SOVIET VOROSHILOV ACADEMY LECTURES
HANDBOOK FRONT OPERATIONS

I. PLANNING AND COMBAT DOCUMENTS 6-1

Preparation and Formulation of Combat Documents 6-1
Classification 6-1
Preparation 6-2
Contemporary Requirements of Combat Documents 6-3
Procedure for Preparation and Transmission of Combat Documents 6-4
Operations Reports 6-6
Combat Report 6-7
Operations Summary 6-7
Compiled Summary of Combat Experiences 6-8
Combat Instructions 6-9
Combat Report and Situation Report 6-10
Operations Summary Operativnaya Svodka 6-11
Reconnaissance Report 6-12
Reconnaissance Summary svodka 6-13
Types of reconnaissance svodka 6-13
Operational Directive of Army 6-14
Journal of Combat Operations 6-16
Situation Report Map 6-17
Recording documents 6-17
Record journal 6-18
Daily record sheet 6-18
Dispatch Book 6-18
Receipts 6-18
Form for recording signal communications 6-18
Document routing 6-18
Methods of Transmission 6-18
Incoming Documents 6-19
Outgoing Documents 6-19
Filing Documents 6-19
Final Disposition of Documents 6-19
Decision Process and Document Preparation 6-19
Journal of Orders, Instructions, and Reports Sent and Received 6-21

II. DIVISION 6-25
Operations 6-25
Army Initial Instructions to Division 6-25
Sample Army Initial Instructions 6-26
Division Initial Instructions 6-27
Sample Division's Initial Instructions 6-27
Division Combat Order 6-28
Combat Instruction from Division to Regiment 6-28
Sample Division Combat Order 6-29
Sample Combat Instruction from Division to Regiment 6-37
Explanatory Notes for the Plan 6-39
Distribution of Support Forces and Means 6-40
Measures to Protect Against Nuclear Weapons 6-40
Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons 6-40
Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike 6-41
Distribution of Aviation Resources 6-41
Correlation of Forces Tables 6-41
Availability and Technical Condition of Tanks 6-41
Availability, Location, and Distribution of Material Supply 6-41
Table of Warning Signals 6-41
Reconnaissance 6-53
Instructions on Reconnaissance Received from Army 6-53
Division Commander's Instructions on Reconnaissance 6-53
The Chief of Staff's Actions on Reconnaissance 6-54
Estimate of the Situation by Chief of Reconnaissance 6-55
Instructions of Division on Reconnaissance to the Chief of Reconnaissance of the Regiment 6-56
Guiding Data of Reconnaissance Plan 6-57
Graphic (Map) Plan of Reconnaissance 6-59
Written Instructions to Reconnaissance Plan 6-60
Reconnaissance Reports 6-61
Artillery 6-63
Instructions from Chief of RT&A at Army 6-63
Suggestions of Chief of RT&A to Commander 6-63
Instructions of the Division Commander on Determining Missions, Targets, and Means for using Rocket Forces 6-63
Instructions of the Division Commander in Determining the Missions for Artillery 6-63
Instructions of Division Chief of RT&A on Artillery to the Chief of Artillery of a Regiment 6-64
Distribution of Artillery and Artillery Units from Army 6-66
Graphic of Arty Prep Fire 6-66
Graphic of Initial Nuclear Strike 6-66
Annex to Div Arty Fire Plan 6-66
Echelonment of Ammunition Supply in the Division 6-66
Division Artillery Plan 6-72
Engineer 6-74
Plan for Employment of Engineers 6-74
Signal 6-76
Plan for Employment of Signal Troops 6-76
Rear Service 6-80
Contents of the Instructions of the Division Commander on Rear Service Support 6-80
Contents of the Division Order for Rear Service Support 6-80
Elements Participating in Planning of Rear Service Support 6-80
Planning Measures Taken Prior to Receipt of Division Order and Army Directive 6-80
Contents of the Graphic Part of the Rear Service Support Plan 6-81
Deployment of Division Rear Service Elements 6-82
Supply and Evacuation Routes 6-82
Types of Material Means 6-83
Organizing Medical Support in Large Units, Units, and Sub-units 6-83
Elements of Medical Support System in Units and Large Units 6-83
Types of Medical Assistance 6-84
Types of Technical Support 6-84
Principle Measures of Technical Support 6-84
Technical Service and Maintenance Tasks 6-85
Technical Service for Automobiles 6-85
Repair Levels 6-85
Priorities for Evacuation 6-86

III. ARMY HEADQUARTERS 6-87

Operations 6-87
Sample Operational Instruction Front to Army 6-87
Operations Directive of the Central Front 6-87
Planning Documents 6-89
Contents of the Army Commander's Decision on the Offensive Operation 6-90
Components of the Concept of the Operation 6-90
Calendar Plan 6-90
Planning Army Operation 6-94
Content of Operations Plan 6-94
Operations Plan 6-95
Graphic Parts of the Plan as Drawn on the Map 6-95
Factors Included in the Written Part of the Plan Along with the Remaining Instructions, Information, and Calculations 6-95
Explanatory Notes for the Plan 6-96
Combat Grouping of Army 6-99
Distribution of Support Units 6-100
Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons 6-101
Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike 6-102
Distribution of Air Support 6-103
Correlation of Forces Tables 6-104
Measures to Protect Against Nuclear Weapons 6-107
Availability and Technical Condition of Tanks, 6-108
Availability, Location, and Distribution of Material Supply 6-109
Warning Signal Plan 6-110
Appendices of the Operation Plan 6-111
Plan for the Initial Nuclear Strike 6-111
Content of Operations Plan for Nuclear Strike 6-111
Plan for Interaction 6-112
Content of the Plan for Interaction 6-112
Army Cooperation (Interaction) Plan 6-113
Interaction of Army Units with Air Defense 6-114
Preparation of Attack Assembly Areas 6-114
Contents of the Plan for Preparing and Occupying the Attack Assembly Areas 6-114
Contents of the Written Instructions of the Plan for Occupying FUP Area 6-114
Plans for Combat Support Measures 6-115
Army Operations Directive 6-115
Sample Army Operations Directive 6-116
Sample Blank Army Operations Directive 6-125
Combat Instructions from Army to Division 6-134
Sample Combat Instructions from Army to Division 6-135
Blank Sample Combat Instructions from Army to Division 6-138
Reconnaissance 6-141
Instructions on Reconnaissance from Front 6-141
Army Commander's Instructions on Reconnaissance 6-142
The Chief of Staff's Actions on Reconnaissance 6-143
Chief of Staff Instructions on Reconnaissance 6-143
Duties of the Chief of Reconnaissance 6-145
Report and Suggestions of Chief of Reconnaissance 6-146
Guiding Data of Reconnaissance Plan 6-148
Calculations of Reconnaissance Forces 6-149
Sequence for Preparing Reconnaissance Plan 6-150
Plan for Employment of Reconnaissance Troops 6-151
Written Instructions to Army Reconnaissance Plan 6-152
Army plan map 6-158
Instructions of Army Staff on Reconnaissance to the Chief of Reconnaissance of the Division 6-159
Artillery 6-160
Combat Instructions from Front Chief of RT&A to Army on Rocket Troops and Artillery 6-160
Instructions of the Army Commander on Determing Missions, Targets, and Means for using Rocket Forces 6-161
Instructions of the Army Commander in Determining the Missions for Artillery 6-162
Instructions of Army Chief of RT&A on Rocket Troops and Artillery to the Chief of Rocket Troops and Artillery of the Division 6-162
Distribution of Army Artillery and Front Artillery 6-167
Graphic of Artillery Preparatory Fire 6-169
Availability and Location of Material Supplies 6-170
Air 6-171
Combat Instructions of the Air Army Staff of the Front to the Ground Army on Aviation Matters (Army's Helicopters etc 6-171
Combat Instructions of the Army Commander on Aviation Means and Helicopters Subordinate to Him 6-171
Missions of the Group of Combat Control 6-173
Points for Guidance and Target Designation 6-173
Report of Air Army Control Group Leader to Ground Army Commander 6-174
Orders of Army Commander on Air Assault Operations 6-174
Instructions of the Army Staff on Air Forces (Helicopters) to the Division Staff 6-174
Air Defense 6-175
Combat Instructions of Front Staff to the Army on PVO 6-175
Army Commander's Decision on Air Defense 6-175
Army Commander's Instructions on Air Defense 6-176
Combat Instructions of the Army Commander on PVO 6-176
Planning Air Defense 6-177
Air Defense Plan 6-177
Instructions of the Army Staff on Air Defense (PVO) to the Divisions 6-178
Engineer 6-179
Combat Employment of Engineer Troops in Army Offensive Operations 6-179
Aims of Engineer Support in Army Offensive Operations 6-179
Engineer Support Tasks During Preparation of Operations 6-179
Principle Missions for Engineer Support During the Conduct of Army Offensive Operations 6-179
Groupings of Engineer Troops in Army Offensive Operations 6-180
Missions and Assignment of Army Engineer Troops During Army Offensive Operations 6-180
Organization of Combat Employment of Army Engineer Troops in Offensive Operations 6-180
Engineer Support During Assault River Crossings During Army Offensive Operations 6-181
Tasks of Engineer Support 6-181
Engineer Support for Commitment of Second-Echelon (Reserves) into Combat 6-182
Engineer Tasks During Commitment 6-183
Principle Measures of Organization of Engineer Support at Army Level 6-183
Sequence of Decision Making 6-184
Items in the Plan of Engineer Support 6-186
Missions to units 6-188
Plan for Employment of Engineers 6-189
Distribution of Front and Army Engineers 6-191
Signal 6-193
Plan for Employment of Signal Troops 6-193
Maskirov 6-194
Maskirovka Plans 6-194
Defense Against Mass Destruction Weapons at Army Level 6-195
Organization of Protection of Forces and Means and Rear Services from Enemy Use of Nuclear Weapons 6-195
Plan for Protection of Forces and Means 6-196
Basic Mission of Radiological - Chemical Reconnaissance 6-196
Liquidation of Results of Enemy Use of Mass Destruction Weapons 6-197
Missions of Forces that Participate in the Liquidation of the Consequences of Enemy Mass Destruction Weapons 6-197
Army Rear Service in Offensive Operations 6-199
Composition, Missions, and Capabilities of Army Rear Service Units and Installations 6-199
Missions of Army Rear Service 6-199
Organizing the Army's Rear Service in Offensive Operations 6-200
Planning Rear Service 6-200
Establishment of the Army's Rear Service in Offensive Operations and its Relocation During the Operation 6-201
Requirements of the Army for the Principal Types of Material Means in Offensive Operations, Volume of Reserves, and Their Echelonment 6-202
Organization of Control of the Rear Service, Composition of the Army's Rear Service Control Points 6-202
Plan for Employment of Army Rear Service Troops 6-207

IV. FRONT HEADQUARTERS 6-208 - IN PART TWO

Operations 6-208 Main Measures for Preparation of Front Offensive 6-208
Operations Directive Received by Front 6-209
Clarification of Mission 6-211
Estimate of Situation 6-211
Instructions to Chief of Staff 6-211
Initial Instructions (warning order) 6-212
Calendar Plan 6-214
Duties of Front Commander and Staff 6-218
Suggestions of Front Staff Officers 6-218
Making the Decision 6-218
Contents of the Clarification of the Mission 6-218
Content of the Assessment of the Situation 6-218
Organization of the Decision 6-218
Front Commander's Decision 6-219
Operation Plan on Map 6-219
Written Instructions on the Plan 6-219
Written Plan 6-219
Plan Annexes 6-220
Plan for FUP Areas 6-220
Written Plan for FUP Area 6-220
Preparing the Troops and FUP Areas Prior to the Initiation of Military Action 6-221
Explanatory Notes for the Plan 6-222
Combat Grouping of front 6-223
Distribution of Support Units 6-224
Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons 6-225
Distribution of Air Support 6-226
Correlation of Forces Tables 6-227
Measures to Protect Against Nuclear Weapons 6-228
Availability and Technical Condition of Tanks and Armored Vehicles 6-229
Availability, Location, and Distribution of Material Supply 6-230
Assessment of Combat Support Capabilities 6-231
Combat Operations Schedule 6-232
Signal Warning Plan 6-233
Format of Operations Directive 6-237
Description of Content of Front Operations Directive 6-238
Front Directive - blank sample 6-241
Front Directive for Central Front 6-250
Reconnaissance 6-260
Duties of the Chief of Reconnaissance 6-262
Instructions on Reconnaissance from GRU or Reconnaissance Directorate at TVD 6-262
Format - Suggestions of Chief of Reconnaissance 6-264
Front Commander Instructions on Reconnaissance 6-266
Chief of Staff Instructions on Reconnaissance 6-266
Sequence for Preparing Reconnaissance Plan 6-267
Content of Reconnaissance Plan 6-268
Guiding Data of Reconnaissance Plan 6-269
Graphic Plan of Simultaneous Flight of Reconnaissance Air 6-270
Calculations of Reconnaissance Forces 6-271
Written Instructions to Reconnaissance Plan 6-273
Front Reconnaissance Plan Map 6-287
Artillery 6-288
Combat Instructions of TVD Commander on Rocket Troops and Artillery 6-288
Combat Instructions of Front Staff on Employment of Rocket Troops and Artillery to Army Staff 6-293
Combat Instructions of the Front Commander on Artillery 6-294
Order of Front Chief of Rocket Troops and Artillery to the Front Anti-tank Reserve 6-296
Plan for Employment of Rocket Troops 6-297
Distribution of Front Artillery and Artillery Units of VGK 6-298
Graphic of Initial Nuclear Strike 6-299
Echelonment of Material Means in the Front 6-300
Air 6-301
Air Components in the Preparation of front Offensive Operations 6-301
Instructions of the Commander in Chief of the Air Forces 6-301
Suggestions of the Air Army Commander to the Front Commander 6-301
The Front Commander's Assignment to the Air Army 6-302
Distribution of Air Sorties in Terms of Missions 6-304
Graphic of Initial Nuclear Strike by Air Army 6-308
Air Defense 6-311
General Staff Instructions on Air Defense 6-311
Instruction of TVD Headquarters on Air Defense 6-311
Contents of the Decision of the Front Commander on Air Defense During the Offensive 6-311
Front Instruction on Organization of Air Defense 6-312
Report and Suggestions of the Chief of Front's Air Defense During Front Commander's Decision-making 6-312
Control of Fighter Aviation 6-313
Engineer 6-314
Employment of Engineer Troops in Front Offensive Operations 6-314
Aim of Engineer Support in Front Offensive Operations 6-314
Engineer Support Tasks During the Preparation of Front Offensive Operations 6-314
Engineer Support Tasks During Conduct of Front Offensive Operations 6-314
Organization of Combat Employment of Engineer Troops in Front Offensive Operations 6-315
Plans for Engineer Support 6-315
Graphic Part of the Plan 6-316
Grouping of Engineer Troops 6-316
Engineer Support During Assault River Crossings of front Forces 6-317
Engineer Support of Commitment of Front Second-Echelon Troops into Engagement 6-318
Engineer Support for Consolidation of Vital Seized Lines and Repulsion of Enemy Counterstrikes During Conduct of Offensive Operations 6-319
Aim of Engineer Support 6-319
Engineer Obstacles 6-320
Preparation of Roads 6-320
Distribution of front engineers and engineer units of VGK 6-321
Signal 6-322
Organizing and Planning Signal Communications in Front Offensive Operations 6-322
Plan for Employment of Signal Troops 6-322
Contents of the Signal Plan 6-322
Tables in the Signal Plan 6-323
Cryptographic security instructions 6-324
Frequency allocation table 6-325
Conversation table 6-326
Radio-electronic Warfare 6-327
Principle Measures for the Organization of Radio-electronic Warfare 6-327
The content and method for conducting the principal measures for the organization of radioelectronic warfare 6-327
Planning Radio-electronic Warfare 6-329
The Electronic Jamming Plan 6-331
Maskirovka 6-333
Basic Methods for Maskirovka 6-333
Organization of Maskirovka 6-333
Sequence of Organization 6-334
Contents of Commander's Instructions on Maskirovka 6-334
Defense Against Mass Destruction Weapons 6-340
Organization and Capabilities of Front Chemical Troops 6-340
Principle Tasks of Front and Army Chemical Troops 6-341
Determine Coordinates of Nuclear Bursts 6-342
Chemical - radiation reconnaissance 6-342
Organization of Reconnaissance at Front Level 6-342
Tasks for Reconnaissance 6-342
Determine Radiation and Contaminated Areas 6-343
Avoiding (bypassing) Contaminated Areas 6-343
Decontamination of Clothing and Equipment - Decontamination of Terrain 6-343
Control (Inspection) of Radiation Levels of Personnel 6-344
Control of Changes in the Contamination of Terrain 6-344
Protection Against Mass Destruction Weapons in Front Offensive 6-344
Organization of Protection of Troops Against Mass Destruction Weapons 6-344
Shielding (Protection) of Forces Against Enemy Mass Destruction Weapons 6-346
Plan for Eliminating the Consequences of Enemy Mass Destruction Weapons 6-348
Plan for Restoring the Combat Effectiveness of the Forces and Means 6-349
Rear Services 6-350
The Tasks and Likely Composition of the Front Rear Services 6-350
Support of the Rear Services 6-351
General Principles 6-351
Deployment 6-351
Forward Echelon of Rear Services 6-352
Front Rear Service Second-Echelon 6-353
Redeployment of Rear Service Bases 6-354
Requirements in the Organization and Content of the Rear Services Support Plan 6-354
Front Level Rear Service Principles 6-356
General Principles of Supply 6-356
Rules Governing Movement of Supplies and Types of Transport Vehicles 6-356
Rear Services Management 6-357
Establishment of the Rear Services in an Offensive Operation and Methods of Movement 6-357
Front Level Requirements Concerning Content and Management of Rear Service Support Plans 6-357
Estimate of Rear Service Situation and Rear Service Decision Made by Chief of Rear Services 6-358
Instructions From TVD High Command (General Staff) On Rear Services 6-359
Air Army's Rear Service 6-371

Figure 197 Message journal 6-21
Figure 198 Table of daily staff activity 6-22
Figure 199 Combat alert duty chart (front) 6-23
Figure 200 Diagram of commander - staff interaction 6-24
Figure 201 Form for distribution of support forces 6-40
Figure 202 Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons 6-42
Figure 203 Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike 6-43
Figure 204 Distribution of Aviation Resources 6-44
Figure 205 Correlation of Forces Table A 6-45
Figure 206 Correlation of Forces table B 6-46
Figure 207 Correlation of Forces Table C 6-47
Figure 208 Correlation of Forces Table D 6-48
Figure 209 Correlation of Forces Table E 6-49
Figure 210 Availability of Tanks, SP Guns and Armored Vehicles 6-50
Figure 211 Availability and Distribution of Material Supplies 6-51
Figure 212 Table of Warning Signals 6-52
Figure 213 Composition of Reconnaissance forces 6-57
Figure 214 Calculation of Reconnaissance forces and means 6-58
Figure 215 Graphic Plan of Reconnaissance 6-59
Figure 216 Written Instructions to Reconnaissance Plan 6-60
Figure 217 Distribution of Artillery and Arty units from Army 6-67
Figure 218 Graphic of Artillery Preparation Fire 6-68
Figure 219 Graphic of Initial Nuclear Strike 6-69
Figure 220 Annex to Division Artillery fire Plan 6-70
Figure 221 Echelonment of Ammunition Supply in the Division 6-71
Figure 222 Division artillery plan map 6-73
Figure 223 Echelonment of material in division 6-82
Figure 224 Calendar Plan 6-93
Figure 225 Combat Grouping of Army 6-99
Figure 226 Distribution of Support Units 6-100
Figure 227 Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and nuclear Weapons 6-101
Figure 228 Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike 6-102
Figure 229 Distribution of air support 6-103
Figure 230 Correlation of Forces Tables 6-104
Figure 231 Correlation of forces table (cont) 6-105
Figure 232 Correlation of forces (cont) 6-106
Figure 233 Availability of Tanks SP Guns, and Armored Vehicles 6-108
Figure 234 Availability, Location and Distribution of material Supplies 6-109
Figure 235 Warning Signal Plan 6-110
Figure 236 Interaction plan 6-113
Figure 237 Composition of army recon forces 6-148
Figure 238 Distribution of recon forces 6-149
Figure 239 Written instruction to army recon plan 6-157
Figure 240 Army recon plan map 6-158
Figure 241 Distribution of army and front artillery 6-167
Figure 242 Map of army artillery plan 6-168
Figure 243 Graphic of artillery prep fire 6-169
Figure 244 Availability of material supplies 6-170
Figure 245 Engineer grouping (blank form) 6-191
Figure 246 Army engineer grouping table 6-192
Figure 247 Echelonment of material in army 6-204
Figure 248 Material requirements for army operation 6-205
Figure 249 Echelonment of material means in front 6-206
Figure 250 Plan for rear service support 6-207
Figure 251 Calendar Plan 6-217
Figure 252 Combat grouping of front 6-223
Figure 253 Distribution of support units 6-224
Figure 254 Distribution of nuclear and chemical weapons 6-225
Figure 255 Distribution of Air sorties 6-226
Figure 256 Correlation of forces and means (eight tables) 6-227
Figure 257 Availability and technical condition of armored vehicles 6-229
Figure 258 Availability and location of material supplies 6-230
Figure 259 Assessment of combat support capabilities 6-231
Figure 260 Combat operations schedule 6-232
Figure 261 Signal warning plan 6-233
Figure 262 Table of interaction 6-235
Figure 263 Sample of Table of Interaction for front 6-236
Figure 264 Guiding data for reconnaissance plan 6-269
Figure 265 Graphic plan of flight of reconnaissance air 6-270
Figure 266 Calculation of reconnaissance forces 6-271
Figure 267 Distribution of reconnaissance forces and means 6-272
Figure 268 Written instructions for front reconnaissance 6-276
Figure 269 Written instructions for front reconnaissance 6-286
Figure 270 Front reconnaissance plan map 6-287
Figure 271 Assessment of opposing nuclear rocket units 6-289
Figure 272 Ammunition requirements and supply 6-291
Figure 273 Plan for employment of rocket troops 6-297
Figure 274 Distribution of artillery 6-298
Figure 275 Graphic of initial nuclear strike 6-299
Figure 276 Echelonment of material means in the front 6-300
Figure 277 Distribution of air sorties in missions 6-307
Figure 278 Graphic of initial nuclear strike by air army 6-308
Figure 279 Graphic of air operation 6-310
Figure 280 Distribution of engineer units 6-321
Figure 281 Frequency allocation table 6-325
Figure 282 Conversation table 6-326
Figure 283 Composition of front rear service organizations 6-363

I. PLANNING AND COMBAT DOCUMENTS

Preparation and Formulation of Combat Documents


The effectiveness of troop control and maintaining mission-oriented coordination in the activities of the staff in troop control are directly related to the formulation, transmission, use, and storage of combat documents.

Combat documents include all documents related to organization, preparation, and conduct of combat actions (operations). Combat documents also include documents connected with movement and deployment (concentration) of the troops on the terrain. They are used in the process of preparing data, formulating the commander's decision, planning combat actions (operations), and in disseminating missions to the troops. In addition, they are used to transmit necessary information to higher, lower, and interacting headquarters and to summarize and disseminate experiences of combat actions. Therefore, combat documents are considered general-purpose information means which affect all control organs, since some formulate them, some insure their transmission, some organize accountability and storage, and others are guided by these documents in their practical activities. The documents contain information needed for troop control displayed by letters, figures, set drawings, and symbols.

Preparation and duplication of combat documents is normally conducted with the help of technical documentation equipment. These documents are easy to store, transport, and transmit over all modern technical communication equipment. In addition, written combat documents have a great legal significance and their storage in archives makes it possible to study and analyze the experiences of preparing and conducting combat actions. Moreover, combat documents are one of the most convenient forms of feeding information into a computer and its subsequent processing and output.


Classification

Depending on their various characteristics, combat documents can be classified in various ways. In terms of their purpose and content, they are broken into three categories:

Troop control documents (Dokumenti po upravlenie): These documents are intended for drawing up the commander's decisions, planning an operation (battle), and assigning missions to the troops. They include the following:
decisions;
plans;
operational directives;
operational orders;
combat instructions;
instructions on all types of support;
working maps.

Information and accountability documents (Otchotno - enformtsioni dokumenti): These documents are intended for reports to higher commands on the progress of conducting assigned missions, developing situations, new decisions, as well as for informing higher and interacting staffs. They include the following:
situation combat reports (Boevie Donisenie);
operational and reconnaissance summaries;
reports on various types of support;
rear service summaries;
accounts, combat action logs, wrap-ups, maps, diagrams, etc.

Reference documents (Spravochni Dokumenti): These are reference documents designated for support of the commander's decision making, planning an operation (battle), and also for reports to the commanders and other officials in the process of directing troop combat actions. They include the following:
data on the operational assessment and mathematical modeling of an operation (battle);
listings of the effective troop combat strength;
data on the amount and delivery time of ammunition, various tables, diagrams, and other reference materials necessary in the work of the control organs.

In terms of the form of preparation, combat documents are classified as follows:
written (textual);
graphic (on map and diagrams);
tape recordings;
phonograms;
photographs;
computer software.

Written documents can be prepared in the following forms:
Standard and arbitrary statement forms: Today the most commonly used documents in the practical work of the staff are those in which the information is stated in an arbitrary form but has a specific structure. Such documents are characterized by brevity and even a certain vividness of stating the information contained in them;
Formalized form: Includes documents drawn up with the help of special forms which are pre-prepared for specific types of combat documents. The formalized documents form consists of two parts - fixed and variable information. The fixed part of the form includes the description of information (group of information) which is always contained in a given combat document and also the corresponding codes. The variable part of the form is filled out while preparing the document. To fill out the form, means to state clearly and specifically only that information, the descriptions of which are indicated in the corresponding lines of the fixed portion of the form.


Preparation

Experience gained from exercises indicates that commanders and staffs spend a lot of time preparing combat documents. Therefore, in order to speed up the preparation of combat documents, cut the preparation time, and also to insure the working out of the combat documents in accordance with prescribed specification and requirements of combat manuals (regulations), necessary pre-prepared formalized blank forms should be established.
At the same time the recommended forms for various combat documents should not be very rigid (structured) in order to prevent them from negatively affecting the initiative and creativity of commanders and staff in preparing them. Depending on the availability of time, the characteristics of the assigned missions, and the method of conveying missions to the executing elements, the form of such documents can be adjusted.

The form of formalized documents (blank forms) should be suitable to use in case of employment of nuclear weapons or without the use of such weapons. In the later case irrelevant points are crossed out.


Contemporary Requirements of Combat Documents

In contemporary times experiences of various exercises indicate that one of the important characteristics of troop control is the ever-increasing volume and complexity of information which must be received and processed in the interest of accomplishing troop control tasks. This entails an increase in the number of documents prepared by staffs, while at the same time reducing the time for developing them. Resolution of this contradiction is one of the important problems of modern troop control. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the increased demands for documents and the broad possibilities of using technical equipment for their development, formulation, transmission, processing, and depiction.

Secrecy, accuracy, and speed have always been the principle requirements in preparing combat documents. Today combat documents must also be as brief as possible and permit machine processing. They should be clear and concise in statement, have a high standard and clarity in design, and be easy to document, duplicate, transmit, process, and display by technical equipment. Another important requirement of a modern combat document is its timely development and transmission.

In order to achieve the brevity, clarity, and conciseness of statement in combat documents, concise and clear wording, standard abbreviation, and conventional signs must be used. In all combat documents, particularly directives, only extremely necessary information, orders, and combat instructions should be included without repeating already known information or irrelevant information and data known to the recipients from other sources. It must also be noted that brevity of documents does not degrade the clarity and must not subject the statement to different understanding or interpretation or raise questions or necessitate additional explanation.
When including situation data in combat documents such as the time, status, and character of action of friendly and enemy troops, only verified information should be included. Information requiring verification or clarification should be so stated, if there is a need to show it in the document.

Clarity of graphic documents is achieved by using appropriate symbols, conventional signs, and setting off the content of the document against the background of the topographic features of the map. Clarity is also achieved by using the appropriate colors established for conventional signs. The graphic document should not be cluttered up with textual data and tables. Reference and explanatory texts should not block the topographic background of the map. Given the various capabilities of technical equipment for documentation and reproduction of combat documents and for transmission of textual and graphic information and their processing, the capabilities of available technical equipment must be taken into account in preparing the documents in terms of size, structure, color combination, and others.

