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Training Video: Squad Hasty Attack Drills

Following on from the recent discussion of squad tactics in the ‘There will be no Theme Music‘ & ‘Using the Flank‘ posts, I found this gem of a video on YouTube (below).

This video is very old school, I’m guessing 1970’s. However, it is well worth 35 minutes of your time, and it is worth seeing through to the end. As part of the video the section (squad) conducts three hasty attacks as part of an advance to contact, utilizing varied methods each time. There are a lot of gems in the videos at various points. I have written about a lot of the concepts that are in the video, I was a little shocked and surprised to see!
This is my antidote to anything tacticool, SF, SOF, elite groupie, super high speed, high speed low drag, or similar. It illustrates GOOD SOLID BASICS. There is nothing cool about these guys, they are old school regular infantry soldiers. It even has a little comedy value, with the 1970s British accent of the narrator, and they even have real life Ivan as the enemy, speaking Russian. Love it. 
The good solid basics are in the video, lots of good tactics and fieldcraft tips. There are some outdated parts that have been improved since with more updated tactics. Some points to bring out:
1) The squad organization used in the video predates the current squad structure of two equally balanced fire teams. In the video, there is a large squad (section) of approximately ten soldiers. There is a gun group and a rifle group. The gun group has a GPMG (240) for fire support. The rifle group can be spit into two groups of approximately 3 men each. They do this in the video for both fire and movement and also to place a point of fire covering the flank while the assault is conducted.
2) As I explained in the ‘Use the Flank‘ post, you can conduct squad attacks using a larger squad organization, as they do in this video. You may not have a 240 in support, but you could have three teams perhaps as part of a large 12 man squad. This would allow use of a team similar to the gun group in the video, in support with precision fire, while you use the other teams to assault and cover the other flank. 
3) They use a lot of good drills in the video, such as bounding overwatch and other little gems. Tactics have been updated since. When they do the final assault/fight through on Ivan’s positions, they throw grenades and charge. You may or may not have grenades, but you would be better to fight through the enemy position by further fire and movement, rather than get up and charge. Also, if you have grenades, they can be thrown in suitable circumstances, but sometimes this is wasted or can be a danger to friendly troops. It is better to post a grenade once you have crawled up on a suppressed position, or at least get close enough to ensure you can toss the grenade into an open trench. For a bunker (a trench with overhead protection), you have to ‘post’ the grenade in through the opening, because to throw it would just cause it to bounce off. 
4) In the British Army parlance of the video, cover is defined a little differently from the US Army cover and concealment. Cover, in the video, refers to two types of cover: cover from view, and cover from fire, in the same way as cover & concealment is used in the US Army. So when he talks about using the cover and it is just bushes, he is referring to cover from view. 
5) I commented in the ‘Use the Flank‘ post about the danger of conducting ‘advance to contact’ with the intention of carrying out a hasty attack. In the video, the section is in a conventional war situation and is tasked with a ground clearance operation which is in effect an advance to contact. They take two casualties, and this is acceptable in a military operation. That is my point – you would not want to, if you could avoid it, do an advance to contact in an SHTF situation. You still want to drill the hasty attack, but try and make your attacks deliberate raids. In the video, the section advances until Ivan opens fire, and they have to wrest the initiative off the enemy using the battle drills of ‘locate the enemy’ and ‘win the firefight’ before they can assault.
A great quote in the video: “Sweat saves blood, and brains save blood and sweat.”
Take a little time, put up with the dated accents and the essential ‘Britishness’ of the video, swallow that good old American xenophobia, and give it a watch, or two. 
Section Fire and Manoeuvre part 1
Section Fire and Manoeuvre part 2
Section Fire and Manoeuvre part 3
I put up the video in the flanking post from the Platoon Sergeants Live Firing course. I am putting up these videos today. I would be interested in feedback in comments as to whether readers find these videos interesting and educational?

Off topic, slightly related: 

It occurs to me, and I have been asked this before, that I reference a lot to my British Army background. I have been asked why. I have avoided answering because I didn’t want to offend any xenophobic American readers. The answer is that the quality of British Army training is excellent. I will remind you that I am a US Citizen (albeit British born) before I continue: From my personal experience, I see many who think that the US Military is the one and only. I hate to tell, you, it’s not. I’m not talking about political aspects, or size. The US Military is a huge superpower and projects a huge amount of combat power, but has huge problems with quality of personnel. A military reflects it society.  But what is useful to you is the best drills for you so you can survive SHTF – which is what I bring you. 
Whatever the problems the British Army has politically and with funding, and whatever problems the UK has as a whole, the British Infantry remains a small force with extremely high standards of training. There is a lot to learn there. Yes, I served in an ‘elite’ part of that Army, but the ‘bog standard’ line infantry in the British Army are excellent. They all go through training that would be the equivalent of Ranger School, I’m sorry to say. 
That is partly why I steer away from some of the staid doctrine and drills that I see coming from the US Army – because my approach is an amalgam of doctrine, drills and experiences to bring you the best that works. Battle is not an American Football game, and so often I see that kind of inflexible approach with all the various numbered and detailed battle drills, like it is some sort of complicated play. It is a flow, ongoing chaos – more like rugby, I’m sorry to tell you! What do you do in rugby? Get the ball out to the flank!

