the platoon attack. the platoon attack the aim of this lesson revision - section battle drills...

THE PLATOON ATTACK

The Platoon Attack

• The Aim of this lesson

• Revision - Section Battle Drills

• Platoon Battle Drills

• Summary

The Aim

• To show you how a Section Attack fits into the broader picture

• To demonstrate the drills and procedures used by the Platoon in an attack

• This will give you a basic theoretical knowledge for when you work with the model and when you practice in the field

REVISION - SECTION BATTLE DRILLS

• Battle Preparation• Reaction to Effective

Enemy Fire• Locating the Enemy• Winning the Fire

Fight• The Attack• Reorg

Platoon Battle Drills

• 1. Battle Preparation

• 2. Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire

• 3. The Attack

• 4. Reorganization

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• PROTECTION• Sentries• All - round defence

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• AMMUNITION• Scales:• Rifleman: 330• LSW Gunner: 390• GPMG :As the • LAW 94mm :op• 51mm mortar:

requires

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• WEAPONS• Personal weapons• Platoon weapons:• GPMG• LAW 94mm• 51mm mortar• Other

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• PERSONAL

CAMOUFLAGE AND CONCEALMENT

• Cam cream• Day / Night• Use of ground

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• EQUIPMENT• Individual webbing,

bergans, daysacks etc• Check own kit eg

pouches closed, bayonet secured etc

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• RADIOS• Functioning correctly• Frequencies• Spare batteries• Scales• Radio silence• Codewords• Report lines

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• SPECIALIST

EQUIPMENT• Equipment specific to

operation• CWS / NVG• Demolitions• Scaling eqpt, ladders,

ropes etc

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• ORDERS• Platoon Commander

receives orders from the Company Commander

• Does his estimate and prepares own orders

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

PAWPERSO• ORDERS• Platoon Commanders

Gives Orders to Section Commanders

• Section Commanders Gives Orders to Section

• Drill 1 - Battle Preparation

Platoon Battle Drills

• Section carries out Reaction to Effective Enemy Fire– RTR

• Section Commander controls firefight

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire

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Platoon Battle Drills

• Maximum fire is brought to bear on en, by section in contact and by Pl wpns, such as GPMG and 51mm

• Pl Comd moves forward to observe / find out what is going on

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire

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Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Cmd may call on indirect (mors & arty) or direct (HMG, Milan) fire sp

• Section in contact extracts from killing area

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire

Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Comd makes an estimate and decides on his plan

• Pl Sgt calls in rear two Sect Cmds

• Pl Comd sends runner to Pl Sgt with Warning Order (Wng O)

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire

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Platoon Battle Drills

• The Warning Order contains:

• P lan• O utline tasks• O Gp time and place• N MB / loc of Pl RV• A dmin / grouping

changes• H Hour

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire

Platoon Battle Drills

• The two rear sections move to the Platoon RV, under the Pl Sgt

• The Section Commanders move to the ‘O’ Gp loc

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire

Platoon Battle Drills

• The Pl Cmd delivers his Quick Battle Orders (QBOs)

• Sect Cmds return to their Sects to deliver their own QBOs

• The fire support section commander is briefed on the radio

• Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire

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RV

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Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Comd leads assault section from the Pl RV to the Forming Up Point, the FUP

• The remaining section now becomes the reserve

• Drill 3 - The Attack

Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Cmd points out direction of en, and the Line of Departure

• On H-Hour, the fire support section increases its rate of fire

• The assault section starts the assault

• Drill 3 - The Attack

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RV

‘O’ Gp

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FUP

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Platoon Battle Drills

• Stage 2 - The Assault• The fire teams of the

assaulting Sect move forward

• One fire team will form a firebase, and the other will assault the first en posn

• Drill 3 - The Attack

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2D

2C

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2D2C

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Platoon Battle Drills

• Stage 3 - The Fight Through

• Once a foothold has been established, the rest of the enemy positions must be captured

• Drill 3 - The Attack

Platoon Battle Drills

• The assault section now becomes fire support

• The reserve section now becomes the assault section

• The fire support section now becomes the reserve section

• Drill 3 - The Attack

The Assault Cycle

ASSAULT

SUPPRESSRESERVE

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Platoon Battle Drills• Once the en posn is taken the

platoon is at its most vulnerable because

• It is low on ammo and may have casualties

• Men are disorientated and spread out

• The en know this, and it is the ideal time for a counterattack

• The position may have been DFd

• Drill 4 - Reorganization

Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Comd decides loc • Sect Cmds must : allot arcs as

per QBOs (TBC by Pl Cmd)• Confirm link men• Check condition of Sect

members• 2ICs and men report to Pl Sgt

for work party, with ammo and cas states

• Drill 4 - Reorganization

Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Sgt must : Give ammo&cas state to Pl Cmd asp.

• Organise work party, which will treat cas, redistribute ammo, search en dead, escort PWs

• Drill 4 - Reorganization

Platoon Battle Drills

• Pl Comd must: Ensure fire sp sect rejoins, set up Pl HQ, site arcs (nb LSW & LAW), send SITREP

• The Pl Comd must either order the advance to continue or the Platoon must begin digging in

• Drill 4 - Reorganisation

Summary

• The Platoon Attack is an attack by the sections planned and orchestrated by Platoon Headquarters

• The principles of a quick attack are Speed, Concentration of Firepower and Simplicity

SUMMARY

• You must understand all the drills and procedures because in war every man may at some stage end up in command of either a fire team or a section.

QUESTIONS?