One of the most important requirements of combat documents in contemporary times is the timeliness of developing and transmitting of documents to executing elements. An untimely prepared or transmitted document is useless. This requirement follows directly from the nature of modern operations (battles), characterized by high dynamism and abrupt and rapid changes in the situation. The timeliness of working out combat documents depends on the following factors:
preparing and training of control organs;
overall organization of the work in the staff, directorates, and sections;
perfecting levels of methods used in preparing documents;
types of combat documents;
technical equipment used.

In addition to the need for timeliness in the development of combat documents, timeliness in transmitting the documents is equally important. The time for transmitting a document is determined by the following:
size of the document;
type of document (written form, graphic, or a combination of both);
speed and reliability of the transmission equipment.

Since the form and structure of combat documents greatly affects their preparation and transmission time and their overall effectiveness as combat documents, one way of further improving combat documents is to find new forms and structures. The introduction of formalized documents (blank forms) is part of the effort. Formalization of combat documents insures a substantial reduction in the size of the part of the document being developed and reduces the time to prepare and transmit it over technical communication equipment, while the load on the equipment is significantly decreased. In addition, formalization helps to standardize documents and eliminates duplicate and superfluous information in them. Moreover, the possibility of using formalized combat documents for transmitting and processing information in automated control systems is another important advantage of formalized documents. The formalized documents can be easily used as input into a computer without any kind of preliminary preparation. Furthermore, the use of formalized documents simplifies the transmission of information when conducting troop control of multi-national troops of a coalition force. This reduces the problems caused by language barriers.

Despite all advantages of formalized documents they can not replace all of the usual forms of combat documents, particularly in peacetime and when adequate time is available to prepare combat documents during the preparation and conduct of an operation (battle). Therefore, it is recommended to formalize only those combat documents which are characterized by a relatively consistent set of information needed for troop control and are frequently and regularly circulated and which should be sent quickly to headquarters and the troops. These will primarily include combat instructions issued in the course of combat action and the information and accountability documents (Otchotno-enformatsioni dokumenti) such as combat situation reports (Boyevie Donisenie), operational and reconnaissance summaries, reports on different types of support, combat action logs, etc.

One of the most convenient forms for preparing and transmitting formalized documents is considered to be the questionnaire form structure. In addition to the questionnaire form structure of the formalized document, a tabular form may be used. Formalized document forms can be published as tablets of forms as applied to each type of combat document. After development of the document, the form is torn off and the drafter and time of development and transmission of the document to the communication center are indicated on the remaining stubs. These form tablets, have their own permanent numbers, and are provided to all staffs between which the corresponding types of combat documents may be circulated.

Procedure for Preparation and Transmission of Combat Documents

The procedure of preparation and transmission of combat documents is specified by the orders, instructions, and directions of the commander and the chief of staff. The specific listing of combat documents to be prepared in actual situations is specified by the chief of staff on the basis of the commander's instructions, higher command's directions, and the prescribed priority report log. The chief of staff determines who must develop which documents, the procedure and times for submitting the documents for signature, and the method and forms of transmitting them.

On the basis of the instructions of the chief of staff, the heads of staff directorates (sections), chiefs of arms and services, and heads of working groups within the control organs, organize direct development of related combat documents and assign specific officers to prepare each document. The drafters of such documents are instructed on the content of the documents, form of their design, and the number of copies and deadlines to prepare them. The chiefs of staff directorates (sections) and chiefs of arms and services and other control organs follow and track the preparation of assigned combat documents and at the prescribed time submit them to the commander and chief of staff for signature and approval.

The design of combat documents requires preparation of a set of specific procedural information. They are as follows:
title and statement of content;
classification and copy number;
addressee;
identification of the originating unit (formation);
location of the originating command post;
date and time of the document being signed;
scale and year of edition of the map;
signature of officials indicating their name, rank, and position;
remarks on time of dispatch and reception of the document by the addressee.

During the preparation of combat documents the following must be taken into consideration:

Time is shown on the basis of Moscow time, when necessary local time is shown but clearly stated as local;

Names of populated areas (cities, towns) and terrain features are written in capital letters and not parenthesized. When necessary their map coordinates are given;

In identifying areas of deployment of our own forces by population centers and terrain features, they are mentioned from right flank -- and for enemy location from his left;

To identify defensive areas, strong points, and areas of deployment or concentration of troops, a minimum of three reference points (orientation points) must be shown. To identify lines a minimum of two points must be shown;
boundary lines are identified by using population centers and terrain features as orientation points in the following manner:
first from the right, covering the depth of combat formation of our own forces and the entire depth of offensive mission in the enemy's depth;
then, by the same method on the left;
in defense, the boundary lines begin from the rear of defensive area to the point in front of the forward line which corresponds with the range of available weapons;

The direction of the attack is identified by several points starting from the line of initiation of the attack (line of commitment into battle) and ending with the line of the assigned mission;

Only those abbreviations are to be used which are officially established and are standard. Quantities of units and sub-units in combat documents are shown in written form such as:
two tank companies;
one motorized rifle platoon;

In tables of correlation of forces and means and other calculation tables quantities of units and weapons are shown in number form such as:
tank companies - 2;
T-62 tanks - 27;
Zil-157 vehicles - 8;

Numbers of echelons in combat formations are shown in written form such as:
first-echelon;
second-echelon.

Graphic documents are usually prepared on maps of various scales. When they are prepared on non-transparent paper, the paper must have a grid system with numbering of coordinates corresponding to the map. A graphic document made on overlay paper must have grid square references in the corners or at least three local features plotted to facilitate matching the overlay to the map. It must also include a north direction indicator, a linear scale, and a reference to the map from which it was made. In preparing graphic documents the following must be taken into account:
situation of friendly forces, their missions and actions are marked in red except for rocket troops, artillery, engineer, chemical, radio technical, and signal troops which are marked in black;
the situation and action of the enemy are marked in blue;
numbers, names of units, and explanatory details for our own forces are written in black and for the enemy forces in blue;
symbols to show friendly and enemy forces and weapons are marked in accordance with the ground features and their deployment on the basis of directions of actions and fire; when needed the type and number of equipment are written next to the symbol;
situation data is marked by fine lines without covering and smearing map details;
sources of information acquired are marked by appropriate symbols in black at the side of the markings such as:

(N) for observation, (P) for POW interrogation, (DP) for enemy documents, (MZh) for debriefing local populations, (PRTZ) for information provided by partisans; (?) for unverified information; time and date of information received from the source are shown beside the symbols;
actual situations and actions of troops are shown in solid lines, while likely or expected situations and actions are marked by dotted lines;
when several situations (at several times) are shown on the map, the markings related to different times are distinguished by different color shadows or other marks (dots, crosses, dashes, etc. along solid lines).

The time for development of combat document,, particularly graphic documents, can be greatly reduced by advance preparation of blank forms, calculations, tables, commander's decision map (plan of the operation), and charts with information on them which is not subject to change during the time of documents' preparation, such as:
initial situation of our own and enemy forces;
assigned missions;
boundaries;
target coverage;
zones of enemy's fixed sites;
etc.

In order to expedite the preparation of combat documents, their development can be conducted concurrently with making the commander's decision. Specially prepared blanks of standard combat documents can be of great help in making the required documents in a short time. They include a set of texts on various types of combat actions (operations) applicable to various command levels, the nature of missions to be accomplished, and the types of operations (battles).

Transmission of combat documents is conducted both over technical communication equipment and by postal-courier service or staff officers. The selection of specific methods of transmitting a written document is determined by taking into account its importance, the time allocated for its dissemination, and also the transmission reliability requirements.

The staff is obliged to inform the commander or the chief of staff of subordinate troops about the dispatch of operational directives, operation orders, and instructions, indicating when and how the document was sent. The receipt of operational directives, operation orders, and instructions, including those transmitted over technical communications equipment, is acknowledged immediately.

Operations Summary:

The operations summary (operativnaya svodka) is a document which summarizes the situation during the last 24 hours, briefly describing friendly and enemy operations, condition of units and equipment, and general progress in accomplishing missions by each subordinate unit. It is prepared by the operations department (directorate) on the basis of written reports and summaries received from subordinate units and reports from staff observers, from observation posts, and from liaison officers. This document differs from the combat report in that it is purely a staff document, not going to the next higher commander but direct to the next staff level. It is signed by the chief of staff and the chief of operations. The operations summary normally includes the following:
general description of the operation of the unit as a whole, evaluation of enemy and friendly operations, locations of the main forces at the time of the summary was prepared, a listing of the losses, and a brief description of friendly and enemy air activity.
description of the operations of each subordinate unit (separate paragraph for each unit). Situation and condition of each unit, losses and capabilities, and major episodes involving contact with the enemy.
situation of specialized units and reserves
activities and situation of adjacent units
information on terrain and weather;
information on the status and types of communications with subordinate and adjacent units


Compiled Summary of Combat Experiences:

The compiled summary of combat experiences (itogovaya svodka oboshchennogo boyevogo opyta) is prepared twice a month at division level and once a month at army level. Its primary purpose is to inform the higher commands of the lesson learned from combat experiences. The form of this summary is not prescribed, but Soviet manuals do recommend that the general sequence be followed. The summarized report should include the following:
a short description of the situation, progress of the operation, and results attained during operations by the unit for the period covered in the report;
general description of enemy activity, with particular emphasis on typical characteristics observed in enemy organizations, methods of combat, and use of arms and technical equipment. The enemy's tactical and technical concepts, fortified areas, defensive organization and centers of resistance, antitank and antipersonnel obstacles, and similar matters are described.
typical characteristics observed in the operations of friendly troops and the use of new methods of coordinating, maneuvering, regrouping, or supervising units and installation also are included;
use of various arms and services in combat should be described;
significant observations on the exercise of troop control and organization of communications, especially the use of radio equipment, are reported;
conclusions are offered as to the lessons learned as a result of the combat experience of subordinate units during the report period.

The first part describes the character of the assigned operation and progress or results attained during the report period. (Locations and activities of units need not be discussed in order; eg right units to left units as in the operations order, but begins with the unit concerned with the most significant or critical action.)
The second part contains new enemy order of battle information and enemy activities.
The third part outlines the decision of the commander of the reporting unit and briefly describes how the decision is to be implemented
The fourth part contains requests for assistance (additional units or equipment) if the situation requires it.

The combat report, if directed to the next higher commander, is signed by the lower commander and his chief of staff. However, combat reports may also be submitted to the chief of staff of the higher headquarters, in which case they are signed by the lower chief of staff and chief of operations directorate. Shorter combat reports are frequently sent over radio or wire.

Operations Reports

The operations section in addition to keeping itself informed, is responsible for disseminating information. this is done by means of verbal and written reports and answering inquiries. In addition to keeping the commander and the chief of staff informed, the operations section must keep the next higher headquarters, other staff sections, staffs of chiefs of arms and services, and subordinate staffs informed, and must provide for mutual exchange of information with adjacent staffs. This responsibility is assigned to one of the assistant chiefs of the operations section. Inquiries from the next higher headquarters, usually from the operations section or the operations duty officer, normally are answered orally, using prearranged message codes and map codes. In addition to oral reports, the operations section prepares written reports, the most important of which are the combat report and operations summary. The operations section also maintains the journal of combat operations and at army level maintains the summarized report of combat experiences.


Combat Report:

The combat report (boyevoye doneseniye) is one of the basis documents that provide information to higher commanders and staffs relative to the situation and the progress of the operation. The document is used by the higher commander to estimate the situation and also serves as a basis for his supervision over the fulfillment of missions by subordinate units. The combat report is a periodic report; that is, it is submitted at regular specified intervals, often 3 or 4 times a day, to higher headquarters. This does not preclude the lower unit commander from rendering a combat report at any time upon his own initiative, when the changing situation requires a new plan of action. The final scheduled combat report of the day (every 24 hours) is submitted as a summary and is signed by the commander. It purpose is to give the higher commander information on the activities of the enemy, of his own troops, and on the course of the operation during the day. It contains more detailed information than the other periodic combat reports and may describe in considerable detail significant happenings and heroic achievements by individuals or units. The typical combat report covers the following points in order:

Combat Instructions


Approved___ Serial Number

Secret

Copy Number

|

Combat Instructions for Commander 116th Div
Command post:__ Time__ Date__
Scale of map___ Date of map___

1. Brief assessment of enemy

2 Mission of the division in this instruction

3. Missions of means of higher commander in support of this division, missions of adjacents, and, if needed, major questions on interaction.

4. Time for being prepared to fulfill mission

5. Troop control, signal communications, and time for sending reports and deputies of commander

Signature of chief of operations directorate and

Signature of chief of staff

(Sometimes commander does not need to approve.)

Combat Report and Situation Report

Serial No

Secret

Copy Number

Title is to whom, such as

To army commander

command post and time and date and map

1. Results of combat actions Results of combat actions for period of action. It can vary depending on lapsed time since receipt of order

2. Situation, composition, and character of actions of own forces at the specific time of the situation report and character of adjacents

3. Composition, situation, and actions of enemy

4. Decision of commander at present time or in new situation coming up in future

5. Request for assistance to fulfill mission

Signature chief of operations department

Signature of chief of staff

Signature of division commander

Operations Summary Operativnaya Svodka

Serial number

Secret

Copy number

To commander of army

Command post - time and date - map scale etc

1. Character of actions, situation, and composition of division during the past 6 hours or 24 hours

2. Grouping, composition, and character of action of enemy

3. Brief combat action of regiments and others two levels below. The division discusses battalions and the army talks about regiments.

4. Losses and what has been captured from enemy (trophies)

5. Material support, how much used, and how much on hand, how much they need

6. Brief report on situation and actions of adjacents

7. Other data on the outcome of combat


Signature of chief of operational directorate

Signature of chief of staff

Reconnaissance Report



Serial Number
Secret
Number of copy

To commander army or to chief of reconnaissance of army

Reconnaissance Report Command post - time and date and map scale

1. General character of enemy actions at the appointed time

2. Situation, grouping, and intentions of enemy

3. Changes that happened since the last report and what data from what sources has been received

Signature chief of reconnaissance department

Reconnaissance Summary svodka

Differences from the reconnaissance doneseniye:

The doneseniye information is a staff document of units and formations that report to higher staffs on the enemy. They send it at appointed time or on their own initiative or on request of higher staff. However a reconnaissance svodka is an information document of the staff of units, formations, and higher units on the data on the enemy at a specified time sent to higher staff according to the reports table and to adjacent and lower on enemy situation.

Serial number
Secret
Copy Number

Heading to whom sent
Command post and map and time and date

1. General character of enemy actions in front of unit and on flank

2. Data on nuclear, chemical, and bacteriological weapons and use of these by enemy and location of enemy weapons at the time of preparation of report

3. Data on combat composition, grouping, character of actions, of ground forces on each axis, showing the boundaries between enemy units, order of battle, unit designations, formations, and their situation

4. Data on air forces, PVO, command posts, radio technical means, rear service installations, engineer fortifications and obstacles, and others

5 Results:
- general assessment, actions, and forces of enemy, capabilities for using nuclear weapons, possible character of actions
- during conduct of reconnaissance, identify and locate the following objects required;

Types of reconnaissance svodka

Daily reconnaissance summary

Itogovaya svodka - Compiled results summary, as a rule it is reported for a specified period of operation or at end of the operation and sent to higher staff. In the itogovaya reconnaissance svodka they analyze the following points:

- brief analysis of combat actions of enemy for the period;

- data on forces and means of enemy that are located in front of unit

- character possible of actions

- character of command, composition, and troop control organs including the commander and his capabilities and habits etc.

- new types of combat actions and operations
- new weapons;

In the annex to the reconnaissance svodka are the following:
- maps, information on the enemy organizational set up, tables of organization, number and order of battle, etc., losses of enemy, prisoners, and other explanatory data.

Operational Directive of Army

Serial number approval army commander
Secret
Number of copy

Command post time date, map scale and etc. date

1. Brief data on composition, grouping, actions, and possible concept of enemy;

2. Missions of forces and means of higher commander and adjacents;
- a. missions of forces and means of higher hqs in support of army;
- b. missions of adjacents of army and boundaries with adjacents;

3. Concept of operation:
- means for destruction of enemy and mission of army;
- axis of main attack and other attacks;
- combat grouping ;
- means for maneuver;

4. Missions for subordinate formations:

I order:
- division of first-echelon: forces and means for reenforcement, line for commitment into engagement, width of breakthrough sector, missions for fire preparation, means for destruction of enemy, axis of main strike, immediate mission, subsequent mission, missions of forward detachments if any, number of nuclear and chemical weapons for battle, positions for FUP areas, axis for routes for movement into commitment, command posts of division and rear control post, boundary lines with adjacents;
- division of second-echelon: line of commitment into engagement, means for destruction of enemy, axis of main attack, immediate mission, axis for further advance, location for deployment of division, means and routes for movement forward for commitment of division. means and forces for reenforcement on commitment into battle, number of nuclear and chemical rockets at time of battle;
- missions of rocket forces brigade: missions during offensive, targets for first nuclear strike, time for delivery of rockets, missions on reconnaissance and observation of targets, preparation of rocket forces for firing, position area for unit, how positions will be prepared by engineer fortifications, maskirovka of area, defense and security of area, movement of rocket forces during operation;
- missions of artillery forces: composition of artillery group army, division and regiments, general missions of artillery during offensive, missions during the fire preparation, duration of fire preparation, quantity of ammunition fired in preparation, means of fire support, and accompanying fire, and positions for artillery;
- missions for supporting aviation: general missions during offensive, missions during participation in air preparation, aviation support and aviation accompanying fire, missions for reconnaissance, missions for fight against enemy tanks, missions for covering main grouping of army against enemy aviation strikes, distribution of air resources by missions to divisions and conduct of air assaults;
- missions of air assaults: composition and means of air desants, areas for landings, time for landing, missions of desant actions, FUP for desant forces, and assembly waiting areas, aircraft or helicopters for the landing, cover of FUP area ,time for landing of aircraft, means for support of desant during flight and landing and time of combat. troop control of desant;
- missions of PVO forces: missions for covering main grouping and rear service installations during preparation for operation and during operation, missions for reconnaissance, observation, and warning on enemy; combat duty service, position areas for forces, movement forward of PVO during the operation;
- missions of anti-tank reserve: composition and mission of anti-tank, lines for deployment, with aim of destruction of enemy tanks, area for location in FUP area, means for movement and axis of movement;
- missions of POZ (mobile obstacle detachment): composition and missions, lines for mine fields, areas for deployment in FUP area, means for movement and axis;
- missions of general combined arms reserve: composition, deployment area, means for movement during operation and possible missions;
- engineer reserve: composition, location of deployment, means and axis for movement, possible missions during operation;
- chemical reserve: composition, location for deployment, means and axis of movement, possible missions during operation;
- time for preparation of forces for operation;
- norms for use of material means during operation;

5. Troop control: command post and forward CP and rear control post and axis for their deployment;
- signal communications;
- deputies.

Signature chief of operational directive
Signature of chief of staff

Journal of Combat Operations:

The journal of combat operations (zhurnal boyevykh deyestviy) is the basic document providing historical information and description of the combat operation and various phases of the operation. Its purpose is to provide material for studying combat experiences and to serve as a source of historical data on the unit for a given combat operation. The journal is maintained during lulls in the operation, but it must not lag behind events more than 24 hours at division level, 2 days at corps level, and 3 days at army level. The keeping of the journal is usually the responsibility of assigned line officers who are assisted by the chief of staff and the chief of operations. The journal is kept on the basis of documents and notes selected by these officers. With in 1 month after completion of an operation, the journal entry describing the operation, complete with appended documents, must be ready for the signature of the chief of staff and the chief of the operations directorate and the approval of the commander. (At front and army levels it must be approved by the military council. The typical entry in the journal of combat operations describing a complete combat operation includes:
- a detailed account of the combat operation, the work of the commander and staff, and the utilization of arms and services, including conclusions and lessons to be learned from the operation and various phases of it.
- significant innovations in the utilization of personnel or weapons, in tactics, and in the utilization of material or equipment;
- comments from various sources describing the operations by subordinate units and by the commander and staff, including outstanding episodes or heroic feats which would be of interest to military historians;
- copies of all important operational documents and maps used for a given operation are appended to the journal.

This is a reporting information document which relates to the time of preparation and during the course of combat actions. It is used for developing lessons and combat experience, and making reports and reference material on combat activities of forces, for preparing historical journals and also used for scientific experimental work in the future. The journal of combat actions of units and formations and larger units and ships from first to third rank is prepared and made by officers and prepared by a staff officer appointed to this duty for the duration of the time he is on the army staff.

The notes for the journal are entered every day and usually have the following list:
- date, day, month, and year
- general situation at beginning of the operation or battle;
- composition and grouping, character of actions, and situation of enemy in the area of combat actions;
- means of battle, weapons, new means, and tactics that enemy has used
- on own forces - combat and organizational composition including composition and number of each and their location;
- missions that were issued to units and formations and large units;
- decisions that were made by the commander during the operation or battle;
- material support of forces in main basic types;
- morale- political situation of personnel;
- situation of adjacents and fulfillment of missions by them;

The account shows the following information:
- account of action during combat actions, new missions that were issued to units, formations, and large units from higher commanders, decisions that were made by the commanders during operation, actions of troop control and signal means, episodes and actions that are most important and heroic actions of officers and soldiers, new types of tactical actions, means for conduct of combat;

In the journal of combat actions only new data are written but not routine activities when out of action. In the journal there are annexes for operational directives, combat instructions, report maps, and plans for enemy fortified regions, photographs of officers and soldiers mentioned. At an appointed time they make a copy of the journal and send it to the higher staff.

Situation Report Map:

Otchetnaya carta obstanovki;

The situation report map (otchetnaya karta obstanovki), kept by the operations section illustrates operations conducted during the given period. During the less active periods of combat the time covered by the map is of course greater, in more fluid situations a situation report map is prepared for each phase of the operation;
- the situation report map is used primarily to report the situation to higher headquarters. copies of this map or sketches form the map are frequently appended to reports and summaries. The original map is appended to the journal of combat operations and is considered a fundamental source of material for the preparation of military history.

This is a reporting information document in which the historical sequence of action of own forces and those of enemy for an appointed period of time is shown by means of graphics and maps. The map is issued by the staff of units, large units, and formations. The map is used for information and explanation of combat experience of forces and for making reports for use during preparation of historical material. The map shows the following information:
- general data on the situation of own and enemy forces at the start of the operation;
- combat missions of formations, large units, and units of own forces and attached and supporting forces and adjacents;
- actions of own forces and adjacents during fulfillment of given missions and results that they achieved;
- actions of enemy forces.

The map typically shows most important situations (breakthrough of enemy prepared defense, destruction of counter attack blow, commitment of second-echelon into combat, passing of water obstacles and others). During the conduct of combat actions with use of mass weapons, they show on the map nuclear strikes of both sides, areas of contamination, destruction, movement of forces around destruction areas. Data on own forces is shown for two levels lower. The situation of forces at various times is shown by different symbols or colors in accordance with use of proper tactical symbols.

For protection of the surface of the map itself they use plastic and write with special dissolvable solutions. The map for the staff of formations and large units is prepared by an appointed officer in the operational department or directorate. The map for reconnaissance, artillery, engineer, signal, and rear service units is prepared by officers of their staffs. In units they only prepare one map - that is prepared by the assistant to the chief of staff.

Recording documents

The various staffs, staff sections, and headquarters elements preparing, receiving, and dispatching operations documents are required to keep current records on the documents and their location. Procedures for recording documents vary with the headquarters; however, in the processing of documents, three basis records are generally required. These are - a "record journal", a "daily record sheet", and the "dispatch book."~ Receipts are also used to supplement these records. If the contents of documents are transmitted by signal communications, the messages are coded, but the transmitted or received messages are registered in the clear in a "form for recording signal communications."

"Record journal" (zhurnal ucheta)

The record journal is primarily a record of documents prepared by the preparing agency. The preparing section keeps a separate journal of each of the various types of documents prepared, such as one for operations orders, one for reconnaissance plans, one for air defense plan, etc. Documents prepared primarily for use within the section such as working documents, as well as documents prepared for dispatch, such as orders, are noted in the "record journal." However, in the latter case, dispatched documents are also noted in the "dispatch book'.


"Daily record sheet" (list po dennoy zapis)

The daily record sheet a daily record of all document received. Essentially, it is a record of the identity of the document received, when dispatched, from whom it came, and when and by whom it was received.


"Dispatch Book" (razhosnaya kniga)

The dispatch book is a record of documents dispatched. In addition to identifying the document and the sender, this record identifies the messenger and the final recipient and indicates the time required to deliver he document.


Receipts

Receipts are an additional method used to record the exchange of documents. Sometimes, standard receipt forms are utilized, but it is more common practice to have the envelope in which the document is delivered signed by the recipient and retained by the messenger as a receipt.


Form for recording signal communications (blank zapisi peregovorov)

The form is used to record receipt and dispatch of messages and conversations conducted by telephone, telegraph, or radio. The communications normally are coded, but this record identifies the station, participants, and summarizes the communication in the clear.

Document routing

Methods of Transmission

Documents or messages may be delivered by messenger or liaison officer, or transmitted by telephone, telegraph, radio, or liaison aircraft. In the latter group, the contents of documents sent by signal communications are normally coded, and the more important operations documents are sent band received only through the cryptographic section or the staff for coding and decoding. Decoded messages re sent directly to the chief of staff and the operations section. A record is kept of all messages sent or received by signal means in the "form for recording signal communications".



Incoming Documents

Depending on the means of delivery documents arrive in the message center, radio center, central telephone station, or at the air liaison landing strip. The documents are then recorded and delivered directly to the addressee. The addressee signs a receipt, normally on the envelope, making a notation as to the time of delivery, and notifies the sending agency immediately, normally by signal communications. Documents with a dispatch classification of "K", "G", or "B" coming to the command post are delivered immediately to the operations duty officer. He, in turn, immediately sends "K" documents to the addressee and "G" documents to the chief of staff or chief of operations section. "B" documents, with the exception of those addressed to the political section, are opened by the operations duty officer and delivered to the address within the specified time limit or in accord with significance of contents.



Outgoing Documents

The documents preparing agency or staff section keeps a record of documents prepared in the "record journal" In addition to recording dispatched documents in the dispatch book, notation is made on the copy retained by the preparing agency, as to the number of copies prepared and to whom, when, and by what means the document or excerpts from the document were dispatched. For delivery, the documents are given to a signal communication agency, to a liaison officer, or to the message center. The documents are then delivered according to the dispatch classification. The more important documents are delivered personally by the liaison officers. The most important documents received by the message center are dispatched immediately to the addressee. Documents of lower category and other correspondence are sent to the message center to be delivered according to priority and schedule.



Filing Documents

Most staff sections use a five folder system for filing the operations documents. Documents are numbered consecutively for filing in each folder; there is a folder for each of the following types of documents:
- documents received from higher staffs;
- documents prepared by the staff section;
- reports to higher staffs;
- documents from lower staffs;
- all other operations documents.



Final Disposition of Documents

In addition to the staff combat documents, the staff collects for record and historical purposes the individual situation maps and field note books of the unit officers and the forms for recording signal communications. The operations section of the staff has primary responsibility for preparing on the basis of these documents the unit history and other studies to be used for instruction and training. Twice a year, at a time prescribed by the general staff, usually 1 January and 1 july, documents are collected and sent to a central receiving point to be processed for storage in the central archives of the Soviet army in Moscow.



Decision Process and Document Preparation

The Soviet method for making decisions in which the commander and staff interact has been discussed in the chapters on division, army, and front troop control procedures. It conforms to the description of the dual subordination of Soviet combat arms, special troops, and services chiefs to their commanders and to their counterparts at the next higher headquarters that is shown in the diagram in Chapter One. The procedure is essentially the same for each specialty, ie. artillery, signal, engineer, etc.

At the same time that the commander receives the operations directive or order from his superior commander each of these chiefs is receiving instructions on the use of their forces and means from their counterpart. These instructions provide details on the forces and means they may receive as reinforcements from above, what actions the higher level forces will be doing that may affect their level, what activities they will be required to accomplish in the interest of the higher level, and other coordinating instructions relative to their specialty. As the commander clarifies his mission, they also clarify these instructions and prepare to brief the commander. When the commander receives the operations order he also issues his own preliminary instructions to his staff and other officers. After the clarification of the mission the commander and staff begin the estimate of the situation during which the special staff and other officers provide their suggestions as desired by the commander. After the commander makes his decision it is translated into action by the dual channel method. The more general aspects are promulgated in the form of the operations order or instructions to the next subordinate combined arms commander and the special aspects are covered in two sets of special instructions issued by the various specialty chiefs. One set of instructions is on the actions of that specialty forces and means directly subordinate to that headquarters (ie instructions on engineer support issued by army to the army engineers troops), and the other set of instructions is issued to the related specialty chief at the next lower combined arms headquarters (ie, instructions on engineer matters issued by army to the chief of engineers at division). This process is illustrated in the diagram in Figure 200.

