FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
Page 125 of 256
Fire Support in Depth During Large-Scale Ground Combat Operations 30 April 2020 FM 3-09 6-15 Determine what assets, to include ammunition, are required and what assets are currently available or allocated. Verify risk estimate distances and attack criteria with the commander. Plan targets. Develop a communications plan. Determine what the rate of movement will be. Develop the schedule of fires and decide how the preparation schedule will be initiated. Brief the plan and confirm the method with the commander. Complete the DA Form 4656 (Scheduling Worksheet). Rehearse and refine the plan. COMMON OFFENSIVE CONTROL MEASURES 6-72. Orders for the offense include the minimum control measures required to coordinate the operation. Control measures describe and illustrate the plan, maintain separation of forces, concentrate the effort, provide subordinates freedom of action, assist the commander in the mission command of forces, and add flexibility to the maneuver plan. At a minimum, control measures prescribe a line of departure (LD), a time of attack, and the objective. In addition, commanders could assign AO and an axis of advance, routes, phase lines, checkpoints, and FSCMs. They optimally allow subordinates the maximum freedom of action consistent with necessary synchronization. Below are offensive control measures that every fire support leader should understand in order to best support the maneuver commander. A complete listing of offensive control measures is found in ADP 3-90. 6-73. Axis of advance is the general area through which the bulk of a unit's combat power must move (ADP 3-90). A commander uses an axis of advance: First, to direct the bypass of locations that could delay the progress of an advancing force, such as known contaminated areas. Plan fires along the route to engage enemy observation posts and direct fire systems. Second, to indicate that a force is not required to clear the AO as it advances. The force will need to clear the axis in accordance with specified bypass criteria. Third, to indicate to a unit involved in offensive encirclement, exploitation, or pursuit operations the need to move rapidly toward an objective. 6-74. Battle handover line is a designated phase line where responsibility transitions from the stationary force to the moving force and vice versa (ADP 3-90). The common higher echelon commander of two forces establishes a battle handover line after consulting both commanders. The stationary commander determines the location of the line. The battle handover line is forward of the forward edge of the battle area in the defense or the FLOT in the offense. The commander draws it to keep the passing unit in the supporting range of the forward combat elements of the stationary unit until the passage of lines is complete. The area between the battle handover line and the stationary force belongs to the stationary force commander. The stationary force commander may employ security forces, obstacles, and fires in the area. Other FS considerations include changes to priority of fire and FSCM changes as units cross the battle handover line. 6-75. Direction of attack is a specific direction or assigned route a force uses and does not deviate from when attacking (ADP 3-90). It is a restrictive control measure. A commander's use of a direction of attack maximizes control over a subordinate unit's movement, and it is often used during night attacks, infiltrations, and when attacking through obscurants. Unit commanders establish a direction of attack through a variety of means, such as target reference points and checkpoints. When using a direction of attack, unit commanders designate a point of departure. 6-76. Final coordination line, is a phase line close to the enemy position used to coordinate the lifting or shifting of supporting fires with the final deployment of maneuver elements (ADP 3-90). Before crossing this line, units make final adjustments to supporting fires to reflect the actual situation versus the anticipated situation. The location should be easily recognizable on the ground. The final coordination line is not an FSCM.