Tactics of the WWII U.S. Army Infantry Rifle Squad - Attack

[@trashpanda314]

As an airborne infantry combat veteran, I appreciate your research, attention to detail, and thoroughness. Lacking Bradleys or vehicles like mechanized soldiers, we had to be professionals at small unit tactics, especially at the squad and fire team level. Violence of action, situational awareness, and noise and light discipline all become second nature.

[@jacobnewton6634]

TrashPanda - thanks for your service Sgt

[@reidparker1848]

But-but nothing you did actually matters in warfare! It's all about the flag officers, haven't you ever read a history book!?!? Would General So-and-So beat General Smith? Now THAT'S a real question. I used to be into military history until I realized that it was mostly flag officer-worshipping crap, as though they determine the outcome of battles/wars to the exclusion of absolutely everything else. Good weapons, good equipment, good tactics, the leadership/aptitude of junior officers, and frequent training in/with them wins wars, not some general pushing division markers around a map from his chatau command post. "Operational" success is nothing more than the aggregate success of "small", "insignificant" units.

[@vaclavjebavy5118]

@@reidparker1848 Just like the Platoon or company leader may seem distant and ineffectual at times, so can a flag officer, when looking at the small scale. But by providing logistical support, maintaining organization and striking the enemy where he is most vulnerable a pencil pusher can influence the type of enemy the small units will encounter and what support they'll have available. The only problem is that due to the massive size of armies; the individual leaders, weapon systems, equipment and tactics will inevitably be underappreciated in favor of high commanders, often unjustly, like you said. But it's not just one or the other that's important. Tactics without strategy is climbing the wrong mountain. Strategy without tactics is writing a novel about how you'll climb the mountain 5 miles away from it.

[@millerturq4418]

@@vaclavjebavy5118 thank you for turning his questionable comment into a lesson to learn from

[@Lt_Fryes]

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” - Sun Tzu

[@Ace0nPoint]

Huge nut for amateur historians on youtube, and this is one of the best produced video's I've ever seen. Fantastic work brother.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

That means a lot. Thank you very much.

[@selaxlife7621]

I served in WW2 and this is not accurate at all bro.

[@firestartergold1768]

@0331 brooo i served in ww2 minecraft roblox. i killed 5000 minecrafters. i was a bloxxerminermaster! Applaud my superiority!

[@ericellis6737]

You really think so huh that's pretty cool your probably right

[@andrewtanczyk4009]

It is one of the better historical documentary. Thanks

[@BOHICA_]

I am going to use this for my next paintball maneuver especially the bayonet charge.

[@SogoTX]

Soft rubber or foam knives with paint or lipstick smeared on the tips and edges makes for a good simulation... ;)

[@MrChet407]

Attach paintbrushes

[@eat000yourself]

Military tactics don’t work for paintball, just be aggressive

[@douglasmilburn3875]

@@eat000yourself that's kind of the gist of fire and maneuver lol

[@carlfranz6805]

LOL. Should be a hoot.

[@irawhitlock9107]

I've been interested in this kind of thing ever since I was a kid (i.e. books, games, play) but have never seen small group tactics explained so well. This is a top notch video. Great job all around. Wouldn't change a thing.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you so much. It really means a lot. When I started making these videos I wasn't sure anyone would be interested, so I always appreciate the feedback.

[@Rynwlms]

Hey. Let me echo the other commenters. This is a throughly good video. I’m sure these take forever to research and produce. And, with a limited audience because of a niche topic, you’re not going to support yourself on these. So it’s important that you know they are worth your passion and time. You tell a story no one else is. Please keep at it. Bravo.

[@Classic_DM]

KZbin's monetization is paltry. It's all about passion and helping people in niche subjects.

[@ciscornBIG]

Hear! Hear!

[@Series-ux3yc]

We’re slowly moving back to the old “big war” form of doctrine and it’s interesting how it all pieced together.

[@ultrasuperkiller]

Nowadays every nation is focusing again on peer to peer instead of insurgent operations

[@sgtsarge2617]

You might think that this is just a simple video but it isnt. Its a piece of history that deserve to be played in museum, you are honoring the soldier that fought ww2 by showing how they train and fought. Its incredible and amazing to see.

[@isaacz5086]

That'a fantastic visualization of rifle squad tactics, dude. You must have done quite a bit of research to be able to find this amount of information. I really appreciate the efforts. Hope to see more videos like this in the future.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much. I really do appreciate it. There will definitely be more. (But you're right; it does indeed take some time to dig up the right kind of information to round out the presentation. Field manuals can be amazingly detailed in certain aspects, then frustratingly vague in others.)

[@dannyb.4034]

Very good work

[@JugheadJones03]

I have waited so long for a channel like this. Thank you for posting.

