Infantry tactics
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[edit] Introduction
No one is exactly sure when the first war was fought. Many believe that it was fought between Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal groups over resources. It is believed that a little later on, wars were fought over people for sacrifice, women, along with territories with animals which could be hunted. Battles in prehistoric times consisted of small groups of people fighting with weapons they would use for hunting. Not until later did humans begin making weapons for the sole purpose of killing each other. Some believe that warriors knew the basic concept of flankings and envelopments by cave paintings. Early civilizations often used forces that emphasized strengths in their societies.
[edit] Ancient warfare
The first chariot created by the Sumerians was bulky and unstable but it would put into motion a significant change in warfare. The chariot enabled soldiers to have a high degree of mobility and lethality, causing a trend for ancient armies to use masses of infantry.
The Greeks were some of the first to use infantry through the use of a phalanx. The phalanx was a tightly knit group of men armed with 4-meter spears and overlapping shields. The phalanx required training but as a result of it, they were able to negate the effectiveness of the chariot. The phalanx was the dominant tactic of that era.
However, as effective as the Greek phalanx was, it was defeated by the Roman Empire. A Greek phalanx required only minimal training; even a small militia could use it if they trained on their free time. The Romans made their army into a complex professional one, with a developed leadership structure and a rank system. The Romans made it possible for small-unit commanders to receive rewards and medals for valor and advancement in battle. Another major advantage was that Roman units were organized into small groups, which could each be used independently to attack a single enemy unit. The Romans were the first to create these revolutionary ideas.
[edit] The Roman system
On the infantry level, most Roman soldiers were armed with a variety of throwing spears, which they trained profusely with. Generally, in a battle with Roman soldiers, the enemy would be met with a volley of light spears, followed by a volley of heavy spears (piliums), finally by another volley of lead-weighted pilums. After the enemy was disheartened by all these volleys the Roman soldiers would close in with short swords which were designed for stabbing (gladius). As was the case with throwing spears, the Roman soldiers were trained profusely to stab with these swords instead of slashing. Their training was constant and repetitive, to ensure stabbing was used in combat rather than a more natural slashing motion.
The mix of projectile weapons, excellent organization, intense training, and the presence of effective leaders made the Roman system the most effective tactic of its time, annihilating any other tactic used at that time.
[edit] Middle Ages
After the fall of the Roman Empire, much of the ingenious tactics that they used disappeared. Many tribes such as the Visigoths and Vandals preferred to simply rush their enemies in a massive horde of people. These tribes would often win battles against the more advanced enemies by achieving surprise and outnumbering their enemies. Grown out of the partition of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire created an effective military. Its conscripts were well-paid and led by commanders educated in military tactics and history. However, the army mostly relied on cavalry, making the infantry a smaller portion of its overall force.
The Vikings were able to be effective against stronger enemies through surprise and mobility. Like guerillas in other wars, the Vikings could decide when and where to attack. In part because of their flat bottomed ships, which enabled them to sneak deep into Europe by river before carrying out an attack, the Vikings almost always caught their enemies by surprise. Monasteries were common targets of the Vikings because most of the wealth was held inside of them. The Vikings were fearsome in battle but they became even more so when they would go berserk. Acting like animals, snarling and biting their shields, the Berserkers would rush their enemies with unrelenting determination even against impossible odds. No one is exactly sure what caused these frenzies; some believe it might have been a ritual or use of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
[edit] Sieges
Much of the combat during the Middle Ages revolved around castles and sieges. Engineers who could construct often giant machines such as trebuchets, battering rams, and towers designed to allow attacking troops to scale the walls could be great help. Often these assaulting troops would be pelted by arrows as they closed into the wall; even boiling oil might be poured onto them if they got closer. Wood castles could be destroyed by fire and even the gates of stone castles could often be set alight. However, the tactics and weapons used evolved. In order to prevent the gate from being burned down, a portcullis or iron guard would be built in front of the wood gate.
However, the majority of castles were taken over with more guile. It was not uncommon for the besiegers to pay off someone inside the walls to open up the gate and allow them in. Other castles could be taken over through the wide spread of ladders. The besieging force would rush the walls, prop ladders onto them, and try to get as many soldiers as possible up them. This tactic was useless against castles with tall walls. Siege towers were a safer means for infantry to scale a wall. This, however, was slow and could topple over if it hit a large ditch.