Figure 197 Message Journal of Orders, Instructions, and Reports Sent and Received

Figure 198 Table of daily staff activity

Figure 199 Combat Alert Duty Chart (front)

Figure 200 Diagram of Commander - staff Ineraction

II. DIVISION

In this section are the principal combat documents received by, produced at, and sent from the division headquarters.



Operations

The first group of documents are the orders, directives, instructions and other combat documents prepared by the operations section.

Army Initial Instructions to Division

The first word a division may receive of impending combat action may come in various ways. During peacetime the earliest warning most likely would come in the form of a direct, encrypted, electronic alert (warning) signal from the general staff. Upon receipt of this alarm signal the duty officer would order immediate evacuation of the garrison according to established alert procedures, while the division commander would take the emergency plan from the unit safe. This "alert" warning order generally is limited to the standard operating measures the division takes to clear its garrison and begin its mobilization process at its assembly area. Once this has been received and acted upon, or during the course of a war already begun, when the army commander wants to alert the division commander on forthcoming actions, he issues "Initial Instructions. The division would normally receive a warning order in the form of "Initial Instructions" sent from its parent army when the latter received its new mission from the front. The army commander's initial instructions focus on those measures which must be taken immediately to prepare for action pending receipt of further orders. A sample of army initial instructions follows.



Sample Army Initial Instructions

Only to the commander of the 16th MRD

The army has received an offensive mission: The time of readiness is set for ___.

The army commander has ordered:

1. All troops and staffs will be brought to a state of full combat readiness and prepared for the conduct of combat actions.

2. All personnel, equipment, weapons, ammunition, foodstuffs, POL, and other material means must be brought up to mobilization norms in all units and staffs.

3. The army's large units and units will occupy designated departure areas for attack. Departure areas will be prepared in terms of engineer work and obstacles to repel likely enemy attacks and to provide protection against mass destruction weapons and air strikes.
4. One motorized rifle regiment from each first-echelon division, reinforced by two artillery battalions, will be assigned as covering troops to organize the security and defense of border areas with interaction with the border troops.

5. Divisional rocket battalions will occupy positions from 5 to 10 km from the border. Positions will be prepared and camouflaged.

6. Surplus equipment, weapons, means, and other material and damaged equipment will be evacuated to appropriate places.

7. Wounded and sick personnel requiring long treatment will be evacuated to the front, (military district, or group of forces hospitals). The army's medical facilities will be readied to receive sick and wounded.

8. All air defense troops will prepare and occupy positions to repel the enemy's air attacks. The rocket troops will be brought to such a state of readiness to enable them to launch rockets at the shortest time, when it becomes necessary.

Army --------------------------Army
Chief of Operations ----------Chief of Staff

Division Initial Instructions

Immediately upon receipt of the operations directive from army the division commander will clarify the division mission and issue a preliminary warning type order to subordinates in the form of "Initial Instructions". In these initial instructions the division commander focuses on those measures which must be taken immediately in order to prepare for further action. This document prescribes to subordinates the general preparatory actions they must take and alerts them to expect to receive specific instructions on the content of their missions. It may be that in most situations the regiments will have already done most of their preparations immediately on receipt of the alarm signal. The commander's orders are issued by the operations section either by electronic means or in writing, depending on the situation and requirements for secrecy and urgency for timeliness. A sample of the content of a division initial instructions follows.


Sample Division's Initial Instructions

Only to the commander of the 110th MRR.

The division has received an offensive mission. The time preparation must be completed is 0600, Dec 15th.

The division commander has ordered:

1. The regiment is to shift to the state of full combat readiness for the accomplishment of the mission.

2. Units will deploy in assembly areas assigned for the state of full combat readiness. They will establish personnel and equipment mobilization points and accomplish all measures to bring reach wartime strength in terms of personnel, weapons, equipment, ammunition, foodstuffs, POL, clothing, and other material in units and staffs.

3. The regiment will occupy attack departure (FUP) areas. The departure areas will be prepared in terms of engineer work to repel likely enemy aggression and to protect the troops against nuclear, air, and chemical attacks.

4. All surplus equipment and material, and equipment requiring major repairs will be turned over to related organs.

5. Wounded and sick requiring long term treatment will be evacuated to front hospitals.

6. The air defense means will prepare cover and occupy positions to repel likely enemy air attacks.

Division Chief of operations ------------------------Division Chief of Staff
Rank _____Signature-------------------------------- Rank________ Signature

Division Combat Order

The division operations section prepares the division combat order on the basis of the commander's decision. The same decision is shown on the plan in the form of the commander's decision map with its supporting tables. The combat order is the official controlling document ordering their actions, however it is not disseminated as a complete document to them. Rather, each subordinate receives extracts of the operations order in the form of combat instructions. The order contains the following five sections.

I. Enemy Situation: This is a brief description of the enemy force facing the division and a forecast of his probable course of actions.

II. Missions of army in support of the division and, missions of the adjacents: A description of the support to be received by the actions of army elements in the division area and the activities of adjacent forces relevant to the division's own missions.

III. Concept of the operation: The commander's concept on how he plans to accomplish the division's mission.

IV. I order: The specific assignments to each subordinate element stating exactly what and where and when they are to act.

V. Troop Control: This section describes the locations and movement of the division command posts, signal communication issues, and the commander's deputies and successors.



The following is an example of a division combat order.


Combat Instruction from Division to Regiment

The division operations section prepares a "Combat Instruction" for the regiment, based on the division commander's decision and plan. This is one of the principal official tasking order from division to regiment. In case the division commander issues his order to the regiment commander orally, the staff follows up with this written "Instruction". The combat instruction contains the following four sections:

I. Enemy: Briefer description of the enemy as shown in the combat order.

II. The specific missions of the regiment: A statement of the order to the regiment.

III. The division's actions in support of the regiment and its adjacent units and inter action issues if needed:

IV. Troop control measures: A statement of the troop control measures described in the division operations order.

The sample of a division combat instruction to a regiment follows the combat order.

I Approve ---/---/--------------------------------------- Serial No ----
Commander 16th MRD------------------------------------- SECRET
Gen-Major Ivanov ------------------------------------------Copy Number --
(Sig)

Command Post ------at (time)--- On (date )---
Map 1:50.000 Aug 1972 ed

I. Enemy Situation:

Elements of the enemy's ___ Corps prepares to initiate military action against our forces. The enemy has prepared a defensive line along the Fulda River to inflict maximum losses on friendly forces from a defensive posture. Units of the enemy 3rd Armored Division of the Vth U. S. Corps will be directly confronting the 16th Motorized Rifle Division, with up to 1.5 mechanized battalions in his first defensive positions consisting of the following company strong points.:
-- company strong point at ----
-- company strong point at ----
-- company strong point at ----
-- company strong point at ----

The enemy's brigade reserve composed of up to one tank battalion is likely to deploy in company strong points as follows:
----, ----, -----, -----, the counter attack of the brigade reserve is likely from the line Gittersdorf in the direction of Hahlgaus - Eichhof.

Positions of enemy's brigade artillery are disclosed in the following areas, ---, ---, --- and ---. Positions of general support artillery are at ---, ---, and ---.

Totally in the first-echelon of the enemy forces, directly in front of the 16th MRD will be -- mechanized companies, ---tanks, --- guns and mortars, --- anti-tank means and --- air defense means.

The enemy's division reserve composed of up to one tank brigade is deployed in the area: Liederbach, Wallenrod, Vadenrod, and East of Romrool. Its counter- attack is likely from the line of Hill 408 and Beinenrod in the direction of Grebenau - Bad Hersfeld. The enemy's second-echelon forces may include --- nuclear rocket systems, --- nuclear artillery pieces, --- mechanized companies, --- guns and mortars, --- tanks, --- anti-tank means and --- air defense means.

In the sector of the 16th MRD attack, up to one enemy armored cavalry battalion is likely to operate in the covering (security) zone.

The action of enemy forces will be supported by nuclear capable U. S. air forces and --- combat helicopters . the enemy can fire --- nuclear rounds during the initial nuclear strike on 16th MRD targets.


II. Missions of army in support of the division and, missions of the adjacents

a. The following targets in the division's attack area are destroyed by army's rocket troops, and the air force during the initial nuclear strike:
-- enemy's nuclear weapons in the area ---;
-- nuclear depot at ---;
-- airfields at ---;
-- divisional command post at ---.
-- enemy's reserves at ---.

The friendly air force during the offensive battle conducts the air preparatory fire, assault support and accompanying air support as well as air defense cover of divisions' troops and targets. To support the division attack three sorties of fighter - bomber aviation squadrons are allocated. Ten sorties of Mi-26 helicopters are allocated for airborne assault. Air cover, and support of the air assault troops is conducted in inter-action with front's fighter and fighter- bomber aircraft.


b. On the right flank, the 11th MRD attacks in the direction of Bebra - Stadtallendorf with an immediate mission to seize the line of Remsfeld - 3 kms south of Roboldshausen and a long range mission to seize the line of Momberg - Wahlen.

The boundary with the division passes through the following points: Eisenach, Ludwigsau, Hill 466, and Dannenrod.

On the left flank the 18th MRD attacks in the direction of Niederaula - Keldatal with an immediate mission to seize the line of one km south of Lingelbach, and northern edge of Maar and a long range mission to seize the line of Ober Breiderbach, and Meicles.

The boundary with the division passes through the following points: Mohra, Hill 388, Schenksolz, (exclude) Koulbausen,(excluded) Lingelbach and Nieder Breidenbach.



III. Concept of the operation

Using 10 nuclear rockets with a yield of 102 kilotons during the initial nuclear strike, the division is to destroy the enemy's nuclear rocket in the area --- and his nuclear artillery in the areas --- and --- and to destroy the enemy's divisions main forces in the areas ---,---,---,-- ,-and ---; the enemy's CP at ---, and the enemy's rear service installations at ---, and ---.

Exploiting the results of its own and army's nuclear strikes, the division attacks the enemy on the line of Ludwigsen - Asbach; develops the attack in the direction of Eichhof - Kirchheim; destroys the enemy forces in the area Bad Hersfeld, Recherode, Kirchheim, and Asbach; destroys the enemy division reserves in the area of Willingsahain, Weibendorn, and Reimbolds; and seizes the line of Scharbach, Offray, and Lingelbach as its immediate mission.

Then the division continues the attack in the direction of Ottrau - Alsfeld, Heimertshausen and at the end of the day seizes the line of Rubkirchen, Heimerlshausen, and Nider Breidenbach, as its long range mission.

The division's future direction of attack on the following day is Heimerlshausen - Homberg. The direction of the main attack is along highway 48. The 110th reinforced BMP Motorized Rifle Regiment acts as the forward detachment of the division to destroy, from the line of march, the enemy's covering troops in the border areas and to support the quick advance of the division's main forces to the forward line of the enemy's forward defense area.

For the conduct of the division's attack, 15 nuclear, 5 chemical, and 15 conventional rockets are allocated.


If the nuclear weapons are not used, the enemy's forward defensive area is penetrated (broken through) in the area south of Bad Hersfeld and Asbach.

The division's combat formation is in two echelons.

112 MRD, 16th Tank and 111 MRD are in the first-echelon.

110th BMP MRR after accomplishing its mission as the division's forward detachment, is assigned to the division's second-echelon.



IV. I order:

a. The 112th MRR with the division artillery regiment (minus the 4th Battalion), 2nd company of the division engineer battalion, the division anti-tank battalion (- 3rd battery) is to attack the enemy from the line of Eichhof, southern edge of Asbach and develop the attack in the direction of Asbach - Hohewured and destroy the enemy in the area Eichhof, Hills 238, 325 and Asbach and seize the line of south of Hill 376, Hill 359, as its immediate objective. The regiment is to continue the attack in the direction of Hohewurzd - Kirchheim and destroy the enemy and his artillery positions in the area of Hill 320, Kirchheim and Hill 319 and seize the line of north of Kirchheim, northern edge of Kelba and then continue the attack in the direction of Reinbolds.

On the right flank the 16th Tank Regiment attacks. The boundary line passes the following points: Malkomes, Hill 439, Scholf, Hill 376, road junction (T) north of Kirchheim.


b. The 16th Tank Regiment with three artillery battalions and the 1st company of the 16th Engr Bn is to attack --- (same as for the 112th MRR.)


c. The 111st MRR with two artillery battalions the engr platoon and one anti-tank battery is to attack the enemy from the line --- (same as for 112th MRR.)


d. the 110th BMP Motorized Rifle Regiment with two artillery battalions, one anti-tank battery and one combat engineer company is assigned as the division's forward detachment. The regiment is to destroy from the line of march the enemy's covering troops in the border area and to support rapid advance of the division's main forces to the forward line of the enemy's forward defense area. At the beginning of the attack of the division's main forces on the enemy's forward defensive area, the regiment is assigned to operate as the division's second-echelon, and it is to deploy in the area south of Bad Hersfeld, Asbach, and Kuhnbach. During the attack, the regiment is to follow the 112th MRR by bounds and be prepared to be committed at --- into combat and to develop the attack along route 48 in order to destroy the enemy reserves from the line of march and seize the line East of Zell and East of Romrod as its immediate mission.

During the commitment into combat the regiment will be given two artillery battalions, one anti-tank battery and one engineer company. As the division's forward detachment at the outset, the regiment is given two artillery battalions from the division artillery regiment, one battery from the division anti-tank battalion and one company from the division engineer battalion.

In interaction with the border forces, the regiment is to establish defensive positions and engineer obstacles in the security zone on likely directions of the enemy's attack and to prevent penetration by the enemy's reconnaissance elements into the depth of own territory.


E. Rocket Bn.

1. During the front's initial nuclear strike, the following targets are to be destroyed by the rocket bn.

-- first-echelon bn, target #314 center of burst at ---, 3 kt, air burst at H - 00.20 hrs or on signal.
-- first-echelon bn, target 315, center of burst (COB) ---, 3 kt, air burst, H-00.20 or on signal.
-- arty bn, target #316 center of burst at ---, 3 kt, air burst at H - 00.20 hrs or on signal.
-- second-echelon tank bn, target 317, center of burst (COB) ---, 20 kt, air burst, H-00.20 or on signal.
-- nuclear artillery, target #318 center of burst at ---, 10 kt, air burst at H - 00.20 hrs or on signal.
-- Bde CP, target 319, center of burst (COB) ---, 3 kt, ground burst, H-00.20 or on signal.
-- nuclear rocket, target #320 center of burst at ---, 3 kt, air burst at H - 00.20 hrs or on signal.
-- division rear, target 321, center of burst (COB) ---, 10 kt, air burst, H-00.20 or on signal.

2. Time of delivery of nuclear and chemical rockets to the battalion is P - 6 hours. Time of delivery of conventional rockets to the battalion is D - 3 days.

3. The status and situation of targets to be hit by nuclear strikes are to be continuously followed, observed and appropriate changes must be made in the initial nuclear strike plan as the status of targets changes.

4. Preparation of the rocket troops for rapid initiation of fire is to be kept at the highest level. The technical support of rockets is to be thoroughly organized.

5. The position areas of the rocket troops are to be fully prepared in terms of engineer work and concealment. Alternate positions are to be prepared as well. Protection of rocket troops against mass destruction weapons and security and defense of rocket positions and mobile technical bases are to be organized and executed.

6. To insure effective employment, longer range, and timely launch of strikes on designated targets; positions for the rocket battalion are to be prepared close to the border. Moreover relocation positions for the phase of the beginning of the attack are to be prepared at a distance of 10 km from the forward line of the enemy's forward defensive area.



F. To artillery troops

1. The following artillery groups are to be established:
-- divisional artillery group composed of 6 artillery battalions;
-- artillery groups of the 112th MRR and the 16th TR composed of 4 artillery battalions each;
-- artillery group of the 111st MRR composed of 3 artillery battalions.

2. Artillery missions
-- destruction of enemy's nuclear weapons;
-- inflict losses on the enemy during his aggression, and support of combat action of own forces in our security area.
-- inflict losses on the enemy when he crosses the border and during the combat action in the security zone;
-- the following tasks are to be conducted during the artillery preparation;
--- (a) destruction and suppression of strong points on the forward line and in the depth of the enemy defense;
--- (b) destruction and suppression of enemy's artillery and mortar batteries;
--- (c) destruction and suppression of the enemy's immediate reserves.
--- (d) destruction of the enemy's command posts
--- (e) width of the penetration (breakthrough) area is 4 km, duration of the artillery preparatory fire is 40 minutes and ammunition expenditure is 0.8 units of fire. The density of fire is the penetration area is 100% while on its immediate flanks it should be not less than 60%.
--destruction and suppression of the enemy during the combat action in the depth of the enemy's first-echelon brigade, throughout the assault support mission by the method of concentration of fire, successive concentration and assault barrage fires on single and double lines.
-- support the attacking forces by fire during the combat action in the depth of the enemy's defense by accompanying fire in the form of concentration of fire, massive fires and fires on individual targets.
-- inflict losses on the enemy's troops during their counterattack
-- support the division troops during assault river crossing
-- support and cover the open flanks and gaps between combat formations
-- support the commitment of the second-echelon troops and reserves;
-- fight the enemy's artillery and mortars during the conduct of combat action in the depth of the enemy's defense.

G. To division's air defense troops

1. The division's air defense troops are to concentrate their main effort to cover the following targets.
-- division's first-echelon troops particularly on the direction of the main attack, in the departure area, during the breakthrough, and in the depth of the defense;
-- rocket bn and division artillery group in the departure area, during the breakthrough and during the conduct of the offensive battle;
-- command posts and rear services in the departure area and during the attack;
-- the second-echelon troops during their movement and deployment for commitment into combat;
-- airborne assaults in desant departure areas, during their flight and landing, and during their combat action;
-- the division's main forces and crossing sites during the assault river crossing;
-- the division's troops during the repulsion of the enemy's counterattacks;

2. The division's air defense reconnaissance and warning system is to be coordinated with the air defense reconnaissance, fire, and warning system of the army.

3. During the preparation and conduct of the offensive battle, the air defense troops are to be in full combat readiness and be prepared to repel enemy's air attacks. In any situation not less then one third of the air defense troops are to be in combat duty status.

4. Positions for air defense troops are to be prepared in terms of engineer work. In addition to the main positions, alternate positions are also to be prepared.

5. Movement and relocation of the air defense troops during the preparation and conduct of the battle must be carried out in such a way, that during the crucial phases of the battle all or the bulk of the air defense troops are in position and ready to repel the enemy's air attacks.


H. Airborne assaults

During the conduct of the offensive battle, the following airborne assaults are inserted;

1. desant No. 1:
-- composition of the "desant" is one airborne assault battalion with one mountain mortar battery and one engineer platoon.
-- the mission of the "desant" is to destroy the ammunition depot and seize the bridge in the area, 2 km north of Munch-Leusel.

The departure area of the "desant" is in the northwest of Etfurt which is to be occupied at 0600 on D-1. During one day there, required preparation for "desant" must be conducted.
--The "desant" is carried and landed by 10 MI-26 helicopters and covered by 6 of front's fighter aircraft. The time of landing of the "desant" is 1600 on the day of the attack (D day)
-- the landing area is initially hit by front's fighter-bomber aviation troops. Positions of air defense means and airfields along the flight sector are destroyed by aviation forces, division rocket battalion and division's artillery.
-- Planning of the "desant" is conducted by MI-26 helicopter squadron commander along with the division's operations section and the commander of airborne assault battalion.
-- The troop control during the preparation is conducted from the command post of the helicopter squadron in the departure area. The troop control during the conduct of the combat action is exercised from division CP and the CP of the airborne assault Bn.

2. desant No. 2.
-- composition of the desant is one airborne assault company.
-- The mission of the "desant" is to destroy nuclear rocket in the area, north of Immichenhain.
-- the departure area for the desant is in the north west of Erfurt which is to be occupied at 0600 of D-1 and where necessary preparation for the desant is to be made.
-- the desant is transported by 8 Mi-8 helicopters of the division and it is covered by 6 fighter aircraft.
-- time of landing is 1400 on the day of the attack;
-- the landing area is hit by air strikes while positions of air defense means within the flight sector are hit by rocket and artillery troops.
-- the planning for the desant is conducted by helicopter squadron commander along with the division's operations section and the commander of the airborne assault company;
-- the troop control during the preparation is conducted from the command post of the helicopter squadron in departure area, while during the conduct of the combat action the troop control is exercised from the division command post and the command observation post of the airborne assault company.

I. To combat and transport helicopter squadron

-- support the insertion of one airborne assault in the designated areas as reflected in subparagraph H;
-- conduct struggle against the enemy's tanks and support the division troops during the conduct of the attack;
-- support communications in accordance with the instructions of the division staff.

J. Division's anti-tank reserve

The division's anti-tank reserve is composed of two batteries attached to the division from the army's anti-tank unit. It is to deploy in the area --- and conduct the struggle against tanks on the main direction. The likely lines of the repulsion of the enemy's tank counterattacks for the antitank reserve are as follows:
-- Line NO 1 at --- in the direction of ---
-- Line NO 2 at --- in the direction of ---
-- Line NO 3 at --- in the direction of ---
-- Line NO 4 at --- in the direction of ---

During the attack the antitank reserve is to move on the direction of the main attack following the 112nd MRR.


K. To Mobile obstacle detachment (POZ)

The mobile obstacle detachment is composed of the division's engineer obstacle company. The detachment is to deploy in --- and during the conduct of the offensive battle, it is to move with the anti-tank reserve and join in the struggle against enemy tanks on designated lines.


L. To engineer reserve

The engineer reserve is the division engineer battalion (minus sub-units attached to regiments). After accomplishment t of the missions related to the preparation for the attack and breaching lanes in the enemy's obstacles directly in front of his forward defensive line, the engineer reserve is to deploy in the area ---. and be prepared to conduct unexpected tasks during the conduct of the attack. The engineer reserve is to follow the 16th Tank Regiment during the conduct of the offensive battle.


M. To chemical reserve:

The chemical reserve is composed of the division's chemical battalion. The chemical reserve is to deploy at --- and move during the conduct of the attack in the direction of --- and be prepared to conduct unexpected missions.


N. Time to be prepared for the attack is 2400 of ---(date)



V. Troop control

-- The division's command post deploys at Unlerneurode.
-- The rear service control point deploys at Donges.
-- The division's forward command post deploys in the area south of the T road junction west of Malkames.

The direction of relocation of the command post during the conduct of the offensive combat is Asbach - Rimberg - Hallhof.

Signal communication from the division CP's with the army's Commander and staff, as well as with subordinate and inter-acting troops' commanders and staff is to be established by radio, radio-relay, telephone, and mobile communications means with strict observation of secure troop control regulations.

My deputies are: the chief of staff, chief of political affairs and the commander of the 112th MRR.

Div's chief of operations section
(signature)

Div's chief of staff
(signature)

I Approve --/--/-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------Serial No ----
Commander 16th MRD --------------------------------------------------------------------SECRET
General Major Ivanov ----------------------------------------------------------------------Copy NO.
(signature)

 

Command Post at --- at ---(time) on --- (date)
Map 1:50,000, Aug 1972 edition

I. Enemy

Elements of enemy's ___ Corps prepare to initiate military action against our forces. The enemy has prepared a defensive line along the Fulda River to inflict maximum losses on friendly forces from defensive posture. In this case, units of the enemy 3rd Armored Division of the Vth U. S. Corps will be directly confronting the 16th Motorized Rifle Division, with up[ to 1.5 mechanized battalions in his first defensive positions consisting of the following company strong points.:
-- company strong point at ----
-- company strong point at ----
-- company strong point at ----
-- company strong point at ----

The enemy's brigade reserve composed of up to one tank battalion is likely to deploy in company strong points as follows:
-- ----, ----, -----, -----, the counter attack of the brigade reserve is likely from the line Gittersdorf in the direction of Hahlgaus - Eichhof.

Positions of enemy's brigade artillery are disclosed in the following areas, ---, ---, --- and ---. Positions of general support artillery are at ---, ---, and ---.

Totally in the first-echelon of the enemy forces, directly in front of the 16th MRD will be -- mechanized companies, ---tanks, --- guns and mortars, --- anti-tank means and --- air defense means.

The enemy's division reserve composed of up to one tank brigade is deployed in the area: Liederbach, Wallenrod, Vadenrod, and East of Romrood. Its counter- attack is likely from the line of Hill 408 and Beinenrod in the direction of Grebenau - Bad Hersfeld. The enemy's second-echelon forces may include --- nuclear rocket systems, --- nuclear artillery pieces, --- mechanized companies, --- guns and mortars, --- tanks, --- anti-tank means and --- air defense means.

In the sector of the 16th MRD attack, up to one enemy armored cavalry battalion is likely to operate in the covering (security) zone.

The action of enemy forces will be supported by nuclear capable U. S. air forces and --- combat helicopters . The enemy can fire --- nuclear rounds during the initial nuclear strike on 16th MRD targets.

II. The 112th MRR with three artillery battalions of the division's artillery regiment, combat engineer company of the division engineer battalion and the division's anti-tank battalion (minus 1st battery) is to attack the enemy from the line of Eichhof - southern edge of Asbach; develop the attack in the direction of Asbach - Hohe Wurzel; destroy the enemy in the area: Eichhof, Hills 238 and 325 and Asbach; and seize the line of the south of Hills 376 and 359 as its immediate mission. Then the regiment is to develop the attack in the direction of Hohe Wurzel - Kirchheim; destroy the enemy in the area : Hill 320, Kirchheim, and Hill 319; and seize the line of the bridge north of Kirchheim and the northern edge of Kleba as its subsequent mission. Then the regiment is to continue the attack in the direction of Reimbolds.

The regiment is to breakthrough the enemy's forward defense area, in interaction with the 16th Tank Regiment and the 114th MRR of the 18th MRD, on a two kilometer front, and during the artillery preparatory fire destroy and suppress enemy's strong points on the forward line and its immediate vicinity, as well as the enemy's artillery and mortars.

Time to be ready for the attack is 2400 hrs of ___ (date).

III. The division's tasks in support of the regiment and the adjacents.

a. In the regiment's sector of the attack the following targets are destroyed by the division's means:
-- enemy Bde CP in the area _--.
-- enemy's strong points in areas ---, ---, ---, and ---;
-- enemy's artillery in areas ---, ---, ---, and ---.

b. On the right flank the 16th Tank Regiment attacks and conducts breakthrough of the enemy defense on a two kilometer front. Its immediate mission is to destroy the confronting enemy and to seize the line of Hill 308 and Hill 376 and its subsequent mission is to destroy the enemy in its sector and seize the line of south of Grossmannersrode and northern edge of Kirchheim. The boundary line with the regiment passes through the following points:
-- Molkomes, Hill 439, Schlof, Hill 376, and T road junction north of Kirchheim.

On the left the 114th MRR of the 18th MRD attacks with an immediate mission to seize the line of Hill 358 and Hill 346 and a subsequent mission to seize the line of Hill 336 and Hill 363. The boundary line with the regiment passes through the following points: Scheulkslz, Koulhausen, Kleba, and Lingelbach.

IV. Troop control
-- the division's CP deploys at Unlerneurode;
-- division's rear control point deploys at Donges;
-- division's forward CP deploys south of T road junction west of Melkames.

The direction of relocation of the division's command post during the conduct of the offensive battle is the direction of Asbach, Rimberg - Hallhof.

Signal communication from the division's command posts with the army commander and staff, as well as with subordinate and inter-acting troops commanders and staff is to be established by radio, radio-relay, telephone, and mobile communication means, with strict observation of secure troop control regulation.

My deputies are: the chief of staff, chief of political affairs (deputy commander for political affairs), and the commander of the 112th MRR.


Div chief of operations section
(signature)

Div chief of staff
(signature)

Explanatory Notes for the Plan

These notes are prepared as part of the commander's decision process and provide basic data relevant to the understanding of the division's capabilities and they are employed to accomplish the assigned mission. They may be displayed with the commander's decision map or kept for reference with it. They are thus available for everyone who comes to the headquarters to discuss the battle. The first three notes are written text. They are the following items.

1. Brief assessment of the opponent's possible actions: This section is a brief summary of the estimate prepared during the estimate of the situation on which the commander's decision is based. Any changes in the enemy's probable course of action is an immediate trigger for consideration on changing the plan or making other appropriate response.

