Deliberate Attack

[Compass Rose]

Tactics Article #6 - The Offense Pt. 2The Deliberate Attack

by Marc "Bayonet" Bellizzi 



In our first article on ‘The Offense’, we learned that offensive operations take four forms the Movement to Contact, Attack, Exploitation and Pursuit and we discussed the Movement to Contact at length, while Grunt School #2 & #3 discussed the Attack at the platoon level in good detail. This article carries on with the next higher combat element, the Company in the Attack.

An attack is an offensive operation that destroys or defeats enemy forces, seizes and secures terrain, or both.


The Attack consists of two methods the Hasty Attack or Deliberate Attack. As their namesake says, Hasty is when an attacking unit has little time to prepare, usually going into the attack from a movement, or when the exact enemy positions are unknown or vague. Deliberate means the attacking unit has taken at least some opportunity to better set the conditions for an Attack, by knowing exactly where the enemy forces are located, their composition & their strength. The attacker also has taken the time to set up his forces where he wants, and laid on support elements, like Engineers (to breach obstacles and attack fortified positions), Artillery (to pummel the enemy), Air Support (to really pummel the enemy), Tank support (to exploit the attack), etc.



Finally, an Attack requires more than anything else a defined Objective. Whether it is a point, circle or goose egg on a map, prominent terrain feature, a commander’s instruction, or whatever, an Attack requires a clear, concise, identifiable Objective so that success can be measured. In game terms as in war, capturing this Objective should be the player’s overall assignment and mission.



A quick, important note: In game terms it will not be apparent, but in war, the longer an attacker takes to start his deliberate attack, the more time the enemy will have to fortify his positions, set up obstacles, build kill zones and lay on his own support. This double edged sword must be taken into consideration by a combat commander.


Scenario Included with this article


Taking Eerie 11 June 1952 by Marc Bellizzi


The Company in the Deliberate Attack



Rommel is credited with saying something to the effect of, “the battle is won by the quartermaster before the first shot is fired.” I would expand this to say, “the battle is won by the quartermaster getting the right supplies to the right place, by the Personnel Officer getting replacement troops to the units in time, by the Air Liaison Officer getting air-strikes on time and on target, by the Artillery Officer getting rounds on target at the prescribed time, and most of all by the Combat Commander synergizing all these combat multipliers to attack at the right moment.”





Also having the recommended 3 to 1 odds helps.



Setting the stage: It is 11 June 1952. The Korean War is in its Stalemate phase and both sides are jockeying to capture key terrain that will become the buffer for the next 50+ years. The following scenario is based on a historical action.





MISSION: E Company, 2d Battalion conducts a deliberate attack of OBJ Eerie, 0600 hours, 11 June 52, to seize key terrain.



The enemy has held all the key hills in the "Old Baldy Complex" for too long. Elements of the CCF 38th and 39th Armies control the dominant terrain in the area and in many cases are close enough to the 45th Division's main lines to enjoy excellent observation of the division's activities and to have convenient bases for dispatching their nightly raids and probes. The enemy's advantages have become a matter of concern to Maj. Gen. David L. Ruffner, since he assumed command of the division in late May, for they point up the lack of a strong outpost line of resistance. If the 45th Division could establish a chain of strong outposts across its front, it would deny enemy observers the use of much of the surrounding terrain dominated by the outposts and could also provide additional defensive depth to the division's lines. Thus OPERATION COUNTER is born.





Phase I of OPERATION COUNTER captured Pork Chop Hill, Arrowhead, Alligator Jaws and T-Bone, to the east and west of us.