Mining was one of the most effective means of toppling a castle's walls but it took a long time. It involved building a tunnel underneath the castle walls, supported by wood pillars. Upon being underneath the castle wall, the tunnel would be filled with flammables and lit. The wood support pillars would be destroyed by the fire and in turn the castle walls would collapse. Once gunpowder was created it was also used in sieges. An explosive charge known as a petard could be used to damage or destroy a castle's walls and gates. Often men would rush up to the wall with a petard, light the fuse and run off to safety. However, many of the petards malfunctioned and blew the bombardier along with the castle walls.
[edit] Battles
One of the biggest differences between previous wars and those of the Middle Ages was the usage of cavalry, particularly knights. Knights could often easily overrun infantry armed with swords, axes, and clubs. Infantry typically outnumbered knights somewhere between five to one or ten to one. They supported the knights and defended any loot the formation had. Infantry could counter the threat posed by cavalry with these spearmen. Other times wood palisades would be used to hold back, while archers pelted them with arrows; the English used this tactic against French knights during the battle of Agincourt.
Pikemen often became a substitute for communities and villages who could not afford large forces of heavy cavalry. The pike could be up to 18 feet long, whereas the spear was only 6 to 8 feet in length. Archers would be integrated into these forces of spearmen or pikemen to rain down arrows upon an enemy while polemen held the enemy at bay. Polearms were improved again with creation of the halberd. The halberd could be the length of a spear, but it an axe head which enabled the user to stab or chop the enemy cavalry with either the front of the axe or a thin point on the other side. The Japanese also created polearms. The naginata consisted of an approximately 6 foot long shaft and a 2.5 foot blade. The naginata was often used by women to guard a castle in the absence of men.
The crossbow, which did not require trained archers, made the long bow obsolete. The biggest disadvantage of the crossbow was the slow reloading time. With the advent of steel, crossbows and mechanical aids for drawing them become more powerful than ever. Armor that stopped long bows and older crossbows could not stop these new crossbows. Pope Innocent II put a ban on them, but the move toward using this lethal weapon had already started.
The first gunpowder weapons usually consisted of metal tubes tied down to wooden staves. Usually these weapons could only be fired once. These Gonnes, or hand cannons, were not very accurate. To compensate for this, the user would fire in volleys either from city walls or in ambush. Like the crossbow, the gonne did not require trained soldiers and could penetrate the armor worn by enemy soldiers. Men with crossbows and gonnes were protected by soldiers with melee weapons. Knights would be on either sides of this force and close in on the enemy to destroy them after they had been weakened by volleys.
[edit] Renaissance period
Since firearms had become cheaper and more effective, they grew to widespread use among infantry beginning in the 16th century. Requiring little training, firearms soon began to make swords, pikes, maces, bows, and other weapons of that period obsolete. By the mid 1500s, firearms had become the main weapons in many armies. The main firearm of that period was the arquebus. Although less accurate than using archery, the arquebus could penetrate most armors of the period and required little training.
Soldiers armed with arquebuses were usually placed in three lines so one line would be able to fire, while the other two could reload. This tactic enabled an almost constant flow of gunfire and made up for the inaccuracy of the weapon. In order to hold back cavalry, wooden palisades or pikemen would be in front of the soldiers armed with arquebuses. An example of this is the Battle of Nagashino.
[edit] Gunpowder warfare
The introduction of the bayonet made pikeman unnecessary. Generally in battles, two sides lined up and fired a few volleys at each other and one side rushed the other with bayonets. At this point the side being rushed often retreated. Sometimes these bayonet charges would result in a massacre such as those which happened many times during the American Civil War.
Napoleon Bonaparte did many things to change the nature of warfare. Entrenching was among his adaptations. This meant that soldiers did not always have to stand exposed, and they could have a large degree of protection from direct fire weapons. The largest problem with entrenching was the time it took to make a trench. Another infantry tactic that Napoleon introduced was a diamond shaped formation, which allowed soldiers to rapidly change directions.
Long-used line tactics contributed significantly to the bloodshed of the American Civil War. By that time, weapons were accurate enough to render lines unnecessary; still, many commanders clung to traditional forms of combat. Line tactics were used against natives in lands being colonized by European powers during the late 19th century, and their use continued until World War I.
[edit] Colonial warfare
Countries which have not been major world powers have seen many other infantry tactics. In South Africa, the Zulu impis (regiments) were infamous for their bull horn tactic. It involved four groups - two in the front, one on the left, and one on the right. They would surround the enemy unit, close in, and destroy them with short assegai, or iklwas. The Zulu warriors surprised and often overwhelmed their enemies, even much better armed and equipped enemies such as the British army. However, as effective as the Zulus were, they were no match for the technologically advanced and professional British Army.
