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Urban Combat:
Of all the various kinds of ground over which battles can be fought - plains, jungles, mountains, deserts and snow - should any trained soldier be asked where he liked fighting the least he would almost certainly say 'Streets' for urban combat is the moust hazardous and dangerous time for troops on the ground. Everywhere in a built-up area there are places for well-concealed snipers and machine-gun posts and even AFVs, some of whose large calibre guns can be well concealed in a ruined building and will totally destroy nearby structures. Also, of course, in enemy territory there is the possibility of offensive action by the population, who will at any rate have agents among them, indistinguished from the ordinary civilians, but who will be engaged in gathering intelligence.
In this section, which concentrates on the difficulties of urban combat, you will read about the seven life-saving rules a rifle squad must remember when the time comes to assault a building known to be occupied by the enemy. One lapse of memory, even thoughtlessly entering a room the wrong way, or turning a doorhandle without considering that it might be boobytrapped, can bring that explosion which will take one or more of the squad out of the engagement. Those seven ways of staying alive are listed and detailed here. From the rooftops and attics down to below street-level and including the sewers and tunnels defenders can use to harass the troops who have taken the area and whose job it is to make it safe for follow-up units and non-combatant personnel.
A street in the hands of the enemy is a dangerous place even to approach. The experienced assault team does not push forward and storm the houses one by one, they will fail if it is occupied by the enemy and probably die in the attempt. The walls of houses, so comforting to those who live there in normal times, are often the best 'doors' through which to gain access. The damage to what after all might be someone's home is disasterous but it must be remembered that the inhabitants will be long gone or at the least sheltering in the cellar should there be one.
In battle, a soldier stays alive by keeping constantly alert and in urban combat the need for awareness is doubly so. No building can be considered safe and empty unless entered and thoroghly searched. But it may not remain in an empty state if the enemy is still in the area and has the means of moving about, so sensors or some other device have to be planted inside.
Entering premises, whether or not they are damaged, is fraught with danger. There may be enemy concealed there, or boobytrapps, tripwires, or the building might be in the sights of a large-calibre weapon down the street. All these hazards have to be contended with and it is usually nothing but bitter experience that makes a trained soldier into an effective urban fighting man.
There are special drills for crossing alleys and intersections, moving up or down stairways and all need well-trained teamwork; and once inside a building there is a right and wrong way of moving about. One unhinking error and you may not live to regret it.
Getting out fast from a threatened building might be necessary and one of the most likely ways of doing so is rappelling, or abseiling as it is otherwise called. Troops who some day might be engaged in urban combat will need to know how it is done.
Infantry Tactics in Built-up areas:
Street fighting, especially the difficult
and dangerous job of house-clearing, is some of the most nerve-racking work you will ever
do as a soldier.
City streets are deadly places for the attacking soldier. Every doorway and
window, every pile of rubble and seemingly abandoned vehicle, every rooftop and
underground passage, could contain a fatal hazard for the unwary.
On a city street you can make no assumptions until you've seen, checked and double-checked for yourself; and even then you must expect the unexpected at any moment, day or night.
Your life depends on your alertness, and you must rely on your basic training to see you safely through.
The tricks of the trade:
The rifle squad is the basic unit for street fighting. Every member of the squad
must know all the tricks of his trade: how to move through the streets, how to enter and
clear buildings, how to use grenades, how to choose firing positions, what camouflage
tevhniques and special weapons (flame-throwers and smoke bombs, for example) to use to
best effect.
Movement:
The moment you stop moving, your attack stops too. Then you are at the mercy of
the enemy forces who posess the advantage of a secure defencive position. The attacking
force must dictate the pace of the battle or lose the initiative.
The important rule is to move as fast as possible to present the smallest target.
Moving in the open:
You should try to move down a street through the buildings on either side by making holes
in their internal walls. If you must move in the open, use smoke screens and covering fire
at all times. Stay close to the walls, and in the shadows. Keep low, don't present your
silhouette and, above all, move fast. This way, it will be very difficult for an enemy
gunner inside the building to get a clear shot at you without exposing himself to covering
fire from your teammates. Always remember: work as a team. Everyone then stands a better
chance of surviving unhurt.
Never cross an open space directly. Always take the long way round if that lets you stay in cover. If you must be out in the open at all, make it as short a time as possible.
If the whole of your fire team is on the move, don't cross open spaces one at a time: the first man may get through, but it will give any enemy a good opportunity for an aimed shot at anyone following on. Move as a group, and use smokescreens and covering fire. It does make for a bigger target, but this technique still reduces the risk to a minimum.
When you have to cross alleyways and narrow streets, spread out into a line, with three to five metres between one another. On the squad leader's signal, all cross together -- FAST!
As soon as you have taken up you new position you must be ready to give covering fire to the other members of your squad, and that means you have to be ready to use your weapon from either shoulder. Never, ever fire over the top of your cover. You will besilhouetted against the building or sky behind. Always fire around your cover and don't take any chances by exposing yourself to enemy fire. Take every chance you can to practice firing your weapon from the shoulder that you don't normally use - you never know when you'll need to be able to do this.
Firing positions:
The individual rifleman succeds or fails in his job through how he chooses and
uses firing positions. There are two things to keep in mind: how to put fast, accurate
fire down on to the enemy position, and how to avoid exposing yourself to return fire.
