Military%20Theory%20and%20Strategy%20(cont)

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Military Theory and Strategy (cont)

• Lsn 3

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Agenda

• Forms of Maneuver
• Levels of War
• Elements of Operational Design
• Basic Army Elements

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Forms of Maneuver
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Forms of Maneuver

• The five forms of maneuver are the
• envelopment,
• turning movement,
• infiltration,
• penetration, and
• frontal attack.

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Envelopment
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Envelopment

• The envelopment is a form of maneuver in which an
  attacking force seeks to avoid the principal
  enemy defenses by seizing objectives to the enemy
  rear to destroy the enemy in his current
  positions.
• Envelopments avoid the enemy front, where he is
  protected and can easily concentrate fires.
• Single envelopments maneuver against one enemy
  flank double envelopments maneuver against both.
  Either variant can develop into an encirclement.
• Example The Germans conducted a double
  envelopment of the Russians in the World War I
  battle of Tannenberg.

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Turning Movement
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Turning Movement

• A turning movement is a form of maneuver in which
  the attacking force seeks to avoid the enemy's
  principal defensive positions by seizing
  objectives to the enemy rear and causing the
  enemy to move out of his current positions or
  divert major forces to meet the threat.
• A major threat to his rear forces the enemy to
  attack or withdraw rearward, thus "turning" him
  out of his defensive positions.
• Turning movements typically require greater depth
  than other forms of maneuver.
• Example The Inchon landing in the Korean War

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Infiltration
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Infiltration

• An infiltration is a form of maneuver in which an
  attacking force conducts undetected movement
  through or into an area occupied by enemy forces
  to occupy a position of advantage in the enemy
  rear while exposing only small elements to enemy
  defensive fires
• Typically, forces infiltrate in small groups and
  reassemble to continue their mission.
• Infiltration rarely defeats a defense by itself.
  Commanders direct infiltrations to attack lightly
  defended positions or stronger positions from the
  flank and rear, to secure key terrain to support
  the decisive operation, or to disrupt enemy
  sustaining operations.
• Example Hutier tactics in World War I

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Penetration
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Penetration

• A penetration is a form of maneuver in which an
  attacking force seeks to rupture enemy defenses
  on a narrow front to disrupt the defensive
  system.
• Commanders direct penetrations when enemy flanks
  are not assailable or time does not permit
  another form of maneuver. Successful penetrations
  create assailable flanks and provide access to
  enemy rear areas.
• Because penetrations frequently are directed into
  the front of the enemy defense, they risk
  significantly more friendly casualties than
  envelopments, turning movements, and
  infiltrations.
• Example Shermans Meridian Campaign and his
  March to the Sea

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Frontal Attack
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Frontal attack

• The frontal attack is frequently the most costly
  form of maneuver, since it exposes the majority
  of the attackers to the concentrated fires of the
  defenders.
• As the most direct form of maneuver, however, the
  frontal attack is useful for overwhelming light
  defenses, covering forces, or disorganized enemy
  resistance.
• It is often the best form of maneuver for hasty
  attacks and meeting engagements, where speed and
  simplicity are essential to maintain tempo and
  the initiative.
• Commanders may direct a frontal attack as a
  shaping operation and another form of maneuver as
  the decisive operation.
• Example The Charge of the Light Brigade in the
  Crimean War

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Levels of War

• Strategic
• Operational
• Tactical

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Levels of War

• Strategic
• Level at which a nation, often as a member of a
  group of nations, determines national or
  multinational strategic security objectives and
  guidance, and develops and uses national
  resources to accomplish these objectives

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Example The Allies Strategic Objective for
Europe in World War II

• Combined Chiefs directed Eisenhower to enter the
  continent of Europe and, in conjunction with
  other Allied nations, undertake operations aimed
  at the heart of Germany and the destruction of
  her armed forces

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Levels of War

• Operational
• Level at which campaigns and major operations are
  conducted and sustained to accomplish strategic
  objectives within theaters or areas of operation
• Link tactics and strategy

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Example Eisenhowers Operational Objective at
Normandy

• Secure a foothold on the continent of Europe from
  which to support offensive operations against
  Germany

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Levels of War

• Tactical
• Level at which battles and engagements are
  planned and executed to accomplish military
  objectives assigned to tactical units or task
  forces

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Example Tactical Objectives of the Airborne
Forces on D-Day

• Secure exits from the beaches to allow the
  amphibious forces to move inland
• Block German counterattack routes to protect
  amphibious forces

