Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
For the 35th time in the century-old history of our jour- Battlefield teamwork, effectively developed, leads to
nal, the guidon has passed to a new editor. Like any big payoffs. LTC Alan G. Wtters illustrates today's
other unit, individuals come and go, but the magazine Airland Baffle Doctrine through WWll blitzkrieg tactics
lives on. in his "Teamwork and Synchronization - The Blitzkrieg
of the '80s."
I would be slightly negligent were I not to shatter the "Combat Intelligence at IRON STAR" is CPT Michael T.
stillness of this transition just a little. My predecessor, Pierson's discussion of the steps required in Threat
Maj. G. Patrick Ritter, heads to Europe and leaves be- evaluation, terrain and weather analysis, and threat in-
hind a solid source of professional thought and a tegration that are necessary for intelligence preparation
strengthened professional association. We who wear of the bafflefield and for an aggressive counter-racon
the Armor or Cavalry insignia on our collar owe him our plan.
snappiest salute. Gunners and TCs can take away valuable training tips
on UCOFT, TCPC, range time management, and prep-
A close look at your magazine should reveal a few to-fire and preengagement checks from CPT Kris P.
changes. The paper stock is different; the subtitle, "The Thompson's "The Guts of Tank Gunnery," a follow-up to
Magazine of Mobile Warfare," no longer appears on the Winning the Peacetime Battle" (March-April 1987
cover; and there is a PB number on the contents page. ARMOR).
These changes are among those that are a result of the As you read this issue and pick up an understanding
transition to a TRADOC professional bulletin program, of our past - and perhaps some information that you
which received impetus from the DA effort to reduce the can use in your own unit - please keep in mind that
number of publications. But the contents will remain the this is your professional bulletin, dependent upon each
same - thought-provoking discussions about the of you for its content and support. It is written by and
armor and armored cavalry business. for members of the Armored Force and draws its sus-
tenance from our association, to which only about 47
This issue contains the final installment of "The Ten percent of us belong.
Lean Years", MG Robert W. Grow's personal account of This publication is our source for innovative ideas and
the orlgins of the Armored Force. Thls four-part series doctrinal discussion, and our only link to our chosen
has received much desewed comment and praise. branch. That fact makes this magazine even more im-
In "Some Thoughts on Taking Care of Your Soldiers," portant when we serve in assignments away from
BG John C. Bahnsen (kt.) and CPT Robert W. Cone troops and tanks. Join up. Pass your copy around, and
discuss commanders' responsibilities towards their sol- help keep this association and publication gassed up
diers. and rolling.
-PJC
Editor-ln-Chief
MAJOR PATRICK J. COONEY FEATURES
Managing Editor
JON T. CLEMENS 10 Some Thoughts on Taking Care of Your Soldiers
by Brigadier General John C. Bahnsen (Ret.)
Commandant and Captain Robert W. Cone
MG THOMAS H. TAlT
16 Combat Intelligence at Iron Star
ARMOR (ISSN 0004-2420) is published by Captain Michael T. Pierson
bimonthly by the U S . Army Armor Center,
4401 Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox, KY40121.
Disclaimer: The information contained in 20 The "Name Enough Division
ARMOR represents the professional opinions by Brigadier General Albin F. lrzyk (Ret.)
of the authors and does not necessarily
reflect the official Army or TRADOC position, 29 The Guts of Tank Gunnery
nor does it change or supersede any informa-
tion presented in other offlcial Army publica-
by Captain Kris P. Thompson
tions.
Official distribution is limited to one copy 34 The Ten Lean Years (Part IV)
for each heavy brigade headquarters, ar- by Major General Robert W. Grow
mored cavalry regiment headquarters, armor
battalion headquarters, armored cavalry
squadron headquarters, reconnaissance 43 Teamwork and Synchronization: The Blitzkrieg of the '86s
squadron headquarters, armored cavalry by Lieutenant Colonel Alan G. Viers
troop, armor company, and motorized
brigade headquarters of the United States 49 Draper Essay Award Winner:
Army. In addition, Army libraries, Army and
DOD schools, HQ DA and MACOM staff The Evolution of a Battalion Commander
agencies with responsibility for armored, by Major Richard P. Geier
direct fire, ground combat systems, organira-
tions, and the training of personnel for such
organizations may request two copies by
sending a military letter to the editor-in-chief.
DEPARTMENTS
Authorized Content: ARMOR will print only
those materials for which the US. Army 2 Letters
Armor Center has proponency. That
proponency includes: all armored, direct-fire
ground combat systems that do not serve
6 Commander's Hatch
primarily as infantry carriers; all weapons
used exclusively in these systems or by CMF 8 Driver's Seat
19-series enlisted soldiers; any miscel-
laneous items of equipment which armor 9 RecognitionQuiz
and armored cavalry organizations use ex-
clusively: training for all SC 12A, 128, and
12C officers and for ail CMF-14series en- 47 Professional Thoughts
listed soldiers; and information concerning
the training, logistics, history, and leadership 52 Books
of armor and armored cavalry units at the
brigadelregiment level and below, to include
Threat units at those levels. 53 RecognitionQuiz Answers
Material may be reprinted, provided credit
Is given to ARMOR and to the author, except secondc~aaaomcial mail postsga pald at ~ o r twx, w, cvld addnlonal melting omcea. pomaster
where copyright is indicated. Send address changes to Editor, ARMOR. A m ATSBMAQ. Fort Know. KY 40121.
Mttfibullon Restriction: Approvsd for puMk release: dhtrlbution la unilmtled.
Mol Ull. ..-.-, _.."" .... ".."
