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 Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO PROTECTION Sentries All - round defence

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO AMMUNITION Scales: Rifleman: 330 LSW Gunner: 390 GPMG :As the LAW 94mm :op 51mm mortar: requires

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO WEAPONS Personal weapons Platoon weapons: GPMG LAW 94mm 51mm mortar Other

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO PERSONAL CAMOUFLAGE AND CONCEALMENT Cam cream Day / Night Use of ground

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO EQUIPMENT Individual webbing, bergans, daysacks etc Check own kit eg pouches closed, bayonet secured etc

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO RADIOS Functioning correctly Frequencies Spare batteries Scales Radio silence Codewords Report lines

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT Equipment specific to operation CWS / NVG Demolitions Scaling eqpt, ladders, ropes etc

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO ORDERS Platoon Commander receives orders from the Company Commander Does his estimate and prepares own orders

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 1 - Battle Preparation PAWPERSO ORDERS Platoon Commanders Gives Orders to Section Commanders Section Commanders Gives Orders to Section

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire Section carries out Reaction to Effective Enemy Fire RTR Section Commander controls firefight

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire 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

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire Pl Cmd may call on indirect (mors & arty) or direct (HMG, Milan) fire sp Section in contact extracts from killing area

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire 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)

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

3 2 1 200 m

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire 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

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire The two rear sections move to the Platoon RV, under the Pl Sgt The Section Commanders move to the ‘O’ Gp loc

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 2 - Reaction to any Section coming under Effective Enemy Fire 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

3 2 1 200 m

RV 3 2 1 200 m

3 2 RV 1 200 m

3 2 RV 1 200 m

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

3 2 RV ‘O’ Gp 1 200 m

3 2 FUP 1 200 m

2 3 FUP 1 200 m

3 2D 2C 1 LD 200 m

Platoon Battle Drills Stage 2 - The Assault Drill 3 - The Attack 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

3 2D 2C 1 LD 200 m

3 2D 2C 1 LD 200 m

3 2D 1 LD 2C 200 m

3 1 LD 2C 2D 200 m

3 1 LD 2C 2D 200 m

3 1 LD 2D 2C 200 m

3 1 LD 2D 2C 200 m

Platoon Battle Drills Stage 3 - The Fight Through Drill 3 - The Attack 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 SUPPRESS RESERVE

1 3 2 200 m

1 2 3 200 m

1 2 3 200 m

2 3 1 200 m

2 3 200 m 1

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 Drill 4 - Reorganization 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

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 4 - Reorganization 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

Platoon Battle Drills Drill 4 - Reorganisation 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

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?