It is rare for the opportunity to ambush the enemy to arise while playing some of the ‘shorter’ missions available in America’s Army. A relatively large group of disciplined players is needed and the manoeuvre relies on the enemy being organised enough to (at least) stay in a group. However, the amusement gained from watching the enemy scatter and run for cover is well worth the effort.
There are two types of ambush: Deliberate or Immediate. Deliberate ambushes generally involve more troops, take action against larger targets and are more thoroughly planned than Immediate ambushes. Immediate ambushes are planned based on recent intelligence with little or no time to recce the ambush site. Only Deliberate ambushes will be discussed at length here as the strategy for Immediate ambushes is very similar but scaled down.
NOTE: A group of men seeing a group of enemy soldiers and ‘jumping them’ is not an ambush; it’s a six-foot hole with your name on it!
Good ambush sites are:
- Routes known to be used by enemy.
- Sites where the terrain changes unexpectedly (edge of forest, deep valley, etc.)
- Entrance or exit to own base or current location.
- Admin. or supply points used by the enemy.
- Routes the enemy may use to retreat.
A good ambush relies on a number things:
- Planning
- Concealment
- Battle discipline
- Fire power
The Deliberate Ambush[edit]
The ambush group is divided into an appropriate number of smaller groups, each with their own leader if possible. Each group has one of two possible roles in the ambush. The groups are: Ambush Group and Cut Off/Stop Groups.
The Ambush Group positions themselves at the ambush site and springs the ambush when the time comes. The Ambush Commander will be part of this group. Four men should easily be able to deal with most enemy forces you’ll meet but I wouldn’t advise using less than two.
The Cut Off/Stop Group is placed so that the enemy will pass them before they reach the ambush site. The group alerts the Ambush Group of the enemies approach and prevents the enemy from retreating. Two men should be sufficient for a group.
Planning/Reconnaissance[edit]
Before executing the ambush, the Ambush Commander should know:
- the approximate positions of the groups involved.
- the retreat routes of all groups.
- the location of the final rendezvous (RV).
Before executing the ambush, each man should know:
- his role in the ambush (gunner, smoke grenadier, etc.)
- the retreat route for his group.
- the location of the final RV.
Springing the Ambush[edit]
The Ambush Commander will wait for the Cut Off/Stop Group’s leader to signal that he has sighted the enemy. He will then alert the rest of the troops. Troops move into aim. The Ambush Commander will wait until as many enemy troops are in the ambush site as possible before giving the signal to spring the ambush (signal is usually a burst of fire from the Ambush Group). Each man then carries out his role in the ambush.
When the enemy has been defeated, the Ambush Commander will give the order to cease fire. All groups move to RV by the appropriate planned route.
Choice of Weapons[edit]
A list of some appropriate weapons for the Ambush Group is given below:
- M249 SAW
- RPK
- RPG-7
- M203 Grenade Launcher
- GP30 Grenade Launcher
- Fragmentation and smoke grenades
A list of some appropriate weapons for the Cut Off/Stop Group is given below:
- M82 Sniper Rifle
- SVD Sniper Rifle
- M24 WS
- Mosin-Nagant Sniper Rifle
- M4A1
- AK-47
- M16A2
- Fragmentation and smoke grenades