( ,.,.- ....,-."""., ..."
thickness of the armor will dramatically af- attacker.
fect CREW survhrability. The more energy
The debate continues on the heavy or a round must expend getting through the There are several problems facing llght
llght armor approach to tank design. The.' armor, the higher chance the crew has of tank survival. They would be blown apart
light armor advocates say the lower staying alive. Shaped charges are af- by a large shaped charge that would
weight allows greater mobility to avoid fected much more than kinetic energy leave only a small hole in heavy armor. A
hits, and the heavy armor advocates say rounds. simple high explosive round, useless
thicker armor will prevent attacking ammo against heavy armor, has an even more
from getting through. Both sides fail to un- A defender can wait or manewer for a devastating effect than the same size
derstand how technology functions on the flank shot on a heavy tank. This apparent- shaped charge. Reactive armor is of no
battlefield. Both are right and wrong. ly makes heavy front armor useless, but help against such large ammo attacks. it
Weight is not the controlling factor in Its elimination means the defender does is questionable how useful internal mm-
mobility: horsepower is. With enough not need to flank shoat. A lightly armored partmentalization with blast relief ports
horsepower. any vehicle - no matter how tank would be shot at more often and ear- would be. Interior walls would be thicker
heavy - can be manewerable. A 21-ton, lier In an attack than a heavy one. A than the armor. Large shaped charges
lightly armored tank, with its frontal armor heavy tank unit would be able to deliver and high-exploshre rounds will overpower
increased to stop the largest current more firepower than a light tank unit. It any automatic fire-suppression system be-
Soviet kinetic energy and shapedcharge would be interesting to see if this could cause of the tremendous behindarmor ef-
rounds, would only lose 5 to 6 horse- be documented. Maneuverability is only fects. A hit by one of these large founds
power per ton due to the additional usable when on the attack, and even then would cause so much damage that the
Leadership Development
More and more emphasis is being need to be taught in the platoon stationed on or near a BNCOC, I
placed on leadership development. that can be assigned to other NCOs strongly recommend the command
Positive directions have been in the platoon to develop their sergeants major, fwst sergeants, and
developed as we grow with the skills. Physical Training, Drill and platoon sergeants visit the school
program. There are key points that Ceremonies, Inspection in Ranks and learn what courses of instruc-
have been expressed by our leaders and the Billets, How to Wear the tion are taught, and how to assist
over the last couple of months. I Uniform, etc., are a few of the sub- your NCOs during schooling and
would like to share with you some jects for a new Primary Leadership upon their return to the organiza-
of those points. Development Course graduate. tion. It’s not easy to combine leader-
ship with technical skills, especially
In order to reinforce leader It is important that the platoon ser- with the deletion of monetary
development, all of us must know geant always remember that he is resources. However, it is a must if
what leadership instruction is being responsible to counsel the NCO on we expect the squad leader or
taught and what are the objectives strong points and shortcomings. vehicle commander to be totally
of that instruction. What better Probably the single most important proficient on the system for which
place to find out than the Noncom- point to remember is that Leader- he is responsible.
missioned Officer Academy? ship Developmcnt allows for mis-
takes to be made. Too often we First, you have to integrate techni-
The NCO Academy is an outstand- recklessly criticize someone for a cal and tactical training. All the
ing place for an NCODP class, mistake instead of using it as a technical skills in the world will not
where the noncommissioned of- teaching point and sharing the help you if cannot maneuver the
ficers of the organization can see problem with others. vehicle at the precise moment. The
first-hand where our noncommis- Unit Conduct of Fire Trainer
sioned officers live while in school, The second area I would like to (UC0F.r) demands the basic fire
what is expected of them, what sub- address is the Military Occupational and movement exercises. The Na-
jects are taught, and how to rein- Specialty of the NCO. How do you tional Training Center, and (soon)
force the training received once develop the Basic Course graduate? the Combat Maneuver Training
they return to the unit - the latter How do you combine leadership Center in Hohenfels, demands tech-
being the most dilficull. Most of us, with technical skills? How do you in- nical and tactical proficiency if you
over the years, have not allowedthe tegrate technical and tactical train- are to survive. The Basic Noncom-
newly trained NCOs to use their ing? How do you integrate common missioned Officers Course (Armor
newly acquired talents when they ar- tasks and individual task into leader and Cavalry) demands technical
rive back in the unit. training? First, you must know what and tactical proficiency through
the demands of the basic course Situational Training Exercises
There are many subjects which are. Again, for those of you who are (STX).
Continued on Page 46
Have you ever met a fellow officer ready work; but just maybe you will ture. Sure, you can "micromanage"
who did not claim to "take care of find something here that will make your way through a marginally suc-
soldiers?" Of course not! 'Taking things better still. cessful 12-18 months of command
care of soldiers" has become the by working problems on a day-to-
standard byline of our professional On Health day basis, but the truly big gains
dialogue. But what exactly does and Physical Well Being come from long-term payoffs from
"taking carc of soldiers" mean? long-term investments, such as
Few organizations possess the taking care of the health of your sol-
To many officers, it is synonymous resources to care for the total needs diers.
with somehow making the Army sys- of their members. In the main, the
tem work for the individ ual soldier, U.S. Army does. Despite that fact, Denial Care
or ensuring that the system meets one does not have to look very far
the soldier's needs. Such a notion is to find soldiers with rotten teeth How many "snaggletooths" do you
fluffy at best and is probably the and in poor physical shape. The have in your unit? We bet that if
reason - despite all the rhetoric - resources to ftx these readiness you have not personally checked
we generally take care of few sol- degrading problems are all avail- your soldiers' mouths, you have at
diers very well. Unfortunately, able, but few soldiers - by themsel- least a handful of soldiers wi th ob-
"taking care of soldiers" is a concept ves - possess the skill, knowledge, viously decayed, missing, or twisted
that is long on good intentions and or persistence to make the teeth. You say: "How can this be?
short on specifics. bureaucracy deliver. Making the They all have their teeth checked by
bureaucracy work for your soldiers' dentists at every prep-for-overseas-
benefit is your job as a leader and movement exercise, every birthday-
The purpose of this article is to as a commander, and thal's not month audit, and every routine
provide some age-old techniques of easy. Dealing with problems takes exam!" While all that is probably
"taking care of soldiers" that work time - both your own and that of true, the pathology of dental disease
weU in peacetime and will return your soldiers - and often distracts is a devious one. Those soldiers'
big dividends in war. The ideas we from your immediate concerns of teeth didn't get that way overnight,
offer are really little more than old "getting Delta 34 up" or getting and although they probably don't
wine in new bottles. There is little ready for the ARTEP or qualifica- like their teeth as they are, those sol-
pride of authorship here, as few of tion gunnery. Moreover, some of diers sure don't want to go through
these techniques are original. the "little things" you encounter in the agony and aggravation of getting
Rather, they are simply an ac- dealing with the bureaucracy tend them fIXed. Although they may be
cumulation of ideas that work. to get you in more trouble than may identified for dental work at these
Tested in both peace and war, they seem of immediate worth to you. various screening procedures, they
have passed from mentor to men- For instance, making a bunch of just never seem to make it over to
tored over many years dental appointments for soldiers the clinic to get the work done.
and then not following through on H is not just young soldiers who
Our profession is one of the very seeing that the soldiers get to them have bad teeth, either. Take a hard
few that encourage the free ex- does tend to generate some embar- look at your first sergeant's and
change of such professional "techni- rassing statistics at higher head- your platoon sergeant's teeth, These
ques" without acknowledgment. We quarters. The point, though, is that individuals can provide the most
know that you have ideas that al- you need to worry about the big pic- creative and exotic excuses for
1 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - A R M O R - - - - - - - - - - - - July-August 1987
avoiding dental work. Do not
hesitate to make them open their
mouths and show you their teeth.