[@foxhoundr3364]

Great vid mate! In the Australian Army we have four stages. Preparation- Section Commander considers such things as the Enemy's- Size, activities, locations, uniforms, timings , equipment, habits, intentions and moral. Also, the section commander is fighting for information from his soldiers. For instance, things like- What's the terrain look like to my left and right flanks?, eg: high ground, creek lines, dead ground, good fields of fire, withdrawal routes? What types of weapon systems are the enemy employing? What is the size of the enemy team/squad /platoon?The Section Commander will then issue a warning order and then snap orders: Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin and logistics, command and signals. Assault- Bounding by fire teams and pairs. C2 by Section Commander up until the "BREAK IN" C2 then is then generally then taken up by group commanders as the boys are on their guts and communication is limited. In a flanker, I prefer to have my 2IC armed with M203 in order to mark targets and to initiate HE pre H-hour fire, Both MG's and the marksman in the Support by fire (SPF) position, with the remainder of the section with myself in the assault. Exploitation- Once break in has been achieved and the last pit of the enemy position has been taken. The section will dry fire and move if no effective fire is being received to a distance designated by the section commander. This will depend on ground and fields of fire. After all, you may of only just hit a standing patrol. Reorganization- The section will go into all round defence. Usually in the 10, 2, and 6 positions. With the MG's positioned in the enemy's most likely approach. As you covered. Tasks such as Ammo distribution, consolidation and care for casualties, PW searching/handling, reports and returns etc are conducted.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank You! Whenever I get around to making a platoon video on the same subject (which may not be for a while because this video burned me out) I'll cover some of the things I didn't have time for such as pre-battle preparations and troop leading procedures. This video was bloated enough without a discussion of "five paragraph field orders."

[@StudM01]

Pretty cool dude. American here, so that's what I'm familiar with (though from a civilian perspective in my case). It's neat to see how other countries do it.

[@buckplug2423]

No bayonet charge during the last phase of the assault? I thought that was still practiced in Commonwealth armies.

[@ryanjameshope]

Brilliant video, really informative and well put together, love the extracts from the actual manuals alongside the pictures. Great work, keep it up.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. I know the quote-heavy parts may turn some casual viewers off, so it's always good to hear when they're appreciated.

[@Perceval2thousand]

We always joked that distance was the only cover without concealment.

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

@L Train45 yeah just because you can hear them doesn’t mean you don’t know where they are exactly. You need line of sight.

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

@L Train45 that’s kind of impossible. Especially at night. Like in the movies everyone is sneaky and quiet. Even with Tubes and training you make shit tons of noise.

[@restgalaxy4285]

Never heard that...but true.

[@petesheppard1709]

"You have finally made it to the end" The best close on KZbin!! Thanks for another very interesting video!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks again! I hope to have more videos up eventually. I don't beg for subscribers, but if you like my content it's not a bad idea to receive notifications. By the time I'm ready to post another video even I've forgotten about my previous one.

[@petesheppard1709]

Oh, I'm subscribed. Like I said elsewhere, I'm looking forward to your breakdown of the USMC squad. I am also sharing your videos.

[@ColdWarShot]

Very well done. I’m hoping to see Platoon, Company level organization and tactics. I’d like be to see both attacks, as well as defense. Also, to your hand signal point, yes, hand signals existed, but the army had roughly 26-28 hand signals, whereas during Vietnam it had expanded to over 200 signals. Saving Private Ryan, and to a smaller degree, Band of Brothers, utilized hand signal, not yet in existence in WWII.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks. All those videos are on the table. The tactics videos require so many illustrations/slides I'm not looking forward to jumping into the next one. I've got to figure out a way to streamline the processes because this video took much longer just to put together than it had any right to. I was so sick of it by the end! I can think of at least 50 infantry arm and hand signals in use by the end of the war. By 1945 signals such as "teams forward," "pincers," "cover the advance/withdrawal," and "consolidate" had been added. (I did not include them in the video.) Additionally, there were a slew of signals unique to vehicle operation and direction, both daytime and nighttime (with flashlight). Some signals changed or fell out of favor quickly after the war, such as "able," "baker," and "charley" which were altered significantly between February of 1945 and February of 1946. (They went from purely arm and hand signals to signals that involved the rifle, before being dropped all together by 1947.) Some common-sense ones like "I do not understand" didn’t seem to exist yet. I think the most significant addition to the army's Vietnam era visual signal repertoire was the standardization of patrol signals. That's when some now-ubiquitous signals that SEEM like they should have been around forever ("freeze!") were officially adopted. (Even then, "Freeze!" was initially open-handed instead of with the familiar clenched-fist.)

[@bryanpseno4203]

ColdWarShot it's interesting isn't it?

[@ViktoriousDead]

ColdWarShot a lot of hand signals are developed at the squad/platoon level. There isn't always a SOP for the entire unit

[@davidjmorgan3890]

Platoon is the most realistic of war in Vietnam

[@HoonaticsMCNiko23Crowe]

My grandfather was a Staff Sgt with the 29inf first wave Omaha Beach DDay. I grew up reading his collection of training documents and maps... He had a nice collection of Nazi officer sabers, helmets and Lugers.

[@mr.adamski6431]

Great video! You boil it down and explain it so well. Well done use of the Field Manuals.

[@ronduptor]

Thank you for your work. Well put together, nice and clean visuals, clear narration. I will put this into practice in Post Scriptum

[@independentomega2701]

This was way more interesting than it should have been. You've got a sub for what it's worth.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks, I appreciate that...And I'm always grateful for each and every sub.

[@nagamanjunath2102]

Wow. So much wisdom in here. What an underrated video.

[@davev7615]

What you should do next is a vid about how the German Rifle Squad attack just to show the big difference in tactics

[@pmmp855]

That's a great idea! I'd love to see difference and similarities in tactics.

[@lamolambda8349]

@Armin Wessler we didn't smoke it we had it in chocolate like gentlemen

[@FreDDioh]

@@lamolambda8349 it wasnt in chocolate, it was in pills. It was called “PANZERSCHOKOLADE“ which translates to “tank-chocolate“ but it doesnt have anything to do witch chocolate. And btw it was 1000times weaker than todays meth. It was more like a strong, long lasting coffee

[@lamolambda8349]

@@FreDDioh natürlich versteht der Deutsche den Witz wieder nicht und muss sofort wieder nen besserwisserischen Vortrag halten nach dem keiner gefragt hat.

