Rifle Platoon in the Offense

Question 1

2 Types of attack are

Answer 1

Hasty

Deliberate

Question 2

MCDP 1-0 defines a hasty attack as

Answer 2

“an attack when the commander decides to trade preparation time for speed to exploit an opportunity.”

Question 3

A hasty attack is used when

Answer 3

a fleeting opportunity must be rapidly exploited.

Question 4

To be successful, hasty attack plans must be

Answer 4

simple and flexible, and execution will rely heavily on unit SOPs and battle drills to replace the lack of detail in the order

Question 5

MCDP 1-0 defines a deliberate attack as

Answer 5

“a type of offensive action characterized by pre-planned and coordinated employment of firepower and maneuver to close with and destroy the enemy.”

Question 6

Deliberate attacks are used when

Answer 6

there is no need to rapidly exploit an enemy weakness, or when a hasty attack will not defeat the enemy.

Question 7

Planning begins when the commander receives

Answer 7

the warning order or operations order from higher

Question 8

At the platoon level, attacks will be

Answer 8

frontal or flanking

Question 9

A frontal attack is used to

Answer 9

rapidly destroy a weak enemy force, or to fix an enemy in place to support a flanking attack.

Question 10

A flanking attack uses

Answer 10

fire and maneuver in order to gain a position of advantage against an enemy vulnerability.

Question 11

A flanking attack usually uses a

Answer 11

support by fire position that diverts attention away from the main effort and uses fires to fix the enemy in place, preventing them from reorienting on the main effort.

Question 12

After his initial estimate of the situation, a platoon commander must develop a

Answer 12

tentative plan, based off of the EMLCOA that is derived from the Tactical Planning Process (METT-TC).

Question 13

The foundation of a Platoon Commander’s tactical thought must be based upon

Answer 13

 The Maneuver Warfare Concepts discussed in MCDP-1, Warfighting
 The tactical tenets presented in MCDP 1-3, Tactics
 The principals of war that you were taught in B2F2737 Tactical Fundamentals
 Mass
 Objective
 Offensive
 Security
 Economy of Force
 Maneuver
 Unity of Command
 Surprise
 Simplicity

Question 14

The warning order allows subordinate leaders to begin

Answer 14

their own planning while the commander writes the full order

Question 15

COC coordination can provide

Answer 15

updates to all aspects of a commander’s METT-TC analysis, but is especially useful for completing the picture on Troops and Fire Support Available.

Question 16

a few items for S-2 to consider when planning COC Coordination

Answer 16

Ground, signal, and human intelligence sources may be able to provide information on the terrain and enemy. Check debriefs from units that may have patrolled the area before for information on terrain. UAVs can recon the route and the objective and provide real-time information on terrain and enemy. The intelligence officer can better support you if he or she knows what information you need to plan your mission.

Question 17

a few items for S-3 to consider when planning COC Coordination

Answer 17

If available and requested, aviation assets can recon the route and objective to provide real-time information on terrain and enemy. The battalion may also use aviation assets as part of preparatory fires. Submit list of targets to support leader’s recon. Submit list of targets to support the attack. Confirm the locations and missions of adjacent and supporting units, to include CASEVAC assets, reinforcements, and fire support.

Question 18

a few things for S-4 to consider when planning COC Coordination

Answer 18

Request logistics necessary to accomplish the mission, to include ammunition, chow, water, specialized equipment such as breach kits, transportation, fuel, etc. Try to anticipate what missions might follow the attack and what logistics they might require. Carry extra logistics into the attack or coordinate a resupply to be delivered immediately on consolidation if follow-on missions are known.

Question 19

a few items for S-6 to consider when planning COC Coordination

Answer 19

Get updated CEOI and challenges/passwords. Check fills and timing on encrypted radios. A platoon will need a minimum of two radios (one for support by fire, one for maneuver) to ensure the best command and control in a flanking attack.

Question 20

A leader’s recon is

Answer 20

a small, leadership-heavy reconnaissance patrol that will operate in close proximity to the enemy.

Question 21

Priorities of recon should

Answer 21

work from the enemy back to friendly—picking an assault position first is a waste of time if the patrol discovers later that the enemy is in a different location or has a different orientation.

Question 22

When choosing a support by fire position, the commander should consider the following

Answer 22

The support by fire position should ideally be located on the enemy frontage

The support by fire position’s direction of fire should ideally be located 90 degrees offset from the maneuver element’s direction of assault

Should have cover and concealment

Question 23

Some Tactical Control Measures that will be useful in controlling a platoon attack are

Answer 23

Boundary
Assembly Area
Attack Position
Line of Departure
Checkpoint
Phase Line
Release Point
Target Reference Point
Assault Position
Objective
Limit of Advance
Linkup Point

Question 24

The commander updates his estimate of the situation (METT-TC analysis) in several ways:

Answer 24

higher’s order, COC coordination, and the leader’s recon

Question 25

A detailed fire support plan will support the

Answer 25

scheme of maneuver

Question 26

Fires in the attack are broken into what three categories:

Answer 26

Preparatory fires Fires in support of conduct Fires in support of consolidation

Question 27

Tasks provide subordinate units with

Answer 27

their missions

Question 28

Ensure that supporting effort tasking statements are worded so that

Answer 28

supporting efforts understand how they support the main effort.