Keep a little card file, reminding
you just who needs what. But most
of all, follow up and make sure that,
once the dental care is started, it is
finished regardless of how incon-
venient it is for your unit and how
uncomfortable it is for the soldiers.
More than likely, you will not get
thanked for making the soldier go P
do you get your soldiers to break- and hazardous for the unit com-
fast? It is not an easy situation to mander. It is complicated because it trouble with the obvious things like
fuc, but basically you need to make takes constant study and effort to field jackets, gloves, or wet weather
sure that the troops get up or come figure both what you are authorized gear; it is the little things that many
in early enough to make it to the and how to get it. It is hazardous be- soldiers consider to be optional.
mess hall. There will he plenty of cause once you have figured the sys- Such items as long underwear and
resistance from the growing number tem out, you are ultimately account- the O D muffler apparently do not
of young soldiers who live off-post able for all the extras that you seem like a fashionable idea to inex-
with their families, but they are the bothered to get. Unfortunately, perienced soldiers. Make them wear
ones who can afford the "gut truck many commanders have reduced them whether (hey like it or not,
least. their risk by cutting back on troop and then you need to check them to
The other thing you can do is amenities under the general make sure that they do. A related
make sure the mess hall is serving philosophy of "the less you have, the point involves the tendency of your
what the troops want. Glad-hand less you have to worry about." But more senior personnel to have ac-
t h e mess sergeant, eat breakfast in imagine a conversation between two cumulated "special" items of cloth-
the mess hall yourself, and set up ac- privates from different units within ing. Such niceties as goose down
tivities like company breakfasts to the same battalion, one with all the parkas, insulated coveralls, "Mickey
introduce non-users to the facility. little extras and one without, and Mouse" boots, and electric socks
Your mess sergeant will quickly figure out what kind of conclusions are great cold fighters that your
identify you as the reason that his they will draw about which soldier more experienced NCOs and of-
headcount has gone up and he will is more important to his respective ficers have collected in their
very likely be more responsive to unit. Taking care of soldiers is going careers. Unfortunately, they have no
business wearing them unless they
have been issued to the entire unit.
Leaders need to wear the identical
items of clothing that their soldiers
do in order to gauge the effects of
the elements on their troops.
The quartermaster laundry is
another great deal for your troops,
but very few take advantage of it un-
less they are pushed. The reason is
that quartermaster laundry is bad-
mouthed by a lot of soldiers be-
cause the service is not timely or
items get lost. Generally speaking,
j
the problem is not with quarter-
master laundry, the problem is with
your supply sergeant. The supply
k, sergeant is responsible for pick up
and delivery, as well as account-
Y ability and paperwork. The fewer
Members of D Co., 1-67 Armor, gather for Thanksgiving Dinner soldiers who use it, the easier the
I November, 1983. Captain Cone, one of the authors, commanded job is. The best way to solve that
the unit at the time. problem and improve your unit's
~~
"career," how can you expect sol- also do not have ARCOMs. You
diers to follow your plans in war, are not finished giving the medal
under the very real threat of losing until the soldier has the certificate,
their lives? Stick it out; it is usually the'medal, and the orders.
after the first few glitches that the Another "no lose" situation is the
plan begins to pay off. Good Conduct Medal. Despite the
fact that there is an Army regula-
Recognidng Your Soldiers tion that states that soldiers should
receive this award and all others in
So far, most of the ideas we've an appropriate ceremony or in for-
mentioned for taking care of sol- mation, very few actually do. Make
diers have either involved making an issue of tracking down which sol-
people do things that they did not diers have not received the Good
really want to do, or that put you, Conduct Medal and give these
the commander or leader, at some awards in your formation. Another
form of risk. Recognizing your sol- good tip is to always get a photog-
diers is the one area that is pure rapher to take pictrues of the award
gravy for both you and your troops. ceremonies. Some public affairs of-
There are a lot of different ways fices gladly provide this service.
that we can recognize our soldiers. Having each photograph signed by Major General John W. Wood-
First of all, you should get used to the officer presenting the award and mansee presents the 2AD's
simply looking them in the eye, shak- giving it to the soldier is a nice per- Distinguished Unit Award
ing their hand and saying "Tltarrks" sonal touch. The rewards your unit to D Co., 1-67 Armor in
and W n proud of yoii" when you gets from a good awards program is July, 1984..
think they have done a good job or worth far more than the cost of the
put forth extra effort. That is the ribbon and the piece of metal. do not get kicked back by battalion
easiest way and often is the most ef- or division. That is wrong! Re-
fective. Efficiency Reports viewers need to treat every report
Good leaders need to be able to as if it were their own. The NCO
Medals write well to take care of their may not be a future CSM, but
NCOs and junior officers. As a com- every sentence should be complete
When your unit successfully mander or rater, if you cannot ex- and every "4" in its proper place.
returns from a major training event press exactly how good the people In most cases it takes six or more
or scores well on a major inspec- who do your bidding are, then you painful drafts, but hopefully the
tion, you should think about impact might as well stick knives in their writers will learn something. The
awards. Awards can range from bat- backs. Too many oficers worry too good news on this subject is that the
talion certificates of achievement, to much about their own efficiency personal computer revolution has
the Army Achievement Medal, to reports and not enough about made it a lot easier to crank out
the Army Commendation Medal. taking care of their "horses." If you high quality paperwork through the
Here are some things to remem- cannot write, now is the time to use of multiple drafts.
