Setting up a Patrol Base:

You have to take a four-man team through jungle, well beyond your own lines, to check whether a suspected enemy base is operational or not.

It's vital to move swiftly, stealthily, and relay your intelligence without being discovered. So why do you go storming out with an entire platoon of 30 men?

The answer is that an operation at this range would be all but impossible for four men on their own. They are the key to the mission, but the rest of the platoon is there to create a patrol base - an abvance post, totally concealed and easily defended, which will guarantee the success of the mission, giving it support, security, and acrucial ability to surprise the enemy if need be.

As one of the basic infantry skills, this will explain how to set up a patrol base on operations like this - whether they're recce patrols, prolonged ambushing missions or hit-and-run affairs to disrupt enemy communications
- and how it should operate.

Essentially, you'll need to establish a patrol base whenever a patrol halts for an extended period. It can be used to send out smaller units into more exposed ground, or as a concealed supply post for larger operations nearby, such as an ambush in platoon strength. From the base you can plan, feed, rest, maintain weapons and equipment, and direct a number of smaller operations.

You can set up a patrol base in any terrain, in any type of warfare. But it is most effective in counter-insurgency operations in the jungle.

You can select a suitable site for a patrol base from a map, by reconnaisance in person before the patrol, or on the spot, as your patrol proceeds. However you choose your position, bear in mind that you will have to secure it before you can take up occupation.

Keep it secret:

Look for an area that you can defend easily but remember that secrecy is vital. You don't want to get involved in a defensive firefight unless there's no alternative, so try to put your base where the vegitation is dense enough for the patrol to melt away. It should also be near a supply of fresh water and where the terrain doesn't obscure your radio communications.

Setting up the base:

The British Army has a tried and tested drill for occupying a patrol base. You can learn the routing easily enough.

Assuming that the patrol is at platoon strength, the commander deployes the sections around the site like this: Meeting the section commanders at the six o'clock position of the base area, he gives the arc from 10 to 2 o'clock to section one, the arc from 6 to 10 o'clock to section two, the remaining 2 to 6 o'clock arc to section three.

The patrol commander then sets up platoon HQ at the center of thte base area. From here you must be able to see their machine-gun groups. Next, you should check the base perimeters by walking round it and meeting each section commander.

Securing the area:

Your next job is to send out patrols from each section to clear the surrounding area. These patrols must move quickly, and in all directions at the same time. If they don't, theenemy could slip from one section's area to another, playing cat-and-mouse with the clearing patrols.

It's important that these patrolsdon't mistakenly clash with one another. Make sure that each patrol moves out of the patrol base through the left of the rifle group, sweeps its sector, and re-enters the base through the gun group position.

The patrol should consist of the section commander and one man from each group in the section. The distance they will need to clear out depends on the terrain and the range of noise and smell. This could be as much as 300 meters.

Building the base:

Once the area is secure, you canset about digging shell scrapes or even trenches, laying obstacles and sensors and clearing fields of fire against possible enemy approach, and digging refuse pits and latrines. You should also clear a perimeter track, and possibly tracks between sections and HQ, to keep down noise at night and stop anyone getting lost when moving from one section to another. Once all this is done, you can erect shelters.

Routine in the base:

You must organise the base meticulously: you need to post sentries, set up water patrols, prepare alarm positions, place equipment ready for a quick move.

Keep movement inside the base to a minimum. In the jungle you may not even be able to cook, smoke, shave or wash if contact with the enemy is at all likely. Cooking can be smelled hundreds of meters away, and cigarette smoking perhaps 25 meters. In Borneo, British patrols often went 10 days at a time without washing or smoking, and ate all rations cold.

Security is vital:

The most important thing to remember about a patrol base is its security. It is a secret place and a safe place. You will need sentries and listening posts to cover approaches to the base area. Put them beyond the range of noise and smell during the day, closer in at night. And keep everyone as silent as possible. Set up communication cords between sentries and section commanders, and between sections and and the patrol HQ, and use pre-arranged signals to cut down the need for talking.

The real value of a patrol base lies in its remaining undiscovered. This is the place from which you mount operations, and those operations will be really successful only if the enemy has no warning of them.



5 points for siting your patrol base:

You must be able to defend it from all directions, but if discovered your aim is to melt away, not stand your ground.

The position must be easy to conceal and off the beaten track.

You need to be near a supply of fresh water.

The terrain must not interfere with your radio communications; you must be able to contact friendly forces.

The base should be close enough to the objective so that you can support the four-man recce team.