Clearing techniques for single and multiple room entry

Clearing Agenda Planning considerations Clearing techniques for single and multiple room entry Hallways and intersections Squad Organization Assault element: Consists of one fire team Support and Security Elements One fire team Squad leader Attached weapons Assault Element Organization Clearing team Rifleman Grenadier Cover team Automatic rifleman Team leader Support/Security Element Organization Support/Security One fire team Squad leader Attached weapons NOTE: All fire teams must be able to assume the assault when needed. General Principles: Clear Top-Down Clear from the top down Gravity will add to momentum When forced up, an enemy has no way to escape Forces him to fight not flee Use supporting arms when enemy forced into open areas When entering low: Clear, move up, then clear down General Principles: Speed, Grenades, Patterns GET IN FAST Avoid silhouetting Use grenades when available ROE permitting Building construction permitting Avoid clearing patterns Vary means and direction of entry whenever possible Planning Considerations (1of2) Determine the point of entry Use of verbal / visual signals Use of hand grenades and demolitions Resupply High rate of consumption Need to cross load ammunition and equipment Due to weight/fatigue factors Planning Considerations (2of2) Order of room clearing Method of clearing Means to reinforce elements Means for marking rooms Casualty handling procedures Friendly Enemy Consolidation / reorganization Planning Factors Method of entry Number of men clearing rooms Positioning of men with respect to the opening Assumed room characteristics “Reading the room” Room Entry Positions Two methods Split position Stacked position Room Entry Positions Room Entry Positions Crossing the Threshold Four methods are: Buttonhook Cross Limited penetration Straight entry Crossing the Threshold Crossing the Threshold Crossing the Threshold Crossing the Threshold Buttonhook Limited Penetration Cross Straight Entry Hand Signals Detailed Room Clearing One man clear Least preferred method Two man clear Three man clear Four man clear One Man Clear Two Man Clear Three Man Clear 3 1 2 3 1 3 2 3 Four Man Clear 4 1 2 3 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 Multiple Entry: Advantages Advantages More eyes and firepower Shock effect w/o grenades Presents multiple targets Morale / sense of security Effectively clear large rooms Kill multiple enemy targets If number one man goes down direction of threat is apparent Multiple Entry: Pts. To Remember Nobody SPRAYS Consider room size and anticipate enemy numbers Cook off grenades Communication is key Designate order of entry Be flexible Is clear only after search Mark cleared room(s) Open Doorways (1of2) Check for booby traps Show grenade to all soldiers Vigorously throw grenade into room Immediately after grenade explodes, enter room quickly Sound off describing room Open Doorways (2of2) Systematically search the entire room Leave security personnel in room Mark the room properly Assault team moves on to next room Locked Doors Use split position if possible Check for booby traps Use a mechanical device Or demolition Try shooting the lock Only kick the door as a last resort Mouse Holes Size of opening dictates the clearing technique to use Check for booby traps Use a mirror Clear just like an open doorway Mouse Traps Hole blown or cut into the floor or ceiling Careful when using grenades Size dictates technique Pie off the hole Check for booby traps Use a mirror Buddy Lifts or Lowers Hallways Provide security On all openings SAW is best for this Rear security is most critical Be alert Control your movement Regulate your speed Maintain security Security Within a Building Security must be set as the building is being cleared To prevent enemy counter-attack. Sealing off rooms/floors From internal and external Use manpower if able or: Warning/anti-intrusion devices L-Shaped Enclosures Treat as two separate rooms Two man clear the L when possible Hallways (1of16) Wide hallways Narrow hallways Narrow T-shaped hallways Wide T-shaped hallways Hallways (2of16) Hallways (3of16) Hallways (4of16) Hallways (5of16) Hallways (6of16) Hallways (7of16) ROOM SECURE Hallways (8of16) Hallways (9of16) Hallways (10of16) CHECKING DOOR LOCKED DOOR Hallways (11of16) BREACHER ! Hallways (12of16) LOCKED DOOR Hallways (13of16) Hallways (14of16) Hallways (15of16) Hallways (16of16) Crossing Intersections (1of10) Crossing Intersections (2of10) Crossing Intersections (3of10) Crossing Intersections (4of10) Crossing Intersections (5of10) Crossing Intersections (6of10) Crossing Intersections (7of10) Crossing Intersections (8of10) Crossing Intersections (9of10) ROOM SECURE Crossing Intersections (10of10) ROOM SECURE T- Intersections T-Shaped Hallways Turning Movements T – Intersections (1of5) T – Intersections (2of5) T – Intersections (3of5) T – Intersections (4of5) T – Intersections (5of5) Turning Movement Turning Movement (1of6) Turning Movement (2of6) Turning Movement (3of6) Turning Movement (4of6) Turning Movement (5of6) Turning Movement (6of6) Consolidation and Reorganization Resupply and redistribution Mark the building Assume overwatch Treat and evac wounded Develop a defensive position If the building is to be occupied for a length of time Summary Squad organization enables effective use of clearing techniques for: Rooms / hallways Movement enablers Mouseholes / mousetraps Post-contact consolidation Same principles as non-MOUT Questions Combat within an urban environment exposes combat units to the realization of how easily they can be eliminated due to lack of proper preparation. This has been proven in past battles: Berlin, Hue City, Grozny, and Mogadishu. Battles are won or lost based on training prior to conflict. Continuous training does pay off in combat. This is the ideal however, the positions must be rotated to keep soldiers from getting jumpy or sleepy at their assigned task. Leaders must monitor their soldiers and rotate weapons and positions as needed. If possible, clear a stairwell all the way up and then clear from the top down. This is only possible on closed stairwells in buildings that have multiple stairwells such as office or apartment buildings. Speed creates violence of action without the use of grenades. ROE in most of our future conflicts will not allow use of grenades. Point of entry must be known prior to movement. Determine if you will use hand grenades and let everyone know. The need to crossload ammunition and equipment is very important due to the constant movement and momentum of urban combat. Technique: Once room clear, change magazine after five rounds. Crossload once you run out of ‘full’ magazines. Which rooms to clear first? Who will assume the attack if we get bogged down? How will rooms be marked? Enough marking material? Consolidation and reorganization is very similar to any battle drill. Security however, now includes larger sectors of fire with more threats to cover. 