copy 3 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL ARMORED CAVALRY PLATOON, TROOP AND SQUADRON HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FEBRUARY 1960 AGO 40FB Feb * FM 17-35 FIELD MANUAL HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY No. 17-35 WASHINGTON 25, D. C., 11 February 1960 ARMORED CAVALRY PLATOON, TROOP, AND SQUADRON Paragraphs Page PART ONE. GENERAL CHAPTER 1. GENERAL ----------------------------- 1-4 5 2. EMPLOYMENT OF ARMORED CAVALRY 5-9 9 UNITS. PART Two. SCOUT PLATOON, ARMOR AND ARMORED INFANTRY BATTALIONS, AND SCOUT SECTION, COMBAT COMMAND CHAPTER 3. SCOUT PLATOON, ARMOR AND ARMORED INFANTRY BATTALIONS Section I. General _______------------------------- 10, 11 10 II. Scout platoon organization _______________ 12-15 11 III. Duties of key personnel --_______________- 16-19 13 IV. Combat operations of scout platoon, general 20-29 14 V. Employment of medium range ground radar_ 30-32 25 VI. Scout platoon, reconnaissance missions .___ 33-36 26 VII. Scout platoon, security missions .____- ____- 37-41 30 VIII. Scout platoon in offensive operations --______ 42-44 34 IX. Scout platoon in defensive operations______ 45-49 36 X. Scout platoon in retrograde operations ____- 50-52 40 XI. Scout platoon, additional missions ______-_- 53-57 42 XII. Scout platoon, special operations - -_________58-61 43 CHAPTER 4. SCOUT SECTION, COMBAT COMMAND HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUAR- TERS COMPANY Section I. General _____________-.----------------- 62, 63 45 II. Scout section organization ---____-------... 64-66 45 III. Employment of the scout section____------- - 67-72 47 * This manual.supersedes FM 17-35, 26 December 1957. AGO 4088B 1 Paragraphs Page PART THREE. ARMORED CAVALRY PLATOON CHAPTER 5. GENERAL Section I. General ______________--_.______-----___ 73, 74 49 II. Armored cavalry platoon organization _____ 75-80 49 III. Duties of key personnel ____________---___ 81-85 51 IV. Employment, general __--__-----------_ __ 86-90 52 CHAPTER 6. RECONNAISANCE AND SECURITY MISSIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY PLATOON Section I. Platoon in reconnaissance missions ________ 91-97 54 II. Platoon in security missions ____------____. 98-103 62 CHAPTER 7. OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS, ARMORED 104-119 66 CAVALRY PLATOON. 8. DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS, ARMORED 120-127 73 CAVALRY PLATOON. 9. DELAYING ACTIONS, ARMORED 128-138 81 CAVALRY PLATOON. PART FOUR. ARMORED CAVALRY TROOP CHAPTER 10. GENERAL Section I. General_________________________________ 139, 140 88 II. Armored cavalry troop organization _______ 141-143 89 III. Duties of key personnel---_____--------- __ 144-150 91 IV. Employment, general _____________------- 151, 152 92 V. Employment of short range ground radar___. 153-155 93 VI. Organization for combat, armored cavalry 156-160 94 troop. CHAPTER 11. RECONNAISSANCE OPERATIONS, 161-166 98 ARMORED CAVALRY TROOP. 12. SECURITY OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY TROOP Section I. General ----. ___________________________ 167 106 II. Advance guard _________________________-- 168-170 106 III. Flank guard ____________________________ 171-174 108 IV. Rear guard _____________-.-______________ 175-177 113 V. Covering force __________-._______________ 178, 179 116 VI. Screening force _________________________. 180-182 117 VII. Rear area security_______________________ 183 120 CHAPTER 13. OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY TROOP Section I. General ________________________________ 184 124 II. Preparation for the attack ________________ 185-195 124 III. Conduct of the attack -________________- __ 196-204 131 2 AGO 4088B Paragraphs Page CHAPTER 14. DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS, ARMORED 205-214 135 CAVALRY TROOP. 15. RETROGRADE OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY TROOP Section I. Delaying action __________-------________ 215-225 146 II. Withdrawal from action ________________- 226-229 153 III. Retirement ____--__--- ------------------ 230, 231 158 PART FIVE. ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON CHAPTER 16. GENERAL Section I. General _____________------------------- 232-235 159 II. Armored division cavalry squadron 236-246 160 organization. III. Infantry division cavalry squadron 247, 248 165 organization. CHAPTER 17. EMPLOYMENT OF THE ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON Section I. General_ ------------------------------- 249, 250 167 II. Organization for combat _____----__ ___--- - 251, 252 168 III. Combat support ------------------------- 253-258 169 IV. Employment, headquarters and head- 259-265 171 quarters troop. CHAPTER 18. RECONNAISSANCE OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON Section I. General ___------------------------------ 266-268 176 II. Route, zone, and area reconnaissance _____--. 269-272 179 III. Conduct of reconnaissance operations _____-- 273-277 180 CHAPTER 19. SECURITY OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON Section I. General__ __-----------------------.