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

Chapter 6
Figure 6-5. Example of a penetration
6-53. Penetrations create assailable flanks and provide access to enemy sustainment areas. Because
penetrations frequently attack in the front of the enemy defense, they risk significantly more friendly
casualties than during an envelopment, turning movement, or infiltration. Augmentation of combat
engineer assets typically supports a brigade penetration.
6-54. A successful penetration requires the concentration of all combat multipliers, including the use of
night, stealth, and covered and concealed terrain. Penetrations have the following three stages:
� Breaching enemy main defensive positions.
� Widening the gap created to secure the flanks by enveloping one or both of the newly exposed
flanks.
� Seizing the objective with its associated subsequent exploitation.
6-55. The main attack is used to rupture enemy defense. Supporting forces protect the flank of the main
effort and widen the gap by defeating adjacent enemy forces. The reserve is positioned to assist the main
attack and exploit success. Follow-and-support forces are used to—
� Destroy enemy forces remaining in the zone.
� Widen the penetration.
� Secure the lodgment from counterattack.
Main Effort
6-56. Engineers support a penetration by providing the main effort with overwhelming mobility to rupture
enemy obstacles. This remains the engineer priority of support until a penetration is achieved. It requires
the ENCOORD to mass obstacle reduction assets in the main effort. Penetration requires the rapid
projection of combat power to maintain the momentum of the attack and quickly divide the enemy force.
To do so requires creating more lanes along a narrower front than normally associated with breaching
operations. Therefore, mass and redundancy drive engineer task organization to the main effort. Mass is
commonly achieved by weighting the main effort with task-organized EAB engineer augmentation, based
on the generally high number of essential tasks for M/CM/S associated with the main effort.
6-12 FM 3-34.22 11 February 2009