As part of Phase II of OPERATION COUNTER, we are Cpt Spalding, Commander of Easy Company (Co), 2d Battalion (Bn), 180th Regiment (Rgt), 45th ID. The enemy has two platoons with some support weapons on OBJ Eerie. Because this attack is so critical to the war, the Battalion Commander, LtC Murphy, has decided to give everything he has to support this effort and requested as much support as possible from Regiment and Division. Col Ritchie and General Ruffner in turn have decided to provide all the support they can muster (and spare) to this attack in point of fact, this is the ‘only game in town’ right now, and this attack has to succeed. Even the I Corps CDR, General Milburn, has shown interest in this attack, and has conducted liaison with the Air Force and Navy for several air strikes.



You will have available 2d Battalion's of 6 x 4.2in Mortars, 2 x battery's of the 171st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) in Direct Support, 1 x salvo from one battery of the 45th DivArty (155mm) in General Support. 2 x strike packages of Air Force F-80s and one strike package of 2 F4U's from the Carrier Oriskany.





There is no covered or concealed route to OBJ Eerie, so smoke has been made available to help screen our movement at the critical moment. Due to the poor terrain on the left and right of Eerie, we are going to have to conduct a frontal assault.





Below is the initial set-up.











It may seem like a lot is going on in this picture, but all those lines are what are known as, “Control Measures”, and they help the various elements define when actions are supposed to occur. The White goose egg at the top left is our objective OBJ Eerie. The Red lettering shows Easy Company in a Company Vee, with Platoons in Wedge. To the side of the company are ‘SBFs’ Support By Fire Positions (or ‘BOFs’, in the Marines), the left, SBF Scott, has the Bn support elements of 4 heavy machineguns and the Bn Fire Support Officer. On the Right, SBF Steve has Easy Company’s mortars. The units in the SBF’s will provide covering fire for Easy Company during this attack. The closest perpendicular line to our company is labeled, ‘LD’ for Line of Departure. This is the front line of our forces. The next line, ‘PL Ted’ is Phase Line Ted. When our forces cross this line, it is the signal for the Smoke to start to fire to cover our final attack. Parallel to our company are two lines that simply show where we are going to be maneuvering in our attack to take OBJ Eerie.



The enemy has on OBJ Eerie one rifle platoon with extra machineguns in trenches along the top of the hill; to the front of them, another platoon is spread out in prepared positions as security. There is one bunker at the center of the hilltop that the Chinese leader and his Fire Support Officer occupy. Wire and a few mines & booby traps have been set up to disrupt an attack, but the enemy has not completed his defensive preparations.



The first phase of this battle will consist of all the air-strikes hitting OBJ Eerie. 3 F-80s with 500lb bombs and 2 F4Us with Napalm will attack. Once they are through, the 155mm salvo will plaster the hilltop to kill anyone who pops their heads up. The SBF’s will each open fire, attempting to gain fire superiority and cover Easy Company’s movement.











We see our SBFs providing suppressive fires on the Objective. Our troops have crossed the road (the‘LD’) and are advancing. Our air-strikes were not as devastating as I wanted (inflicting 6 casualties), but the artillery and SBFs are starting to Pin enemy troops (3 more enemy casualties). Now that we are getting into enemy rifle range, at the end of each turn, Easy Company’s troops will go to ground, and each turn get up, run and get back down. We must trade exposing the men and moving faster upright versus the safer, slow crawling. Sitting in those open fields slow crawling will give the enemy time to target us with artillery.





By the time Easy Company is at Phase Line Ted, the platoon formations are starting to break up and men are becoming casualties (7 friendly vs 12 enemy so far). The SBFs, being elevated above the battlefield on hillsides, are able to keep up a heavy stream of fire over the heads of Easy Company.





We must fight the temptation to take Easy Company’s troops and return fire; it is much more important to get across that open ground the enemy kill zone and close with and destroy the enemy. If after moving, a unit still has sufficient movement points to return fire, then do so. Otherwise, drive on!











What you cannot see at this point is all the officers and NCOs of Easy Company running back and forth to rally pinned troops to keep moving this is where leaders earn their money and prove they are the backbone of the military. In response, since we are at PL Ted, the smoke starts to come in to help obscure us from the Chinese MGs. At first I was going to use the 105mm guns for the smoke missions, but realized those guns scatter the rounds too much; it is much more wise to use the 60mm Mortars line of sight and put the rounds exactly where we need them.