The Sudanese fought their enemies by using a handful of riflemen to lure enemy riflemen into the range of concealed Sudanese spearmen. On the other side of the spectrum, the Māori did not fight; rather, they hid in fortified bunkers that could withstand strikes from even some of the most powerful weapons of the 19th century. Sometimes the natives would arm themselves with weapons similar or superior to those of the imperialistic country they were fighting. During the Battle of Little Bighorn, Lt. Colonel George Custer and the Seventh Cavalry were destroyed by a force of Sioux and Cheyenne.
Unconventional infantry tactics often put a conventional enemy at a disadvantage. During the Second Boer War, the Boers used guerilla tactics to fight the conventional British Army. Boer marksmen would often pick off British soldiers from hundreds of feet away. These constant sniper attacks forced the British infantry to begin wearing khaki uniforms instead of than their traditional red. The Boers were much more mobile than the British infantry and thus could usually choose where a battle would take place. These unconventional tactics forced the British to adopt some unorthodox tactics of their own. These included putting the families of Boer soldiers in camps in order to deprive the Boer soldiers of support.
[edit] World War I
Because of the lethality of more modern firearms, such as the Maxim machine gun and artillery, infantry began hiding in trenches. No longer could a group of infantry stand out in the open and expect to survive.
A common tactic used during World War I was to shell an enemy trench line, followed up by a group of infantry which would charge the trench line and kill anyone left alive. However, this tactic of "preliminary bombardment" was largely unsuccessful. The tactic was necessary because the weapons of the other side were armed. "No man's land", an area between two trench lines filled with barbed wire, mines, and anything else that could be placed to slow down an advancing soldier, was a factor in this. For a group of soldiers to get to an enemy trench line, they would have to cross this and in the process would be slowed by all the obstructions and largely annihilated.
A similar tactic to "preliminary bombardment" was the "creeping barrage" in which artillery would fire right in front of advancing infantry to clear any enemy in their way. The tactic was only successful for limited objectives. A tactic devised by the Germans was one of infiltration. A small group of experienced infantry would slip into enemy defenses; once they were in position to attack, the main infantry force would advance.
Erwin Rommel was a German a infantry commander in World War I and later field marshal. He later wrote a book called Infantry Attacks based on his experience.
[edit] World War II
Infantry tactics were widespread throughout World War II. In some areas of the war, guerilla tactics were used, while in others more conventional tactics were employed. More than ever, battles consisted of infantry working together with tanks, aircraft, artillery, etc. One example of this is how infantry would be sent ahead of tanks to search for anti-tank teams, while tanks would be providing cover for the infantry.
Infantry became essential for urban warfare. After a city had been turned into almost total rubble, infantry would be sent in to search the area to secure what was left and clear out any enemy infantry that might have survived. Tanks could not be sent into these areas without great risk because of their limited mobility and maneuverability. When they were sent in they could be more easily disabled by enemy anti-tank teams hiding in buildings, using anti-tank weapons such as the Panzerfaust and the Molotov cocktail.
Another major difference from any other previous conflict was the means of transportation; no longer did soldiers have to move on foot from location to location. Although there were trucks in World War I, their mobility could never be fully exploited because of the emphasis on trench warfare at the time. During World War II, infantry could be moved from one location to another through half-tracks and trucks. A new type of infantry, the paratrooper, came about during World War II. These lightly armed soldiers would parachute behind enemy lines, hoping to catch the enemy off-guard so they could carry out an important mission against them. They had to be fast and effective because if they became bogged down they would be no match for tanks or a large well-armed force of conventional infantry. A typical mission would be to use them to take and hold important objectives (e.g. a bridge) until conventional ground forces could relieve them.
Marines became prominent during the Pacific War. These soldiers would land on beaches and engage in battles. Some of the fiercest battles during the war were fought between marines and Japanese soldiers. After recapturing an island they would go on to another. Usually they would have the support of battleships or aircraft carriers.
[edit] Squad
[edit] Offensive tactics
Aggressive squad tactics were similar for both sides, though specifics in arms, numbers, and the subtleties of the doctrine differed. The main goal of these tactics was to advance by means of fire and movement with minimal casualties while maintaining unit effectiveness and control.
The German squad would win the Feuerkampf (fire fight), and then occupy key positions. The riflemen and machine gun teams were not separate, but part of the Gruppe even though men were often firing at will. Victory in this tactic was won by the side that could concentrate the most rapid fire on target. Generally, soldiers were ordered to hold their fire until the enemy was 600 metres or closer. From that far away, troops opened fire on mainly large targets, though individuals were fired upon from 400 meters away.
