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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMis usually accomplished as an integral part of security as required. Convoy escort missionsarea security. Securing land routes requires are not necessarily limited to military convoys.constant surveillance to discover and eliminate Military units may be required to provide promines,roadblocks, and ambushes. This mission tection for civilian transportation carryingis best accomplished by a combination of air goods from cities to outlying districts and viceand armored cavalry units. Scouts are used to versa. When the insurgent activities become sopatrol the routes with the tanks, rifle squads, pronounced that they effectively curtail ecoandsupport squads positioned at intervals nomic transactions, local governments are inalong the route as reaction forces. Routes may imminent danger of collapse.be divided into squadron, troop, or in some r. Reconnaissance and Surveillance.cases platoon sectors. The extensive use of herbicidesto clear permanent wide swaths along (1) Reconnaissance, other than route reroadsideswill assist in eliminating ambushesconnaissance, is restricted by terrainsince it deprives insurgents of most of theirto primarily aerial and dismountedconcealment and exposes them more readily toelements. Finding specific insurgencyair observers. Insurgents often use mines tobases or camps is extremely difficultblock roads and trails in preparing ambushes.because of the lack of adequate intelli-Waterways are normally assigned to the Navy;gence. In the event information ishowever, armored cavalry units may be givenavailable, reconnaissance should northistype of mission. Air cavalry can patrol amaly be made by aircraft since speedwaterway, observing, reporting, and interdict-is essential. To avoid operational iningenemy moving on or in the vicinity of the tentions, reconnaissance aircraftwater route. The use of the swimming vehiclesshould not hover over or appear toof armored cavalry units is limited in this typeshow unusual interest in any particuoperationbecause of their slow water speed. lar area. Periodic flights over suspect-Also see paragraph 106.ed area will accustom the insurgentsto such reconnaissance. This will tendq. Convoy Escort. This mission, like the pre- to make them less wary when aceding one, is suitable for armored cavalry ele-specific objective is searched and willments. Convoy escort is usually required only also permit continuous photographafter area and route security measures have coverage for comparative analysis.failed to keep routes open. Convoy escort ele-Dense forests or other type cover andments must be able to survive and destroy am-concealment usually found in areas ofbushes, inflicting greater casualties than thoseinsurgency operations will precludereceived. Normally, a platoon is sufficient for effective aerial reconnaissance inthis purpose. In situations of unusual insur-most instances, but every effort mustgent activity, critical cargo or troop convoys,be made to secure accurate informaorextra long convoys, a troop or larger forcetion.may be required (fig. 43). Long convoys will (2) Armored cavalry dismounted elenormallybe broken up into march units, eachments will not ordinarily conductwith its own escort elements, and dispatched atzone reconnaissance but will often pairregularintervals. All units will remain in con-trol selected areas. This area reconstantradio contact so that an attack on any naissance mission has a threefoldelement will permit prompt reinforcement. Es-purpose: it permits the troops to becortswill usually be organized with armoredcome familiar with the terrain andelements at both ends of a march unit and oc-habitations; it threatens the insurcasionallywithin it. Escorts may be varied de-gents with the loss of supply cachespending on existing conditions and the com-and hidden cultivated food plots; andmander's experience. Rehearsal of individual it forces the insurgents to keep convehiclecounterambush actions is essential (kstantly on the move or to stay disabove).Air cavalry should be used to support persed. The scheduling, size, andthe ground escort by aerial fires and provideroute of reconnaissance patrols must240