Modern U.S. Armor Tactics Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bounding Overwatch

Bounding Overwatch is one of the three movement techniques used when an armor formation is moving from point A to point B. The technique is done by splitting the unit into two or more separate elements. One element will overwatch the other elements' movement.

When the moving element stops, the overwatch elements start their movement. This enables part of the unit to be hidden and be ready to fire if the moving element is engaged.

Answer: green

The fourth platoon (if there is one in the company/team/troop) is called green. Therefore, the platoon leader would be either Green One or Green Six and the platoon sergeant would be Green Four or Green Five. The headquarters section is usually known as eight black or by their company nickname (i.e., B Company commander might be called "Beast Six").

The names of the battalion and higher units are based on the nickname of the unit (i.e., the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor is "Dealer Six", the S-3 is "Dealer Three", etc.)

Answer: sagger

The AT-3 SAGGER was one of the first anti-tank guided missiles used by Warsaw Pact forces. It was hoped that reversing quickly, swerving and using smoke would cause the gunner to lose control of the missile or cause the wires of the missile to catch vegetation and have the missile fly out of control.

Answer: action right

Action right is a maneuver where all the tanks turn to the right and attack an enemy on line. Contact right (signalled with a flat hand waving up and down) means to engage targets to your right but continue your direction of movement. Echelon right (with the left arm at 45 degrees up and the right at 45 degrees down) signals for the platoon to move into an echelon right formation with the tanks staggered to the right and rear of the tank in front of them.

Answer: line

The line formation is four tanks next to each other. This formation is slow to move but maximizes fire to the front while decreasing fire to the flanks. A "vee" is the two outside tanks forward on the center tanks back. This allows limited fire to the front and moderate fire to the flanks with heavy fire to the rear.

A "wedge" is the two center tanks forward with the outside tanks back. This allows moderate fire all around. The column is a straight line of tanks following each other. This is the fastest formation and allows heavy fire to the flanks but limited fire to the front or rear.

Answer: 44

A Force XXI battalion has 44 tanks arranged in three companies of fourteen tanks with two headquarters tanks. A previous battalion had 58 tanks due to the extra company. A modern Russian tank battalion has 31 tanks in three companies.

Answer: A line where artillery is dropped right in front of a unit to prevent it from being over-run.

FPF stands for Final Protective Fires and is a template artillery linear target that places heavy artillery fire between the enemy and the friendly unit, allowing the friendly one to withdraw.

Answer: M 1026 HMMWVs

The Brigade Recon Troops are currently equipped with the M1026 Scout HMMWV, although there has been talk of eventually replacing them with the LAV-III Stryker.

Answer: 2

The current doctrine allows tactical refueling twice a day, along with resupply of ammunition, food and other essentials (known as LOGPAC: Logistical Package). However, the M1 series tank is a gas guzzler, so emergency LOGPACs are available.

Answer: False

A "short count" is a count done by the leader of a mechanized unit to ensure that all the vehicles shut down or start exactly at the same moment. This helps to confuse enemy reconnaissance units when they try to figure out the size of the unit by the sounds of vehicles starting or shutting down.

Answer: having all the hatches on the tank closed

Buttoned up refers to the action of shutting the hatch on the tank.

Answer: SALT Report

A SALT report contains the following elements: size, activity, location, time. SALT report is a shortened version of the SALUTE report (add Uniform and Equipment to the SALT report). A SLANT report gives the unit strength to higher (i.e., "we are four slant zero: four tanks fully mission capable, zero non-mission capable).

A SHELL Report (or SHELLREP) is sent to report the sighting of artillery fire. BLAST report is made up.

Answer: Volcano

The Wolverine is a bridge-laying track that can span tank ditches or mine fields. A Grizzly is an engineer vehicle with a plow and grappler arm designed specifically for breeching. Both of these vehicles are based off the M1 hull. The MICLIC (Mine Clearing Line Charge) is a rocket that is fired over the minefield and detonated, causing the mines to detonate.

A Volcano is a minelayer and has no use during breeching operations.

Answer: a tank in a turret-down defensive posture

Low Sky is a call for all tanks to position themselves in their fighting position where the turret is protected by the lip of the fighting position. When ordered to "Tophat", the tank will move forward to a hull-down position where the turret is exposed so the main gun can fire.

They will take two shots at the most and then back down. They will continue this tactic to prevent enemy fire from hitting the tank.

Answer: 8,10,12

The plow on the M1 can be set to three different depths to compensate for the type of terrain the vehicle is on. If the ground is loose, you want to set it deeper since mines can be dug deeper. If the ground is hard or rocky, you want it more shallow since the mines will likely be on the surface and to reduce damage to the plow.