[@catspace2025]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXW9fn2OlqZ3h6s

[@michaelmilburn911]

I've just finished watching the three videos, they were all really good

[@benjaminlehmann]

This is an excellent video. I've been looking for this sort of treatment of squad tactics for a long time. Thanks for your work.

[@MrPagandog]

Nice vid. Simple, straight forward and easy enough for the infantry to understand! :)

[@WarThunder-zt4xw]

Really good job with this thankyou! My Dad was in WW2. Pattons 3rd Army, 26th ID, 104th regiment 2nd Battalion, Fox company. He was 1st scout in his squad and made good use of tracer rounds to direct fire, as noted in your video. He figured out how to make the rifle full auto (kept a spare modified trigger group filed sear?). He would load up tracers and shoot to a target to direct the squads fire. He said he went through a few rifles but, it paid off in 2 ways, the direction of fire was easier to see and it distracted the Germans for a few seconds!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you for watching! Your dad sure earned his combat pay. No job in the rifle squad was particularly low-stress, but lead scout seems pretty nerve-racking.

[@billc.4584]

Veteran here. Subscribing and liking because this was a well thought out presentation of how it is/was without smart ass, smug remarks and editorializing. Thank you. I'm looking forward to watching more of your clips.

[@crispy9175]

This is better than actual Army training videos. Which isn't saying much so I'll also say, this is a fantastically well put together video.

[@elia8544]

Thank you for this video.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you for that comment.

[@GabrielLupertazzi]

The one thing that has made the American Rifleman superior to other contemporaries is the ability of not having to be told what to do. The initiative is taught from the beginning and reinforced more in some units then others such as Airborne.

[@pootisengage6672]

The american squad was the most tactically weak in all ww2 powers. At least in firepower

[@GarethThompson-u1w]

I feel like the one thing that made the American rifleman superior to other contemporaries was probably the M1 Garand

[@GarethThompson-u1w]

@@pootisengage6672 I wonder if you'd still feel that way after being under the fire of 10-11 semi-automatic rifles + 1-2 automatic rifles. It was the only army in the world to be universally issued with semi-automatic rifles. The American squad had an absolutely ludicrous amount of firepower by the standards of the time (waaaay more firepower than most armies). Overall I think the German infantry squad, with its MG42, and the American infantry squad, with its M1 Garands, had a pretty similar amount of firepower. But since the American firepower was evenly distributed across the riflemen it was much more flexible and much less brittle than the German firepower, which was all concentrated in the machinegun. If the German machinegun is in a bad position, the effectiveness of the entire squad is compromised. When the German machinegun needs to move, the entire squad is effectively out of action until it reaches its new position. If the machinegunner gets hit, the entire squad is rendered combat ineffective unless/until someone can retrieve the machinegun. If any of the American riflemen are in a bad position, or need to move, or get hit, the rest of the squad can still maintain the deluge of semi-automatic rifle fire with only a relatively minor loss in overall firepower.

[@theobvious1958]

@@GarethThompson-u1w imagine you have guys that have a careless hopeless attitude, no matter what we do, half of us die-how you deal with that?

[@GarethThompson-u1w]

@@theobvious1958 If your guys are that careless then they're probably not fit to be going into combat in the first place. That's why the Allies placed such a high emphasis on moral. And if half of your men are KIA then it's likely that 100% of your men are casualties (keep in mind that there will usually be two or three men wounded for every one killed). At that point there's probably nothing much you can do. Your unit is completely combat ineffective at that point. You're just desperately hoping for some other unit to come to your rescue at that point. But normally casualty rates aren't going to get that high (for one thing the unit will be combat ineffective long before it actually hits 100% casualties). A 5%-10% casualty rate would be far more common, and a 15%-25% casualty rate would represent an especially bad day of fighting.

[@sloanosborne1136]

great video, well made and super informative! i love this stuff! nvr served but i have such a great respect and feeling of gratitude for all those who did so ive always wondered exactly how they could engage in firefights without being in a state of absolute disorganized kaos from the first shot fired...now i have a better idea! thanks for the video

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you. I've always been upfront about the fact that I've never served. All I can do is study the history, examine doctrine from that era, read what the WWII veterans wrote about their experience, and try to collate it into a semi-coherent video. Regarding disorganized chaos, people often retort that "no plan survives contact with the enemy". But in those moments, its training, the constantly drilled techniques and procedures that are left. Everyone from assistant squad leaders to platoon leaders still had specific jobs to do, and this is how they were taught to try and do them. Things obviously didn't always work out like a Fort Benning field problem, but it was what they were working toward.

[@mcfontaine]

Brilliantly produced videos. I look forward to seeing more to come.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much. It's appreciated.

[@TheGrenadier97]

25:58 - "Bayonets will be fixed for the final assault - yes. But when we think of killing, we must think of bullets fired at point-blank range.The bayonet is the final threat and last reserve". That's an excellent and balanced summary of the use of the bayonet in modern warfare, with a hint on its psychological effect on the enemy. A weapon that may be used and instill the soldier for offense, but not actually the main player at close-range anymore.

[@fazole]

Well done and good historical context! I also like the after action reports.

[@skinflaver]

Defence phase would great to see. Your work is great.

[@ttchmp]

Pretty well done, I like the inserts from the manual!