Our two lead platoons and Co CDR are over PL Ted, but the swampy ground is as tough an obstacle as mines & wire when it comes to slowing us down. The 60mm smoke is providing concealment so that our fumbling around in the marsh is not resulting in any casualties, thankfully. Most of the enemy squads are pinned at this point. Our mortars have shifted their fires to the hilltop in order to not hit our own forces. The 105mm Guns have shifted their fires to the backside of OBJ Eerie this is to isolate the OBJ from enemy reinforcements.






Easy Company is heavily engaged. The two lead platoons and Co CDR are getting online to make their final rush to seize the hill. Ironically, the trailing platoon (3rd is taking serious casualties; the enemy cannot see most of the men of Easy Co down in the marsh because they are in a low spot; so they are concentrating their fires on 3rd Plt and really giving them a hard time. The SBFs and artillery are laying it on heavy; without their cover fire Easy Co would be decimated.






In this picture we have zoomed in on the action; our lead platoons and HQ element are on line and ready to storm the hill. The 3rd Plt is at PL Ted, ready to help in the attack. Every enemy squad has been pinned and is depleted in strength to around 50%. Easy Co has lost 19 men; the enemy 24. However, Easy is about to carry the day.








Through intense enemy fire, Easy Co drives on; the enemy outposts have cracked and ran and the main battle position is also starting to break. As an aside, the Easy Company HQ element runs through the minefield at the river crossing and is wiped out (5 casualties!).







At this point, the battle is decided, and it is just a matter of time before Easy Company completely seizes OBJ Eerie. In our final picture, we see the two lead platoons and HQ clearing the trenches. The Co CDR has decided that the following 3rd Plt will pass through the two engaged platoons and help establish a perimeter against any potential enemy counterattack on the backside of OBJ Eerie.










Final thoughts



I mentioned there are four forms of the Offense Movement to Contact, Attack, Exploitation and Pursuit and we have covered the first two. The last two are forms of attack used once you have achieved victory.





- Exploitation is a type of offensive operation that rapidly follows a successful attack and is designed to disorganize the enemy in depth. The objective of an exploitation is to complete the enemy's disintegration. Tanks racing to the rear to destroy artillery units or supply columns is a good example of Exploitation.





- A Pursuit is an offensive operation designed to catch or cut off a hostile force attempting to escape, with the aim of destroying it. A Pursuit normally follows a successful Exploitation. However, if it is apparent that enemy resistance has broken down entirely and the enemy is fleeing the battlefield, any other type or subordinate form of offensive operation can transition into a Pursuit.





Commanders combine and sequence Movements to Contact, Attacks, Exploitations, and Pursuits to gain the greatest advantage. Commanders recognize that the many types of offensive operations may run together with no discernible break. A successful Attack may lead to an Exploitation, which can lead to a Pursuit. However they are not always in this order; an Attack to complete the enemy's destruction can follow a Pursuit. In other cases, commanders may direct an Attack against the enemy during a Pursuit to slow his withdrawal.



The main point a player needs to keep in mind, is that the offense has a number of indisputable advantages. The principal advantage enjoyed is the possession of the initiative. He who can maintain the initiative makes the enemy react and fight on terms of your choosing. This ultimately leads to victory.





Sources:



FM3-0 Operations, US Army, 2001



The German Infantry Handbook, A. Buchner, Schiffer Publishing 1987



SH 21-76 The Ranger Handbook, US Army 1988



TM-E 30-451 The German Armed Forces, US Army, 1945



FM 7-7 The Infantry Platoon in Combat, US Army, 1992



FM 71-1 The Tank & Mechanized Inf Cbt Tm, US Army, 1988



US Army Infantry School CATD training supplements, US Army, 1995