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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMSection IV. CONDUCT OF THE ATTACK191. The Advance to the Assault (d) Artillery airbursts can be employeda. The advance to the assault is conducted over the attacking force.from a line of departure to close with an enemy (e) Some protection will be affordedforce. The advance is conducted in a manneragainst nuclear weapons.to minimize casualties to the maneuver force (f) The infantry can conserve energywhile positioning combat power to imposemaximum destruction on the enemy.to be better able to fight whenneeded.b. The maneuver force conducts the advance (3) Infantry normally dismount when itto the assault as a continuous, rapid movement,is necessary for them totoinsure that it passes through the enemy's (a) Breach or remove obstacles that arefields of fire in minimum time.preventing the forward movementc. The advance to the assault is conducted in of the tanks.mass (app. XIII).(b) Assist in the neutralization or ded.Throughout the advance to the assault, struction of antitank weapons thatthe commander supervises the execution of hisare holding up the forward moveplanand continues his estimate. He keeps ment of the tanks and armored perabreastof the situation as it develops to deter-sonnel carriers.mine if changes must be made in the scheme of(c) Lead an attack through heavilymaneuver or plan of fire support.wooded areas or very rough orbroken terrain.192. Tank/Infantry Teamwork During theAdvance to the Assault(d) Lead an attack across defendedrivers that cannot be crossed bya. General. Armor operations are based on armored personnel carriers orthe combined arms concept in which each armforded by tanks.contributes its peculiar capabilities to the com- (e) Take part in an attack throughbat power of other forces of the overall force.To weld the capabilities of infantry and tankfortified areas or defended townsand villages that cannot be byunitsinto one effort, the commander considerspassed.the following relationships between tanks and (f) Assist the tanks forward under cerinfantryin the advance to the assault.tain conditions of low visibility and(1) Whenever possible, tanks lead the at- restricted fields of fire (darkness,tacking formation in order to takesmoke, heavy woods, broken termaximumadvantage of their capa-rain, etc.).bility for mounted combat.b. Mounted Infantry.(2) It is desirable that the infantry re- (1) Tank and mounted infantry actionsmain mounted as long as possible soare coordinated by combining thesethat-elements into one mutally supporting(a) The accompanying infantry can formation positioning them in themove forward at the speed of theformation according to the tacticaltanks to rapidly close with and de-situation.situation. InIndeterminingdeterminingthethelocationlocationof the carriers, the commander must~~stroy the enemy. ~considerthe primary requirement for(b) The battlefield mobility of both ele- having the mechanized infantryments of the tank-infantry teamreadily available when required, inwill be retained.conjunction with the vulnerability of(c) Casualties will be minimized inthe APC to enemy fire. The armoredareas swept by small arms and ar-personnel carriers can provide additilleryfire.tional flank and rear security to the96 AGO 9139a