WARSAW PACT JOURNAL: TASKS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE NAVY WHEN ASSISTING GROUND FORCES ATTACKING ON A COASTAL AXIS
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
0001430756
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
U
Document Page Count:
10
Document Creation Date:
June 19, 2017
Document Release Date:
June 19, 2017
Sequence Number:
Case Number:
SC-2007-00006
Publication Date:
August 2, 1976
File:
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
DOC_0001430756.pdf | 767.84 KB |
Body:
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
CIA HISTORICAL RELEASE
PROGRAM
JUNE 2017
"Terr-sfica:.
AR 70-14
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
MEMDRANCUM FOR: The Director of Central Intelligence
FROM : William W. Wells
Deputy Director for Operations
SUBJECT : WARSAW PACT JOURNAL: Tack S to be Accomplished
by the Navy When Assisting Ground Forces
Attacking on a Coastal Axis
2 August 1976
I. The enclosed Intelligence Information Special Report is part of a
series now in preparation based on articles from a SECRET Soviet publica-
tion called Information Collection of the Headquarters and the Technical
Committee of the Combined Armed Forces. This article examines the special
features of a ground forces offensive operation on a coastal axis
necessitating the support of naval forces enumerates specific tasks to be
accomplished by the navy in this, and emphasizes the importance of close
and well-organized cooperation and the careful coordination of actions in
achieving success. Among the tasks designated for the navy are destroying
the enemy's naval forces conducting amphibious landings and antilanding
defense, and disrupting forces,
enemy's sea lines of communication and
defending one's own lines. This journal is published by Warsaw Pact
Headquarters in Moscow, and it consists of articles by Warsaw Pact
officers. This article appeared in Issue No. 5, which was published in
1973.
2. Because the source of this report is extremely sensitive, this
document should be handled on a strict need-to-know basis within recipient
agencies. For ease of reference, re orts from this ?ublication have been
assigned the Coded
William W. Wells
Page 1 of 10 Pages
Ts RET
TS #7680p4
Copy #y,
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
"rop-ssciaz.
Distribution:
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
The Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Intelligence
Department of the Army
Director of Naval Intelligence
Department of the Navy
The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence
U. S. Air Force
Director, National Security Agency
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Deputy to the Director of Central Intelligence
for National Intelligence Officers
Director of Strategic Research
Director of Weapons Intelligence
Page 2 of 10 Pages
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
TS #768004
Copy #
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Tov-tecriza...
COUNTRY USSR/WARSAW PACT
DATE OF
INFO. 1973
111IS DOCUMENT MAY NOT DE REPRODUCED
Intelligence Information Special Report
Page 3 of 10 Pages
SUBJECT
DATE 2 August 976
/WARSAW PACT JOURNAL: Tasks to be Accomplished by the
Navy When Assisting Ground Forces
Attacking on a Coastal Axis
SOURCE- Documentary
Summay:
The following report is a translation from Russian of an article from
a SECRET Soviet publication called Information Collection of the Head-
quarters and the Technical Committee of the Combined Armed Forces. This
journal is published by Warsaw Pact Headquarters in Moscow, and it consists
of articles by Warsaw Pact officers. This article was written by Vice
Admiral V. Em. This article examines the special features of a ground
forces offensive operation on a coastal axis necessitating the support of
naval forces, enumerates specific tasks to be accomplished by the navy in
this and emphasizes the importance of close and well-organized cooperation
and
this,
careful coordination of actions in achieving success. Among the
tasks designated for the navy are destroying the enemy's naval forces,
conducting amphibious landings and antilanding defense, and disrupting the
enemy's sea lines of communication and defending one's own lines. Measures
for cooperation are also enumerated with specific attention given to
coordinating th Afforts4f-troops,in delivering_the_initiaLmalW5tIkau.
This article appeared in Issue No. 5, which was published in 1973.
End of Summary
Comment:
The names of authors are given in Russian transliteration.
TO ET
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
TS #768004
Copy # )7
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
le-Dr5')
Page 4 of 10 Pages
Tasks to be Accomplished by the Navy When Assisting.
