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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMform their tasks quickly and thoroughly if c. During the ship-to-shore movement, armorarmor units are to provide timely and effective unit commanders receive information by radiosupport of the beach assault. Landing sites from their reconnaissance and liaison personnelthat support the scheme of maneuver are se- ashore. The information includes the conditionlected and lanes through them cleared and of the beaches, progress of beach clearancerecognizably marked. The location of lanes, efforts, recommendation of the best beaches fortargets, missions assigned by supported infan- vehicles to land on, and other pertinent informatry,and other pertinent information are trans- tion. After landing, vehicles are met at themitted promptly to the attached tank unit corn- edge of the water and are informed of the bestmander during the ship-to-shore movement. As routes across the beach. They are then ledthe tanks emerge from their landing craft, they through the cleared lanes by guides. The clearedare met by guides and directed through the lanes are marked to be clearly visible fromcleared lanes to the points from which they sup- within the tank, usually by strips of tape placedport the attack. Tank units may support the along the edge of each lane.beach assault in the following manner:d. If intelligence is complete and indications(1) Gun tanks lay down a blanket of small are that mines will not be encoutered on thearms fire with machineguns while en- beach, and hydrographic conditions are favorgaginghard targets with their main able, tank units may be landed as the first wave.guns.They should land from 2 to 5 minutes ahead of(2) Dozer tanks or the combat engineer the initial wave of infantry. The landing andvehicle cover apertures and entrances the inital wave of troop-carrying craft or vehitoemplacements, assist in preparing cles must be timed precisely to obtain maximumantitank ditch crossings, and aid in effect from shock and firepower, and to providemine breaching operations inland. close infantry protection early in the assault.They assist in the immediate improve- If heavy enemy resistance at the waterline isment of the newly seized beaches if expected, the tank units landing in the initialthe tactical situation ashore permits. wave will land usually in a line formation tobring the maximum firepower to bear on the(3) Flame tanks reduce enemy positions hostile defenses.not susceptible to other weapons availableashore during the early period of 393. Trainingthe landing the and and landingassault.Amphibious training for Army units is outb.Against undefended beaches, mass land- lined in chapter 13. FM 31-12. This trainingings can be made by integrated assault teams is normally supported by Naval amphibioustransported in vehicles. Teams will debark training commands, and may be conducted atfrom the landing ships directly onto the beach the unit's base station by landing force trainingand attack inland,units.Section XII. SHORE-TO-SHOREMOVEMENTS384. General of the techniques of amphibious operations andriver-crossing operations, and involve proce-This section provides general guidance for dures and considerations related to each ofdures and considerations related to each ofarmor commanders and staff officers in the executionof shore-to-shore movements by armor similar to, are not amphibious operations beunits.Chapter 16, FM 31-12, provides generalguidance commanders, for staff officers, and cause they do not involve embarkation in Navalguidance commanders, for staff officers, and ships; however, both operations involve assaultother interested personnel for the planning and landings on hostile shore. The shore-to-shorelandings on a hostile shore. The shore-to-shoreexecution of shore-to-shore operations and movement is conducted normally by Armymovements. AR 320-5 defines shore-to-shore forces alone, employing primarily Army transoperationsand shore-to-shore movements. portation of the waterborne movement of thea. Shore-to-shore movements include some force.194 AGO 9139a