[GZG] [GZG Fiction] Basic Street Fighting Manual

Basic Street Fighting Manual 
Release Date January 19th 2196
Colonel Hans Vogel

Below is a summary of the basic principles regarding the techniques and
methods employed successfully by the 3rd Army during the recent
street-level engagements with the Kra'Vak.

1. Shock groups

When entering a Kra'Vak held city the first action necessary is an army
wide reorganisation of all troop units. All base grade units (platoons,
companies and the like) should be dispensed with and be replaced by a
"shock group." Each shock group should include two each of storm,
reinforcement and reserve groups. Each storm group should contain (at an
optimum) eight to ten soldiers, though five can be an effective minimum
for the most technologically well supported nationalities. These storm
troopers must be armed with AARs, MGs, GMS/P or IAVRs, excessive numbers
of grenades, daggers, mountable small scale explosives and clearance
tools (like shovels or axes). Where possible these troops should follow
in on the heals of artillery, but they should also be capable of
initiating attacks from right on top of enemy positions and hitting
hard, fast and as silently as possible. Without the chaos caused by an
artillery strike, surprise is crucial. When mounting an attack one shock
group should assault while the other covers. 

Reinforcements should only move in if directly signalled by a verified
live member of the storm group. Kra'Vak have been known to try and
mislead reinforcements into believing they are joining a valid attack
when they are actually being misdirected and fed into a trap.

In all facets of action versus this deadly enemy speed and being fully
alert is the key. Any attack that takes more than three minutes to
initiate, complete and consolidate is likely to face failure due to
counteroffensives launched by some hidden or enraged Kra'Vak warrior.

2. Zones of Unit Action

Each shock group should be assigned a definite zone of action, smaller
groups are typically not sufficient to hold ground against the Kra'Vak,
which apparently have a minimum effective unit size more equitable with
a half platoon by human force definitions. A zone should typically be
made up of a group of buildings within a city block under attack. When
the buildings on one side of a city block are held by friendly troops,
then a storm group (or preferably two) should be assigned to clear the
buildings on each of the adjacent sides of the block (to right and
left).	Reserve groups should remain in the friendly ground to give
support by firing across the block into the rear and side windows and
entrances of the adjacent enemy-held buildings. This necessity is
exceptionally important. The equipment schedule in such actions should
include GMS/P, high powered sniper rifles, SMG's, IVARs, PPIGs and
assault cannons.

3. Boundaries Between Units

To avoid confusion it is a key tactical doctrine not to split
responsibility on key areas. Streets are just such a key area. As they
simultaneously present easily identifiable chalk marks for the
separation and demarcation of units. They are a natural avenue for
advances or retrograde movement. Although they are of no actual use for
movement, they are a natural guide. Instead of risking confusion by
dividing the street down the middle it is more effective to draw
boundaries between units along the face of buildings on one side of the
street. This means the street itself, together with the buildings along
the opposite side, becomes the responsibility of a single unit. A much
clearer and safer situation. 

4. Enemy Firing Positions

Use all available sensors to check buildings for firing loopholes. The
Kra'Vak must have a long history of city-based fighting as they are
masters of all the tricks. Bots should be used where possible to check
crawl spaces are clear and to sweep rooms for booby traps before any
human troops enter. Kra'Vak are just as likely to spend hours sitting in
wait under one of their plated floor tiles or lying at the bottom of the
pools that feature in most of their houses before exploding out in a
hail of railgun fire. Plumb every depth, before classing a building
secure, repeatedly check it as they may re-enter stealthily using a
hidden route. Where possible level all buildings that are mostly of
enemy design and keep all vital personnel and materiel only in buildings
that largely remain of human design and fabrication.

When moving about near more open ground (like alleyways) or entry points
of any form, like windows or doors, be aware of hostile fire. Kra'Vak
are quite adept at skipping slugs down building faces, and getting
effective ricochet fire off hard-core building and paving materials. 

5. Routes of Advance

All conceivable routes of advance should be taken: hallways, stairways,
rooftops, basements and blown walls. If available make good use of UV
and IR blocking smoke as a screen. This will hide the troops from both
Kra'Vak sensors and line of sight observation. Human visible wavelengths
are less important, as best as we can tell Kra'Vak have bipolar peaks in
their visual sensitivity and it's conveniently low where we are strong.
Do not look the gift horse in the mouth utilise it to full capacity.
Nevertheless do not get careless. It is best to cross streets near the
centre of blocks, as the close ground not only provides better
protection in the classical street fighting sense, but also because it
seems the small gap makes it harder for the Kra'Vak to see through our
camouflage and identify our troops before they reach the cover of the
other side of the street. At all costs avoid the larger open areas and
intersections, as the extra ground provides the Kra'Vak with enough
distance to discern the troops and bring down very deadly fire. When
making an attack across a street it is also important to ensure that the
doors of buildings across the street are open. Kra'Vak locks are a
complete mystery so the best bet is just to blast open the doors and
windows before you even begin the crossing. 

