Archives: Gazette Magazines

Capt Eric M. Walters

The scenario for this game is the same as TDG #93-7, only it is seen this time from the enemy’s point of view-i.e., with the roles reversed. The games stand alone and can be played in any order, but both should be played. The idea behind doing TDGs in this fashion is to show the importance of understanding your enemy’s capabilities when formulating your own plans.

Again, this TDG places more emphasis on the rationale behind quick decisionmaking. Readers are still asked to formulate their initial concept within a strict time limit. But instead of providing a capsule explanation as has been customary, readers must provide what would be their commander’s estimate and commander’s intent, had they the time to write comprehensive ones. Such an exercise best demonstrates the power of a commander’s estimate and commander’s intent as the best explanation for orders. They should be verbally issued whenever possible. (For discussion of commander’s intent see MCG, Apr93 pp. 50-53, 74-81.)

Situation

You are the commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Your regiment has been on the go for weeks, successfully slicing through consecutive enemy defenses. Your battalion now has the mission of seizing Schilling Ridge and Schmitt Pass from the east so that the rest of your regiment can continue on and seize the vital Kusch River crossings to the west. Your men are dog tired but motivated to go on by the string of victories your battalion has so far enjoyed despite its losses. The enemy has been on the run constantly, never quite having enough time to build a robust defense before it is punctured or bypassed.

Company A is now the forward security element of the battalion, which has lagged behind. Instead of waiting for it to close up, you kept your four platoons moving. You are fortunate that you still have experienced commanders for three of them. 1stLt Baumann has 1st Platoon, Sgt Weising has 2d Platoon-these are your two best leaders-and Sgt Fischer has 3d Platoon. Your company is armed with six machineguns (two have tripods), only one battered 60mm mortar tube, and roughly one light antiarmor weapon per man.

In your last communication with battalion, the commanding officer told you that an enemy platoon-sized unit was in the vicinity of Schmitt Pass. He also ordered you to take the village of Chappell, which lies at the east opening of the pass. He wants to use this town as an attack position to drive through the pass as soon as the rest of the battalion arrives there. Other intelligence indicated that small enemy infantry units that could conceivably reinforce this position are in the vicinity. Last, friendly artillery and air are tied up elsewhere and are not available.

When you approached within a mile of the pass, you and your platoon commanders conducted a leaders’ reconnaissance (see sketch below). There appeared to be sonic movement on the heights; glitters indicated some kind of light crew-served weapons-you imagined a machinegun or two. The Chappell Forest obscured your view of the town. No other enemy was visible-you sensed that the enemy had recently arrived in the area. Your platoon commanders now await their orders-what do you tell them?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, develop a concept of operations for the attack. Subsequently, write a summary of the verbal orders you would issue to your platoon commanders. Instead of providing an explanation as has been customary with previous TDGs, compose the detailed commander’s estimate and commander’s intent you would also issue had you been given the time to do so. Be sure it clearly provides the rationale for your order summary. Include a sketch of your plan. Submit your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette. TDG #93-8. P.O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

Capt Eric M. Walters

This particular tactical decision game (TDG)-unlike all its predecessors-puts more emphasis on the rationale behind quick decisionmaking. Readers are still asked to formulate their initial concept within a strict time limit. But instead of providing a capsule explanation as has been customary, readers must provide what would be their commander’s estimate and commander’s intent, had they the time to write comprehensive ones. Such an exercise best demonstrates the power of the commander’s estimate and commander’s intent as the best explanation for orders: they should be verbally issued whenever possible.

Situation

You are the platoon commander of 1st Platoon. Company F. Battalion Landing Team 2/4. Your battalion has just been ordered to defend a 16-kilometer wide zone to prevent the enemy from seizing bridges and fords over the Kusch River. located 10 kilometers to the west of Schilling Ridge. This ridge runs north-south through the battalion zone and is traversed by two passes 11 kilometers apart. Company F is assigned to conduct an economy of force operation defending the two widely separated passes against an enemy thrust from the east while the remainder of the battalion maneuvers to counterattack an exposed flank. The company commander, 1stLt Oakley, assigns one platoon to each pass, retaining a large company reserve to reinforce one of them once the enemy axis of advance is determined. No artillery or air is available.

