Defending a city

[Mote]

This is somewhat of a spin-off from the Thunder Run discussions in the Israeli mech infantry doctrine thread, but how would the US or a similar first-rate military power conduct the urban warfare defense of a city (during the Cold War or put in the place of Iraq during the Battle of Baghdad)?

[DougRichards]

This is somewhat of a spin-off from the Thunder Run discussions in the Israeli mech infantry doctrine thread, but how would the US or a similar first-rate military power conduct the urban warfare defense of a city (during the Cold War or put in the place of Iraq during the Battle of Baghdad)?

 

Nuke the opposing capital.

[Hans Engstrom]

If I tell you, I'll have to kill you, considering my Home Guard company is tasked in Stockholm

 

Seriously though, pre landmine ban, there would have been an immense amount of mines around. Post landmine ban, well, there still would be a lot of mines around, but the AP version would be command detonated.

Edited October 5, 2007 by Hans Engstrom

[Redbeard]

If I tell you, I'll have to kill you, considering my Home Guard company is tasked in Stockholm

 

Seriously though, pre landmine ban, there would have been an immense amount of mines around. Post landmine ban, well, there still would be a lot of mines around, but the AP version would be command detonated.

 

Yeah, a city just offers so many opportunities to channel enemy advance into killing grounds where even Molotov cocktails can be used with a fair effect.

 

Next to barrikades, minefields and booby traps I would preapre a lot of sniper's positions and reisistance points with covered retreat/position change routes. Dig/prepare as many underground tunnels as possible - get some good maps over the city sewer system.

 

Regards

 

Steffen Redbeard

[Guest JamesG123]

This is somewhat of a spin-off from the Thunder Run discussions in the Israeli mech infantry doctrine thread, but how would the US or a similar first-rate military power conduct the urban warfare defense of a city (during the Cold War or put in the place of Iraq during the Battle of Baghdad)?

 

Ideally, the US would not defend in an urban area but met the enemy in the open field to preserve the infrestructure of the notionally allied nation they were defending. But if push came to shove, MOUT is the same kind of bloody nasty war no matter if you are 1st world or 3rd.

[DemolitionMan]

Well the actual "how to fight in urban terrain" at least by the book can be looked up in any of the US Army Field Manuals about MOUT-check globalsecurity.org for them.

 

The overall defense scheme planning depends on the city itself I guess. Take the Iraqi approach for Bagdad as example: they thought(and the US planned it that way originally) the city itself would be attacked by the 82nd and 101st Airborne, fighting and clearing it block by block. So they set up trenches and bunkers with weapon caches along the main approach routes to the city as well as the big open spaces inside the city center to counter such a kind of attack.

[X-Files]

What are the R.O.E. constraints? The current Marquis de Queensbury rules or are we defending Manhattan against Martians?

 

No-holds-barred, I think you'll find Americans can be viciously imaginative and even put Grozny's defenders to shame.

 

 

Major Strasser: Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Germans in their beloved Paris?

 

Rick: It's not particularly my beloved Paris.

 

Heinz: Can you imagine us in London?

 

Rick: When you get there, ask me!

 

Captain Renault: Hmmh! Diplomatist!

 

Major Strasser: How about New York?

 

Rick: Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade.

 

Or Detroit. Or Newark. Or Philly. Or Baltimore. Or DC.

 

Be seeing you.

Edited October 8, 2007 by X-Files

[SALADIN]

We are 600km total area and a good deal of it is urban. In 1967 we were thinking of starting our own army and we asked India,Egypt and Switzerland for ideas and help.India and Egypt did not respond (they had great relations with our neighbours and did not want to take sides).The Swiss told us it would be difficult to defend given the extremely small area and said forget about having an army, think more along a heavily armed police force.

 

After some reluctance we approached the Israelis and they gave us the core ideas and our intial training which forms the basis of our defence.In esssence it was "Attack first and defend the ground captured from enemy forces".Bulk of the armed forces therefore have an offensive mission.

 

 

The part of the armed forces tasked to defend uses mines,snipers and heavily fortified buildings and some other technical stuff desined specifically for an urban enviroment(there is an urban UAV for e.g.) to cause maximum casualties to attacking forces.

[Junior FO]

...

Edited September 19, 2024 by Junior FO

[Rod]

Defense of the city would greatly depend on how well the invading army is willing to spare civilians or prevent unnecessary destruction. If we are talking about unrestricted warfare and if the U.S. is invading, no problem, surround and cut-off the city than proceed with massive bombing campaings by B-52s, B-1, B-2 and even MC-130 dropping MOABs and Daisy cutters. Afterwards, send in the giant armored D-9 bulldozers (worked great in Jenin for the IDF) to just clear up any debris and remaining structure.

[Suhiir]

If you're talking no-holds barred warfare the answer to attacking a city is . . .

Firestorm.