2. Concept of the battle: This is the commander's expression of the fundamental purpose he seeks to achieve and the main measures he plans to take to achieve it.

3. The scope of the battle area: This is the statistics on the width, depth, and average rate of advance established for the division combat action.
-- width:
-- depth:
---- -of which:
-----depth of immediate mission
-----depth of long range mission
--required average rate of advance (km/hr)

Distribution of Support Forces and Means

This shows the distribution of tank, artillery, air defense, engineer and chemical troops to the regiments and which will be held in division reserve.

Figure 201 Form for distribution of support forces

Measures to Protect Against Nuclear Weapons

This is a brief written description of the following three topics:
-- a. Safe line for nuclear fires:
-- b. Warning signals indicating nuclear explosions are immanent:
-- c. Marking of own troops locations: The methods that will be used to mark the location of the forward line of troops visually to insure that pilots can distinguish friend from foe. The troops carry colored marker panels, which are displayed on the ground upon proper signal.


Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons

This (Figure 202) shows the number of nuclear, chemical, and special rocket warheads by yield and rocket type. It shows how many are on hand in the division and how many are expected to arrive during the combat action. The same warheads are shown divided according to the sequence of major division tasks and milestones for the battle.


Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike

This table (Figure 203) summarizes the distribution of targets and firing sub-units. It shows such data as the warhead yield, height of burst, degree of defeat of the target and time for the strike. Several variants will be worked out and kept current for quick response when the order is given.


Distribution of Aviation Resources

This section of the explanatory notes to the division decision is a table (Figure 204) showing support aviation and combat helicopters assigned to support during each phase of the battle.


Correlation of Forces Tables

This is the most important table (Figures 205-209 in multiple pages) in that it depicts the calculation of force ratios and densities which play such an important part in Soviet planning. It is a set of correlations, made for different times and locations. One table shows the total number of friendly and enemy forces and means at the beginning of the operation and expected to be remaining after each major event. Other tables show the correlation on individual axes and for various other milestones.



Availability and Technical Condition of Tanks, Self-propelled Guns, and Armored Vehicles

This table (Figure 210) shows the number of tanks and other armored vehicles available in operational condition and how many are in each category of maintenance in each regiment and major separate unit. The categories are in accordance with standard Soviet norms for kilometers before next scheduled maintenance.



Availability, Location, and Distribution of Material Supply

This table (Figure 211) shows the distribution of most types of ammunition, POL, and food available for the operation either on hand or due in and how much must remain at the end of the operation. The ammunition is measured in units of fire, fuel in refills, and food in days of rations.



Table of Warning Signals

The signal warning plan in Figure 212 gives the main alarm signals, and means for identification.

Figure 202 Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons

Figure 203 Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike

Figure 204 Distribution of Aviation Resources

Figure 205 Correlation of Forces Table A

Figure 206 Correlation of Forces Table B

Figure 207 Correlation of Forces Table C

Figure 208 Correlation of Forces Table D

Figure 209 Correlation of Forces Table E

Figure 210 Availability of Tanks, SP Guns and Armored Vehicles

Figure 211 Availability and Distribution of Material Supplies

Figure 212 Table of Warning Signals

Reconnaissance

The following section contains samples of the basis documents used as part of the process of planning division reconnaissance including documents received by or prepared by the reconnaissance section. The division commander and chief of staff play large, direct role in organizing, tasking, and planning reconnaissance. This is because the main purpose for reconnaissance is to provide information to serves the commander's needs. However, as with other functional areas in the staff and chiefs of combat arms, special troops, and services, reconnaissance is also subordinate to its counterpart staff section at the higher headquarters. Therefore the chief of reconnaissance receives a set of instructions from the higher headquarters, which he must discuss with his commander, and he in turn prepares instructions on reconnaissance for transmission to the regiments as well as reconnaissance instructions to the division reconnaissance battalion.


Instructions on Reconnaissance Received from Army

The division chief of reconnaissance receives instructions on the conduct of reconnaissance in accordance with the overall army reconnaissance plan. (See also the section on army reconnaissance.) The instructions cover the following points:
-- a short current summary of information on the enemy;
-- instructions on organizing officer observation posts along the border to operate prior the deployment of the covering forces;
-- measures the division reconnaissance will take upon occupation of their positions by the covering force;
-- instructions on organizing reconnaissance and observation with the forces and means of the radio and radar reconnaissance units of the reconnaissance battalion;
-- instructions on organizing visual observation posts from division and regimental forces up to the border;
-- instructions on organizing reconnaissance and observation by aerial photography from helicopters along the border; during preparation for the offensive, create the following:
-- specific essential items of information required by the army commander such as the following;
---- 1. the time enemy covering forces begin to move from their barracks and their composition, grouping, areas of deployment, and defensive positions.
----2. the extent of engineer fortifications and preparations, and locations of nuclear and conventional fougasse in the covering force area;
----3. the enemy's basic main line of defense and its engineer preparations, and obstacles in front of the main line of resistance;
--the number of reconnaissance groups SPETZNAZ, which the division will send into the enemy rear area at the beginning of the operation and where they will operate;
-- the times and locations for sending reconnaissance reports and summaries:
-- information on the operations of aerial and other non-divisional reconnaissance elements in the division's offensive area and instructions on interaction and signal communications;



Division Commander's Instructions on Reconnaissance

The division commander considers his requirements for information and determines the reconnaissance needed. He defines and specifies the missions and objectives for reconnaissance. He defines the data he wants and when he needs it and in what form the reconnaissance forces may be used, especially prior to the offensive. Based on the combat missions and the assessment of available information on the enemy, the division commander specifies the following:
-- the aim and the most important tasks of reconnaissance;
-- where and at what targets (areas, directions) the main effort of reconnaissance must be concentrated;
-- what information must be acquired at what time;
-- what reconnaissance forces and means are allocated to be used in acquisition of reconnaissance information prior to the initiation of the combat action.

He also specifies the additional troops and means which he desires to employ to accomplish reconnaissance tasks. He also listens to the suggestions of the chief of staff and chief of the reconnaissance section on reconnaissance issues, as well as on reconnaissance during the conduct of the most important tasks.

The following is a sample of typical division commander's instructions on reconnaissance. These are elaborated on by the chief of staff and implemented by the chief of reconnaissance.

SAMPLE

1. Reconnaissance must in a timely fashion disclose the measures taken by the US Eighth Mechanized Division to prepare to attack, determine the time of initiation of the enemy's attack, and the grouping of the enemy forces and their likely concept of action.

2. The principle tasks of reconnaissance are as follows:
-- detect the movement of rocket units and sub-units from their permanent garrisons, their direction of movement, position areas of firing batteries, command posts, areas of deployment of supplies of nuclear rounds, and locations of stockpiles;
-- detect the movement of the US Eighth Division from its permanent garrisons, the direction of movement, and the assembly and deployment areas of main grouping;
-- detect the number of units and combat composition of units and sub-units in the areas____, determine their time of readiness, their direction of movement, and the enemy's intention regarding their employment;
-- follow and observe the movement of enemy forces in their attack area;
-- detect and determine the characteristics of defensive engineer work in the covering (security) zone.
-- establish the locations and strength of platoon strong points, weapons firing positions, mine fields and obstacles along the forward edge of the main line of resistance and on alternate positions in the depth.

The main effort of reconnaissance is to be concentrated in the direction of ___.



The Chief of Staff's Actions on Reconnaissance

The division chief of staff supervises all aspects of reconnaissance including:
-- responsibility for organizing reconnaissance;
-- obligation to know the enemy in the division area, to forecast likely changes in the situation, and to be ready to answer the commander's questions about enemy forces;
-- give concrete details of reconnaissance missions assigned by the higher commander and staff, specify the order (priority) of the conduct of the reconnaissance missions, confirm targets on which the main reconnaissance effort will be concentrated, designate forces and means to conduct of the most important tasks and the reserve of reconnaissance troops and means;

In addition the chief of staff issues instructions on the principle measures regarding the preparation of reconnaissance forces and means to accomplish assigned missions, designates and instructs the time of signing the reconnaissance plan and combat instructions on reconnaissance.

The following is a sample of typical instructions from the chief of staff to the chief of reconnaissance.

At the end of 3.22 the observation system must be organized on the state border by the forces and means of the division reconnaissance battalion and the 112th MRR. Deployment of observation points will be coordinated with the border troops.

The Division Separate Special Purpose (SPETZNAZ) company is to concentrate in the area ______. Preparation of the SPETZNAZ reconnaissance groups to conduct missions must be completed by the end of 3.23.

On 3.28 the characteristics of defensive engineer work, the extent of their occupation, grouping of forces and the fire system of the defending enemy troops in the covering (security) zones at ___ and on the forward defensive line in areas ___ must be confirmed.

The reconnaissance plan and combat instructions on reconnaissance are to be presented at 0900 on 3.24.

Based on the instructions of the division commander and chief of staff, the chief of reconnaissance begins to organize the reconnaissance for the operation. The measures and actions taken by the division chief of reconnaissance include the following:
-- issuing the reconnaissance combat mission to various reconnaissance troops and the establishing the time for completing each mission as well as the time and method for reporting reconnaissance information;
-- establishing the measures for interaction among the various reconnaissance activities and units conducting them;
-- issuing instructions to the reconnaissance troops concerning the method of their movement to their deployment areas;
-- instructing the reconnaissance staff on preparing the reconnaissance plan.
-- monitoring the attainment of assigned missions.

Estimate of the Situation by Chief of Reconnaissance

During the commander's estimate of the situation the chief of reconnaissance provides an assessment of the enemy to include the following:
-- situation, status, character of action, and intention of enemy ground forces;
-- situation, status, location, and capabilities of enemy artillery, air, air defense, and other special (nuclear) targets;
-- grouping of enemy artillery;
-- location of enemy nuclear rocket troops and nuclear depots;
-- location of enemy reserves.



Instructions of Division on Reconnaissance to the Chief of Reconnaissance of the Regiment

The division chief of reconnaissance prepares instructions on the conduct of reconnaissance for each regiment in accordance with the overall division reconnaissance plan. The instructions cover the following points:
-- a short current summary of information on the enemy;
-- what measures the regiments will take to establish observation;
-- organize division visual observation posts and observation posts from the one regiment in the covering force up to the border;
-- during preparation for the offensive, establish the time enemy covering forces begin to appear in the forward areas and their composition, grouping, areas of deployment, and defensive positions;
-- establish the extent of engineer fortifications and preparations, and locations of nuclear and conventional fougasse in the covering force area;
-- establish the enemy's basic main line of defense and its engineer preparations, and obstacles in front of the main line of resistance;
-- when reconnaissance reports and summaries will be sent;
-- when the report on the operations, situation, and composition of the reconnaissance forces themselves and fulfillment of their missions will be sent to division;

Guiding Data of Reconnaissance Plan

Figure 213 Composition of reconnaissance forces

Figure 214 Calculation of 12th MRD Reconnaissance Forces and Means and Their Distribution in Terms of Missions

Figure 215 Graphic (Map) Plan of Reconnaissance

Figure 216 Written Instructions to Reconnaissance Plan

Reconnaissance Reports

There are three standard reconnaissance reports issued during each day. The periodic reconnaissance report is sent to higher headquarters every few hours as prescribed by instructions. It provides a picture (snapshot) of the situation at a specific time. The organization and content of the report is shown below. The reconnaissance summary is provided once a day in accordance with instructions. It provides a brief narrative of the highlights of the past 24 hour period. The organization and content is shown below. The reconnaissance operational report is a report that reconnaissance units and sub-units give to the staff which has assigned them to conduct reconnaissance. It gives the situation as of a specific time, but not of the enemy as in the periodic report, but rather of the operational status, missions, capabilities, requirements, and activities of own reconnaissance forces and means. The format and content of this report is also shown below.

1. General enemy action:

Nature of actual enemy action along the entire area of the army with the enemy's composition and grouping of committed forces and reserves.

2. Special enemy situation

Same as above for each direction or area of subordinate formations (large units) from right to left.

3. Significant specific information about the enemy

4. Conclusion:

Possible development of enemy action including likely time and place of commitment of his reserves and use of nuclear weapons, etc.

1. General enemy Situation:

1. Overall development:
A summary of overall development of the enemy's activity during the report period in the entire sector of the division with the total estimated enemy losses and his current density of forces and means.

2. Summary on each direction:
Summary of enemy activity during the report period on each direction from right to left.
-- a.
-- b.
-- c.

3. Enemy nuclear capability and preparation

4. Enemy air actions

5. Enemy naval action

6. Significant information about the enemy
-- a. nuclear weapons
-- b. new weapons and equipment
-- c. new methods of action
-- d. important POW interrogation
-- e. new reserves
-- f. other

7. Conclusion: Actual situation of the enemy and his likely intentions and characteristics of action:
-- a. strength, number of units, composition
-- b. grouping of forces
-- c. air and naval forces
-- d. reserves
-- e. general situation in the enemy territory
-- f. likely actions

1. Mission questions (tasks)
-- Answers to the questions given as reconnaissance tasks, where, when what was looked for etc.

2. What other things were discovered
-- Additional information acquired during the reconnaissance task by these units.

3. Actual Situation and Requests for assistance
-- Gives actual status of reconnaissance forces and means their losses, supplies, capabilities, and requests for assistance. What are the reconnaissance forces doing and where they are.

Artillery

The following section contains the basic documents used in planning artillery support at the division level.

Instructions from Chief of RT&A at Army

The chief of rocket troops and artillery at army issues instructions on artillery to the divisions. These instructions inform the division on what artillery reinforcements it will receive and what fire missions it must undertake for army, as well as what targets will be attacked by army artillery and other matters. See the section on the army artillery for detailed discussion.


Suggestions of Chief of RT&A to Commander

The chief of rocket troops and artillery informs the commander of the instructions received from higher headquarters, his own estimate of the enemy artillery and status of friendly artillery and makes suggestions in support of the commander's decision. See Chapter Two for details of the responsibilities of the chief of rocket troops and artillery and his suggestions to the commander.

Suggestions of Division Chief of RT&A to the Division Commander during the Making of the Decision

Enemy Forces

Directly opposing the 16th MRD are elements of the ___8th Mechanized Division, Vth US Corps. They have the following missiles and nuclear artillery:
-- _____;
-- _____;
-- ______;

Deeper in the enemy defense area the following operational-tactical missiles can affect the division's attack sector:
-- ____;
-- ____;
-- ____;

The enemy's artillery supporting his brigade and divisional defense area consists of ___,___,___,___.

On the forward defense belt the majority of artillery is in prepared positions with its known battery positions as follows:
-- ____;
-- ____;
-- ____;
-- _____;

Artillery reconnaissance and air and radio-technical reconnaissance is to locate the positions of brigade and division artillery which are not yet known.


Own forces

The 16th MRD is reinforced for the offensive with six gun and one MRL artillery battalions and 1 anti-tank battalion from ____. The attached artillery units will arrive at the division at ____. The composition of these units along with the divisional artillery in personnel is 92% and 95% in equipment.

The total artillery available in the division totals 16 artillery battalions (288 guns and howitzers and 36 MRL's), plus 54 mortars and 36 AT guns and 78 ATGM's. IN terms of the required number of guns per kilometer of breakthrough frontage, the division shall be capable to support a break through sector of up to 4 km width. The capability of the division artillery makes it possible to establish DAG and RAG's with the following compositions:
-- DAG - 6 arty battalions;
-- RAG1 - 3 arty battalions;
-- RAG2 - 3 arty battalions;
-- RAG3 - 2 arty battalions.

The division can establish an AT reserve composed of one AT battalion and still be able to reinforce the anti-tank sub-units of first echelon regiments.

Organic and attached artillery units and sub-units are currently in the assembly area preparing for the operation, their training and combat experience is satisfactory. Supplies of ammunition and fuel are at designated norms at the units and at the division level.

The division expenditure requirements in ammunition for the conduct of the offensive battle and its resupply during the operation and creation of supply reserves at the end of the operation are as follows:

From the army's instructions on the employment of RT&A the following are known: the 16th MRD should deploy 4 arty bns forward, of which one arty bn will be from the regiment comprising the forward detachment. These artillery units should prepare firing positions 3-8 km from the border. Also the division rocket battalion should deploy 10 km from the border. The movement of the forward detachment through the enemy's covering force area should be supported by a minimum of 3 artillery battalions. The remaining artillery troops of the division should be ready to support the deployment and commitment into battle of the division main forces.

The division will conduct a break through on the enemy forward defense zone on ta width of 4 km. The division breakthrough area will be also covered by fire of 4 artillery battalions of AAG, 2 battalions of the AGRA, and 3 battalions of second echelon division artillery.

The duration of artillery preparatory fire will be 40 minutes, assault support fire should be conducted through the depth of the enemy's first echelon brigade defenses.

Artillery reconnaissance of division artillery should detect and locate the enemy's FLOT, strong points, artillery and mortar batteries, CP's and reserves.

Suggestions

1. To support the division mission the artillery groups should be established as follows:
-- DAG: army artillery brigade + MRL bn (attached) + division MRL bn - total 6 battalions.
-- RAG1: (main direction) division arty regiment (- MRL bn) + regt arty bn - total 4 bns.
-- RAG2: 22 Arty Bde (- 2 bns) + regt arty bn - total 3 bns.
-- Division anti-tank reserve: Army AT Bn (attached).
-- Regt AT reserve (main direction) 2 AT batteries.
-- Regt AT reserve 2 AT batteries;
-- Regt AT reserve 1 AT battery

2. During the commitment into battle of the division second-echelon the tank regiment will be reinforced by two artillery battalions.

3. Duration of artillery preparatory fire is 40 minutes and should be started when own troops deploy into battalion columna at the line of ___.

4. Artillery support during the course of the battle should be conducted by double fire curtain (ognivoi val) up to the depth of the enemy's first echelon battalions, then by the method of successive concentrations of fire (PSO) to the entire depth of the brigade defense. Further on artillery accompanying fire should be conducted by means of massive and concentration fire.

Instructions of the Division Commander on Determining Missions, Targets, and Means for using Rocket Forces

The division commander issues detailed instructions on the employment of rocket forces. This guidance is taken by the chief of rocket troops and artillery and it forms one of the bases for the detailed planning of rocket troops. The guidance includes the following points:
-- which enemy groups and targets will be destroyed in the first nuclear strike by the division rocket battalion:
---- a. destruction of nuclear means and nuclear depots in the following location;
-----b. destruction of main forces of the ____ division;
-----c. destruction of command posts of the ____ brigades at the following locations _____;
---- d. destruction of PVO points at ____,____, and --;
---- the enemy forces will be destroyed to the following level in percent using the following types of warheads and bursts -( for example, air burst of 20 kt);
-----reserve of nuclear and chemical ammunition;



Instructions of the Division Commander in Determining the Missions for Artillery;

The division commander also issues instructions giving his guidance for the employment of artillery in support of the coming operation. The instructions include the following points:
-- the composition of artillery groups and distribution of artillery among the regiments;
-- designate the specific composition of the division artillery group and composition of the anti-tank reserve;
-- designate the main missions for artillery during the preparation phase and the course of the operation;
-- designate the breakthrough area, time for artillery preparation, depth of artillery support and its type; and the quantity of ammunition which will be used;
-- which artillery will participate in the artillery preparation;
-- how artillery will support the commitment of the division second-echelon regiment;



Instructions of Division Chief of RT&A on Artillery to the Chief of Artillery of a Regiment

The chief of rocket troops and artillery at the division level prepares instructions on various technical details of artillery activities for each regiment. These instructions provide the regimental artillery chiefs with information on their regiment's requirements to fit the division plan, what resources they can expect, and other matters. The regiment chiefs report on this information to their commanders and use it as one of the bases for their artillery planning. The instructions contain the following points:
-- what artillery battalions and anti-tank artillery units will be provided as reenforcement for the regiment;
-- what will be the norms for expenditure of ammunition during the preparatory fire and support fire, and for the regiment's important missions, and the capabilities for its resupply during the course of the battle;
-- instructions for conduct of re-confirming reconnaissance and exact determination of the targets that will be destroyed in the artillery preparatory fire phase;
-- which division or army artillery sub-group will support the regiment during the course of the day's battle;
-- width of the breakthrough sector for the regiment, density of artillery per kilometer of front, and length of duration of the preparatory fire, composition of the fire preparation (usually it consists of 3-5 artillery strikes), means for delivery of ammunition to the gun firing positions;
-- details on movement of the artillery units to their forward firing positions in order to be ready for conduct of preparatory fire, the areas for the firing positions, time to arrive and be prepared, conduct of artillery reconnaissance, designation of the targets for the preparatory fire,
-- how support fire will be provided up to the depth of the defending first-echelon brigades and the types of artillery support fire;
-- methods for providing artillery accompanying fire during the battle;
-- composition and grouping of the artillery in the covering force area and its missions;



Combat Instructions of Division Chief of Artillery to Commander of Division Artillery Group (DAG)

The division chief of artillery issues instructions to the DAG commander, who generally will be the commander of an artillery brigade attached from army, on the conduct of artillery fire for the coming battle. The following is a sample of these instructions.

- Serial No.
-- Secret
-- Copy No.

1. Enemy:

Elements of enemy's Vth Corps prepare to initiate military action against our forces. The enemy has prepared a defensive line along the Fulda River to inflict maximum losses on friendly forces from defensive posture. On this line units of the enemy's Third Armored Division of the Vth U.S. Corps will be directly confronting the 16th Motorized Rifle Division, with up to 1.5 mechanized battalions in his first echelon, a brigade reserve of up to one tank battalion. The location of enemy forces are shown on the attached map.

2. Own Forces:

Using the air strikes and fire of 18 artillery battalions the 16th MRD breaks through the enemy defense on a 4 km frontage in the area south of Bad Hersfeld and Asbach. The division's immediate and long range missions and other elements of the division commander's decision are shown on the map annex.

3. Tasks:

The division artillery group is composed of the following elements:

-- 96th Artillery Brigade (army) commander and headquarters as the commander and staff of the DAG;
-- 96th Artillery Brigade (army) - 4 artillery battalions;
-- 101st Reactive Artillery Battalion;
-- Reactive artillery battalion from 16th Artillery Regiment (division);

The division artillery group in cooperation and interaction with army artillery groups and regimental artillery conducts the following tasks:
-- a. During the approach of division forces and means for the attack:
-- Destroy enemy's detected nuclear artillery pieces in the area ___;
-- Suppress enemy artillery batteries in areas ___, ___, ___, ___;
-- Destroy enemy control and radar ;points at ___, ___, ___ and ___;
-- b. During the artillery preparatory fire: (from H - 00:45 to H - 00:05);
-- Suppress targets No. 43, 45, 63, 64, 66, and 67 from H - 00:45 to H - 00:37;
-- Suppress targets 54, 55, 56, 72, 74 and 75 from H - 00:37 to H - 00:20;
-- Suppress targets of first artillery strike from H - 00:20 to H - 00: 05;
-- Conduct the covering strike on enemy artillery at __-, ___, ___ and ___ from H - 00:07 to H + 00:03;
-- c. During the conduct of the attack:
-- conduct fire curtain on areas 21, 22, 23, and 24 on the first line of the fire curtain and as the infantry and tank advance shift on subsequent lines in the areas 63, 65, 66, 67, and then on 74, 75, 76, and 77;
-- conduct fire support by method of successive concentration of fire, beyond the depth of enemy's first echelon battalions on line Tiger (target 101, 102, 103), Lion (targets 211, 214, 215) and Wolf (targets 121, 123, and 124);
-- Be prepared to support the repulsion of enemy counterattack from the line ___ with 2 artillery battalions;
-- Be prepared to detach two artillery battalions to the second echelon regiment (16th Tank Regiment) at its line of commitment into battle;
-- Be prepared to participate with at least 3 artillery battalions in massive fire "Neptune" to inflict losses on advancing enemy reserves at ___-;

The deployment area of the DAG and its relocation during the battle are shown on the annexed map; The DAG must occupy its position in the FUP area on the night of 16/17 July between 22:00 and 04:00 hrs; The expenditure of ammunition is shown on the annexed table;

4. Tasks conducted by higher echelon and issues of interaction:

-- In the division's sector the following targets will be destroyed (suppressed) by army artillery group, AGRA, and artillery of the army's second echelon division:
---- 1. During the movement forward: targets 112, 113, 114, 116, and 117;
----2. During the artillery preparatory fire: targets 32, 33, 34, 45, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54, and 78;
----3. During the assault support fire: targets 152, 153, 154, 184, 185, and 186;
--- 4. The combat helicopters and air forces destroy targets at the enemy's brigade and divisional reserve area, division CP, and 155 mm artillery batteries and Lance missile batteries;
--- 5. Regimental artillery groups are assigned to support the attack in sectors of related regiments and destroy mortar batteries at __, ___, and __;

5. Troop control:

The division command post deploys at Unlerneurode.
The division's rear control point deploys at Douges.
The division forward command post deploys south of the T road junction west of Melkames.
The movement direction of division control points during the battle is the direction of Asbach, Rimberg- Hallhof.
Signal communication with division control points is to be established by radio, radio-relay, and mobile communications means with strict observance of secure troop control regulations.



Planning Combat Employment of Rocket Troops and Artillery in Division Offensive Operations

The plan of employment of rocket troops and artillery is the principle document prescribing combat actions of rocket troops and artillery in terms of missions of the battle. This plan is a main component of division plans for the battle. While planning the combat employment of rocket troops and artillery, the chief of rocket troops and artillery accomplishes the following:
-- clarify the mission;
-- study the decision of the division commander on the employment of rocket troops and artillery;
-- study instructions from higher echelon (army) on the employment of rocket troops and artillery;
-- conduct a full assessment (estimate) of the situation;
-- make decisions on employment of rocket troops and artillery on the basis of which the plan for combat employment is prepared.

The plan is prepared in graphic form on a 1/100,000 or 1/50,000 scale map with an annex of written instructions. The plan is signed by the chief of the rocket troops and artillery and his chief of staff. It is approved by the division commander. The plan is considered a part of the division's plan of battle. The following points are shown in the graphic part of the plan:
-- situations and actions of enemy forces, his important groupings, and targets of rocket troops and artillery;
-- situations and missions of division forces and regiments and boundaries between them;
-- missions of rocket troops in the initial and subsequent nuclear strikes, number of targets, yields of nuclear rounds, types of bursts, sub-units and units launching the strikes, and time of delivery of strikes;
-- employ rocket troops against enemy nuclear means;
-- directions of movements and positions areas of rocket troops in attack (FUP) positions, and in the security and border areas;
-- relocate positions of rocket troops during the course of conduct of battle;
-- artillery groupings of the division and regiments in attack (FUP) areas and in security and border areas;
-- penetration (breakthrough) areas and density of artillery in these areas;
-- areas of deployment of antitank reserves of the division and regiments and the directions of their actions;
-- maneuver of rocket troops and artillery during the course of conduct of operations;
-- positions of air defense artillery and areas of radar;
-- other elements of division combat formations.

In the plan an annex of the initial nuclear strike of the division rocket troops, with written instructions is also prepared.

The following points are covered in the written instructions:
-- combat composition of rocket troops and artillery, distribution of attached and organic artillery among the regiments, and their regroupment during the course of battle;
-- distribution of artillery rounds in terms of their allocation to division missions and in terms of their distribution to different regiments;
-- composition of antitank reserves of the division and regiments.

The following issues are reflected in the work document:
-- method, time of preparation, and delivery of rockets to troops;
-- calculation of time for bringing rocket troops and artillery to full combat readiness;
-- calculation of time for movement of rocket troops;
-- expenditure of conventional rounds in battle and for each mission during the battle;
-- measures for protecting troops against enemy mass-destruction weapons.



Distribution of Artillery and Artillery Units from Army

The chief of rocket troops and artillery must distribute the division artillery battalions and those received from army to form the regimental artillery groups and the division artillery group. The form for entering this information is given in Figure 217.



Graphic of Arty Prep Fire

This table is prepared by the staff of the rocket troops and artillery in planning the coordinated fire of all the division artillery during the preparatory fire phase. It shows the time and sequence for firing at each target. (Figure 218)



Graphic of Initial Nuclear Strike

This table (Figure 219) shows the times for the division rocket battalion to prepare and be ready to participate in the front initial nuclear strike. It is kept constantly up to date during the battle as the status of designated targets shifts.



Annex to Div Arty Fire Plan

This table (Figure 220) is prepared as part of the division artillery fire planning. It shows the participation of all division organic and attached artillery units including those from army included in the DAG and RAG's. The table shows the sequence of fire during preparatory, support and accompanying phases.