I will have offended some by these remarks – to which I say open your eyes. I am not talking about redcoats and the Revolutionary war. I serve in the US Army. I served in the British Army. I can see both clearly, warts and all. I aim to bring you the best of both, with my contractor experience thrown in, in order to better prepare you for SHTF.

I’m interested in feedback on that approach.

Live Hard, Die Free.

MV

17 responses to “Training Video: Squad Hasty Attack Drills”

  1. *pokes head from around laptop screen and awaits the inevitable onslaught of Americans who start to post up with the now popular “We saved your limey asses and single handedly won both world wars” whilst continuing to look at their own history through rose tinted glasses*

    SP

  2. Something I noted ,The training standard in the L1A1 British Army, seems much higher than the boys with the L80s. What Changed? –Ray

  3. An interesting youtube video of what appears to be a WW2 War Department training video, to teach Allied troops (possibly US) of German flanking tactics. First half is about weapons so skip to about 15 minutes in for the nitty gritty.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNEdtwXkPaA

    A lot of what the commentator is saying is still very true today.

    SP

  4. Hi Max, Joe here, American by circumstance of birth (my mama happened to drop me in NYC), respect and appreciate the knowledge and wisdom that you have acquired and more importantly are willing to share with those willing to suspend our notion of American Exceptionalism.

    Xenophobia? I am not sure that is the primary driver to our current troubles. I think we Americans don’t ever think about the Other. We aren’t interested in anything beyond the next meal and what is on the tube tonight. What is exceptional about us is that we don’t think too deeply about anything, ever. We prefer that our “betters” do that for us and provide us with bullshit slogans to repeat and stickers to wear. We are fucked because we don’t think deeply about the long term. We have seen the fenceposts, the gates, the fencing all go up. Now, They want to close the gates. Now we wake up. A bit late I believe.

    We are clinging on the edge of the abyss. Anyone objecting to an honest helping hand because of where his mama dropped him or his accent is an Exceptional Asshole.

    Looking forward to pass 3 through CRCD in NOV.

    I watched all the clips you post. I get at least one nugget per clip that could save a life, maybe even mine! Thanks, it is a lot of work putting all this together. We do appreciate it.

    Joe Fahy

  5. Hi Max,

    I for one prefer it when you speak frankly. If your expert opinion is that the quality of the British infranty training is a cut above here what we do in the States that carries weight. You’ll probably still need an umbrella for the oncoming shitstorm – sorry about that. We Americans never do know when to shut up – it’s a blessing and curse.

    Bret

    • I don’t think its a case of we’re better than you, it all boils down to we train our people in different ways. For example you Americans place a significant emphasis in your doctrine in combined operations and you work in joint operations well. Whilst us Brits do have significant back up we have less of it and as such our emphasis has always been on remaining combat effective with less for longer where as guys have the assets to be able to do the complete opposite. You do have some fine light infantry and SF regiments.

  6. Maybe the question is…How could anyone object to learning that which the most effective under a given set of circumstances? I don’t give a damn if it’s from Whateverstan as long as it will, hopefully, save my arse one day. Keep it coming Max, keep it coming.

  9. Probably could do without the lefty buzzword “xenophobia.” Don’t worry Chris Kyle wrote the same thing about Big Green saying its units run from excellent to atrocious.

  10. I served 8 years with 3 deployments in the USMC and found our British peers to be tough and competent!

  11. Max,

    Love your candor and you are telling us things I have long suspected.

    PS: I think the term xenophobia is realistic as we have been acculturated to look down on or mistrust people with European accents. But i do believe our acculturation made an exception with british accents which we have been conditioned via hollywood to perceive as insightful

  12. Americas’ founders gave us an exceptional form of government, the constitutional republic. They were exceptional in creating it, we cannot keep it because we as a people are sliding into mediocrity.
    Americas’ fondness for tech and logistics is a strength with a huge blind spot, just ask NVA General Giap I think FormerSapper hit the nail on the head with his comments. As far as “us vs. them”, with the exception of Roger’s Rangers, all of our elite units are based on Britain’s WWII era Royal Marine Commandos and SAS.
    Max, don’t let the small minded distract you and keep up the good work!
    Sideburns McFree
    Montani Semper Liberi

  13. Max, found vids very helpful regarding fire and maneuver concept. Showed high level of coordination and training that go into even a simple engagement. My personal take is that the PL gave the squad a tough mission for daylight hours. Shows the high value of good NCOs who can keep their head in the midst of a firefight. I’d say if a team could master the basic skills the Corporal showed they would outmatch most during SHTF.
    Norfolk Dave

  14. Hello, Max

    I’ve been reading your site for a while and I’ve learned a lot. These videos are extremely helpful to me. I don’t have prior military experience and it’s very helpful to see the ideas acted out realistically. I hope you continue to post new ones.

    Best Regards,
    Dave

  15. I too will agree with the older school training, the Brits trained much harder than their US counterparts.
    I worked in Sardinia and Turkey with a group of Royal Marines, back in ’75, they struck me as extremely tough, and having watched some of their training vids, there is no doubt that their schooling was tougher than ours. Even as a Recon Marine, their standards exceeded ours in many ways. I truly wish I could have spent more time training with them, and earned a ‘beary’. It’s truly a badge of honor.