salt lake city

…However, the commander may deploy units on the forward edges of the city or in battle positions in depth. The defensive scheme should include forces to defend along the flanks. The commander normally employs security forces…

…The defense of these cities or towns may constitute a large part of the overall defense of a city. (4) Economy of Force. The tactical advantages provided by urbanized terrain allows the defender to engage a…

…Tactical maps should be supplemented by city street maps that contain street names and information on the location of important buildings and transportation terminals. These city street maps should be distributed to all units operating within…

…The city of Los Angeles alone has more than 200 miles of storm sewers located under the city streets. Both attacker and defender can use subterranean avenues to maneuver to the rear or the flanks of…

…From the standpoint of the defender, the critical variable is the defensive preparation of the city. Defensive preparations should include measures to prevent isolation of the city by the attackers. The capture of a prepared city…

…The battles for the city of Grozny during the Russian intervention in the Republic of Chechnya represent a recent and critically important example of large scale operations in urban combat. Combat in Grozny was characterized by…

armor and infantry forces, to canalize the enemy into killing zones, and to deny the enemy use of key facilities in the city, such as communications and transportation facilities. Most fires are planned and executed at…

…Engineers must also be prepared to repair and maintain the internal support facilities of the city in order to support further operations. MAGTF commanders plan to use all available engineer assets, including engineers in the GCE…

…The British 1st Airborne Division made a surprise landing near the Dutch city of Arnhem in order to seize a bridge over the Rhine river for advancing British forces. An unexpected German armor force counterattacked and…

…The battles of Arnhem and Suez City probably would never have occurred had the attacker known the strength and locations of the defender’s forces. At Stalingrad, the attacking Germans were aware of the defending forces…

…Swamps, canals, lakes, forests, and escarpments are natural terrain features that are easy to reinforce for flank security. Units can protect their flanks by denying enemy mobility corridors by building man-made obstacles, such as tank…

…In contrast, during the Suez City battle, Israeli armor forces attacked on “armor thrust avenues” into the city, outpacing their armored personnel carrier (APC) mounted paratroop/infantry support. The Egyptian defenders lacked organic artillery (except limited…

…NSFS is most effective when firing on targets to isolate the battlefield and engage targets located on the seaward side of a city. Only when the ROE allows extensive collateral damage can the full effect of…

…Throughout history, military planners have viewed cities as centers of gravity. As such, in war, cities are something to be either protected or taken away, depending upon one’s perspective (MCDP 1, Warfighting). Cities house the…

…Defending a city can cause an attacker to commit a significant amount of his/her forces which reduces his/her capability to attack elsewhere. The defense of a city can delay the overall offensive capability of…

…The area may have been declared an “open city” because it is undefended or of religious or historical significance. By international agreements, open cities are demilitarized and must be neither defended nor attacked. (See HR, 25…

…The two basic types of houses in the western world are located in and around cities and in rural areas. City-type houses are normally mass-construction brick buildings. Rural-type buildings in the continental United…

…The intensity of fighting during the battle for Khorramshahr earned the city the nickname, “City of Blood.” (Length of battle: 14 - 30 days) (Casualties: Iraqi, 3,000 - 9,000; Iranian, estimated in the thousands) r. Zahle…

…Defensive Options (1) Defense Outside the City. The commander may defend from outside the city. This option is often selected when the terrain surrounding an urban area offers an advantage to a defender and when his…

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…