How does an army protect a city/town?

[Michael Lewis]

How does a modern army in Tw. 2000 protect/defend a town? I assume they have people watching the road with radios and maybe roadblocks. Patrols with radios. Other than that, not having been in the military, I have no idea.

[Cdnwolf]

Watch the series Jericho. Have roving patrols of "Rangers". Set up choke points.

[Legbreaker]

It's a complex question really, but the short answer is by force projection - sending units out into the surrounding countryside and dominating that so that an enemy can't get close, or at least can't get close without being detected at which time a suitable response can be sent by the unit commander.

If an enemy gets to within firing distance of the town, the defenders have failed to "protect" it and from then on can only use it as a defensive position (and hopefully drive the attackers away). Damage to the town and it's inhabitants is at that point virtually unavoidable.

[rcaf_777]

There are few good example that I recall

The Defense of Moscow from the Germans
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Siege of Bastogne
Burning of Washington in 1814 - what not to do
Modern Day FOB's in Afghanstian and Iraq

You basicly will have a few options

1. Physical barriers, Road Blocks, Anti Tank Ditches, Bunkers, Watch Towers, walls, trenches and sharp sticks.

2. Mines and Weapon System, Mines are great to proctect a city and cheap and easy to make, also having weapon systems (AT weapons, MG) in place around possible attack points too - think about medieval castles, also modern armies will have artillery too which also be placed a key to provide support to any defence

3. Patrols, patrols are conduct in two area one, close to the city around the walls defensive line ect, and way from the city to provide advance warning of an attack.

5. Obervation - Military units will typically have a obervation posts placed out, they are away from the defensive line to provide warning of an attack

6. Mobile Reserve - This a group of soliders of platoon up too a battlion size which would located right in the city, thier job would be to quickly reinforce a section of the city which comes under attack.

Hope this helps

[Sanjuro]

Sometimes the only way an army can defend a town is to leave it alone; pull all the defenders away and declare it an open city. Very risky, but there have been examples where this has been the safest option for the citizens.

[DocSavage45B10]

Patrols, and more patrols. Static defenses will help you hold the town, protecting it and preserving it as a productive asset requires a commander to make an active defense in depth. You set up firebases and LP/OPs on key commanding terrain that covers the available avenues of approach, and patrol those same routes.

This works to deter or destroy opposing forces that have parity or less. If the attackers have superior numbers or the motivation to take losses, you are forced to either give battle in the open hoping to drive off his forces, or fall back on your prepared defenses which yields him the initiative and risks exposing the town to damage in the fighting to come.

[Matt Wiser]

Wasn't there a post on an older board where town/village defenses were rated? IIRC on a scale of 0-8, with 0 being the weakest possible, and 8 being the toughest nuts to try and crack, with the advice given "Don't even try."

[Webstral]

Strategy and tactics depend on the terrain, the manpower and other assets available for defense, the enemy, and several other factors. The ideal defense is force projection, in which the fight is taken to the enemy. Provided the force projection involved is more of a raid than a conquest, we might call this active defense. When active defense isn’t practical, aggressive patrolling (as mentioned frequently above) is the next thing. Aggressive patrolling helps defenders identify enemy units away from the municipality being defended and ideally provides the information necessary to formulate an effective counteraction/reaction based on the available resources. We might call this a reactive defense, in which the enemy makes the first move but the defenders respond aggressively. Finally, a passive defense is one in which the defenders pretty much hunker down behind obstacles and other defensive works and wait for the enemy to enter their fields of fire.

In the real world, these methods overlap each other in space and time. For instance, a municipality with a very strong defense force might send a strong detachment outside the zone of control claimed by the defense force to raid a marauder stronghold (which might have been discovered purely by patrolling or by following up on a lead provided by intelligence gathering). The remaining elements of the defense force might assume a passive defensive posture until the return of the strike force.

Passive defense is the easiest way to defend a municipality in that it requires the fewest troops and lowest level of skill compared to reactive defense and active defense. By constructing fortifications, obstacles, and clear fields of fire the defense force of a municipality can turn labor into combat power. The defenders need to know how to shoot, but they don’t necessarily need to know how to patrol or mount and attack. The extent of passive defenses depends on how much labor the municipality is willing to commit to constructive defensive works over how much time, modified by the manpower under arms and what kind of weapons the troops have. Leadership is an important combat multiplier, but I’m going to leave that one out for the moment.

