Chris McNab - Combat Techniques: The Complete Guide to How Soldiers Fight Wars Today

This digital edition first published in 2013

Published by

Amber Books Ltd

Bradleys Close

7477 White Lion Street

London N1 9PF

United Kingdom

Website: www.amberbooks.co.uk

Appstore: itunes.com/apps/amberbooksltd

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amberbooks

Twitter: @amberbooks

Copyright 2013 Amber Books Ltd

ISBN: 978 1 909160 30 9

PICTURE CREDITS

BAE Systems; Corbis; Getty Images; Katz; Military Picture Library; PA Photos; TRH Pictures; U.S. Department of Defense

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details.

www.amberbooks.co.uk

W arfare is, at best, an unpleasant and chaotic business. The problem is not that plans do not survive contact with the enemy so much as come apart as soon as they are allowed out of the briefing room.

Plans and planning are useful, and the effects of good command and control at all levels cannot be underestimated. But more often than not it falls to the people on the spot to struggle through whatever is thrown at them and get the job done despite enemy action, logistics and intelligence failures, defective or missing equipment, hunger, thirst, heat, cold, dust, damp, smoke and a multitude of other problems.

The only way overcome these setbacks is to prepare for them. But if their plans fail and their equipment breaks, how can troops be prepared? The answer lies in basic procedures and tactics. Effective combat units must be familiar with all aspects of combat not just how to march and shoot and must be able to carry out standard tactical evolutions without detailed instructions.

A US soldier participates in a live firing exercise. As well as improving marksmanship, practising with live ammunition is crucial for preparing for real combat situations.

Combat is an unforgiving environment and troops who need to be micromanaged are unlikely to be effective. At the very least, it is important that a commander or officer can rely on his troops to carry out basic tasks without requiring detailed instructions. This is particularly critical when responding to an ambush or encounter battle situation, where there may be a great deal of confusion. The things done in the first few seconds can mean the difference between success and defeat, and, just as importantly, mistakes and missed opportunities can result in heavy casualties.

Combat effectiveness for the individual soldier depends on the application of certain basic skills: marksmanship with weapons and observation techniques to allow an enemy to be spotted and identified; and use of cover and concealment to increase the soldiers chances of survival. However, a combat unit is or, rather, should be more than the sum of its parts, and it is here that good training really pays dividends on the battlefield.

A unit that reacts to a situation as a collection of individuals is at a huge disadvantage against an organized force that responds as a unit. If the soldiers know what to do and have confidence in one another, a relatively unskilled unit can defeat a force of more competent marksmen who do not know how to cooperate. Some procedures are practised so often that they become habit. Fire and manoeuvre, flanking movements and the use of smoke grenades to cover an attack or a retreat good soldiers know how and when to do these things without being told.

As force levels become larger, the options are ever greater. Strong points can be reduced by air or artillery bombardment, or assaulted with the aid of armoured fighting vehicles. Neighbouring units can be called upon for assistance. But this requires good communications and the ability to explain quickly and clearly what is necessary and give an overview of the situation. There is no time in combat for a lengthy and verbose description of the whole situation; the supporting force needs to be told what, where and when. Communicating with supports is an essential part of combat training.

An infantryman from the US 1st Infantry Division takes part in an exercise in woodland terrain. Correct use of cover and concealment is one of the most important skills for an infantryman to master.

Similarly, larger forces increase the opportunities for costly mistakes and, possibly, disaster. Cooperation between combat arms and indeed between services is of vital importance. Todays soldier does not operate in the traditional land, sea, air environment but in a four-dimensional battle space where the fourth dimension is the electromagnetic spectrum.

Infantry soldiers may fight on the ground but they receive support from low- and high-flying aircraft and missiles, as well as long-range gun, mortar and rocket artillery. They use vehicles to get about and to provide fire support as well as to carry weapons capable of dealing with enemy tanks and armoured vehicles. The troops may be landed from naval or riverine units and supported by naval gunfire.

Special forces often need to avoid detection by the enemy. One effective method is to split up the party, so that one member of the unit keeps watch from a vantage point while the others remain hidden and camouflaged.

They use electronic signalling equipment, radar and night-vision equipment, while their supporting electronic warfare troops try to deny use of these devices to the enemy. This environment may seem bewildering to the observer. Indeed, it is very difficult for an untrained person to cope in the modern battle space. Yet our soldiers have to do just that, and here again they are assisted by well-practised techniques. A properly trained infantry soldier is not merely able to exist in the modern complex battle space but can make better use of its characteristics than his opponents, thus accruing an advantage that can be used to gain victory.

This book is all about the ways that soldiers do these things. deals with the very basics the weapons an infantry soldier uses and how they are properly employed. This chapter examines small arms and hand weapons, all the way up to heavy machine-guns and explosives.

deals with the basic tactics of the infantry force, including mechanized and airborne operations. Successful infantry forces have evolved these tactics and honed them to a fine art over many years. These techniques and their mastery separate a good infantry force from a group of armed individuals.