Ground Forces Attacking on a Coastal Axis
by
Vice Admiral V. Em,
Deputy Minister of National Defense and
Commander of the People's Navy of the
German Democratic Republic
It is well known that victory over a powerful enemy can be gained only
through the joint efforts of all branches of the armed forces. Therefore,
close and all-around cooperation between naval and ground forces advancing
on a coastal axis is one of the most important factors for success.
In this article, on the basis of an analysis of the combined exercises
which have been held, tasks are set forth which might be accomplished by
the navy when assisting the ground forces.
Special features of an offensive operation by
ground forces on a coastal axis
A coastal axis is that portion of a theater of military operations
which includes a continental zone and an adjacent area of the sea. As a
rule, a certain number of ports and transshipment points with various
capacities are located in the continental zone and are linked with the
overall network of lines of communication through an appropriate system of
roadways, railways, and waterways. In addition, industrial and military
installations, political and administrative institutions, and also troops
of various types are located here. The military installations usually
include naval bases, emplacements and positions for coastal defense, for
coastal missile and artillery troops and for the shore-based observation
system, and forces and means of the air defense of the country, including
airfields and the positions of surface-to-air missile units. But units and
subunits of ground forces designated to conduct combat actions in this area
might also be located here.
When the land portion of a theater of military operations adjoins the
sea, the enemy is given an opportunity to use his naval forces against the
coastal flank of the attacking troops. This corroborates the well-known
assumption that on a coastal axis of a theater of military operations, the
aim of an operation can be achieved only through the joint efforts of the
various branches of the armed forces, primarily the ground forces and navy.
TS # 7674
Copy #
T CRET
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
7ar,ECAF.J. ?
Page 5 of 10 Pages
An offensive operation of the ground forces, as is known, is conducted
for the purpose of destroying opposing enemy groupings, and seizing enemy
territory and the most important political and economic centers, as well as
the military installations which have definite significance in achieving
the goals of the operation.
When combined actions are being conducted, one of the special features
of an operation is that the groupings of ground forces deliver strikes in
conjunction with naval forces and other branches of the armed forces in
order to weaken the enemy's nuclear pot3ntial on the ground and at sea,
neutralize his control posts and also destroy the enemy's strike and
landing groupings. Leaving coastal flanks exposed facilitates action by
enemy naval and air forces against our troops; and also, when there is
inadequate defense of the coastline, permits the enemy to conduct landing
operations on the flank or in the rear of the attacking troops, which in
turn makes it necessary to organize an antilanding defense on the seaward
side.
To guarantee the success of combined actions by groupings of various
branches of the armed forces, it is necessary, during the preparation for
an operation, to carefully coordinate the tasks to be accomplished between
the branches of the armed forces, especially between the ground forces and
the navy. It is also necessary to bear in mind that when conducting an
offensive operation on a coastal axis, military-geographic conditions exert
a great influence. For example, by correctly using the geographic features
of a closed naval theater, the enemy can relatively quickly and with a
small expenditure ofmeans prepare a broken shoreline including bays and
fiords for the defense, and also prepare peninsulas and islands located in
the zone near the shore. In addition, such an area is poorly surveyed,
which hampers the conduct of reconnaissance. Owing to the relatively short
distances and limited space of a closed naval theater of military
operations, the troops of either side can conduct both landing and other
surprise actions. Under these conditions, it often becomes necessary to
transfer combat actions from the continental portion of the theater to
islands, which entails the negotiation of wide water obstacles. This is
possible only when combined actions are organized involving the ground, air
and naval forces, as well as the air defense forces of the country and
airborne troops. The main conclusion to be derived from the special
conditions involved in conducting offensive operations on a coastal axis
should, in our opinion, be the importance of forestalling enemy offensive
actions. It is necessary to strive to destroy the enemy's main groupings
while they are still in the departure areas, and to opportunely and
completely seize the initiative.
TS # 768004
Copy #
CRET
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Page 6 of 10 Pages
Possible tasks of the navy, the number and nature of them
In spite of the increasing capabilities of all branches of the armed
forces to conduct independent operations, assisting the ground forces which
are conducting an offensive on a coastal axis remains, as before, one of
the main tasks of the navy.