[@shinebox4181]

Hey man this is a great video, you speak very clearly and eloquently.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much.

[@metalmike362]

Those notes were cool, i love seeing how the wrote stuff back then.

[@thekingoflunch1120]

these are some of the most well informed ww2 tactics videos I've found on yt, looking forward to whatever else you upload, maybe brittish or German squad tactics?

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks a lot Ben, I really appreciate it. While I'd love to see similar videos featuring the other combatant countries, I'm pretty sure I'm not the right fit to make them. As with anyone interested in the topic, I'd like think I have a basic, if superficial, understanding of the small unit organizations and tactics of the major Allied and Axis militaries, but I wouldn't even know where to look for the type of information I'd need to drill down into. I'd want to comb through as many primary sources as I could get my hands on, and the only ones I have on hand at the moment are about the US military. (This is the G.I. History Handbook after all.)

[@thekingoflunch1120]

Matthew Fogarty thanks 👍

[@KeithCooper-Albuquerque]

Excellent, sir! I love this and all of your videos that I have seen so far!

[@monkigunmkiiflash3110]

Very good job. Your references were well researched and explanations were clear and understandable. Keep up the good work.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much. It's appreciated. Video #5 is coming this week!

[@NikovK]

Cover but not concealment? A pillbox.

[@plink4861]

Stand behind it

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

NikovK, yeah, I see what you're saying. Although a soldier inside a pillbox is pretty well hidden from direct observation himself, if the pillbox itself is unconcealed then its occupant's location is obvious.

[@Jeebus1199]

Cover, but not concealment is achieved with the Humvee and MRAP today. Just drive around, and react to contact.

[@Harshhaze]

If you stand under the pill box, no one will find you...

[@TribuneAquila]

What about a battleship, is that cover with no concealment. Or what if your in front of a giant mirror?

[@battlefieldcustoms873]

using it for my next book! these videos are great for getting your mind set right.

[@johnharker7194]

Could you do a video on the importance of rifle grenades in the American squad? You rarely see them depicted in film but the Army must have felt that they were important because they put two in each squad.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

While rifle grenades are rarely featured in film, they are more prominent in books. They basically provided greater range and accuracy than hand grenades. Each rifle squad had a single grenade launcher when the war began, but this eventually ballooned to three per squad. A "by the book" platoon in Normandy would have had ten rifle grenade launchers, three in each squad (the assistant squad leader plus two others) and one for the platoon guide. Like troop leading procedures, the employment of rifle grenades just didn't quite fit into the video I was making. I had to pick and choose what to include, and unfortunately they got left behind. (Enemy MGs were rifle grenade magnets. One well-placed rifle grenade would have made for a real short video but I tried to cover each of the steps of an attack in an easy to follow manner from start to finish.) I'll work more about their employment into a future video. Maybe I’ll start a new series of shorter videos? If I do, the first will cover rifle grenades.

[@johnharker7194]

G.I. History Handbook Thanks! Grenade launchers today are very useful for engaging targets in defilade. You suppress your enemy with Automatic fire, you pin your suppressed enemy with point fire, and you destroy your pinned enemy with the grenade. Perhaps it was the same back then?

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

As far as I can tell, the term "suppression" wasn't a part of infantry vernacular of the time. (I'm looking at you Band of Brothers.) The concept obviously existed, but was expressed as a component of fire superiority. Despite being armed primarily with bolt-action rifles, the Germans had a very good LMG in every squad which could often give them the firepower advantage if the odds were even. US infantry would then utilize high-explosives to tip the scales. Be it artillery, mortars, or rifle grenades. Once the Germans pinned their enemies down they would punish them with mortars, so it was imperative for G.I.s to knock out their MGs and get moving. If the squad's M1s and BAR(s) couldn't get the job done, a few volleys of antipersonnel rifle grenades may have done the trick. Fragmentation and white phosphorus grenades were used against enemy groups and crew-served weapons. They could be lobbed behind cover like mortar rounds, or fired directly through windows and doorways. Taking out enemy MGs and laying them into enemy-held structures are the two most common uses I come across. High Explosive Anti-Tank grenades were used against enemy vehicles and fortifications. As the squad had no organic rocket launcher, a rifle grenadier's first priority was to guard against enemy armor. The role is referred to in FM 7-10 as an "antitank rifle grenadier." (HEAT grenades had a similar performance to bazooka rounds.) And remember, there were also signal grenades, colored smoke and flares. US infantry didn't need dedicated flare pistols. All pyrotechnic signals in the rifle company were launched from a rifle or carbine.

[@johnharker7194]

G.I. History Handbook That sums it up well. I've been reading accounts of their use, and a lot of GIs seemed to think highly of them. What is really interesting is how powerful AT rifle grenades got after the war. unfortunately they didn't get in American hands in time for Task Force Smith.

[@CaspianWint]

Great video, well presented and you clearly know your subject matter. Specific terminology aside, it's very similar to the Canadian "Seven section battle drills", which are: 1- "Preparation for battle" - orders,feeding,ammo distribution etc. 2- "Reaction to effective enemy fire" Dash,down,roll, observe,sights,fire. 3- "Locate the enemy" - Target indication using tracer or reference point 4- "Win the firefight" - bringing the sections fire to bear, this can take more time than most people think, hours in some cases. 5- "The approach and assault" Change magazines, fix bayonets, Section left or right flanking, frontal assaults are almost always a bad idea, for obvious reasons. 6- "Fighting through the objective" Fire team fire and movement through the objective to a designated point, forming a semi arc hasty defensive position, or whichever troop placement as the ground dictates. 7- "Section Reorganization" - Ammo count and redistribution as required, casualty count, contact higher for instructions

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks. The "preparation for battle" aspect is something I keep intending to cover. I planned on adding it to the platoon tactics video I'm currently working on, but that video is slowly becoming my longest yet. I may have to devote a separate video to it, taking viewers on a journey through the magical world of five paragraph orders.

