Page 36 - Bugle Issue 20 Autumn 2022

5 RIFLES
Ex PRAIRIE TORNADO Live Firing Ex
B Company’s Exercise PRAIRIE TORNADO 2022 began with a 10-day live firing phase across multiple locations on the BATUS training estate in Alberta, Canada. This served as an excellent starting point for the 20-day exercise. B Company deployed onto the Prairie in late May supported by elements from the REME, Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery, moving out to the first range location with a packet of twenty armoured vehicles.
Following the initial Transition to Live Fire Tactical Training, the company began the first of the section attack lanes. These all included
In March, B Company deployed to Tregantle Fort on Ex FORTIFIED BUGLE. An imposing mid-19th century construction built south of Plymouth to ward off French invasion, it now serves as a small but rich training resource. Blessed with unseasonably tropical weather, B Coy made the most of their limited time with a packed training schedule.
Working at platoon level throughout, the Riflemen were put through their paces
over five enemy positions each and were designed to stretch section commanders
and 2IC’s command and control. This built
up into the live platoon attacks for which
each Pl was bolstered with an RA observer
to co-ordinate indirect fires. Night-time live firing was interspersed throughout the first five days of the exercise, with section defensive and offensive serials testing the Riflemen’s awareness and marksmanship into the early hours of morning, augmented by Illume and GPMG effects guns.
The highlight of the conventional phase of the live firing was the company attack which saw B Company take a series of enemy bunker
in a combination of GPMG ranges, platoon attacks and raids. The ranges offered a fantastic opportunity to get hands on with
an often-neglected weapon system, all the while set against the stunning backdrop of the South coast. An early morning raid saw
a short insertion through dense woodland onto an abandoned pump house buried in a boggy basin. With Military Working Dog assets
Set on the edge of the estuary,
it was a gruelling, muddy affair
positions overlooking a key river crossing. The attack was an excellent run out for the whole of B Company, from the employment
of grenades and section weapons through
to the use of indirect fires and quad bikes for ammo and casualty extraction. As the first company action of PRAIRIE TORNADO, it set a solid standard to test ourselves against for the remainder of the exercise.
The final element of the live fire package was two days in the Utena village shoot- through complex culminating in a company level urban attack. This phase provided the perfect finish for the LFTT package. With the company now battle tested in the light role, it was time to mount up for the armoured phase. 2 Lt Cuss, B Coy
attached, swiftness and decisiveness of action was the name of the game here.
The jewel in the training area’s crown
is Scraesdon Fort. A labyrinth of twisting corridors and never-ending staircases stretching over three tiers, it is a serious test of any unit’s command and control. The company performed admirably, taking the challenge
in its stride. But the fight did not finish
there – with the Fort seized, sections broke out one at a time, clearing through a series
of positions before fighting on individually, swords fixed. Set on the edge of the estuary,
it was a gruelling, muddy affair that pushed the Riflemen’s resolve to its limits. With all positions destroyed, platoons returned to the Fort for an afternoon of simunition training. The sting of a shot from one of these serves
as a timely reminder to be vigilant in basic infanteering skills.
Building on the back of success on Ex GAULISH EAGLE in France last year, B Company is now in a strong position to perform well out in Canada this summer.
Lt Adam Pearson, B Coy
The final element of the live fire package was two days in
the Utena village
B Coy on the GPMG ranges at Tregantle
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36 RIFLES The Bugle
B COY TAKE TREGANTLE!