In attack you will almost certainly have to use improvised methods called 'hasty firing positions'. These may be from round the corners of buildings, from behind low walls, through windows, from behind roof ridgesand beside chimneys, and through holes blown in walls by heavier weapons.
Don't stand up:
When firing from round the corner of a building, don't use the standing position.
This will place too much off your body in view and your head will be precisely at the
hight the enemy expects it to be. Kneeling is good, but lying down is better.
Fire around walls, from as low a position as possible, and try to use any rubble or fallen stones and bricks to give extra cover.
The most common mistake made when firing from a window is to get too close to to it, in order to widen your field of fire. You won't be able to give your full attention to a field of fire that wide, so don't expose yourself to unexpected fire. Stay well back in the room - the end of your rifle muzzle should be at least one metre inside the room, and preferably two. The muzzle flash will then be hard to see, and so will you. Just because you can see out of a window, even from the other side of the room, doesn't mean that an observer on the outside can see that far in. It is almost impossible to see more than a metre inside, unless a room is lit from another direction as well as through the window that you are using.
Loopholes:
The same rules apply for firing from 'accidental' loopholes - holes that have
been blown in walls by fire from heavy weapons. Stay well back inside the room to hide
both yourself and the muzzle flash, even though this will reduce your field of fire. Fire
from a lying or kneeling position whereever you can.
Roof-top positions are useful. They give you an excellent field of fire, and put the enemy at disadvantage of having to fire up in the air. Use the side of a chimney or any other side wall or structure to give yourself extra cover, and try not to expose your silhouette straight over the top of the roof-ridge. Remember, when no cover is available , reduce the size of the target you give to the enemy by all or any of these means.
Fire from the lying position.
Fire from the shadows.
Don't present a silhouette.
Use tall grass, weeds and bushes, rubble and ruins to hide in - they won't stop an enemy bullet but they will stop him from seeing you.
Seven life-saving rules of movement:
There are seven basic rules of movment.
1. Never allow yourself to be seen in silhouette, and keep low at all times.
2. Avoid open spaces.
3. Select your next position in cover before you make your move.
4. Hide your movement any way you can.
5. Move fast.
6. Stay clear of covering fire.
7. Be alert and ready for anything.
Firing positions:
The infantryman looks for two things in a firing position - concealment for himself and his weapon, and a wide field of fire. His assessment of any situation must be second nature.
Rooftops and chimneys:
The rooftop is a commanding position, but still you must take care not to
silhouette yourself against the skyline. Firing around a chimney will give you extra
cover.
Corners and walls:
You can never be sure what shoulder you'll have to shoot from, so practice with
both on the range until you're equally accurate with either hand.
Loose masonry:
Always keep as low as you can , to present the smallest target. Loose rubble like
this provides exellent cover because of its uneven profile.
Windows and loopholes:
Only a fool would get so close to a window as to allow himself to be seen through
it. Stay well back in the darkness and safety of the room.
Muzzle flash:
Even though modern weapons are fitted with flash eliminators, there's still a
danger of the enemy observing your position with every round you fire. Once again, stay
well back to stay safe.
Urban movement techniques:
Moving from place to place under fire is always a dangerous business. Movement in towns and cities calls for a different set of skills from those used out in the country, but you must still be alert to every possibility of danger.
The lie of the land:
Looking around corners carelessly is a quick way to get killed. Do it at ground
level. Always remember to keep your weapon well back out of sight and wear your kevlar
helmet.
Over the wall:
When crossing a wall you must keep as low a profile as possibly. Roll over it,
with your body flat. If you don't know what is on the other side, throw a grenade over
first - but be sure that shrapnel splinters can't reach you through the wall.
Mind your head:
Be careful when you pass by ground floor windows. Always be sure to keep your
head well down below the level of the sill.
Watch your feet:
Basement windows can be a source of danger, too. Keep a careful lookout for them,
and always be sure that you don't expose your legs to view. Make sure to jump well clear
of the windows, or use whatever is available to step above it. Even if you get past
unhurt, the next men may not.
Stand clear of doors:
Don't use doorways if you can avoid it - they are just to obvious as targets. If
there really is no alternative, be sure to pick out your next position before you set out.
Keep covered:
Don't ever do anything as obvious as leaving a house by way of the door without
covering fire from atleast one of your team. And be sure that the position you move to
will allow you to cover him, when it comes to his turn to move.
Moving as a fire team:
Fighting through the streets and alleys of a city is some of the toughest work an infantryman will ever be called upon to do. It's dangerous, dirty and very, very demanding in terms of strength and physical fitness. Teamwork, too, is all-important, with each member of the squad acutely aware of what evryone else is doing.
Covering fire:
You can't get too much supporting fire. Properly plased, it will keep the
enemies' heads down and allow you to move in compparative safety.
The squad rush:
Move as a spread-out group, not as one individual after another, so what the
enemy has no warning of your movements.
Careful observation:
One member of the squad should scout out the ground carefully, looking for snipers,
difficult obstacles to cross and signs of particularly strong enemy activity.
Selected targets:
Each member of the support group should have a particular target - first-floor
windows in the first house to the left, for example, or a pair of chimneys.
Alley-crossing as a team:
Open spaces, streets and even narrow alleyways present a greater obstacle to the infantryman than walls or piles of rubble ever can. The procedure is to cross as a group, spread out with five metres between one man and the next. Once every member of the squad is in position, the leader gives the order and everyone moves at the same time. That way, the enemy forces aren't given any warning of your intentions.