[@CaspianWint]

"S.M.E.SS.C&S" by any chance?

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Or at least the WWII equivalent. There is a surprising (refreshing?) lack of acronyms/initialism in the old training material. There were certainly some, but there wasn't a mnemonic device for EVERYTHING like there seems to be now.

[@CaspianWint]

@@G.I.HistoryHandbook as a infantryman who spent the better part of a 4 year bit as a company commanders signaller, report formats and acronyms are still things I can rattle off 35 years after getting out!

[@TheGoodChap]

Nice. I've always understood special forces fireteam type bounding cover stuff very well but always had a hard time understanding how larger battles especially those during WWII were fought. This helped me understand some of the simpler parts that are normally just glossed over but never explicitly said and is quite helpful. I definitely subscribed and I hope you have more planned but pace yourself, I can tell these videos take a lot of effort.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you for the kind words (and understanding). I definitely plan to continue the series.

[@bestwishes5060]

Tracer emphasis was not used when I was an officer in the army during the cold war when deploying scouts. Excellent idea.

[@TinyRoboticPiggies]

With increased radio communication I suppose it may have served less of a purpose, especially as tracers work both ways! Thanks for your service :)

[@Gizziiusa]

dont know if this is relevant, but as an M60a3 crewman, we used tracers on all tanks, with both coax (5.56), and the ma duece 50 cal. during cold war training 89-92.

[@buckplug2423]

@@Gizziiusa it's still used on MGs,, but the idea of giving scouts tracers (and the idea of scouts, as a whole, sadly) has fell out of favour.

[@nicktrue7915]

Wow. This is a really well made video. Very detailed, well narrated and interesting. Thanks!

[@lepmuhangpa]

Thoroughly enjoy your videos.

[@dwhitty25]

Fascinating and informative! I would be very interested in seeing something similar on house-to-house fighting. I've read books on Fallujah, Hue and "Market-Garden" that discuss these type actions at some level but I would like to see how it is taught, and how those tactics hold up in actual combat. Great work, Keep It Up!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much. I've had a house-to-house fighting video in the works for some time. There a couple videos I need to get out first (Platoon Tactics and Weapons Platoon Organization) because they'll form a necessary foundation.

[@sedghammer]

Really, just an excellent video. Well done mate.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.

[@johndeorian6654]

This is really cool. I never knew how any of this worked. Thanks for the video!

[@MatthewBaileyBeAfraid]

Curiosity: Have you ever played Advanced Squad Leader? It is an old-style Hex-and-Counter Wargame that deals with Infantry Combat from WWII to the Modern Period, with the smallest maneuver group being the half-squad (although Squads cannot usually intentionally split into two half-squads) and Squad. The games take place on Hex-Grids that represent an area that is between 1km^2 to 4km^2. In any of the usual Theatres of the War. It is a tremendously expensive game to play, given that the minimum investment to play the full-rules game is about $250 • Basic Rules: $100 • Beyond Valour: $120 to $300, depending upon Availability. But that gives you ONLY the Germans and Russians for the Eastern Front. • To get the American ARMY you need Yanks: $130 to $400, depending upon Availability. To get the US Marines and IJN you need either: - Code of Bushido: $200 to $300 - Gung Ho: $200 to $300 - or the more Modern “Rising Sun” module: $130 to $300 • The English/British Army (Including Aussies and New Zealanders) “For King and Country:” $120 to $300, depending upon availability. • French: “Croix de Guerre:” $180 to $500, depending upon availability (currently available from the publishers at $180) • Italians: “Hollow Legions:” $80 (Previously you got the Italians and Early-War Italians in “West of Alamein” which currently goes for between $100 and $300, although I’ve seen unopened, mint copies go for $500+ • The Minor Allied Nations are covered in two additional Modules: “Doomed Battalions” ($78 to $200), and “Last Hurrah” ($37 to $100) • Finnish Counters and Maps for fighting “The Winter War” in the Module “Hakka Pääle” from $96 to $300 • “The Forgotten War” covers the Korean War for $128 to $400, depending upon Availability. Multi Man Publishing is planning some newer Core Modules for the Italians in addition to “Hollow Legions,” as well as some newer Korean and Vietnamese War Modules. There are also four “Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits” (ASLSK), #1 to #4, which teach the basic, foundational mechanisms of play, introducing new types of troops or weapons in each new Starter Kit: • ASLSK#1: Infrantry Combat ($25). • ASLSK#2: Artillery, Support Weapons, and Crew-Served Weapons ($30). • ASLSK#3: Tanks, Armored Cars, and Vehicles in general ($36) • ASLSK#4: PTO Units and Combats: Japanese, Banzai Attacks, Concealment, Traps, etc. ($65) To supplement the ASLSKs, there are ASLSK Expansion Packs #1 and #2. ASLSKEP#1 ($40) introduces new mapboards, scenarios, and rules for ASLSKs#1, #2, & #3. ASLSKEP#2 ($36) includes new materials, rules, and maps for ASLSK#4 dealing with the PTO. There is also an ASLSK Bonus Pack: ASLSKBP#1. It provides a few additional Maps and Scenarios for ASLSK#1 ($12). And lastly there is an ASLSK Historical Module: ASLSKHM#1: Decision at Elst ($64), which include a new Historical Map of the region around Elst, scenarios, new counters, rules, and materials that help to re-fight the major battles between the British and Germans near the town of Elst during Operation Market Garden in Sept. of 1944. And that isn’t even the HALF of ASL. If one were to try to collect all of the “OFFICIAL” ASL Publications, it could set you back between $3000 and $10,000, depending upon the condition of the older or rarer materials. There are several “Historical ASL” Modules that deal with Guadalcanal, and battles like the Battle of Stalingrad (two modules: Red Factories, and Valor of the Guards), Operation Watchtower (The USA’s First Offensive of WWII with the invasion of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and a few surrounding Islands in the Solomons), the German attack on Hatten, France in 1945 (Hatten in Flames), and the Allied Siege of Budapest (Festung Budapest), and other, rarer Historical Modules that are Out if Print (As are most of these. Only Red Factories and Hatten in Flames are currently in print - $164 and $176 respectively). The others listed fetch prices on eBay as high as $1,000 Each. There is also “Deluxe Squad Leader” (DASL), which is an adaptation of the rules for 1:285 to 1:300 Scale Miniatures (Which I used to play. But went one step further than DASL by completely eliminating Hexas.... It worked great until some people involved with publishing demanded that we stopped promoting it at all).

