Spliting Squads For MOUT (USA)

[Lanzfeld]

I was just wondering what everybody in doing tactics wise for squad splitting in a MOUT mission? I have been playiing around alot and I cannot choose what is the best tactic.

There are several options as you know.

1. Split squad into 3 parts. SAW gunners overwatch and the 2 assault move forward each for a different house or 1 to a house and the other overwatch as well but seperate from SAW gunners? I guess there is a moral hit from splitting squads but I dont notice it too much for Blue.

2. Send 1 Assault squad forward under watch from rest of squad all in building (Nice RPG target)?

3. (The one I have been using as of late) Break off 2 man AT section from squad and use them as bait to trigger the Red. This one lowers risk of casulties or does it because many guys are left as overwatch in 1 location?

I just want to talk about SOMETHING while we wait. It is obviously a balance between firepower, moral, risk of too many guys in one building (RPG), etc...

What do you guys prefer and why? I am talking MOUT. Hunting for Reds.

[Ryujin]

Well, I try to play somewhat realistically to keep things challenging as BLUFOR, so I don't send out guys as bait.

There isn't really one approach I use all the time, tons of factors go into the choice of tactics. However, as far as avoiding being RPGed, if you have two teams covering, put them in different "rooms"/floors/buildings if possible. Also try to make sure your covering team(s) is only as exposed as they need to be to cover the maneuver team(s). Don't put them on the top floor if you can avoid it and they can still cover what they need to.

[Lanzfeld]

Good point about the top floor Ryujin.

You are refering to the fact that once you open up from the top floor then everyone who can see that top floor (many many eyes because of height) will open up on you. Didnt think of that!

I used the word "bait" but I dont really intend on them getting hurt. I hate it when that happens! It have just not had much luck with a 3 man team staying alive so why not make it a 2 man team? I sprint them across an open road or something for a few seconds and it is usually enough for the AI to reveal himself. Key word being AI!

[meade95]

MOUT discussions I always find useful here in CMSF -

I do split squads more often than not. Usually breaking off one small element (with the two others waiting back in some type of overwatch)....Make a quick attack on the target location with the smaller element...(usually hitting the location with small arms fire just prior to the DA element going in)....

I still contend that "elite" type units suffer far too much in CQC when clearing rooms.....But that is another subject..

[Lanzfeld]

So Meade95 you prefer to send a three man team into the mix and keep the rest of the squad as 1 unit or do you seperate them into 2 units (the overwatch)?

[souldierz]

Breaking up into teams is usually a good idea when your in urban areas.Having one back up the other as they move works well and if an ambush is discovered all your men won't get pinned and killed in the frantic seconds.One team will be able to fire back to cover the other as they find cover.This works extremely well with the Marines.

In buildings sometimes I break off and send the 2 man AT team to go to top floors or rooftops of certain buildings to give me a quick recon of the area.The set back of that is they don't have binos, so some things they miss.I also have them break up into teams to secure the rest of the building or to take up multiple positions in the building.

Usually near the end of a mission and few remaining enemies are left and trapped in a compound or some kind of building, I'll break the teams off into assault groups, having the MGs covering or suppressing the suspected enemy escape routes or the enemies themselves or even high ground areas where enemies could harm the assault teams, and the assault teams will assault the building or compound and clear it out of hostiles.

You can also break them up to recon on maps that are based on nature.Use them to investigate a potential move, instead of using the whole force to go further into the unknown or into a potential ambush.You could also use them to set up multiple firing locations so the enemy never really knows where your full strength and weaknesses are, plus when the enemy is firing at one of your locations pinning your troops down, you will be able to hit the enemy with the other location you have set up creating a 2 on 1 scenario and reducing the risk of your troops catching a bullet with someone else's name on it.

There are so many many ways to use the split teams option.I find myself discovering new ways to do it every time I play and find it an extremely valuable tool.I find that once you start to see certain ways to use them, it makes the game a whole lot more enjoyable and a new world of tactics emerges.I split them as often as necessarily and i keep finding it more and more necessary.

[meade95]

So Meade95 you prefer to send a three man team into the mix and keep the rest of the squad as 1 unit or do you seperate them into 2 units (the overwatch)?

Correct - 3 man team (if US ARMY) 4 man team (USMC)......It then depends on the situation / logistics if I keep the remaining overwatch section as one unit or two.......but I usually end up keeping them as a single unit.....usually because of the logistics / dangers of finding another overwatch. Also, I have found the bigger the firepower of the overwatch more often than not comes in quite useful in surpressing any threats in a quicker fashion with the overwatch as one larger unit.....

Another question, here, within MOUT tactics....Is how much resources are given to evac/ing wounded men during MOUT operations. That is what really starts to bog down my efforts.....but without question I do it....

[LongLeftFlank]

For me, the key to minimizing casualties seems to be strong overwatch plus recon by (Area) fire. The ASSAULT command for full squads can be extremely powerful since the overwatch element is ready to hose down a room instantly as the moving element enters, but only when you already know the enemy is there as your firepower is focused there.

If not, it's an invitation to get grenaded by an unspotted unit on a rooftop. If you don't know where all the enemy is, you're better off splitting squads and keeping them more widely separated (though mutually supporting) as souldierz describes above.

My 2 cents.

[Lanzfeld]

I avoid recon by fire as I try to play with some ROE.

Also I find it interesting what you say because I never use the assault command myself. I am sure that you are aware of the whole squad getting pinned from the use of this command? I prefer to split em up so they have seperate moral and suppression. Just my thoughts.

Thanks for the input!

[LUCASWILLEN05]

I like to use the assualt order myself with covering fire being given by another squad or by armoured vehicles if available. The assualt squad will automatically move by teams who I have noticed give each other covering fire as they advance.

On the other hand the split squad option is useful for some things such as conducting a recon where you do not want to risk a whole squad. While this sounds callous I would rather lose just a couple of men than have the squad, a whole platoon or even a company walk into an ambush and perhaps lose the lot at least as an effective fighting force.

[RadioactiveMan]

I've come to prefer keeping everyone together and using QUICK or ASSAULT before any enemy contact has been made. Assault commands make it much easier to seamlessly cover your advance, and seem to improve line of sight. I tend to assault directly from my occupied building into my next target building, with no waypoints in between. In MOUT the buidlings are typically close enough that the assault team moves all the way into the next building before the back half of the team leaves their covering spots. This is preferable to having your guys stop in the open and leapfrog past each other.

Once I get into a fight splitting teams is the first order of business. Elements that are engaged hold their ground, while the unengaged portions of my squads maneuver for a better angle/grenade range. I try to keep every fireteam/squad/weapons team/HQ element in a separate floor or building. Crowding just invites RPGs. Similarly, I keep the majority of my forces on street level, with only arty spotters and heavy weapons moving upstairs. I keep everyone off floors with balconies or open walls, and only use roofs when I have a high roof wall and no taller buildings nearby. These tactics limit my LOS, but improve my survivability.

These tactics work well... the trick is patience and consistent attention to detail when planning your move orders.

[meade95]

Once I get into a fight splitting teams is the first order of business. Elements that are engaged hold their ground, while the unengaged portions of my squads maneuver for a better angle/grenade range.

+1 - I proceed exactly the same way -