Dragons at War - Land Battle in the Desert

SAVE OFFLINE

—

in

the Desert

Ci$g*i

How the

United States

prepared for war

in

the Gulf

an inside look at the U.S. Army National Training Center.

DANIEL

P.

BOLGER

0899-4 (Canada $6.95) U.S. $5.95

now and future Army

"Captain Bolger has presented the

how to train mounted troops in tacAs a handbook for young leaders, consider it superior As a text for senior officers on the taxonomy of well-conducted field exercise, it has no a superb treatise on

tics

and

fieldcraft.

I

peer.

I

personally believe, on the evidence of Bolger's account,

that the soldiers of

Task Force 2-34 Infantry

(the Drag-

ons) individually and collectively learned more at Fort in two weeks of war. Those Dragons may no longer serve together, but infantry and armored units in which

Irwin than they might

And

all

they

will train

emerged

have learned

alive.

or fight in years to

come

will profit

from

what they learned. The NTC breeds battle-wise soldiers bioodlessly.

That says

it all.

Paul

F.

Gorman Army

General, U.S.

(Retired)

Also by Daniel P. Bolger:

AMERICANS AT WAR, An

1975-1986

Era of Violent Peace

FEAST OF BONES*

*Coming from Ivy Books

DRAGONS AT WAR LAND BATTLE

IN

THE DESERT

Daniel P. Bolger

IVY BOOKS

•

NEW YORK

Ivy Books

Published by Ballantine Books

Copyright

©

1986 by Daniel P. Bolger

Copyby Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, TorAll rights reserved under International and Pan-American

right Conventions. Published in the United States

onto.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 86-5018

ISBN 0-8041-0899-4 This edition published by arrangement with Presidio Press

Manufactured

in the

First Ballantine

United States of America

Books

Edition: April 1991

For four soldiers: John W. Bolger, Col. Walter B. Clark, the late Capt. Kyle L. Edmonds, and the late Capt. R. Keith

Norman

Contents

Preface Glossary Chapter One

V

ix xi

A

Desert Area

As Big As Rhode

1

Island

Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

OPFOR

Two

The

Three Four

Enter the Dragons Call to

Five Six

Deliberate Attack

Seven Eight

Arms Movement to Contact

12

(I)

Defend in Sector (I) Counterattack

Nine

Laager

Ten

Defend a Battle Position

30 57 75 95 114 130 142 160

(Day/Night)

Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

Eleven

Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen

Sixteen

Appendix One Appendix Two

Movement Movement

to Contact (II)

182

to Contact (III)

205 223 239 257 275 285 289

Deliberate Attack (Night)

Delay in Sector Defend in Sector (II) Winners and Losers Order of Battle Schedule

291

Bibliography Index

295

vii

Preface

States Army came up with a winner in the National Training Center (NTC), at Fort Irwin, California. Intensive, realistic operations against determined opposing forces allow visiting units a unique opportunity to hone combat skills and learn about their own organizations. Probably the most important lesson learned at Irwin is that leadership provides the critical variable, despite the wealth of sophisticated, lethal weaponry that surrounds the modern soldier. The nature of battle has changed so much, yet the nature of man has altered so little. The NTC proves time and again that one man can make a difference and that a few trained men can sway an engagement. The author had the good luck to participate in NTC Rotation 1 -83 with Task Force 2-34 Infantry (the Dragons). The battalion task force was led by a cadre of committed, hard-working soldiers, most of them well known to this writer. This chronicle of the battalion's missions offers an insight into how a military unit functions under stress, and it gives a few examples of what soldiers do when they train together for war. There were mistakes and accidents, and they were recorded and analyzed. These are part of the nature of the difficult NTC scenario. There were also small victories and good fortune, duly noted. Field operations always seem to consist of an attempt to impose order upon confusion, and the challenging Fort Irwin rotation pushed the men of 2-34 Infantry to their limits of skill and endurance. Being there with a cohesive, proud unit such as 2-34 Infantry made it a lot easier for all of us. There was

The United

strength in the battalion.

working

officers in the

Certainly, there were no harder-

Army

than the Dragon leadership.

barrassing errors occurred, and the author contributed

Emmore

than his share as the commander of Bravo Company. But, as the NTC observer controllers say, "Don't be thin-skinned." Officers need training too. ix

Glossary

A-7— USAF Corsair

II

attack jet;

plays on the

it

OPFOR

side at

NTC.

AAR — After Action Review. ADA — Air defense artillery; antiaircraft

guns and missiles.

ADC-T

for training; a full colonel.

— commander ADM — Atomic demolition mine. movement of Air —A ground by ongoing combat This normally combat ALOC — Operations This Assistant division

assault

a

tactical

helicopter as part of an

unit

implies

operation.

Administration-Logistics

at the

Center.

is

tenance, and personnel actions are designed and coordinated.

(S-4) and adjutant (S-l

—

APC Armored ARTEP — Army

)

share the

ALOC.

landing zone.

where supply, main-

The

personnel carrier.

