Post by T U D Z on Jun 29, 2008 18:41:11 GMT 5
The oldest “trick in the book” is hitting your opponent when he’s not ready for it. The concept of an ambush is what nearly all facets of violent action revolve around. What better way to fight than when you’re ready, and they aren’t?
In general, ambushes serve one purpose: reduce the effectiveness of your adversary. If you can conduct many successful ambushes, the enemy begins to realize that it can happen at any moment, and then must constantly remain vigilant. This heightened awareness causes significant mental fatigue, which is often worse for him than other, more physical problems. If you continue to harass the enemy in this manner, they will become demoralized and problems will brew among their teamwork. Affecting the opposition psychologically is many times more effective, overall, than simply eliminating individuals.
Knowing that an ambush is likely makes a persons aggressive mindset adjust to a more defensive one. Troops in a hesitant and worried frame of mind are prone to confusion and/or panic when the fecal matter strikes the oscillating device. When you become overly cautious, you are more likely to hesitate. Two seconds of hesitation in a gunfight is 2.5 seconds too long of a reaction time.
Consider this aspect of demoralization: At a 6-on-6 pickup game, one team is constantly winning match after match. The losing team, regardless of why they actually are losing, will have many excuses and gripes about mis-match, disadvantages, poor tactics choices of their leaders, and more. This bickering attitude works in favor of the winning team. It breeds the classic scenario that plays whenever a team loses a few times, and then begins to lose in a wholesale fashion.
Classification of Ambushes
A deliberate ambush is a preplanned attack with specifics. An example of this would be an attack on a known fortified position (a fort, bunker, etc.), a specific location (crossroads, bridge, etc.) where enemy frequently travel, or anything, given prior knowledge of the enemy in some way.
A ambush of opportunity is fairly self-explanatory. It is happening upon something you can attack, with a decent level of surprise for the enemy. This is most likely to occur in scenarios where you are walking along, “patrolling”, and happen upon someone/people who are unaware of you. Combat grunts refer to a type of this as “trolling for contact”*, similar to how you would drive your boat around with a lure in the water, fishing.
Types of Ambushes
A point ambush is the most common for a small unit. This type concentrates all of your firepower on a specific target. This can be a fort, or a patrol, or a bunker, or anything really. Lining up along a road and lighting up a foot patrol is a common example.
An area ambush can generally only be safely conducted by forces larger than squad size. This ambush is conducted by hitting multiple targets simultaneously as part of one ambush. For example, 1st Squad attacks an observation/listening post (LP/OP) while 2nd Squad attacks the enemy leaders tent and both start their attack when an enemy foot patrol is attacked by 3rd Squad on the trail.
To summarize:
Purpose of an Ambush - destruction and harassment in order to reduce enemy effectiveness
Deliberate Ambush - preplanned with any kind of specific information about the enemy
Ambush of Opportunity - chancing upon the enemy and being able to set up and shoot first
Point Ambush - attacking one target
Area Ambush- point ambushes done at the same time in a general region
*The general downside to “trolling for contact” implies you are walking around, waiting for someone to shoot at you first. Not recommended in combat unless you are a highly trained, squad-sized, group of Marines, who have been bored for the last 5 months and find the risk of death acceptable if it means SOMETHING will happen.
References:
Infantry Rifleman Course>Student Handout Booklet (USMC)
Scouting and Patrolling MCWP 3-11.3
Marine Rifle Squad FMFM 6-5
~ by Phridum on 15Mar2008.
In general, ambushes serve one purpose: reduce the effectiveness of your adversary. If you can conduct many successful ambushes, the enemy begins to realize that it can happen at any moment, and then must constantly remain vigilant. This heightened awareness causes significant mental fatigue, which is often worse for him than other, more physical problems. If you continue to harass the enemy in this manner, they will become demoralized and problems will brew among their teamwork. Affecting the opposition psychologically is many times more effective, overall, than simply eliminating individuals.
Knowing that an ambush is likely makes a persons aggressive mindset adjust to a more defensive one. Troops in a hesitant and worried frame of mind are prone to confusion and/or panic when the fecal matter strikes the oscillating device. When you become overly cautious, you are more likely to hesitate. Two seconds of hesitation in a gunfight is 2.5 seconds too long of a reaction time.
Consider this aspect of demoralization: At a 6-on-6 pickup game, one team is constantly winning match after match. The losing team, regardless of why they actually are losing, will have many excuses and gripes about mis-match, disadvantages, poor tactics choices of their leaders, and more. This bickering attitude works in favor of the winning team. It breeds the classic scenario that plays whenever a team loses a few times, and then begins to lose in a wholesale fashion.
Classification of Ambushes
A deliberate ambush is a preplanned attack with specifics. An example of this would be an attack on a known fortified position (a fort, bunker, etc.), a specific location (crossroads, bridge, etc.) where enemy frequently travel, or anything, given prior knowledge of the enemy in some way.
A ambush of opportunity is fairly self-explanatory. It is happening upon something you can attack, with a decent level of surprise for the enemy. This is most likely to occur in scenarios where you are walking along, “patrolling”, and happen upon someone/people who are unaware of you. Combat grunts refer to a type of this as “trolling for contact”*, similar to how you would drive your boat around with a lure in the water, fishing.
Types of Ambushes
A point ambush is the most common for a small unit. This type concentrates all of your firepower on a specific target. This can be a fort, or a patrol, or a bunker, or anything really. Lining up along a road and lighting up a foot patrol is a common example.
An area ambush can generally only be safely conducted by forces larger than squad size. This ambush is conducted by hitting multiple targets simultaneously as part of one ambush. For example, 1st Squad attacks an observation/listening post (LP/OP) while 2nd Squad attacks the enemy leaders tent and both start their attack when an enemy foot patrol is attacked by 3rd Squad on the trail.
To summarize:
Purpose of an Ambush - destruction and harassment in order to reduce enemy effectiveness
Deliberate Ambush - preplanned with any kind of specific information about the enemy
Ambush of Opportunity - chancing upon the enemy and being able to set up and shoot first
Point Ambush - attacking one target
Area Ambush- point ambushes done at the same time in a general region
*The general downside to “trolling for contact” implies you are walking around, waiting for someone to shoot at you first. Not recommended in combat unless you are a highly trained, squad-sized, group of Marines, who have been bored for the last 5 months and find the risk of death acceptable if it means SOMETHING will happen.
References:
Infantry Rifleman Course>Student Handout Booklet (USMC)
Scouting and Patrolling MCWP 3-11.3
Marine Rifle Squad FMFM 6-5
~ by Phridum on 15Mar2008.