One advantage of a passive defense is that the defenders can make good use of raw troops. A new recruit in an earth-and-log bunker with a hunting rifle and a couple of companions can give a decent accounting of himself. If he can shoot straight, that’s even better. The chief drawback is that passive defense leaves the initiative to the enemy. Static defenses can be camouflaged, and frequent changes of location of important pieces of equipment can help confuse the enemy about some of the particulars of the defensive works; however, in the long run an enemy who is free to observe passive defenses and attack on his own terms probably will figure out how to penetrate the defenses.

Static defenses comprise a few types of structures. In combat engineering terms, these structures fall into the categories of counter-mobility and survivability. Counter-mobility structures are meant to constrain the enemy’s movement. There are several types of counter-mobility structures. I won’t go into the specifics other than to mention that when designing defensive works the engineers basically focus on either completely blocking the enemy’s movement (harder than you’d think) or getting him to try going around the obstacle. Ideally, by looking for a gap in your obstacles, the enemy moves into a deliberately prepared killing zone into which the defenders pour their fire. The combat arms call this a kill sack. You want the enemy to go into your kill sacks, not the other way around. Counter-mobility works include wire obstacles, ditches, minefields, walls, abatis (trees felled on the road), and others. Where possible, a shrewd combat engineer ties his counter-mobility works in with natural obstacles, such as water and steep gradients.

Survivability structures are places where troops and equipment can be sheltered from enemy fire. Survivability structures can be oriented towards protection, such as headquarters shelters, or combat, such as trenches and bunkers. Often, survivability structures are at least partially underground. Ideally, they are camouflaged. Fighting structures must combine protection against enemy fire with wide and clear fields of fire for the troops inside the fighting structure. A headquarters structure does not require clear fields of fire, though the commander might want one or more observation posts that might look like a bunker.

Counter-mobility and survivability works are complimentary. All counter-mobility structures should be covered by fire so that the enemy’s engineers don’t cut holes in the wire, clear the mines, fill the ditches, etc. In Twilight: 2000, marauders will develop engineer teams as counter-mobility defenses become more widespread. So if the defenders construct a set of wire obstacles surrounding their municipality, the entire perimeter should be a) under observation at all times and b) covered by fire from a fortified firing position. Depending on the length of the perimeter, this can mean a lot of manpower. The fields of fire from bunkers typically are overlapped so that one bunker can defend a significant length of the perimeter. How much depends on the effective range of the weapons of the defender, how much manpower is available, and so on.

Observation is also very important. You don’t want the enemy getting close to your perimeter before you can take him under fire. The simplest means of conducting observation is to get a guy with binoculars someplace high. You want to eliminate places where the enemy can move unobserved (or worse, under cover) as far out as possible—but out to the maximum effective range of the weapons in bunkers along your perimeter at the very least. This means cutting down all the trees 300-500 meters from the bunkers your troops will occupy to defend the municipality.

At the very least, every municipality should have passive defensive works that combine counter-mobility and survivability works. Defenses should be tied in with water, like a river or a lake, wherever possible. The entire perimeter should be under observation at all times. Fighting positions for two-man teams or larger should be placed so that the entire perimeter can be covered by fire.

Everything I’ve written is couched in general principle. I’ll leave it to one of my compatriots to talk about patrolling and raiding.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

Wasn't there a post on an older board where town/village defenses were rated? IIRC on a scale of 0-8, with 0 being the weakest possible, and 8 being the toughest nuts to try and crack, with the advice given "Don't even try."

There was a discussion on Loonz's site a while ago

http://loonz.freeservers.com/t2k/comvildef.htm

[Michael Lewis]

Thanks,

That info helps. The info about the active defenses was an eye-opener. It makes a lot of sense that if you know what's coming, you can nip it in the bud.

Patrols. How many in one? How far do they usually go out?

What about radio communication? Would all patrols have one?

[Legbreaker]

How long is a piece of string?