Training and Evaluation Program; a

list

of tasks, conditions, and

standards for unit training in the performance of combat missions. all

units

logistics officer

with the S-4 in charge.

ARTEPs

exist for

from squad/crew to battalion task force, to include combat support and

combat service support elements. Often, the ARTEP is considered as a "test," when evaluators are supplied by external units.

especially

AT

—

Antitank.

—

Attachment Temporary assignment of a force to another higher headquarters. Along with tactical control, the new commander must insure full logistic support for the attachment.

A VLB

— Armored

BMP (Boyevaya army.

It

OPFOR

carries a

vehicle launched bridge.

—

mashina pekhoty) Armored infantry vehicle used by 73-mm gun and an AT-3 Sagger antitank missile. The

reproduce this particular type.

BRDM — A

small, lightly armored, wheeled Soviet armored vehicle.

reconnaissance, antitank, air defense, and at Fort

the Soviet

Fort Irwin

command and

control tasks.

is

used for

The

OPFOR

It

Irwin recreate this vehicle.

—Close up CALFEX — Combined Arms Live Button up

integration of

vehicle hatches. Vision

all

is

greatly limited with hatches shut.

Fire Exercise; a training mission involving the

Army

direct fire, indirect fire.

aviation, and Air Force close air

support.

CEV CEV

—Combat

M728. An engineer version of the M-60 tank, the 165-mm demolition gun, a dozer blade, and a heavymovement of barriers.

engineer vehicle,

features a short-barrelled

duty A-frame to assist

in

— U.S. defense Company team — A combined-arms under mechanized Counterbattery — Chaparral platoons

air

a tank or

missile, based

on the Sidewinder

air-to-air missile.

organization of tank and mechanized infantry infantry headquarters.

Indirect fires delivered

on enemy

xi

indirect fire

means.

GLOSSARY

xii

—

Cross-attachment The exchange of one or more mechanized infantry platoons from a mechanized infantry company for one or more tank platoons from a tank company. CSC Combat support company. CS irritant gas A riot-control chemical agent whose acrid fumes affect the respiratory tract and exposed skin surfaces. CS causes tears, skin irritation, and possibly nausea. It is used as a chemical warfare training aid by U.S. forces. CSS Combat service support; supply, personnel administration, maintenance, and

—

—

—

medical services.

—

Dragon The U.S. M-47 medium member of 2-34 Infantry.

antitank guided missile with 1,000-meter range;

or a

DS

—

unit.

command

Direct support. This

field artillery,

A DS

one support unit (engineers,

relation requires

or air defense, for example) to furnish priority support to a designated

unit responds to the needs of this single element, rather than to the force

as a whole.

EA — Engagement

area. In the defense, a

means of

controlling

fires.

FA— Field artillery. FASCAM — Field

artillery scatterable

— ammunition. FIST — FO — Forward FORSCOM — United FFT

mines.

OPFOR,

Force-on-force training; U.S. against the live

using

MILES

and

training

Fire support team; the artillery forward observers/fire planners sent over to

direct artillery, mortars,

and close

air support for infantry

and armored companies.

observer. States

McPherson, Georgia. Forces

Army Forces Command, with headquarters at Fort Command supervises active Army and Army Reserve

units in the continental United States. for

FORSCOM

insures those elements are prepared

combat deployment.

FRAGORD— Fragmentary order; FSO

—

an abbreviated operation order.

Fire support officer.

GS — General

Support. This

field artillery,

or

air

command

relation requires

one support

unit (engineers,

defense, for example) to respond to the force as a whole.

A GS

unit has the flexibility to provide support to several units' needs or the requests of the

supported commander.

GSR — Ground

surveillance radar.

HHC — Headquarters ITV

and Headquarters Company.

—The U.S. M901 Improved TOW

Vehicle. This

double-tube launcher/sight turret that can be

Ml 13

variant has a cantilever

lifted hydraulically

from behind cover.

—

LAW/Viper

U.S. unguided light antitank rocket. The Viper was never produced, though the name survives in the MILES simulator for the (which has been in

LAW

production since Vietnam).

LD — Line

of departure;

it

must be crossed exactly on time

to permit a coordinated

attack.

— —

LFT LP

Live-fire training; U.S. against

automated

Listening post, usually used at night.

targets, using actual

ammunition.

.

Glossary

xiii

model number U.S. 7.62-mm — A U.S. main machine M113 —The U.S. armored Mechanized — With U.S. make of armored Medevac — Medical by device allows MILES — Laser Engagement System. This "shoot" and "get shot," U.S. MOPP — Mission This of chemical

M60

of a

battle tank; also the

infantry

gun.

personnel carrier.

reference to

use

Infantry, these troops

personnel carriers.

evacuation, usually

helicopter for training accidents.