The German squad had two main formations while moving on the battlefield. When advancing in the Reihe, or single file formation, the commander took the lead, followed by the machine gunner and his assistants, then the rifleman, and the assistant squad commander moving on the rear. The Reihe moved mostly along tracks and it presented a small target on the front. In some cases, the machine gun could be deployed while the rest of the squad held back. In most cases, the soldiers took advantage of the terrain, keeping behind contours and cover, and running out into the open when there were none to be found.
The Reihe could easily be formed into the Schützenkette, or skirmish line. The machine gun was deployed on the spot, while the riflemen could come up on the right, left or both sides. The result of this formation was a ragged line with men about five paces apart that would take cover whenever available. In areas where resistance was serious, the squad became fully fledged "fire and movement". This was used either with the entire squad taking part or the machine gun team down while the riflemen advanced. Commanders were often cautioned not to fire the machine gun until forced to do so by enemy fire. The object of the fire fight was to not only destroy the enemy, but Niederkampfen - to beat down, silence, or neutralize them.
The final phases of an offensive squad action were the fire fight, advance, assault, and occupation of position:
The Fire Fight was the fire unit section. The section commander usually only commanded the light machine gunner (LMG) to open fire upon the enemy. If much cover existed and good fire effect was possible, the riflemen took part in the firefight early. Most of the riflemen had to be on the front later to prepare for the assault. Usually, they fired individually unless their commander ordered them to focus on one target.
The Advance was the section that worked its way forward in a loose formation. Usually, the LMG formed the front of the attack. The farther the riflemen followed behind the LMG, the more easily the rear machine guns could shoot past them.
The Assault was the main offensive in the squad action. The commander made an assault whenever he was given the opportunity rather than being ordered to do so. The whole section was rushed into the assault while the commander lead the way. Throughout the assault, the enemy had to be engaged with the maximum rate of fire. The LMG took part in the assault, firing on the move. Using hand grenades, machine pistols, rifles, pistols, and entrenching tools, the squad tried to break the enemy resistance. The squad had to reorganize quickly once the assault was over.
When occupying a position (The Occupation of Position), the riflemen group up into twos or threes around the LMG in a way that they could hear the section commander.
The American squad's basic formations were very similar to that of the Germans. The U.S. squad column had the men strung out with the squad leader and BAR man in front with the riflemen in a line behind them roughly 60 paces long. This formation was easily controlled and maneuvered and it was suitable for crossing areas open to artillery fire, moving through narrow covered routes, and for fast movement in woods, fog, smoke, and darkness.
The skirmish line was very similar to the Schützenkette formation. In this formation the squad was deployed in a line roughly 60 paces long. The skirmish line was suitable for short rapid dashes but was not easy to control. The squad wedge was an alternative to the skirmish line and was suitable for ready movement in any direction or for emerging from cover. Wedges were often used away from the riflemen's range of fire as it was much more vulnerable than the skirmish line.
In some instances, especially when a squad was working independently to seize an enemy position, the commander ordered the squad to attack in sub-teams. "Team Able", made up of two riflemen scouts, would locate the enemy; "Team Baker", comprised of a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) man and three riflemen, would open fire. "Team Charlie", made up of the squad leader and the last five riflemen, would make the assault. The assault is given whenever possible and without regard to the progress of the other squads. After the assault, the squad advanced, dodging for cover, and the bayonets were fixed. They would move rapidly toward the enemy, firing and advancing in areas occupied by hostile soldiers. Such fire would usually be delivered in a standing position at a rapid rate. After taking the enemy's position, the commander would either order his squad to defend or continue the advance.
The British method formations depended chiefly on the ground and the type of enemy fire that was encountered. Five squad formations were primarily used: blobs, single file, loose file, irregular arrowhead, and the extended line. The blob formation, first used in 1917, referred to ad hoc gatherings of 2 to 4 men, hidden as well as possible. The regular single file formation was only used in certain circumstances, such as when the squad was advancing behind a hedgerow. The loose file formation was a slightly more scattered line that was suitable for rapid movement, but it was vulnerable to enemy fire. Arrowheads could deploy rapidly from either flank and were hard to stop from the air. The Extended Line was perfect for the final assault, but it was vulnerable if fired upon from the flank.