The enemy finished reorganizing during the night and is reported to be advancing. At 0800 an enemy infantry company was observed moving west towards the ridgeline; its parent battalion is estimated to be not far behind. Battalion S-2 has told your company commander that the lead enemy infantry company will be at nearly full strength-four platoons reinforced with machineguns and RPG-18s. Fortunately, no enemy artillery or air is expected.

Your mission (see map) is to defend, even if bypassed, the abandoned crossroads hamlet of Chappell at the east mouth of the Schmitt Pass in order to prevent the enemy from rapidly pushing his forces through this gap in the ridgeline. Your platoon consists of three rifle squads and an attached weapons squad with only one 60mm mortar tube and one M60 machinegun. A sniper and his spotter from the battalion scout/sniper platoon are also yours to employ. The day is clear, dry, and heating up, with no detectable wind. When you arrive at the pass at 1000, 1stLt Oakley radios that the enemy company is heading your way and is estimated to make contact between 1115 and 1145. The battalion mobile reserve is already on its way to take up its attack position several kilometers southeast of Schmitt Pass and is expected to launch the counterattack at about 1300. 1stLt Oakley quickly adds that he is saddling up the reserve platoon and expects to be on the scene sometime in the next 2 ½ to 3 hours. Your squad leaders gather next to you to receive their frag order. What do you tell them?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, develop your concept of operations for the defense. Subsequently write a summary of the verbal orders you would pass to your squad leaders. Instead of providing an explanation for your orders as has been customary with previous TDGs, write out the detailed commander’s estimate and commander’s intent you would issue if you had the time to do so. Make sure they provide a clear rationale for your orders summary. Include a sketch of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette. TDG #93-7. P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

Author’s Note: Some readers will recognize this situation, which is drawn from Scenario II. “Defiance on Hill 30.” in the advanced squad leader game module, Paratrooper,’ published by The Avalen Hill Game Company, 4517 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 20214, and used with their express permission.

by Capt Bruce I. Gundmundsson

It was the kind of war that nobody, except perhaps a few grizzled veterans of the great conventional wars that had ended more than 50 years before, had ever expected America to fight. We were too civilized, the idealists had claimed. We were too interdependent, the business people argued. And even the hard-headed military thinkers were convinced that modern weapons had made all but the briefest wars impossible.

The impossibility of the current conflict was little comfort to the men on the ground. They were not entirely aware that the wonder weapons, stockpiled over the course of years, had been spent in a matter of weeks; that frequent contact between different cultures could cause more resentment than understanding; or that history was still very much alive. What they were aware of was the hard reality of combat-of fierce fights for hills and villages whose names they could barely pronounce.

It is now the second day of a major enemy offensive. On the first day, he drove us from our prepared positions, penetrating as far as our field artillery positions and even managing to capture some of our guns. Our forward elements, many of which had been caught in the open by artillery concentrations and air attacks, are in poor shape. They are still holding some parts of the old frontline, but they were unable to prevent whole enemy battalions from moving around and behind them.

This morning, you took command of what might be called a “recently reconstituted reserve.” Consisting of the remnants of a number of infantry battalions and combat engineer companies, this force had been organized into 5 understrength rifle companies (with an average of 100 men and 6 machineguns each), a company of combat engineers (80 men with no machineguns), and a platoon of 8 heavy machineguns. With the help of a considerable artillery bombardment, you were able to attack to the south and occupy Luis Ridge by early afternoon. (The ridge, a piece of high ground that sloped gently toward the village of San Esteban, was the point at which the enemy forces had made their greatest penetration into our rear areas.) A few minutes later, your force had been driven off the ridge by an enemy counterattack.

It is now 1500. You are in positions about 500 meters north of the ridge and have just received orders (originating, you are told, from the National Command Authorities) to retake Luis Ridge. As you gather your wits about you to make a plan, you see yellowbrown specks against the green grass and bare white rock of the crest of Luis Ridge. These, you know from hard experience, are the infantrymen of an elite enemy division. Their tactics, which another generation might describe as “human wave tactics,” are crude. Their weapons-rifles, light and heavy machineguns, and the occasional mortar-are basic. Their discipline, however, is fierce and their marksmanship legendary.