The number of possible tasks to be accomplished by the navy in support
of the ground forces is determined by the goal and nature of an offensive
operation and by the conditions of the theater. These, in our opinion are
the tasks:
-- the destruction of the enemy's naval forces at sea,
in departure areas and deployment areas, and also
at bases in order to prevent them from operating
against groupings of our ground forces operating on
a coastal axis;
-- the blockade of enemy naval forces in bases or within
a definite section of the naval theater, and the
subsequent destruction of them;
-- participation in landing amphibious landing forces
to seize islands, important portions of the coastline,
straits, channels, ports and naval bases, and also
the providing of assistance to the ground forces when
they are making an assault crossing of wide water
obstacles;
-- the destruction of enemy landing groupings in
embarkation areas and during their sea transit,
and also participation in the antilanding defense
of the coastline;
-- the disruption of enemy sea lines of communication
and the seaward blockade of groupings of enemy ground
forces which have been driven back to the shore;
-- the defense of our sea lines of communication and
ensuring the movement of troops, combat equipment,
and materiel for ground forces operating on a
coastal axis.
TS # 76800
Copy #
TO RET
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
T--"Cr-3EGREL.
Page 7 of 10 Pages
As for the main task of the navy in a closed naval theater, even in
the future it will continue to be the destruction of enemy naval forces in
order to gain supremacy in this theater. This is primarily achieved
through actions by submarines, naval aviation, strike groupings of surface
forces, and coastal missile units.
The task of destroying enemy naval forces is a highly complicated one,
especially when geographic conditions make it possible for the enemy to
secretly base and widely disperse his ships and aviation. Modern means of
observation, whose range of detection often exceeds the distance from one
shore of the water area to the other in a closed naval theater, enable both
sides to continuously monitor ship movements. Therefore, in addition to
organizing our reconnaissance well, it is extremely important to plan in
advance and continuously combat all types of enemy reconnaissance, and to
put his system of observation out of action across a broad front,
especially on the axes of planned combat actions.
The destruction of enemy naval forces, as is known, is achieved only
as the result of decisive offensive combat actions conducted by naval
forces, both independently and in cooperation with other branches of the
armed forces.
One of the possible tasks of the navy in assisting the ground forces
is to participate in the landing of amphibious landing forces. Amphibious
landing operations are planned and conducted in close cooperation with
ground, air and naval forces, and also with the air defense forces of the
country. They are used when it is necessary to seize islands or portions
of the enemy coastline and to subsequently bypass enemy groupings which are
on the defensive along the coastline. Amphibious landing forces may also
be used to seize enemy ports and naval bases. This to a certain extent
provides for sea shipments for ground forces groupings operating on the
coastal axis, and, for the navy, ensures that basing areas are brought
closer to the front line. In order to successfully set amphibious landing
forces ashore, it is very important to organize, at the proper time, the
reconnaissance of a landing area, the neutralization of enemy antilanding
defense, the loading of troops onto amphibious landing means, the crossing
of the sea by the landing force and the landing of troops and combat
equipment on the enemy shore. force,
it is necessary for the navy to support
the actions of the landing force on the shore and to deliver sea shipments
for it.
Equipping ground forces with modern amphibious equipment, and
equipping tanks with means of flotation enables them to relatively
TS # 768004
Copy #
TO RET
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
TorIECREZ
Page 8 of 10 Pages
independently negotiate certain water obstacles, of course, only under
favorable weather conditions. In these cases, the navy provides cover from
the sea of the ground forces which are negotiating a water obstacle, and
when necessary provides navigational and emergency rescue support.
The movement of naval forces from a closed naval theater to an open
sea area adjacent to the ocean creates favorable conditions for assisting
in a subsequent offensive by groupings of ground forces along the seacoast,
and also for disrupting the enemy's sea lines of communication in these
areas. The task of breaking through a strait is highly complicated, and
for its fulfilment, coordinated actions by all branches of the armed forces
are necessary. Among the many individual tasks which need to be
accomplished in this case, particular importance is attached to effective
..
mine warfare.
_?
Naval forces carry out combat actions to disrupt the enemy's sea lines
of communication, primarily in order to prevent the transfer by sea of
enemy reserves and to impede the delivery of cargo for his ground forces.
