An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 11 During World War Two, thousands of platoon commanders conducted tens of thousands of platoon attacks, with each nation adopting a slightly nuanced approach on the basic format outlined above. For example, the U.S. Army fighting in the European theatre emphasised fire and manoeuvre to close with the enemy, followed by one or even two rifle squads suppressing the enemy, with a further squad moving forward to assault from a flank.11 For British and Commonwealth forces sections were divided into a rifle group and an LMG (Bren) group. They would typically "manoeuvre around to the flanks of the enemy position, alternating their movements, until the rifle group was in a favourable position to assault and the Bren gun in a good covering position."12 The platoon commander would then assault with sections sequentially, each with a designated role akin to suppress, assault, or reserve, with which we are familiar today. The British experiences of the Falklands War, where multiple battalion attacks were conducted during the three-week land battle, solidified the importance of small-unit leadership and initiative from lieutenants and corporals. Historian Mark Adkin points to the infamous Battle of Goose Green as being "won by the rifle sections and platoons" of the manoeuvre companies.13 Similarly, Nick Vaux, commander of 42 Commando (battalion), recalls that during the Battle of Mount Harriet the "momentum of the rifle sections never faltered . . . urged on by eager troop [platoon] officers."14 Irish Army lieutenants and sergeants attending the Infantry Battle School in Wales throughout the 1980s and 1990s to undergo Platoon Commanders' Battle Course and Platoon Sergeants' Battle Course (PSBC), respectively, were influenced by the lessons learned from the Falklands War. They returned to the Cadet School and NCO Training Wing with these lessons embedded in their understanding of the conduct of war; at the forefront of this was the platoon attack. Neil Matthews, a former NCO Training Wing instructor who recently retired as RSM completed PSBC in 1994. Reflecting on his experiences, RSM Matthews summarises: "It doesn't matter what size of formation you attack with, brigade, battalion, company, eventually it will all boil down to platoons or sections fighting isolated battles." PLATOON ATTACK IN LEADERSHIP AND COMMAND TRAINING Across Western Forces in general, but among current or former Commonwealth countries specifically, the platoon attack has become the venerable vehicle of choice for developing practical command ability in junior leaders. In the Irish Army, cadets and aspirant sergeants all undergo platoon attack training to practice and assess their command ability at platoon level. As Comdt Tadhg McCarthy, officer-in- charge and chief instructor of the NCO Training Wing, explains: "The platoon attack offers the means to evaluate a leader's theoretical knowledge and ability to conduct conventional land operations at infantry platoon level. Critically, it is a vehicle to evaluate other core competencies required of a military leader; teamwork, command and control, effective communications, critical thinking and decision making, situational awareness, and use of terrain. The physically robust nature of a platoon attack elevates the stress levels for those executing the attack, and exposes a clearer insight into the true ability and competence of those in appointment to lead a team." PLATOON ATTACK COMPETITION The Platoon Attack Competition has its origins in the mid-1990s. Following more than two decades of internal security operations in response to The Troubles, Irish Army leaders felt "Aid to the Civil Power [had] done great damage to conventional training."15 Thus, section and platoon attack competitions were devised to "raise the standards of battle preparation, improve troop leading abilities of commanders and promote good fieldcraft techniques."16 Building on the success of the section- level competition and harnessing the enthusiasm and "whole-hearted commitment of participants," the Army moved to a platoon-level event in 1995, where competitors conducted a hasty attack as part of an advance to contact.17 Each platoon was assessed in all aspects of platoon battle drills, command and control, and fieldcraft. The ability to call for fire via a simulated 81mm mortar section was also assessed, as was the employment of an 84mm Anti-Tank Gun detachment. Comdt Olive O'Sullivan commanded the 2 Infantry Battalion platoon during two competitions. She reflects: "Participating in the Platoon Attack competition was one of the great highlights of my time as a young officer. It generated immense competitiveness between all the infantry battalions and fostered a huge sense of pride through the platoon representing the unit. The Platoon Attack competition was more than a training exercise, it was an investment in the unit's cohesion, tactical proficiency, leadership, and overall effectiveness." Due to its popularity, the competition gathered momentum and within two annual iterations, it had evolved into a two-day event incorporating patrol harbour drills and recce patrols, etc.18 The competition the Infantry School will conduct this year will focus on leadership, battle preparation, reaction to effective enemy fire, assault and fight-through, and reorg and consolidation with emphasis on communications, medical drills (CUF and MEDEVAC) and call for fire (Target Grid Procedure). CONCLUSION In the contemporary operating environment, threats posed by cyber and electronic warfare will increasingly shape the battlespace before dismounted infantry platoons begin to close with the enemy. The advent of cheap and accessible unmanned aerial systems will add a three-dimensional and 360-degree nature to land operations that will force platoon tactics to evolve. However, platoon commanders will still need to master the basic tactics that originated over 100 years ago as a professional foundation from which to build more intricate capabilities. Thus, the platoon attack remains a significant aspect of modern warfare and conventional training. For unit commanders deciding how to prioritise their training resources, an investment in platoon attack training will likely provide great dividends for all involved and the added incentive of the return of Platoon Attack Competition provides units with the opportunity to bring home some silverware and bragging rights! It is appropriate to finish this article with the words of Infantry Corps Sergeant Major RSM Paul Mulhern, who believes the platoon attack is "quite simply the bread and butter of the infantry soldier. . . The profession of arms demands excellence, and the platoon attack is where that standard is measured for infantry soldiers. It is a cauldron where leadership is tested, teamwork is forged, and mission focus is refined. It is not just an exercise, it is preparation for combat, and for many, a rehearsal for the real thing." END NOTES 1 Gordon L. Rottman, World War II Infantry Assault Tactics, (Oxford: Osprey, 2008), 3. 2 Ibid. 3 Department of the Army, FM 3-21.8 The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad (Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 2007), 1-1. 4 Ibid. 5 Hamish Ross, Paddy Mayne (London: The History Press, 2004). 6 Rick Baillergeon and John Sutherland, " Tactics 101 096 – The Light Infantry Platoon Attack," Armchair General, posted 16 May 2014, http://armchairgeneral.com/tactics-101-096-the-light-infantry-platoon-attack. htm 7. The General Staff, Instructions for the Training of Platoons for Offensive Action, 1917 (London: War Office, 1917), 12-13. 8. Jim Storr, "Platoon Attacks and More," LinkedIn post (Oct 2024), https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jim- storr-1209962_platoon-attacks-and-more-activity-7245049171731255296-FRxK?utm_source=share&utm_ medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoA A A3EyQkBZtReiHt6n_IDuH8vTal5re1izGM 9. Anthony King, The Combat Soldier: Infantry Tactics and Cohesion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), 131. 10. Erwin Rommel, Infantry Attacks (Barnsley: Frontline Books, 2016), 9. 11. Rottman, World War II Infantry Assault Tactics, 49. 12. Ibid, 53. 13. Mark Adkin, Goose Green: A Battle is Fought to be Won (London: Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2003), 362. 14. Nick Vaux, March to the South Atlantic: 42 Commando Royal Marines in the Falklands War (London: Buchan & Enright, 1986), 178. 15. Comdt E. Kiely, "First All Army Platoon in Attack Competition," Seachtain na bhFórsaí Cosanta (Dublin: Defence Forces Printing Press, 1995), 16. Ibid. 17. Ibid. 18. Lt Niall Twomey, "First Bloods," An Cosantóir (September 1997), 19. Section Attack 1990s Platoon Attack Competition 1990s 07TH PNCO Course NCOTW Section Attack

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