Synchronizing Fire and Maneuver

Colorado Wadi: Task Force Attack

 

The key to winning any battle, offensive or defensive, is having the most combat power at the decisive point.  Combat power is not just tanks and Bradleys, though.  Combat power is also fire support (artillery and mortars), mobility (engineers), and all of the other components of the battlefield operating system (BOS).

 

Fire support is perhaps the most complicated component to synchronize into the combined arms fight, for a number of reasons.  First, the flexibility of the weapon systems (numerous ammunition types, great range, engagement options) can make it hard to figure out how and where to place your fires.  Also, movement, positioning, and ammunition management require careful planning and prioritization.

 

How it’s done in the force.

 

When a real armored task force first receives its mission, the staff quickly analyzes it and briefs the task force commander on his mission and assets available.  It is here that the commander issues his guidance to his staff, on how he wishes to accomplish the mission.  A key element of this guidance is the Commander’s Guidance for Fires.  It describes how he wants to use fire support (artillery, mortars, close air support, and any other available assets) to help accomplish his mission.

 

The battalion fire support officer, a field artillery captain who is a member of the armor or infantry battalion staff, translates this guidance in to a fire support plan.  The two most important components of this plan are Essential Fire Support Tasks and the High Payoff Target List.  These components allow the unit to make decisions on who, what, where, when, and why to fire during the fight. 

 

It works like this.  Essential Fire Support Tasks (EFSTs) are the tasks that must be accomplished, or the task force course of action will have to be altered during the fight (almost always disastrous).  When one or more of these tasks is triggered, they supersede all other fires.  No matter what targets are being shoot, they are canceled when it is time to fire an EFST.

 

The high payoff target list (HPTL) is next in priority.  If it is not time to fire an EFST, the next target in priority is an HPT.  These are targets that you have identified which, if destroyed, will make it easier for your task force to accomplish its objective.  They may or may not be HVTs (high value targets) to the enemy, things that, if destroyed, will cause him to alter his course of action.

 

Finally, if there are no EFSTs to be fired, and no HPTs have been spotted, fires go to the unit with priority of fire.  That is, the unit with priority of fire can call targets of opportunity that he has identified and wants to engage.  These fires will immediately stop, however, if an HPT is identified or an EFST is triggered.  (Priority of fires is not simulated in Armored Task Force, so we ignore it in this example.)

 

The task force staff begins planning the fight and the battalion fire support officer is there.  He continues to refine and synchronize his fire support plan with the maneuver plan, until he has a plan which is both synchronized with maneuver and meets the task force commander’s guidance.

 

How it looks.

 

Our mission is to attack from PL BRYANT, in zone, to secure OBJ MILLER.  We face a company (+) in defensive positions beyond PL O’DELL.  We have two companies of mech infantry and two companies of armor.

 

First, I need to look at what the S-2 (intelligence officer) expects to be the enemy set for his defense (the SITTEMP, situational template).

 

 

The northern flank is a “non-starter”.  Even after I take down the CSOP and the enemy anti-tank battery, I would have a four-kilometer kill-sack to cross before I even reached the enemy obstacles.  I am going to have to attack along the southern flank.

 

But this is no cakewalk, either.  Anchoring the southern corner of the enemy defense is a 100-man infantry strongpoint.  I have six platoons of dismounted infantry, but I will be attacking an entrenched position.  I will need fires to weaken this strongpoint.

 

Depending on the exact location of the enemy CSOP, I may need to destroy this element as well, in order to complete my movement in zone to the Assault Position.

 

I have 4 sorties of A-10 Warthogs.  I have an artillery battalion.  And I have a platoon of six 120mm mortars.

 

This is how the operation will break down:

 

 

Phase

Activity

Begin

End

I

Move in zone to Assault Position

Game Start

Battalion at Assault Position (east of PL O’DELL)

II

Destroy enemy strongpoint

Battalion at Assault Position

Enemy strongpoint destroyed

III

Establish SBF (support by fire position)

Enemy strongpoint destroyed

B and C / 2-5 CAV established in SBF position

IV

Breach main obstacle belt

B and C / 2-5 CAV established in SBF position

Breach Complete

V

Assault to seize OBJ MILLER

Breach complete

All enemy destroyed and B and C / 2-8 CAV consolidated in OBJ MILLER

 

Since I am my own commander (at least here) I will establish my own guidance for fires.

