The 101st Air Assault Division is the predecessor of the 101st Infantry Division, which was formed on July 23, 1918. on August 16, 1942, the U.S. Army formally formed the 101st Airborne Division. in July 1968, the 101st Airborne Division was renamed the 101st Air Cavalry Division. in August 1969 it was renamed the 101st Airborne Division. In August 1969, it was renamed the 101st Airborne Division (Maneuver) and became the 2nd Air Mobility Division of the U.S. Army. In October 1974, the 101st Airborne Division (Maneuver) was renamed the 101st Air Assault Division. The division served in World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. According to the U.S. Army's October 1996 establishment, the 101st Air Assault Division has three Air Assault Brigades, a Combat Aviation Brigade, a Communications Battalion, an Engineer Battalion, an Air Defense Artillery Battalion, a Military Intelligence Battalion, a Chemical Defense Company, and divisional artillery and divisional support commands. The division is mainly equipped with AH-64 attack helicopters, UH-60 utility helicopters and CH-47 transport helicopters.
In offensive operations, the 101st Air Assault Division can advance 150 kilometers every 24 hours and can sustain this rate of operations for 72 to 90 hours. When using the "frog jump" style of airborne assault, the division's first airborne depth can be 50-60 kilometers. In the Gulf War, the 101st Air Assault Division's two frog jumps were over 280 kilometers deep.
I. Establishment and Equipment
The 1st Armored Division had a total strength of 16,993. Under the jurisdiction of a division headquarters and division company, two armored brigade brigade headquarters and brigade company (*** jurisdiction of six heavy tanks
battalion), a mechanized infantry brigade brigade headquarters and brigade company (under the jurisdiction of four mechanized infantry battalion), an engineer brigade, an anti-aircraft artillery battalion, a military intelligence battalion, a communications battalion, a divisional artillery headquarters (under the jurisdiction of the three 155-mm self-propelled howitzer battalions, a 227-mm multiple rocket battery), a divisional support headquarters, a divisional support headquarters (under the jurisdiction of three self-propelled howitzer battalions, a 227-mm multiple rocket battery), and a divisional support headquarters. ), a Divisional Support Command, a Divisional Aviation Brigade (with two attack helicopter battalions, an air assault company, an air command company, and a cavalry squadron), a chemical company, a military police company, and a divisional band. The division is equipped with 348 MIA1/A2 full-tracked main battle tanks, 216 M2 infantry fighting vehicles, 100 M3 cavalry fighting vehicles, 308 full-tracked armored personnel carriers, 167 tracked command post carriers, 36 AH-64 attack helicopters, 8 AH-1 attack helicopters, 24 UH-160A utility helicopters, 6 UH-l utility helicopters, 6 OH-58D observation helicopters, 1 air assault company, 1 aviation command company, 1 chemical company, 1 military police company, and 1 division band. OH-58D observation helicopters, 3 EH-60 electronic warfare helicopters, 144 Javelin anti-tank missile launchers, 72 self-propelled 155-mm howitzers, 24 90-mm recoilless cannons, 66 107-mm mortars, 36 Avengers "Avenger anti-aircraft missile systems and 24 improved Vulcan anti-aircraft guns, 5,281 radios of various types, and 4,983 night-vision devices.