How many in a patrol, how many patrols, and distance all depends on the available number of soldiers/militia and what transport they've got available. As a rule of thumb, soldiers on foot can manage about 5 kilometres per hour on average without moving too fast to miss anything.

Exact makeup, frequency, communications methods and just about anything else you can think of will vary from situation to situation, but the more patrols, the stronger they are, and the greater area covered the better the overall defence.

[rcaf_777]

Look the ORMO organization amd make in the Free City of Krakow mod, I don't they go into too much detail about the ops but is a start

[Webstral]

Patrols can be as large or as small as the commander decides they ought to be. There's what the US Army or USMC does now, then there's what an HRSM (hunting rifle and shotgun militia) does in Twilight: 2000. Two good men who know what they are doing and know the area can be more effective than a gaggle of recruits.

Patrolling is a skill. I can't say that I ever reached a level at which I felt proficient, despite some training and some execution in Iraq. You don't have to be a genius, but you have to internalize good procedures. You have to know how you are going to respond to a wide range of situations. Quick reactions in the form of battle drills are the key to survival once the action is joined.

Ideally, all patrols carry radios. This might not be possible for an HRSM in 2000. Still, some provision for signals must be made.

The duration of a patrol and virtually every other aspect depends on its mission. A patrol might be assigned to look for signs of enemy activity in the area beyond observation by the passive defenses. A patrol might be assigned to go to a particular location to conduct reconnaissance or surveillance. A patrol might be assigned to gather information about the enemy's whereabouts. A patrol might be sent to ambush the enemy at location X. The list goes on.

If we assume that the enemy is marauders, then one of the most important items of business will be finding their base of operations. In Thunder Empire, battalion task forces operate in the highlands of southern and eastern Arizona after the snow breaks in 1999. They operate outside the territory claimed by Fort Huachuca for the purpose of providing relief to the municipalities of the region. Marauders and petty warlords menace or have taken over virtually all of the cities and towns. Due to the ongoing threat from Mexican forces, Fort Huachuca cannot afford to keep a large body of troops in the region. Battalion task forces are rotated through the area for the purpose of liberating towns from warlords and locating and destroying marauders at their base camps. The latter requires extensive and aggressive patrolling in the highlands. Attached to each battalion task force is a LRS (Long Range Surveillance) unit that helps design and execute the search-and-destroy scheme.

Patrolling is also constant along the US-Mexico border in Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties. In Thunder Empire, Fort Huachuca controls these counties and Pima County (Tucson). Here, patrolling is of a defensive nature. Light infantry conducts patrols along the border and in the Huachuca Mountains to intercept raiders from Sonora Army. Small unit actions are sporadic but frequent throughout the last part of 1998 and all of 1999. Behind the light infantry screen are LP/OP (listening posts/observation posts) that can direct fire if guns are sufficiently nearby or call a reaction force to intercept Mexican raiders. Further back are cavalry patrols of the Arizona Rangers, who work for Fort Huachuca. Additionally, widely-dispersed observation posts are maintained throughout the three counties. All of this patrolling and observation is intended to push the defense perimeter away from the cities, towns, and transportation infrastructure that the Mexicans wish to damage with their raids. The area to be covered by a relative handful of troops is immense, so great emphasis is laid on observation, ambush, and the use of small bodies of troops to detect the enemy without necessarily engaging the enemy. Once enemy raiders have been located (more or less), a reaction force is dispatched to the area in trucks and perhaps with an AFV or two for fire support, depending on the size of the enemy force. This is a decent example of a reactive defense.

Author’s Note: By the beginning of 2000, Sonora Army pretty much gives up on raiding into SAMAD. The distances involved are considerable, and the nature of the terrain and vegetation favors observation. Those areas where foot mobile Mexican raiders can infiltrate under cover become well-known rather quickly. These places soon become favorite haunts for LP/OP and ambushes. Moving only at night helps protect the raiders from observation but robs them of much of their potential mobility—especially during the summer. Once a raiding party is identified, the outcome is pretty much inevitable. Getting away after a successful raid can be a real challenge, too. The Mexicans are inventive, and their ever-evolving tactics and techniques inspire a cat-and-mouse game NATO and Pact raiders in Europe would recognize for its basic elements. However, the exchange rate greatly favors the American defenders. By the end of 1999, the loss of many of its best light infantry, the mid-year defeat by 111th Brigade, and the escalating need for internal security missions cause Sonora Army to suspend raiding missions inside SAMAD.

