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Infantry Squad Tactics
Marine Corps Gazette
11/05/05 "Marine
Corps Gazette" -- -- Historically speaking,
military operations on urbanized terrain (MOUT) have created
casualty figures that are extraordinary compared to similar
operations conducted in different types of environments. The
casualties in MOUT present a significant challenge to small unit
leaders. Casualties in Fallujah hit Marine infantry squads and fire
teams extremely hard because, generally speaking, the squads were
already under table of organization standards. Some squads in 3d
Battalion, 5th Marines (3/5) commenced the assault on the Jolan with
only six Marines. It is the small unit leaders' duty to accomplish
the mission with the fewest casualties possible. In order for small
unit leaders to complete the above task they need tactics and
techniques that will prevent casualties.
Section 1 of the Scout/Sniper Platoon has attacked and cleared
buildings with all of the line companies in 3/5. The authors have
observed nearly all of the squads in the battalion and have "rolled
in the stack" with many of them. This is an experience that few in
the battalion have. Knowing this, we believe it is our duty to
consolidate our observations, produce a comprehensive evaluation of
squad tactics and techniques, and pass it onto the squad leaders.
Our intent is to give the squad leaders options in combat. It is by
no means a "bible," but it is a guideline. One squad or another has
proved all of the tactics and techniques in combat. Section 1 does
not take any credit for the information contained in this article.
The information was learned through the blood of the infantry squads
of 3/5. The entire evaluation has one underlying theme-accomplish
the mission with the least number of casualties possible.
Terrain and Enemy
Terrain . The city of Fallujah, Iraq is unlike any city for which
Marines have trained. The layout of the city is random. Zones
distinguishing between residential, business, and industrial are
nonexistent. An infantry squad would be clearing a house initially,
then have to clear a slaughterhouse or furniture wood shop in the
adjacent buildings. The streets are narrow and lined by walls. The
walls channel the squad and do not allow for standard immediate
action drills when contact is made. This was not an issue because
the majority of contact was made in the houses, not in the streets.
The houses are densely packed in blocks. Adjacent houses are either
connected or within a few feet of each other. This configuration
enabled the insurgents to escape the view of Marine overwatch
positions. The houses also are all made of brick with a thick
covering of mortar. In almost every house a fragmentation grenade
can be used without fragments coming through the walls. Each room
can be fragged individually.
Generally, all houses have an enclosed courtyard. Upon entry into
the courtyard, there is an outhouse large enough for one man.
Rooftops and a large first story window overlook the courtyard. Most
houses have windows that are barred and covered with blinds or
cardboard restricting visibility into the house. The exterior doors
of the houses are both metal and wood. The wood doors usually have a
metal gate over top forming two barriers to breach. Exterior doors
have two to three locking points. Some doors are even barricaded
from the inside to prevent entry. Two to three entry points, opening
into rooms such as the kitchen and sitting rooms, are found either
in the front, sides, or rear. The differences between the interior
and exterior doors are their strength and durability. Interior doors
only have one locking point, and most of them can be kicked in. All
doors inside and outside of the house were usually locked.
The layout of all of the houses is generally the same. Initial entry
by the front door leads to a small room with two interior doors. The
two doors are the entrances to two adjacent, open sitting rooms. The
size of the rooms is directly proportionate to the size of the
house. At the end of the sitting rooms are interior doors that open
up into a central hallway. The central hallway is where all of the
first floor rooms lead, and it contains the ladder well to the
second deck. The second deck will contain more rooms and an exit to
the middle rooftop. The middle rooftop will have an exterior ladder
well leading up to the highest rooftop.
Enemy. The two types of insurgents that the squads engaged will be
labeled the guerrillas and the martyrs for this evaluation.
Guerrillas are classified by the following principles:
* The guerrillas' purpose is to kill many Marines quickly and then
evade. They do not want to die. Dying is an acceptable risk to the
guerrillas, but their intention is to live and fight another day.
* The tactics used are classic guerrilla warfare. The guerrillas
will engage Marines only on terrain of their choosing, when they
have tactical advantage. After contact is made the guerrillas will
disengage and evade.
* Their evasion route normally is out of sight of Marine overwatch
positions.
The martyrs are classified by the following principles:
* The martyrs' purpose is to kill as many Marines as possible before
they are killed themselves. Time does not have any significance. The
martyrs want to die by the hands of Marines.
