Long-range reconnaissance patrol

Long-range reconnaissance patrols, or LRRPs (pronounced "Lurps"), are small, heavily armed long-range reconnaissance teams that patrol deep in enemy-held territory.^[1] The concept of scouts date back to the origins of warfare itself, however, in modern times these specialized units evolved from examples such as the Long Range Desert Group and Special Air Service in the Western Desert Campaign and North West Europe and similar units such as Force 136 in the Far East during the Second World War. The Finnish Army developed the concept separately on the Karelian Front of World War II from 1941 to 1944.

Postwar role was carried in various NATO and British Commonwealth countries by units that that could trace their origins to these wartime creations such as the SAS Regiments of the UK, Australia and New Zealand, 1er RPIMa, GCP and Groupement de Commandos Mixtes Aéroportés in France. The US Army adopted the concept in the 1960s and their lineage continues today in the US Army Rangers and Long Range Surveillance Units.

United States Armed Forces

In Germany

The US Army long-range reconnaissance patrol concept was created in 1956 by the 11th Airborne Division in Augsburg, Germany. They patrolled near the Czechoslovakian and East German borders, then members of the Communist Warsaw Pact states, and in event of war in Europe would be inserted behind enemy lines to provide surveillance and to select targets of opportunity. The LRRP concept was well known throughout the Army though concentrated in 7th Army in Germany. After the 11th Airborne Division returned to the US, the Department of the Army authorized two Airborne LRRP companies in 1961, Company D and C in the Wildflecken and Nellingen Barracks (near Stuttgart), and were respectively assigned to V Corps and VII Corps. In 1963 V Corps LRRPs (Company D) transferred to the Gibbs Kaserne in Frankfurt near Corps HQ.^[2] In 1965 these companies developed the first LRRP Table of Organization and Equipment and in doing so increased their strength to 208 men, team size from 4 to 5 men, as well as adding an organic transport component. All LRRPs from team leader and above were to be Ranger qualified. The experiences of these two companies formed the basis of the first US Army LRRP manual. Both companies used carrier wave (Morse Code) radios including the AN/TRC-77 for long-range communications to their respective Corps G2 (Intelligence) center. In 1968 both companies were transferred to the United States, but neither were sent to Vietnam because they retained their status as LRRP units for V and VII Corps in the event of war in Europe.

All LRRPs were Rangered on February 1, 1969, and these two units respectively became Bravo and Alpha Company, 75th Infantry (Ranger). They were the only Ranger units to remain on active duty at the end of the Vietnam War and they continued in service until November 1974 when they were disbanded with most of their personnel forming the core of the new 1st and 2nd Ranger Battalions.^[1]

In Vietnam

April 1968. LRPs at LZ Stud near the USMC Khe Sanh combat base, Vietnam.

In December, 1965, the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, formed a LRRP platoon, and by April 1966, the 1st Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade formed LRRP units as well.^[3] On July 8, 1966, General William Westmoreland authorized the formation of a (LRRP) unit in each infantry brigade or division in Vietnam. By 1967 formal LRRP companies were organized, most having three platoons, each with five six-man teams equipped with VHF/FM AN/PRC-25 radios. LRRP training was notoriously rigorous and team leaders were often graduates of the U.S. Army's 5th Special Forces Recondo School in Nha Trang, Vietnam.^[1]

Since satellite communications were a thing of the future, one of the most daring long-range penetration operations of the war was launched by members of the 1st Air Cavalry Division's, long-range reconnaissance patrol, against the North Vietnamese Army when they seized "Signal Hill" the name attributed to the peak of Dong Re Lao Mountain, a densely forested 4,879-foot mountain, midway in A Shau Valley, so its 1st and 3rd Brigades, who would be slugging it out hidden deep behind the towering wall of mountains, could communicate with Camp Evans near the coast or with approaching aircraft.^[4]

July 1968. Two 1st Cavalry Division LRP teams, Quang Tri, Vietnam.

The US Marine Corps also performed long-range reconnaissance missions typically assigned to Marine Recon, especially Force Recon at the corps-level (i.e., Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)) level, as opposed to the Battalion Recon units answering to battalion commanders. Marine Recon teams typically were twice as large as Army LRRPs and were more heavily armed, however, sacrificing a degree of stealth.^[5] The tactical employment of LRRPs was later evaluated to be generally used far too dangerously by strategic commanders, who were pleased by the extraordinary kill ratios of LRRPs teams (sometimes reported as high as 400 enemy troops for every LRRP killed). Writes one commentator: "During the course of the war Lurps conducted around 23,000 long-range patrols, of this amount two-thirds resulted in enemy sightings." LRRPs also accounted for approximately 10,000 enemy KIA through ambushes, air strikes, and calling in artillery.