 

§         I want do destroy enemy recon teams in zone to prevent him from placing indirect fire on us prior to and in the Assault Position (phase I and II)

§         I want to destroy enemy air defense in zone to allow freedom of maneuver for close air support

§         I want to destroy the CSOP in the north of my sector prior to the attack on the enemy strong point (prior to beginning phase II)

§         I want to use close air support, mortars, and artillery to assist in the destruction of the enemy strong point.

§         I want to use smoke and suppression to prevent the enemy from placing direct fire on us during the breach operation (phase III and IV)

 

Since I am also the Battalion FSO (Fire Support Officer), I am going to write my own EFSTs (Essential Fire Support Tasks).  Note that real EFST’s would have planned target numbers.  I am not going to go to this level of detail, but everything else is doctrinally correct.

 

EFST 1:

 

Task.  Destroy enemy dismount recon teams in zone.

Purpose.  Prevent enemy from placing indirect fires on TF 2-8 CAV prior to PL O’DELL.

Method.  1-82 FA fires a battery 1 round (6 total rounds) of HE on enemy dismount recon teams that are out of direct fire range of the axis of advance when identified.

Effects.  TF 2-8 CAV reaches PL O’DELL without taking casualties to indirect fire.  3 dismount recon teams destroyed.

 

EFST 2:

 

Task.  Destroy enemy air defense systems in zone.

Purpose.  Give friendly close air support freedom of maneuver in zone.

Method.  1-82 FA fires a battalion 1 round (18 rounds) of DPICM on enemy ZSU-23-4s and battalion 1 round (18 rounds) of HE on enemy SA-8s or SA-9s in the main battle area.  1-82 FA fires a battery 1 round (6 total rounds) of DPICM on enemy IRTs throughout zone when detected.

Effects.  Close air support is allowed to move throughout zone without taking enemy air defense fire.  2 ZSU-23-4s, 1 SA-8, and 2 SA-18s destroyed.

 

EFST 3:

 

Task.  Destroy the CSOP.

Purpose.  Allow Task Force 2-8 CAV to reach the assault position without taking direct fire.

Method.  1-82 FA fires a battalion 3 rounds (54 total rounds) DPICM per target on 2 BMP-2s and a battalion 5 rounds (90 total rounds) on T-80s of the CSOP when detected.

Effects.  Task Force 2-8 CAV reaches the assault position without taking direct fire.  2 BMP-2’s and 1 T-80 destroyed.

 

EFST 4:

 

Task.  Disrupt the ability of enemy dismounted teams in the strongpoint to attack B and C / 2-5 CAV (-) with direct fire.

Purpose.  Allow B and C / 2-5 CAV (-) to destroy enemy strong point.

Method.  4 sorties A-10 on strip alert depart for IP (intial point) when Task Force 2-8 CAV is 1 km east of PL HARRIS.  1-82 FA fires BTY 1 HE against enemy fire teams in the enemy strong point.  1-82 FA fires BTY 1 DPICM against AT-4 teams in the enemy strong point.  Mortar platoon fires a platoon 3 HE against fire teams in the enemy strong point.  4 sorties A-10 attack enemy AT-4 and fire teams in the strong point.

Effects.  B and C / 2-5 CAV(-) destroy the enemy strong point.  5 enemy fire teams and 5 enemy AT-4 teams destroyed.

 

EFST 5:

 

Task.  Obscure and suppress BMP-2s, T-80s, and BRDM-2 ATGMs within range of the point of penetration.

Purpose.  Allow B and C / 2-5 CAV to establish a support by fire position and A / 20 EN to complete the breach without taking direct fire.

Method.  4 sorties A-10 attack enemy BMP-2s, T-80s, and BRDM-2 ATGMs within range of the point of penetration.  1-82 FA fires a 1000 m smoke screen for 30 minutes and a battery 1 round (6 total rounds) per minute for 30 minutes on BMP-2s, T-80s, and BRDM-2 ATGMs within range of the point of penetration, when B / 2-8 CAV crosses PL O’DELL.

