FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
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Environmental and Terrain Considerations for Fire Support 30 April 2020 FM 3-09 D-11 POSITIONING D-63. Usually, position areas for mortars and artillery are limited and access thereto may be restricted. Because of the need to fire high-angle, it is important that the mortars and artillery be positioned in defilade to increase their survivability. Positioning considerations include: Helicopters should be used to airlift artillery into position areas. These air assets also may be required to provide ammunition resupply. Helicopters may be useful in performing survey by use of Doppler radar. Positioning along dry river beds is hazardous because of the danger of flash flooding. Towns and cities usually have flat areas (school yards, parks, stadiums, and so forth) that can accommodate firing batteries. However, these towns and cities are often enemy objectives and may be targeted. Most mountainous flat land is farmland and is difficult for towed artillery to negotiate from spring to fall. However, in winter, if the ground is frozen, farmland provides good firing positions for mortars and artillery. CLOSE AIR SUPPORT D-64. Because the terrain forces the enemy to concentrate his forces along roads, valleys, reverse slopes, and deep defilades, close air support is very effective. However, the terrain also restricts the attack direction of the close air support strikes. The enemy also conducts IPB to determine the likely direction of the close air support strikes and will weight his air defenses along those routes. The FSCOORD must aggressively identify the enemy air defense systems and target them to enhance the survivability of the close air support assets. COMMUNICATIONS D-65. Communications considerations in mountain operations include: Place antennas on sides of hills or mountains. Make maximum use of directional antennas. Plan to use retransmission capabilities. SECTION III – JUNGLE OPERATIONS D-66. Jungle operations are usually carried out by infantry forces. Fire support may be limited to indirect fires and air support. Because small-unit operations are commonplace, greater challenges accrue to the fire support personnel at company and battalion levels. MUNITIONS D-67. In jungle terrain, most contact with the enemy is at extremely close range. If the friendly force has a substantial advantage in fire support, the enemy will most likely try to come in as close as possible and maintain that close contact. Thus, the friendly force commander cannot use his fire support advantage without inflicting casualties on his own troops. Therefore, a knowledge of the type of munitions best suited for the terrain and how to employ them is vital. For example, in triple-canopy jungle: HE-delay penetrates the treetops and splinters the trees, creating additional fragmentation (splintering effect). Smoke has limited effectiveness. White phosphorous is effective as a marking round and in initial adjustments. TARGET ACQUISITION AND OBSERVATION D-68. The triple-canopy jungle makes observation beyond 25 to 50 meters very difficult. The jungle also makes map reading, self-location, target location, and friendly unit location very difficult. D-69. Experience from World War II (WWII) and Vietnam showed that FOs must be able to adjust mortar and field artillery fire by sound, because often they cannot see the rounds to adjust them. This sound