FM 3-34.22 - Army Electronic Publications & Forms - U.S. Army

Chapter 6
� Protect enveloping-force extended flanks.
� Provide engineer support to protect enveloping-force flanks centers on situational obstacles,
which are planned at the brigade level.
Note. SCATMINE systems are key components for this support.
6-36. A key aspect of mobility support to the main effort is maintaining the enveloping-force LOC. In
envelopment, the LOC for the main effort can quickly become extended, shifted in response to the attack,
or threatened by enemy units that have been bypassed. Engineers organic to the BCT have limited
sustainment capability and rely on EAB assets for augmentation, which should be determined early in the
planning phase.
Actions on the Objective
6-37. To provide engineer support to actions on the objective, the ENCOORD must understand the
enveloping-force mission. Fundamental to this understanding is the engineer’s involvement with the S-2 in
the IPB process. Determining the task organization of engineer units to the enveloping force centers on the
IPB process and the subsequent collection of information.
6-38. The mission of the enveloping force may be to attack and defeat or destroy a defending enemy force
or reserve. The priority of engineer effort is still mobility. The task organization must provide attacking
battalions with the capability to breach protective obstacles. However, the mission may be to secure key
terrain that denies the enemy’s use of LOCs. The enveloping force may then establish blocking positions.
Therefore, engineer support to actions on the objective may also require countermobility and survivability
operations. The organic engineer units can provide only limited survivability support. In these cases, the
ENCOORD, through wargaming, ensures that the enveloping force has the assets to maintain its mobility
during the attack, protect its flanks, and establish effective blocking positions.
Fixing Force
6-39. Providing the necessary assets to the fixing force is the greatest challenge of the ENCOORD. While
the main effort of engineer support and concentration of the engineer force is with the enveloping force,
engineer requirements for the fixing force must not be discounted. When the envelopment is successfully
executed, the fixing force is likely to be the only force required to breach extensive obstacles. More
importantly, the success of the main effort may depend on the ability of the fixing force to penetrate the
prepared defenses and fix the enemy during the movement of the enveloping force. This causes the enemy
to fight in two directions.
6-40. The engineer role in the fixing force is normally limited in scope because of support priorities to the
enveloping force. The ENCOORD carefully analyzes the requirements of the fixing force. This may
require focusing on the maneuver plan two levels down through close coordination with the engineer and
maneuver force commanders. The ENCOORD often recommends that the maneuver commander accept a
degree of risk and allocate the minimum force necessary to accomplish mobility requirements. However,
the ENCOORD can reduce the risk by initially focusing OBSTINTEL collection to confirm or deny
assumptions made about the enemy situation facing the fixing force. Adequate engineer augmentation
reduces the need to accept certain types of risk.
TURNING MOVEMENT
6-41. A turning movement (see figure 6-3) is a form of maneuver where the attacking force seeks to avoid
principal enemy defensive positions by seizing objectives to the enemy rear. The result should cause the
enemy to abandon their current positions or divert major forces to meet the new threat. This form of
offensive maneuver frequently transitions from the attack into an exploitation or pursuit. A turning
movement differs from envelopment because the force conducting a turning movement seeks to make the
enemy displace from the current location, whereas an enveloping force seeks to engage the enemy in the
current location from an unexpected direction.
6-8 FM 3-34.22 11 February 2009