Upper Floors. Upper floors require the same preparation as ground floors. Windows need not be blocked but should be covered with wire mesh, canvas, ponchos, or other heavy material to prevent grenades from being thrown in from the outside. The covering should be loose at the bottom to permit the defender to drop grenades.

Interior Routes. Routes that permit defending forces to move within the building to engage enemy forces from any direction are required. Plan and construct escape routes to permit rapid evacuation of a room or a building. Mouseholes should be easily identified and marked and made through interior walls to permit movement between rooms.

Fire Prevention. Buildings that have wooden floors and rafter ceilings require extensive fire prevention measures. Cover the attic floor and other wooden floors with about 1 to 2 inches of sand or dirt and position buckets of water for immediate use. Place fire-fighting materials (dirt, sand, fire extinguishers, and blankets) on each floor. Fill water basins and bathtubs as a reserve for fire fighting. Turn off all electricity and gas.

Communications. Be aware that structures and a high concentration of electrical power lines may degrade radio communication in built-up areas. Visual signals are often not effective because of the screening effects of buildings and walls and can signal location and intent to the enemy. Signals must be planned, widely disseminated, and understood by all assigned and attached units. Increased noise makes the effective use of sound signals difficult. Messengers and wire can be used as other means of communication.

Rubbling. Destroying or damaging parts of the building may provide additional cover and concealment for weapons emplacements or serve as an obstacle against the enemy. Ensure you know what you are doing and get permission from higher headquarters.

Rooftops. Platoons must position obstacles on the roofs of flat-topped buildings to prevent helicopters from landing and to deny troops access to the building and adjacent buildings from the roof.

Obstacles. Position obstacles adjacent to buildings to stop or delay vehicles and infantry. Save time and resources by using available materials such as cars. The principles of mining are the same, except the ground is much harder to deal with and may require special equipment.

Fields of Fire. Selectively clear fields of fire in accordance with the weapon capabilities. Designate primary and alternate sectors of fire.

Antitank Weapons Positions. Employ AT weapons in areas that maximize their capabilities. Position AT weapons in upper stories and in pairs (if possible) to allow the same target to be engaged at the same time by pair firing. Ensure the AT systems are secured by additional positions and personnel.

Conduct of the Defense

The conduct of the defense in an urban area is similar to the conduct of the defense in any other area. The process of consolidation and reorganization in an urban area is also similar to the process in any other area. Both are discussed in Chapter 5.

COMBAT MULTIPLIERS

An important lesson learned from recent urban operations is the need for a fully integrated combined arms team. The nature of urban operations makes it mostly an infantry operation; however, the more additional combat multipliers the better. The integration of armor (for information on armored vehicles, see Chapter 9) and engineers increases lethality, and these additional assets must be supported by integrated aviation, field artillery, communications, and logistical elements.

Engineers

Normally an engineer squad will be attached to an infantry company. Most engineer manual labor tasks (for example, preparing fighting positions) will have to be completed by infantry units with reinforcing engineer heavy-equipment support and technical supervision.

On offensive missions in support of an infantry platoon, engineers may be required to use explosives to destroy fortifications and strongpoints that cannot be reduced with the maneuver unit’s organic assets, locate and/or remove mines that may hamper the unit’s movement, and conduct breaching operations.

On defensive missions in support of an infantry platoon, engineers may be required to construct complex obstacle systems and/or assist in the preparation of defensive positions and strongpoints.

Mortars

Mortars are the most responsive indirect fires available to infantry commanders and leaders. Their mission is to provide close and immediate fire support to the maneuver units. Mortars are well suited for combat in urban areas because of their high rate of fire, steep angle of fall, and short minimum range. Platoon leaders and FOs must plan mortar support with the fire support element as part of the total fire support plan.

Field Artillery

During urban combat, field artillery (FA) provides direct support, general support, and general support reinforcing to infantry units. In addition to indirect-fire support, FA units are well suited to using their guns in direct-fire mode in urban operations. Employing artillery in the direct-fire mode to destroy fortifications should be considered, especially when assaulting well-prepared enemy positions. However, restrictive fire support coordination measures, such as restrictive fire areas or no-fire areas, may be imposed to protect civilians and critical installations.

Attack Helicopters

Infantry units may receive support by a variety of attack helicopters, including (but not limited to) the AH-64A, AH-64D, OH-58D, and MH-6. Attack helicopters can provide area fire to suppress targets and precision fire to destroy specific targets or breach structures. Attack helicopters provide real-time reconnaissance information through direct viewing of the AO.

^* Information on CQB and infantry tactics provided by Evan Hafer.

9

Combat Support and Combat Service Support

Combat support is any external support provided by the battalion antitank (AT) and mortar platoons, field artillery (FA), close air support (CAS), air defense artillery (ADA), military intelligence (MI), and combat engineers.

INDIRECT FIRE

Normally the company plans most of the indirect fires and assigns specific responsibilities to platoons. The platoon is limited by its ability to observe and initiate fires.

Field Artillery

FA can provide indirect fires to suppress, neutralize, or destroy enemy targets. Because it can mass fire quickly, FA produces more devastating effects on targets than mortars do.

Mortars

Mortars are organic to the battalion and the company and at times may be attached to or in direct support of platoons. They provide responsive fire against closer and smaller targets. Mortars can be used to do the following:

•Attack infantry in the open.

•Attack infantry in positions without overhead cover (using variable time fuses) or with light overhead cover (using delay fuses).

•Suppress enemy positions and armored vehicles.

•Obscure the enemy’s vision (using white phosphorus).

•Engage the enemy on reverse slopes and in gullies, ditches, built-up areas, and other defilade areas.

•Provide continuous battlefield illumination.

•Provide obscuring smoke (smoke on the enemy positions) or screening smoke (smoke between the enemy and friendly units).

•Mark enemy locations for direct fire or CAS.

DIRECT FIRE

Direct-fire support can be provided by tanks, antitank weapons (TOW, Dragon/Javelin, MK19), and attack helicopters. Leaders can direct tank or antitank and MK19 fires by radio, by phone, or face-to-face. They can identify the target location by TRP or tracer fire, or give the direction, description, and range. Another technique uses the gun barrel or heavy antitank missile (TOW) launcher with the clock method as a baseline for direction—for example, “Enemy tank, 10 o’clock, 1,200 meters.” The gun barrel is at 12 o’clock when pointing directly forward from the vehicle or launcher and at 6 o’clock when pointing directly to the rear.