* Their tactics directly reflect their purpose. The martyrs will
make fortified fighting positions in houses and wait. Marines will
come, the martyrs will fight, and they will die in place.
Both the guerrillas and martyrs employ small arms, grenades, and
rocket-propelled grenades. The martyrs have used heavy machineguns
and anti-air machineguns, unfortunately, with good effects. The
battle positions and tactics that both employ are somewhat similar.
The major differences between the two are the egress route and the
fortifications. Guerrillas have an evasion plan and normally do not
have fortified fighting positions.
Marines were ensnared from mouseholes within the house, guerrillas
shooting down from the rooftops when moving into the courtyard,
guerrillas and martyrs shooting and throwing grenades down the
ladder wells, in second deck rooms that are fortified or blacked
out, and upon breaching of interior doors. Martyrs have also
emplaced machinegun positions in rooms facing down the long axis of
hallways.
The egress routes the guerrillas use are preplanned and well
rehearsed. They move in groups and withdraw perpendicular to the
Marines' forward line of troops (FLOT). Their movement is through
windows of houses, down back alleys, and from roof to roof (only
when obscured from Marine overwatch positions). The routes minimize
exposure in the streets. Martyrs do not cross streets that run
perpendicular to the FLOT, only parallel. This tactic is used
because Marine snipers during 2/1's attack last April devastated the
insurgents when attempting to cross those streets. If contact is
made with guerrillas, and the block is not isolated on all four
sides, then their chance of escape increases exponentially.
Isolation of the block is absolutely necessary in order to prevent
any "squirters."
Overall, the enemy has adapted their tactics and techniques in order
to maximize their strongpoints and hit Marines when they are the
most vulnerable. They have learned from 2/1's attack last April.
This is common sense, but it must be said in order that Marines
realize that the enemy they are fighting is somewhat intelligent. In
MOUT it only takes a miniscule amount of intelligence in order to
create massive numbers of casualties.
Squad Tactics
Squad movement. During house-to-house, detailed clearing attacks,
squads must minimize exposure in the streets. The streets,
especially in Fallujah, can become a deathtrap if a squad is
engaged. The squad should run from house to house in a stack with
all elements (security, assault, and support) in their appropriate
positions. In the street, the stack should be slightly staggered
like a tight tactical column. The Marines should have some
dispersion, and the pace of the running should not be so fast that
the Marines are uncontrolled and not maintaining all-around
security. As soon as the point man/one man reaches the courtyard
breach the stack should close the gaps of dispersion and swiftly
move to accomplish their tasks.
All danger areas while on the move must be covered. Security must be
three-dimensional and all-around. Each Marine in the stack looks to
the Marines to his front, assesses danger areas that are not
covered, and then covers one of them. If every Marine does this,
then all danger areas will be covered.
Top-down versus bottom-up assaults. An infantry squad can assault
structures using two different methods. Traditionally, the top-down
assault is taught as being the most ideal method for clearing a
structure. Realistically, this may not be the best option for the
infantry squad. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of both
topdown and bottom-up assault methods.
Top-down advantages are:
* Surprising the enemy by moving from the top down may throw the
enemy off balance. The enemy's defenses may not be prepared for a
top-down assault, and the squad could overwhelm the enemy rapidly.
* The squad has more momentum when moving down the ladder wells.
* If the squad knows that the enemy is inside, the roof can be
breached in order that grenades and explosives can be dropped in.
* The enemy's egress routes are greatly reduced because the squad
can isolate the house by holding security on the back alleys and the
front of the house from the roof.
Top-down disadvantages are:
* Once the squad makes entry and contact is made, pulling out of the
structure is extremely difficult. This limits the options for the
squad leader on how to engage the enemy. The structure must be
flooded with Marines, and Marines have to go over the top of
casualties in order to kill the enemy. Momentum must not be lost.
Marines have been left behind in houses because the momentum was
lost.
* If the squad decides to break contact, they are moving opposite
their momentum and more casualties will result.
* Marine squads may not have enough Marines to effectively flood the
structure.
* If casualties are taken they are nearly impossible to pull up the
ladder well with all of their gear and a limp body. This is another
reason why the structure must be flooded.
* The casualties will not receive immediate first aid because the
entire squad must be committed to neutralization of the threat. The
swiftness of medical attention may mean the difference between life
and death.