Effective assistance can also be provided to our attacking groupings by
blockading enemy troops which have been driven back to the shore, and by
preventing their evacuation by sea.
Of great importance in supporting offensive actions is the
establishment of OUT own sea lines of communication, which would ensure the
movement of troops, combat equipment and materiel, and reliable protection
of them by the navy. Sea shipments are desirable if only because
significantly less time is spent by using sea transport for these purposes
than when a task of the same scope is carried out using ground transport
means. Calculations show that to deliver up to 20,000 tons of cargo to an
army located at a depth of 800.to 900 kilometers, sea transport will
require about 48 hours, while 1,500 to 2,000 trucks will take at least four
to five days to transport the same cargo. We must not forget that shipments
by truck are possible only when the road network has been preserved, but it
is precisely these roads and the railway junctions that will be targets of
enemy strikes. This situation once again confirms convincingly the
importance of sea lines of communication. Therefore, the task of the navy
is to provide reliable protection for transports in ports and during sea
transits, as well as navigational-hydrographic support for them.
One of the important tasks of the navy is to prevent the landing of
enemy amphibious landing forces on the flank of attacking groupings. In
this respect, the most effective way to assist the ground forces is to
combat enemy landing ships during the embarkation of the troops to be
TS # 768004
Copy #
'Ii1:0"SKILLT
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Page 9 of 10 Pages
landed and during their sea transit in order to force the enemy to abandon
his intention. If the landing is still successful, naval forces could
prevent the enemy from bringing up reserves and delivering shipments of
supplies to the troops which have been landed.
Some problems of cooperation between branches of the armed
forces in an offensive operation on a coastal.ffis
We can state with full justification that assurance of reliable
control and precisely coordinated cooperation among all the large units and
formations of various branches of the armed forces participating in an
operation is required in order for the assistance provided by the navy to
ground forces attacking on a coastal axis to be successful.
Cooperation between the ground forces, the navy, and other branches of
the armed forces is organized according to tasks, axes, time, targets, and
methods of fulfilling the tasks. Between operational formations or tactical
large units, cooperation is carried out in support of those forces which
accomplish the main tasks. .As a rule, the commander of the ground forces
grouping, along with the commanders of operational large units of other
branches of the armed forces, organizes cooperation.
Cooperation is achieved by:
-- coordination of tasks and methods of fulfilling
them by all forces taking part in an operation;
-- setting up of accurate mutual recognition by ground,
naval and air forces, amphibious and airborne landing
troops, and air defense troops;
-- well-timed mutual exchange of information about
the situation on the ground, in the air, and at
sea;
-- exchange of operations groups;
-- organization and maintenance of stable communications
between large units and units of all branches of
the armed forces;
-- organization of a unified warning system and coordination
of the actions of air defense forces and means during
TS # 7680
Copy #
T CRET
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
"TarIEGRE.t.
Page 10 of 10 Pages
combat against an air enemy;
-- implementation of other measures directed toward
supporting an operation;
-- conduct of advance special and combined training for
groupings of ground forces and naval forces operating
on a coastal axis and their staffs.
Coordination of all matters connected with the delivery of the initial
strike is the main factor in the organizing of cooperation during an
offensive operation on a coastal axis. The aims of the initial massed
strike, its strength, the time and method of delivery, the tasks of
groupings of the rocket troops and front aviation, the procedure for
cooperation among the forces participating in the strike, and also control
signals are all determined, as a rule, by the commander of the ground
forces grouping. It is necessa first and foremost t the first
massed strike destr nuc ar
0717744-1557fiat a strative-centers-ofemy., e
sea aist. There is no doubt that an expedient allocation of the efforts
df-Iiiii-tnits and units of various branches of the armed forces taking
part in an operation plays a decisive role.
The implementation of the measures enumerated for organizing
cooperation creates favorable conditions for the achievement of the overall
goal of an offensive operation on a coastal axis.
In conclusion, we would point out that it is necessary, in our
opinion, to continue in the future the study and discussion of problems
connected with the use of naval forces to assist ground forces operating on
a coastal axis. We must constantly devote attention to these problems
while training the commanders and staffs of the appropriate formations and
large units of the various branches of the armed forces.
Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C01430756
TS # 76800
Copy #