[rcaf_777]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Ideally, all patrols carry radios. This might not be possible for an HRSM in 2000. Still, some provision for signals must be made.

Flares? rifle shots? tin can with some string lol

I seem to remember the Germans in World War Two Carrying and feild phone with a cable spool?

[DocSavage45B10]

Field phones work for communications between positions, like the firebase and the LP/OP, not so much for on the hump.

Flares work well if you pre-arrange your signals.

Usually without radio you're down to runners or mounted messengers.

[Legbreaker]

Ideally, comms wouldn't involve signals the enemy could hear or see. Shots, flares, etc are a very good way of giving away your own position and letting the enemy know they've probably been spotted.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS unless there's NO other choice.

[Raellus]

You might want to check out a book called The Village by Bing West, about a small Marine CAP (combined action platoon) that was tasked with helping local Vietnamese secure a village from VC predation. The Marines and the militia "officers" occupied a small, fortified base camp from which they would launch frequent patrols. The rest of the militia forces would live in the village when they were off duty. Once again, active defense was a key part of the overall strategy.

I could see a similar approach being taken in the T2K world- a small unit of professional soldiers teaming up with a small local militia force to provide security for a small-ish settlement (hamlet, village, town).

For a larger settlement, if it's in or on the periphery of a military cantonment area (home to a division or larger), it's probably going to be garrisoned by a part of whichever larger unit calls the area "home".

[DocSavage45B10]

The main use for flares is after contact, typically to coordinate multiple phases for task force elements.

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Ideally, comms wouldn't involve signals the enemy could hear or see. Shots, flares, etc are a very good way of giving away your own position and letting the enemy know they've probably been spotted.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS unless there's NO other choice.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by DocSavage45B10

The main use for flares is after contact, typically to coordinate multiple phases for task force elements.

Exactly, they're something that can be used if you're not worried about the enemy knowing your location, etc but during the scouting and preparatory stages, stealth and minimising the intelligence information you're giving up to the enemy is vital. Even after contact has been made, information on troop numbers, movements, equipment, etc, etc, etc should not be given up lightly.

[Trooper]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

I seem to remember the Germans in World War Two Carrying and feild phone with a cable spool?

Thats an old finnish army technique to dense forest terrain! In eastern Finland and in Soviet Karelia there was huge wilderness areas without roads or even without trails.

When you are expecting trouble. You first look firing position for your mortar team. From that point recon squad will start scout enemy. Usually they directly walk in certain direction (using compass bearing). When they spot the enemy, forward observer will "read" the distance from a cable spool "350m from mortar position! Enemy platoon is 100 m. in front of us - 15 rounds now". Its best metod get fire support in featureless dense forest- unless you have GPS.

In 1941 german army and Waffen-SS didnt have a clue how to run operations in wilderness areas. Finnish intructors teached this technique "line and mortar" to Heer officers. It was later widely used in eastern and western fronts. Its also great way to use mortars in night fighting.

[DocSavage45B10]

Originally Posted by Trooper

Thats an old finnish army technique to dense forest terrain! In eastern Finland and in Soviet Karelia there was huge wilderness areas without roads or even without trails.

When you are expecting trouble. You first look firing position for your mortar team. From that point recon squad will start scout enemy. Usually they directly walk in certain direction (using compass bearing). When they spot the enemy, forward observer will "read" the distance from a cable spool "350m from mortar position! Enemy platoon is 100 m. in front of us - 15 rounds now". Its best metod get fire support in featureless dense forest- unless you have GPS.

In 1941 german army and Waffen-SS didnt have a clue how to run operations in wilderness areas. Finnish intructors teached this technique "line and mortar" to Heer officers. It was later widely used in eastern and western fronts. Its also great way to use mortars in night fighting.

Thanks Troop! I'll file that away...

[Graebarde]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

There was a discussion on Loonz's site a while ago

http://loonz.freeservers.com/t2k/comvildef.htm

A WHILE ago it was too.. 2000, 12 years ago by the OLD Twilighters too.
Still good viable information.