The British squad would commonly break up into two groups for the attack. The Bren group consisted of the two-man Bren team and second in command that formed one element, while the main body of the riflemen with the squad commander formed another. The larger group that contained the commander was responsible for closing in on the enemy and advancing promptly when under fire. When under effective fire the riflemen went to fully fledged "fire and movement". The riflemen were ordered to fall to the ground as if they had been shot, and then crawl to a good firing position. They took rapid aim and fired independently until the squad commander shouted the command the cease fire. On some occasions the Bren group advanced by bounds, to a position where they could effectively open fire, preferably at an angle of 90 degrees to the main assault. In this case both the groups would give each other cover fire. The final attack was made by the riflemen who were ordered to fire at the hip as they went in.
[edit] Defensive tactics
German defensive squad tactics stressed the importance of integration with larger plans and principles in posts scattered in depth. A Gruppe was expected to dig in at 30 to 40 meters (the maximum that a squad leader could effectively oversee). Other cover such as single trees and crests were said to attract too much enemy fire and were rarely used. While digging, one member of the squad was to stand sentry. Gaps between dug-in squads may be left, but covered by fire. The placing of the machine gun was key to the German squad defence, which was given several alternative positions, usually being placed 50 meters apart.
Pairs of soldiers were deployed in foxholes, trenches, or ditches. The pair stood close together in order to communicate with each other. The small sub-sections would be slightly separated, thus decreasing the effect of enemy fire. If the enemy did not immediately mobilize, the second stage of defense - the digging of trenches - was employed. These trenches were constructed behind the main line where soldiers could be kept back under cover until they were needed.
The defensive firefight was conducted by the machine gun at an effective range while riflemen were concealed in their foxholes until the enemy assault. Enemy grenades falling on the squad's position were avoided by diving away from the blast or by simply throwing or kicking the grenade back. This tactic was very dangerous and U.S. sources mention soldiers losing hands and feet this way.
In the latter part of the war, emphasis was put on defense against armored vehicles. Defensive positions were built on a "tank-proof obstacle" composed of at least one anti-tank weapon as well as artillery support directed by an observer. To intercept enemy tanks probing a defensive position, squads often patrolled with an anti-tank weapon.
[edit] Field Works
[edit] Platoon
[edit] Cold War era
The Korean War was the first major conflict following World War II. During the Korean War, the human wave tactic was used by Chinese forces. Human wave tactics emphasized overwhelming an enemy by sending large numbers of soldiers against fortified positions. This tactic had been used before by the Soviets and Japanese during World War II. Generally, it was a tactic used by a poorly armed force against a more advanced one. This tactic was very costly to the side performing it.
[edit] Vietnam war
Guerrilla tactics became very popular throughout developing nations. Many of these attacks revolved around "hit and run" attacks. "Hit and run" attacks involved a small group usually hiding in ambush and attacking a larger force, only to retreat seconds later. This reduced the advantages of the conventional force's advanced weapon systems. It gave an ambushed squad no time to call in an artillery or air strike.
Booby traps were another common tactic among guerrillas. The punji stick (or the concealed punji stick pit) was a common example of booby traps used in Vietnam. Grenade traps (poised with the pin removed) were also used. Moving them would take the pressure off the lever, causing the grenades to explode.
One of the defining characteristics of a guerilla, however, was camouflage. The Vietcong would travel around in small groups and often wearing civilian clothes to make it difficult for American soldiers to know who they were. Often, the Vietcong would hide in tunnels underground. Some of these tunnels were so advanced that commanders briefed soldiers and slept there. When American soldiers had to enter the tunnels, they had to be lightly armed and travel through the dark.
Tunnels and "Spider Holes" were often used to spring ambushes on American troops. The Vietcong would wait for part of an American formation to pass before coming out of the ground and opening fire. Before the Americans had the chance to realize where the fire came from, the Vietcong would duck back into the trenches. This often caused fratricide because soldiers who were ambushed would fire back behind them, hitting other American patrols.
American troops, usually assigned to Vietnam for a one-year tour of duty, found themselves ill-trained to wage a war against a mostly invisible enemy. Soldiers in Vietnam, on average, tended to be six years younger than soldiers in the Second World War. Also, due to the increased use of air mobility, the average ground soldier in Vietnam saw five times the combat in one year than his World War Two counterpart experienced in the entire war. Lessons learned during this conflict led to the creation of such specialized units as the United States Army Special Forces and the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance.
[edit] Soviet-Afghan war
During this war, Russia battled a force called the Mujahideen. Although the Soviets were much more powerful than the Mujahideen, they were not able to completely destroy them because they hid in the mountains and used guerilla tactics. They often attacked Soviet convoys from mountains as they drove by below in valleys. Like the Vietcong, they would often retreat soon after ambushing the Soviets.
