CONVOY DEFENSE, MINES, AND BOOBY TRAPS Mines and booby traps are frequently used by ambush forces. Command-detonated mines are often used to start an ambush. Mines will also be planted along the shoulder of the road. This is for harassment and interdiction. A booby trap system may be used against personnel in vehicles. They could consist of hand grenades attached to tree branches over the road where antennas or other projections from vehicles will snag and detonate the grenades. Claymore mines may be suspended from trees and command detonated when a vehicle passes. The following guidelines have proved effective in decreasing damage by mines in convoy operations:

1. Follow the tracks of the vehicle in front. 2. Avoid driving on the shoulder of the road. 3. Whenever possible, do not run over foreign objects, brush, or grass in the road.

4. Avoid fresh earth in the road. 5. Watch local national traffic and the reactions of people on foot. (They will frequently give away the location of any mines or booby traps.)

6. Heavy vehicles, such as tanks, are useful in exploding small mines when deployed in front of the convoy.

7. Wear protective equipment (protective helmets and armored vests).

CONVOY DEFENSE FOR SNIPER FIRE Exercise caution when sniper fire is received to ensure that any return fire does not harm friendly troops or civilians in the area. The best action to take is passive, and you should ensure that all personnel wear protective helmets and armored vests. All vehicles should move through the area without stopping. Escort personnel must notify the march element commander by giving a prearranged signal, such as a smoke grenade, thrown in the direction of fire. Any attempt to locate and destroy the sniper must be long-range fire. The convoy commander may order additional fire or supporting forces into the area to destroy, capture, or drive off the sniper. Convoy personnel should be aware that a heavy volume of fire is frequently used by the enemy to slow down a convoy before an ambush.

CONVOY DEFENSE AGAINST AN AIR ATTACK The air threat varies from armed helicopters to high-performance aircraft. Convoys face the greatest danger of an air attack while moving along open roads and during halts where there is no overhead cover. An air attack is a type of ambush; therefore, many procedures used during a ground ambush are also applicable to the air attack. For example, the convoy commander must do the following:

1. Prescribe alarm signals. 2. Give instructions for immediate action to take when under attack.

3. Prescribe actions to take in the absence of orders.

4. Make sure that defense procedures are rehearsed.

5. Review the procedures with convoy personnel before the convoy moves out.

The convoy commander must remember that enemy pilots may do the following:

1. Tries to surprise the convoy. 2. If aircraft attack from higher than 350 meters, small-arms fire will not have much of a chance against them but air defense weapons can be used against them.

3. Will fly at high speed, using high-G maneuvers and evasive action to make air defense weapons and small-arms fire less effective.

Lookout Procedures Air guard duties are assigned to each individual throughout the convoy, and each person is given specific search areas (scanning patterns). As much as vehicle configuration will allow, search areas assigned should cover a full 360 degrees in overlapping sectors. If the road march lasts more than an hour, Seabees should take turns at air guard duty. Scanning for a long period (over 30 minutes) dulls the ability to spot aircraft.

Camouflage and Concealment Camouflage and concealment techniques are used to make it more difficult for the enemy to spot the convoy. Not much can be done to change the shape of a vehicle moving down the road, but the type of cargo being transported can be disguised or conceded by covering it with a tarpaulin. Bulk fuel transporters (tankers/ refuelers) are usually priority targets. By rigging tarps and bows over the cargo compartment, you can conceal the nature of the cargo from the enemy pilot. Other effective cover and concealment measures are as follows:

1. Operators must be trained to break the shape of the vehicle as seen from the air by looking for a bush, a tree, or other means of concealment as they disperse.

2. Smooth surfaces and objects (windshields, headlights, and mirror) will reflect light and attract the attention of the pilot. All shiny items should be camouflaged or covered before the convoy moves out (fig. 5-4).

If vehicles are not painted in a pattern to blend with the terrain and to break the outline, you can use mud to achieve this effect.

Communications Security Communications equipment can be very useful for controlling convoys. But it can also help enemy pilots find you. Use the radio when necessary, but be brief.

ACTIVE DEFENSE AGAINST AIRCRAFT The convoy commander may choose between an active and a passive defense against the air threat. In an active defense, the amount of fire a logistic convoy can bring to bear on attacking aircraft is usually limited. It is limited to the number of vehicles with mounted machine guns and the individual weapons of vehicle operators and assistant operators. However, convoy personnel should not be led to think that trying to shoot down an attacking airplane with small-arms weapons is fruitless. In the Korean conflict, the U. S. Air Force lost 544 aircraft to combined small-arms and air defense fire. Over North Vietnam, small arms contributed to significant losses of U. S. aircraft. During the Middle East War in 1973, units on both sides used small-arms weapons to drive off, damage, or destroy attacking aircraft.

NOTE: The key to effective small-arms fire against aircraft is volume. Put up a large volume of fire with small caliber weapons. Accuracy is not important; volume is!

Figure 5-4.- Cover portions of vehicles that reflect light.

Firing Positions for Small Arms against Aircraft Except for the prone firing position, the basic firing stances of the rifleman remain the same. A rifleman quickly learns that he or she wants to fire from some type of cover or concealment; therefore, you should look for a tree or a large rock to help support the weapon and provide some protection.

The M-60 machine gunner should also fire from a protected position if possible. In a real emergency, another Seabee can act as a hasty firing support for the machine guns. The M-2 .50 caliber machine gun can only be used from the ring mount of dedicated vehicles. The following are tips for Small-Arms Air Defense:

1. Fire at any attacking aircraft using all available weapons.

2. Fire at the nose of an aircraft. 3. Volume of fire is the key; everybody fires. 4. Lead aircraft crossing your position (M-16, M-60, and M-2 should lead jets by the length of one football field).

5. Take cover if you have time. 6. Support your weapon, if possible. 7. Lie on your back if caught in the open so you can fire upon the aircraft.

8. Mounted M-60s and M-2s should aim slightly above the nose of the aircraft for head-on targets.