TACTICS: Wrap-Up & Quiz

We've blown through three important tactical concepts this week (forms of maneuver, movement formations and movement techniques). Let's go back through the major highlights to prep for this week's DDOD Weekly Quiz

The major takeaways:

The Five Forms of Maneuver are:

• Frontal attack

• Penetration

• Envelopment

• Turning movement

• Infiltration

Movement Formations:

The brick and mortar of forms of maneuver are movement formations and techniques.

A movement formation is an ordered arrangement of forces for a specific purpose and describes the general configuration of a unit on the ground.

Movement formations allow a unit to move on the battlefield based on the terrain and enemy threat.

These are the movement formations:

• Column.

• Line.

• Wedge.

• Echelon (left or right).

• Vee.

• Diamond.

• Box.

By designating the movement formation planned for use, units—

• Establish the geographic relationship between units.

• Indicate probable reactions once an enemy force makes contact with the formation.

• Indicate the level of security desired.

• Establish the preponderant orientation of subordinate weapon systems.

• Posture friendly forces for the attack

The use of standard formations allows units to transition from one formation to another, giving additional flexibility when adjusting to changes in the mission variables. In other words, there is a standard and everyone can change on the fly if everyone knows the standard.

Movement Techniques:

Units use the movement formations in conjunction with three movement techniques.

Those techniques are:

• Traveling

• traveling overwatch

• bounding overwatch.

Details on The Forms of Maneuver:

Frontal Attack

A form of maneuver in which an attacking force seeks to destroy a weaker enemy force or fix a larger enemy force in place over a broad front.

Units normally employ a frontal attack to—

• Clear enemy security forces.

• Overwhelm a shattered enemy force during an exploitation or pursuit.

• Fix enemy forces in place as part of another operation.

• Conduct a reconnaissance in force.

A frontal attack is necessary when assailable flanks do not exist.

Frontal attack maintains continuous pressure along the entire front until a breach occurs or the attacking forces succeed in pushing the enemy forces back. Consequently, units rarely conduct frontal attack when they lack overwhelming combat power unless fixing the enemy is vital to a larger operation’s success.

Units executing a frontal attack organize into a security force, a main body, and a reserve. There is no unique TASKORG.

Penetration

A form of maneuver in which a force attacks on a narrow front.

Destroying the continuity of a defense enables the enemy force’s subsequent isolation and defeat in detail.

The penetration extends from the enemy force’s disruption zone through the battle zone into the enemy support zone.

Units employ a penetration when-

• Weak spots are identified in enemy defenses through reconnaissance, surveillance, and security operations.

• Conditions do not permit an envelopment, such as the enemy having no assailable flank.

Penetrations organize into:

• breach force

• support force

• assault force

• a reserve.

Envelopment

form of maneuver in which an attacking force avoids an enemy’s principal defense by attacking along an assailable flank.

An envelopment avoids the enemy force’s strength—the enemy’s front—where the effects of enemy fires and obstacles are generally the greatest and attacks the enemy to the flank or rear.

Envelopments force the enemy to fight in two or more directions simultaneously to meet the converging efforts of an attack.

Units prefer to conduct an envelopment because generally the flanks of the defending forces are weaker.

The three variations of the envelopment each have their own structures for organization. Tose variations are—

• Single envelopment.

• Double envelopment.

• Vertical envelopment (AKA airborne or air assault operations)

TURNING MOVEMENT

A form of maneuver in which the attacking force seeks to avoid the enemy’s principal defensive positions by attacking to the rear of their current positions forcing them to move or divert forces to meet the threat.

A turning movement differs from an envelopment because the force conducting a turning movement seeks to make enemy forces displace from their current locations, whereas an enveloping force seeks to engage enemy forces in their current locations from an unexpected direction.

It can also be conducted using waterborne or amphibious means.

INFILTRATION

A form of maneuver in which an attacking force conducts undetected movement through or into an area occupied by enemy forces.

Infiltration is also a march technique used well before encountering enemy forces to avoid enemy information collection assets.

Infiltration occurs by land, water, air, or a combination of means.

A successful infiltration requires the infiltrating force to avoid detection and engagement by enemy forces.

Infiltrated forces alone can rarely defeat an enemy force [because of size/capability limitations], units use infiltration in conjunction with and in support of other forms of offensive maneuver.

Purposes:

• Reconnoiter known or templated enemy positions and conduct surveillance […]

• Attack enemy-held positions from an unexpected direction.

• Occupy a support by fire position to support the main effort.

• Secure key terrain.

• Conduct ambushes and raids to destroy vital facilities […]

• Conduct a covert breach of an obstacle or obstacle complex.

Special operations forces and dismounted infantry units up to brigade size are best suited to conduct an infiltration.

Take A Deep Dive into The Weekly Quiz: https://forms.gle/QC92Ls43opu4bvRY6