When moving about in open ground or over rubble, keep low. The crouch is
good for speed, but crawling on all fours or even flat on your belly (if
necessary) is good not only for increased cover benefits but also for
stability in the lose and often unsound rubble piles. Be warned however
it can be a tough choice to pick between a fast moving crouch that risks
a twisted ankle (and subsequent exposure to Kra'Vak fire) and a slower
steadier crawl that risks identification and a ricochet shot.

6. Entering and Clearing Buildings

Always enter buildings via the lower floors. While current doctrine
(developed through years of space station boarding and closed settlement
assaults) advocates entry at all levels, even suggesting the higher the
better, this is a fatal move against the Kra'Vak. They show little
regard for infrastructure and at the earliest suggestion of movement
above them will fire heavy weapons or explosive charges up through the
floors, or simply demolish the building out from under the human
attackers. Learn from their methods and use them against them. In
addition, if Kra'Vak troops are located above a human group toss
grenades on to the level above the Kra'Vak (effectively leap frogging
them) so that it will bring the solid alien building materials down on
their heads. This is best done remotely or as part of an organised
withdrawal as it does run the risk of bringing the entire structure down
on your own heads.

If a building that has been taken or is being cleared contains a
basement level and the building has been rated as a structure to
maintain intact, set chemical charges to clear the basement area of all
life. In cases where the building is not to be kept set charges both
above and below the ground floor so that all floors of the building are
collapsed and no refuges are created below ground when the building
drops.

7. Demolition Practices and Teams

To prevent a shortage of engineers and pioneer teams holding up the
advance, mix E/P troopers in with standard infantry shock groups. The
ratio of about 1:4 has been found to be effective. The E/P will prepare
and activate the charges, three of the infantry men will act as escort
and protection and the fourth will carry the SAW and cover the entire
group.

Charge setting can be hard to determine, but it is a strong
recommendation to set overly large charges in preference to under
strength ones. Bringing down a building in this conflict is not a
problem as the houses reduced to such fine rubble do not form a
significant obstacle for our GEV and grav vehicles, in fact they open up
alternative pathways through the city, without being constrained to the
main thoroughfares. Foot troops will find it an inconvenience, but not
as much as being confronted by a Kra'Vak warrior that has secreted it
self in an incorrectly or incompletely demolished building.  

8. Relief of Units

It is recommended that the relief of forward companies only be carried
out during daylight hours. There are two reasons for this. First and
foremost the Kra'Vak are nocturnal. All non-combat oriented human
activity is significantly easier in full daylight as there is much lower
levels of Kra'Vak interference. Advantageously, the daylight cycling of
reinforcements allows for the new troops to familiarise themselves with
the route taken to their new position. Going forward through basements,
holes in walls, skirting buildings and half-demolished walls can
severally disorient troops even when using full night vision suits and
equipment. If troops can be brought forward during they day they have a
greater sense of their position and orientation and can more
intelligently apply doctrine and anticipate the direction of enemy
activities.

9. Surveillance plots

Aerial surveillance plots are typically in great demand. It is
imperative that it is remembered they are only part of the picture. Even
the most detailed 3D coverage will not pick up all Kra'Vak units. Treat
all areas within at least 3 kilometres (if not further) of the Kra'Vak
line as still containing hidden enemy troops, even if they are marked as
clear. Moreover it is critical that only plots created from data that is
less than 36 hours old be treated with any degree of trust, everything
older than that must be discarded as unreliable. The Kra'Vak have
exceptional flexibility and manoeuvrability. They also use decoys
(including physical dummies, bot-based mannequins and holo displays) to
spoof human electronic data collectors. Daily information, where
possible verified by eye, should be the only data used to furnish
information concerning buildings yet to be taken versus buildings clear
and in human control.

10. Principles of Street Fighting

The first rule is to attack at every opportunity and from the least
likely direction. If it is possible to isolate small sections of the
area to be cleared do so. Keep this area pinned using a holding (often
reserve) group while storm troops work around to the rear.

While attacks must be speedy and well coordinated do not rush. Panic and
unthinking haste lead to lethal missteps. Street fighting against the
Kra'Vak requires the greatest levels of physical exertion. Bots must be
a coordinated part of the rapid clearance methods or dangers will be
missed. However the painstaking lengths of time spent clearing buildings
under conventional doctrine can not be used against the Kra'Vak, as it
provides time for the alien troopers to enter their beserker state.
While we need to be equally sure we have thoroughly searched and cleared
a building we have to use the speediest means possible of doing this.
While supplies last this means heavy reliance will need to be laid on
bots. Microscopic surveillance bots are the only feasible way of
searching every room and crevice in a building in the three minute
window that marks a successful mission from a blown event. Once an area
is owned demolish every sewer and other potential pathway to ensure the
sector is actually thoroughly mopped up and secure. This will pay untold
dividends in terms of future security. 