Edit paragraph II, combat capability
1. Mechanical power In terms of strategic mobility, the 1st Armored Division, in addition to the division advance force and the division aviation brigade can be through the Military Airlift Command's C-5A transports and C-14 or 141B transports to quickly drop, the division's remaining heavy equipment (348 heavy tanks, 316 infantry and cavalry combat vehicles, 308 full-tracked armored personnel carriers, 72 155-mm self-propelled howitzers, 9 12-barrel 227-mm multiple rocket launchers, etc.) had to be delivered by sea or overland transport from forward deployment areas to crisis areas. In order for the division to become combat effective as quickly as possible, all of the division's personnel are usually airlifted to the theater of operations, and theater prepositioning and sea prepositioning transports are activated. In the Gulf War, the division used the strategic maneuver of airlifting personnel and seaborne transport of equipment, and it took nearly two months to complete the maneuver from the forward deployment area to the Gulf theater. In terms of tactical mobility, the division has more than 5,700 combat vehicles and delivery vehicles, 121 helicopters of various types, with strong ground and air tactical mobility, ground mobility speed of 30 kilometers per hour during the day, 25 kilometers per hour at night. It takes about 2 hours for the whole division to finish picking up enemy transportation. In non-combat conditions, a day and night maneuver distance of up to 500 kilometers, in combat conditions a day and night can maneuver 150 to 200 kilometers. All 216 of the division's M2 infantry fighting vehicles and 100 M3 cavalry fighting vehicles, as well as 308 Mll3 armored personnel carriers, have amphibious mobility and are capable of maneuvering over water obstacles. Two attack helicopter battalions of the division's aviation brigade have a maneuver radius of 230 kilometers. The division's air assault company equipped with 15 UH-60 helicopters, can once air mobility of an infantry company, air mobility speed of up to 200 km / h, even in the skimming altitude (7 ~ 30 m) flight, but also up to 150 km / h, is the speed of its tanks and mechanized forces maneuvering 3 to 4 times, can be used with the division to carry out the company-scale air assault operations and airborne operations. 2. Firepower (l) Suppressive fire: The division has three 155mm self-propelled howitzer battalions (72 guns) and one multiple rocket company (9 guns), which can provide nuclear and non-nuclear artillery fire support to the division under various weather and terrain conditions. The division's three howitzer battalions are capable of firing 288 rounds per minute using a centralized firing method. They are effective in suppressing and destroying enemy infantry and armored targets and artillery batteries up to a depth of 30 kilometers. The suppression effectiveness of each 12-barrel rocket of the multiple rocket company is equivalent to that of 24 155-mm howitzers of a field artillery battalion, with a destructive range of 35 kilometers, and is capable of providing the division with instantaneous and intensive suppressive fire over a large area.1 rocket launcher firing 12 rockets at a time can suppress a 120,000-square-meter area, which is equal to the suppression effect of 96 155-mm howitzer rounds. Moreover, the division's artillery is fully tracked and self-propelled, highly mobile, and able to quickly move firing positions, thus enabling it to conduct fire attacks on enemy targets at greater depths. The 1st Armored Division also has 66 107mm mortars, which can deliver 1,188 rounds per minute of suppressive damage to enemy targets within 0.8 to 6.8 kilometers. The divisional artillery tactical command system, with a computing speed of 8 million commands per second, is capable of handling 720 fire missions per hour, and the division's Paladin 155-mm self-propelled artillery gun, which has been in service since 1994, is equipped with a ballistic computer and an automatic position-to-aim system, with a reaction time of less than 60 seconds for inter-march fire. When required, the 44 attack helicopters of the division's aviation brigade can also be used to suppress enemy ground forces with aerial artillery fire (39,000 rounds of 30- and 20-millimetre artillery shells***) and rockets (3,040). (2) Antitank Fire: Antitank fire within the 1st Armored Division formation consists of two parts. One is airborne anti-tank fire. The 1st Armored Division has 36 AH-64 attack helicopters and 8 AH-1 attack helicopters. Airborne "prison fire" type anti-tank missile hit accuracy of 96%, can effectively attack the enemy tanks within 7 kilometers distance. According to the U.S. military experiments and Gulf War practice, an AH-64 attack helicopter can attack 16 tanks. According to the U.S. army "the division aviation brigade attack helicopter centralized use" point of view, the attack helicopter battalion adopts the centralized attack mode, can effectively combat. 