The ground between you and the long lines of enemy riflemen is largely open. Here and there is a clump of trees, with the kind of undergrowth that results from fields that have not been cultivated for 4 years. The weather, the only aspect of your situation that might be described as pleasant, is temperate. The sun is out and a cool breeze is blowing.

What are your orders?

Requirement

In a time limit of 5 minutes, prepare the fragmentary orders you would issue to your subordinates, including the intent of your plan and any instructions for the use of supporting arms. Provide an overlay and a brief explanation for your plan. Send your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #93-6. P. O. Box 1775. Quantico, VA 22134.

by Maj John F. Schmitt, USMCR

You are the commander of 1st Battalion, 24th Marines. Division has been attacking steadily north against weakening enemy resistance; your regiment has been advancing rapidly on North-South Highway, and 4th Marines are making only slightly less progress on a parallel axis to the west. After battering the enemy at the Battle of Blue Hills, regiment was reluctantly forced to halt for replenishment During one of the few breaks in the weather, aviation has reported enemy remnants streaming north through Effingham into the Big Valley. The regimental commander is anxious to resume the attack. You share his view that the enemy made his last stand at Blue Hills and is now broken and ripe for pursuit and final destruction. The colonel gives you the following instructions:

1st Battalion will pursue north immediately to reestablish contact and lock horns with the fleeing enemy. Relentless pressure is what we need. Do not let him catch his breath. Do not gel bogged down by pockets of resistance, but keep going. Commit everything you’ve got. The rest of the regiment will be 24 hours behind you to mop up and take over when you get winded.

The weather is wet, cold, and continuously overcast. The terrain is rugged and undulating, broken by small woods. Large vehicular formations are generally restricted to the roads; even then, movement is hampered by the weather. Your battalion, which has already received its organic TOW section (8 TOWs mounted on HMMWVs), has a tank company (11 M60A1s) attached and an artillery battery in direct support. In compliance with the colonel’s orders, you move out quickly to the north and reach Cutout Pass without making contact.

The leading elements of Company A. debauching from Esses Pass on the two-lane North-South Highway, report an enemy force to their front: ragtag and ill-equipped, it is clearly the force you have been pursuing, but battalion strength or greater and apparently reassembled and preparing to make a stand. Company B is in Effingham proper, and has pushed platoons out to either flank. The tank company and TOWs are on the highway south of Effingham. The combat train is negotiating the narrow Cutout Pass, and Company C is south of the pass on the highway. You send your Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) Platoon west on Gravel Road to Lower Valley Vista Point to make visual contact with 4th Marines as instructed. Your first hint of trouble is a fire mission from STA on the conduct of fire net describing a target as “tanks and troops on the road-battalion strength.” Immediately, you receive the following urgent message from STA on BN TAC 1: Tanks-tanks-tanks; I count 20-25 T72s-I say again T-72s-with BTR-60s, heading cast on Gravel Road approaching Vista Point-one click west. The valley is full of armor and troops. Infantry on the flanks moving through the woods-cannot make out number-estimate battalion easy. Taking automatic fire-must withdraw.

Meanwhile. Company A reports:

Light resistance from enemy patrols at the northern entrance to Esses Pass. Continuing to advance.

What are your orders, sir?

Requirement

In a time limit of 5 minutes, prepare the fragmentary orders you would issue to your subordinates, including the intent of your plan and any instructions for the use of supporting arms. Provide an overlay and a brief explanation for your plan. Send your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette. TDG #93-5. P. O. Box 1775. Quantico. VA 22134

by 1stLt Brendan B. McBreen

Situation

The division is deep in Spartan territory in a wilderness of thick forests and muddy roads. You are fighting a numerically superior force of a fanatical Spartan Army. It is November. There is no snow yet, but the evening temperatures dip below freezing.

You are the commander of an infantry platoon that has been reduced to half-strength. Your platoon is still organized into three squads, two of six men each, Schnurrbart’s and Dorn’s, and one of seven, under Kruger. You and the radio operator bring your total strength to 21. Kruger speaks Spartan. Your platoon is armed and equipped as a modern Marine rifle platoon: the men wear deuce gear but carry no packs. You have no corpsman, no machineguns, and no other attachments. You have no food. You have a PRC-77 radio and a few grenades but no missiles or demolitions.