Bottom-up advantages are:
* The squad leader has many options when contact is made. The
structure does not have to be flooded.
* Momentum can be maintained in assaulting or breaking contact, and
the squad leader can switch rapidly from one to the other.
* The structure can be cleared with fewer Marines because the
clearing is more controlled and smooth, whereas a top-down assault
is always in high gear.
* Casualties can be pulled out faster and easier simply because
gravity is working for the squad.
Bottom-up disadvantages are:
* The squad is moving into the enemy's defenses. It is easy for the
enemy to hold the second deck and ladder well.
* The squad is slow moving up the ladder well making it harder to
maintain momentum.
* The enemy has the ability to escape by using its preplanned
routes.
Overall, there should not be a standard assault method. Rather, the
squad leader should understand the advantages and disadvantages of
each method, assess each structure quickly, make a decision on which
method to employ, and then take actions that maximize its advantages
while minimizing its disadvantages.
Gaining footholds. Footholds are extremely important. By
establishing footholds the squad establishes strongpoints during the
assault that can be used for consolidation, coordination, base of
fire positions, rally points, and casualty collection points. The
squad must move from one foothold to another, never stopping until
each foothold is attained.
The succession of footholds that the squad establishes will be
different when assaulting from either the top down or the bottom up.
The following footholds should be seized in this order when
assaulting from the top down:
* All rooftops.
* The inside top deck.
* Each individual lower level to the bottom deck.
* The courtyard.
The footholds seized when assaulting from the bottom up are in the
reverse order. They are:
* The front courtyard.
* The first two seating rooms.
* The central hallway.
* Each successive upper deck with its respective rooftop.
* Uppermost rooftop.
At each individual foothold the squad can consolidate and coordinate
further clearing of the structure. If contact is made, the footholds
can be used to establish a base of fire in order to assault or break
contact. When breaking contact, footholds are used as rally points
in order for the squad and fire team leaders to get accountability
of all of their Marines. The squad will bound back through each
foothold. A foothold can also be used as a casualty collection
point.
Structure clearing. During the assault on a structure there are
three different tactics that the squad can use for entry into the
structure. The three types of entry are dynamic, stealth, and
subdued. The dynamic entry is violently aggressive from start to
finish. The commands are verbal and yelled. The squads lead by fire,
placing one or two rounds in every door that is closed or window
that is blacked out. Fragmentation grenades, stun grenades, and
flash bangs are used. At night, surefire flashlights are employed in
order to clear. The movement of the squad is swift and overwhelming
for the enemy inside.
The stealth entry is exactly the opposite of the dynamic entry. The
squad breaches quietly, moves slowly, speaks only in whispers, and
listens for any movement within the house. There is extreme emphasis
placed on initiative-based tactics (IBT). During night clearing,
night vision goggles and AN/PEQ-2s are used instead of surefire
flashlights. The stealth entry confuses the enemy on exactly where
the squad is in clearing the house and allows the squad to maintain
the element of surprise.
Subdued entry is a combination of the two previous types. The squad
moves quietly until they encounter a room. Upon entry into the room,
Marines are violently aggressive. After the room is cleared, the
Marines switch back to the stealth method of entry. This type of
entry allows the squad leader to control the rate of clearing while
maintaining some element of surprise.
It is important to note that squad leaders must vary the type of
entry. The squad must constantly mask its movement through every
form of deception that may confuse the enemy inside the building or
room. It is up to the entire squad to use its imagination and vary
entry tactics and techniques as much as possible. The objective is
to keep the enemy off balance and not allow him to get into the
squad's rhythm.
Breaching.
There were three types of breaching used in Fallujah-mechanical,
ballistic, and explosive. Mechanical breaching of the exterior walls
of the courtyard or gate was mostly done by assault amphibious
vehicles (AAVs), tanks, D-9 bulldozers, or HMMWVs. Sledgehammers and
hooligans were used to breach both the metal and wooden doors of the
house, but this was not-and is not-the preferred method for
breaching. Sledgehammers and hooligans are slow, and they require
the breacher to stand in front of the door being breached. Standing
in front of the door allows the enemy to engage the breacher through
the door.
Ballistic breaching was used mostly on exposed padlocks. Both M16A4s
and shotguns were used. The M16A4s were employed because there was
not enough shotgun ammunition for the number of locks that had to be
breached. They were fairly effective on first round breaching of
padlocks if the round was placed near the center. The M203 was also
used. Squads would breach doors of houses that were 50 to 100 meters
in front of their positions with the M203. It worked extremely well
on the exterior metal doors.