Wreckage and rubble is a friend to foot troops during street fighting.
Whether facing Kra'Vak warriors on foot or their heavily armoured grav
war machines stay hidden as much as possible in behind rubble until the
enemy is directly in your line of fire, which often means they will
almost be right on top of you. Where possible, booby-trap open transport
routes as this means neither side can make use of them at top speed
(though it is unlikely to completely close them to grav and GEV
traffic). It will at the very least make it difficult for enemy vehicles
already committed to a battle to move easily or retreat.

As with human vehicles Kra'Vak vehicles are weakest from side or rear,
but especially from underneath. Try and attack the alien tanks from
below. Obviously lying in the street will simply get you mown down
(either by fire or the tank's pressure field), but the careful use of
upward firing explosives can cripple a Kra'Vak armoured advance. Also
catching them from the side in the tight confines of the city streets is
a solid tactic. Blowing walls out once the nose is past so that the
weaker side armour is accessible is an effective approach. 

Shoot as often as possible without endangering the other members of your
group. The extensive use of grenades and plasma is encouraged. It is
advised that no soldier should enter previously held enemy territory
without first throwing a grenade or subjecting the room to plasma
scouring. Advances further than a grenade or charge can be thrown with
any degree of accuracy are strongly discouraged. As mentioned above
gratuitous rubble is not a problem in city-based engagements with the
Kra'Vak, in fact it can work to humanity's advantage. 

The Kra'Vak will primarily attack by night. When initiating attacks we
should attack by day. This means dedicated resting and rotation of
troops will be necessary to avoid exhaustion setting in and debilitating
the fighting forces. It is imperative though that round the clock
pressure be maintained as it is hoped that the alien forces suffer as
badly when sleep deprived as humans do. 

11. Vehicles (Tanks) in City Fighting

When approaching a Kra'Vak owned city run DNA saturated bots through the
local area. This gruesome and almost unholy act is the only way of
clearing the immense species discriminating minefields the Kra'Vak lay
around all their settlements. Without this precautionary measure
attacking forces will be crippled by losses to mines and hindered by
associated road blocks. Infantry should not be allowed to overtake the
tanks in an advance nor should the tanks allow themselves to be
separated from their infantry support by city edge defences. As in
entirely human conflicts, units that bypass enemy defences and move too
far out ahead of the body of the assault will become subject to intense
(and quite effective) fire. Moreover they can not return fire with the
bypassed enemy without running the risk of endangering friendly troops. 

An effective means of advance once within the outskirts of a city held
by the Kra'Vak is to have a core of tanks that act as a direct-fire
base, with lighter more mobile units moving a little wide in wedges (if
attacking a large city) or circling the edges of the built up areas to
attack from the flank, if the town is of more modest proportions. If
multiple streets or pathways are accessible then parallel attacks should
be executed. As common sense dictates narrow streets, on which only the
leading tank can be employed, should be avoided at all costs. 

Infantry are most effectively employed within a cityscape if they are
dismounted. It is not an absolute requirement for them to precede
vehicles into built up areas, but they should remain abreast (or right
behind) the tanks in order to provide protection against enemy infantry.

Just as infantry have been instructed to rely heavily upon grenades,
tank crews should likewise consider their usefulness. It has been found
that grenades can be lobbed from tank hatches through windows causing
damage and havoc within without anybody leaving the safety of the
vehicle or wasting ammunition trying to risk a solid main gun shot at
such close quarters. If tanks have small scale plasma cannons or the
heavier types of machine gun fitted in their mounts then they may also
find these useful weapons for clearing of floors with good views of the
tank's body or top. Use of smaller secondary weapons in this way also
poses much less of a danger of friendly fire for escorting infantry.

In positions where a tank is expected to be stationary for extended
periods of time it is best to camouflage it by locating it within a
building. Engineers and pioneers should be asked to blow holes in a rear
wall (or dozers used to create such holes) so that the vehicles can be
run inside. Apertures for gun barrels should be created by individually
employing small contact explosives that create neat holes in the wall
closest to the enemy. Gapping holes created through the unthinking use
of more intense explosives are of little use as they leave too much room
for incoming fire and provide little effective protection. 

MAK remains the ordinance type of choice against vehicles within a city
and in some cases for building demolition; otherwise HEF is the best
option. It has been found that an effective use of HEF can be made by
employing delayed fuses. With these in place the aim is then to `skip'
the rounds to within a few metres of the enemy positions. In this way
entire intersections or street crossing can be caught up in a single
shot.

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