ber, however. An impact award is learn. Writing comes easily to very
exactly that. You need to give it out few people and the only way that On the Family
almost immediately after the event you get better at is by painful repeti-
or you miss the point. Make an tion. Worry less about using big A few years ago, this subject
issue of recognizing those soldiers words and more about being clear, would not be discussed in this ar-
who are not highly visible, such as: concise, and to the point. You must ticle. Either young enlisted soldiers
mechanics, cooks, medics, and truck be able to take care of the people did not have families or those who
drivers. If a soldier is only attached who take care of you. Good writing did were well under control of the
to you, make a point of recommend- is a key to this. highly organized distaff side. The
ing him to his commander for an A related point involves the com- Army of Excellence is much dif-
award and see that he gets it; he mander's role as a reviewer. You ferent today. The advent of the all-
will beg to work with you on the need to teach the NCOs and of- volunteer force raised the number
next field problem. ficers who work for you how to of young soldiers with families while
Also, do your homework and find write as well. Too many units accept the rise of sexual equality has sig-
out what other awards the soldier the norm that the average EER for nificantly weakened the respon-
has received. Many older NCOs do an E-5 is a 119, the average EER sibility of spouses to act as unpaid
not have the newest medal, the for an E-6 is 122, and anything goes articipants in their husbands'
AAM. It is often surprising to find on these reports just as long as they careers.
Intelligence Preparation of the Bat- avenues of approach and mobility The final step in the IPB process
tlefield (lPB), along with an aggres- corridors which support the is threat integration. Basically, this
sive counter-reconnaissance plan, is enemy's doctrine and employment consists of determining how the
essential for a task force to defeat into the sector. It provides the com- enemy would "like" to fight - the
the mass, speed, and firepower of a mander with information concern- IDEAL - and determining, be-
Soviet-style regiment. An in-depth ing areas of good observation and cause of actual battle conditions,
defense, in which the enemy is ob- fields of fire, locations affording how the enemy will have to fight in
served and attrited throughout the good cover and concealment (not this battle - the REALITY. This
sector, is critical. This was demon- only for the task force, but also for produces a situational template.
strated during the 1st Armored the enemy), any natural obstacles or The situational template is basically
Division's (MD) recent Iron Star key terrain which, if controlled, can a doctrinal template with terrain,
Exercise, conducted at Hohenfels, have an impact on the battle. weather restraints, and confirmed in-
Germany, against an Opposing telligence (such as combat losses)
Force (OPFOR) similar to that of Further study of the terrain allows applied. It shows how the enemy
the National Training Center the commander to answer other has to deviate from his doctrine to
(NTC). In Iron Star, battlefield intel- questions, such as: Does the area account for these factors.
ligence proved a ma.jor contributing allow for appropriate maneuver
factor in the success or failure of a space for the enemy to deploy his A situational template is the basis
task force. forces according to his doctrine? for event templating. Event templat-
Does the road and trail network ing is the study and analysis of bat-
The critical first step in battlefield and cross-country trafficability favor tlefield events and enemy activities
intelligence is the S2's Intclligence the enemy or friendly forces if rapid which provide indicators of the
Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB). reinforcement is needed at any enemy's course of action. By know-
The information provided in this given location? A detailed terrain ing the enemy's doctrine of rapid
study, including threat evaluation, analysis identifies friendly and movement along high speed avenues
battlefield area evaluation, terrain enemy capabilities, vulnerabilities, of approach and also knowing the
analysis, weather analysis, and and courses of action. It shows the terrain within sector that supports
threat integration, is an important commander where combat forces this type of movement, an enemy's
factor used by the commander and can and cannot move, shoot, and courses of action can be predicted.
S3 in planning the task force mis- communicate An enemy force moving into the
sion. This intelligence assists the area will become visible to friendly
commander in preparing his intent After analyzing the enemy and his reconnaissance elements when it
and the S3 in developing the con- doctrine and performing a detailed enters certain areas along a mobility
cept of operation to fight the battle. terrain analysis, the next step in the corridor. These areas are called
IPB process is to study the weather. named areas of interest (NAI) -
The IPB is a continuous process of Temperature, precipitation, wind locations (such as a choke point or
studying and analyzing the bat- direction and speed, ceiling heights, crossroads) where enemy activity or
tlefield hefore and during a battle. and visibility all have to be taken lack of activity can be used to con-
It provides for maximum integration into account when preparing for an firm or deny a particular enemy
of combat intelligence - the operation. The commander must course of action. Once an NAI is
enemy, the terrain, and the weather. consider if the forecasted weather designated and established as such,
Threat evaluation, using a doctrinal or outlook favors the attackers or some type of reconnaissance ele-
template, shows the enemy organiza- defenders. He must consider how ment - scouts, recon patrol, obser-
tion, equipment, and other impor- snow or rain will influence terrain vation point (OP), or ground surveil-
tant order-of-battle material (see conditions. In developing the con- lance radar (GSR) - must be as-
Figure 1). This assists the com- cept of maneuver, the S3 must signed to cover it and collect the in-
mander in "seeing" the battlefield, develop two plans, one for g o d telligence it provides.
and determining the enemy's weather and another for a battle in NAIs can be established along
caapahilities and probable courses reduced visibility. In Iron Star every mobility corridor or avenue of
of action. visibility was a critical factor, with approach into the sector. An enemy
A detailed analysis of the terrain fog and/or snow at times reducing force can be tracked and followed,
within the area of interest identifies visibility to less than 50 meters. identifying its location, direction of
>- "-.*\--\--
I' \ S a -
REG: BREAKTHROUCH A 2.1 b w ZONE t
forcing him into the strengths of the REGARDLESS OF OPERATIONAL FRONTAGE
task force. -.
