Tactical Movement

2 of 3: Move

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Contents

1. Introduction

i. Tactical Significance

ii. Identified problem areas

iii. Lessons learned

iv. Regarding application

2. Movement Formations

i. Introduction

ii. Tactical Significance

iii. Common Formations

iv. Training Aids

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3. Movement Techniques

i. Introduction

ii. Tactical Significance

iii. Common Techniques

iv. Training Aids

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Introduction

Tactical Movement is the movement of a unit when not in contact with the enemy. Tactical movement is based on the anticipation of early contact with the enemy, either en route or shortly after arrival at a mission objective. Movement ends when contact is made. Movement is not manuever; manuever is initiated upon contact with the enemy. Tactical movement can be best understood as being as prepared as possible to fight the enemy (manuever) once contact has been made.

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Tactical Significance

This concept is tactically significant because it is based upon mitigating potentially catastrophic threats that are often enabled by decisions or methods of movement that do not adequately prepare for enemy contact. Tactical movement is designed to:

• Maintain momentum
• Maintain unit cohesion
• Provide protection
• Facilitate a smooth transition to maneuver once enemy contact is made

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Identified Problem Areas

Careless movement may result in contact with an organized enemy at a time and place of their choosing. It is equally possible that careless movement may result in contact with an enemy who is equally surprised, but better prepared. There is not a significant difference, because that enemy immediately gains a relative advantage that was freely given to them. The following example illustrates:

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Identified Problem Areas

In this scenario, blue lance has chosen a route in the low ground of Canyon Network (marked by a blue arrow). They keep their lance close together and, due to the restrictive terrain, must assume a column formation (ducks in a row). Along their route, they take unanticipated contact with the enemy red lance who is orientated in the opposite direction. In this instance, red lance holds numerous advantages.

• Red holds dominant terrain from which to fight, while blue has little cover to protect themselves from exposure
• Red holds freedom to manuever, either forward to press the engagement or back to disengage. Blue is canallized by the terrain and can be fired upon regardless of their movement
• Red has all of it's weapons oriented forward and retains the option to reorient in different directions while blue's fire is masked by their own lance mates or the terrain.

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Lessons Learned

At a glance, it might appear that blue lance has walked into an L shaped ambush that red lance has prepared. While that is a possibility, equally possible is that red lance has retained these advantages exclusively from it's movement. To further emphasize, it is also equally possible that red lance was just as surprised by it's encounter with blue lance, but it's employment of tactical movement allowed it to be better prepared to fight the enemy.

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The major take away from this should be that the manner a unit makes its movement to contact with an enemy also impacts that unit’s ability to fight the enemy, whether that movement was deliberate or not. Because the conditions of that fight are going to be influenced by factors that we can control, whether we choose to control them or not, it becomes imperative that we do choose to control them, rather than give that control to an organized enemy or dumb luck.

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Movement Formations

This section discusses movement formations, the physical arrangement of lances and larger units, that delta company can employ for a number of reasons;

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• Situational awareness
• Position firepower to support the fire plan
• Assign responsibilities of sector security
• Facilitate the execution of battle drills

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Movement Formations

Just as they do with all aspects of tactical movement, leaders plan and change formations based on where and how they expect to encounter the enemy. The take-away from this is that the determination of when and where to direct a unit to assume a particular formation should decided both during planning stages, and as the actual situation changes. If the situation deviates from the plan, or as the plan changes, so should the considerations for formations be re-evaluated.

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Movement Formations

Line

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Movement Formations

Column

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Movement Formations

Wedge

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Movement Formations

Echelon Left/Right

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Movement Formations

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• Formations do not demand exact positioning or distances. Units must retain flexibility to react to the situation and from my experience, more often than not, the terrain will dictate the precision placement of positions more than other factors. The “tactical-gaggle” is more likely to occur with mixed unit types, but is just as functional.
• Dispersion in formations is composed of depth and lateral separation. These can be best visualized in the line and column/file formations, which are the antithesis of each other. Where one has an advantage, it is the disadvantage of the other. When necessary, leaders should seek to combine depth and lateral dispersion (as per some of the other formations) to varying degrees to find what works best for the situation.
• Formations also may have one lead element, or many elements side-by-side. Formations that have only one typically move faster because route selection only needs to occur once and they are more easy to squeeze through restrictive terrain. Formations that have multiple do not share this advantage, but possess more firepower available when needed.

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Movement Formations

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• Leaders should understand the some formations are more flexible than others. A line, for example, cannot easily transition to orient left or right because units require more distance to cover before being in position. The same is true for column/file formations when orienting forward. As a general rule of thumb, when the situation is uncertain, tighter and more evenly dispersed formations allow for better flexibility and reaction time.
• Leaders should strongly consider how a unit's chassis or role might be impacted by their position within a formation; their advantages should be catered to and their disadvantages should be supported. As an example, it does not make sense for a unit traveling in a heavy right wedge along a ridgeline to their left to place a PPC cataphract closer to the ridgeline where their main advantage of extreme engagement distance is restricted by poor line of sight and terrain. It is more tactically sound to put a unit with predominantly close range weapon systems in it's place.