When the FIM-92 Stinger missile was introduced to the Mujahideen, they began to ambush Soviet helicopters and fixed wing aircraft at airfields. The Stinger was only effective up to 15,000 feet, so the Mujihadeen would attack aircraft as they were landing or taking off. The Stinger, however, was not the "weapon that won the war". Although it did have a big effect on the war, it did not shoot down very many aircraft. It did force the Soviets to modify their tactics, though. For example, helicopters stayed over friendly forces, fixed wing aircraft began flying higher, and armor and electronic defense systems were added to aircraft to help protect them from the Stinger.
The Soviets countered the tactics the Mujahideen were using in various ways. Spetsnaz were used heavily. They would be flown into areas where Mujahideen often passed or had been seen or were ambushing someone. The Spetsnaz were effective against the Mujahideen; tanks and aircraft were very instrumental in tipping the balance in favor of the Soviets. In other wars, however, they were of comparatively little use. The only technology that had a significant impact on the Mujahideen were land mines and helicopters; still, the Mujahideen were able to work around the problems they caused.
As the Soviets seemed to get stalled, they began punishing the local population for supporting the Mujahideen. It was not uncommon for Soviet helicopters to raze an Afghan village in retaliation for an attack against Soviet soldiers. At other times they dropped mines from aircraft in fields and pastures and shot livestock with machine guns. Without the support of the villagers, the Mujahideen would have to carry their own food. Another common tactic was to cordon off and search villages for Mujahideen.
[edit] Modern times
[edit] Russian-Chechnyan conflict
The conflict between Russia and the Chechens has been mostly a guerilla war involving acts of terror. Most fighting is done with the support of armored vehicles, artillery, or aircraft, rather than just infantry. Russian infantry were important for fighting in Grozny during the mid 1990s although they were not prepared for the urban warfare that occurred. The Chechen insurgents were hiding on the top floors and basements of buildings armed with small arms and anti-tank weapons. The Russians came in with convoys of armored vehicles which were unprepared for the tactics the Chechens would use.
Chechen ambush tactics were planned, and involved destroying the first and the last vehicle in the column. This was done by either rocket propelled grenade (RPG) or improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. Under Russian military doctrine, these would be armoured personnel carriers (APCs) or tanks. If the initial attack was successful, the rest of the convoy would be trapped in between. This tactic was developed by the Dushmans, and adapted for urban warfare by the Chechens who served in the Soviet Army in Afghanistan.
In the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia tried to conform to the standards of the "civilized" West. During the second conflict, learning from the lessons of the first, artillery and airstrikes were used much more extensively. Despite the civilian loss of life, these were not the carpet bombings of the World Wars, but quite precise strikes. The second siege of Grozny was an exception, as the whole city was leveled.
Chechens also fought in a different formation during urban combat. These tactics employed fireteams of three fighters: a machine gunner, a sniper and a RPGer. In the conditions of urban combat this proved ingenious, as a very small and mobile fireteam could meet any potential sizeble threat with great effectiveness.
Chechen snipers were known for wounding soldiers and picking off their rescuers. A devious tactic used by Chechen snipers during the first battle of Grozny was to shoot off the antennas from the moving APCs. Since this was often the only means of communication with the command center, the troops inside would end up isolated. The troops would then be attacked with RPGs or by the sniper as they tried to repair the antenna.
As Russia controlled more and more area, ambushes gave place to roadside bombings. These usually involved modified mines and improvised explosive devices (IED).
Experience gained by Arabs in guerrilla and urban combat in Chechnya was successfully imported into Iraq after the invasion.
[edit] U.S. - Iraq conflict
Before and during the insurgency many unconventional tactics were used. Human shields were common during the war and in the ensuing insurgency in places like Fallujah. Suicide bombers have attacked soldiers at checkpoints, on patrols, on their bases, and in convoys. Consequently, soldiers use more caution, and treat everyone who comes to a checkpoint as a potential suicide bomber; explosives can be hidden under clothes or in something being carried.
Infantry carrying small arms and RPGs have aided in ambushes with improvised explosive devices. Several times convoys have been stopped with IEDs and Iraqi fighters armed with RPGs and small arms attacked them.
There have been several occasions in which infantry have met with angry crowds.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] World War II
- World War II Infantry Tactics: Squad and Platoon, Chappell Mike, 2004 Osprey Ltd.
