"Doctrines on tactical nuclear warfare?" Topic

So a tactical nuclear device has been detonated, making the enemy in front of your position very unhappy.

Anyone have access to books or knowledge of general doctrine in such situations? How long before troops (in suitable kit) would be sent into the area bombed to exploit it or move through?

Would the defenders try to reinforce the position (again, in suitable kit) or would the preference be to defend further back? (which could be a fair distance).

Cheers!

A long time ago I read NBC manuals-generally you make sure your formations are dispersed and go around the area of effect. Look at the Pentomic Division: five supposedly self-sufficient battlegroups trying to dodge and weave through a nuke environment.
Soviets would form special Operational Maneuver Groups and do the same. So breakout your Troya tanks, apc's and MOPP gear and keep moving-oh, and your fatigue rate goes way up when wearing protection.
And hope the wind blows waaay over there.

A lot of independent initiative will happen due to EMP atmospherics.

From memory of '60's/'70's manuals.

Nuclear release was always followed by "endex" and return to camp.

From memory of too much time iimmodest suits.

Yeah, went thru NBC Defense School as an LT in the 101. And later was selected to be an Atomic Demolish Missions Officer … Training with the S3 keeping track of how many Rads each unit absorbed. Always going into MOPP for hours, being able to calculate yield by distance from blast, size of mushroom cloud, etc., etc. … Good times … good times … Truely a nightmare scenario. Having a doctrine on nuclear warfare would only last as long as everyone started dying from not only Nucs, Bugs & Gas + fallout, etc. … medevac would be a full time job after securing LRPs/LZs/PZs, etc. … no one would win … What was that line from one of the old Mad Max movies, "The Living would envy the dead … "

A lot of variables here. Airburst (preferred for destructive purposes) or surface burst (dirty), yield (size of the bomb),weather (rain/wind). How soon after the blast you could move in would probably be determined by a survey team doing a recon and getting the info to higher headquarters.
In the old Pershing units we used to think that if we got one round off before we got smoked, we'd have done good. "Quick, Reliable, Accurate." And shortly dead there after.
Bob

I imagine this would all do interesting things for morale as well.

Look here link

I think the British rules you see here have at least a discussion of this. Maybe email John and ask him before you purchase.

I think in answer to your question … based on NATO v Warpac scenarios that shaped the thinking here … they may not have been a 'further back' to defend from.

Button up, hope all the fancy over pressure and anti-radiation liner kit works, and descend into hell. Generally speaking, you want to avoid nuclear fall out. Once the nukes start getting thrown back and forth, it would be tough to avoid fall out, but you'd certainly want to minimize exposure. In the end, I suspect most of us would have followed orders. Casualties from radiation sickness isn't immediate unless you receive a very high dose. A day or two later, guys start getting sick.

pjm

Of course, most of us would have followed orders … But as you noted, it wouldn't take long before the rad exposure, etc. would make many too many sick [or dead] to do so … As the situation devolves in the the scenario I mentioned above … Of course, if I had been used in the role of an Atomic Demolitions Missions Officer, my troops and I may have already been dead by that time … Good times … good times …

I heard an expression somewhere that towns in Germany are one kiloton apart!

LOL !!!! Sounds about right … GI "Dark Humor" ! Glad we're still all around to laugh about it !

I recall hearing and reading the phrase "…use them before you lose them…." being bandied about pretty regularly, for both tactical, and strategic nukes.

Good fun!