In February 1969, all US Army LRRP units were folded into the newly formed 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger), (a predecessor of the 75th Ranger Regiment), bringing back operational Ranger units for the first time since the Korean War. The Army had disbanded Ranger units after Korea, but kept Ranger School, on the premise that spreading Ranger School graduates throughout the Army would improve overall performance.^[1]

The art of long-range patrolling and the skills and tactics of the Vietnam LRRPs set the standard for today's Long Range Surveillance (LRS), Ranger, and Marine Reconnaissance units.^[1]

Other nations

Kenya

The Kenya defence forces has one LRS unit based on NAIROBI. This unit shares LRP missions with the Special Forces Group.

Denmark

The Danish Defence Forces had two long-range surveillance companies (LRSC) known as "Patrol-Companies" - one assigned to the Jyske Division in Jutland and one assigned to the Land Command Zealand (Corps-level) (abbreviated "SEP/ELK" and "SEP/VLK" for: "Specielle Efterretningspatruljer/Østre resp. Vestre Landkommando" i.e. Special Intelligence Patrols) - an all volunteer unit within the Danish Home Guard that is now called Special Support and Reconnaissance Company (SSR).

Finland

In Finland, long-range patrols (kaukopartio) were especially notable in the World War II. For example, Erillinen Pataljoona 4 (4th Detached Battalion), a command of four different long-range patrol detachments; Detachment Paatsalo, Detachment Kuismanen, Detachment Vehniäinen and Detachment Marttina operated throughout the Continuation War phase of the war. These units penetrated Soviet lines and conducted recon and destroy missions. During the trench warfare period of the Continuation War, long-range patrols were often conducted by special Finnish sissi troops. Former President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto, served in Lauri Törni's specially designed Jäger Company (called 'Detachment Törni') in the Finnish 1st Infantry Division. Lauri Törni became a US citizen and entered the US Army Special Forces. He gave important knowledge in long-range patrolling and was declared MIA during the Vietnam War in 1965, until his remains were found and were buried in Arlington on June 26, 2003.

Germany

In the German Bundeswehr, LRRP is called Fernspäher (long-range scouts). Historically, the German Fernspäher units were modelled after the Finnish long-range patrols and derived from the existing elite units of Gebirgsjäger and Fallschirmjäger. Originally, there were three companies of Fernspäher in the Bundeswehr, one being assigned to each corps. Since the reformation of German Special Forces in 1996, the Fernspählehrkompanie 200 (FSLK200) is the single remaining Fernspäher unit. The Fernspähers are part of the Special Operations Division. FSLK200 is the only German special force-type unit which has also recruited women.^[6] Details about operations of the FSLK200 are secret but it is known that Fernspäher carried out missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Kosovo War and later during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

India

Special Frontier Force is considered a long-range reconnaissance patrol or pathfinder. They were trained against the Chinese but used to great success in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the northern state of Punjab.

Netherlands

The Korps Commandotroepen are LRRP capable. During the Cold War, the commando troop companies were known as Waarneming en Verkennings Companie (observation and reconnaissance company), specialized in stay behind and reconnaissance. The Korps Mariniers Marsof units are also LRRP capable, especially the Mountain Leader unit.

Norway

The Norwegian Army has LRRP operations dating back to the 1960s, Fjernoppklaring (remote reconnaissance). It was split in two, creating a new group of airborne special forces, Hærens Jegerkommando, but remains today as a part of the ISTAR concept.

Serbia

LRRP units within the Serbian Army Special Brigade and 72nd Reconnaissance Commando Battalion have been operating since 1992.

Sri Lanka

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols of the Armed forces of Sri Lanka have played a notable role in Sri Lanka's multi-phase military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).LRRP members attached to Special Mission units of the Sri Lankan Army have been most successful in carrying out assassinations on high-ranking members of the LTTE.^[7] The LRRP concept was developed by Major Sreepathi Gunasekara who formed a special recon unit named 'Delta Patrols' in 1986 which later evolved into a highly secretive SOF LRRP battalion.Special Mission Units such as the 3rd Commando Regiment and the 3rd Army Special Forces Regiment have Specialized LRRP battalions.There are also LRRP units attached to Infantry battalions.

United Kingdom

The Honourable Artillery Company and its regular sister unit, 4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery RA, operate in this role.^[8] During the Cold War, the Corps Patrol Unit (CPU) consisted of 21 and 23 SAS and the HAC.^[9]

See also

External links

• Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri, revised ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Lanham, MD (2009).
• Finland LRPs 1939-1945, new pages 2010.
• History of the V Corps LRRPS (later designated as the A/75th Rangers).
• Oliver Stone's service with Company E, 52nd Infantry (LRP), 1st Air Cavalry Division, in Vietnam and his movie Platoon
• "Perspectives," Vietnam magazine, Aug. 2002, 58--61.
• Photographic history of 1st Air Cavalry Division LRRP / Rangers in Vietnam 1968.
• "Twenty-second and Last Patrol: A Struggle against Bad Luck" -- a U.S. Army LRRP / Ranger team's experience during the Vietnam War.]

References