100 kilometers depth of the enemy armored group. When the battalion adopts the continuous attack mode (1 company to attack, the second company in front of the ammunition and fuel replenishment, the third company to go to the attack on the way to maintain the continuity of the attack), it can attack 384 armored targets at a time, after deducting the factor of battle damage, according to the probability of destruction of 70%, it can be destroyed at a time to damage 268 armored targets. In addition, the division's formation of 24 UH-60A "Black Hawk" multi-purpose helicopters, each of which can also be mounted 16 "Hellfire" anti-tank missiles, also has a strong anti-tank capability, the situation requires can also be used for anti-tank. Second, ground anti-tank firepower. The 1st Armored Division's ground anti-tank firepower mainly consists of machine infantry battalions, tank battalions and artillery brigade anti-tank firepower. The four mechanized infantry battalions of the 1st Armoured Division are equipped with 144 Javelin anti-tank missile launchers and 316 Bradley vehicle-mounted TOW anti-tank missile launchers. They have the capacity to fire 1,380 anti-tank missiles per minute. Both types of anti-tank missiles have adopted the "fire and forget" guidance technology, with high hit accuracy and high armor-breaking power (the maximum armor-breaking thickness on the front side of the TOW anti-tank missile reaches 1,030 mm). According to the 70% probability of destruction, with the ability to destroy 966 armored targets at a time. 348 M1A1 main battle tanks of 6 tank battalions have a strong anti-tank capability, 348 120mm tank guns use poor shaft armor-piercing shells, which can effectively destroy the enemy's armored targets within a range of 3 kilometers. The 155mm self-propelled howitzers of the division's artillery brigade can fire "Copperbottom Snake" laser-guided artillery shells, which can accurately attack enemy tank clusters within a range of 16 kilometers using end-of-trajectory guidance technology. Divisional multiple-launch rocket company "Saddam", remote sensing anti-loading sub-munitions, one time firing, within 35 kilometers can be cast 648 warheads to attack armored targets. 3. Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Capabilities (1) Intelligence Reconnaissance Capabilities. The 1st Armored Division's main intelligence and electronic warfare forces are the formed military intelligence battalion (under the jurisdiction of the collection and jamming company, the intelligence and surveillance company and the electronic warfare company) and the air cavalry squadron (under the jurisdiction of two air cavalry units). The main intelligence and electronic warfare equipment is 12 OH-58 reconnaissance helicopters, 3 UH-60A specialized electronic warfare helicopters, and 12 ground reconnaissance radars and more than 30 pieces (sets) of electronic warfare equipment. The division's military intelligence battalion, using long-distance technical reconnaissance means and a drop-in remote sensing reconnaissance system, can conduct direct reconnaissance and surveillance of the enemy within a range of 100 kilometers and can send out long-range ground reconnaissance to a depth of 300 to 400 kilometers. The division can send 250 to 270 reconnaissance units in attack and 170 to 180 in defense. The electronic equipment of the division's air cavalry reconnaissance squadron is primarily helicopter-based, with a wide frequency band, long range, and high accuracy of reconnaissance. 12 OH-58D light attack and reconnaissance helicopters are capable of independently attempting longitudinal reconnaissance missions, and can conduct rapid aerial reconnaissance and identify and locate enemy deployments, and C3I installations, throughout the division's operational territory and territory of interest (i.e., extending 150 kilometers forward from the B forward line). . The division's ground radio technical reconnaissance range is 500 kilometers, and the helicopter air reconnaissance range is 150 kilometers. The helicopters are equipped with millimeter-wave radar, low-light television, infrared forward-looking radar, laser detection systems and optical photographic reconnaissance devices that can search for targets day and night, providing the division with uninterrupted aerial reconnaissance, surveillance and target search capabilities and utilizing the airborne target exchange system, the joint tactical intelligence distribution system equipped to the division facility, the single-channel ground and airborne data classified communications system equipped to battalions and companies and the location reporting The 44 OH-58D observation helicopters of the divisional aviation brigade are capable of communicating with UH-60A and AH-64 helicopters and Air Force F-16 and A-10 attack aircraft and artillery tactical fire systems utilizing the on-board target exchange system to report on real-time target conditions. The AN/TPQ-36 antiartillery radar with the Target Search Company under the division artillery can detect enemy mortars within 12 kilometers and howitzer or rocket positions within 24 kilometers. (2) Electronic warfare capability. The 1st Armored Division has three dedicated electronic warfare helicopters (EH-60) and more than 30 pieces of electronic warfare equipment of various types, which are capable of providing the division with VHF interception and jamming capabilities that can be used to implement attack jamming throughout the division's operational depth. On the offensive, the division's electronic jamming capability can reach: 30 kilometers on the ground; 40 kilometers in the air; regular surveillance of 40-50 radio nets, 15 radars. 