Echelonment of Ammunition Supply in the Division

This table (Figure 221) shows the amount and location of ammunition available for the battle.

Figure 217 Distribution of artillery and Artillery units from Army

Figure 218 Graphic of Artillery Preparation Plan

Figure 219 Graphic of Initial Nuclear Strike

Figure 220 Annex to Division Artillery Fire Plan

Figure 221 Echelonment of Ammunition Supply in the Division

Division Artillery Plan

The division artillery plan depicts the spacial layout of the artillery forces and means supporting the division in relation to the operational framework for the offensive. The framework is the boundary lines of the division with its adjacents and between the regiments, as well as the boundaries of the breakthrough sector and the deployment lines of the combined arms regiments into battalion and company columns and the assault line. It provides a schematic diagram of the organizational structure of the artillery into its army, division, and regimental artillery groups, surface to surface rocket units, and anti-tank reserve units. It also shows the air defense units covering the artillery and unit headquarters. It also presents a visual schematic layout of the pre-planned artillery fire during the preparatory fire and assault support fire stages. The individual and grouped fire concentrations are numbered by target and related to the firing artillery group by color code. The target numbers are listed in the graphical tables accompanying the map. These concentrations are planned to the full depth of the enemy position against known targets. The sample map shows only some of the planned concentrations, for lack of space to preserve clarity for the viewer. Newly detected targets will be added as they appear. On the map are indicated some of the nuclear strikes by division rockets, which are always planned whether or not use of nuclear weapons is expected to occur immediately. The map also indicates the lines for the successive double barrage that forms the first phase of the assault support fire. This is delivered on the leading edge of the defense positions just as the assaulting forces reach their final line and then shifts into the depth as indicated. The lines for firing against possible enemy counter attacks are shown. In this sample map only one is indicated. An important feature of artillery planning is the designation of deployment lines for the regimental and division anti-tank reserves. During the combat these units will always be on the march from one designated line to the next, remaining in column, and only actually deploying at the next designated line if an enemy counter-attack seems likely. The diagram also indicates the general pre-planned location of the main artillery groups at certain critical stages on the battle, such as during the commitment of the second-echelon and during forcing a water barrier. Actually, the individual artillery battalions of these RAG's and DAG will be displacing forward frequently to intermediate firing positions not indicated on the map. Starting from the right, the map shows the division in its assembly area 25 to 40 km from the national border prior to D Day. Only a covering force from one regiment with artillery and the divisional rocket battalion are forward, within 10 km of the border. The map then shows the deployment scene after the forward detachment has pushed the defender back through his covering force area and revealed the location of the main defense line (FEBA). The artillery has come forward behind the forward detachment and gone into position at least 6 hours prior to the attack. It has been distributed into a RAG for each first-echelon regiment, the division DAG, and the army AAG and AGRA.. All are covered by the regimental and division SAM air defense units. After the artillery is in position the motor rifle and tank battalions of the first-echelon regiments move forward, deploying into battalion, company, and platoon columns at designated lines. The commencement of the artillery preparatory fire is timed to start with the arrival of the assault forces at the battalion deployment lines and to continue until they reach the assault line. At this time the assault support fire commences. However there is a short interim between these called "overlapping fire" during which the artillery conducts special firing sequences designed to confuse the enemy and conceal the time of the assault. The targets fired upon during this period are not specially designated on the map.

The center of the sample map shows a representative number of the fire concentrations intermingled with the representations of the defender's strong points and the deployment lines for the anti-tank reserve. The lines for the immediate and subsequent missions of the battalions are not shown. In the left center are the general locations of the RAG's, DAG, and division rocket battalion at the time of commitment of the second-echelon regiment. Further left the same units are shown at the time of their support for the forcing of the water barrier. At the far left they are shown again as the division consolidates the ground gained and prepares for the next day's operations.

Figure 222 Division artillery plan map

Engineer

Plan for employment of engineers

Signal

Plan for employment of Signal Troops


The Following Points are Shown on the Division Signal Plan Map (1:200,000 OR 1:100.00)
-- boundaries and missions of division and regiments;
-- command posts of division and regiments in the FUP areas and relocation of command posts during the conduct of the action;
-- command posts of the rocket troops and artillery and air defense troops.
-- command posts of radio electronic combat troops, reconnaissance troops, engineer troops, chemical troops, etc;
-- areas of deployment of division mobile material battalion, regimental rear services, and other important installations of division rear services;
-- signal centers of the division and regimental command posts;
-- axis and directions of division and regimental wire communication system;
-- directions, axes, and circular paths of mobile communication means of the division and regiments;
-- centers and stations of division and regimental field mail service;
-- areas of deployment of signal supply and repair units of the division.

Rear Service

Contents of the Instructions of the Division Commander on Rear Service Support

-- area of deployment and direction of movement of the rear service;
-- supply and evacuation routes for material support;
-- volume and time of the establishment of the material reserves;
-- consumption norms of material means prior to the initiation of the attack and during the first day of the battle;
-- method and time of preparation of combat equipment and vehicles ;
-- method of repair and evacuation of combat vehicles and motor vehicles;
-- principal measures on medical supplies;
-- location of rear service control point;



Contents of the Division Order for Rear Service Support
-- boundaries of the rear service area;
-- areas of deployment of the rear service units sub-units and installations, direction of their relocation, areas and lines of their deployment for the attack;
-- supply and evacuation routes of units and large units prior to the initiation of the attack and during the attack, missions related to their preparation, movement support on these routes, troops and means attached for such service;
-- volume and time of establishment of material reserves;
-- missions on rear service support for every unit and sub-unit of the rear service prior to the initiation of and during the attack;
-- organization of continuous security and defense of the rear service;
-- location of the rear service control point;
-- time of readiness of the rear services;



Elements Participating in Planning of Rear Service Support
-- division rear service staff;
-- division staff;
-- chief of technical support;
-- chief of artillery;
-- chief of engineers;
-- chief of chemical ;
-- etc.



Planning Measures Taken Prior to Receipt of Division Order and Army Directive
-- preparation of the rear service area in terms of engineer work;
-- collection of mobile material reserve;
-- repair of weapons, combat and transport equipment;
-- evacuation of wounded and sick from medical points;



Contents of the Graphic Part of the Rear Service Support Plan
-- brief information about the enemy's disposition;
-- boundaries of the rear service area;
-- situation of friendly troops, missions of the division and regiments;
-- areas of deployment of the main elements of the division's combat formation;
-- deployment of the rear service elements of the division in the departure area and their relocation during the attack;
-- area of deployment of division separate material support bn. and its relocation during the attack;
-- areas of deployment of the rear services and rear service control points of the division and regiments in the departure area and their relocation during the attack;
-- axis and "rokad" (lateral) routes of the army, division, and regiments;
-- protection, security, and defense of the rear service area;
-- points of supply of division vehicles with POL;
-- etc.



Contents of Written Instructions on the Division Rear Service Support Plan
-- principal tasks of the rear service;
-- composition of the rear service;
-- material support of the troops;
-- medical support of the troops;
-- action of transport sub-units;
-- supply of vehicles with POL;
-- method of foodstuff supply;
-- repair of clothing and merchandise;
-- protection, security and defense of the rear service targets;
-- method of chemical decontamination of clothing;
-- method of troops control, diagram of the deployment of the rear service control point, table of call signs of individuals and command (control) points;
-- other calculations of material means etc.

Figure 223 -Echelonment of material in division

Deployment of Division Rear Service Elements

I. In the departure area:
--- 1. In first-echelon
---- Medical bn, collection point for damaged vehicles, part of repair bn
---2. In the second-echelon
---- The rest of the division rear services elements ie. separate material support bn,bakery, transport sub-units, combined depot, separate medical detachment, rest of repair bn, etc.

II. During the conduct of the attack:
--- 1. In the first-echelon:
---- Reserves of ammunition, POL, and other means, medical bn, part of repair and evacuation means
---2. In the second-echelon
---- Separate material support bn, mobile bakery, combined depot, transport sub-units, separate medical detachment, rest of the repair bn, other sub-units, the rear control point



Supply and Evacuation Routes

1. Axis routes
--- Div: from division depots to depots of first-echelon regiments and division artillery positions
--- Regt: From regimental depots to first-echelon bn's rear service sub-units and positions of regimental artillery

2. Lateral routes (rokad)
--- Div: Along the line of the regimental rear services, parallel with the front line
--- Army: Along the line of the division depots parallel with the front line



Types of Material Means

-- all types of weapons' ammunition and spare parts supplies;
-- armor supplies;
-- motor - tractor supplies;
-- engineer supplies;
-- technical supplies;
-- signal supplies;
-- chemical supplies;
-- POL supply;
-- foodstuff supplies;
-- clothing supply;
-- medical supply;
-- veterinary supplies;
-- fuel and lighting supplies;
-- topography supplies;
-- monetary supplies;
-- water supplies.

Organizing Medical Support in Large Units, Units, and Sub-units

The following are elements in organizing support in large units, units, and sub-units:
-- timely conduct of first medical aid to the wounded and sick on the battlefield;
-- collecting and evacuating wounded to medical points of units, large units, and army's separate medical detachments;
-- extending medical assistance to wounded and sick, their treatment and preparation for further evacuation;
-- extending qualified and special medical assistance to wounded and sick;
-- conducting measures on providing hygiene and protection from epidemics and infectious disease;
-- conducting measures for protecting personnel against enemy mass-destruction weapons, conduct of special and full decontamination.



Elements of Medical Support System in Units and Large Units

The following are elements of medical support systems in units and large units in battalions:
-- battalion's medical point established by medical platoon.

The following are elements of medical support systems in units and large units in regiments:
-- regiment's medical point is established by the regiment's medical company. It collects rescues and transports wounded and sick from the battlefield and battalion medical points, conducts "physician" medical assistance, and prepares them for further evacuation.

The following are elements of medical support systems in units and large units in divisions:
-- division's medical point is established by the division's medical battalion. It is equipped with qualified medical assistance and evacuates the wounded and sick to forward medical hospitals of the front.

Types of Medical Assistance

The following are elements of first aid:
-- self and mutual medical aid on the basis of instructions of sub-unit commanders and by medical personnel of the company on the spot.

The following are elements of pre-physician medical assistance:
-- it is provided by paramedics (assistant physicians) particularly to counter life threatening events (bleeding, concussion) and protecting wounds from contamination and preventing shock.

The following are elements of first "physician" medical assistance:
-- it is provided by physicians in the unit's (regiment's) medical point. It includes changing of bandages and dressings, stopping bleeding by medical means, fixing fractures, simple surgical operation, and preventing shock.
The following are elements of qualified medical assistance:
-- it is provided by physicians, specialists, and surgeons normally at the division's medical point and army's separate medical detachments. It includes surgical operations, stopping bleeding, dressings, and preparing wounded for evacuation to front hospitals.

The following are elements of specialized medical assistance:
-- it is provided by specialist physicians (internal, eye, orthopedic, etc.) at front hospitals with full medical facilities. It is normally the final phase of medical assistance.

Types of Technical Support

The following are types of technical support:
-- rocket technical support;
-- radio-electronic technical support;
-- aviation technical support;
-- artillery technical support;
-- armor technical support;
-- motor and tractor technical support;
-- engineer technical support;
-- chemical technical support;
-- signal technical support;
-- rear service technical support.



Principle Measures of Technical Support

The following are the principle measures of technical support:
-- technical service and maintenance;
-- supply of weapons, combat equipment, ammunition, and technical equipment;
-- organizing repair and evacuation of damaged equipment;
-- organizing the training of personnel who are learning the use of weapons and technical equipment;
-- control of technical support troops and means during the battle.



Technical Service and Maintenance Tasks

The following are elements of tasks for technical service and maintenance during control inspections:
-- Conducted by the crew prior to leaving the park, during the march (in halts), before firing and exercises to test the readiness of tank for use, normal function of major assemblies and mechanisms, instruments and systems. It takes fifteen to thirty minutes. During the march it takes ten to fifteen minutes.

The following are elements of tasks for technical service and maintenance during technical service no. 1:
-- It is conducted after each return of the tank to the park, in march, during intervals in the battle regardless of the distance covered by the tank. It is conducted by the crew which inspects the level of fuel, lubricants, ammunition, and conducts cleaning of parts and tests the technical status of major part for security and normal functioning.

The following are elements of tasks for technical service and maintenance during technical service no. 2:
-- It is different for different types of tanks. For T-54 it is conducted after 1,000-1,100 km. It takes 6.5-9.5 hours to conduct the service.

The following are elements of tasks for technical service and maintenance during technical service no. 3:
-- It is conducted after 2,000-2,200 km. It takes eight to twelve hours to conduct.

Technical service no. 2 and no. 3 include close inspection of the technical status of the tasks, conduct of adjustments, replenishment or change of POL, and lubricating of major assemblies. In addition to these there are two more technical services:
-- seasonal technical service: conducted to winterize or summerize the tank which includes change of special oil and preparing the tank for winter or summer;
-- seasonal technical service: to prepare the vehicle for use (or after use) in special conditions such as high mountainous areas, before or after river crossings, etc.



Technical Service for Automobiles

The following are technical services for automobiles:
-- Combat test (inspection): Before moving out of the park. It takes fifteen to twenty minutes to conduct. It is also conducted in march halts for ten to fifteen minutes.
-- Routine technical inspection: After each return to the park or after 100-150 km. It takes 1-1.5 hours and includes inspection of replenishment with POL, cleaning of parts, inspection of the technical status of major parts for security and normal functioning.
-- Technical inspection no. 1: It is normally conducted after 1,000-1,200 km during 3 hours.
-- Technical inspection no. 2: It is conducted after 5,000-6,000 km during 8 hours.

Most of the maintenance service of combat and transport vehicles are conducted by tank crews, vehicle drivers under direct supervision of sub-unit commanders and chiefs of technical service. To provide assistance to them in removing the malfunctions, repair means can also be assigned.



Repair Levels

The following are repair levels:
-- routine repairs: conducted in the unit repair plant and sometimes in the division repair plant with the participation of drivers and crews;
-- medium repair: conducted by division (and army if reinforced by repair units) and the front.
-- major repair: normally conducted in repair plants and front repair facilities



Priorities for Evacuation

The following are priorities for evacuation:
-- in the first priority vital equipment such as control means, rockets, and other lightly damaged equipment is evacuated from under enemy fire;
-- in second priority equipment is evacuated which may be repaired by division and regiment repair facilities;
-- in the third priority the rest of the damaged equipment is evacuated.

III. ARMY HEADQUARTERS

Operations

This section contains the combat documents received by, prepared in and issued by the army operations directorate. They include orders and instructions as well as elements of the operations plan. There is also a short discussion of the commander's decision and planning process. For further discussion refer to Chapter Three.



Sample Operational Instruction Front to Army

The army receives its orders in the form of an extract of the front operational directive. The form and content of this instruction follows:
-- I. Enemy situation: a brief description of the enemy facing the army and its expected courses of action.
-- II. The content of the orders to the army describing its missions.
-- III. The support provided by actions of front forces and means in the army area.
-- IV. Troop control: The location and movement of the front command post, signal communication measures and the succession for the front commander.
-- V. The time and location at which the army commander must report his decision to the front commander.

A sample of the operational instructions received by the army follows:

Command Post ... map 1:1,000,000, 1983 ed. 1330 1, 2, 1985

I. Enemy Situation

In accordance with the international crisis and the deterioration of the international situation, the enemy has secretly brought his armed forces to a state of full combat readiness, and is preparing a surprise invasion into the territory of the countries of the Warsaw Pact.

The Eighth Guards Army is confronted by the US V Corps. Its first-echelon is composed of __ mechanized and armored divisions, __ Armored Cavalry Regiment ___ nuclear SSM's, ___ nuclear artillery pieces, ____tanks, ___ artillery, ____SAM's and ____aircraft and helicopters.

In the second-echelon, the US V Corps has deployed ___ while mobilizing German and French units are in reserve with a total of ___ divisions, ___ nuclear SSM's, ___nuclear artillery pieces, ___ tanks,___ artillery, ___SAM's, and ___ aircraft and helicopters.

The enemy operation is supported by ___combat aircraft including ___ aircraft with nuclear capabilities. The enemy will try to destroy the Warsaw Pact forces by a surprise and decisive attack and disrupt its preparation for the offensive operation.  If the Warsaw Pact forces are able to overtake the enemy in preparations and launch of the attack, the enemy is likely to conduct delaying action along several pre-prepared defensive lines mostly on main rivers to inflict the heaviest losses on WP forces and eventually destroy it in counter-blows.

The enemy's counter-blows are likely to be launched from the line: ___________ in the direction of ______________, and from the line: _________ in the direction of __________________.



II. The Eighth Guards Army reinforced with _____ artillery division, ______ anti-tank regt, _______:

Advances from the line _______________ by breaking the enemy's defense line between ___ and ___ to launch the main blow in the direction Borndorf - Bad Hersfeld - Wetzlar - Simmern to destroy the enemy's main forces in the area ____, _____, _______________, __________. At the end of D + 3 reach the line Wetzlar - Bad Nauheim. Subsequently advance in the direction _______________ to destroy on the march the enemy's arriving reserves in the area ___, ___, ___, ___ and at the end of the operation's _______ day seize the line ______, _________. Alloted for the conduct of the operation are __ nuclear, __ chemical, __ conventional rocket warheads.

The army FUP area is 1352 - Gotha - Zelle - Seitz - Weissenfeld.

\ On the right is the First Guards Tank Army

The boundary with them follows the line Eilenburt - E 11^o 34' - Eisenach - Mast 2474 - N 51^o 13' - 1427 (E 80^o 26', N 50^o 8') - Rhine at Neuwied.

On the left is the Twenty-eighth Guards Army

The boundary with them follows the line Mittwelda - Kahla - 2425 (E 10^o 26' N 50^o 37') - Gersfeld - Bad Vilbel - Frankfurt - Rhine at Bingen - Trier.

Position the command post in the _____________ area, and the rear control post in the _____________ area.



III. The following enemy sites in the army's attack zone are destroyed by the front's rocket brigades: ________, _____.

The Eighth Guards Army will receive ___ regimental sorties per day during the accomplishment of the immediate mission and ___ regimental sorties per day during its accomplishment of its subsequent mission.

The army will coordinate air defense with the ___ Fighter Division operating in tis sector and the ___ SAM Brigade in sector.



IV. The front command post is in the area of _________.

The front forward command post is in the area of __________________.

The front rear control point is in the area of ___________________.

The command post, forward command post and the rear control post move forward in the direction of _________________.

Deputies: the front chief of staff, the first deputy commander of the front, and the chief of the political directorate.

Communications are organized with all control points through radio, radio-relay, telephone-telegraph, with subordinates, neighbors and units interacting with yours.

V. The army commander will report his decision to the front commander at ___ hrs. The army will be prepared to initiate the offensive by ___ hrs.

Signatures:
--1.  Chief of the Operational Directorate
--2.  Front Chief of Staff
--3.  Front Commander

Planning documents


Contents of the Army Commander's Decision on the Offensive Operation

The army commander's decision is the basis for all planning, orders, and instructions. It is based on his clarification of the higher commander's orders and his estimate of the situation. (See Chapter Three for full discussion). The decision covers the following issues.

--Concept of the operation - missions, targets, and methods of employment of the nuclear weapons;
-- Missions of motorized and tank divisions (army corps), rocket and artillery troops, supporting air forces, airborne assault elements, missions of air defense troops and different reserves;
-- Items related to coordination;
-- Measures to support the combat actions of the troops;
-- Troop control.



Components of the Concept of the Operation

The commander's concept of the operation is the central, key element in his decision. This concept must be promulgated to the staff and all subordinates. Clarifying this concept becomes the first task of subordinate commanders.

-- Method of destruction of enemy
-- Direction of main and other attacks
-- Use of means of destruction
-- Operational formation (grouping)


Calendar Plan

This is prepared to show all measures including each document of the operations plan, the specified time and responsible person for preparing each document, the time of ratification by the chief of staff and approval by the army commander. The time allocation for preparing the operation is shown in tabular form.

The calendar plan is prepared by the chief of operations and chief of staff. It is the plan for how the planning will be accomplished. The calendar plan lists all the component parts and annexes to the army plan and all the major steps to be taken in preparing the troops and assembly areas for the operation. It is a GANT diagram showing the time intervals during which each activity will be accomplished and the time by which each must be completed. For the elements of the plan it shows when they will be presented to the commander for his approval. There are some indications in Soviet literature that they may be experimenting with use of PERT charts instead of GANT diagram to prepare the Calendar plan.

Figure 224 Calendar Plan

Planning Army Operation

The following is a brief summary of the main points relevant to understanding the nature of the planning process and the content of army plans found in this chapter. For a full discussion of this topic, see Chapter Three.

Planning is executed by the army staff on the basis of the commander's decision and instructions.

Planning is conducted in order to determine and set the methods of execution and most feasible forms for accomplishing the army missions.

Planning considers the expected results of destructive means of higher headquarters, the distribution of effort of the forces and means to the tasks and directions, the details of close interaction among the troops during the execution, the organization of combat support measures, and organization of troops control.

Planning of the initial nuclear strike and the combat operations of units on the first day and to the immediate mission are planned in greater detail.

Planning also includes methods and groupings for repelling enemy surprise attacks.



Content of Operations Plan

The operations plan is the basic, official document of record. The process for its preparation includes the following activities and considerations. Detailed calculations of the correlation of forces across the entire army zone and separately on each attack direction including the analysis of quantity and quality of enemy forces as well as the effectiveness of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons.

Detailed planning of the breakthrough of prepared defenses is developed in conventional war.

Detailed planning for the concentration of necessary groupings of troops and means.

Detailed planning of preparatory and attack supporting fires based on extensive reconnaissance.

Complete calculations of the exact location of enemy strongpoints, armor protected targets, density of artillery, tanks, and motorized units.

Determination of the number of artillery pieces, tanks and aircraft to be employed in preparatory and supporting fires and other fire support.

Distribution of the targets to be destroyed to the firing units.

Coordination of fire support with maneuver of infantry and tank large units in terms of time, place, and objectives during the attack and breakthrough.

Organization of necessary measures to cover troops against air strikes.

Organization of all types of combat supporting measures and troop control.

Measures to support the development of the penetration toward the flanks and to the depth.

Methods for repelling counterattacks and for consolidating captured objectives.

Operations Plan

The form and content of the operations plan is described in chapter three. The plan is the map on which its content is depicted. There are 13 supplementary textual and tabular items attached to the plan and placed on it in the margins. These show various data about the operation and forces and means committed to it. They are provided for information purposes so that everyone studying the plan will be aware of these matters. The information is also made a record part of the plan for historical and archival purposes. While the original data is entered into the historical record with the original plan, the information in the tables is also kept current on a daily basis along with other changes in planning as the operation progresses. They are discussed on the following pages.



Graphic Parts of the Plan as Drawn on the Map

The map (plan) shows the following essential information. This is kept current by officers of the operations directorate.

Groupings of enemy forces and their possible courses of action;

Operational formation of the army's units for the operation at the attack assembly (FUP) area.  The immediate and subsequent missions of the army, their contents, depths, the time of their accomplishment and the rates of unit advances;

Directions of main and supporting attacks;

Targets to be destroyed during the initial nuclear strikes;

Missions and targets of chemical weapons;

Missions of first-echelon divisions (corps), the time of their accomplishment, and the boundaries;

Method of commitment of the second-echelon divisions into combat and its missions;

Composition, missions, landing areas, and the time of insertion of airborne and seaborne units;

Locations of army and divisional command posts at the beginning of the operation and the axes of their advance during the operation;

Scale of the operation (depth, front, rate of advance, and duration).



Factors Included in the Written Part of the Plan Along with the Remaining Instructions, Information, and Calculations

The following information is shown in tabular form on the map. (See following sections for examples).
-- Best estimate (brief estimate) of the enemy alignment of forces, his capabilities, intentions, and possible actions;
-- Aim and concept of the army offensive operation and targets to be destroyed during the initial nuclear strikes;
-- Combat composition and combat capabilities of army units and attachments of support arms (distribution of supporting means);
-- Existence of nuclear and chemical ammunition, the time of their delivery, and their distribution;
-- Allocation of supporting aircraft flights to the missions and to the divisions;
-- Correlation of troops and means of opposing forces and the method of the occupation of attack starting areas by army units;
-- Means of insuring the safety of friendly forces during the delivery of initial nuclear strikes;
-- Method of executing preparatory and attack supporting fires;
-- Existence and distribution of supplies;
-- Other matters.



Explanatory Notes for the Plan

These notes are an integral part of the operations plan (map) and are displayed on it. They are thus available for everone who comes to the headquarters to study of the plan. The first three notes are written text. They are the following items.

-- 1. Estimate of the opponent's possible actions: This section is a brief summary of the estimate prepared during the estimate of the situation on which the commander's decision is based. Any changes in the enemy's probable course of action is an immediate trigger for consideration on changing the plan or making other appropriate response.

-- 2. Concept and aim of the operation: This is the commander's expression of the fundamental purpose he seeks to achieve and the main measures he plans to take to achieve it.

-- 3. The scope of the operation: This is the statistics on the width, depth, duration, and average rate of advance established for the army operation.

The sample used in the army plan accompanying this handbook follows. This plan cooresponds to the sample front, army, and division directives included in this book.

PLAN OF OFFENSIVE OPERATION OF EIGHTH GUARDS ARMY

I. ESTIMATE OF PROBABLE ENEMY ACTION

Elements of the U.S V Corps are deployed directly against the forces of the Eighth Guards Army. The first-echelon of the corps is composed of the 3rd Armored Division and 8th Mechanized Infantry Division with a total of 18 nuclear rocket systems, 300 nuclear artillery pieces, 640 tanks, 350 artillery pieces and mortars, 440 SAM systems, 470 helicopters, and ___ fixed wing aircraft.

In the second-echelon of the V Corps is the 5th Infantry Division and probably elements of West German tank forces will operate in the area, composed of ___ nuclear rocket systems, 100 nuclear artillery pieces, 130 artillery pieces and mortars, 290 tanks,100 SAM systems, and 74 combat helicopters.

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and border troops are deployed in front of the forward defense area in the security zone. During the operation the combat action of the enemy forces will be supported by ___ combat aircraft with nuclear capability from the U.S. and West German national air forces and the 4th ATAF of Central Army Group.

In general the enemy can launch ___ nuclear rocket strikes and aerial bombs in the area of operation of the Eighth Guards Army and against rear services installations of the army and the front during the conduct of his operation.

The West German III Corps in the north and U. S. VII Corps in the south are deployed on the flanks of the U. S. V Corps. Their operations can affect the forces of the Eighth Guards Army. Movement and arrival of strategic reserves composed of U. S. and French armed forces and mobilization reserves of West Germany are likely during the operation in the area of the Eighth Guards Army.

The enemy tries to inflict losses on and destroy the Warsaw Pact forces and seize vital territories by a surprise and decisive offensive operation. If the Warsaw Pact forces overtake the enemy in initiation of offensive operations, the forces of the U. S. V Corps are likely to hold a pre-prepared defensive line along the Bad Hersfeld, Niedervaule, Schlitz, Fulda, Gersfeld, and Bad Heustadt line, to inflict maximum losses on the Eighth Guards Army by defensive action, and then launch counter strikes by the second-echelon forces from the line of Birstein - Gedern in the direction of Grekenhain, Lauerbach, Bad Hersfeld, and from the line of Neustadt - Homberg in the direction of Kirtarf, Alsfeld -Niederaula.



II. AIM AND CONCEPT OF OPERATION

Aim:

-- Using the result of strategic and frontal nuclear strikes, destroy the enemy rocket forces and the main elements of the U. S. V Corps and then rapidly develop the offensive on the direction Bad Hersfeld - Alfeld - Giessen. Then destroy the enemy corps reserve and after that develop the offensive on the direction Hanhausen - Limburg - Wetzlar and in interaction with the Twenty Eighth CAA destroy the principal forces of the U. S. Vth and VIIth Corps and occupy the line Boss - Gillenbeuren - Bullay - Sohrem.

Concept:

-- In the initial nuclear strike, by using ( ) nuclear rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons. The enemy's nuclear rocket and artillery troops in areas ___, his air force in areas ____, his main infantry and tank forces in areas ___, and the enemy's command posts at ___ are destroyed and decisive losses are inflicted on the enemy's air defense troops in areas ___, and on his rear service installations in areas ___.

