, which in turn will c. Destruction of barricades across streets.permit the assignment of a frontage d. Forcing of entry for infantry into buildtothe attacking company teams of 1 to ings when doorways are blocked by debris,2 blocks. Frontages assigned subordi- obstacles, or enemy fire.184 AGO 9139A