1 hour of direction-finding to locate 60-80 short-wave radio coordinates, 24-30 ground radar coordinates; jamming suppression of 30 radio nets, 10-15 radars. Effective suppression of the enemy first echelon regiment's command and communication networks and electronic transmitters. The division also has a strong capability for hard destruction of electronic equipment. The division's cavalry squadron of reconnaissance helicopters and attack helicopters are organized in a ratio of 12:8, and have a strong physical destruction capability that combines target detection technology with precision guidance technology. 4. Communications capability The division has a divisional communications battalion (command combat company, forward communications company, and communications support combat company) capable of providing the division with a multi-channel tactical satellite communications terminal service and a multi-channel network of radio communications systems and mobile subscriber equipment capable of covering the entire divisional and Army operational territory (37,500 square kilometers). It provides classified communications of data, imagery and voice to approximately 8,100 users in the division, safeguarding the division's command, control, intelligence, fire support and combat service support. The Divisional Communications Battalion can provide the division with six FM radio stations to expand the division's operational activities and intelligence network, and can provide limited motorcycle communications between division headquarters and division subordinate commands. 5. Air defense capability The 1st Armored Division has a strong air defense capability, which is manifested in three aspects: First, the division's air defense artillery battalion is equipped with 36 Avenger self-propelled anti-aircraft missile systems, which can be launched in the middle of a march, and have the capability of omnidirectional attack and "launch and forget". Together with the 24 improved Vulcan anti-aircraft guns of the divisional anti-aircraft battalion (with a rate of fire of 3,000 rounds per minute and an automatic target search and identification time of less than 2 seconds), and with the cooperation of the divisional forward area alert radar and the OH-58D reconnaissance helicopters of the divisional cavalry squadron, the battalion is capable of effectively targeting incoming enemy aircraft in the divisional area of operations at a low altitude of 1.2-3.8 kilometers (1.2-3.8 km). kilometers) within the division's operational area, to cover the air safety of the division's main combat formation. Secondly, the 36 Apache attack helicopters and 24 Blackhawk multi-purpose helicopters of the division's aviation brigade can mount four to eight Stinger air-to-air missiles, which have a certain air defense and self-defense capability. Self-defense capability. Third, the 348 M1A1 main battle tanks of the division's six tank battalions*** are equipped with 696 anti-aircraft machine guns, which provide a certain degree of defense against low-altitude incoming enemy aircraft and helicopters. 6. Chemical Defense Capability The division's chemical defense company has a nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) detachment and four decontamination platoons and a smoke screen platoon capable of completing the division's NBC reconnaissance, decontamination, and smoke generation missions. The division's 12 equipment decontamination stations are capable of decontaminating 48 tactical vehicles in one hour. All company-level units in the division are equipped with agent detection and anti-contamination kits, such as the M8A1 automatic chemical alarm, the M256 chemical detector, and man-portable protective equipment. All the division's main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are equipped with perfect three-protection systems, so that under nuclear, biological and chemical conditions, the occupants do not have to wear protective clothing for continuous operation. Other combat vehicles are equipped with Mll / 13 cleaner, all soldiers are equipped with micro-agent alarm, the volume of only the size of a cigarette case, can be nerve agent, vesicant agent, whole body toxicity agent all the alarm, coupled with the equipped single M258A1 disinfection device, able to carry out the protection of the 4-level posture. As required, the divisional chemical company's smoke screen platoon can create a 2-kilometer wide smoke screen protection belt in maneuver territory. 7. Engineering Protection Capability The divisional engineer brigade consists of three engineer battalions and several engineer detachments. With the division's own engineering forces, it can accomplish division combat engineering support, mobility, and countermobility missions. Rapidly constructs and maintains access roads and major bridges to major combat roads, blocking positions, and fording grounds within the division's combat area. The division's attack bridging detachment is capable of rapidly erecting four 60-ton bridges over a river span of 144 meters using MAB self-propelled bridges. The HAB heavy impact bridge on the M1 main battle tank chassis can accompany the tank division's assault operations, and under enemy fire, quickly erect a gate bridge with a span of 32 meters and a load of 70 tons to ensure that the tanks and armored combat vehicles can overcome the obstacles of trenches and