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Strategy

• Strategy is the pursuit, protection, or
  advancement of national interests through the
  application of the instruments of power
• Instruments of power (DIME)
• Diplomatic
• Informational
• Military
• Economic

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Traditional Military Strategies

• Attrition
• The reduction of the effectiveness of a force
  caused by loss of personnel and materiel
• Exhaustion
• The gradual erosion of a nations will or means
  to resist
• Annihilation
• Seeks the immediate destruction of the combat
  power of the enemys armed forces

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Operations

• Campaigns are the operational extension of the
  commanders strategy
• They are a series of related military operations
  aimed at accomplishing a strategic or operational
  objective within a given time and space
• Campaigns should be planned to adhere to the
  elements of operational design

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Elements of Operational Design
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Elements of Operational Design

• Synergy
• Simultaneity and depth
• Anticipation
• Balance
• Leverage
• Timing and tempo
• Operational reach and approach

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Forces and functions
• Arranging operations
• Centers of gravity
• Direct versus indirect
• Decisive points
• Culmination
• Termination

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Synergy
• Seek combinations of forces and actions to
  achieve concentrations in various dimensions, all
  culminating in attaining the assigned
  objective(s) in the shortest time possible and
  with minimum casualties
• Example In the US Civil War Jacksons
  Shenandoah Valley Campaign relieved pressure on
  Lee outside of Richmond.
• Simultaneity and depth
• Place more demands on adversary forces than can
  be handled both in terms of time and space
• Example Operation Just Cause (Panama) in 1989
  involved simultaneously attacking 26 separate
  locations.

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Anticipation
• Remain alert for the unexpected and opportunities
  to exploit the situation
• Example Believing the Arab armies were poised
  to strike, Israel launched a preemptive strike in
  the 1967 Six-Day War.
• Balance
• Maintain the force, its capabilities, and its
  operations in such a manner as to contribute to
  freedom of action and responsiveness
• Example The Allies decided on a Germany First
  strategy for World War II.

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Leverage
• Gain, maintain, and exploit advantages in combat
  power across all dimensions
• Example In World War I the Germans leveraged new
  technology by waging unrestricted submarine
  warfare.
• Timing and tempo
• Conduct operations at a tempo and point in time
  that best exploits friendly capabilities and
  inhibits the adversary
• Example The German Blitzkrieg of World War II
  maximized speed.

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Operational reach and approach
• The distance over which military power can mass
  effects and be employed decisively
• Example In the Korean War, the North Koreans
  overextend their operational reach making them
  vulnerable to having their line of communications
  cut at Seoul.
• Forces and functions
• Focus on defeating either adversary forces or
  functions, or a combination of both
• Example Shermans March to the Sea targeted
  Confederate functions of war-making ability and
  while at the same time Grants Overland Campaign
  targeted Lees forces.

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Arranging operations
• Achieve dimensional superiority by a combination
  of simultaneous and sequential operations
• Phases Deter/engage, Seize initiative, Decisive
  operations, Transition
• Example The coalition air campaign in Operation
  Desert Storm created the conditions necessary for
  the ground campaign.
• Centers of gravity
• Those characteristics, capabilities, or sources
  of power from which a military force derives its
  freedom of action, physical strength, or will to
  fight
• Destroying or neutralizing adversary centers of
  gravity is the most direct path to victory
• Example The North Vietnamese effectively
  influenced the US center of gravity of domestic
  support during the Vietnam War.

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Direct versus indirect
• To the extent possible, attack centers of gravity
  directly, but where direct attack means attacking
  into an opponents strength seek an indirect
  approach
• Example The North Vietnamese used guerrilla
  tactics to neutralize the US firepower advantage
  in Vietnam.
• Decisive points
• Usually geographic in nature, but can sometimes
  be key events or systems
• Give a marked advantage to whoever controls them
• Keys to attacking protected centers of gravity
• Example Each of the bridges in Operation Market
  Garden in World War II was a decisive point.

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Elements of Operational Design (cont)

• Culmination
• Point in time and space at which an attackers
  combat power no longer exceeds that of the
  defender or the defender no longer can preserve
  his force
• Example Napoleon was defeated in Moscow in 1812
  by General Winter.
• Termination
• Military operations typically conclude with
  attainment of the strategic ends for which the
  military force was committed, which then allows
  transition to other instruments of national power
  and agencies as the means to achieve broader
  goals
• Example Transitioning from combat victory to a
  self-sustaining democracy in Iraq proved illusive
  to US forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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Basic Army Elements

• Squads
• Platoons
• Companies
• Battalions
• Brigades
• Regiments
• Divisions
• Corps
• Armies

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Next

• The Seven Years War