The task force commander and S3 At approximately 0750, the enemy was established and a good counter-
were concerned with the enemy's artillery barrage began rolling over recon battle was fought. The scouts
massive amount of artillery, capable the scouts and through the sector. accomplished their assigned mis-
of firing 10,OOO-14,OOO rounds. Five One scout vehicle was destroyed by sion, surprisingly losing fewer
enemy POWs captured that morn- indirect fire. The scouts reposi- vehicles and personnel than ex-
ing gave evidence that enemy LRRP tioned EAST (toward the enemy), pected. But infiltration by the
teams had infiltrated the sector the and established two OPs (one dis- enemy infantry teams that identified
previous night. Locations of mounted) close to DP-1. BPs and obstacles was decisive and
CO/TMs and obstacles were probab- had a major impact on the battle.
ly known by the enemy, and made At 0830, the scouts reported a p Forced to hide its companies to
the task force extremely susceptible proximately 45 tanks and 15 BMPs avoid artillery, the task force left
to an artillery attack. The com- approaching DP-1 and turning critical TAIs and DPs covered by
mander decided to move the southwest toward TAI-2. Shortly limited assets and not by the over-
CO/TMs into hide positions in an at- afterward, a smaller unit passed DP- lapping systems needed to ensure
tempt to avoid any "pinpointed" ar- 1 and turned north toward TALI. coverage.
tillery. OPs were left behind on all Because the infantry company had
BPs, and once the enemy was iden- heen decimated in the earlier If the enemfs dismounted infantry
tified, the CO/TMs were to move engagements (unknown to the task intent had been detected, and if the
forward and reoccupy their BPs. force), it was not able to displace to tank company assigned BP-3 had
its alternate position (vicinity TAI- been able to reoccupy its position to
At 040, the scouts observed 21) or to report the movement of attrit and give early warning, the
BMPs moving forward and infantry the regiment as it turned at DP-2 reserve company could have been
dismounting. Enemy troops started and headed towards TAI-6. In its committed to TAI-2, plugging the
moving toward the reinforced scout hide position, the tank company in hole in the task force defense and
platoon. Indirect fire was called im- the south avoided the artillery, but possibly changing the outcome of
mediately, and killed several enemy its OPs were destroyed by OPFOR the battle.
soldiers. In the battle that followed, dismounted infantry and indirect
two scout vehicles were destroyed fire, and could not report that at
by the enemy infantry. Three OPs DP-3 the regiment had sent a small
and a GSR team were forced to fixing force to the south, while the CAPTAIN MICHAEL T.
reposition. However, the scout main body had turned north. The PIERSON was commissioned in
platoon was still combat effective regiment rolled through TAI-21. Military Intelligence from Carson-
and capable of carrying out its mis- Newman College as a Distin-
sion. Contact with the enemy was lost in guished Military Graduate in 1979.
the rolling forest terrain and further Pierson holds a Master of Arts de-
The remaining dismounted enemy reduced visibility caused by scat- gree in geography from East Ten-
infantry headed toward BP-2, while tered snow. The tank company in nessee State University, and at-
another dismounted company reserve did not see the regiment tended the MI Officer Advanced
headed toward BP-1 in the north. A until it was too late. The tank com- Course and Combined Arms and
critical factor in the north was the pany fought valiantly, destroying Services Staff School. He served
destruction of the attached GSR over 30 enemy vehicles in just a few at the National Training Genter as
team by friendly tank fire (It was minutes before bcing overwhelmed a scout platoon leader, OPFOR
mistaken for an enemy vehicle). and destroyed by the regiment's regimental S2, and commander
Enemy infantry teams began breach- mass and firepower. EWIREC for the OPFOR. He also
ing the obstacles and attacking the served as 5 2 of the 1st Battalion,
infantry covering BP-2. Within The IPB drove the concept of 35th Armor and is currently S 2 of
minutes, there were over 60 enemy operation - enemy avenues of ap- 2d Brigade, 1st Armored Division,
casualties; however, the mechanized proach, TAls, and DPs were iden- Germany.
team was now almost combat inef- tified, and were for the most part ac-
fective. curate. A good counter-recon plan
I
mountain music during
a break in combat in
France, at left, but the
stress and fatigue of
the division's intense
fighting later in the war
was reflected in the
weary faces of its men
as they drew closer and
closer to the heart of
Germany.
leagered, battered bastards of Bas- Germany and quickly made its division like this 4th which I see
togne". The dramatic link-up of the presence known. here."
two forces, an emotional, historic On 23 February 1945, the division On 15 March the division passed
moment, broke the siege of Bas- seized crossings over the Our River through bridgeheads over the
togne and was one of the great turn- in the vicinity of Vianden, and Moselle in the Trier area and in 36
ing points in the Battle of the Bulge breached the Siegfried Line. Short- hours reached Bad Kreuznach, a
and of the war in Europe. ly after, it began a drive toward the distance of 40 miles, thereby out-
Shortly after, General Patton city of Bitburg. The attack went well flanking the Siegfried Line, covering
wrote to General Gaffey, the new and by the end of the month the the Sarre, and threatening the en-
division commander, "The outstand- division had seized the high ground tire German defensive position in
ing celerity of your movement and north of Bitburg and occupied the the Palatinate. Shortly after, the
the unremitting, vicious, and skillful west bank of the Kyll River. Once division reached the outskirts of
manner in which you pushed the at- again the division's advance was so Worms, thereby cutting the vital
tack terminating at the end of four rapid that many prisoners were cap- Frankfurt-Sarre lines of communica-
days and four nights of incessant tured and large amounts of equip- tion.
battle in the relief of Bastogne, con- ment seized. On the 17th of March, General
stitute one of the finest chapters in On 5 March, the 4th crossed the Bradley sent these words to
the glorious history of the United Kyll River and in actions so reminis- General Patton: "This is the second
States Army." cent and so characteristic of its per- time in two weeks that this division
And from the commanding formance during the earIy weeks in has broken through the enemy's
general of the IOlst Airborne France, spearheaded the Third defenses and contributed so
Division, MG Maxwell D. Taylor, Army's advance to the Rhine. This materially to cutting them to pieces.
came these words, "It has been an river was reached north of Koblenz They have both been magnificent
honor and privilege for this division on 7 March, a distance of 55 miles operations."
to serve alongside the 4th Armored covered in 48 hours. As a result of Virtually without halting, the
Division. If we are ever in a tight this advance, enemy resistance division passed through bridgeheads
spot again, it is our hope that the north of the Moselle and west of over the Rhine in the Oppenheim
4th Armored Division will be sent the Rhine was thoroughly disor- area, and by 27 March had seized
to get us out." ganized. At that point, the division bridgeheads over the Main River at
For three more weeks the division was the easternmost unit on the Hanau and Aschaffenburg. Still
was engaged in operations against Western Front. It had come farther without pause, the 4th continued its
fierce German resistance to reduce and faster to the Rhine than any dynamic thrust northeast and ever
the Ardennes salient. other outfit. The division's feat deeper into the heart of Germany.