Question 29

Detailed coordinating instructions support what

Answer 29

the rest of the order. They coordinate actions between two or more units, and include any of higher’s coordinating instructions that pertain to your unit.

Question 30

Administration and Logistics ensures the platoon has what

Answer 30

the platoon has enough ammunition, chow, water, batteries, special equipment, transportation, fuel, etc. to accomplish the mission and plan resupply for any known follow-on missions.

Question 31

Some additional signals necessary for an attack using a support by fire are:

Answer 31

Commence: When to begin firing Shift (sometimes) Cease Displace

Question 32

Displacement criteria are:

Answer 32

Method: Objective: Where the unit is going Route: Most direct or most covered and concealed. Time: The displacement signal.

Question 33

The platoon commander will issue the order to the platoon. If time permits the platoon commander will issue the order to the entire platoon over a

Answer 33

terrain model large enough to accommodate all three squads and attachments.

Question 34

Supervision that the commander should conduct in the preparatory phase includes, but is not limited to:

Answer 34

Rehearsals: Pre-Combat Checks Pre-Combat Inspections

Question 35

Supervision in the conduct and consolidation phases involves the commander ensuring that

Answer 35

subordinates are adhering to his orders and intent

Question 36

During movement to the objective, terrain is the

Answer 36

primary cover

Question 37

Formations during movement to the objective are based on METT-TC, and will reflect the

Answer 37

relative importance of speed/control versus security/deployability

Question 38

Column provides the best

Answer 38

speed and control, and is ideal when conducting night operations or moving through thick vegetation and canalizing terrain

Question 39

Wedge is a flexible formation that provides good

Answer 39

speed and control and good all-around security and deployability. It is used when the enemy situation is uncertain

Question 40

Echelon is slower and more

Answer 40

difficult to control than many formations. It provides excellent security and deployability to the front and in the direction of the echelon. It is typically used to guard an exposed flank.

Question 41

Vee is slow and difficult to control because

Answer 41

there are two lead elements | Vee is typically used when the enemy is to the front or when crossing a large open area.

Question 42

Line movement is

Answer 42

Slowest and most difficult to control | Line is typically used in the assault once oriented on a known enemy

Question 43

Actions on the objective begin when

Answer 43

terrain no longer covers our normal movement from enemy main body fires.

Question 44

Only EFFECTIVE fires allow this

Answer 44

maneuver

Question 45

Rates of fire typically used by the

Answer 45

support by fire position are sustained and rapid

Question 46

Support by Fire Considerations are

Answer 46

The sustained rate of fire provides average suppression and conserves ammunition—in most cases, a round on target every five seconds will keep the enemy’s head down as effectively as two or three rounds every five seconds The rapid rate of fire provides more suppression, but uses double the ammunition. This will cause weapons to overheat and malfunction more often, and begins to affect soldiers’ load—a machinegun squad will go through 14 pounds of ammunition per minute at the rapid rate.

Question 47

The commander must take this into account when planning for the assault

Answer 47

time/distance into account when planning for the assault.

Question 48

During the assault, the commander and the support by fire element leader are both responsible for maintaining

Answer 48

situational awareness on how much ammunition remains in the support by fire position versus the maneuver element’s distance from the objective

Question 49

Placing automatic weapons on the flank the maneuver element is assaulting provides better suppression on

Answer 49

targets that affect the maneuver element most, as well as better geometries of fire.

Question 50

Placing the support by fire element leader in the center of the position provides the best overall

Answer 50

control of fires

Question 51

During actions on the objective, the platoon commander has several responsibilities:

Answer 51

The platoon commander must ensure that the objective is effectively suppressed and isolated before exposing his maneuver element to the enemy fields of fire. Control the maneuver element. To do this, the platoon commander will use his base unit. Coordinate with higher and adjacent. This may involve requesting casualty evacuation or reinforcement, or updating them on a changing situation (such as enemy withdrawing into an adjacent unit AO).

Question 52

As the attack culminates on the objective and the determination is made to transition into

Answer 52

consolidation, the platoon commander’s primary focus becomes establishing local security in order to prepare for a potential enemy counter-attack or reinforcement and provide the opportunity to reconstitute his forces.

Question 53

The squad leaders are the primary executors of what process

Answer 53

SAFE process

Question 54

SAFE stands for what

Answer 54

Security Automatic weapons on avenues of approach Fields of fire and Entrenchment

Question 55

Prior to any other events occurring, the platoon commander must next determine his capabilities and level of combat effectiveness following the attack. This can be done by analyzing the information collected from the subordinate leaders utilizing what reports

Answer 55

ACE

Question 56

ACE stands for

Answer 56

Ammunition Casualties Equipment

Question 57

The platoon commander should also submit reports to

Answer 57

higher; at the minimum, this should include a SITREP. It may also include specialized reports as required, as well as any resupply requests that the platoon needs to accomplish follow-on missions.

Question 58

At this point, the platoon commander should plan—execute pre-planned—follow-on operations. Follow-on operations may be

Answer 58

offensive, defensive, or retrograde