[@kingericson490]

great work ive been looking for a channel with this kind of content and im so happy i finally found u

[@nathanb1084]

I appreciate the well done video. Thank you for taking the time.

[@gregoryturner8469]

A very interesting and knowledgeable video. Thank you for your hard work.

[@DCDevTanelorn]

Great information, your team is well informed and I really appreciated this.

[@faramund9865]

Great stuff my friend. Awesome work, truly!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

I appreciate that!

[@Jsay18]

Kinda wish you did more videos, I just discovered this channel, and its the first result of "WW2 Squad Tactics" so if you have more ideas for videos, it could be easy to grow this more. 28k subs for 6 videos is an amazing growth ratio.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you for the encouragement. This channel is dormant but it's not dead. I do have ideas and material for more videos, and there WILL be more...eventually. I like researching them. I like writing them. It's actually making the illustrations that burns me out. Cobbling together all the visuals is mind-numbing and slow-going. If I could streamline that process I'd be much more prolific.

[@jacqueline6475]

@@G.I.HistoryHandbook Slow progress is better than no progress. I always look forward to more, it's seriously some of the best WWII US infantry content out there, though I can definitely understand getting burnt out with so many in-depth visuals. I hope you keep it up though, is there any plan for the next one? I appreciate the hard work regardless!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

@@jacqueline6475 Thank you very much. My next video will be a long-promised weapons platoon organization video. That will likely be followed by a slightly different type of tactics video...

[@jacqueline6475]

@@G.I.HistoryHandbook Weapons Platoon! Most of my research has gone into the weapons platoon, the way they fought alongside of and worked with the rifle platoons is super interesting, especially compared to the many nations that rarely used similar platoons and tactics. Looking forward to it!.

[@zifnow]

1:50 Cover but not concealment is provided by rocks, terrain features like limited depression or fences or waist high walls... and much more

[@rexfrommn3316]

One more thought here about how to prepare an enemy defensive position with a rifle squad. The Japanese 50mm Type 89 "knee" mortar was a highly effective in delivering effective firepower on targets quickly. The Japanese rifle company had as many as 12 to 14 Type 89 50mm mortars with three men per mortar. The lightness and simplicity of the Type 89 50mm mortar allowed it to deliver a high volume of fire of about 20 to 25 high explosive grenades per minute per mortar out to a range of about 650 yards for the special contact fused 50mm high explosive shell. This mortar fired high explosive 50mm rounds in a rifled barrel or fired hand grenades. The Japanese rifle platoon used these Type 89 50mm mortars for a base of fire, similar to a light machine gun, while other elements/squads of the rifle platoon maneuvered around a flank. The Type 89 mortars gave the Japanese infantry platoon highly effective fire support. Much of the Japanese Army's success came about because the effectiveness of these light 10lbs mortars that could rapidly form a base of effective fire upon enemy positions such as trenches, machine guns of infantry dug in or in buildings. The mortar was also rifled with the Japanese soldier holding the mortar in the ground or against a tree or rock or some other object at a 45 degree angle with the help of a bubble level while others had a line to help hold the mortar at a 45 degree angle. The Type 89 mortar in an emergency could be fired horizonatall with the base against a tree, wall or some other fixed object straight at an attacking enemy. The Type 89 50mm mortar used a trigger with a firing pin in an adjustable rod mechanism inside the mortar. Two scales existed one for high explosive contact mortar bombs out to 650 meters and another scale for grenades with a maximum range of about 180 meters. A group of three to four 50mm Type 89 mortars were assigned to a Japanese infantry platoon. It is estimated that at least one half of all Allied casualties in the Pacific occurred because of artillery or mortars. The Type 89 50mm mortar was responsible for 80 percent of those artillery or mortar casualites in Allied armies. So at least 40 percent of all British, American and Chinese casualties were caused by this Type 89 50mm mortar. The American Army could have used a 50mm mortar similar to Japanese Type 89 Mortar because it delivered highly accurate and devastating fire saturating a target area with a good volume of high explosive mortar bombs or hand grenades. The Japanese Type 89 50mm mortar was one of the most dreaded and lethal weapons on the battlefields of WW2 in the Pacific and Asia. It was superior to most Allied equipment because it was so light, mobile and quick to deploy versus heavier America or British mortars with heavy baseplates. warfarehistorynetwork.com/what-made-the-dreaded-type-89-knee-mortar-so-damaging/

[@Kriegerdammerung]

Excellent video mate. To think how complex a firefight can be!

