Combat Techniques by Chris McNab

Author:Chris McNab [McNab, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amber Books Ltd
Published: 2013-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

An infantry force disperses by squads to set up a defensive position along the hedge line. The machine-gun teams are widely separated to give interlocking fields of fire.

DESERT WARFARE

World War II in the North African theatre was to a great extent a ‘gentleman’s war’, fought mostly in the open without complications such as civilians getting in the way. The desert does favour the sort of fast-moving, hard-hitting operations that modern armoured formations, backed up by aircraft, do best. Although dusty conditions are tough on hardware and vehicles, the desert is in many ways the ideal terrain for tanks and other combat vehicles.

The two main problems with desert warfare are navigation and logistics. The former is much easier nowadays with the advent of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and its general availability. Logistics, however, remains an issue.

Troops functioning in the desert need all the usual things – ammunition, food and fuel – but also greater quantities of water than normal. Precautions against climactic hazards also include eye protection (from glare as well as dust or sand particles) and suitable clothing. Heatstroke and severe sunburn are ever-present hazards.

Manoeuvring in the desert is not usually much of a problem for troops using vehicles unless soft sand or rocky areas are encountered. The main problem is that enemy observation is very easy. Dust plumes can be seen from a great distance and there is rarely much to conceal a deployment or advance.

Although it is possible to see a very long way in the clear desert air, rangefinding can be a problem. Objects often seem to be closer than they actually are, and heat haze can distort images or even refract light sufficiently to create a ‘ghost target’ or mirage. An elevated position is useful, since looking down on the target eliminates most of these problems. It is worth noting that optical devices such as laser rangefinders and binoculars are fooled as easily as the human eye in these conditions.

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