Platoon Battle Drills (Training)

Mission Tasking Packets :

1. Platoon Battle Drill One - Reaction to Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire

2. Platoon Battle Drill Two - The Hasty Attack

3. Platoon Battle Drill Three - Consolidation

Battle Drill One - Reaction To Section Coming Under Effective Enemy Fire
Intro: Like the section attack, the platoon attack is also broken down into battle drills. In this case there are only 3. The first one is in response to one of the sections being engaged by an enemy position. This may be during an advance to contact, a road move, or any other situation where the platoon may operate as a 3 section maneuver element.

There are 3 stages this drill, depending on the platoon commander's estimate of the situation. It begins when a section comes under effective fire.

Stage One - The Platoon Commander Assesses The Situation
a. The platoon commander moves forward to observe and evaluate the situation and sends a contact report to the company commander.

b. The platoon commander will assess the following:

1. enemy strength;

2. possible position for firebase;

3. possible assault position; and

4. need for fire support c. The platoon WO moves the rest of the platoon as far forward as possible while keeping them out of the fire fight. The Plt. WO may anticipate the Plt. OC's intention and move them to a flank. He must take security into consideration and perhaps employ temporary OPs (observation points)

d. The platoon commander decides whether:

1. the section in contact can handle the problem; or 2. if he should take over the operation.

Stage Two - Section Attack
If the platoon commander orders a section attack, he may elect to support it by:

a. forming a fire base with the weapons detachment or automatic weapons from the other sections, thus freeing most or all of the engaged section to assault the objective;

b. firing smoke to cover the move of the section; and/or

c. requesting an indirect fire mission.

Stage Three - Platoon Attack
The platoon commander may decide to take control if he considers that the position is too strong for a section. He gives orders to his section commanders, platoon 21C and weapons det. IC. Then he reports the situation to the company commander giving his outline plan and stating any request for support.

Battle Drill Two - The Hasty Attack
Intro: The hasty attack (sometimes called "Quick Attack") is the meat and potatoes of commanding a platoon in the field. Platoon commanders and platoon WOs must become proficient at assessing the over all situation and developing a plan quickly and carrying it out.

It is key to remember that the longer it takes to put a plan into action the greater possibility it offers the enemy to strengthen their position.

In all but the rarest situation the platoon will do a left or right flanking. A frontal is to be avoided if at all possible.

There are 3 stages to this drill.

Stage One - Set The Firebase
a. In most cases the platoon WO is to be in charge of the firebase. He is responsible to move the weapons onto the area designated by the platoon commander and continue to suppress the enemy.

b. In many situations the firebase will simply replace the section that was initially engaged by the enemy. The engaged section would withdraw back to join the other sections or they may be ordered to continue to support the assault from their current position.

c. Ideally the firebase will be able to see the assaulting sections as they attack the enemy.

Stage Two - The Approach
a. If the platoon is to move to a flank, the section on the flank chosen for the assault always leads to the assault position, followed by platoon HQ and then the remainder of the platoon.

-move in single file

-move quickly

b. If the platoon comes across a new enemy position blocking its approach, this will have to be dealt with before carrying on. Battle Drill One is repeated. The platoon commander must be careful not to over commit himself, or to fall into a trap.

c. In the assault position, the leading section automatically forms up on the outer flank, the platoon commander in the middle, the second section on the inner flank, and the third section ( the one that was initially engaged) if on the assault, takes up the depth position. The entire assault group (except for the depth section) is in extended line facing the enemy position.

d. The platoon commander will do a final assessment.

Stage Three - The Assault
a. As soon as the platoon has formed an assault line, the commander will do the following: 1. assign axis of advance;

2. give section objectives (may have to be done on the move if objectives can not be seen from assault position); and

3. communicate with firebase.

b. On order, the platoon advances together until they come under enemy contact. The platoon commander orders section fire and movement, and then lets his section commanders get on with assaulting their objectives.

c. As the assault goes in, the fire base increases its rate of fire for as long as possible, and then switches across the position in front of the assaulting troops. It may be necessary for the platoon commander to communicate with the fire base telling them when to increase and swing fire.

d. As the sections fight through the objective, the platoon commander monitors their progress, ensuring that they do not become separated, or bogged down. If he has retained a reserve section, he will use it to assault positions missed by the forward sections, or to pass through or around them to assault a depth position and to maintain the momentum of the attack.

e. The platoon commander must maintain visual contact with the assaulting sections. Note that it will be very difficult to re-acquire control of the platoon after the sections begin their assaults.

Battle Drill Three - Consolidation
Intro: As with section level attacks the platoon must also consolidate after the enemy has been defeated. The platoon must go into a defensive posture as quickly as possible in order to repel any counter-attacks.

Platoon Commander
Execution. As soon as the objective has been captured, the platoon commander orders his sections to consolidate, normally facing along the original axis of advance.

a. Then he does the following:

1. signals for the fire base to rejoin the platoon, if it is not already doing so;

2. sets up his HQ in the centre of the position;

3. sends a short SITREP to the company commander;

4. confirms siting of sections to include arcs for the support weapons; and

5. considers establishing an OP (observation post) to cover the most likely enemy counter-attack route.

Platoon 2IC
The platoon 2ICs main job is administration, so that the platoon and section commanders are free to concentrate on the enemy. He carries out the following:

1. establishes the platoon PW and casualty collection point;

2. receives the section ammunition and casualty reports from the section 2ICs;

3. evacuate casualties to the company collection point; or await the arrival of the ambulance or medevac;

4. escort PWs to the company collection point;

5. oversees the ammo resupply;

6. search enemy dead;

7. advise the platoon commander of the ammunition and casualty state; and

8. pass the ammunition and casualty state to the company 2IC.

Section Commanders
1. carry out their own consolidation battle drill;

2. assigns arcs

Conclusion
Decisiveness is key to a successful attack upon the enemy. The platoon commander does not have the luxury of time. He must make timely and sound decisions and pass on the plan to his subordinates quickly. Concurrent activity is important; the platoon WO must anticipate the situation and assist the platoon commander by preparing the assault sections while the comd is doing his assessment.

Sections must practice assaults with their section ICs as much as possible. Teamwork will win the day.