Surprise Targets

Title

Surprise Targets

Language

English

Source

Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume VIII (No. 10) October 1955

Year

1955

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

OMB AT practice firing is the concluding phase in the train ing of small units. It is the most important phase for it integrates all previous training, stresses indi vidual coordination and teamwork, cooperation between units, fire discipline, fire control and tactical movement. Conducted as tactical proficiency tests, combat practice firing problems are essential to the final verdict of “combat ready.” The proper testing of small units must be completed before they un dertake field training as elements of larger units. Faulty tactics and technique and inadequate gunnery training must be discovered and corrected before they become bad habits which must be paid for in excessive casualties and lost mis sions. There are many difficulties in volved in the preparation and con duct of realistic and flexible com bat firing problems. Where small units, employing only small caliber (or sub-caliber) direct fire weapons are involved, the problem is rela tively simple, as targets may be operated from pits or other shel ters. But where supporting wea pons, such as mortars, recoilless rifles, tank guns and artillery are used, it is much more difficult. In these circumstances it has been customary to erect silhouettes and panel targets to represent hostile weapons and personnel, prior to conducting the problem. Such a solution is unrealistic, ineffective and dangerous. It results in stereotyped exercises with units firing and maneuvering against obvious targets which can usually be seen by participants prior to the problem. The capabil ity of engaging surprise targets rapidly and effectively cannot be measured. Placing supporting fires on targets and the massing of fires on call cannot be effective52 ly checked. Since there is no con trol over the targets, units may by-pass them and suddenly engage them from an angle which will cause shots to strike beyond safe ty limits. By use of a simple jump-up tar get, controlled by electrical means, the effectiveness of combat firing problems can be greatly increased. This type of target is illustrated in Figure 1. This consists of a heavy cardboard carton mounted securely to a board under which is attached a can as a counterweight to hold the carton or target ver tical. The operation of the target is very simple. The carton is pul led down to a horizontal concealed position, Figure 2, and fastened by a piece of string, to which is attached an electrical blasting cap connected to a wire circuit. When a charge is generated, the blast ing cap severs the string and the target swings to a vertical position through the counterweight of sand or gravel in the can. These tarFigure I 53 Figure 2 gets can be constructed in five minutes at no expense. Salvage materials — cardboard cartons, wood and cans—are always avail able in the field as well as in gar rison. Other types of surprise targets can be devised to represent ag gressor personnel and materiel and exposed by eelctrical means. A group of box-type targets can be exposed simultaneously by one charge. A number of standard E and F silhouettes mounted on a wooden pole which rotates through action of a counterweight can be easily devised. Actual size tank silhouettes hung in a horizontal position from a tree or posts, can be suddenly exposed by the explo sion of a charge representing a tank gun which breaks the string, causing the target to drop to a vertical position. A sketch showing the target lay out for a combat firing problem 54 involving a tank platoon as ad vance party is show in Figure 3. Five wire lines are laid, four from Point O forward an one additional (5) from P forward. A total of ten sets of targets can be opera ted by electrical blasting caps and charges ignited by a detonator box, initially at 0 and, for the last four targets, at P. The officer directing and umpiring the prob lem is in contact with the target operator by radio. Depending on the decision of the platoon leader and the movement of his tanks, the umpire directs the operator to expose targets so as to present the unit with realistic situations which call for prompt and definite actions. For a platoon problem only about four or five sets of targets per run would normally be used. The additional targets allow flexibility, prevent other platoons from adopting precon ceived solutions and provide for safety in that no target is exposed unless it is within safety limits. One disadvantage is the possi bility that wires may be cut by fire or by tank tracks. This can be minimized by locating wire properly. The laying and main tenance of wire is accomplished by personnel who follow up the ex ercise, check and repair wiring and reset charges. It is apparent that there are many advantages in this method of conducting combat firing prob lems and combined arms exercises over conventional methods. The platoon leader must make his de cision and issue his initial order without preconceived ideas of what will happen. He must ma neuver against terrain and not against targets. Targets are lo cated logically and exposed at a time and place calculated to direct maximum attention to weaknesses in planning or execution of his maneuver. At all times the pla toon leader must have one section “over-watching,” prepared to fire instantly or critical targets that appear. The time required for the first round and that for a target hit is taken by stop watch and should not exceed 10 and 15 sec onds respectively. Each platoon leader can be given the widest lati tude in executing his mission as the various targets will provide flexibility for the umpire to meet any reasonable action or maneu ver. Safety precautions are under direct control of the umpire who will expose only those targets that are within safety limits. The sur prise targets are particularly adapted to combined arms exer cises as the absence of target ope rators in the impact area makes it possible to employ all types of weapons. The few units that utilized elec trically operated surprise targets in training during World War II were unanimous in testifying to their effectiveness in preparing men for the hard realities of ac tual combat. The lessons that may be learned are vital to battle field indoctrination. They are particularly effective in testing the ability of tank crews to em ploy the new fire control equip55 J 1-5 preparing tank platoons and com panies for battle, except radiocontrolled targets which can be exposed and withdrawn by radio signals. Until this method is dev eloped, targets controlled by field wire are the simplest, most practi cal, safest and most effective means of providing realistic com bat firing exercises for platoon, company and battalion size units. L LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDWARD E. CRUISE, Armor, served in Europe during World War II. After 15 months with MAAG, Formoso he served with the 65th Infantry Regiment in Korea, as Battalion. Commander and subsequently as Regi-' mental Commander. He is presently as signed to the Weapons Department, of the Armored School, in Fort Knox, Kentucky. 56

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