House-to-house fighting required a special technique that only came with experience; two or three men with such experience were equal to a whole platoon because they knew how to take advantage of every drainpipe and manhole, every shell hole and crater in and around a building; they immediately recognised every brick that might serve as shelter. Commandos and Rangers spent a lot of time learning the techniques of street and house to house fighting, repeatedly assaulting the same stretch of ruined street, urged on by loud-voiced instructors, flinging thunder-flashes and firing Bren guns on fixed lines just over their heads.
They learned that the advantages were usually with the defender, because tanks, artillery or aircraft were useless to the attacker once mingling with the enemy within; a street or a town where a machine-gun can command a straight stretch of street or a crossing. On the other hand, the specialised training and high morale of specialist groups, backed by surprise could neutralise the defender's advantage.
Rifles and bayonets were an encumbrance to street fighting - tommy-guns, revolvers and Mills-bombs, were ideal weapons. Entrenching-tools sometimes replaced the pickaxes or crowbars required to "mousehole" a way through houses. "Mouseholing" was by far the best way of moving along an open street because it provided a safe getaway: and made it possible to move machine-guns and mortars from house-to- house without the enemy realising.
Once the first house was taken, mouseholing was the best way of driving the enemy out of the other houses. Holes were smashed through walls, men making sure they kept well to one side of the hole in case the enemy fired through it, and then when the hole was large enough, throwing a grenade to kill anyone in the next room. It was a good idea to first stick a hat or helmet through the hole to draw fire from anyone on the other side.
The first essential before attacking was to carefully select the line of approach - the route to the objective - and chosen with due regard to the direction of the sun, the wind, and the existence of cover. The longer way round may be best and safest, because the enemy usually watched the most direct route more vigilantly. The direction of a possible withdrawal should be considered; ideally it was a different route.
The method was to divide into two parties, one on each side of the street. Party # 1 on the left hand side put the enemy out of action in the first house on the right hand side; then # 2 party made a quick dash to the house under cover of #1's cross-street fire, then they gave covering-fire across the street as #1 party attacked it. Both parties now directed their fire, always diagonally, at the next two houses on the right and left respectively, and so on right up the street. Men endeavoured to keep close to the houses on the right hand side of the street where riflemen in them could hardly see them and find it difficult to aim, at the same time enemy in houses on the other side had to hold their rifles awkwardly to sight unless they could shoot left-handed. Commandos were taught to shoot left-handed, like snooker when you switch the cue over to the left-hand side.
The "staggered triangle" method of advancing involved men working in pairs, remaining in a triangular formation, although each man's function might vary from time. They did not walk or talk together and never lost sight of their partner, and never broke up the triangle. No. 1 at the forward point covered the front, right and left; No. 2 moved behind them and on their left covering No. 1's rear as well as their own front and right. No. 3, the third point of the triangle were on the right and behind, covering the rear of both of the other pairs against any flanking movement. If an enemy came between No. 1 and No. 2 they both crossfired, giving No. 3 a chance to either get away or come round the flank as a diversion.
If the enemy approached between 2 and 3, then each crossfired enabling No. 1 to get away or come in on the flank. The same with No. 2 - if the enemy comes in between 1 and 3. If direction was changed, each pair changed their functions of leading and protecting each other, so that if No. 1 went to the left then No. 2 took over as leader, No. 1 took No. 2's place and No. 3 took No. 2's place. If they went right, then No. 3 became the leader, No. 2 became No. 3 and No. 1 became No. 2. Although sounding complicated, it was said to be dead simple!
Once in a house men were allocated to quietly search it; no one ever waited in the hall as it was an invitation for a man upstairs to drop a grenade down. Rooms were never rushed unless they had to be because that might set off a booby-trap, and sticking a head round the door often meant getting it shot off by a waiting enemy. When in a hurry, the door was booted in suddenly and noisily and a grenade tossed in. If it was intended to hold the house, the smashed front door was strengthened and a room on the ground or first floor was fortified. Demolished houses and commercial buildings formed excellent cover, the piles of rubble and heavy beams or steel girders turned them into fortresses.
When attempting to move unseen, men kept to shadowed areas, moving noiselessly in rubber-soled boots. Whether walking, crouching, or crawling or "snaking", movements were deliberate and slow, never jerky - every man did enough crawling to know you did not stick your bottom up in the air!
STREET FIGHTING ON THE WARGAMES TABLE
A confused style of fighting extremely difficult to reproduce on the wargames table, but one that will occur when reconstructing Commando operations as the very nature of their operations often involved them in street and house-to-house fighting as they cleared the enemy from towns and villages and turned shattered houses into strong points.
When wargaming, if defenders are in undisputed possession of a house for two game-moves then they have had time to put it into a state of defence. This makes it much more difficult for the attacker to enter the house or fire at its occupants, who have barricaded and loop-holed doors and windows. Men firing from within houses in this manner should only take half casualties; otherwise defenders can only be fired upon when they expose themselves at windows as they take aim. A grenade or shell penetrating a defended room will probably clear it, but normal casualty deciding methods will apply.
Apart from mouseholing, the only way to enter an enemy-held house is to break down the door, using a battering-ram, an axe or small explosive charges. Men breaking down doors must remain in the doorway for a complete game-move, they can be made to require 4, 5 or 6 on the dice to break the door down. Once this has occurred fighting can take place in the doorway with some advantage given to the defender. If the invader is successful he enters the house and engages another defender within the house, this time on level terms.
The simplest simulation is for both wargamers to throw dice, defender adding a bonus to his dice, the highest score being the winner; the loser is removed. If it is the defender, the successful attacker passes into the house to take on another man. If the attacker loses, the defender gets on with his firing whilst awaiting another onslaught.
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