The last type of breaching employed was explosive. A multitude of
charges were used in order to breach walls, gates, exterior doors,
and interior doors. Some of these will be discussed later in this
evaluation.
An important principle that was learned in breaching is that the
Marine making entry is never the breacher. The breacher should
always fall in the back of the stack and never go in first. Marines
have died because they followed their own breach.
In traditional MOUT training, making nonstandard entry points, such
as walls and windows, is taught. Unfortunately, Marines were
responsible for clearing 50 to 60 structures a day. There simply was
not enough time or explosives to breach the walls or barred windows.
Almost all of the entry points were existing doors.
Speed is the most significant factor in all types of breaching. If
one method of breaching is not working, then the breacher must
quickly transition to a different type. Standing in front of a door
and beating it with a sledgehammer for 10 minutes is unacceptable.
The breacher must be able to employ the different methods. The squad
leader must ensure that the breacher has the necessary equipment and
explosives for each type. Every time the squad is stalled because of
a breach, it is placed in a vulnerable position. Breaching swiftly
and effectively is necessary in order for the squad to maintain
momentum.
Movement of the squad within the structure.
Within the structure, the squad should move from one foothold to
another. The initial foothold is established by the security
element. The security element rolls onto the rooftop or courtyard
and clears every room on the outside. The assault element proceeds
directly to an entry point to prepare for the breach. The support
element falls in trace and makes the breach.
After the breach is made the assault element makes entry and clears
the entire top deck. If bottom-up assault is used then the squad
clears the first two sitting rooms simultaneously by splitting the
stack. The support element will assist the assault element by
peeling off to clear rooms or breach any doors. Security will be
left at the rooftop or courtyard foothold in order to isolate the
structure and secure the squad's egress route. Only two Marines can
maintain security. The rest of the security element will fall in the
stack. After the initial foothold in the structure is gained, the
stack will consolidate and then advance and clear to the next
foothold. The succession will continue until the entire structure is
cleared.
At all times the squad will move by using IBT and adhere to its
principles, which will be addressed later. No Marine should make an
uncovered move. The squad should move at a pace that is swift but
controlled, exercising "tactical patience."
Actions upon enemy contact.
The squad leader's options for actions upon enemy contact vary
according to where the squad is in its clearing, and whether any
casualties have been taken. In any contact, the squad and squad
leader have two priorities -- eliminate the immediate threat and
pull out any casualties. Unfortunately, more often than not, the two
priorities are connected.
If contact is made in the courtyard or rooftop, the squad should
break contact, isolate the house or block, and call in supporting
arms (tanks, AAVs, etc.). There is no reason to place Marines in the
building until it is thoroughly prepped. If contact is made in the
house, then the squad leader must quickly evaluate the situation and
decide the best course of action. Generally, the squad leader has
the following three options:
* Break contact. Breaking contact is more of an option during the
bottom-up assault because of the difficulties in changing the
momentum during the top-down assault. If casualties are taken, or
the enemy resistance is strong, then this may be the best action for
the squad leader to take. Upon breaking contact the squad will bound
from one foothold to another. At each foothold, accountability of
all Marines should occur, ensuring that no Marine is left behind.
When leaving the house, the squad can place a satchel charge or
another explosive device in order to bring down the house or burn
the enemy out.
* Flood the house. Squad leaders may choose to flood the house with
Marines if a casualty is taken during the top-down assault or if the
enemy threat is not significant. Casualties cannot be dragged up the
stairs quickly; therefore, Marines must neutralize or suppress the
threat in order to extract the casualties.
* Hold the last foothold and clear by fire. Footholds are
strongpoints from which the squad can fight. At the foothold,
Marines can return fire, throw grenades, and use explosive devices
to neutralize the enemy. After the enemy has been damaged, the squad
can move in and clear the house. If the rooftop is the foothold the
squad is holding, then the roof could be breached by a directional
charge. Grenades or incendiary devices can be thrown into the
structure flushing out the enemy.
Casualties must never be left behind! The squad leader must ensure
that every Marine moves with a buddy. Each buddy is responsible for
pulling the other out of the fight if he goes down. The squad leader
and fire team leaders must have accountability for all of their
Marines at all times. There is no excuse for Marines being left
behind in a building while the squad pulls out.