Another possible German counter- electrified the Allies. After a long Major General Hoge, who had
attack was feared, so the 4th was winter of bitter struggles for gains recently succeeded Major General
moved south into Luxembourg, of yards, the division's 65-mile Gaffey as division commander,
where it remained for an extended sweep from Bitburg demonstrated received a message from General
period of time. When it was thrust graphically that the lightning war- Eddy, his corps commander, which
back into action, the division em- fare of the past summer was still read, "Your immediate smash
barked on a whole new phase of possible. A captured German beyond the Main, one hundred
spectacular achievements that won general, Edgar Rohrich, was heard miles to the northeast into central
it even greater glory. It crossed into to say, "I'd ask nothing more of life Germany, proceeded to open the
than a chance to command a
Engagement Technique
36 ARMOR
will be iiriable to firr tlierii iri him of Cavalry. is to get astride the iron horse and
lieuteriarit grade. His polic?,is that all dig in our spurs."
new lieiiteriarifs riiiist serve a tow 1 was optimistic that the Cavalry In May I attended tests at Aber-
with horse cartalg, arid take the Branch was finally riding the wave deen of German, French, and
school coiirse before they go to of the future. American antitank guns. There was
niecliariized cavalnl. After many meetings with the general agreement that the gun
General Staff on division organiza- should be 37mm, weigh eight-
These and other issues kept us tion, all components of which had hundred to one-thousand pounds,
very busy until the end of the year. received the concurrence of the with a penetration of one inch at
On 28 January 1937, General several arms and services, we met eight-hundred yards. I was sur-
Kromer read us a report from the with General Hughes on 9 April prised that the Infantry did not
Cavalry School Board on the 1937. He read us a memo from want more penetration. Our interest
desirability of going after a General Krueger (War Plans in the Cavalry Branch was in mount-
mechanized cavalry division. I was Department) opposing the pro- ing the gun on a vehicle. With
overjoyed with the report, which not posed division on the grounds that souped-up ammunition and a forty-
only recommended one but TWO "it was too big and too much of a five inch barrel, the best penetration
mechanized divisions. I recorded in fighting unit, whereas the mission of we could get with the S O caliber
my diary: Cavalry was reconnaissance and machine gun at the time was one
security." I was afraid thdt the com- and one-quarter inches at one-
l'i'iey said to begin to talk 'ritillioris: mittee was going to take the teeth hundred yards. We needed some-
to let the folks or1 the Hill wake tip to out of the cavalry division. I was thing heavier.
a real cavalr?,reqiirernertt... I don't more determined than ever, there- General Van Voorhis had
think the present niecliariized cavaln, fore, to push the mechanized repeatedly expressed his preference
caii beat the present horse cava@ biit division and ask for a commitment for a small two-regiment mech-
it sooii caii arid there is no doubt of to form at least two of them. In a anized cavalry division. When he
the w q i the wind is blowing. We will memo to the Executive of the Com- came to Washington in June 1937
breed better iron homes arid iri the mittee, Colonel Miller, on 19 April, we went round and round on both
riiearitiriie, we riiiist build for the fii- I stated, 'The only hope for Cavalry the division and regimental organiza-
~~
42 ARMOR July-August1987
Teamworkand Svnchronization:
The"B1itzkrieg"of the 80's
by Lieutenant Colonel Alan G. Vitters
0 They Communicate. According like to go out and try things - but lalk about next month, but in terms
lo Brigadier General Gordon R.Sul- they don't try to fur what's not of "alter the ARTEP or STX."
livan, "the ability to effectively broken. Duties are not seen as something
process information is, and always going-on between 8 A M to 5 PM.
has been, the key ingredient of effec- .Live by the Spirit and Letter of Iys a 24-hour a day profession.
tive fighting units." Commanders Relief. The Army values tradition.
need to communicate well - up, As Tevye in "Fiddler 0 1 1 1Iie Rmf' .An "US" Attitude. There's a
down, and laterally. Good units are says, "tradition gives continuity and genuine commitment to sharing in
marked by lots of informal, candid meaning to life." Good units know high performing teams - not hoard-
information exchanges. One Army what things are important and do ing. Success is measured in terms of
TOC uses a whistle to assemble key them regularly. Commanders need how you contribute to making other
pcrsonnel when critical information to get out of the office to ensure team members succeed, and the
needs to be disseminated im- that important activities are, in fact, team win. Competition that creates
mediately. going on. That's called "MBWA - winners and losers is deemphasized
Management By Walking Around." in favor of activities whcre all win.
0 Power From Rank and File. All Another author who has em- Statistics aren't used to create a
soldiers need to feel like winners. phasized the importance of team- competitive environment between
They need to be treated with dignity work is Peter Vaill. I n his article, units on "duty" issues. Athletic team
and respect - from cadetlprivate to ' T i e Piirposirig of High Peflonnirig competition, however, has a place.
general. Effective units are constant- Svstetnts," Vaill identities these ele-
ly seeking ways to reward their ments of teams: 0 Personal Relationship of Equip-
good soldiers. In turn, superiors get ment end Men. It's been said that
loyalty and respect. It's an exchange 0Swial Activities and Opera- maintenance in the Army got worse
process and subordinates have a key tions are Combined. In these units, when the last horses went off active
role to play in leadership by helping talking shop is O K away from the duty. Cavalrymen used to care
leaders to succeed. unit. Soldiers like to do things about their horses, but it's hard to
together for the pleasure of each develop an "attachment" for an M3.
0 Breed Champions. Com- other's company. Informal sessions To develop a sense of attachment to
manders need to encourage innova- spring up. People take time to inmimate machines, some units let
tion and let their subordinates ex- recognize new team members, bid their troops name their trackdtanks.
periment. There is no success farewell to "old timers," and thereby
without failure and subordinates humanize an environment that is How To Develop Effective
need the freedom to fail or, is it put marked by great personnel tur- Teams
more aptly as the freedom to learn? bulence.