Effects.  B and C / 2-5 CAV establishes SBF (support by fire) position and A / 20 EN completes a breach of the main obstacle belt.  7 BMP-2s, 1 T-80, and 1 BRDM-2 ATGM suppressed.

 

HPTLs by phase are directed at reducing the enemy’s fire support capabilities

 

Phase I:

HIND-Es

Enemy AT-4 teams at the enemy strongpoint

Enemy fire teams at the enemy strongpoint

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

 

Phase II:

HIND-Es

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

 

Phase III:

HIND-Es

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

 

Phase IV:

HIND-Es

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

 

Phase V:

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

 

Considering all of this, here is the consolidated list of preferred targets by phase.  This is not strictly a fire support product.  Rather, it is a distillation of EFSTs and HPTLS into a single, prioritized list.

 

 

Phase

I

II

III

IV

V

Activity

Move in zone to Assault Position

Destroy enemy strongpoint

Establish SBF (support by fire position)

Breach main obstacle belt

Assault to seize OBJ MILLER

Phase Time

28 minutes

20 minutes

20 minutes

30 minutes

?

Active EFSTs

EFST 1

EFST 2

EFST 3

EFST 4

EFST 5

EFST 5

 

Preferred targets

·     DRTs

·  IRTs

·     SA-9s

·     ZSU-23-4s

·     BMP-2s and T-80s of the enemy CSOP

·  HIND-Es

·  Enemy AT-4 teams at the enemy strongpoint

·  Enemy fire teams at the enemy strongpoint

·  Artillery FDCs

·  2B11 mortars

·  Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

·  AT-4 teams in the enemy strongpoint

·  Enemy Fire Teams in the enemy strong point

·  HIND-Es

·  Artillery FDCs

·  2B11 mortars

·  Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

 

Smoke

·      T80s & BMP-2s within range of the point of penetration (S)

·   BRDM-2s within range of the point of penetration (S)

·HIND-Es

·Enemy BMP-2s within range of the point of penetration (D)

·Artillery FDCs

·   2B11 mortars

Smoke

·      T80s & BMP-2s within range of the point of penetration (S)

·   BRDM-2s within range of the point of penetration (S)

·HIND-Es

·Enemy BMP-2s within range of the point of penetration (D)

·Artillery FDCs

·      2B11 mortars

·Artillery FDCs

·      2B11 mortars

 


And our AGM  (attack guidance matrix):

 

DRT

BTY 1 HE/HERAP

IRT

BTY 1 DPICM / BBDPICM

BRDM-2 (D)

BTY 1 DPICM/BBDPICM, BN 1 HE/HERAP

2B11 mortars (D)

BTY 1 DPICM/BBDPICM, BN 1 HE/HERAP

BMP-2 (D)

BN 3 DPICM/BBDPICM

T-80 (D)

BN 5 DPICM/BBDPICM

BRDM-2, BMP-2, or T-80 (S)

1 gun, 1 round HE, 1 tube, 3 rounds mortar HE

Artillery FDC

BN 1 DPICM/BBDPICM

ZSU-23-4

BN 1 DPICM/BBDPICM

SA-8/9

BN 1 HE/HERAP

BRDM-2 (D)

BN 1 HE

BMP-2 (D, not dug in)

BN 1 DPICM/BBDPICM

T-80 (D, not dug in))

BN 3 DPICM/BBDPICM

 

Setup for the fight.

 

This is beyond the conversation about fires, but to set the stage, here is how my forces are arrayed:

 

 

I have arrayed my scouts throughout zone.  They are located in order to confirm or deny the enemy SITTEMP drawn up by my S-2 (intelligence officer) and, more importantly, to identify the CSOP and enemy DRTs and IRTs in zone.  Behind the LD (PL BRYANT), I have my three paladin batteries, from 1-82 FA, in “Company Box” formations (because we have less maneuver space in this mission).