Organization of the Squad
Some squad leaders in the battalion split their squads in two and
assigned different sectors to the two different parts. They did this
to move faster through the houses because they were tasked with
clearing lanes that may have contained 50 or 60 houses. Although
this tactic worked, and the squads moved faster through their
assigned sectors, it is not the best employment of their squads. The
following reasons are given on why splitting the squad is not
advisable:
* If the squad contains 12 Marines and is split in half, that leaves
2 teams of 6 Marines. Clearing a structure with six Marines, even if
the house is small, is extremely risky. If a buddy team of two
Marines got hit and went down there would not be enough Marines to
provide covering fire while pulling the casualties out. Critical
seconds would be wasted waiting for the other team of the squad to
come in the house and support the extraction of the casualties. The
chances of wounded Marines being left behind would be increased
exponentially.
* If contact is made by both teams simultaneously, then the squad
could be cut down in a piecemeal fashion within a matter of seconds
before other squads could even move to reinforce.
When the squad leader organizes his squad he must always think about
enemy contact. Squads must not be split in order to increase the
speed of clearing. Commanders should not put stress on the squad
leaders to clear at a speed that would force the squad leaders to
make that decision. Tactical patience must be exercised at every
level.
The squad should be organized by using the traditional three
elements of assault, support, and security. The number of Marines
contained within each element will vary according to the squad's
number of Marines, the skills and abilities that each individual
Marine possesses, and the weapons systems that each Marine employs
(M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW), M203, and advanced combat
optical gunsight scoped M16A4s).
The assault element must contain no SAWs if that is possible. A SAW
gunner must never clear rooms. The assault element should contain
the most Marines because every room must be cleared with two
Marines. The support element will supplement the assault by falling
in the stack and peeling off to clear rooms.
The support section should include any engineers or assaultmen
attached to the squad. A SAW gunner should be included in this
section in order to provide massive firepower in the house if
contact is made. The corpsman is also located in the support section
because he can use his shotgun to breach as well as provide quick
medical attention to casualties. The support section will fall in
the stack behind the assault element to assist in any way.
Security should contain the other remaining SAWs in the squad. The
security element is responsible for clearing and securing the
courtyard or rooftop foothold prior to the assault element moving to
the entry point. When assault and support make entry into the
structure, two Marines are left behind to isolate the house
(rooftop) and secure the squad's entry point. The rest of the
Marines will fall in the stack behind the support section. The
security Marines will hold security on all danger areas (mostly the
stairs) when the assault and support sections are clearing each
foothold.
Squad leaders must appoint each fire team leader as an element
leader. There are no longer fire teams, only assault, support, and
security sections. Each element leader will maintain accountability
for his section. It is easier for the squad to maintain this
organization until the attack is completed, and then the traditional
four-Marine fire team can be reinstated. The squad leader should
emphasize unity of command and succession of command should the
squad leader become a casualty.
Squad Communications
Intersquad communications between the Marines in the stack is both
verbal and visual. Simple, clear, and universal language should be
used. In other words, use words and phrases that are standardized so
every Marine understands the other-words and phrases such as "hold
right, clear left" and "frag out."
The point man/one man should describe to the stack what he is
seeing. He verbally paints the picture for the stack behind. Marines
in the stack should be listening not talking. Talking should be kept
to a minimum.
After Clearing/Continuing Actions
After the structure has been cleared, the squad must immediately
conduct a detailed search of the house for weapons. The search must
be quick, but thorough, leaving nothing untouched. Weapons were
found in every conceivable place-underneath couches in the cushions,
in between piled up blankets, etc.
Another continuing action is to render the interior and exterior
doors unable to close. This action helps if the structure needs to
be cleared again later. Marines will use their creativity to think
of ingenious ways to accomplish this task.
Mission or Time Has Priority
In detailed clearing attacks, time should never be the priority.
Marines should never be rushed because they can become sloppy and
are forced to create shortcuts in order to accomplish the mission
under the time constraints. This statement does not mean that the
squads shouldn't be pushed. It means that a realistic timeline for
the attack should be made-a timeline that takes into account the
overwhelming task of clearing multiple blocks of houses that may
contain platoon-sized elements of insurgents.
Individual Techniques and Tactics
Training. Training is continuous, whether in a combat zone or not.