It's one thing to be aware of some
Like Action. Teams that are suc- 0Time is Measured by Key of the characteristics ol effective
cessful are "action-oriented." They Events. In these units, people don't teams, and another thing to be able
I I IC iiwrrww I nI wnIunwL:
- during periods of limited resources, but
also contributed to a 'Ylexibiiity" in the
minds of combat leaders and com-
same time: He mixes the innermost
thoughts of an intelligent and perceptive
IN COMBAT, by Duquesne A. Wolf, manders. In this chapter he also em- tank commander in battle, with the rough
Sunflower Press, Manhattan, KS, 1984. 50 phasizes the absolute necessity of effec- and ready humor and banter of a tank
pages. Softcover. tive, available, highquantity indirect fire crew trying to keep themselves together
support from field artillery units. This in the face of danger and death. The
As you finish this excellent monograph, monograph is an excellent appreciation problems of coping with the constant
you will see that it deserves a different of combat in a low-intensity environment waiting for something to happen, the fear
title. A better title would have been "The by forces that we now usually do not as- of what it might be, of maintaining con-
Heavy Brigade In Low-Intensity Warfare." sociate with such a situation. With all of stant vigilance while trying to keep
The author writes of the operations of the the emphasis on light divisions, the awake, let alone alert, are vividly
1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, in military professional would do well in demonstrated.
August 1968, and does so with the reading how a heavy brigade fought in To any soldier trying to prepare himself
authenticity and professional concern that Vietnam. or others for any future conflict, there is
we would expect of the commander of very little that training can do to prepare
that unit during that period of combat, ARMOR Staff for the reality of battle. Yet studies show
the Third VCINVA Offensive of 1968. Ft. Knox, KY that knowledge of the unknown plays a
COL Wolf's brigade had two key part in facing it. One way in which
mechanized infantry and two regular In- we can get a least a flavor of war is to
fantry battalions assigned, along with a TANK, by Ken Tout. Clerkenwell rely on the Mr. Touts of this world, who
tank battalion(-). The operations that he House, London, England. 208 pages, have already heen there, to give us that
describes provide valuable lessons in 1985. (No price available). essential preparation. Sadly, there are all
fighting with light and heavy forces in a too few who can write as does Mr. Tout.
low-intensity environment, and the reader His book should be read by anyone who
benefits from excellent maps and Tank tells the story of the crew of a is involved in armored warfare. It Is an ex-
photographs, as weii as succinct writlng. Sherman tank during 40 hours of battle cellent balance to those books, con-
In his description of the battles, COL in Normandy in August, 1944. It is Mr. centrating on generals and strategy, that
Wolf illus-trates the many ironies of com- Tout's first book and from the preface It discuss divisions and corps and armles,
bat in Vietnam. He cites the instance of seems that the author's intention is to but rarely the soldier. There is great value
clearing rubber trees from the edges of provide a memorial to comrades lost in to the trainer, who needs to have more
roads to take away cover and conceal- battle. The baffle was largely unrecorded, than an abstract idea of what he is train-
ment from the VCINVA. However, the but was nonetheless a success and of ing for: and for the combat developer,
clearing teams then stack these same great relevance to him and the people who needs to know what piece of equip
trees only 50 meters from the road, and liberated in that part of France. But the ment is really important when it comes to
they make excellent obstacles to off-road book goes very much further than being battle. Slogans such as "Remember the
movement by US vehicles caught in an a memorial. From the first line the reader Soldier", and "Iron sights backup",
ambush. is taken into the world of a tank crew. im- demeaned by overuse, expose their true
The author clearly illustrates the irony of mediately, it comes to life, on one hand and original meaning.
Nui Ba Den, the dominant mountain in the external world dominated by
Tay Ninh Province, that at the same time hedgerows, farm buildings, valleys and P.G. DEALTRY
contained a key US. signal facility on its crests, and on the other the inside world LTC, Armor
summit and a long-suspected key enemy bounded by steel walls and the smells of British Uaison Officer
headquarters on its slopes. Of central im- confined humanity, mixed with Fort Knox, KY
portance to military professionals is Chap machinery. Everything that happens oc-
ter V, "Lessons Learned." Here, COL Wolf curs within a few hundred yards of US, BOOK REVIEW
details the important points that we and does so in graphic detail. POLICY CHANGE
should take away from the operations of The author manages to evoke what One result of ARMOR'Sconver-
the ist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Of must be some of the truest and most sion to a Professional Develop-
particular interest are his ideas on "fixed" lifelike images of what it is really like to ment Bulletin is that book reviews
brigades and the desirability of a light fight and live in a tank during baffle. As it will be more strictly limited to sub-
tank for low-intensity operations. The bat- says in the foreword, written by a man jects that directly relate to the
tles that he describes clearly show that who was himself a wartime tank soldier, Armor and Cavalry proponency.
heavy brigades are effective in close ter- "If you too have been in such a situation, -Ed
every line of this book will ring a bell. If
months before and after the outbreak of what the Soviets call "The Great Patriotic Anti-Tank Helicopters, by Steven
war. Some attention is given to political, War". The bulk of the attention is on J. Zaloga and George J. Balin. Osprey-
ideological, and economic transitions that Sovlet theorists. No attention was given Vanguard Publishing Ltd, London, 1986.
occur: however, the emphasis is on the to the German invasions of Denmark and 48 pages, $7.95 (paperback).
military mobilization, the attack, and the Norway that preceded the invasion of
defense. In order of attention, the amy, France. The Soviets were world leaders in Mr. Zaloga has done an excellent job,
especially the units of deep penetration, airborne operations in the prewar years, in the 48 pages of text and eight color
comes first, followed by aviation, and last- and it would have been interesting to s o plates, of describing helicopters used for
ly naval. The Initial Period of War their opinions on the role of airborne for- antitank missions. He discusses US,
provides no definite time frame. The pre- ces in the north. Soviet, British, French, and German
and post-outbreak of war can be weeks From it all emerges certain themes. doctrine and tactics, although obviously
or months. The sequence of events are First, wars come suddenly and violently. only briefly. The familiar Osprey format of
oriented toward mobilization and the ini- The period of mobilization has gone from 48 pages, eight color plates, and over 44
tial actions. The culminating event is the the horse age to the motor age. Weapon- photos squeezes out all but brief remarks
strategic counteroffensive by the ry, especially the tank, self-propelled artil- about this complex subject. There is no
defender. In order to see what "laws" can lery, and aircraft, have made the initial mention of attack helicopters in use in
be extracted, attention is on the initial ac- moves speedy, devastating and crucial. the Vietnamese offensives in Kampuchea
tions of WI, especially In Europe. Atten- The offensive side must destroy, demoral- and little about actions in Central
tion is devoted to the RussoJapanese ize, and prevent the defender from effec- America. This is a glossy overview, and in
War (1904-5), WWi on both fronts (1914), tively mobilizing or executing his that context is well worth the asking-
the war in the Pacific (1941-42), and the strategic counteroffensives. The opposite price.