-- Exploiting the results of the initial strategic nuclear strike and nuclear strikes of the front and army means the army attacks the enemy along the line of Bad Hersfeld, Schlitz, Fulda, and Gersfeld and develops its attack by its main forces; i.e. the 16th, 18th, and 19th Motorized Rifle Divisions in the direction of Bad Hersfeld, Alsfeld, and Wetzlar; and during the operation by employing additional ( ) rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons destroys the main forces of the U. S. V Corps in the area; Bad Hersfeld, Alsfeld, Giessen, Echzell, Gedern, and Fulda and seizes on the third day the line of Wettenberg, Butzbach, Bad Nauheim, and Nidderau. Subsequently by committing the second-echelon forces into the engagement the army develops the attack in the direction of Wetzlar, Limburg, Boppord, and Simmern and during the conduct of the operation, by using ( ) nuclear rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons destroys newly detected enemy nuclear weapons, destroys the enemy's approaching reserves from the line of march, conducts assault crossing over the Rhine River and with the cooperation of and by exploiting the success of the Twenty-eighth CAA encircles and destroys the main forces of the U. S. Vth and VIIth Corps and approaching strategic reserves, and on the 7th day of the operation seizes the line of Boss, Gillenbeuren, Bullay and Sohren.

The army's operational formation is established in two echelons:
-- - in the first-echelon: the 16th, 18th, 19th, and 21st Motorized Rifle Divisions;
-- - in the second-echelon: the 17th and 20th Tank Divisions;
-- - the 31st Separate Tank Regiment is the army's reserve.



III. SCOPE

Width: 55 Km
Depth: 240 Km
Duration: 7 Days
Rate of advance: 35 Km/ day

Figure 225 Combat Grouping of Army

This table (number 4) shows the name and number of major subordinate formations that will be available on each day of the operation.

Figure 226 Distribution of Support Units

This is table 5 for the army plan. It shows the distribution of artillery, air defense, engineer and chemical troops from army and (when given) from front to the major formations (divisions) and other units, and which will be held in army reserve.

Figure 227 Availability and Time of Use of Chemical and Nuclear Weapons

This is table 6 in the explanatory notes for the army plan. It shows the number of nuclear, chemical, and special rocket warheads by yield and rocket type. It shows how many are on hand in army depots and with the troops and how many are expected to arrive during the operation. The same warheads are shown divided according to the formations and units that will use them or receive their support, and according to the sequence of major army tasks and milestones for the operation.

Figure 228 Destruction of Targets in First Nuclear Strike

This table summarizes the distribution of targets and firing units. It shows such data as the warhead yield, height of burst, degree of defeat of the target and time for the strike. Several variants will be worked out and kept current for quick response when the order is given.

Figure 229 Plan for employment of Rocket Troops

Distribution of Air Support

This is section eight of the explanatory notes to the army plan. It is a written description of the aircraft support the air army will provide to the army. The first section shows the distribution of aircraft in sorties according to the sequence of army missions and major milestone activities. The second section shows the same aircraft sorties distributed by each day of the operation.

a. In missions of the operation: ____, _____, _____, etc.

b. In days of the operation: ______, ______, ______,. etc.

Correlation of Forces Tables

This is the most important table (number 9) in that it depicts the calculation of force ratios and densities which play such an important part in Soviet planning. It is a set of correlations, made for different times and locations. One table shows the total number of friendly and enemy forces and means at the beginning of the operation and expected to be remaining after each major event. Other tables show the correlation on individual axes and for various other milestones.

Figure 230 Correlation of Forces Table

Figure 231 Correlation of Forces Table (cont.)

Figure 232 Correlation of Forces Table (cont.)

Measures to Protect Against Nuclear Weapons

This is the tenth section in the explanatory notes for the army plan. It is a brief written description of the following three topics:

-- a. Safe line for nuclear fires:

-- b. Warning signals indicating nuclear explosions are immanent:

-- c. Marking of own troops locations: The methods that will be used to mark the location of the forward line of troops visually to insure that pilots can distinguish friend from foe. The troops carry colored marker panels, which are displayed on the ground upon proper signal.

Figure 233 Availability and Technical Condition of Tanks, Self-propelled Guns, and Armored Vehicles

This table (number 11) shows the number of tanks and other armored vehicles available in operational condition and how many are in each category of maintenance in each division and major formation. The categories are in accordance with standard Soviet norms for kilometers before next scheduled maintenance.

Figure 234 Availability, Location, and Distribution of Material Supply

This table (number 12) shows the distribution of most types of ammunition, POL, and food available for the operation either on hand or due in and how much must remain at the end of the operation. The ammunition is measured in units of fire, fuel in refills, and food in days of rations.

Figure 235 Warning Signal Plan

The warning signal plan gives the main alarm signals, and means for identification.

Appendices of the Operation Plan

Plan of the army's participation in initial nuclear strikes;

Plan of preparation and occupation of the attack starting areas;

Plan for restoring the combat capabilities of the troops and eliminating the impact of the enemy's strikes;

Other documents.



Plan for the Initial Nuclear Strike

The army always prepares a plan for its participation in the initial nuclear strike even when the expectation is that the war will begin with only conventional weapons.

The army plan is integrated in the front plan.

The front plans to destroy enemy nuclear delivery means, inflict decisive casualties on enemy troops, air forces, air defense forces, command posts and other targets.

The army plan specifies each target, which large unit should engage it, the center of explosion, the number and yields of nuclear weapons, the altitude of airburst, and the safety distance for friendly forces.

It is not possible to know in detail the results of the mutual nuclear strikes ahead of time. Consequently plans for subsequent phases of action must be reevaluated in detail using post strike reconnaissance and operational data.

Plan is drawn graphically on a 1:200,000 or 1:100,000 scale map with written instructions on the map or it could be a written plan with map annex.



Content of Operations Plan for Nuclear Strike

The method of combat against enemy air forces during repulse of the enemy's surprise attack, during the advance and occupation of FUP areas, launching the attack and during destruction of each enemy grouping.

Measures necessary to destroy enemy nuclear weapons, command posts and vital rear services.

Methods for seizing vital terrain features.

Allocation of air units and artillery to destroy rocket launching pans, nuclear artillery, nuclear weapons depots, and artillery

Employment of deep reconnaissance and sabotage (subversion) groups, airborne landing units and special detachments.



Plan for Interaction

The Soviet command stresses the importance of interaction (coordination) among all participating organizations and individuals. This is carefully planned by the commander and staff and the commander uses his explaination of interaction as an important opportunity for insuring that everyone knows his role in the operation. Following are some main points:

Interaction is one of the most important measures;

Planned in greater detail for the initial nuclear strikes, first day of operation, and for repelling possible enemy attacks;

Planned in lesser detail due to difficulties in assessing the situation for later days up to the immediate mission;

Only estimated for the period of accomplishing the long range mission;

Main points are specified in the commander's decision and their detailed illustration is shown in the plan of interaction, plan for offensive operation, plans for employment of combat arms and plans for combat support measures;

Interaction is achieved by assigning clear missions to subordinate large units and by mutual understanding regarding execution of missions;

In conventional war the most important issues are to determine the methods and sequences for neutralizing enemy forces in the security zone and main defense positions by use of artillery and tactical air strikes, for passing the state boundaries, for commitment of advanced detachments and main bodies into combat, and the form of destruction of the enemy's first-echelon main forces.



Content of the Plan for Interaction

The following are the main points found in the plan for interaction. The plan is generally prepared as a table. A sample blank table is provided.

Missions of army elements and other cooperating large units at the beginning and during the operation;

The method for accomplishing missions;

Signals for coordination, identification of targets, mutual identification, and mutual alert;

For interaction a special signal network is established and liaison officers are exchanged.

Figure 236 TABLE OF COOPERATION OF ARMY FORCES IN OFFENSIVE OPERATION

Interaction of Army Units with Air Defense

Effective air defense is a critical prerequisite for operations. The following are the main points to insure close interaction between the ground and air defense and air forces.
-- specify when and what air defense troops and means are employed to cover the army rocket brigade, strike groupings, command posts, and rocket mobile base;
-- specify the time and method for relocation of SAM and radio-technical unit positions;
-- actions of air defense units are also coordinated with those of adjacent armies' air defense forces and fighter aircraft.



Preparation of Attack Assembly Areas

The Soviets place great stress on the proper preparation of all assembly areas, from the initial concentration area which may be occupied on the alarm by the troops moving out of garrisons to the final FUP area or pre-attack jump off position, if occupied. The following are the main points relevant to the preparation of FUP areas.
-- should facilitate simultaneous and organized passage of units into the offensive;
-- must provide for protection against mass destruction weapons;
-- must provide capability for conducting strong defense against enemy surprise attack;
-- require extensive engineer construction;
-- for first-echelon divisions should be 20-40 km from state border to protect against enemy artillery and rocket fire;
-- require direct and lateral roads, column routes and movement regulating lines etc.
-- positions for covering troops (security zone) are 1-5 km from state border;
-- positions for artillery and rocket battalions are prepared in the security zone;
-- attack starting areas may be occupied during 2 nights with considerable concealment.



Contents of the Plan for Preparing and Occupying the Attack Assembly Areas

-- combat formation of first-echelon divisions, regiments, and artillery battalions and the method of their movement into specified areas;
-- composition and groupings of covering troops;
-- locations of second-echelon and army reserves and their areas of responsibility;
-- fire position areas of rocket and artillery troops;
-- positions of air defense units and large units;
-- command posts of the army and the divisions;
-- areas and lines of construction engineer obstacles and demolitions;
-- other information (instructions).



Contents of the Written Instructions of the Plan for Occupying FUP Area

-- estimate of the enemy's possible actions in the directions of future attacks, with and without the employment of nuclear weapons;
-- missions of army units to repel possible enemy invasion (attack);
-- object of preparing the assembly (FUP) areas for the troops and basic measures to be taken in their construction;
-- character (nature) of engineer construction;
-- troops and means to conduct engineer works and the time of their execution;
-- method of movement into and occupation of the assembly (FUP) areas by the army units.



Plans for Combat Support Measures

Combat support measures are a very specific set of actions. These are discussed in the text. They are organized on the basis of the commander's decision and instructions and planned by the direct supervision of the chief of staff. Detailed plans for each type of measure are issued to the units in the form of combat instructions signed by the chief of staff. The army staff controls and coordinates all actions concerning all types of combat support measures.



Army Operations Directive

The army operations directive is prepared by the chief of the operations directorate under supervision of the chief of staff. It is based on the army commander's decision. It is a written statement in order form of the first day's combat actions shown for the addressee in the plan. The operational directive has the following structure and content:
-- Enemy situation: This section contains a succinct description of the nature of the opposing forces and character of their actions.
-- Mission conducted by forces and means of the front and adjacents: This section contains the commander's understanding of the front mission as developed in his "clarrification of the mission" and the relevant aspects of the actions by adjacents.
-- Concept of the operation: This is the description of the commander's understanding of how he intends to carry out the army mission as he developed it in his decision making process.
-- I order: This is the actual statement of exactly what is required from the subordinates.
-- Control of army troops: This provides information on the location and movement of the army command post and who will be the commander's deputies.
-- A sample of an army operational directive follows:

I Approve --/--/89 ----------------------Serial Number:______
Commander Eighth Guards Army------ SECRET
Major General ____---------------------- Copy Number: _______
Sig

The commander of the Eighth Guards Army for offensive operations.

Command Post at Wickerstedt,___________, (time) _______________
(date), Map 1:250,000 August 1983 ed.

I. ENEMY SITUATION:

As a result of the development of acute international tension NATO is secretly engaged in bringing its armed forces to the state of full combat readiness and intends to launch a surprise attack on the territories of Warsaw Pact countries.

Elements of the U.S V Corps are deployed directly against the forces of the Eighth Guards Army. The first-echelon of the corps is composed of the 3rd Armored Division and 8th Mechanized Infantry Division with a total of ___ nuclear rocket systems, ___ nuclear artillery pieces, ___tanks, ___ artillery pieces and mortars, ___SAM systems, ___helicopters, and ___ fixed wing aircraft.

In the second-echelon of the V Corps is the ___ Infantry Division and probably elements of West German tank forces will operate in the area, composed of ___ nuclear rocket systems, ___ nuclear artillery pieces, ___ artillery pieces and mortars, ___ tanks, ___ SAM systems, and ___ combat helicopters.

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and border troops are deployed in front of the forward defense area in the security zone. During the operation the combat action of the enemy forces will be supported by ___ combat aircraft with nuclear capability from the U.S. and West German national air forces and the 4th ATAF of Central Army Group.

In general the enemy can launch ___ nuclear rocket strikes and aerial bombs in the area of operation of the Eighth Guards Army and against rear services installations of the army and the front during the conduct of his operation.

The West German III Corps in the north and U. S. VII Corps in the south are deployed on the flanks of the U. S. V Corps. Their operations can affect the forces of the Eighth Guards Army. Movement and arrival of strategic reserves composed of U. S. and French armed forces and mobilization reserves of West Germany are likely during the operation in the area of the Eighth Guards Army.

The enemy tries to inflict losses on and destroy the Warsaw Pact forces and seize vital territories by a surprise and decisive offensive operation. If the Warsaw Pact forces overtake the enemy in initiation of offensive operations, the forces of the U. S. V Corps are likely to hold a pre-prepared defensive line along the Bad Hersfeld, Hiederaule, Schlitz, Fulda, Gersfeld and Bad Heustadt line, to inflict maximum losses on the Eighth Guards Army by defensive action, and then launch counter strikes by the second-echelon forces from the line of Birstein - Gedern in the direction of Grekenhain, Lauerbach, Bad Hersfeld, and from the line of Neustadt - Homberg in the direction of Kirtarf, Alsfeld -Niederaula.


II. MISSION CONDUCTED BY FORCES AND MEANS OF THE FRONT AND ADJACENTS.

a. The following targets in the army's attack area are destroyed by the front's rocket troops and aviation forces during the initial nuclear strike:

--- enemy's nuclear weapons and nuclear depots in the area ___, ___, ____, and ___.
--- enemy's airfields in the areas ___, ___, ___, ___, and ___.
--- command posts of the Central Army Group in the area ___ and command posts of the 4th ATAF of the Central Army Group in the area ___.
--- enemy's reserves in area ___, ___, ___, and ___.
--- enemy's rear service installations in the area ___, ___, ___, and ___.

Twenty regimental sorties of the front's fighter- bomber aviation are allocated to the army to support the army's action during the offensive operation and five regimental sorties of the front's helicopter aviation and one transport aviation division from the main command of the air force are allocated to support the airborne assaults. These sorties will be covered by the front's fighter aviation during their flight.

b. Adjacents:

On the right flank of the army the First Guards Tank Army attacks in the direction of Bebra, Marburg, Herborn, Lindlar. Its immediate mission is to seize the line of Marsburg, Medebach, Ballenberg, and Marburg An Der Lahn; and its long range mission is to seize the line of Leverkusen, Bornheim, Rheinbach, and Hill 1251. The boundary with the right adjacent passes through Eilenburt, Eisenach, Hill 1427, Neuwied, and HIll 1610. All points are included in the Eighth Guards Army's area.

On the left flank of the army the Twenty-eighth Combined Arms Army attacks in the direction of Schweinfurt, Wurzburg, Mosbach, Wiesloca and west of Kreuznach. The immediate mission of the Twenty-eighth CAA is to seize the line of Gelnhausen, Ashaffenburg, Michelstadt, and Mosbach and its long range mission is to seize the line of Kira, Enkenbach, and Hill 456. The boundary line with the left adjacent passes through Mittwelda, Kahla, Hill 2435, Gersfeld, Bad Vilbel, Bingen and Trier. All points are included in the Twenty-eighth CAA area.


III. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION

In the initial nuclear strike, by using ( ) nuclear rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons. The enemy's nuclear rocket and artillery troops in areas ___, his air force in areas ____, his main infantry and tank forces in areas ___, and the enemy's command posts at ___ are destroyed and decisive losses are inflicted on the enemy's air defense troops in areas ___, and on his rear service installations in areas ___.

Exploiting the results of the initial strategic nuclear strike and nuclear strikes of the front and army means the army attacks the enemy along the line of Bad Hersfeld, Schlitz, Fulda, and Gersfeld and develops its attack by its main forces; i.e. the 16th, 18th and 19th Motorized Rifle Divisions in the direction of Bad Hersfeld, Alsfeld, and Wetzlar; and during the operation by employing additional ( ) rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons destroys the main forces of the U. S. V Corps in the area; Bad Hersfeld, Alsfeld, Giessen, Echzell, Gedern, and Fulda and seizes on the third day the line of Wettenberg, Butzbach, Bad Nauheim, and Nidderau. Subsequently by committing the second-echelon forces into the engagement the army develops the attack in the direction of Wetzlar, Limburg, Boppord, and Simmern and during the conduct of the operation, by using ( ) nuclear rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons destroys newly detected enemy nuclear weapons, destroys the enemy's approaching reserves from the line of march, conducts assault crossing over the Rhine River and with the cooperation of and by exploiting the success of the Twenty-eighth CAA encircles and destroys the main forces of the U. S. Vth and VIIth Corps and approaching strategic reserves, and on the 7th day of the operation seizes the line of Boos, Gillenbeuren, Bullay and Sohren.

--- The army's operational formation is established in two echelons:
--- in the first-echelon: the 16th, 18th, 19th, and 21st Motorized Rifle Divisions;
--- in the second-echelon: the 17th and 20th Tank Divisions;
--- the 31st Separate Tank Regiment is the army's reserve.


IV. I ORDER

a. The 16th Motorized Rifle Division with one brigade of artillery of the VGK reserve, one anti-tank battalion and one engineer battalion is to attack the enemy on the line: Ludwigsau - Eichhof, to develop the attack in the direction of Bad Hersfeld - Rockerod, to destroy the enemy in the area of Ludwigsau, Gittersed, Rockerod, and Eichhof and continue the attack in the direction of Go Bmanerode - Ottrau, destroy the enemy's division reserves in the area of Willingshain, Schorbach, Ottrau, and Kemmerod and seize the line of Schorbach, Ottrau and north of Lingellach by H + 10.

Then the division is to develop the attack in the direction of Ottrau, Alsfeld and Hill 384 and at the end of the day seize the line of west of Anlrifttal, Heimertshausen, and the stretch of route 49 to the south.

The future attack direction of the division for the next day is Heimertshausen and Hill 322. The division is to assign one reinforced BMP motorized rifle regiment as the forward detachment to destroy from the line of march the enemy's covering forces and border troops in the enemy's security zone and facilitate quick advance of the division's main forces to the forward defense line of the enemy.

For the conduct of the division's attack 15 nuclear, 5 chemical and 15 conventional rockets are allocated to the division. The use of nuclear and chemical weapons will be conducted only at signal and command of the front for the initial nuclear strike.

The division conducts the breakthrough of the enemy's main defensive line, at a 4 km front and during the artillery preparatory fire destroys and suppresses the enemy's strong points on the forward line and in depth, command posts, artillery and mortar batteries and enemy's immediate reserves.

On the left the 18th Motorized Rifle Division attacks. The boundary line with that division passes through Mohara, Hill 366, road junction southeast of Bad Hersfeld, Kleba, Lingellach, and Nieder.

During the penetration (breakthrough) of the enemy's defense, the destruction of the enemy's brigade reserve, development of the attack in depth and destruction of the enemy's division reserves are conducted in interaction with the 18th Motorized Rifle Division.

The division's command post during the penetration of the enemy's defense is to deploy 3 km west of Fredewald road junction, and the rear service control point during this phase is to deploy in ___.



b. The 18th Motorized Rifle Division with one artillery brigade of VGK artillery division, one anti-tank battalion and engineer battalion attacks the enemy at the line ___ (As for the 16th Div).



c. The 19th Motorized Rifle Division with two artillery battalions of the army's artillery brigade, two anti-tank batteries and two engineer companies attacks the enemy at the line ___ (as for the 16th Div).



d. The 21st Motorized Rifle Division with two artillery battalions from the army's artillery brigade, two anti-tank batteries and two engineer companies is to attack the enemy from the line ___ ( as for the 16th Div).


e. The 17th Tank Division is in the army's second-echelon. The division is to deploy in departure (assembly) area in Vogelsberg, north of Weimar, Pfiffelbach, Niedar, Hardislehen. During the operation the division is to follow the 16th MRD by bounds at a distance of 40 - 60 km on at least 3 routes and be prepared to be committed into battle from the line No 1. (Bieber - Grund) with the mission to destroy the enemy's advancing reserves from the line of march and seize the line of Mengers, Ober and Seelbach. The direction of its future attack is Ober- Hadamar, Nassau.
The line NO. 2 of commitment is the line of ___ with the immediate mission line at ___ and the direction of future development of the attack at ___.
At the time of commitment, the division is reinforced by 3 artillery battalions, one anti-tank battalion and one engineer road construction battalion.
In case of the use of nuclear weapons, the division is allocated 15 nuclear, 5 chemical, and 15 conventional rockets.
The area of responsibility of the division to fight enemy's airborne assaults and his reconnaissance groups includes ___.



f. The 20th Tank Division is in the army's second-echelon. It is to deploy ___ (As for the 17th TAnk Div).



g. Army's rocket brigade is to accomplish the following tasks:

1. destroy the following targets during the initial nuclear strike of the front:
--- enemy's nuclear rocket, target No. 302 in the area of ___ by a 20 kt warhead, air burst at H - 00.20 or at the front's signal.
--- enemy's nuclear rocket, target No. 203 in ___, by a 20 kt warhead, air burst at H - 00:20 or at front's signal.
--- enemy's V Corps command post, target No. 304 in ___ by a 100 kt warhead, ground burst at H - 00:2- or at the front's signal.
--- enemy's rear command post, target NO. 305, in ___ by a 100 kt warhead, ground burst at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.
--- airfield, target NO. 306, in ___ by a 40 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.
--- airfield, target No 307, in ___ by 40 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.
--- enemy's second-echelon division in the area ___, ___, ___, and ___; including the following targets:
----- targets NO. 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, and 313 - each by a 20 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.

(Note: Targets for divisional rocket strikes are also designated in the same way)

2. Time of delivery of nuclear and chemical rockets to the troops is P - 6 hrs. Time of delivery of conventional rockets to the troops is D - 3 days.

3. The status and situation of planned targets for nuclear strike are to be continuously followed and necessary adjustment in the plan of the nuclear strikes is to be made according to the actual situation.

4. Preparation of rocket troops for launch is to be kept at the highest state and technical rocket support of the rocket troops is to be organized in detail.

5. Position areas of rockets are to be well prepared in terms of engineer work and well camouflaged. Alternate positions for rockets are to be established and their protection against mass destruction weapons as well as the security and defense of rocket positions and mobile rocket bases must be organized and established.

6. To maximize the range of fire and to launch timely strikes on designated targets, timely relocation of positions and movement of rocket troops during the conduct of the operation, are to be planned and executed.

h. Artillery

1. The following artillery groups are to be established in army's large units and units:

--- army artillery group (AAG): 10 artillery battalions;
--- army reactive artillery group (AGRA): 4 BM-22 Bns.
--- in the 16th and 18th Motorized Rifle Divisions:
----- divisional artillery groups (DAG) of 6 artillery battalions each
----- regimental artillery groups (RAG) on the main direction of 3 artillery battalions each;

---in the 19th and 21st Motorized Rifle Divisions: DAG of up to 4 artillery battalions each
----- RAG on the main direction of 3 artillery battalions each


2. Artillery missions:

During the preparation, initiation and conduct of the offensive operation, the artillery is to accomplish the following tasks:
--- destruction and suppression of the enemy's nuclear weapons;
--- inflicting losses on the enemy during his aggression in the army's area. At this phase in addition to the security zone's regimental artillery, part of the divisional artillery is also assigned;
--- inflicting losses on the enemy during crossing the international border and during the battle in the enemy's security zone by artillery units of forward detachments of the first-echelon divisions, and part of the artillery of the first-echelon divisions:
--- inflicting losses on the enemy during breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense and particularly destruction of strong points, destruction of artillery and mortar batteries, and command posts, and suppression of the enemy's immediate reserves;
--- destruction and suppression of the enemy and providing support for own troops during the assault support fire during the combat in the forward defense area of the first-echelon brigades;
--- providing fire support for attacking troops during the combat action in the depth of the enemy in the form of accompanying fire;
--- inflicting losses on the enemy during his counter-attacks and counter- strikes;
--- support of the army troops during assault river crossing;
--- support and covering of open flanks and gaps between combat formations;
--- struggle against enemy's artillery and mortars during the conduct of the offensive operation in the depth of the enemy's defense;
--- support of the commitment of the second-echelon troops and combined arms reserves into combat.


3. The density of the artillery for the breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense during the preparatory fire is 100 - 120 guns and mortars per kilometer of front, duration of the preparatory fire is 30 - 40 minutes and the ammunition expenditure is 0.8 - 1.0 units of fire. the density of artillery during the commitment of the second-echelon forces into combat is to be 40 - 60 guns and mortars per kilometer of front and the duration of artillery preparatory fire is 15 - 20 minutes with an expenditure of 0.6 - 0.8 units of fire.


4. The assault support fire is to be conducted in the form of successive concentration of fire on one or two lines, single or double attack moving barrage to the depth of the first-echelon brigades i.e. 8 - 10 kms.


5. The accompanying fire is conducted by the method of concentration of fire, massive fire, and fire on individual targets.



I. Organic and attached aviation troops are to conduct the following missions during the preparation and conduct of the operation.

participation in the preparatory fire and assault support and accompanying fire during the conduct of the operation to destroy nuclear weapons and nuclear depots, command posts, to destroy and suppress enemy's deep reserves, air defense and radar positions, rear service installations, signal centers, aircraft guidance points, as well as the command posts and positions of radio electronic warfare systems during the attack.
--- conduct of air reconnaissance and air photography in support of the army's operation and reconnaissance for damage assessment of targets hit by friendly nuclear strikes. Up to the initiation of the attack, the reconnaissances to be conducted only by observation and aerial photography using fixed wing aircraft and helicopters along the state borders without crossing the border.
--- support and covering of the troops and army's targets against enemy's air strikes during the preparation and conduct of the operation;
--- the flight (sortie) resources are to be distributed as follows:
----- a. to the 16th and 18th MRD's 3 fighter - bomber aviation squadron sorties each per day;
----- b. to the 19th and 21st MRD's 2 fighter- bomber aviation squadron sorties each per day

-- conduct struggle against the enemy tanks by combat helicopters;
-- insert airborne assault troops (desants) by transport helicopters in the rear of the enemy in accordance with separate plans;



J. to Air defense troops;

The air defense troops are to conduct the following missions during the preparation and conduct of the operation:
--- covering of the main combined arms and tank troops in the FUP areas, during the breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense and in the depth of the enemy area;
--- covering of rocket and artillery troops in the departure (FUP) area, during their firing and during the conduct of the operation;
--- covering of command posts in the departure area and during the conduct of the operation;
--- covering of rear service installations in the departure area and during the operation;
--- covering of reserves and second-echelon troops in the departure area, during their movement and their commitment into combat;
--- covering of desants in their departure areas, during their flight, in their landing areas in the depth of the enemy's area, and during their combat actions;
--- covering of the troops during the assault river crossing;
--- covering the troops during the repulse of the enemy's counter strikes.


2. The fire, reconnaissance, and warning systems of the army's air defense troops are to be coordinated with the fire and reconnaissance systems of the front and divisions' air defense troops and fighter aviation of the front air army and national air defense forces as part of an integrated unified plan so that massive strikes of the enemy's air force can be effectively repelled.


3. During the preparation and conduct of the operation, all air defense troops of the army and lower echelons (troops) are to be brought to the state of full combat readiness so that they will be ready to repel the enemy's air strikes. In any situation one third of the air defense troops must be kept at combat duty status.


4. Appropriate positions for the air defense troops are to be prepared in terms of engineer work. In addition to the main positions, alternate positions are to be established as well.