[@AJxxxxxxxx]

Love this channel 👌 these animations are on point

[@Crash-To-Desktop]

Excellent set of videos! Looking forward to more.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks a lot!

[@dankslushy4742]

I Lowkey love these videos

[@kovi567]

1:50 Depends, since if you are behind a brick fence, and the enemy know you are there, they can't really hit you, but you are still observed.

[@s0meb0dy78]

incredibly good, this coul be used as actual training material. Very very good production and information!!! If your ever opening a patreon or something, I will definitely support

[@cameronsharples5514]

Mate, your videos are amazing. thank you.

[@stuffhappensdownsouth9899]

4:20 sometimes (because in war surprise is everything) especially in retreat its possible to order a sudden stop (preferably on favorable ground) an immediate 180, cover/dig immediately order 1/3 of your force to doubletime back for a flank (*if possible send is very small 2cd opposite flank just to fire 1st an run*) and if you can time it right when your main 2/3's stuns the incoming force with a sudden opposition (the ranks,waves compress like an accordion's bellows and from the flank *sideview now there are more enemies in a line ready to die from more than 1 round) then moments later your flank hits at the same time it can overwhelm a huge disadvantage if you are being chased its very likely the enemy will only pursue in a direct manner like a animal focused on the kill, and while it will guard its flanks from harassment its unlikely it will send out expeditionary flanking forces (they would slow the main push as they could never hope to keep up even on open ground on account of logistics) an will use all the power it commands to drive forward in hopes of a quick victory so that they might move on to another objective

[@diehard2705]

This is my new favorite youtube channel

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks. That's great to hear.

[@Jok-the-Mad]

Great video! Can you do a video breaking down the assault on the german artillery battery by Capt. Winters in Band of Brothers. It was said that they still teach those tactics today.

[@SlavicCelery]

Pretty much the same thing here. His difference is he setup the second part of the attack before commencing the attack. So he got in position for the push and then started the fire superiority and push simultaneously.

[@SlavicCelery]

After the attack essentially started the fire superior positions could attack the flushed enemy forces.

[@jazzhandsparten]

thank you, i hope you come back.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

I haven't actually gone away. I'm working on a new video which should be done "soon." Tactics videos always take forever, and the new one will have a runtime twice as long as this one...

[@GTL5427]

Amazing job dude, very well done

[@donmacdonald8516]

Hey, great work! Loved this. are you going to continue this series? Gutted to see you only have 3 videos and never made a defense one

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank You. I appreciate that. I'm definitely continuing the series. I'm working on the next one now, but it's not the defense video just yet...

[@SeanBertran]

These are awesome man!! Please come back and make some more :)

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you. There will be more. I actually recorded the audio for my next video back in January! It stalled-out after that, but I'm getting back to it now.

[@SeanBertran]

this is fantastic. I'll be honest with you, I have a realism unit for Post Scriptum, and I'm definitely going to be using this for our training :)

[@ModestBleeders]

This is video is really great :D Keep up with the great work :)

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you very much.

[@alexandrebelinge8996]

Nice video, we still practice this pretty much step by step.

[@Mitchmeow]

So this is how you're supposed to play Men of War...

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Not really. The flaw in the US squad doctrine is that it is based around the M1 and dependent on skills

[@Mitchmeow]

@@napoleonibonaparte7198 But I presume this is still a better strategy than getting really involved in micromanaging one squad's firefight to the point where by the time I remember the six other squads I have under my command they're all dead.

[@TribuneAquila]

Or you can just assume control of a flamethrower and dominate all the enemy troops and tanks singlehandedly

[@TribuneAquila]

Napoleon I Bonaparte also “the flaw in American doctrine was it relied on American equipment and training”...um I’m not sure that’s a flaw

[@theonlypd]

This is how you are supposed to play ALL SQUAD GAMES!!!!!!!

[@coldwarrior7812]

Well researched. Great graphics. Easy to understand. Overall excellent video. As a career Army officer I have seen much worse work and very little better. Good job.

[@ryan7775]

I think this is solidly explained, this could just as easily have been an essay for a university project. I know that your focus is no doubt American forces, but I would love to see you apply this to other forces in WW2 or other wars.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks for watching. I plan to keep dipping into the WWII US well for now, but when that runs dry we'll see what happens. (Though given my current release schedule, or lack thereof, it may take a while.)

[@danielf4136]

For everyone complaining that distributed fire would waste ammo... the tacrics go deeper. Talking guns and economy of fire is something built into the training of machine gun teams and riflemen

[@HeadHunterSix]

Every bullet that forces the enemy to either keep his head down or take a hit is a bullet that saves you from taking a bullet from him. The idea that every bullet should kill was never the point of modern rifle tactics.

[@travsudz4544]

Jeez, I could have just gotten all my PLQ references from right here. Cool video

[@Galildoughty]

Wonderful stuff! Thanks mein and keep it up!

[@docpossum2460]

I just can't wait for the next video, keep it up.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks a lot. New videos may not get made as quickly as I'd like, but I've got plans for many more.