Russian assault on the Japanese point is the other key theme: be prepared CHARLES D. MC FETRIDGE
to absorb and negate the offensive, MAJOR, Armor, Fort Knox, KY
RecognitionQuiz Answers
1. M1 (US). Crew, 4; combat weight, 54.432 kg (60 4. CHALLENGER (UK). Crew,+ combat weight,
tons); maximum road speed, 72 kndhr; average cross- 60,oOO kg (63 tons); maximum road speed, 56 km/hr; ar-
country speed, 48 km/hr; maximum road range, 475 km; mament, 1x 120-mm main gun, 1x 7.62-mm coaxial
armament, 1 x 105-mm main gun, 1x 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun, 1x 7.62-mm AA machine gun.
machine gun, 1 x 12.7-mm AA machine gun.
2. PIRANHA APC (Switz). Crew, 3 + 11infantry; 5. M60Al (Israel). Crew, 4; combat weight, 48987 kg
combat weight, 10,500 kg (12 tons); maximum road (54 tons); (shown with applique armor installed); maxi-
speed, 100 km/hr; water speed, 10.5 km/hr; maximum mum road speed, 48 km/hr; maximum road range, 500
road range, 600 km; engine, 6V-53T 300-hp Detroit km; fording (W/snorkel), 4 m; armament, 1x 105-mm
Diesel; armament, varies, shown with 20-mm Oerlikon main gun, 1x 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun, 1x 12.7-
main gun in Oerlikon GAD-AOA turret; armor, proof mm A4 machine gun.
against small arms and shell splinters.
3. LEOPARD I (FRG). Crew, 4; combat weight, 6. AMX-13 (Fr). Crew, 3; combat weight, 15,000 kg
40,000kg (44tons); maximum road speed, 65 km/hr; (16 tons); maximum road speed, 60 km/hr; maximum
maximum road range, 600 km; fording (w/snorkel) 4m; road range, 350-400 km; armament varies (shown with
armament, 1 x 105-mm main gun (shown w/o bore 75-mm main gun, 1x 7.5-mm or 7.62-mm coaxial
evacuator), 1~7.62-mmcoaxial machine gun. 1x 7.62- machine gun, 1x 7.65-mm AA machine gun.
mm AA machine gun.
U 1898 at Burlington as the 1st Vermont Volunteer Infantry; mustered out 7 November
1898 in Vermont. (Vermont Militia redesignated 1 December 1900 as the Vermont
National Guard.) Mustered into Federal service 19 June 1916 for service on the
Mexican border; mustered out 11 October 1916. Mustered into Federal service 10
April 1917; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917. Reorganized and redesig-
nated 9 February 1918 as the 57th Pioneer Infantry. Demobilized 22 February 1919
at Camp Devens. Massachusetts.
Reorganized and Federally recognized 25 June 1919 in the Vermont National
Guard as the 1st Infantry. Redesignated 10 April 1922 as the 172d Infantry and as-
signed to the 43d Division, subsequently the 43d Infantry Division. Inducted into
Federal service 24 February 1941 at Brattleboro. Inactivated 1 November 1945 at
Camp Stoneman, California. Reorganized and Federally recognized 28 October
1946 with Headquarters at Brattleboro. (172d Infantry [NGUS] organized and
Federally recognized 29 January 1953 with Headquarters at Montpelier.) Released
15 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal
Symbolism recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 172d Infantry (NGUS).
The representation of Mount Elements of the 172d Infantry consolidated 1 March 1959 with the 124th An-
Mansfield and Camels Hump as seen tiaircraft Artillery Battalion (see annex); consolidated unit converted and redesig-
from the west across Lake Champlain, nated as the 172d Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental
the characteristic portion of the Green System, to consist of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion and the 2d Reconnaissance
Mountains, recalls not only the Squadron, elements of the 43d Infantry Division (172d Infantry [less elements used
popular name of the organization's to form the 172d Armor] concurrently reorganized as the 172d Infantry, a parent regi-
home state, but also the historic ment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battle
record of the "Green Mountain Boys," Group, an element of the 43d Infantry Division). 172d Armor reorganized 1 April
especially during the Revolution. The 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 86th Infantry Brigade
silver cross was the badge of the old (172d Infantry concurrently reorganized to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of
"Vermont Brigade," 26 Division, VI the 86th Infantry Brigade). 172d Armor consoldiated 1 February 1964 with the 172d
Corps, one of the most famous Infantry; consolidated unit designated as the 172d Armor, to consist of the 1st and
brigades of the Civil War and one in 2d Battalions, elements of the 86th Armored Brigade, and the 3d Battalion, a non-
which over one-third of all men from divisional unit. Reorganized 1 February 1968 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions,
Vermont served. The motto is General elements of the 50th Armored Division.
Sedgwick's famous order to the VI ANNEX
Corps on 1 July 1863 when it started Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 124th Coast
on its 32-mile march from Manchester Artillery Battalion. Activated 24 May 1943 at Camp Haan, California. Redesignated
to Gettysburg - "Put the Vermonters 28 June 1943 as the 124th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. Inactivated 18 October
ahead and keep the column closed 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. Redesignated 28 August 1951 as the 124th
UP." Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and allotted to the Vermont Army
National Guard. Organized and Federally recognized 19 November 1951 with Head-
DistinctiveInsignia quarters at Montpelier. Redesignated 1 December 1953 as the 124th Antiaircraft Artil-
The distinctive insignia is the shield, lery Battalion.
crest, and motto of the coat of arms
fall within a shield). (Continued on Page 51)