---- 278-280 183 II. Advance guard ---------------------_---- 281, 282 184 III. Flank guard ---------------------------- 283, 284 185 IV. Rear guard ___-------------------------.. 285, 286 187 V. Covering force -------------------------- 287, 288 187 VI. Screening force ------------------------- 289, 290 188 VII. Rear area security ____________--_-------. 291,294 189 CHAPTER 20. OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON Section I. General_ ------------------------------- 295-301 192 II. Preparation for attack _-____________----. 302-308 196 III. Conduct of attack _______________________ 309-314 198 IV. Exploitation and pursuit ___-__-- _________ 315-317 200 AGO 4088B 3 Paragraphs Page CHAPTER 21. DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON Section I. General -______-- ________--------- __--_ 318-325 204 II. Organization of defense _____________.-___. 326-331 207 III. Mobile defense --------------- ___--... ____ 332-335 210 IV. Position defense ---__----______ __________ 336-339 212 V. Perimeter defense ---_-__ _______---______ 340 214 CHAPTER 22. RETROGRADE OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY SQUADRON Section I. General _______----- ___________--_______ 341-343 218 II. Delaying action ------- __________________ 344-355 219 III. Withdrawal from action _________________. 356-359 225 IV. Retirement ___---------------- -__- -_____ 360 226 PART SIX. SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND COM- MUNICATION CHAPTER 23. SPECIAL OPERATIONS, ARMORED CAVALRY UNITS Section I. General _____________________----------- 361 227 II. Chemical, biological, and radiological 362-366 227 monitoring and survey. III. Damage control ------------------------- 367-369 229 IV. Reconnaissance behind enemy lines--------- 370-375 231 V. Airmobile operations ________-__---------. 376 234 CHAPTER 24. COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, 377-388 235 ARMORED CAVALRY UNITS. APPENDIX I. REFERENCES___________-------------- - ------- 244 II. COMMANDER'S CHECKLISTS -______-_ _______ 247 III. EXAMPLES OF OPERATION ORDERS . _______ 254 INDEX ____________________-.______--.-- -- . ... _______.....---- 262 4 AGO 4088B PART ONE GENERAL CHAPTER 1 GENERAL 1. Purpose a. This manual covers the organization, doctrine, tactics, tech- niques, and procedures of the scout platoon and armored cavalry platoons, troops, and squadrons organic to both the armored di- vision and the infantry division, and the armored cavalry platoon and armored cavalry troop of the armored cavalry regiment. For the purpose of this manual, the scout platoon is considered to be an armored cavalry type unit. b. The material presented herein is intended as a guide. In prac- tice, each situation must be solved by logical interpretation of the information in this manual or in other appropriate references. c. This manual is designed to be used in conjunction with FM 17-1. General information contained in FM 17-1 is repeated in this manual only when necessray to ensure clarity and under- standing. Other manuals which supplement the information in this manual and with which armored cavalry personnel should be familiar are listed in appendix I. d. Unless otherwise specified, the material presented herein is applicable without modification to both nuclear and nonnuclear warfare. e. Figure 1 shows the symbols most frequently used in illustra- tions throughout this manual. For other military symbols, see FM 21-30. 2. Scope This manual covers armored cavalry units from platoon to squadron level, except the armored cavalry squadron of the ar- mored cavalry regiment. The manual is in five parts. Part one covers missions, capabilities, characteristics, and general informa- tion on the employment of armored cavalry units. Part two covers the organization and employment of the scout platoon organic to AGO 4088B 5 LEGEND T LIGHT-GUN TANK ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER USED BY THE SUPPORT SQUADS X -TON TRUCK WITH MOUNTED MACHINEGUN U¼Y-TON TRUCK 0 CONTACT POINT NOTE: Illustrations used herein are not intended to depict future design of vehicles or equipment. Figure 1. Symbols used in manual. 6 AGO 4088B armor and armored infantry battalions and the scout section or- ganic to the combat command headquarters and headquarters company. Part three covers the organization and employment of the armored cavalry platoon. Part four covers the organization and employment of the armored cavalry troop, and part five, the armored division cavalry squadron and infantry division cavalry squadron. Part six covers special operations and communication. 3. Missions of Armored Cavalry Units Armored cavalry units are organized, equipped, and trained to perform reconnaissance, security, and economy of force missions. The employment of armored cavalry units on such missions per- mits the higher commander to concentrate the efforts of other elements of the command on more decisive objectives or on other aspects of