1966 US Army Vietnam War ARMOR ... - Survival Books

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COM182great speed. Responsibilities for points, the engineer at the defile site,traffic regulation and control must bethe military police or other trafficdefined clearly. Engineer support re-control personnel, the traffic headquiredto prepare the defile site forquarters (at division level), and holdpassageshould be accomplished undering areas.conditions of reduced visibility or at c. Alternate Routes. In the planning for anight, when practicable. The defile passage of a defile, alternate routes must betarget zone coordinator is completely designated. Alternate routes should take adresponsiblefor planning, regulating, vantage of concealed approaches to andand controlling traffic into, through, through the target zone if possible. The negoandbeyond the target zone. He estab- tiation of the defile by combat units should notlishes priorities for movement, sched- be dependent exclusively on roads. All routesule of movement, rates of march, size must be reconnoitered and made suitable forof march units, and input of traffic the anticipated volume of traffic.into the target zone. Traffic regulation d. Deception. Adequate deception measuresmust be enforced rigidly to insure must be planned to further the success of thesmooth, constant flow and prevent main defile passage operation. Dummy equipdisruption.ment should be placed at selected defile sites to(2) To assist the defile target coordinator, deceive the enemy and cause him to expend nuatraffic control headquarters is estab- clear weapons on this site.lished and controls-e.. Retrograde Passages. The procedures es-(a) Movement of traffic into holding tablished for the passage of a defile during theareas on the near side of the target advance are equally applicable to retrogradezone.movements. In fact, plans for a passage of adefile during the offense(b) Movementshould encompassfrom holding areas (ifused) on the far side of the targetzone.f. Use of Aircraft. Aircraft may be used forairlifting certain troops, supplies, and equip-(c) Normal movement beyond holding ment over or around the defile to reduce subareason the far side of the target stantially the number of ground elements rezone.quired to negotiate the target zone.(3) To insure rapid movement of traffic g. Security. Security units should be providthroughthe target zone, the defile tar- ed the defile target zone coordinator as a readyget zone coordinator establishes force to eliminate enemy countermeasures. Setrafficcontrol points between the curity outside the target zone remains the reholdingareas and the perimeter of sponsibility of the commander concerned. Howthetarget zone, within the target ever, security plans must be coordinated.zone, and beyond the target zone up h. Ground and Air Reconnaissance and Surtoholding areas on the far side. veillance. In operations at a defile, reconnais-Wreckers should be stationed at criti- sance and area surveillance are of utmost imcalpoints along all routes, preferably portance. It is imperative that the command benear traffic control points, to be warned of the presence or approach of the enimmediatelyavailable. The engineer emy at the earliest possible moment and at themust have at his immediate disposal longest ranges possible.equipment and materiel, located inequipment parks, necessary to reduce 357. Brigade-Level Passagesobstructions to free-moving traffic. Tactical considerations are shown in a and bCommunication must be maintained below.among the defile target zone coordina- a. Offense. When the brigade must passtor, wreckers, the traffic control through a defile, armored and air cavalry ele-