Adapting Equipment to the Reality of the Battlefield

[Steve Blair]

I couldn't help noticing in Rob Thornton's post that even the insurgents have to use combined arms. If the fundamentals don't change in Iraq, they don't change anywhere. . . .

See this thread for some discussion along these lines. I'm a CW convert (was all along, but hadn't seen that name before...).

[tequila]

When I was at SOI, all our instructors were Iraq veterans. They mostly were big M4 believers and told us that we would probably never get into a gunfight beyond 100 meters in Iraq, and maybe not even over 50m.

Other bullpup adopting countries include Australia with the AUG, the Brits of course with their troubled L85A1/SA80, the Singaporeans, and even the Iranians and Chinese.

[Monte Cristo]

When I was at SOI, all our instructors were Iraq veterans. They mostly were big M4 believers and told us that we would probably never get into a gunfight beyond 100 meters in Iraq, and maybe not even over 50m.

Other bullpup adopting countries include Australia with the AUG, the Brits of course with their troubled L85A1/SA80, the Singaporeans, and even the Iranians and Chinese.

Why do you think they never got into a gunfight beyond 50-100 meters?

[Monte Cristo]

The most exhaustive book I've read on the tactics of Iraqi guerrilla is Militant Tricks, Battlefield Ruses of the Islamic Insurgent written by John Poole...

Rob, I'm not familiar with some of the acronyms you're using: OPAL (that's either an insurgent vehicle or the Online Programming for All Libraries, AIF (could be the Adult Interactive Fiction Association or a motley crew of insurgents with different religious and ethnic backgrounds?)

[Tom Odom]

The most exhaustive book I've read on the tactics of Iraqi guerrilla is Militant Tricks, Battlefield Ruses of the Islamic Insurgent written by John Poole...

Poole's book is heavy on Hizballah and extrapolates from there; most of what I have seen does not translate to Iraq but better fits Taliban in Afghanistan, That said, the book is again Hizballah-centric.


You can see my and others review of it on SWJ at http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ighlight=Poole

Best
Tom

[Monte Cristo]

Poole's book is heavy on Hizballah and extrapolates from there; most of what I have seen does not translate to Iraq but better fits Taliban in Afghanistan, That said, the book is again Hizballah-centric.


You can see my and others review of it on SWJ at http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ighlight=Poole

Best
Tom

Tom, you might be confusing Militant Tricks with Tactics of the Crescent Moon: different books, different content.

[bismark17]

My assumption is that the insurgents want to engage as close-in as possible to mitigate our units support from Arty or Air assets. Plus, the closer you are the less the advantage goes to the better trained marksmen. At least in the U.S., our law enforcement gunfight survival stats sky rocket the farther the engagement distance. A lucky shot from a rusty .38 will kill you just as dead as one from well maintained Sig. They are probably trying to get in close for short engagements and then breaking off before any reaction forces can intervene.

[Steve Blair]

"Grabbing the belt" was the term used for this technique in Vietnam (if not sooner). It's very common with just about any adversary facing US firepower.

[Monte Cristo]

"Grabbing the belt" was the term used for this technique in Vietnam (if not sooner). It's very common with just about any adversary facing US firepower.

With the risk of annoying Tom , I have to mention Poole again: I believe he wrote extensively about the technique in Phantom Soldier, the Enemy's Answer to U.S. Firepower...

[SWJED]

"Grabbing the belt" was the term used for this technique in Vietnam (if not sooner). It's very common with just about any adversary facing US firepower.

... used "hugging" techniques to negate Russian conventional capabilities.

Tim Thomas - Summer 1999 editon of Parameters:

Russian forces tried to counter Chechen ambush tactics by using a technique called "baiting," in which they would send out contact teams to find Chechen ambushes. In turn, the Chechens used a technique called "hugging," getting very close to Russian forces. This technique eliminated the Russian use of artillery in many cases, and it exposed baiting tactics.

[Monte Cristo]

My assumption is that the insurgents want to engage as close-in as possible to mitigate our units support from Arty or Air assets. Plus, the closer you are the less the advantage goes to the better trained marksmen. At least in the U.S., our law enforcement gunfight survival stats sky rocket the farther the engagement distance. A lucky shot from a rusty .38 will kill you just as dead as one from well maintained Sig. They are probably trying to get in close for short engagements and then breaking off before any reaction forces can intervene.

You're bang on, Bismarck. And if I may link your reply to my previous posts, let me just say (or rather write) that by adapting our equipment to their tactics, we're playing right into their hands.

[Stan]

I once had the chance to take an Estonian Infantry NCO and his boss (an 0-6) to Maryland on an OTT. Maryland is Estonia's Partner State and still is today.

Once at Aberdeen they were offered to try various weapons on the range and at the end of the day, both seemed to favor the M-14 over any other weapon. After several rounds we headed to a local watering hole to discuss the day's events and a little history about long rifles.

Turns out, one of the NCO's distant relatives was part of an Estonia sniper unit trained by the Germans in the early 1900s. The unit then and today is know as the Kuperjanov Single Infantry Battalion. Formed as a partisan troop in 1918 by 1LT Julius Kuperjanov, their enemies (the Russians) referred to them as a death squad, and rightfully so. Kuperjanov's men were responsible for more Russian officer casualties than that of 25 years of war.

Also known as Forest Brothers and lacking sufficient ammo to sustain a long firefight, they would simply wait hiden in a dense growth of trees for an adorn officer and use a single 7mm round (per officer).

On 06 JAN 1919 and so proud of her husband's success, Alice Kuperjanov embroidered the battalion's first sleeve patch. Skull and crossbones with a black background and gold border.

The Kuperjanov battalion still wears this patch today, but now use US-donated M14s and continue to practice the one-round rule.

Regards, Stan