 

I have task organized my force (using the hierarchy tree window) so that B and C / 2-8 CAV have all of the tanks (except for the plow tanks), A / 20 EN has six attached plow tanks, and B and C / 2-5 CAV have all of the bradleys.  I have arrayed the four companies in a battalion box formation, company wedges, with the order of march being B and C / 2-8 CAV, A / 20 EN, B and C / 2-5 CAV.

 

B and C / 2-5 CAV are my support force.  They will first attack the infantry strong point.  They will then establish the SBF and suppress the point of penetration.  O/O (on order) B and C / 2-5 CAV assume B and C / 2-8 CAV’s mission to assault through the breach to OBJ MILLER.

 

A / 20 EN is my breach force.  Once the SBF is established, they will cut a breach in the main defensive belt, through which the battalion will pass.  I honestly hope that the S-2 is right, and there are no obstacles to the east of the infantry strongpoint.  Then, no breach will be needed at all.


B and C / 2-8 CAV is my assault force.  Once the breach is cut, they will charge through the breach, get on the flank of the enemy battle positions, and attack to seize OBJ MILLER.

 

Phase I: Move in zone to Assault Position

 

HPTL for Phase I:

 

HIND-Es

Enemy AT-4 teams at the enemy strongpoint

Enemy fire teams at the enemy strongpoint

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

 

Next comes the all-important first clock start to “see what we can see” at LD.  I am going to start the clock and then immediately stop it.  I see three dismounted teams (unidentified).  To be safe, I target them each with a battery 1 round DPICM (in case one or more is an IRT).  I also see two unidentified vehicles in a hide position (potentially the CSOP).  I target each of these with a BN 1 DPICM.

 

I also see some dug-in vehicles near the objective, but they are not HPTs or EFSTs right now.

 

 

With these targeted, I am going to start moving and start the clock.  The dismounted teams are eventually destroyed, but the vehicles are only suppressed.

 

Five minutes into our attack, the enemy throws a wrench in the cogs.  4 SU-25s and 6 HIND-Es are heading straight for our task force.  I must stop the task force and dismount our air defense assets.

 

 

I am being mauled by SU-25s, But, in the meantime, I am going to attack the HIND-Es with artillery, BN 1 DPICM each.  We also re-attack the CSOP.

We have been pretty successful destroying HIND-Es, but the CSOP begins rolling forward while we are dealing with the SU-25s.  We end up taking pretty massive casualties.  The enemy effectively massed effects at prior to PL HARRIS. 

 

We are now targeting the remaining tank in the CSOP and the remaining HIND-E in the attack aviation company.

 

When we get within 1000m of  PL HARRIS, we meet the trigger to scramble the aircraft.  It will be another 15 minutes before they enter sector.

 

As if things were not tough enough, we are finding that the enemy strong point extends further east than we thought. 

 

I have already destroyed the CSOP, and I think I now have all of the observers east of O’DELL destroyed.  The HIND-Es are dead, as is his CAS.

 

We are going to have to set our Assault position early.  The concern is that we have not found his ADA.  I also can see no targets on the strongpoint.  We will use this pause to move the artillery forward while we set our assault position.

Finally, the CAS is inbound, the artillery and mortars are in position, and my maneuver is in an assault position.  We are ready to attack the strongpoint.

 

Phase II: Destroy enemy strongpoint

 

Here is the HPTL for this phase.  The EFST is the destruction of the enemy strongpoint (EFST 4).

 

Phase II:

HIND-Es

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of

The aircraft are in bound to the objective, and we now have a good look at the main battle area.  I am going to target a few locations that I think might be air defense systems.

 

I am also going to target the enemy in the strong point with artillery and mortars.

 

The ADA will get a BN 1 DPICM each.  The infantry will get a BN 1 HE or platoon 3 HE (mortar) each.

 

It is worth saying that I am “cheating” to some degree here.  I have been unable to get good eyes on the enemy strongpoint.  Every scout team that got close was destroyed.  I am using the spottings from my aircraft to get good targets to shoot at.  In reality, an aircraft could never provide targeting this accurate. 

 

I was in the process of dismounting my ADA and moving them toward the objective.  I could have delayed my attack (have the aircraft circle until the observers were in position), but ultimately, due to the limitations of ATF, I would not know what was observed by observers and what was observed by the aircraft.