360* plus subterranean and overhead. Basic assumed room characteristics of the following rooms: Bedroom? Bed, closet, dresser, or nightstand Apartment(initial entry)? Couch, TV, kitchenette, hallway Store? Countertops, shelving, aisles, chairs/booths Storage? Boxes, disorganized, possible flammable storage containers (do not shoot) Garage? Vehicle, tools, Latrine? Shower, bathtub, sink Cross is generally used as it is the path of least resistance. 3man split clear. 3 man checks the door. 1 goes in followed closely by 2 then 3. 3 is prepared to take either 1 or 2’s sector should they go down. 4 man split clear. Same as three man stack. 4 man checks door and enters last. 1,2,3 then 4. Controlled pairs. A squad will not fit into a small closet. If furniture or wall locker is in the room it is only clear after these are searched. Mark rooms for follow on forces. May need tactical patience. Room may be too smoke filled to enter. Two or three seconds may allow the smoke to dissipate and enemy will still be feeling the effects of the grenade. Examples include: office buildings with ceiling tiles. Grenades shred them and they are nothing but dust afterwards. Hooligan tools are versatile and work well for this. Mouse hole is a hole in the wall. Creating these to move from room to room and building to building is advisable. Grenades thrown up are easily thrown back. Grenades thrown down may collapse floor you are currently on. Good way to move from floor to floor without clearing a stairwell. Follow on forces can provide rear security but check back often to make sure you are not out pacing them. Ground floor at a minimum must be sealed off. Leaders must decide how probable counterattack is from other floors. Security uses up manpower but can not be sacrificed at any time. ROE and Commander’s intent drive how much security is placed. If the building is to be held for a long period or only to facilitate another unit moving through the leader must place security appropriately. Once identified as L shape the team stacks and clears the remainder like two rooms. Usually only room for two men to clear last part of L. Size dictates. Clearing a wide hallway. When the hallway is wide enough to accommodate a team on both sides of the hallway, a double column or side-by-side method is used. The point man in each team is responsible for hallway security and can see the other point man with his peripheral vision. When a danger area is encountered on one side of the hallway the respective clearing team will enter the room while the point man in the other column maintains hallway security. If danger areas are encountered on both sides of the hallway at the same time, the assault force leader will designate which area is to be entered first. Clearing a narrow hallway. The column is the preferred method for clearing a narrow hallway. The point man is responsible for hallway security and ensuring that no danger areas are bypassed before a clearing team has entered and cleared it. The point man is located on the left/right of the hallway. Because of construction he may be in the center of the hallway. The clearing teams are stacked directly behind the point man. The point man controls the movement of the clearing teams by not passing a danger area. Once the point man encounters a danger area he will stop, ensuring that he stays out of the fatal funnel of fire. The clearing team stacked directly behind the point man will enter the first room and clear it. Once the clearing team has entered the room, the point man then moves down the hallway to the next danger area. T-shaped hallways are cleared like an L-shaped hallway but you must have two clearing teams. This takes coordination and good communication so that both teams enter and clear simultaneously. Point men move to dominant positions without entering the hallway. In a narrow hallway, once set, they simultaneously move across to far wall followed by number 2 men. In a wide T number 1 men move to dominant position without entering and set. Number 2 men move behind, give each other a signal (head nod) and move across to far wall simultaneously. As 2 men pass behind 1 men move around corner. The following set of slides demonstrate how one squad moves down a wide hallway clearing as they go. A team is on top of your screen with two men off the screen. B team is on the bottom moving toward next threat (open door). Once room secure B team places hallway security and A team moves to clear a door. The door is locked and will need to be breached. Both teams pull securtiy while the leader decides next movement. The nnext series demonstrates how one squad moves past an intersection. The lead men identify an intersection and achieve point of dominance without entering the intersection. Number 2 men move past and into intersection simultaneously. 1 men buttonhook to near wall. Rest of squad moves through to next threat (open doorway) and clears. A team is on top of screen with B team on bottom. A team will clear the open doorway while B team pulls hallway security. T shaped hallways require we secure both sides. We may secure this for other forces to move through or we may turn down one leg to reach a room on that end. Security must be maintained at all times. A team is on top with B team on bottom of screen. Number 1 men identify the hallway and number 2 men pass behind simultaneaously. Number 1 men secure near wall while number 2 men secure far wall and entire team moves out of hallway previously occupied. In a T shaped hallway, we may want to move down one leg of the T. This is especially true if we have one target room, such as in cordon and search operations. Security must still be maintained and the hallway secured. A team is on top of the screen, B team on bottom. Squad is conducting a left turn. A team is on top of the screen, B team on bottom. Squad is conducting a left turn. Actions by first two men from each team are the same. But remainder of squad follows to the left and then last two men from B team cross and follow squad. This emphasizes everyone knowing every other job as first two men become trail. Consolidation and reorganization is no different than operations in a non-urban environment. Cross loading ammunition and equipment is a must. If number 1 man has not been rotated he will be lowest on ammo. Marking the building for follow on forces and to prevent fratricide must be down immediately. Security is more difficult because of the three dimensional battle space. Sectors of fire include subterranean approaches and dominant surrounding buildings.