Last night, your battalion withdrew 27 kilometers to the west to consolidate a regimental blocking position. Your platoon was to be the last to move out, with orders to deceive the enemy about the withdrawal and conceal the battalion’s movement. It didn’t work. During the night, large enemy formations bypassed your positions, leaving you cut off behind the advancing enemy’s lines. Now your only option is to move west, through the enemy lines, to rejoin your battalion.

Your platoon has moved west through the forest all day. Long after dark, you halt the unit just short of a dirt road. As the platoon rests, you and Schnurrbart, one of your squadleaders, leave on a leader’s recon.

When you return, you brief the platoon, “There’s a dirt road. The road leads to the bridge we’ve got to use to get across the river. By the bridge are three houses, and there are Spartan troops in the houses. We are not sure how many there are. The houses are log huts, one-story, with smoke coming from the first and second huts nearest the bridge. The Spartans must be either guarding the bridge or passing through as a column.”

Schnurrbart adds. “There are fresh tracks on the road, three horse-drawn wagons, and some footprints, so it can’t be too large a force. The wagons are covered with canvas. They are parked between the houses and the woods. The doors of the houses face the river. The windows on the back side face the woods. The third house from the bridge has the shutters drawn. The only sight of life is a single guard on the bridge. He seems inattentive. His rifle is slung across his back.”

It is now almost dawn. What are your orders to the platoon?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes give the orders you would pass to your subordinates. Provide a sketch of your plan and a brief explanation of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette. TDG #93-4. P. O. Box 1775, Quantico. VA 22134.

by Maj John F. Schmitt, USMCR

You are the commanding officer of 4th Marines, which consists of two battalions on trucks, one battalion on assault amphibious vehicles, a tank battalion, and a reinforced light armored infantry (LAI) company. You are west of the river with the mission of holding a bridgehead until reinforcements can arrive from the east in about 72 hours from now.

An enemy unit, which consists of infantry reinforced with limited numbers of tanks, is advancing generally from the west. An enemy regiment battered your 1st Battalion 24 hours ago in an engagement west of Gumbyville, but rather than pursue has halted near Gumbyville. Your 1st Battalion has withdrawn east across the Dadmamian Creek. You hold the bridges across the creek with 2d Battalion and the LAI company. The tank battalion is in reserve near Sphericberg. Your 3d Battalion protects the southern flank near Furburg. While the first enemy regiment occupies Gumbyville, 3d Battalion reports that another enemy infantry regiment is rapidly marching on Furburg from the southwest; 3d Battalion’s security elements are beginning to fall back under pressure. What are your orders, Colonel?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, give the orders you would pass to your subordinates. Provide a sketch of your plan, any guidance for supporting arms, and a brief explanation of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #93-3, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

by SSgt Henry E. Johnson

Situation

You are the company commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 2d Marines. Your company consists of three rifle platoons and a weapons platoon mounted on trucks. In addition, you have a tank platoon, two squads of TOWs, and two squads of heavy machineguns on HMMWVs. For the past few days your battalion has taken a pretty good beating from an enemy regiment and has been withdrawing to the north in the face of the enemy advance. Since yesterday, you’ve outrun the majority of the enemy by several miles; however, one of his battalions still doggedly pursues you. It is estimated that this battalion consists of three line companies on trucks, a platoon of tanks, a platoon of BRDM armored reconnaissance vehicles, and a platoon of infantry on BMPs, armored infantry fighting vehicles.

Your company, which has the rear guard mission, has now reached Libertyville. The battalion commander tells you that if you can stop the pursuers long enough, he is prepared to counterattack in the Libertyville area and destroy the pursuing enemy battalion before completing the retrograde.

At its current speed, the enemy battalion could arrive in Libertyville in about 1 hour. Fire support, in addition to your own organic mortars, is a battery of artillery and 81mm mortars from battalion. What’s your plan for stopping the enemy?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, develop your concept of operations and issue an order to your platoon commanders and attachments. Provide a sketch of your plan and a brief explanation. Send your solution to Marine Corps Gazette (TDG #93-2), P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

by Capt Bruce I. Gudmundsson, USMCR

This game is a continuation of Solution A, TDG #92-11.