 

Eventually, I have sufficiently attrited the strongpoint that I can move my mech forces forward to dismount and attack.  I continue to pound positions with artillery and close air support.

 

Finally, the combination of close air support, artillery, and mortars wears out the enemy, and we are left only to occupy the strong point.

 

I choose not to end the phase yet.  I want to get infantry on the other side of PL O’DELL in order to provide good observation and suppressive fire for the potential breach and assault. 

 

While I am moving up my infantry, I will go to the HPTL and attack the BMP-2s at the point of penetration.  I will attack each with a battalion 3 DPICM.

These targets are rapidly destroyed and I have a commanding position for our infantry on top of the infantry strongpoint location.

 

I still have not detected any obstacles, and I am hopeful that I will be able to take the objective without a breach.  But it would be foolhardy to attack without suppressive fires, so I will still fire smoke and suppression to get my SBF into position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase III: Establish SBF (support by fire position)

 

The EFST for this phase is smoke and suppression to get our Bradleys into position.  Here are the HPTLs.

 

Phase III:

HIND-Es

Enemy BMP-2s at the point of penetration

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

 

We have done a very thorough job of destroying the enemy forces at the point of penetration.  Only one vehicle, that we can see, is in range of our point of penetration.  We are still going to provide smoke, but we are going to focus our suppression on this one target.  We may even be able to destroy this target, considering the amount of focus we can give it.

 

We fire six battery 1 round smoke missions with a length of 1000 and an attitude of 1400.  We also fire two batteries 1 round DPICM on the enemy vehicle within range of the point of penetration.  Here’s how it looks when it is done.

 

Despite my best efforts to suppress and obscure, the remainder of B / 2-5 CAVs bradleys are wiped out.  A tank I could not see fired on the company and wiped them out.  C / 2-5 CAV makes it to a position near the infantry, but it is too far away to provide suppressive fires.  I need to move them down.  I am going to try to adjust the smoke to protect their move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never really do get fire superiority on the objective.  A vehicle in the upper right corner of the picture to the left that I cannot see is able to decimate any SBF I send within range of OBJ MILLER.  I have lost nearly a whole company trying to establish the support by fire position.  I have decided to abandon the effort and attack with my assault force.

 

I have lost perhaps 15 minutes of smoke, and a lot of combat power.  Time for the assault.

 

I am going to modify my plan by moving my dismounted infantry down onto the objective.  But I am not going to wait.  The armor will attack now.

 

 

 

Phase IV: Breach Main Obstacle Belt                    

 

This phase is omitted, as we seem to have gotten in behind the obstacles.

 

Phase V:  Assault to seize OBJ MILLER

Here is my HPTL.  My observation on the objective is so bad, there isn’t much chance of seeing any of this, let alone stuff in the main battle area.

 

Phase V:

Artillery FDCs

2B11 mortars

 

I attempt to get suppression with my remaining Bradley platoon, but it is destroyed attempting to move forward.

 

As my tank companies move forward, I can see how big a predicament I am in.  I am sprinting across the southern portion of my objective, trying to get my companies in the draw in the southwest, were they can only be seen by a few vehicles, to make a more reasonable match.

 

After losing all of B / 2-8 CAV, my fortunes have only improved slightly.  I am in a “keyhole” position where the enemy cannot get at me.  I am taking no artillery, so I can only conclude that he is out of ammo.  The company is able to place direct fire on some of the vehicles, and I can see the whole defensive position. 

 

I am attacking the positions with BN 3 DPICM per target, and waiting for my infantry teams to move forward to the objective.

 

I have lost any illusions of a sweeping armor rush to roll of the defense.  I just want the enemy dead.  I will rely on my artillery to wipe him out.  If I had a FIST-V, I might consider Copperhead, but they are all dead, as are my COLTs.

This strategy seems to bear more fruit.  Shortly, I have completely destroyed the southwestern portion of the main battle area defense.

 

When my infantry starts to occupy the objective, I discover a BMP just a few hundred meters to the west of my “keyhole” position.  I back off and begin to attack it with artillery.  It turns out that this last vehicle in the objective was all that was keeping me from final victory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phew!  That sucked!

