ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Appendix E E-4 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 E-19. If the FO’s position location is poor, the initial round location will be poor too. The forward observer can use the initial round to re-determine his location. For example, the forward observer’s call for fire told the fire direction center to fire grid 123456, direction 0200. The round impact is nowhere near the target. The forward observer then determines the direction and range to the burst. The forward observer plots a back-azimuth from the burst and estimates range along that direction to replot the forward observer’s position. Then, using the new position location, forward observer reinitiates the mission. E-20. Vietnam and WWII also showed that the first round in adjustment should be white phosphorous. Because both the forward observer’s location and the location of other friendly elements may have been doubtful, white phosphorous was usually fired first to avoid inflicting casualties on friendly personnel. (Using a 200-meter height of burst can help the forward observer see the first round.) E-21. Creeping fires were also used extensively in Vietnam and WWII. The forward observer adds 300 to 400 meters to the target location in case the forward observer’s position location is wrong. Then the forward observer makes corrections of no more than 50 meters until the fires are on target. In Vietnam, this process sometimes started with an air observer and was taken over by the ground observer once the ground observer was able to see the rounds. The air observer was often required to relay fire requests from the ground because the terrain severely limited the ranges of radio communications. The creeping method of adjustment is used exclusively during danger close missions. The observer makes range changes by using corrections of 100 meters or less and creeping the rounds to the target. The observer must know where all friendly troops are to avoid endangering them. All weapons that will fire for effect are used in adjustment. For battalion missions, batteries should be adjusted individually. E-22. Marking rounds can be fired to help the forward observer determine his own location. The use of marking rounds also helps ensure that the fire direction center knows in what area the friendly unit is, which ensures more responsive fires. A marking round is usually white phosphorous fired 300 to 400 meters forward of friendly units at 200 meters height of burst. The fire direction center plots a target, fires a white phosphorous round, and sends the grid of the white phosphorous impact to the forward observer. The forward observer then has a known position on which to orient. E-23. Because of the close combat, laser range finders may not be of great use; however, night vision devices are extremely critical. E-24. Air observers. Air observers can be important in jungle warfare. They can detect enemy movements that ground forces have no way of seeing. They can act in concert with ground observers to deliver accurate fires on enemy elements in close contact with friendly forces. Also, the air observers can relay calls for fire from ground elements to the fire direction center. E-25. Air observers can help direct close air support assets against enemy targets. Because ground observers cannot see the whole battlefield, the air observer marks targets for the close air support sortie (by use of flares, white phosphorous, or smoke). Caution must be taken, and positive identification of the target must be made. E-26. Field Artillery Radars. Radars are extremely effective in the jungle, since most indirect fires are high- angle fires. In stability operations, many targets detected by the radars are fleeting in nature (shoot and move) and the radar must be tied in with an indirect fire support asset to ensure quick counterfire. E-27. Also, most enemy indirect fires will be directed against friendly unit positions. Therefore, the radars should be oriented so as to locate those enemy fires. E-28. Ground surveillance radars and remote sensors must be used. Shelling reports may not be as effective because the enemy shoots and moves quickly. TARGETING E-29. Targeting is very difficult because of the triple canopy and the fluid nature of the conflict. Experience with the particular enemy will provide some targets indicated by the enemy’s past performance and techniques.