other obstacles, and the erection and withdrawal time is only 3 to 10 minutes. The engineer brigade is equipped with 24 90-millimeter guns, which can assist the division in breaking up the enemy's fortified territory. In attack, each tank or machine battalion of the division, supported by an engineer platoon, can mechanically (tank mine plows/mine rollers) create a 120-meter path through a minefield in only 10 minutes. In defense, one engineer company of the division can construct 1 to 1.4 meter anti-tank trenches in 24 hours. The division is equipped with 18 Volcano mine-laying systems, such as six UH-60A utility helicopters to quickly lay temporary minefields, and three flights to lay 18 standard minefields (one helicopter sortie can lay a 300-metre x 200-metre mixed minefield). The division's three 24-manufactured 155-mm artillery battalions laid 15 high-density minefields and 57 low-density minefields with a basic load of scattering mine submunitions. The time required to lay one high-density minefield is only one minute. The divisional multiple rocket launcher company can rapidly project remote-controlled anti-armor minefields at a distance of 40 kilometers, and one rocket launcher can lay an anti-armor minefield consisting of 336 AT-1/2 anti-tank mines in one projection to block enemy tank units in the front area, delay and kill the enemy. 8. Night fighting capability The 1st Armored Division is equipped with 4983 night vision systems. All main battle tanks, self-propelled artillery, combat vehicles and helicopters are equipped with night detection and targeting systems. "The Apache attack helicopter PNNS night vision system has a detection range of 12 kilometers and a recognition range of 7 kilometers for tanks at night. The M1A1 main battle tanks of the six tank battalions of the division's armored brigade use new panoramic thermal imaging viewers and thermal imaging scopes, which greatly improve night maneuvering and the ability to detect and attack targets.Some of the M1A2 main battle tanks that have been modified since 1994 are equipped with the "Commander's Independent Thermal Imaging Viewer" and the Driver's Thermal Imaging Camera, which use passive infrared technology. Passive infrared technology, more difficult to be detected by the enemy, the night action of the stealth is stronger. The M2 Bradley series vehicles of the division's four mechanized infantry brigade battalions are equipped with day/night observers and infrared thermal imaging systems in their observation and command systems. 316 vehicle-mounted TOW anti-tank missile launchers are equipped with AN/TAS-4 thermal imaging sights that can provide night-time observation of two or more TOW anti-tank missiles, and the TOW anti-tank missile launcher is equipped with a thermal imaging system that can provide night-time observation of two or more TOW anti-tank missiles. The 316 vehicle-mounted TOW anti-tank missile launchers are equipped with AN/TAS-4 thermal imaging sights, which can detect and aim at armored targets 2-6 kilometers away at night. Because of the strong night fighting capability, the U.S. Army believes that the armored division can implement high-speed assaults for continuous day and night operations, and the best time to attack is at night. 9. Logistical Support The 1st Armored Division's divisional logistical support is provided by three forward support battalions, one maintenance support battalion, and one transport aircraft maintenance company under the division support commander. Each Forward Support Battalion is organized into two Tank System Support Teams (TSSTs) and two Infantry System Support Teams (ISSTs). Each battalion can simultaneously support up to two tank battalions and two machine-infantry battalions, provide technical assistance support for nine categories of material and equipment, and is capable of performing intermediate forward maintenance on communications and ground missile equipment within the forward brigade support area. The Division Support Command*** is organized with 1,223 delivery trucks, trailers, and tank trailers of all tonnages, capable of transporting 1,660,500 pounds of establishment equipment. The Motor Transport Company, under the Division Security Support Battalion, has a daily capacity of 138 trucks and trailers of 5 to 22.5 tons, and 1,102 tons of cargo at a time. With 18 trucks with 60-ton trailers, the company could move 445 tons of combat material and 18 medium tanks at a time. The Supply and Service Company under the Security Support Battalion is capable of receiving, temporarily storing, and distributing 35.58 tons of Type I supplies, 52.71 tons of Type II supplies, 9.34 tons of Type III supplies, 20.07 tons of Type IV supplies, 23.97 tons of Type VII supplies other than aircraft, and 21.76 tons of engineering and construction materials for the division on a daily basis, as well as transshipping 136 tons of ammunition daily from the Army Transportation Depot to the supported Units. Five water supply points are provided within the division and brigade support areas, capable of storing 30,000 gallons of water and transporting 12,000 gallons of water twice a day back and forth. It is capable of storing and distributing 302,600 gallons of gasoline per day, using 75 percent of the fuel to distribute vehicles, and can distribute 197,200 gallons of gasoline twice a day round trip. The company