 

But an ugly win is still a win, right?  I will have serious writers cramp from all of the letters I am going to have to write to my digital dead.  Do you think a form letter is OK?

 

 

Here are the numbers. 

MISSION COMPLETE

All mission objectives completed.

You made that look easy! Now get off your butt and start digging. J-STARS has picked up moving indicators headed your way. Looks like the 127th MRR is on the move. Ironhorse 6, out!

Mission Objectives:
1. Attrit the enemy to 108 enemy vehicles or teams.
2. Eliminate all enemy vehicles or teams in OBJ MILLER and occupy it with at least 1 friendly vehicle or team.

Results:
1. The enemy has 89 vehicles or teams remaining.
2. No enemy vehicles or teams remain in the objective, OBJ MILLER. The objective is occupied by 23 friendly vehicles or teams.

Enemy Starting and Ending Combat Power:

Vehicle Type

Starting

Ending

 

 

 

BMP-2 IFV

15

3

T-80B MBT

9

2

BRDM-2 with ATGM

7

0

AT-5 Team

16

0

Enemy Fire Team

10

0

2S19 152 mm SP Howitzer

18

18

ACRV (MT-LBu 1V13)

18

18

Mi-24 HIND-E Attack Helicopter

6

0

2S1 122mm SP Howitzer

24

24

2S5 Giatsint-S 152mm SP How.

18

18

2A45 (125 mm Towed) with MT-LB

6

6

Su-25BM Frogfoot

4

0

SA-19 Team

2

0

DRT Team

3

0

 

 

 

Friendly Starting and Ending Combat Power:

Vehicle Type

Starting

Ending

 

 

 

M1025 Scout HMMWV

6

3

M9 ACE

3

1

M60 AVLB

2

1

M113A3 with MCLiC

3

3

M1A2 MBT

22

5

M1A2 MBT with Mine Plow

6

6

M2A2 Bradley IFV

28

0

Javelin Team

24

10

Fire Team

24

7

M109A6 Paladin 155 mm SP How.

18

18

M1068 Fire Direction Center

6

6

M981 FIST-V

4

0

M992 FAASV

18

18

A-10 Thunderbolt

4

4

M1064A3 120mm Mortar Carrier

6

1

Bradley Stinger FV

1

1

Stinger Team

2

2

COLT Team

2

0

 

 

 

Allied Starting and Ending Combat Power:

No allied vehicles in this scenario.

Synchronizing fires with maneuver.

 

Though ATF calls this a victory, it is an unqualified defeat.  With six tanks and a four platoons of dismounts of combat power remaining, I am, essentially, wiped out.  The brigade commander would have halted our attack well before we got to this point.  And, if you read the “blurb” with the results, a whole MRR is headed our way.  They would roll through us without even slowing down!

 

So, why did I get my butt kicked?  Here are a few things to chew on:

 

  1. Enemy fire support.  The enemy decimated my force with the combination of close air support, attack aviation, the occupation of the CSOP, and observed artillery fires.  I lost a quarter of my combat power before I ever got to PL HARRIS.
  2. Poor observation plan.  Key to my plan was destroying the enemy’s infantry strongpoint with fire support.  But I never saw one of the positions until I brought my aircraft on station.  If I had seen that there was such a large presence east of PL O’DELL, I would have staged my assault position much further east.  I should have used COLTs in the south, where my main effort was.

 

It wasn’t all bad.  I did manage to destroy his ADA (he turned out not to have ZSU-23-4s or SA-8s/9s).  This allowed my CAS to do what I had intended with impunity.  Also, my selection of point of penetration precluded the requirement for a breach.  If the infantry strongpoint could be considered a point of penetration, I dominated it pretty readily (remember that I did cheat a little bit by using my CAS to observe before I got stinger teams in position.

 

Despite the problems I had with this scenario, the fire support methodology was sound.  I stuck to my EFSTs (Essential Fire Support Tasks) and HPTs (High Payoff Targets), and adjusted when necessary.  The results were fires that were very focused at (what I intended) to be the decisive point in the battle.