5. The movement of the air defense troops during the preparation and conduct of the attack is conducted in a way so that at critical phases of the operation all or the bulk of the air defense troops of the army and the troops have occupied positions to repel the enemy's air strikes and they are ready for the execution of their mission.



k. Airborne Assault troops (desant)

During the operation two airborne assaults are conducted:

-- 1. A tactical airborne assault by a reinforced motorized rifle battalion from the 20th Tank Division with a mortar battery.
------- The departure area for the desant is ___ and it should be occupied at 0600 on the first day of the operation for a 24 hrs period of preparation for the desant force.
------- The desant is airlifted by the front's transport helicopter regiment and it is supported by two fighter aviation squadrons.
--------The desant is landed in the enemy's rear in the area ___ at 0600 on the second day of the operation.
------- The mission of the desant is to destroy the enemy's nuclear depot and to seize and destroy the enemy's command post in ___.
------- Prior to the landing, the enemy's reserves and other targets in the landing area are initially hit by front's fighter-bomber aviation and then by rocket troops using conventional warheads. Positions of the enemy's air defense means and airfields in the flight corridor of the helicopters are suppressed and destroyed by the air force.
------ Planning of the airborne assault for movement and landing is to be worked out by the helicopter regiment commander in cooperation with the army's operations directorate and the commander of the airborne assault force.
------The troop control during the preparation for desant is conducted from the command post of the helicopter regiment in the departure area for the desant, and then during the operation it is conducted from the army's command post and the desant battalion's command/observation post.

--2. Operational airborne assault (desant) by an airborne assault regiment reinforced by one towed artillery battalion.
----- The departure area for this desant is ___ and it is to be occupied at 0800 on the fourth day of the operation for the preparation of the desant.
------The desant is air-lifted by an aviation transport division from the air force main command and one transport helicopter regiment and it is covered during the flight and landing by two fighter aviation regiments.
----- The landing is in the rear of the enemy in area ___ at 0600 on the fifth day of the operation.
----- The mission of the desant is to seize a bridgehead on the Rhine River, destroy enemy logistic depots and to assist the army troops during the assault river crossing at the Rhine.
----- Prior to the landing, the enemy's targets in the landing area and his close-by airfields are initially hit by fighter-bomber and bomber aviation and then by rocket troops using conventional warheads. Enemy's air defense means and radars located in the flight corridor of the desant are destroyed by the air force, rocket troops and artillery.
---- Planning of the desant for movement and landing is to be worked out by the commander of the aviation transport division in cooperation with the army staff and airborne assault regiment.
----Troop control during the preparation for the desant is conducted from the command post of the aviation transport division and command post of the airborne assault regiment, while during the combat action it is conducted from the army's command post and the command post of the airborne assault regiment in the combat action area.


L. Combined Arms Reserve

The 91st Separate Tank Regiment is the combined arms reserve of the army and it is to deploy in area ___ and follow the 18th Motorized Rifle Division by bounds at a 30 - 40 km distance and be prepared for unexpected missions during the conduct of the operation.


M. Army's Anti-tank Reserve:

--1. The army's artillery anti-tank reserve is the 51st Anti-tank Regiment from the VGK artillery division. It is to deploy in area ___ and conduct struggle against tanks on the army's main attack direction. The likely fire lines of the anti-tank reserve to repel the enemy's tank counter-attack during the operation are as follows:
----- Line NO 1: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
----- Line NO 2: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
----- Line NO 3: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
----- Line NO 4: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.

The army's anti-tank reserve moves during the operation on the direction of the army's main attack following the 16th MRD.

--2. The combat helicopter regiment, in addition to support of the army troops during the operation, is to conduct struggle against enemy tanks. It is to deploy in the area ___ and be prepared to fight the enemy tanks on the following lines:
---- Line NO 1: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
---- Line NO 2: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
---- Line NO 3: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
---- Line NO 4: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.


N. Mobile Obstacle Detachment (POZ) is the first and second companies of the army's obstacle battalion. It is to deploy in area ___ and move and operate with the anti-tank reserve to repel enemy tanks.


O. Engineer Reserve is the 1st Battalion of the Combat Engineer Regiment, the 1st Road and Bridge Battalion and the 1st Battalion of the Pontoon Bridge Regiment. After accomplishment of assigned misions during the preparation of the army's operation, the engineer reserve is to deploy in area ___ and be prepared to conduct unexpected missions during the operation. In the course of the conduct of the operation it is to follow the 18th Motorized Rifle Division.


P. Chemical Reserve:

The chemical reserve is composed of the army's separate chemical protection battalion. It is to be prepared to conduct unexpected missions in the course of the operation. The chemical reserve is to deploy in area ___ and move during the operation in the direction ___.


Q. Time of readiness of the troops for the operation is at 2400 hrs on ___.

The norms of mobile reserves of material means during the operation are to be kept as follows:
-- 1. Infantry weapons - 1.15 units of fire
-- 2. Arty and mortars - 1.3 units of fire
-- 3. Reactive arty - 1.3 units of fire
-- 4. Tank ammunition - 2.6 units of fire
-- 5. Air defense ammo - 2.5 units of fire
-- 6. Auto gasoline - 2.6 refills
-- 7. Diesel fuel - 3.1 refills
-- 8. Foodstuffs - 15 daily rations

V. CONTROL OF ARMY TROOPS

The army CP is in Wickerstedt.
The army's rear control point is at Tumpling.
The army's FCP is at Walresleben.

The direction of relocation of the FCP, CP, and Rear CP during the operation, is the direction of Waldfisch, Schenklengsfeld, Grunberg, Weilmunster, Ober Dammerschausen.

The signal communication from army's CP to the front's commander and staff and with the subordinate, adjacent, and interacting troops will be established by radio, radio-relay, telephone, and mobile communications means with strict observation of the rules of secrfecy of the troop control.

My deputies are:
-- The chief of staff, first deputy army commander, chief of political affairs, and commander of the 16th MRD.

Chief of Operations Directorate:
(Signature)

Chief of Staff of the army
(Signature

I Approve --/--/89
Commander _____________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Army Serial Number:
Major General ____ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRET
Sig -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copy Number:

The commander of the _____________ Army for offensive operations.

Command Post at ___________,___________, (time) _______________
(date), Map 1:250,000 August 1983 ed.

I. ENEMY SITUATION:

As a result of the development of acute international tension NATO is secretly engaged in bringing its armed forces to the state of full combat readiness and intends to launch a surprise attack on the territories of Warsaw Pact countries.

Elements of the ___________ are deployed directly against the forces of the _____________ Army. The first-echelon of the _____ is composed of the ___________ Division and _______________________ Division with a total of ___ nuclear rocket systems, ___ nuclear artillery pieces, ___tanks, ___ artillery pieces and mortars, ___SAM systems, ___helicopters, and ___ fixed wing aircraft.

In the second-echelon of the__ Corps is the ____________ Division and probably elements of ________________ forces will operate in the area, composed of ___ nuclear rocket systems, ___ nuclear artillery pieces, ___ artillery pieces and mortars, ___ tanks, ___ SAM systems, and ___ combat helicopters.

The _____________________________ and border troops are deployed in front of the forward defense area in the security zone. During the operation the combat action of the enemy forces will be supported by ___ combat aircraft with nuclear capability from the U.S. and West German national air forces and the ________ of Central Army Group.

In general the enemy can launch ___ nuclear rocket strikes and aerial bombs in the area of operation of the _____________ Army and against rear services installations of the army and the front during the conduct of his operation.

The _____________________ in the north and _________ Corps in the south are deployed on the flanks of the _______ Corps. Their operations can affect the forces of the _____________ Army. Movement and arrival of strategic reserves composed of _____ and ______ armed forces and mobilization reserves of ____________ are likely during the operation in the area of the _____________ Army.

The enemy tries to inflict losses on and destroy the Warsaw Pact forces and seize vital territories by a surprise and decisive offensive operation. If the Warsaw Pact forces overtake the enemy in initiation of offensive operations, the forces of the _______ Corps are likely to hold a pre-prepared defensive line along the ____________, ___________, _______, _______ and ___ ________ line, to inflict maximum losses on the _____________ Army by defensive action, and then launch counter strikes by the second-echelon forces from the line of ________ - ______ in the direction of __________, _________, ____________, and from the line of ________ - _______ in the direction of _______, _______, __________.

II. MISSION CONDUCTED BY FORCES AND MEANS OF THE FRONT AND ADJACENTS.

a. The following targets in the army's attack area are destroyed by the front's rocket troops and aviation forces during the initial nuclear strike:

-- enemy's nuclear weapons and nuclear depots in the area ___, ___, ____, and ___.
-- enemy's airfields in the areas ___, ___, ___, ___, and ___.
-- command posts of the _______ ___ ____ in the area ___ and command posts of the ____ of the ____________ Group in the area ___.
-- enemy's reserves in area ___, ___, ___, and ___.
-- enemy's rear service installations in the area ___, ___, ___, and ___.

T_____ regimental sorties of the front's fighter- bomber aviation are allocated to the army to support the army's action during the offensive operation and _____ regimental sorties of the front's helicopter aviation and one transport aviation division from the main command of the air force are allocated to support the airborne assaults. These sorties will be covered by the front's fighter aviation during their flight.

b. Adjacents:

On the right flank of the army the _____ ______ ____ Army attacks in the direction of _____, _______, _______, _______. Its immediate mission is to seize the line of ________, ________, __________, and _____________; and its long range mission is to seize the line of __________, ________, _________, and _________. The boundary with the right adjacent passes through _________, ________,________, and _________. All points are included in the ______ ______ Army's area.

On the left flank of the army the _____________ ___________ Army attacks in the direction of _______, ________, _______ and west of _________. The immediate mission of the ___________ is to seize the line of __________, _________, and _______ and its long range mission is to seize the line of ____, _________, and ______. The boundary line with the left adjacent passes through _________, _________, __________, and _____. All points are included in the _____________ area.



III. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION

In the initial nuclear strike, by using ( ) nuclear rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons. The enemy's nuclear rocket and artillery troops in areas ___, his air force in areas ____, his main infantry and tank forces in areas ___, and the enemy's command posts at ___ are destroyed and decisive losses are inflicted on the enemy's air defense troops in areas ___, and on his rear service installations in areas ___.

Exploiting the results of the initial strategic nuclear strike and nuclear strikes of the front and army means the army attacks the enemy along the line of ____________, _____, and ________ and develops its attack by its main forces; i.e. the ____, ____ and ____ Motorized Rifle Divisions in the direction of _________,________, and _______; and during the operation by employing additional ( ) rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons destroys the main forces of the _______ Corps in the area; ________,________, _______, _______, and _____ and seizes on the third day the line of _________, ________, _________, and ________. Subsequently by committing the second-echelon forces into the engagement the army develops the attack in the direction of _______, _______, and _______ and during the conduct of the operation, by using ( ) nuclear rockets with a total yield of ( ) kilotons destroys newly detected enemy nuclear weapons, destroys the enemy's approaching reserves from the line of march, conducts assault crossing over the _____ River and with the cooperation of and by exploiting the success of the _____________ CAA encircles and destroys the main forces of the _________ and _____ Corps and approaching strategic reserves, and on the _th day of the operation seizes the line of ____, _______, ______ and ______.

The army's operational formation is established in two echelons:
--- in the first-echelon: the __th, __th,___th, and __st Motorized Rifle Divisions;
--- in the second-echelon: the __th and __th Tank Divisions;
--- the __st Separate Tank Regiment is the army's reserve.



IV. I ORDER

a. The __th Motorized Rifle Division with one brigade of artillery of the VGK reserve, one anti-tank battalion and one engineer battalion is to attack the enemy on the line: _________ - _______, to develop the attack in the direction of __________ - ________, to destroy the enemy in the area of _______, ________, ________, and to continue the attack in the direction of _______ - ______, destroy the enemy's division reserves in the area of __________, ________,_______, and ______ and seize the line of the immediate mission at _________, ______ and _____________ H + 10.
--Then the division is to develop the attack in the direction of ______, _______ and _______ and at the end of the day seize the line of west of _________, ______, and _________________.
--The future attack direction of the division for the next day is ________ and ________. The division is to assign one reinforced BMP motorized rifle regiment as the forward detachment to destroy from the line of march the enemy's covering forces and border troops in the enemy's security zone and facilitate quick advance of the division's main forces to the forward defense line of the enemy.
-- For the conduct of the division's attack ___nuclear, _ chemical and __ conventional rockets are allocated to the division. The use of nuclear and chemical weapons will be conducted only at signal and command of the front for the initial nuclear strike.
-- The division conducts the breakthrough of the enemy's main defensive line, at a 4 km front and during the artillery preparatory fire destroys and suppresses the enemy's strong points on the forward line and in depth, command posts, artillery and mortar batteries and enemy's immediate reserves.
-- On the left the ____ Motorized Rifle Division attacks. The boundary line with that division passes through ______, ________, _________, ________,___________, and ______.
-- During the penetration (breakthrough) of the enemy's defense, the destruction of the enemy's brigade reserve, development of the attack in depth and destruction of the enemy's division reserves are conducted in interaction with the ____ Motorized Rifle Division.
-- The division's command post during the penetration of the enemy's defense is to deploy _ km west of ________, and the rear service control point during this phase is to deploy in ___.

b. The ____ Motorized Rifle Division with one artillery brigade of VGK artillery division, one anti-tank battalion and engineer battalion attacks the enemy at the line ___ (As for the ____ Div).

c. The ____ Motorized Rifle Division with two artillery battalions of the army's artillery brigade, two anti-tank batteries and two engineer companies attacks the enemy at the line ___ (as for the ____ Div).

d. The ____ Motorized Rifle Division with two artillery battalions from the army's artillery brigade, two anti-tank batteries and two engineer companies is to attack the enemy from the line ___ ( as for the ____ Div).
e. The ____ Tank Division is in the army's second-echelon. The division is to deploy in departure (assembly) area in __________, __________, ___________, ___________. During the operation the division is to follow the ____ MRD by bounds at a distance of 40 - 60 km on at least 3 routes and be prepared to be committed into battle from the line No 1. (______________) with the mission to destroy the enemy's advancing reserves from the line of march and seize the line of _______, ____, and ________. The direction of its future attack is _______, ______.

The line No. 2 of commitment is the line of ___ with the immediate mission line at ___ and the direction of future development of the attack at ___.

At the time of commitment, the division is reinforced by 3 artillery battalions, one anti-tank battalion and one engineer road construction battalion.

In case of the use of nuclear weapons, the division is allocated __ nuclear, _ chemical, and __ conventional rockets.

The area of responsibility of the division to fight enemy's airborne assaults and his reconnaissance groups includes ___.

f. The __th Tank Division is in the army's second-echelon. It is to deploy ___ (As for the ____ Tank Div).

g. Army's rocket brigade is to accomplish the following tasks:

--1. destroy the following targets during the initial nuclear strike of the front:
---- enemy's nuclear rocket, target No. 302 in the area of ___ by a 20 kt warhead, air burst at H - 00.20 or at the front's signal.
-----enemy's nuclear rocket, target No. 203 in ___, by a 20 kt warhead, air burst at H - 00:20 or at front's signal.
-----enemy's ___ Corps command post, target No. 304 in ___ by a 100 kt warhead, ground burst at H - 00:2- or at the front's signal.
---- enemy's rear command post, target No. 305, in ___ by a 100 kt warhead, ground burst at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.
---- airfield, target No. 306, in ___ by a 40 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.
---- airfield, target No 307, in ___ by 40 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.
---- enemy's second-echelon division in the area ___, ___, ___, and ___; including the following targets:
--------- targets No. 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, and 313 - each by a 20 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the front's signal.

(Note: Targets for divisional rocket strikes are also designated in the same way)

2. Time of delivery of nuclear and chemical rockets to the troops is P - 6 hrs. Time of delivery of conventional rockets to the troops is D - 3 days.

3. The status and situation of planned targets for nuclear strike are to be continuously followed and necessary adjustment in the plan of the nuclear strikes is to be made according to the actual situation.

4. Preparation of rocket troops for launch is to be kept at the highest state and technical rocket support of the rocket troops is to be organized in detail.

5. Position areas of rockets are to be well prepared in terms of engineer work and well camouflaged. Alternate positions for rockets are to be established and their protection against mass destruction weapons as well as the security and defense of rocket positions and mobile rocket bases must be organized and established.

6. To maximize the range of fire and to launch timely strikes on designated targets, timely relocation of positions and movement of rocket troops during the conduct of the operation, are to be planned and executed.

h. Artillery

1. The following artillery groups are to be established in army's large units and units:

---- army artillery group (AAG): 10 artillery battalions;
---- army reactive artillery group (AGRA): 4 BM-22 Bns.
-----in the ____ and ____ Motorized Rifle Divisions:
--------- divisional artillery groups (DAG) of 6 artillery battalions each
--------- regimental artillery groups (RAG) on the main direction of 3 artillery battalions each;

---- in the ____ and ____ Motorized Rifle Divisions:
-------- DAG of up to 4 artillery battalions each
-------- RAG on the main direction of 3 artillery battalions each


2. Artillery missions:

During the preparation, initiation and conduct of the offensive operation, the artillery is to accomplish the following tasks:
-- destruction and suppression of the enemy's nuclear weapons;
-- inflicting losses on the enemy during his aggression in the army's area. At this phase in addition to the security zone's regimental artillery, part of the divisional artillery is also assigned;
-- inflicting losses on the enemy during crossing the international border and during the battle in the enemy's security zone by artillery units of forward detachments of the first-echelon divisions, and part of the artillery of the first-echelon divisions:
-- inflicting losses on the enemy during breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense and particularly destruction of strong points, destruction of artillery and mortar batteries, and command posts, and suppression of the enemy's immediate reserves;
-- destruction and suppression of the enemy and providing support for own troops during the assault support fire during the combat in the forward defense area of the first-echelon brigades;
-- providing fire support for attacking troops during the combat action in the depth of the enemy in the form of accompanying fire;
-- inflicting losses on the enemy during his counter-attacks and counter- strikes;
-- support of the army troops during assault river crossing;
-- support and covering of open flanks and gaps between combat formations;
-- struggle against enemy's artillery and mortars during the conduct of the offensive operation in the depth of the enemy's defense;
-- support of the commitment of the second-echelon troops and combined arms reserves into combat.


3. The density of the artillery for the breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense during the preparatory fire is ___ - ___ guns and mortars per kilometer of front, duration of the preparatory fire is __ - __ minutes and the ammunition expenditure is ___ - ___ units of fire. the density of artillery during the commitment of the second-echelon forces into combat is to be __ - __ guns and mortars per kilometer of front and the duration of artillery preparatory fire is __ - __ minutes with an expenditure of ___ - ___ units of fire.


4. The assault support fire is to be conducted in the form of successive concentration of fire on one or two lines, single or double attack moving barrage to the depth of the first-echelon battalions i.e. _ - _ kms.


5. The accompanying fire is conducted by the method of concentration of fire and massive fire on individual targets.



I. Organic and attached aviation troops are to conduct the following missions during the preparation and conduct of the operation.

- - participation in the preparatory fire and assault support and accompanying fire during the conduct of the operation to destroy nuclear weapons and nuclear depots, command posts, to destroy and suppress enemy's deep reserves, air defense and radar positions, rear service installations, signal centers, aircraft guidance points, as well as the command posts and positions of radio electronic warfare systems during the attack.
-- conduct of air reconnaissance and air photography in support of the army's operation and reconnaissance for damage assessment of targets hit by friendly nuclear strikes. Up to the initiation of the attack, the reconnaissances to be conducted only by observation and aerial photography using fixed wing aircraft and helicopters along the state borders without crossing the border.

-- support and covering of the troops and army's targets against enemy's air strikes during the preparation and conduct of the operation;


-- the flight (sortie) resources are to be distributed as follows:
----- a. to the ____ and ____ MRD's 3 fighter - bomber aviation squadron sorties each per day;
----- b. to the ____ and ____ MRD's 2 fighter- bomber aviation squadron sorties each per day

--conduct struggle against the enemy tanks by combat helicopters;

-- insert airborne assault troops (desants) by transport helicopters in the rear of the enemy in accordance with separate plans;



J. to Air defense troops;

The air defense troops are to conduct the following missions during the preparation and conduct of the operation:

-- covering of the main combined arms and tank troops in the FUP areas, during the breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense and in the depth of the enemy area;

-- covering of rocket and artillery troops in the departure (FUP) area, during their firing and during the conduct of the operation;

-- covering of command posts in the departure area and during the conduct of the operation;

-- covering of rear service installations in the departure area and during the operation;

-- covering of reserves and second-echelon troops in the departure area, during their movement and their commitment into combat;

-- covering of desants in their departure areas, during their flight, in their landing areas in the depth of the enemy's area, and during their combat actions;

-- covering of the troops during the assault river crossing;

-- covering the troops during the repulsion of the enemy's counter strikes.


2. The fire, reconnaissance, and warning systems of the army's air defense troops are to be coordinated with the fire and reconnaissance systems of the front and divisions' air defense troops and fighter aviation of the front air army and national air defense forces as part of an integrated unified plan so that massive strikes of the enemy's air force can be effectively repelled.


3. During the preparation and conduct of the operation, all air defense troops of the army and lower echelons (troops) are to be brought to the state of full combat readiness so that they will be ready to repel the enemy's air strikes. In any situation one third of the air defense troops must be kept at combat duty status.


4. Appropriate positions for the air defense troops are to be prepared in terms of engineer work. In addition to the main positions, alternate positions are to be established as well.


5. The movement of the air defense troops during the preparation and conduct of the attack is conducted in a way so that at critical phases of the operation all or the bulk of the air defense troops of the army and the troops have occupied positions to repel the enemy's air strikes and they are ready for the execution of their mission.

k. Airborne Assault troops (desant)

During the operation two airborne assaults are conducted:

1. A tactical airborne assault by a reinforced motorized rifle battalion from the ____ Division with a mortar battery.
-- The departure area for the desant is ___ and it should be occupied at 0600 on the first day of the operation for a 24 hrs period of preparation for the desant force.
-- The desant is airlifted by the front's transport helicopter regiment and it is supported by two fighter aviation squadrons.
-- The desant is landed in the enemy's rear in the area ___ at 0600 on the second day of the operation.
-- The mission of the desant is to destroy the enemy's nuclear depot and to seize and destroy the ________ in ___.
-- Prior to the landing, the enemy's reserves and other targets in the landing area are initially hit by front's fighter-bomber aviation and then by rocket troops using conventional warheads. Positions of the enemy's air defense means and airfields in the flight corridor of the helicopters are suppressed and destroyed by the air force.
-- Planning of the airborne assault for movement and landing isto be worked out by the helicopter regiment commander in cooperation with the army's operations directorate and the commander of the airborne assault force.
-- The troop control during the preparation for desant is conducted from the command post of the helicopter regiment in the departure area for the desant, and then during the operation it is conducted from the army's command post and the desant battalion's command/observation post.

2. Operational airborne assault (desant) by an airborne assault regiment reinforced by one towed artillery battalion.
-- The departure area for this desant is ___ and it is to be occupied at ____ on the ______ day of the operation for the preparation of the desant.
-- The desant is air-lifted by an aviation transport division from the air force main command and one transport helicopter regiment and it is covered during the flight and landing by two fighter aviation regiments.
-- The landing is in the rear of the enemy in area ___ at ____ on the _____ day of the operation.
-- The mission of the desant is to seize a bridgehead on the _____ River, destroy enemy logistic depots and to assist the army troops during the assault river crossing at the _____.
-- Prior to the landing, the enemy's targets in the landing area and his close-by airfields are initially hit by fighter-bomber and bomber aviation and then by rocket troops using conventional warheads. Enemy's air defense means and radars located in the flight corridor of the desant are destroyed by the air force, rocket troops and artillery.
-- Planning of the desant for movement and landing is to be worked out by the commander of the aviation transport division in cooperation with the army staff and airborne assault regiment.
-- The troop control during the preparation for the desant is conducted from the command post of the aviation transport division and command post of the airborne assault regiment, while during the combat action it is conducted from the army's command post and the command post of the airborne assault regiment in the combat action area.


L. Combined Arms Reserve

The ____ ______ Regiment is the combined arms reserve of the army and it is to deploy in area ___ and follow the ____ Motorized Rifle Division by bounds at a 30 - 40 km distance and be prepared for unexpected missions during the conduct of the operation.


M. Army's Anti-tank Reserve:

1. The army's artillery anti-tank reserve is the ____ Anti-tank Regiment from the VGK artillery division. It is to deploy in area ___ and conduct struggle against tanks on the army's main attack direction. The likely fire lines of the anti-tank reserve to repel the enemy's tank counter-attack during the operation are as follows:
--- Line NO 1: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
--- Line NO 2: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
--- Line NO 3: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
--- Line NO 4: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.

The army's anti-tank reserve moves during the operation on the direction of the army's main attack following the ____ MRD.

2. The combat helicopter regiment, in addition to support of the army troops during the operation, is to conduct struggle against enemy tanks. It is to deploy in the area ___ and be prepared to fight the enemy tanks on the following lines:
--- Line NO 1: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
--- Line NO 2: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
--- Line NO 3: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.
--- Line NO 4: The line of ___ in the direction of ___.


N. Mobile Obstacle Detachment (POZ) is the first and second companies of the army's obstacle battalion. |It is to deploy in area ___ and move and operate with the anti-tank reserve to repel enemy tanks.


O. Engineer Reserve is the 1st Battalion of the Combat Engineer Regiment, the 1st Road and Bridge Battalion and the 1st Battalion of the Pontoon Bridge Regiment. After accomplishment of assigned misions during the preparation of the army's operation, the engineer reserve is to deploy in area ___ and be prepared to conduct unexpected missions during the operation. In the course of the conduct of the operation it is to follow the ____ Motorized Rifle Division.


P. Chemical Reserve:

The chemical reserve is composed of the army's separate chemical protection battalion. It is to be prepared to conduct unexpected missions in the course of the operation. The chemical reserve is to deploy in area ___ and move during the operation in the direction ___.


Q. Time of readiness of the troops for the operation is at 2400 hrs on ___.

The norms of mobile reserves of material means during the operation are to be kept as follows:
-- 1. Infantry weapons - ____ units of fire
-- 2. Arty and mortars - ____ units of fire
-- 3. Reactive arty - ____ units of fire
-- 4. Tank ammunition - ____ units of fire
-- 5. Air defense ammo - ____ units of fire
-- 6. Auto gasoline - ____ refills
-- 7. Diesel fuel - ____ refills
-- 8. Foodstuffs - __ daily rations



V. CONTROL OF ARMY TROOPS

-- The army CP is in ___________.
-- The army's rear control point is at _______.
-- The army's FCP is at _________.

The direction of relocation of the FCP, CP, and Rear CP during the operation, is the direction of _________, __________, _______, __________, _____________. The signal communication from army's CP to the front's commander and staff and with the subordinate, adjacent, and interacting troops will be established by radio, radio-relay, telephone, and mobile communications means with strict observation of the rules of secrecy of the troop control.

My deputies are:
--- The chief of staff, first deputy army commander, chief of political affairs, and commander of the ____ MRD.


Chief of Operations Directorate:
(Signature)


Chief of Staff of the army
(Signature)

Combat Instructions from Army to Division

Once the army commander has made his decision and the army operations plan and operations directive have been written, the army will issue extracts of the operations directive to each division in the form of "Combat Instructions." The format of the instructions contains the following sections.

I. Enemy: This is based on the statement of the enemy found in the army operational directive.

II. Specific missions to the division: The part of the "I order" section of the operational directive directed to the individual division.

III. Army means and missions of adjacents: The actions of the army forces in the division's area in support of its actions and a summary of the actions of adjacents relevant to the division.

IV. Troop control measures: A restatement from the army operational order of the location and movement of command post, signal communications measures, and the designation of army succession in command.

A sample of the combat instructions follows.

I approve ___/___/Guards Army--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serial No:
Major General -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRET
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copy No:


Combat Instructions of the commander of the Eighth Guards Army for offensive operation to the commander of the 16th MRD:

Command post Wickerstedt, at ____, on ____ Map 1:250,000 Aug 1983 ed:


I. Enemy

As a result of the deterioration of the international situation the NATO has secretly brought its armed forces to the state of full combat readiness and wants to launch a surprise attack on the territories of the Warsaw Pact.
Confronting the troops of the Eighth Guards Army, t he forces of the U. S. V Corps are deployed with the Third Armored Division and the Eighth Mechanized Division in the first-echelon composed of a total of up to ____ nuclear rocket systems, ____ nuclear artillery pieces, ____ tanks,____ guns and mortars, ____ SAM systems, and ____ fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
In the second-echelon of the V Corps, the ___ division and most likely tank troops of the FRG will operate with a total of ____ nuclear rocket systems, ____ nuclear artillery piece tan guns and mortars, ____ SAM systems, ____ fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
In front of the forward defense belt, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the enemy's border troops are deployed in the security zone.
The combat action of the enemy during the operation will be supported by ____ combat aircraft from the U.S. and FRG national air forces and aviation troops of the 4th ATAF, organic to the Central Army Group, which has nuclear capability. During the conduct of the operation the enemy can launch a total of ( ) strikes of nuclear rockets, rounds, and bombs in the area of the Eighth Guards Army.
On the flanks of the Vth Corps, the III German Corps in the north and the VII U. S. Corps in the south will operate. Their actions can affect the Eighth Guards Army actions during the conduct of the operation.
During the operation, movement of the U. S. and French strategic reserves and newly mobilized German reserves to the area of the Eighth Guards Army is likely. The enemy tries to inflict maximum losses on the Warsaw Pact countries by launching a surprise decisive offensive operation and seize vital territories. If the Warsaw Pact countries overtake the NATO in offensive operations, it is likely that the troops of the Vth U. S. Corps will hold pre-prepared defensive lines at the line of Bad Hersfeld, Niederaule, Schlitz, Fulda, Gersfeld, Bad Neustadt, to inflict heavy losses on the army by defensive actions.
In this case the enemy's counter strikes by his second-echelon troops are likely to be launched from the line: Birstein - Gedern in the direction of Grehenhain, Lauterbach, Bad Hersfeld, and from the line: Neustadt, Homberg in the direction of Kirtarf, Alsfeld, Niederaula.