operates five field water stations that can supply more than 60 cubic meters of water to the troops each day and night. The Division Maintenance Support Battalion (DMSB) consists of one heavy maintenance company and one light maintenance company capable of providing intermediate level repairs and maintenance of all types of equipment to Division units not supported by the Division's three forward support battalions. The Missile Support Company, under the Maintenance Support Battalion, can provide field maintenance for the division's close-range anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-tank missile and multiple rocket launcher systems. The Transport Aircraft Maintenance Company, under the Division Support Command, is capable of providing aviation maintenance and repair, flight control equipment repair, recovery and evacuation of all types of helicopters of the Division Aviation Brigade. The medical support company under the division maintenance support battalion is capable of providing divisional sanitation support and is able to provide receiving and treatment facilities for all types of sick and wounded evacuated from the division rear defense area and from the brigade regional sanitation company. Provide 160 sets of placement equipment for sick and wounded who do not require hospitalization and who can be returned to duty within 96 hours. May provide guard support for detachment surgeries within the division support area. 10. integrated offensive and defensive capabilities (1) Offensive combat capability. When the 1st Armored Division reaches the level of first-class formation equipment, it can attempt offensive operations under a variety of conditions and is particularly suited to breakthrough, deep attack, and pursuit missions. In the formation of the army as the main direction of the attack, the front of the attack can be up to 25 to 30 kilometers; as the secondary direction of the attack, the front of the attack can be up to 40 kilometers; on the pre-prepared defense of the enemy attack, the division's breakthrough section width of 6 to 8 kilometers; on the hasty defense of the enemy attack of the breakthrough section of up to 10 kilometers. The depth of the attack can be more than 60 kilometers, and can destroy an enemy armored or mechanized infantry regiment at one time. In the Gulf War ground attack, the division's depth of attack reached more than 200 kilometers, and the speed of attack reached 80 kilometers per day and night. (2) Capability of defensive operations. In defensive battles, the 1st Armored Division can defend a defensive zone of 30 to 60 kilometers in front and 50 to 70 kilometers in depth within the formation of the army, and resist the attack of one or more enemy groups. By holding strongholds, mobile defense, and the use of air-mobile task forces, it can delay and crush the offensive operations of enemy army groups by surprise attacks and ground ambushes. The 1st Armored Division also serves as the army's reserve in defense, using its rapid mobility and powerful armored assault power. It conducts counter-assaults against the enemy wedged in the defense. The division is suitable as a covering force in withdrawal operations.
Edit III. Limitations of Operational Capability
1. The division's heavy equipment was too numerous and large to be airlifted on a large scale, thus preventing it from developing the rapid strategic mobility of an entire division. In the Gulf War, it took nearly two months to transport all of the division's heavy equipment from Germany to Saudi Arabia. The division's heavy equipment was delivered separately from its personnel, and it had to spend time on necessary preparations after arriving in the theater of operations, which affected its combat effectiveness in the early stages of the operation. 2. The division's main battle tanks and combat vehicles were limited in their ability to fight in dense jungle and mountainous terrain and water network obstacles, and were even less suited to fighting in urbanized terrain. 3. The limited transportation capacity within the division's organization makes it difficult to safeguard the enormous material losses of combat. The 1st Armored Division, when assaulting at full speed, consumes 600,000 gallons of fuel per day, requiring at least 12o vehicle trips for transportation, but the division's capacity can only guarantee the delivery of several types of supplies between the division's logistical area and the brigade's logistical area, and it needs to be additionally supported by the army's transportation. During an attack, logistical support vehicles often have difficulty keeping up with the maneuvering speed of tanks and infantry vehicles, which affects follow-up security and sustained combat capability. 4- The limited number of air assault helicopters (UH-60A) in the division's aviation brigade and the maximum number of companies that can maneuver in the air at one time relatively limit the division's tactical flexibility of three-dimensional use of forces, making independent deep airborne operations limited in scale and duration, and necessitating the early cooperation of heavy ground forces. 5- The infantry combat vehicles of the division's four mechanized infantry brigade battalions are not equipped with anti-aircraft weapons, making the division's mechanized infantry brigade's air defense capability weak.