Multiple Integrated

training

using eye-safe lasers.

soldiers to

oriented protective posture.

boots, gloves, and

refers to the use

suits,

masks

in various combinations, as determined by the U.S. misand weather situation. MOPP suit Chemical protection suit. Motorized rifle battalion. Motorized rifle regiment. MTLB A Soviet lightly armored, tracked personnel carrier. The Soviets use this track to carry artillery ammunition, for command and control, and other utility tasks. At Fort Irwin, the OPFOR mechanized infantry ride in actual MTLBs captured by Israel in Middle East combat.

sion,

enemy

threat,

—

MRB — MRR —

—

NBC — Nuclear/biological/chemical OCs

— Observer

controllers.

OER — Officer Evaluation Report; this document is prepared by an officer's superiors and reports his performance to Department of the Army.

OP — Observation post. OPCON — Operational control. under a headquarters for

This

command

relation places a subordinate unit

The

parent formation retains supply and

tactical orders only.

administrative responsibilities.

OPFOR —Opposing allies. Specifically,

U.S. battalions

Forces, especially those of the

OPFOR

at the

Warsaw

Pact armies and their

are the Soviet-model unit portrayed by specially trained

National Training Center.

OPORD— Operation order. Parrumphs Irwin

—

OPFOR

Irregular light infantry guerrilla units

"Pull" Logistics requesting unit.

"Push"

support of Fort

requests to supply centers, followed by pickup by the

use

Logistics

called "log packs"; the assembly of ready-made ammunition brought up to fighting units in escorted

battalion task force supervision.

— Rapid Deployment — RPG — — S-2 — S-3 — Operations S-4 — SA-9 — Sagger—This

RDF

Redeye

in

— The of — Sometimes

collections of food, fuel, and

convoy under

employed

operations.

Force.

Short-range surface-to-air heat-seeking missile, carried by two-man air

defense teams.

Rocket-propelled grenade; Soviet light antitank weapon.

S-l

Adjutant, personnel officer. Intelligence officer. officer.

Logistics officer.

Soviet surface-to-air missile, carried aboard the

BRDM.

Soviet antitank guided missile has a 3,000-meter range.

and

less accurate than the

U.S.

TOW.

It is

slower

GLOSSARY

xiv

—A —

SAU-122

Soviet self-propelled, tracked

122-mm

howitzer. Fort Irwin's

OPFOR

have created a replica of this model. The time, usually prior to dawn, when all men must be awake, cleaned Stand-to up, in position, and with weapons ready. Wake-up must be well prior to stand-to.

T-72

—A

125-mm cannon. The OPFOR

Soviet tank, with a

this particular

Task Force

—

mechanized

infantry.

—A TOC —

Team

at Fort

Irwin reproduce

model.

combined arms organization

Battalion-sized

portion of an infantry squad; or a company-sized

built

around tanks and

combined arms organi-

zation.

Tactical Operations Center. This

is

where combat operations are planned and make up the TOC,

controlled. Operations, intelligence, and fire support sections

along with

communications and security. The operations officer (S-3) is TOC structure and function. The headquarters company com-

affiliated

responsible for internal

mander moves and secures

TOW — Tube-launched, sile.

With

its

the

TOC.

optically tracked, wire-guided heavy antitank guided mis-

3,000-meter range, good accuracy, and powerful warhead, the

a principal antiarmor

weapon

mechanized infantry units. Those at higher level are progressively

— maintenance VTR — Vehicle damaged and Vulcan — U.S. defense cannon. Wheels —The U.S. and supply/maintenance

Trains

Logistics facilities.

TOW is

in

less

mobile.

tracked vehicle that tows and helps

tracked recovery; a

inoperative vehicles.

repair

air

jeeps

infantry

trucks that support each tank and

company.

XO— Executive officer. ZSU-23-4 gun

track.

—

Self-propelled, light-armored, quad-barrel

The

Fort Irwin

OPFOR

23-mm

deploy a re-creation of

Soviet air defense

this type

of vehicle.

i

Guide to Military Map Symbols

-«.. Un ts

/y

:

UNITSI2E

UNIT

SUPERIOR UNIT DESIGNATION

DESIGNATION^

BRANCH /FUNCTION

US/ OPFOR Units:

Unit Sizes: -

--

-••

« ••

SO.UAD

US

SECTION

OPFOR

PLATOON

COMPANY

HI

BATTALION

nn

TEAM TASK FORCE

REGIMENT

Unit Types: MECHANI2ED

INFANTRY

Q

AIR DEFENSE

MECHANI2ED ARTILLERY

GE3INFANTRY

1ARM0RED CAVALRY rTn iantitank JSCOUT/RECON N<

m

MEDICAL

rjr* GROUND Llkj RADAR

V

L^JsiGNAL

IQIarmor

LLZUengineer

1>—^ maintenance

ImJsupply

[Btransport

GEO CHEMICAL

COMMAND

1 If

[trains

[

POST

I

Tactical Symbols:

A

OBSERVATION POST

US OPFOR TANK

MINEFIELD HELD

APC

ANTITANK

ARTILLERY ivH-irht :::^ A. DEUVEftED ...MINES

(nonstandard)