Title: CROSSING A DANGER AREA
1CROSSING A DANGER AREA
2DANGER AREA
A DANGER AREA IS ANY PLACE WHERE A MOVING ELEMENT
IS VULNERABLE TO ENEMY OBSERVATION OR FIRE.
3CONSIDERATIONS FOR DANGER AREAS
- A DANGER AREA SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED
- A UNIT SHOULD NOT SPEND MUCH TIME DEALING WITH
A DANGER AREA - UNITS DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT SHOULD NOT BE
PARALLEL TO A DANGER AREA - AVOID A DANGER AREA, IF POSSIBLE
4TYPES OF DANGER AREAS
LINEAR DANGER AREA - VULNERABLE TO ENEMY
OBSERVATION OR FIRE PREDOMINATELY FROM
FLANKS. OPEN AREA DANGER AREA - VULNERABLE TO
ENEMY OBSERVATION OR FIRE FROM THE FRONT AND
FLANKS.
5CROSSING A DANGER AREA
-THREE PHASES OF CROSSING DANGER AREAS a.
IDENTIFICATION - POINT MAN HALTS PATROL. -
PL DECIDES IT IS A DANGER AREA AND ACTIONS THE
PATROL WILL TAKE. b. FAR SIDE RECONNAISSANCE
- SCOUTING FIRE TEAM CONDUCTS
RECONNAISSANCE - SCOUTING TEAM NORMALLY
CONSISTS OF POINT MAN, COVER MAN, NAVIGATOR, AND
SECURITY TEAM LEADER. c. CROSSING-CONTROLLED
BY APL.
6ENEMY CONTACT DURING FAR SIDE RECONNAISSANCE
- IF THE ENEMY DETECTS THE SCOUTING FIRE TEAM ON
THE FAR SIDE OF THE DANGER AREA - THE FLANK SECURITY OPENS FIRE ON THE ENEMY.
- MAIN BODY OF PATROL TAKES UP AN OVER-WATCH
POSITION AND FIRES ON ENEMY. - SCOUTING FIRE TEAM BREAKS CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY
AND REJOINS PATROL. - SMOKE AND INDIRECT FIRES MAY BE USED TO SCREEN
THE MOVEMENT OF THE PATROL TO A NEW LOCATION FOR
CROSSING THE DANGER AREA.
7BOX SHAPED RECONNAISSANCE
50 - 60
50 - 60
RP
50 - 60
50 - 60
50 - 60
50 - 60
Danger Area
Near Side Flank Security
Near Side Flank Security
Patrol
Direction of Movement
8ZIGZAG RECONNAISSANCE
50 - 60
RP
50 - 60
Danger Area
Near Side Flank Security
Near Side Flank Security
Patrol
Direction of Movement
9CROSSING LINEAR DANGER AREA
DANGER AREA
10TRAVELING OVER-WATCH
Direction of Travel
11AVOIDING A DANGER AREA
PATROL ENCOUNTERS A DANGER AREA THAT THE PL
DECIDES TO GO AROUND, THE PATROL AVOIDS DANGER
AREA BY MAKING A SERIES OF 90-DEGREE AZIMUTH
CHANGES UNTIL THE PATROL BYPASSES THE DANGER
AREA.
12AVOIDING A DANGER AREA
3RD LEG
DANGER AREA
2ND LEG
1ST LEG
ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT
(90-DEGREE OFFSET)
13ENEMY CONTACT AT DANGER AREAS
- PL WILL ALWAYS DESIGNATE NEAR AND FAR SIDE
RALLY POINTS TO AID IN THE REORGANIZATION OF THE
PATROL IF SEPARATED WHILE CROSSING A DANGER AREA.
- PL IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO CROSS A DANGER AREA
AND THE APL IS ONE OF LAST TO CROSS DANGER AREA,
SO IF THE PATROL BECOMES SEPARATED, THERE IS
LEADERSHIP ON BOTH SIDES.