The responsibility of the squad leader is to ensure that his squad
is combat ready. The individual Marines in his squad must be
continuously trained. Marines will rapidly lose proficiency in
skills if they do not continually practice.
Training does not have to be physical; it can be verbal. The most
effective training in a combat environment is for the squad leader
to sit down with his squad and talk. The squad should run through
combat scenarios and have individual Marines tell the squad what
their jobs are and how they will accomplish them. Communications,
through universal language, can be practiced simply by always using
it, even when walking to chow.
All Marines must exercise initiative during combat. Squad leaders
must design training techniques in order to stress initiative.
Marines must be able to look around, assess what their squads or
partners are doing, feed off it, and act in order to support them.
IBT is paramount.
Constructive criticism should be encouraged. Every Marine debriefs
each other, telling good and bad observations. The squad leader
should also be critiqued by his Marines. The criticism is not meant
to undermine the squad leader's authority. It is to allow the squad
leader to instruct the Marines on why he chose to run the squad the
way he did. Young Marines will gain knowledge about squad tactics
that they may never have figured out if the squad leader did not
tell them. It will prepare them for leadership billets. It will also
give them confidence in their squad leader because they will trust
him and his knowledge.
Techniques.
Techniques that individual Marines need to be taught and practice
are the following:
* Pie off all danger areas. Before entry into a room, as many danger
areas as possible should be pied off leaving only one or two corners
that need to be cleared. Don't blindly rush into a room, especially
if the door is open.
* Use the buddy system. Two Marines always peel off the stack, never
one.
* Pick up uncovered danger areas, including when opening doors to
furniture large enough to fit a man inside.
* Clear obstacles, such as furniture.
* Prep rooms with grenades.
* If the room is too small for two Marines, or not enough Marines
are clearing the house to hold security on all of the danger areas,
the number two man turns around and covers the rear of the Marine
clearing the room.
* Move stealthily through a structure even with broken glass on the
ground.
* Make a stealth entry with night vision goggles and AN/PEQ-2s.
* Make breaching charges and place them on the locking points of
different types of doors.
These are just some of the techniques that need to be practiced and
passed on to younger Marines.
Tactics. IBT should be taught. There are four rules of IBT. They
are:
* Cover all immediate danger areas.
* Eliminate all threats.
* Protect your buddy.
* There are no mistakes. Every Marine feeds off each other and picks
up the slack for the other. Go with it.
Every Marine needs to understand and memorize the rules governing
IBT. These rules should not only apply to MOUT but to all small unit
infantry engagements. Rule number four must be particularly
emphasized to the squad. There are no mistakes when clearing a
structure in combat, only actions that result in
situations-situations that Marines must adapt to, improvise, and
overcome in a matter of seconds.
Supporting Arms
Throughout contemporary American military history there has never
been an opponent that could not be overwhelmed by American
supporting arms. The Marine Corps historically has been an innovator
with their employment. The Marine Corps created the concept of close
air support (CAS) in Haiti during the Banana Wars, helicopter
envelopment in Korea, and the combined arms team portrayed in the
modern Marine air-ground task force. Fallujah has been another
proving ground for American supporting arms. The insurgents were
completely overwhelmed by the massive indirect fires and CAS on the
first 2 davs of the battle.
At the squad level, the results of these fires were felt through the
type of enemy they encountered. The enemy dug deep into the houses.
The infantrymen of 3/5 have learned the advantages and
disadvantages, through practical experience, of fixed-wing CAS,
rotary-wing CAS, tanks, combined antiarmor teams (CAATs), AAVs,
artillery, bulldozers, and 81mm and 60mm mortars.
Fixed-wing CAS is an enormous weapon that has great effects on the
ground. The major problem with it is the amount of time it takes to
get bombs on target. It took entirely too long for bombs to be
dropped when Marines were in contact. Additionally, the minimum safe
distance of the ordnance was too great in order for even the street
block to be isolated, and that shortfall allowed the enemy to escape
countless times. Fixed-wing CAS should be used for deep targets. It
should not be used when Marines have isolated a structure and
trapped the enemy inside. A tank or CAAT section can be more
effective because Marines do not have to be withdrawn from the
cordon.
In contrast to fixed-wing CAS, rotary-wing CAS was extremely timely,
but the effects on target were not extraordinary. The Hellfire
missiles used did not bring down entire structures, but they did do
some damage.
