MCRP 12-10B.1, page 19

Twenty two modern urban battles are discussed to illustrate the trends, dominant factors, and principles of combat in urbanized areas. (The majority of this material is extracted from the 1987 study, Modern Experience in City Combat, produced by Abbott Associates.) A brief description of each battle is provided to illustrate that battle’s significance. a. Stalingrad (1942 - 1943). The tenacious Soviet defense of Stalingrad cost the attacking Germans dearly in every way and set up conditions for a decisive counteroffensive. This classic urban battle involved large forces and resulted in innovative urban combat techniques and the creation of the highly successful storm groups (task-organized assault units). (Length of battle: greater than 30 days) (Casualties: 1,630,000+) b. Ortona (1943). In this Italian town, determined resistance by a battalion of the elite German 3rd Parachute Regiment against Canadian Army attackers demonstrated the difficulty of overcoming a well-prepared defense. The Canadians were unfamiliar with urban combat and had to develop urban fighting techniques during the battle. After the town was largely destroyed and the defender had extracted a high cost in time and casualties from Canadian forces, the German parachute battalion withdrew. (Length of battle: 6 - 13 days) (Casualties: estimated in the hundreds) c. Aachen (1944). The battle for Aachen, Germany, in the fall of 1944 developed during the U.S. First Army’s offensive to breach the Westwall fortifications and the vaunted Siegfried Line. Aachen, the ancient capital of Charlemagne, had symbolic political and psychological significance to both the Germans and Americans. Furthermore, it was the first city on German soil to face an assault by the Allies. This first major battle on German soil foreshadowed bitter resistance against the American attackers in subsequent battles. The German defenders surrendered only after the city was destroyed. Although the U.S. Army had achieved a clear tactical victory, the German defense of Aachen cost the U.S. First Army valuable time and delayed the planned attack to the Rhine river. (Length of battle: 14 - 30 days) (Casualties: 8,000+) Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain 1-9 Aachen Manila Arnhem Ortona Ashrafiyeh Quang Tri City I Ban Me Thuot Quang Tri City II Beirut Port/Hotel (I) Seoul Beirut 1982 (II) Sidon Berlin Stalingrad Cherbourg Suez City Hue Tel Zaatar Jerusalem Tyre Khorramshahr Zahle