The orders reached all of the major subordinate elements of the battalion by 2200. By 2400, the company commanders, as well as the leaders of the TOW Section and 81mm Mortar Platoon, had reported to the command post to tell the commander that their units were on the march.

Around 0200, however, the commander began to receive reports that things were going wrong. The rubber boats in the staging area turned out to be missing critical parts. Precious time was lost “mixing and matching” to make complete boats. By 0400, only four boats had reached Alpha Company. None had been delivered to Charlie Company.

At 0430, the enemy let loose with what could only be described as a hurricane bombardment. Artillery shells, machinegun bullets, and even recoilless rifle shells fell like rain. Those elements of the battalion who were dug in suffered little from this fire. Bravo Company, on the other hand, was caught in the open. Although the forwardmost boat carriers were less than 600 meters from the crossing points, delivery of additional boats was out of the question.

At 0500, the American bombardment began. Despite a ferocity which rivaled that of the enemy shelling, it brought little relief. Indeed, just before H-hour, the battalion commander found that he could no longer leave the shelter of his hastily dug command post.

It is now 0615. The attack was scheduled for 0530, but was not launched. You are the battalion commander-what are your orders?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, give the orders you would pass to your subordinates. Provide a sketch of your plan, any guidance for supporting arms, and a brief explanation of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette. TDG #93-1, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

by Maj John F. Schmitt

The scenario for this game is the same as TDG #92-10, only it is seen this time from the enemy’s point of view-i.e., with the roles reversed. The games stand alone and can be played in any order-but both should be played. The purpose is to illustrate the importance of trying to understand an enemy by seeing the situation through his binoculars.

Situation

You are the commander of the 9th Marines advancing generally east along the lakeshore as part of the division. Your regiment includes the 1st and 2d Battalions on assault amphibious vehicles (AAVs) and the 3d Battalion on trucks. For the last 10 days the division has been advancing against an enemy tank-mechanized force of regimental strength. This enemy has been waging an effective and clever delaying action, fighting tenaciously from delaying positions, making effective use of terrain and supporting arms, but disengaging and falling back before the division can bring about a decisive engagement. Frustrated over the rate of advance and inability to force the enemy into battle, the division commander moves your regiment into the lead and attaches a tank battalion. His instructions to you are: “Attack aggressively, force a crossing of the Garagiola River as quickly as possible to facilitate the continuation of the advance, and crush the enemy force opposing us once and for all. The 4th Marines will be ready to reinforce and exploit your success.”

Intelligence indicates that the enemy has fallen back through Tragedia and Garagiola and is preparing positions along the Garagiola River, which has steep banks that make it impassible to any vehicles. As your leading mechanized battalion approaches Checkpoint 68, you receive a report of enemy light-armored infantry (with antitank missiles) at Tragedia. Within the next half hour your regiment will be engaged. What are your orders, Colonel?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, give the orders you would pass to your subordinates. Provide a sketch of your plan, any guidance for supporting arms, and a brief explanation of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #92-12, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134

by Capt Bruce I. Gudmundsson, USMCR

For some weeks now, considerable American forces have been involved in a conventional campaign against a regional power. Thanks largely to the skillful use of precision munitions, such as fiber-optic guided missiles, combined with a ruthless willingness to exploit success, American mechanized formations have been able to destroy the bulk of the enemy’s armored forces. Logistic problems, however, prevented the complete route of the enemy army. As a result, it was able to establish itself in a strong position behind a major river and the many canals that run roughly parallel to it.

For 8 days, as American forces built up stocks for an assault across this defensive line, the enemy has been preparing his defenses. Large numbers of motorized infantry units armed with machineguns, mortars, recoilless rifles, and other weapons of 1960s vintage have been mobilized and brought to the front. Some are composed of overage members of the People’s Guard, who have long forgotten what little training they may have received. Others, however, have been recruited from well-trained members of an ethnic minority with a proud martial tradition.

Your battalion, the 1st Battalion of the 25th Marines (1/25), took part in the opening phases of the campaign. After a week’s worth of rest and refitting, you were returned to the front. To your surprise, you discovered that there is to be a major offensive to break through the enemy defensive position and that your battalion is to participate.