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Movement Formations

Training Aids

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“Forming Up”

• This drill is used when leaders desire their subordinates to assume a particular formation. It's purpose is to eliminate confusion and expedite the process, as well as provide a standard for it's execution and dissemination to subordinate units.
• To prepare subordinates to quickly form up into the desired formation when directed, leaders must establish an SOP to clearly define how the positions are determined amongst the element and stick to that determination. After subordinates are briefed what the determination is, they should be designated in accordance with that SOP, before dropping.
• Everyone in the element must know who the lead is, and therefor who to dress off of when determining their position. In the following example, position is determined by seniority. The lance leader leads the element, while their wingman dresses off them. The lance’s section leader dresses off the lance leader, and their wingman dresses off them.

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Movement Formations

Training Aids

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“Forming Up”

• By the Numbers: Each position within the formation (a lance wedge, in this example) is assigned a number, then elements are designated to correspond to that number (by lance seniority, for example). These numbers are never deviated from, so when leader's designate who is what, they always know where they belong every single time. When instructed to assume a formation, elements simply dress off the lead element.

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Delta Third Lance Composition

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Alpha Section

Wolf 1 - Lance Leader

Wolf 3 - Lance Leader’s Wingman

Bravo Section

Wolf 2 - Section Leader

Wolf 4 - Section Leader’s Wingman

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Movement Formations

Training Aids

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“Action Drill”

• An action drill is utilized to either change the orientation of a moving element in a new direction or to have the element transition to a new formation without stopping. To the later, establishing position designations beforehand is necessary. A common term should be established to designate what action to take.

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When changing directions, it is important to note that those elements on the inside of the turn must slow down in order to avoid outpacing those elements on the outside who have a longer distance to travel.

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When the last element is in position (typically those in the back or those on the outside of a turn), they may report "set" and movement resumes normal speed.

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Movement Techniques

• Movement Techniques describe the position of elements in relation to each other during movement. The three movement techniques are traveling, traveling overwatch, and bounding overwatch. Movement Techniques allow the unit to make enemy contact with the smallest unit possible in the safest manner possible. Leaders base their selection based on the likelihood of enemy contact and the requirement for speed.
• When analyzing the situation, some enemy positions are known, however, most of the time they will only be likely (called templated positions). It can be understood as the leader's best guess after considering the terrain and knowledge of the battlefield's characteristics. Movement techniques allow for the smooth and natural transition to tactical manuever once contact with the enemy is established.

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3. Tactical Significance

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Movement Techniques

Bounding Overwatch

Bounding/Overwatch is when an element observes and provides direct fire support for a friendly element while they are moving, and does not move until that element can establish a supporting position in turn. The objective is to deter the enemy from engaging the moving unit when they are most vulnerable.

• The overwatch element must maintain communications with the moving element and provide early warning of enemy elements that could affect the moving element.

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• If the overwatch is unable to scan dead space and engage the enemy, it must alert the moving element of the lapse in coverage. The overwatch must also be able to support the moving force with immediate and effective fire. Optimal and maximum ranges should be a factor in determining how far the overwatch element can cover the moving element to.

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• To expand upon using manuever at the smallest levels, half the element is firing (or providing overwatch if not in contact) while the other half is moving. If the enemy decides that they want to try to engage the exposed element that is moving with fire, they must also risk being engaged by the half that is firing/overwatching. In this way, it allows the moving element more freedom to find cover, where they will begin to engage and allow their counterpart to move.

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Movement Techniques

Bounding Overwatch

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Movement Techniques

Traveling Overwatch

Traveling overwatch is an extended form of of traveling in which the lead element moves continuously but the trailing elements move at varying speeds, sometimes pausing to overwatch movement of the lead element. Traveling overwatch is used when contact with the enemy is possible but not expected; when caution is justified, but speed is desirable. The trail element maintains separation based on its ability to provide immediate fires in support of the lead element, the intent being to maintain depth, provide flexibility, and sustain movement in case the lead element is engaged. It also allows the trailing element to retain the ability to manuever on the enemy because they can avoid initial contact with the enemy.

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Movement Techniques

Traveling

Traveling is essentially continuous movement without additional precautions other than the security that the moving element provides itself. While less safe, it allows for the quickest movement rate and is typically used when contact is not expected or speed is essential.

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Movement Techniques

Training Aids

Movement techniques are easy to understand, but also easy to forget as leaders become distracted. The best way to train this is just repetition, and making it a force of habit. https://maps.mwocomp.com/ is a valuable resource for quick and easy demonstration. For reinforcement, a unit can try a couple drops, placing emphasis on using movement techniques and communicating throughout. So long as each element communicates their move and overwatch, it becomes a habit and reinforces its practice.

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