Tactical frontage

[av8rmongo]

Does anyone know how much frontage modern US/UK/German forces are expected to control at company/battalion/regiment/brigade (whichever is applicable) levels?

Paul

[Timothy OConnor]

Here's what Dunnigan says in his book, "How to Make War".

Squad: attack = 50-100m / defense = 200m
Platoon: attack = 100-150m / defense = 200-500m
Company: attack = 500-1,000m / defense = 1,000-2,000m
Battalion: attack = 1-3km / defense = up to 6km

No figures above that level but you can probably extrapolate from the battalion figures assuming 2 battalions up and 1 or 2 back.

Here are some figures for WWII:

http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire ... ntages.htm

I did a review of various weapon system effective ranges realitive to these frontages and, surprise!, there's a strong correlation between the effective weapon ranges of weapons at various levels and the area that level is expected to control.

[Whistle Beek]

If you've got a copy of GHQ's Micro Armour: The Game - WWII this information is all laid out in the scenario generator section.

And another surprise - since the effective range of infantry weapons & heavy weapons haven't changed since WWII, the frontages for both offense and defense haven't changed, either.

[av8rmongo]

Thanks guys that's perfect. But one more question; why would effective range of a weapon - which would seem to convey length or depth to which a unit could affect the enemy - correlate to the width across which a unit is expected to attack or defend?

Paul

[Timothy OConnor]

To answer that question here's some more data from Osprey's book on WWII & Korean War field fortifications:

UNIT FRONTAGE & DEPTH

Squad = 50-100y wide

Platoon = 200-400y wide, up to 200y deep

Company = 400-600y wide, 400-600y deep

Battalion = 800-1,500y wide, 700-1,200y deep

Regiment = 2,000-3,000y wide, 1,500-2,000y deep

WWII ERA WEAPON RANGE

Rifles, BAR = 400-600 yards
Browning .30 cal. LMG, bipod (Platoon/Company level) = 800-1,000 yards
Browning .30 cal. MMG, tripod, water cooled (Battalion level) = 1,500-1,800 yards

60mm Mortar (Company) = 1500 yards
81mm Mortar (Battalion) = 3000 yards
4.2" Chemical Mortar (Regiment+) = 4000 yards

When you compare frontage & depth to effective range you begin to see a pattern as the heavier weapons are meant to cover larger frontages and depths.

For example, the 60mm company-level mortar fire 1,500 yards while the company has a depth of 400-600 yards. If the mortars are deployed towards the company's rear their fire would extend about 900-1,100 yards beyond the company's front which is about the field of fire for the .30 cal bipod machineguns deployed on the front line (that range is for area targets for the bipod LMGs.) Thus an enemy would face company-controlled LMG and 60mm mortar fire for about 1,000 yards during their approach.

The battalion-level 81mm mortars, if deployed toward the battalion's rear, would extend about 1,800-2,300 yards beyond the battalion's front, or, about the same range as the water cooled MMGs if those were deployed along the front.

Thus the battalion has a layered fire plan in depth:

1,500-2,300 yards = battalion-level MMGs and 81mm mortars
900-1,100 yards = adds company/platoon-level LMGs and 60mm mortars
400-600 yards = adds rifles, BARs, etc. and aimed fire becomes possible

For width, weapons on a flank need to support weapons on the unit's other flank. So, a company's LMGs can fire 800-1000 yards and the company is about 500 yards wide. Thus, an LMG on one flank can fire 500 yards beyond the other flank to add its firepower to that flank's rifles (with their effective range of 500 yards).

With a range of 1,500-1,800 yards the battaltion's MMGs can add their fire to either flank out to effective rifle range even if deployed on the opposite flank (assume a mid-range battalion front.)

Of course all of this usually assumes a flat bit of ground but that's the theory and a potential reality in places like the desert or even hill/mountain fighting with extended views (eg Korea). You'll notice too that each level of command has its own integrated automatic and IDF weapons overwhich it has sole control.

[av8rmongo]

Thanks, that makes sense.

Paul