[@WildBillCox13]

Cover without concealment might be prepared positions, trenches, foxholes, and other earthworks. When an enemy attack is planned against earthworks the enemy has a good idea of where you are. But your positions provide protection, which equates to cover.

[@t.schneck8317]

Wow. Great video and a lot of work to make👍

[@skit1804]

I’m using this research just to play a game called firefight it actually looks a lot like this representation but you control the squads

[@Bton1233]

Yo these videos are incredible.. keep them up please!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you. It's slow-going, but I do intend to keep them up.

[@matthewbarbour9525]

Very technical and accurate, but like so many small unit tactic instructional, it goes to blah blah blah. Still something to watch especially squad leaders!

[@kennys9644]

Fantastic video my dude

[@djbenzo]

Things haven’t changed much. Excellent video.

[@genesisoriginal4106]

Excellent video, thanks and subscribed!!

[@pyrokinetikrlz]

Informative and interesting. Great graphics!

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thank you so much! Creating the graphics is my least favorite part of the process, so I always appreciate it when they are appreciated.

[@Pand4goonZ]

I'm in the US Marine corps an 0311 and are main bread and butter is BUDDY RUSHING!!!!!!! "IM UP, HE SEES ME, IM DOWN"

[@DaRealVonStauffenberg]

Ooh fuckin rah. Worded Simply enough to follow on a crayon diet

[@MrKKilroy]

Army enlistee here. Recently decided to look at some of your videos as I have always been a natural leader and just been super curious as to the logic behind the tactics employed in battlefields in the past and present. I can say that I feel like i've learned alot as a tactician and hope to use this knowledge to gain an upper hand on enemies if I go to combat zones, which is what my MOS entails. Really appreciate these videos man. Keep it up.

[@jeffanderson8165]

Thank you for your service. If I may, what was discussed in this video is presented as basic concepts and, as such may not be of as much use as you might hope. It also appeared to deal with rural field action as opposed to urban fighting, which seems to be the majority of operations nowadays.

[@MrKKilroy]

Jeff Anderson I understand that as well, and know this to be just basic concepts, but it's more than what I had before.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

And, most importantly, it's a historical video made by "some guy on the internet" with no practical experience. There are other channels that cover the latest iterations of this stuff, created by guys who have been there, and recently. But I'm sure in training he'll learn more about the fire team wedge and bounding overwatch, the minutiae of MET-TC, or SALUTE and LACE reports than he will from anything on KZbin. He'll be stacking, clearing the fatal funnel, and reaching his point of dominance in no time.

[@bekirhadziomerovic5679]

Will you be doing urban combat soon? and will you only focus on the US? Keep up the amazing work, I love this

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Bekir Hadziomerović, Soon? We'll see... But I certainly plan on devoting a video to WWII US squad and platoon tactics used in urban operations.

[@grimlock3134]

Being squad leader was like being a Quarterback and every game's the Super Bowl. Hooah. I miss you 2ID

[@mikereeds4326]

Manchuuuuu camp hoveyyyy

[@extraintelligence]

Just a point I want to make: I think an armored vehicle would be something that provides cover but not concealment, whether you're in it or behind it. There's no uncertainty that it will keep you from getting shot, and while they can't actually see you, they can assume your position with reasonable accuracy, especially given that an armored vehicle is a very small and well-defined piece of cover relative to a hill or building.

[@gunnerdupree3406]

Awesome Video, this is exactly what I was looking for. Good visuals, well articulated, and very comprehensive. I also really liked the extra bit of quotes from the manual(s). Cool channel can't wait to see more. Just a request but can we get one about Infantry tactics working with tanks.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks a lot. The mechanics of infantry operating with tank support will absolutely be covered at some point in the future. I have some informative primary sources covering the subject so I can hopefully provide more of those good period quotes.

[@callumfrew285]

Amazing!! Checked your channel. Looking forward to watching the rest of your videos. Please consider doing something like these for the SS

[@ScoutSniper3124]

I believe the difference between an Assembly Point and a Rally Point, is an Assembly Point is a PRE-Planned location to Assembly either before or after an Operation/Movement, while a Rally Point is a HASTILY DESIGNATED location for REASSEMBLY of the unit should they before to disperse (as get the hell out of an Ambush or Indirect Fire) and GO HERE to MEET BACK UP. The Rally Points could be designated during the Briefing prior to an operation, as in, from here to here, if we need it Rally here... or on the fly during battle as in "TAKE COVER (indirect fire coming in) RALLY 300 METERS EAST!!!!" SSG. U.S. Army (Medically Retired) Infantry / Sniper / SOF Intel (SOT-A), multiple tours

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Which makes sense, but I think the definitions were a bit squishy 75 years ago. I mention that "rallying points" (the "-ing" was dropped sometime after WWII) were sometimes confusingly referred to as "assembly points" because the 1944 Field Manual covering patrolling does not use the term "rallying point" once. Same for the document it superseded, a Training Bulletin from 1943, which like the later FM, only ever used "assembly point" to refer to a location to regroup if a patrol was ambushed/dispersed. (The FM defines it very specifically, despite being at odds with the TM definition.) Yet in the training film on combat patrols, the conduct of a raid specifically, the narrator repeatedly calls the predetermined spot to gather after a successful mission the "rallying point." So, the terminology was all over the place.

[@erickbush1167]

Excellent video. Really enjoyed it.

[@davidgoldovt-ryzhenkov7291]

Original presentation of the FM. I like it.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Thanks for watching and letting me know.