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

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COM(2) All measures are taken to reduce the tinues to move and may direct indieffectivenessof the enemy fire. Thevidual tanks to fire less and movecommander uses cover and conceal-more if necessary to insure that allment to the maximum both for firingtanks participate aggressively inpositions and for movement. Move-the fight. The platoon leader mayments are made rapidly to avoid pre-direct the fire of individual tankssenting a stationary target. Smokewhen necessary.may be used to reduce enemy observa- (b) The accuracy capabilities of bothtion.the machinegun and the tank gunb. Fires During Continuous Movement in are best realized when fired from aMass.stationary position.(1) The unit continues to move without (c) Movement by individual tanks ishalting.employed against any type target(2) Tanks with stabilized guns can be em- except those requiring the concenployedeffectively while the tank istrated fires of more than one tank.moving, but the accuracy of the un- (d) Considerations when movement bystabilized tank gun is reduced serious-individual tanks might be used arely.as follows:(3) Fires of unstabilized tank guns dur- 1. In the advance to or in the assaulting continuous movement in mass arewhen enemy tanks or other pointeffective only within the relativelytargets threaten the accomplishshortrange of the machinegun andment of the mission and cannotagainst an enemy vulnerable to smallbe neutralized by the base of firearms fire.or by machinegun fire while mov-(4) Continuous movement in mass with ing.tank gun fire is used in the assault of2. When a force is caught in the opendefended positions.by effective enemy fire and mustc. Fire and Movement. Fire and movement move and neutralize the fire tois used so that the force as a whole may con-prevent unacceptable losses.tinue to advance while elements of it halt term-(e) The advance by continuous moveporarilyto fire 1 or 2 rounds from the tankment in mass is resumed as soon asgun at known targets that prohibit continuouspossible.movement in mass. Fire and movement is con- (2) Coordinated movement by bounds.ducted by two methods-movement by individ- The unit commander selects theual tanks and coordinated movement by firing positions, designates who is tobounds.occupy the positions, and gives the(1) Movement by individual tanks (fig. order to displace from one position to78). another. The unit commander may(a) Each tank commander determinesdesignate targets, the time to fire, andwhether to fire while moving or tothe route between firing positions.halt and fire the machinegun or (a) Alternate bounds (fig. 79).tank gun. If the decision is made to1. A part of the tank unit is orderedhalt, the tank commander selectsforward to a predesignated limitthe firing position, the target, thewhile the remainder of the unittime of fire, and the route betweenfires on the enemy. When thefiring positions. In making theseleading element is in position, itdeterminations, he must maintain,fires on the enemy while the reingeneral, his relative position inmainder of the unit advancesthe platoon formation. The platoonpast its position to a secondleader insures that the platoon con-predesignated limit. This alterna-333