Basic Battle Analysis Worksheet

Instructions: The outline below is a guide for each student to use during to the battle study practical
application and assessment. Students will use this format to capture the important aspects and details of each
battle study assigned to them. While limited in space, recording brief facts will enable students to recall
specific details of each significant event.

Define the Subject: Just like a military operation, a successful study of military history requires a clear,
obtainable objective. The battle analysis format begins with the definition of the study.

Define the battle to be analyzed (who, when, where and why): This will be your introduction.

(1) Who were principal adversaries? (2) When did the battle occur? (3) Where did it take place? (4) Why did the
battle occur?

Review the Setting (Set the Stage): This portion of the battle analysis format establishes the setting for
each group’s specific battle study. It is not a review of the entire campaign, and it is important to have a clear
understanding of how each battle, in chronological sequence, fits into the strategic, operational, and tactical
situations, before you analyze the battle. There is no reason to review all campaign
objectives or ground commander’s biographies as these have already been briefed by the FA in class. Focus
on the specific battle you have been assigned and the events that immediately lead up to your specific battle.

Strategic/Operational Overview: Identify the battle/engagement that immediately preceded the battle you
will analyze. Include the time-period and locations of previous actions (the use of a map is highly
recommended). Identify the battle’s objective and principle adversaries. Identify and briefly describe
how this battle fits into the overall campaign. Describe what events led to this battle being fought at this
specific location with these units?
 Basic Battle Analysis Worksheet
Area of Operations:

Terrain: Use KOCOA (Key terrain, Observation and fields of fire, Cover and concealment, Obstacles, and
Avenues of approach) factors to describe the terrain in the area of operations. What advantages did it give to
the attackers and/or to the defenders?

Weather: What was the weather like in the area of the battle? (Daytime, nighttime, rain, snow, wind conditions
and temperature). How did weather affect the battle?

Compare the principal antagonists (Operational/Tactical): In many ways, this is the heart of the study—
analyzing the opposing forces. Describe and analyze the forces involved in the following terms:

Size and composition: What were the principal combat and supporting units involved in the battle? What
were their numerical strengths in terms of troops and key weapon systems? How were they organized?

Technology: What were the battlefield technologies, such as tanks, small arms, close support aircraft, etc., of
the opposing forces? Did one side have a technological advantage over the other? Focus your efforts on your
specific battle, not the overall campaign.

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Doctrine and training: What was the tactical doctrine of the opposing forces, and how did they use it? What
was the level of training in the opposing forces? Were some troops experienced veterans, some not, and some
in between?

Logistical systems: How did logistics affect the battle? Did one side have an advantage in available supplies or
transportation?

Intelligence: What intelligence assets were available to the opposing forces? How well were they used? What
were the major sources of intelligence? Did one side have an advantage over the other in intelligence resources?

Condition and morale: What was the morale of the troops before the fighting, and did it change after the
fighting began? How long had the troops been committed, and how did weather and terrain affect them? Did
specific leaders affect morale?

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 Basic Battle Analysis Worksheet
Command and control: What kind of C2 systems did the opposing forces employ? Were these systems under
centralized or decentralized control? How were the staffs organized, and how effective were they? Who were
the leaders, and how effective had they been in past actions? How were they trained, and what was their level
of experience?

Communication: What kind of communication systems did the opposing forces employ? Were these systems
under centralized or decentralized control? How were the staffs organized, and how effective were they?

Mission and initial disposition: What were the objectives? What plans were developed to achieve the objectives?
Were there other options—such as attacking, defending, or withdrawing—open to the two sides? Were those
options feasible? What were the locations of the units of the opposing forces? How were the units deployed
tactically?

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Describe the Action: This part of the battle analysis — describing the battle itself — is what most people
consider as real military history. Following the format will enable you to create a chronological study of the
battle. Do not let this approach disrupt your study of the battle. If a phase needs to be skipped in order to
examine a combat functional area (such as maneuver, logistics, etc.) because it is more important to your
overall objective, then do so. Include specific references to MCDP-1: Friction, Uncertainty, Disorder, etc.

Describe the opening moves of the battle: Examine the initial actions by the opposing forces. Did one side
gain an advantage over the other in the opening phase of the battle?

Detail the major phases/key events: Establish a chronology for the battle while examining the actions after
the opening moves. Look for key events or decisions that turned the battle for one side or the other.
Include MCDP-1 references where applicable.

State the outcome: Who won the battle? Did either side achieve its objectives? What, if any, advantages did
the battle provide to the winning side? What, if any, long-term effects, were there?

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Assess the significance of the action: This is the most important step of the battle analysis process.
With this step, turn “combat information” in the form of the historical facts of the battle into a finished
analysis as “lessons learned.”

Relate cause to effects: In trying to distill “lessons” from the study of any battle, it is important to look at why
something happened. To do so you will look at the outcome and what caused it. Look for those essential
elements of the victory or defeat.

Establish military “Lessons Learned”: Lessons from the past, which are still relevant today, are the product of
the battle analysis process. The insights, or “constants of war,” gained from the study will transcend time,
place, and doctrine. Use one of the following fundamentals (or another) for focusing the analysis of military
operations to help find these “constants.” These fundamentals are defined in FM 3-0 Operations, (1)
Principles of War, (2) Threads of Continuity and (3) Warfighting Functions.