By far, the best two supporting arms used were tanks and CAATs.
Tanks and CAATs were the infantryman's best friends. The battle
would have been incredibly bloodier if it had not been for tanks and
CAATs. The tanks were able to provide a 120mm direct fire weapon at
the location of any contact within a matter of minutes. The thermal
sites were able to pinpoint the exact position of snipers and then
effectively neutralize them within seconds. CAAT sections used their
M2 .50 caliber machineguns and Mk 19 grenade launchers to breach as
well as destroy buildings from which fire was received. In addition,
CAAT Marines helped by clearing buildings that lined the street in
their lanes. The infantry should never attack in MOUT without tanks
or CAATs.
Mortars and artillery proved effective by forcing the enemy to stay
in the houses and fight the Marines in the street.
Demolitions
The majority of explosives used during the fight for
Fallujah will not be mentioned here. The few that will be explained
have the common theme of being obscure and may be forgotten if they
are not written down. Each explosive device was developed in
response to the enemy's tactics and has been proven to work.
The following is a list of explosives, a description, and their
uses:
* "Eight ball." A one-eighth stick of Composition 4 (C4) explosives
used for breaching both interior and exterior doors-effective and
doesn't use a lot of C4.
* "House guest" (named by 2d Squad, 1st Platoon, Company I, 3/5
(1/3/5). Propane tanks placed in the central hallway with C4 used to
ignite them. Creates a fuel air explosive. Used for bringing down a
house when contact is made inside. Propane tanks must be full.
* A 60mm or 81mm white phosphorous mortar round, wrapped three times
with detonation cord, and a one-quarter or one-half stick of C4.
Used when contact is made in a house, and the enemy must be burned
out.
* Molotov cocktails. One part liquid laundry detergent and two parts
gas. Used when contact is made in a house, and the enemy must be
burned out.
All Marines should be familiar with explosives and proper placement
of the charge for breaching. Any Marine should be able to cut a time
fuse, crimp a blasting cap, and put the blasting cap in C4.
Randomness of Tactics and Techniques
The infantry squad must have a toolbox of tactics and techniques.
The squad should not fall into a pattern where they become
predictable. Being predictable allows the enemy to prepare and
modify his tactics in order to exploit the squad's weaknesses. The
squad must be trained well enough to flow through or combine each
tactic and technique fairly easily. Marines must use their
imaginations to think of ways to vary their actions. The enemy must
be kept off balance by constantly changing squad tactics at random.
For instance, vary the method of entry into the structure, lead by
fire then don't, assault top down then bottom up, don't use the same
entry point every time, throw a fragmentation grenade on the middle
roof then assault bottom up. Avoid patterning by all means.
Combat Mindset
Preparing Marines for battle is a difficult task for the squad
leader. A squad leader must be the rock on which his Marines will
lean. He must drill into his Marines that no Marine will be left
behind. Marine combat infantrymen understand the meaning of "Semper
Fidelis." No Marine is left behind.
Marines have to prepare mentally for casualties and be able to
rebound quickly in order to kill the enemy swiftly. Quickly killing
the enemy will reduce casualties. The old saying, "anything that can
go wrong, will," is always in effect in combat.
Every time a squad makes entry they should expect to make contact.
Surprise, speed, and maximum violence win small unit battles.
Marines and leaders need to make quick decisions on the move-and
under fire-while always remembering unity of command.
In combat, Marine leaders are required to stand up and take charge.
Unfortunately, sometimes there are too many chiefs and not enough
Indians. The "chief syndrome" will create mass confusion on the
battlefield. Being a good combat leader sometimes means stepping
back and allowing the Marines to do their jobs. Platoon commanders
must allow squad leaders to lead their squads, squad leaders must
allow element leaders to lead their elements, and element leaders
must allow their Marines to take initiative.
Conclusion
This evaluation is nothing more than a guideline for infantry
Marines. Squad leaders should take this evaluation, study it,
critique it, give it to their squads, have them study it, critique
it, and then sit down together to discuss it. The tactics and
techniques contained in the evaluation were gained at an enormous
price. Marines were killed on the field of battle developing these
tactics. It is the duty of every Marine infantryman to ensure that
these lessons do not die with time. This evaluation is only one step
in passing on the knowledge.
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.
© 2005 Marine Corps Gazette. All rights reserved.
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