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The Clash of Independent Wills:
How Effective is Brigade Doctrine for Meeting
Engagements?
A Monograph
by
Major John D. Johnson
Infantry
DTIC
LLECT
ESY CLAVIS'ITR M ~
91 4 03 096
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li
ABSTRACT
TAB
!Un&tnuo~nced c
I-
iii ......
Av )d
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. Introduction ..... .......................... 1
Figures:
Appendices:
Endnotes .......................................... 54
iv
I. Introduction
wills.
design.,'
2
I chose to focus on the heavy brigade because it
operational concept.
engagements is adequate.
3
4) Maintain momentum by synchronizing the
actions of combat, combat support, and
combat service support elements.-
situation.
4
The Soviet Army's definition for the meeting
initiative.'
normal force was to engage and fix the enemy; the role
enemy. --
engagements.= 7
enemy.
and resolutely."
elements."
concepts in combat.
12
III. Historical Perspective
War and the fourth, from the 1973 Yom Kippur War. I
engagements.
BORISOVKA= :-
maintaining momentum:
14
Frontline experience convinced me that even an
insignificant success could be quickly
exploited if decisive measures were promptly
taken. This is why, instead of [going to the
battalion that had fallen behind], I headed off to
the Chuvarov battalion where things had swung to
our favor.5
Panther Tank for the first time, the brigade was forced
echelon.
SEDAN:17
fought engagement.
VI LLERS-BOCAGE:z,)
withdraw.
meeting engagement.
TEL SHAAR::
After halting the Syrian offensive in the Golan
Israeli flank.
themselves.
antitank weapons.
attack.
21
IV. Analysis of FM 71-3
analysis.
that first fixes and contains the enemy ... '41 The
FLANK SECURITY
SECU? Y FORCE
ANKSECRIY
FFL
ITY=J+
deployment.'
25
EIt REAR SECURITY
I-, <S5KM I
Sz FLANK SECURITY
LU< E 10i
i' ,., ,r-
r2MAIN BODY OF
oADVANCE GUARD
LiO
LU
< FWD SECURITY ELEMENT
>2
< FWD PATROL
SECURITY
FLANK N AC CP FLANK
5ECURITY MAIN BODY - SECURITY
- )WD FFLD -
/'REAR SECURITY
Figure 2. U.S. Brigade Movement to Contact and a
Soviet Motorized Rifle Regiment March Formation.".-
,
26
Fires play a significant role in seizing the
location.
initial contact.E-
discussed earlier.
28
rear. Finally, the manual does not provide guidance on
assets.
31
This problem might be easier to handle if U.S.
addressed.- ,
contact.
33
ATTACK VIOLENTLY AND RESOLUTELY
34
MAINTAIN MOMENTUM BY SYNCHRONIZING THE ACTIONS
OF COMBAT, COMJAT SUPPORT, AND COMBAT
SERVICE SUPPORT ELEMENTS
35
FM 71-3 tasks the engineers to protect flanks ". . . by
meeting engagement.-:
36
FM 71-3 states that the purpose of combat service
38
V. Conclusions
opponents.
The criteria for successful meeting engagements,
insufficient.
VI. Implications
initiative.
With this tone set in the capstone manual, FM 71-
40
guidelines for determining how far reconnaissance and
convey the roles that cach combat, CS, and CSS element
One side of the debate argues that too much detail will
perceived as binding.
enemy.
42
Appendix A. A Different Outlook on History
engagement.
43
of movement wherein meeting engagements were a frequent
meeting engagements.
FM 71-3.
46
Appendix B. Soviet Meeting Engagement Example
48
SP
-2
70I
41K
Combat support units are also incorporated into
This will force the enemy to the south, and set the
engagement early.
the south.
Develop the situation and initiate maneuver
engagement doctrine.
53
ENDNOTES
1 4 FM 100-5, 15.
1 Reznichenko, 119.
:SYegorov, 36.
3:Babadzhanyan, 246.
:3-Guenther Blumentritt, "Instructive Strategic
and Tactical Examples Taken from Two World Wars: Part
III," Historical Division, Headquarters, U.S. Army,
Europe (no date), 2-3. General Guenther von
Blumentritt, then the G3 for Army Group A, included
these events in his post-war writings. Unless otherwise
noted, this example is taken from his recollections.
3' CharlesE. White, "One Tiger," Armor Magazine,
July-August 1978, 16-17.
58
FFM 71-3, 3-20.
&."Command and General Staff College Student Text
100-3, Battle Book. (Ft. Leavenworth: Center for Army
Tactics, 1 June 1989), 2-7; This manual provides
planning figures for movement. With a vehicle every
100 meters in a column formation, an average armor task
force of 184 vehicles would occupy 18 kilometers on a
single route. In given 2 routes, 9 kilometers. If the
artillery follows as prescribed, at 18,100 Km range
(23,500 Km with RAP) it barely covers the very front of
the main body battalions, much less the forward
security force.
S"Peterson; also conversations with MAJ Lee
Burns, former Brigade FSCOORD (fire support
coordinator) O/C at the NTC.
-SFM 71-3, 3-20--3-21.
"Peterson.
59
*William H. Janes, COL, Director of the School
of Advanced Military Studies. Conversation with author,
16 October 1990; and Peterson.
'"Ogarkov, 649.
60
"Heinz Guderian, Panzer Leader, trans. by
Constantine Fitzgibbon, (New York: Ballantine Booke,
1957), 13-27.
61
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Asher, Jerry and Eric Hammel. Duel for the Golan: The
100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel. New York:
William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1987.
62
Simonyan, R. G. and S. V. Grishin. Tactical
Reconnaissance. Moscow: Military Publishing House
of Ministry of Defense of the U.S.S.R., 1980.
Translated by the Directorate of Soviet Affairs,
Department of the Air Force, 1980.
Government Documents
Articles
Dick, Charles. "The Meeting Battle." Department of the
Army Professional Bulletin 30 (Red Thrust
Star), Ft Irwin, California: 177th Armored
Brigade, (April 1990): 5-10.
64
Saint, Crosbie E. and John T. Nelson. "Crushing the
Soviet Forward Detachment." Military Review, Vol.
LXVII, No. 4. Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas: Command and
General Staff College, (April 1988): 3-11.
Soviet Articles
Other
65
Concannon, John F., "The Soviet Concept of the Meeting
Engagement." Student Research Report, U.S. Army
Institute for Advanced Russian and East European
Studies, Garmish, Germany, April 1976.
67