The main effort of the attack is elsewhere. Your job, and that of the other Marine infantry battalions in your sector, is to attack south across the canal to (1) deceive the enemy as to the true location of the main effort, (2) attract enemy operational reserves, and (3) secure crossing points for the possible shifting of the main effort.

Your particular mission is to cross the 100-meter wide canal that separates you from the enemy and take the wooded heights east and southeast of the village of Gloria. (These terrain features, like the one bridge in your sector, are named for the village.)

It is now 2000. You have just received your orders. “H-hour” is at 0530 tomorrow morning. Your battalion is in billets 6 to 8 miles to the north. You have also been told that you are to be provided with enough rubber boats to transport simultaneously two of your rifle companies across the canal. These have been staged in a wooded area about a kilometer north of the canal.

“H-hour” will be preceded by a fierce air and artillery bombardment that will begin at 0500. At 0530 this fire will shift to targets south of the line Carera-Betancuerto. An artillery liaison officer from a direct support artillery battery and two artillery forward observers have been assigned to you. The first thing that the liaison officer tells you, however, is that priority of fires have been given to your neighbor on the right, 2/25. (This also explains why your air liaison officer never returned after his recent visit to wing headquarters.)

You have a standard Marine infantry battalion organized according to current tables of organization and tables of equipment Each rifle company has received rubber boat training.

What are your orders?

Note on Terrain and Weather: The ground slopes up on both sides of the canal. In the immediate vicinity of the Gloria Bridge, the dominant terrain features are the south to north ridgeline to the east of the village of Gloria and the south to north draw to the west of Gloria. In this immediate area, the Gloria Heights rise about 40 meters above the level of the banks of the canal. The bridge has a capacity of 30 metric tons. You are operating in temperate country that, were it not for the complete absence of shopping malls, could easily be confused with northern Virginia. The month is June. The weather has been seasonably warm and dry, with sunny days and pleasant evenings. No rain is expected for 3 or 4 days.

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, give the orders you would pass to your subordinates. Provide a sketch of your plan, any guidance for supporting arms, and a brief explanation of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #92-11, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

by Maj John F. Schmitt and SSgt Henry E. Johnson

Situation

You are the commander of an infantry regiment advancing generally west along the lakeshore to reestablish contact with the enemy. Your regiment, the 2d Marines, includes the 1st and 2d Battalions on amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) approaching the Garagiola River, the 3d Battalion on trucks at Androida, and a tank battalion east of Androida. Steep banks make it infeasible for your AAVs to swim the river. The regimental TOW platoon is distributed equally among the three infantry battalions. Your mission is to defeat any enemy forces in your sector, or, failing that, at a minimum to delay and disrupt the enemy advance.

For the last 2 weeks you have been facing large enemy mechanized forces and have been forced to fall back in the face of superior numbers, slowly wearing down the enemy while conserving your own combat power. You have learned that the forces you have been facing are from the 1503d Mechanized Division, commanded by MajGen Bludski N. Gutsovich, which consists of a tank regiment and two mechanized infantry regiments. Enemy tactics emphasize attacking aggressively upon contact and maintaining the momentum. The enemy will generally try to overrun resistance with tanks and prefers to dismount infantry only when necessary for close combat.

As your leading elements approach the river, a light armored infantry (LAI) company (reinforced with assault guns and TOWs) passing westward through Tragedia reports a sizable enemy mechanized force to the west approaching Checkpoint 68. The LAI estimates an enemy division with a tank regiment in the lead. At this stage the LAI commander does not believe he has been detected by the enemy. You have an artillery battalion in direct support, but your fire support coordinator assures you he can also get reinforcing fires. Your air officer says he can get you “a couple of sorties of A-6s.”

At this rate, enemy tanks will be approaching Tragedia or Garagiola in about 30 minutes. What are your orders, colonel?

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, give the orders you would pass to your subordinates. Provide a sketch of your plan, any guidance for supporting arms, and a brief explanation of your plan. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #92-10, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

Quote to Ponder:

On Tactics

To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all the fruits of victory, is the secret of successful war.

-Stonewall Jackson: Letter, 1863