Good evening all, I'm currently reading into the 6th Canadian Anti-Tank regiment war diary. In the diary they mention that units return to a harbour. At first I was under the impression that it was a civilian harbour but the grid reference never comes close to a possible harbour location. So this made me wonder if this is some sort of logistical installation. I can't find any reading about it which would explain it but i'm assuming this is something similar to a material collection point or a forward staging area? Any one have a suggestion what this would be in modern day combat? Regards, Remi
Not harbour as in a dock for ships but harbour as in a shelter or place of refuge or safety i.e. out of the firing line.
Field Service Pocket Book No.1 of 1940 describes harbour as "an area under cover from the air, which is both a position of readiness and a place where maintenance and refilling operations are carried out". The term was primarily used by Armoured units (though the term leaguer was used in North Africa, described as a bivouac area surrounded by a defensive perimeter), and as above was simply where a motorised unit would retire to before dark to undertake routine maintenance, replenish ammunition and supplies, and provide a secure area for troops to eat, sleep and clean-up. Gary
Goodevening both thanks for the answer. Gary Kennedy would this be something similar to a an (tactical) assembly area? Cheers Remi
Remi - I seem to remember that an assembly area was where combat arms married up prior to an operation, such as a deliberate attack, minefield breach or obstacle crossing. The area would need to have sufficient size (obviously) for the troops/vehicles taking part, not be vulnerable to enemy direct fire weapons, support communications and be defendable if the need arose. It would be occupied for the least possible time. There are probably other characteristics but that’s about all I can remember!
I think Assembly Area was the US equivalent for the British term Assembly Position, this being where units had moved to prior to "R" and "O" Groups taking place. From there, the next move was to the Forming Up Place (FUP), where units and subunits would move into tactical positions prior to the start of an assault. As noted above, that would be before an action, and may involve an Infantry unit marrying up with supporting tanks for example. Harbour is at the other end of things, so where a unit would retire to at the end of a day's fighting when it was not involved in holding a portion of the line overnight. That's why it is most associated with armour, who would generally be withdrawn from their forward positions once light began to fade, as tanks (and any vehicles) were extremely vulnerable at night to attack by infiltration, and also needed time to perform maintenance and rearm and refuel for the next day's efforts. Gary
JDKR Gary Kennedy Sheldrake Thank you for the explanation I had a look at NATO's APP-6, a document about military symbology according to NATO standards. This is the description of an assembly area: "An area in which a command is assembled preparatory to further action." This seems closest to what you guys are describing. Cheers Remi
The NATO definition, as with much else of NATO terminology is derived from US post war practice. It is not a guarantee that these terms were used or had the same meaning in British or Canadian forces in WW2. We are after all two (or three) nations divided by a common language. The 1943 US Army guide to British military terminology (15 May 1943) gives the same definition as APP-6 to the US Army term "Assembly Area" and the British equivalent as "Assembly Position". These are helpfully accompanied by a diagram illustrating a regimental (British brigade.) in the advance showing the approach march from the assembly area/ assembly position to the Live of departure/start line. The same work also gives a definition of "Harbor"(as sheltered body of water etc) with the British equivalent Harbour: (also indicates lying up area for armoured formations or units). and British - with no US Equivalent: Leaguer Bivouac in open terrain, with all around defense. Are these terms synonymous? I associate Assembly area as where you carried out battle preparation prior to advance to contact. I suppose it might also apply to the location of a reserve force in defence. But I suspect the WD in the OP was referring to the bivouac for armoured vehicles, with some fairly non tactical maintenance activities. In post WW2 commonwealth armies "Harbour Drills" has been taken to refer to establishing triangular plan platoon bases and taught to teenaged cadets. Patrol Harbours Reigate Grammar School Combined Cadet Force.
Hello All, Thank you for the extensive responses! I'm an officer in the Netherlands Armed Forces, I have been a private/Cpl and NCO as well. The reason I was looking for confirmation is that, the way I know (tactical) assembly area's from my work that we deploy them in any sort of situations prior, during or after the execution of (combat) manoeuvres whenever we aren't in enemy contact. I am aware of a term called patrol base or forward operating base, that's an area from which an infantry platoon would execute combat operations (usually in enemy controlled territory). I was sadly enough unable to find a corresponding NATO symbol for that other than a strong point but that is more of a combat position I guess. If you guys have any sort of idea I'm open to advice! Cheers Remi
I suspect the concept of Harbour Drills may have crept in from national counter insurgency operations rather than emerged from NATO committees. It is not a term that can be found in British Army Field Manual. ,Volume 1 Part 10, Countering Insurgency, Army Code 71876 October 2009, however this is all about THE wars of the time. However, the idea of a platoon harbour is very much associated with scenarios based in the jungle and ulu of Malaya and Borneo and much practiced in the forestry blocks of mid Wales and northern England.
I attended the British Army’s jungle warfare course in Brunei in 1976 and patrol bases with attendant harbour drills were skills in which we exhaustively trained. In the patrol base we would administer ourselves - mainly comprising eating and sleeping - and from the base we would mount patrols. It would be laid out as a triangle with MGs/sentries at each apex. The security of a patrol base largely relied on excellent low level skills That’s enough on that! A patrol base is not the same as a forward operating base (FOB) A FOB is a much grander affair and much used in Afghanistan. A FOB would commonly be occupied by a company upwards and likely to have indirect fire support assets, rotary wing facilities, logistic support especially medical etc etc. A FOB would be defendable and its size could vary enormously.