II. Order to 16th MRD:

The 16th MRD with the ____arty bde of the VGK artillery div, -- Anti-tank Bn, ____Combat Engineer Bn, -- Assault Crossing Co, and ___ Bn of the Road and Bridge Regiment is to attack the enemy at the line of Ludwigsau, Eichhof and to develop the attack in the direction Bad Hersfeld, - Rockerod and destroy the enemy in the area Ludwigsau, Gittersed, Rockerod, Eichhof and to continue the attack in the direction of Go Bmanerode - Ottrau and destroy the enemy's division reserves in the area: Wigshain, Schorbach, Ottrau, and Kemmerod and at ____ hrs seize the line of its immediate mission at Schorbach, Ottrau, and north of Lingitbach.
Then the division is to continue the attack in the direction of Ottrau, Alsfeld, Hill 384, destroy the enemy forces in the area ____, ____, ____, ____ and at the end of the day seize the line of west of Anlrifttal, Heimertshausen and the stretch of route 49 to the south. The direction of attack of the division for the next day is Heimertshausen and Hill 322.
The division is to detach one reinforced BMP motorized rifle battalion as a forward detachment to destroy, from the line of march, the enemy's border and covering troops in the security zone and to facilitate quick advance of the division to the line of the enemy's forward defense area.
For the division's attack 15 nuclear rockets, 5 chemical rockets and 15 conventional rocket warheads are allocated. The chemical and nuclear weapons will be used in accordance with the order and instructions via signal for the initial nuclear strike by the front.
(In case of the conduct of the attack with the use of nuclear weapons the targets of divisional rocket troops are specified as shown below.) During the initial nuclear strike of the front the following targets are to be destroyed by the division's rocket battalion:
--- target No 314, enemy's first-echelon bn, in area ____, --by a 3 kt warhead air burst at H- 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No 315, enemy's first-echelon bn, in area ____ , ____by a 3 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No. 316, enemy artillery bn, in area ____, ____ by a 3 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No. 317, enemy brigade second-echelon bn, in the area ____, ____ by a 3 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No. 318, enemy brigade second-echelon tank bn, in the area ____, ____ by a 10 kt warhead, air burst, at H + 00:20 or at the signal:
--- target No. 319, enemy's division CP, in the area ____ by a 10 kt warhead, ground burst, at H + 00:20.
--- target No. 320 enemy's brigade CP in the area ____ by a 10 kt warhead, ground burst, at H + 00:20
--- target No. 321, enemy's rear service, in area ____ by a 10 kt warhead, air burst, at H + 00:20.

The division is to conduct breakthrough of the enemy forward defense area in the area ___ on a 4 km front and destroy or suppress during the preparatory fire the enemy's strong points on the forward line and in the depth, command posts, artillery and mortar batteries, and enemy's immediate reserves.
The division CP during the breakthrough of the enemy's defense is to be established at 3 km west of road junction of Fredewald and the division's rear Cp in the area ____.
The time of readiness of the division troops for the attack is 2400 on __.


III. The army means and adjacent missions:

a. The following targets are destroyed in the division's sector by army means:
--- enemy's Corps CP at ____
--- nuclear depot at ____
--- nuclear rocket system at ____

During the artillery preparatory fires, the following targets in the division's sector are destroyed : targets ____, ____, ____, ____.

The air force destroys and suppresses during the preparatory fire the enemy's nuclear weapons at ____, enemy CP at ____, enemy SAM systems in ____, enemy radar posts at ____.

b. On the right the 11th MRD of the First Guards Army attacks with an immediate mission to seize the line of the road junction west of Schellbach, Wattenstein, Rabolds, and a subsequent mission to seize the line of Frielendorf, 3 km west of Seigertshausen, and Neukirchen. The daily mission of the division is to seize the line of Momberg, Neustadt, Arnsha. The boundary with the division passes through: Eisenach, Hill 754, and Dannenrod.

On the left, the 18th MRD attacks with an immediate mission to seize the line of road junction 3 km northwest of Hattenbach, Breilenburg, 2 km east of Hatterode. The division's subsequent mission is to seize the line of Lingetach, and airfield at Lauterbach, and its daily mission is to seize the line of 2 km west of Neider, east of Windhausen, and Meiches. The boundary with the division passes through : Mohara, Hill 366, road junction south east of Bad Hersfeld, Kleba, Lingellach, Neider.


IV. Troop control- The Army's FCP is at Walreslenben
-- army's CP is at Wickastedt
-- army's rear CP is at Tumpling

The direction of relocation of the FCP, CP, and rear CP during the operation is the direction of Waldfisch, Schenklengsfeld, Gruynbverg, Weilmunster, Ober Dmershausen.

The signal communication from army's CP's to the front' commander and staff and with the subordinate, adjacent and interacting troops is to be established by radio, radio-relay, telephone and mobile communications means with strict observation of the rules of secrecy of the troop control.

My deputies are in order of succession: The chief of staff, first deputy army commander, chief of the political affairs dept, and commander of the 16th MRD.

Chief of operations directorate

Chief of Staff
x

I approve ___/___/Guards Army --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Serial No:
Major General -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SECRET
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copy No:

of the commander of the _____________ Army for offensive operation to the commander of the ____ MRD:

Command post ________, at ____, on ____ Map 1:250,000 Aug 1983 ed:


I. Enemy

As a result of the deterioration of the international situation the NATO has secretly brought its armed forces to the state of full combat readiness and wants to launch a surprise attack on the territories of the Warsaw Pact.
Confronting the troops of the ___________ Army, t he forces of the _____ _ Corps are deployed with the _____ ________ and the _______ _______ Division in the first-echelon composed of a total of up to ____ nuclear rocket systems, ____ nuclear artillery pieces, ____ tanks,____ guns and mortars, ____ SAM systems, and ____ fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
In the second-echelon of the _ Corps, the ___ division and most likely tank troops of the FRG will operate with a total of ____ nuclear rocket systems, ____ nuclear artillery piece tan guns and mortars, ____ SAM systems, ____ fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
In front of the forward defense belt, the ________________ Regiment and the enemy's border troops are deployed in the security zone.
The combat action of the enemy during the operation will be supported by ____ combat aircraft from the U.S. and FRG national air forces and aviation troops of the ___ ATAF, organic to the Central Army Group, which has nuclear capability.
During the conduct of the operation the enemy can launch a total of ( ) strikes of nuclear rockets, rounds, and bombs in the area of the __________ Army.
On the flanks of the ___ Corps, the _________ Corps in the north and the _______Corps in the south will operate. Their actions can affect the ______ ______ Army actions during the conduct of the operation.
During the operation, movement of the U. S. and French strategic reserves and newly mobilized German reserves to the area of the Eighth Guards Army is likely. The enemy tries to inflict maximum losses on the Warsaw Pact countries by launching a surprise decisive offensive operation and seize vital territories. If the Warsaw Pact countries overtake the NATO in offensive operations, it is likely that the troops of the ____ U. S. Corps will hold pre-prepared defensive lines at the line of __________, __________, _______, ________, to inflict heavy losses on the army by defensive actions.
In this case the enemy's counter strikes by his second-echelon troops are likely to be launched from the line: __________ - ____ in the direction of ________, _________ ,___________, and from the line: _______,________ in the direction of _______, _______, __________.


II. The division

The ____ MRD with ____ Artillery Brigade of the VGK artillery div, -- Anti-tank Bn, ____Combat Engineer Bn, -- Assault Crossing Co, and ___ Bn of the Road and Bridge Regiment is to attack the enemy at the line of ________, _______ and to develop the attack in the direction ________, - _______ and destroy the enemy in the area _________, ________, _______, ______ and at ____to continue the attack in the direction of __________ - _____ and destroy the enemy's division reserves in the area: ________, ________, ______, and _______ and at ____ hrs seize the line of its immediate mission at ______, ______, and _____________.
Then the division is to continue the attack in the direction of ______, _______, ________, destroy the enemy forces in the area ____, ____, ____, ____ and at the end of the day seize the line of __________, ___________ and ______________. The direction of attack of the division for the next day is _________ and ________.
The division is to detach one reinforced BMP motorized rifle battalion as a forward detachment to destroy, from the line of march, the enemy's border and covering troops in the security zone and to facilitate quick advance of the division to the line of the enemy's forward defense area.
For the division's attack __ nuclear rockets, _ chemical rockets and __ conventional rocket warheads are allocated. The chemical and nuclear weapons will be used in accordance with the order and instructions via signal for the initial nuclear strike by the front.
(In case of the conduct of the attack with the use of nuclear weapons the targets of divisional rocket troops are specified as shown below.) During the initial nuclear strike of the front the following targets are to be destroyed by the division's rocket battalion:
--- target No 314, enemy's first-echelon bn, in area ____, --by a 3 kt warhead air burst at H- 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No 315, enemy's first-echelon bn, in area ____ , ____ by a 3 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No. 316, enemy artillery bn, in area ____, ____ by a 3 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No. 317, enemy brigade second-echelon bn, in the area ____, ____ by a 3 kt warhead, air burst, at H - 00:20 or at the signal;
--- target No. 318, enemy brigade second-echelon tank bn, in the area ____, ____ by a 10 kt warhead, air burst, at H + 00:20 or at the signal:
--- target No. 319, enemy's division CP, in the area ____ by a 10 kt warhead, ground burst, at H + 00:20.
--- target No. 320 enemy's brigade CP in the area ____ by a 10 kt warhead, ground burst, at H + 00:20
--- target No. 321, enemy's rear service, in area ____ by a 10 kt warhead, air burst, at H + 00:20.

The division is to conduct breakthrough of the enemy forward defense area in the area ___ on a 4 km front and destroy or suppress during the preparatory fire the enemy's strong points on the forward line and in the depth, command posts, artillery and mortar batteries, and enemy's immediate reserves.
The division CP during the breakthrough of the enemy's defense is to be established at _______________ and the division's rear Cp in the area ____.
The time of readiness of the division troops for the attack is 2400 on __.


III. The army means and adjacent missions:

a. The following targets are destroyed in the division's sector by army means:
--- enemy's Corps CP at ____
--- nuclear depot at ____
--- nuclear rocket system at ____

During the artillery preparatory fires, the following targets in the division's sector are destroyed : targets ____, ____, ____, ____.

The air force destroys and suppresses during the preparatory fire the enemy's nuclear weapons at ____, enemy CP at ____, enemy SAM systems in ____, enemy radar posts at ____.

b. On the right the ____ MRD of the __________ Army attacks with an immediate mission to seize the line of the road junction west of __________, _______, _______, and a subsequent mission to seize the line of _______,_____, and ________. The daily mission of the division is to seize the line of _______, ______,_______. The boundary with the division passes through: ________, ________, and _________.

On the left, the ____ MRD attacks with an immediate mission to seize the line of road junction _______, ___________, ____________. The division's subsequent mission is to seize the line of _______, and __________ , and its daily mission is to seize the line of ___________, _________________, and _______. The boundary with the division passes through : _____, ________, ____________________, _________, and _________.


IV. Troop control- The Army's FCP is at ________

-- army's CP is at __________
-- army's rear CP is at ________

The direction of relocation of the FCP, CP, and rear CP during the operation is the direction of ________,________,________, _____________.

The signal communication from army's CP's to the front' commander and staff and with the subordinate, adjacent and interacting troops is to be established by radio, radio-relay, telephone, and mobile communications means with strict observation of the rules of secrecy of the troop control.

My deputies are in order of succession: The chief of staff, first deputy army commander, chief of the political affairs dept, and commander of the 16th MRD.

Chief of operations directorate

Chief of Staff
x

Commitment of Army Second- Echelon into Engagement

The operational situation at 0600 19 June 1990:

The forces of the 8th Guards Army at 0600 on the 5th of June, after the conduct of the strategic air operation and preparatory fire, went onto the offensive. In the course of a four-day operation they repelled enemy counterattacks of the second-echelon brigade and counter strike of the second-echelon of the corps, broke through the enemy defense on the axis of the main attack, and moved 130 km into the depth of the enemy area. They fulfilled the army immediate mission on the main attack axis. On the secondary axis the army's forces did not develop the offensivein accordance with the plan, because the enemy strongly resisted. The enemy engineer obstacles turned out to be very strong and the enemy strongly defended them. So far they have not fulfilled the immediate mission. On the left flank the offensive of army forces is moving slowly. In some places the offensive of some army units has been stopped by the enemy. The current situation is shown on the map.

From the report of the chief of reconnaissance it is clear that the enemy uses the darkness of night to bring forward his operational reserves, which consist of motorized, tank, and artillery troops. On the axis from the south part of Frankfurt-on- Main toward the direction of Fulda the enemy is moving 6 columns. The march columns and their movements are shown on the map.

Also the operational reserves from the depth of Germany move from the north on the axis towards Bad Hersfeld in the zone of attack of the neighboring army (First Guards Tank Army). The situation of the enemy advance guard is shown on the map and his main forces move at a distance of 10-15 km behind the advance guard. The depth of each of the main forces columns is 25-30 km.

The Seventh Guards Tank Army in the second-echelon of the front is deployed at a distance of 200 km from the leading elements on the main axis of the army. At 0500 this morning, after the completion of a 150 km march, the deployment is shown on the map.

The enemy's air forces with wide use of radio electronic combat means delivered effective strikes during the course of the operation on army forces and rear service targets. The enemy strives to seize air supremacy. The enemy in future battles will widely use high accuracy weapons against our forces. We have also used reconnaissance strike complex, groups of deep reconnaissance, diversionary groups, and artillery fire and rocket and aviation strikes against his high accuracy weapons. But so far these weapons remain the most effective combat means available to the enemy. The losses of both sides are shown on the table.

Task:

1. Take the role of the army commander and chief of staff of the Eight Guards Army during the estimate of the situation and making deductions .

2. In accordance with the situation make the decision and show the decision on the map.

3. Write the combat instructions to the subordinates.

4. Organize interaction



Estimate of the situation:

1. estimate of enemy

The following are enemy results of offensive operations of our forces, which started at 0600 5 June with the forward detachments, which were sent out from each first-echelon division. From the first the enemy used heavy massive air strikes against our main forces and rear service targets. The battle began in the covering force area when our forward detachements fought against the armored cavalry regiment of the 5th US Corps and forces of the second-echelon of the first-echelon division. As a result of the effective actions of our forces in the afternoon the enemy covering force troops retired into the depth and our forces came in contact with the enemy main forces along the forward edge of their battle position. The enemy had already previously organized a main line of resistance and at 0530 on 6th June the offensive of our main forces began in order to break through the forward line of enemy resistance. The enemy used engineer fortification and obstacles in defense and strongly defended them in front of our attacking forces. During the combat actions, while our forces were breaking through the defense, the enemy mounted counterattacks with the second-echelon brigades of the first-echelon with the aim of restoring his positions on the forward edge, but these counterattacks did not succeed in stopping our attacks and our offensive continued into the enemy depth. During the development of the offensive into the depth the enemy mounted counterattacks from the second-echelon division with the objective of destroying our forces in the enemy defense. These counterattacks also did not have their intended result.

With the continuing movement of our forces in the depth of the enemy defense he mounted a counterstrike by the second-echelon of the army corps on two axes. As a result of the violent battle of the enemy counterattack, it was only stopped after great difficulty and with heavy losses. The offensive of our forces continues.

In the course of four days of operations the enemy forces on the main attack axis were forced to retreat and continue combat actions on the lines shown on the map. The enemy strives to reinforce the defense on the main axis of our forces in order to stop further advance of our forces into his depth. With this objective the enemy decided to withdraw his main forces a short distance and build a strong defense line; and also to bring forward new forces to reinforce this line.

The enemy on the left flank defends with strong resistance and prevents the advance of our forces into the depth. In some locations he has stopped our offensive. On the right flank some units of the First Guards Tank Army, during the course of the four days, only with difficulty managed to advance 30 km.


The situation and condition of enemy forces:

On the main axis of the army the enemy forces operate in the following manner:
-- 8th Motorized Division;
---- 2nd Brigade 8th Motorized Division; defends on the line ___ to ___ against units of the 16th Motor Rifle Division;
----3rd Brigade of 8th Motorized Division defends on the line __ to ___ against units of the 11th Regiment of 16th Motor Rifle Div and the 115 Regt of the 18th Motor Rifle Div.
-- --The 1st Brigade of 8th Motorized Division conducts combat action in the area ___. ___. In front of the unit is the 11th Motorized Rifle Div of the adjacent army (1GTA);
-- --The staff of the 8th Division is located in the area ___. ___.
-- The armored cavalry regiment is located in the second-echelon and organizes defenses on the line ___ to ___.

--The enemy forces of almost of a brigade move from the depth to the combat area and part of its forces organize defense along the line ___. ___.

-- Third Armored Division: 1st Brigade - 3AD defends on the line ___ to ___. Against the units of the 18th division.
---- 2nd Brigade 3AD defends on line ___ to ___against units of the 19th MRD.
---- 3rd Brigade of 3AD assembles in the area ___, to ___. This division has had heavy losses.
-----The division staff located in areas ___.

--Second-echelon armor division of Vth Corps:
---- This division conducts counterattack with aim of destruction of army main forces on main attack axis. As a result of strenuous fighting the division was thrown back. Now units of the division act in the following areas ___. ___

-- 3rd Armor Brigade defends on the line ___ to __ against 121 MRR and 19th Tank Regiment of 19th MRD. and 21 Tank Regt of 21 MRD.
-- 3rd Brigade defends in the area ___ against 125 MRR of 21 MRD and units of 40th MRD.
-- 1st Brigade of this division defends __- to __- against units of 11th MRD. This division is located far from the main forces.
-- The division staff is located in area ___, ___.

-- Corps Pershing Battalion located in area ___.
-- Corps Lance bn located in area ____.
-- Positions of atomic artillery 203.4mm are likely located in area ___, ___.
-- Firing positions of 155mm regiment are located in area ___.

In the composition of enemy forces located in contact with our army it is possible that they have ___ nuclear rockets, ___ atomic artillery ___, high accuracy weapons, ____ artillery and mortars, ___ tanks, ____ motor rifle divisions,____ PVO rockets, ___ combat helicopters.

Enemy losses are shown on the tables.

Operational reserves consist of tank, motorized, and artillery forces. They are moving in 6 columns on the axis toward Fulda. At their head are advance guards that have reached a line of Kirchgell to Erbach and Lautertal. It is possible that they have up to 2 divisions. So far their nationality and composition are not known. In this force it is possible that there are ___ nuclear rockets, ___ atomic artillery, ___ high accuracy weapons, ___ artillery and mortars, ___ PVO rrockets, ___ combat helicopters.

Also reconnaissance confirmed the movement of the enemy reserves from the depth of German territory from the north on the axis toward Bad Hersfeld. In the area of attack of our neighbor army on the right (1st Guards Tank Army) the enemy advance guards reached line of ___, ___. 3 km south west of Zierenberg, Wolfhagen, Korbach.

From the composition of the march columns and their length we believe that the composition of the grouping may be up to 2 motorized and tank divisions and their content and nationality is not clear.


Possible aim of enemy actions

From the enemy operational disposition and their strong resistance on the left flank and on the right flank in the regions ___, ___, ___, and movement of operational reserves from the depth, it is clear we estimate that enemy strives to deliver two flanking convergent blows; from the line ___, ___ on axis ___ and from line ___, __ on axis ___. He strives to encircle and destroy the main forces of the 8th Guards Army and First Guards Tank Army in the area of West of Kassel, Bad Hersfeld, Fulda and Wetzlar, Laspge, Frankenberg. He wants to restore the line to the state border. With the arrival of strategic reserves from depth he will go over onto the decisive offensive into WP area.

The start of the enemy counterattack is possible from 0500 in areas ____._____,______. (It is 100 km away, at rate of advance of 25 km hr the movement will take 4 hrs and if our forces deliver air and artillery strikes they may delay it one hour).


Assessment of our forces:

Our forces at 0600 morning of 5 June, after conduct of strategic air strike of the TVD scale, with forward detachments of each first-echelon division composed of one reinforced motor rifle regiment went onto the attack. After conduct of battle in the covering force area, during the afternoon they came in close contact with the enemy main line of resistance. After detailed analysis of enemy defense, by using night time to move artillery, PVO and command posts close to enemy forward edge of defense, with the artillery calculating firing requirements and occupying positions, the army main forces launched the attack on the enemy defenses from the march, after artillery preparation, at 0530 6 June.

With our forces moving into enemy defense they were attacked by the second-echelon of enemy brigades and then by second-echelons of the enemy divisions with the aim of destroying our forces and restoring the main line of defense. After a strong fight these counterattacks were repulsed. The army main forces moved into the depth of defense. At that time the enemy launched a counterattack of the second-echelon of the Vth Corps on two axes. After desperate fighting and with great difficulties and losses the counterattack was also repulsed and the main forces of 16th and 18th MRD's moved into enemy defense.

The army main forces during four days operations moved 130 km into the depth of the enemy defense in accordance with plan and fulfilled the immediate mission, but the offensive of the army on our left flank did not have success and could not fulfill its immediate mission because of strong enemy defense. In some locations the offensive of our forces was stooped by enemy and some units of the 21st MRD during four days time moved only 30 km forward.

Forces of the second-echelon divisions so far have not been committed into combat. The situation of our forces at 0600 9th June is shown on the map.


The situation and status of our forces:

The 16th MRD:
--- 112th MRR attacks on the line ___, ___. against subunits of the 2nd Brigade of enemy 8th Div;
--- 16th Tank Regt attacks on the line __, __- against subunits of 2nd enemy Brigade;
--- 111th MRR attacks on line ___, ___ against subunits of 3rd Brigade;
--- 110th MRR is located in division 2nd echelon and moves forward; the head of column reached line ___, ___.

The division losses are shown in the table.

The 18th MRD:
--- 115 MRR attacks on the line __-, ___ against subunits of the 3rd Brigade 8th Motorized Division.
--- 116th MRR attacks on the line ___, ___ against subunits of the 1st Brigade 3rd Armor Div.
--- 117th MRR regt attacks on the line ___,___against subunits of 1st Brigade of 3rd Armored Division.
--- 18th Tank Regt concentrates in region ___ and it comprises the division 2nd echelon.

The division losses are shown in the table.

The 19th MRD:
--- 120 MRR slowly attacks against subunits of the 3rd Brigade of enemy on line ___. ___;
--- 121st MRR attacks and reaches line __-, __- against subunits of 1st Brigade of enemy and moves with difficulty.
--- 19th Tank Regt has been stopped by subunits of 2nd Brigade of enemy armored division.
--- 122 MRR assembles in area ___, ___ and composes division second-echelon.

The division losses are shown on the table.

The 21st Motor Rifle Division:
--- 21st Tank Regiment attacks but is stopped by units of 2nd Brigade of enemy armored division on line___, ___.
--- Attack of 125th MRR also stopped by units of 3rd Brigade of armored division on line ___, ___.
--- 126th and 128th MRR surround enemy in region ___, ___, ___ and conduct battle with aim of destroying this encircled enemy force.

The division losses are shown on the table.

The 17th Tank Division:
--- At 0500 the division completed its march of 150 km and assembled in area __-, ___, __. Division losses and shortages from full strength are shown in the table.
--- The 20th Tank Division:
--- At 0430 after completing 40 km march concentrated in area __-, ___, ___. Division's losses and shortages are shown in the table.

The army artillery subgroup 1 :
--- Occupies it positions in area __-, __-; and interacts with the 16th MRD. Losses in personnel 3% and in guns and mortars 18%, and tractors 13%.

The army artillery subgroup 2:
--- Occupies their positions in area ,_--, __- and interact with 18th MRD. Losses in personnel 3% and in guns and mortars rocket launchers 16%,

The antitank reserve:
--- Repelled enemy counterattack and moved forward and the head of the column has reached line of __-, __-. Losses of personnel 3% and of ATGM and AT guns 18%.

The mobile obstacle detachment of army:
--- Also repelled enemy counterattack and moves forward and head of column has reached line __-, ___. Losses in personnel 2.5% and loses of equipment 12%.

The army rocket brigade:
--- Occupies firing positions in area __-, ___. and losses in personnel 3% and in launchers 25%.

The PVO rocket brigade:
- - covers army main forces on the main axis its situation is shown on the map. Its losses in personnel are 3.5% and in combat equipment 18%.

Material supplies for army forces:
--- The separate material support battalion of the 16th MRD lost 40% of supplies. Separate material support battalion of 18th and 21st MRD's have 20% losses in supplies. The separate material support battalion of the 19th MRD completely lost transport company for POL. and of other supplies it has 15%.

The separate material support brigade of army:
--- Has reported the following losses: 35% supplies of POL, and 25% in ammunition, 20% of food, and 18% of clothing and supplies. For replacing losses of transport and other material the front rear service is acting to accomplish it.


Conclusion from estimate of own forces:

The offensive of the 16th and 18th MRD's is continuing slowly and their second-echelons have some losses in personnel and combat equipment. But the offensive of the 19th and 21st MRD's are partly stopped and cannot fulfill their combat missions in accordance with the operations plan. The second echelon of the 19th MRD is changing its location and occupying a new location and the second echelon of the 21st division already has be committed into battle and the division does not have a second echelon.

The army second-echelon divisions so far have not been committed into combat and their strength after completion of 40 and 50 km march are concentrated in new areas.

The operational situation of the Eight Guards Army and the First Guards Tank Army:
During the course of four days of offensive on the axis of the main attack the offensive has reached into the depth of the enemy defense but on the flanks of both armies the enemy uses engineer fortifications and strong resistance and was not broken through. In some locations the offensive on the flanks is stooped by enemy. The attack has created a dangerous salient conducive for conduct of enemy counterattacks by operational and strategic reserves. This creates good conditions for the encirclement and destruction of the main forces of both armies. The enemy knows the situation and decides to use the darkness of night to move reserves of 4-5 divisions on both flanks and strives to conduct encircling strikes against the main force of the forces and surround and destroy them. In this way the enemy strives to stop the front offensive operation.

With the aim of support of the concept of operation of the front and fulfill the given army mission we must on the one side repel enemy counterattacks and on the other hand develop the offensive into the enemy depth of defense. Therefore this objective requires that the 20th Tank Division take up the defense in the region __-, ___; and in interaction with the 28th CAA on left flank repel enemy counterattack in place, inflict losses on enemy, stop the counterattack, and after that return to the offensive against the main strength of the counterattacking group and 3rd Armor Division. The 20th Tank Division will coordinate with the forces of 28th CAA and by using flank attacks together they will destroy enemy forces on our left flank.

The 17th Tank Division, after completion of its 80 km march, will commit into the engagement on the line ___, ___ on the axis ___, ___ and develop the offensive into the depth of enemy defenses.


Making a new decision:
The correlation of forces and means are the following:

A correlation of forces in general;

forces and means own forces enemy correlation

--MRD 4: 3
--TD 2 : 2
--Oper.rocket 9
--tactical rocket 18
--guns and mortars 1176
--ATGM and gun 542
--tanks 1200
--PVo rocket 43
--PVO med range 96
--helicopter 150

Correlation of forces and means on main axis

forces and means own enemy correlation

--MRD 2 : 1.3
--TD 1
--operational rocket 9
--tactical rocket 9
--guns and mtrs 1012
--ATGM and AT guns 480
--Tanks 886
--PVO rock 43
--PVo medium 53
--helicopter 103



Correlation of forces and means on secondary axis

forces and means own enemy correlation

--MRD 0.3
--TD 1
--operation rocket 0
--tactical rocket 5
--guns and mortar 146
--ATGM and AT 70 tanks 314
--rocket PVO -
--PVO med 17
--helicopter 18