Rescue the Ambassador!

Situation

You are the commanding officer Company G, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2/8, 26th MEU(SOC) currently embarked aboard amphibious shipping on your regularly scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean. You have been awakened from your early afternoon MORP and hurriedly summoned to the BLT commander’s stateroom where the BLT commander, S-3, S-2, and air officer are waiting for you. You are told that our national security agencies have been watching the crisis unfold in the neighboring Middle Eastern region, and the situation has just taken a sudden and dramatic turn for the worse, as the small, peace-loving nation of GOOD was invaded (without apparent provocation) early this morning by its much larger and stronger neighbor BAD in a blitz-style attack. In a matter of hours BAD had completely engulfed the unprepared nation of GOOD and is now engaged in consolidating its conquest. Of immediate concern to us, however, is that the forces of BAD have captured and are holding the U.S. Ambassador and his family in his country residence. All of the Ambassador‘s staff, servants, and security who were present at the residence when it was seized have been removed.

The National Command Authority has decided to attempt a surprise rescue immediately before the forces of BAD either relocate or harm the Ambassador and his family. Your mission, Skipper, is to rescue the Ambassador tonight. It is expected that the Ambassador will be located in either Building A or B, both of which are two-story stone buildings. All of the other buildings in the compound are made of wood. You are to bring out the Ambassador, his wife, and their three children. The rescue attempt will be conducted in the last few minutes of the predawn darkness. You are to depart in less than 6 hours.

It is believed that the residence is being guarded by no more than 60 lightly armed security forces. The exact deployment of this small enemy force cannot be determined. However, no BAD vehicles have been observed inside the compound. (It is precisely because of this temporary vulnerability that the decision has been made to attempt the rescue immediately.) It is estimated that BAD forces are capable of reacting to the residence from the west within 15 minutes with a reinforced company mounted in OTC-62 personnel carriers. BAD air should not be a threat, as we expect to maintain local air superiority over the objective area for the duration of the raid. However, BAD air defenses will preclude us from either approaching or retiring from the west.

Because of the distances involved, you will be supported by six CH-53Es (.50 cals mounted) and fixed-wing aircraft only. (Aerial refueling will be required.) The objective is out of range of naval gunfire. You are to build your raid force from six rifle squads and can take as much of your weapons platoon as you need. Finally, you may take any two of the specially configured M151s. Our air operations will support your scheme of maneuver on the ground.

Requirement

Describe your task organization for the mission. Submit an overlay of your scheme of maneuver within the objective area to include specific landing points for each of your six helicopters and a brief explanation of your plan. Send your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette, c/o Tactical Decision Game #92-1, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134. The Gazette will publish the author’s and other solutions in the March 1992 issue.

Seizing the 70-Ton Bridge

You are an officer serving in a large Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF). The ground combat element (GCE), a “mech heavy” force that includes a battalion of M1A1 tanks and an infantry regiment mounted in assault amphibians, is advancing toward the east. Its present position is some 50 kilometers west of Highbank River. Your mission is to seize the 70-ton bridge over the Highbank River and hold it until the GCE can complete its advance and link up with you. The expected time of linkup is 1200 on H+6. (It is currently 1200 on H+5.)

For this mission you are given one rifle company reinforced by an attached Dragon section (eight teams) from the battalion’s antiarmor platoon, sufficient transport helicopters to lift this force, and four AH-1 Cobra helicopter gunships.

The intelligence officer gives you the following information: “As far as we can tell, the enemy has yet to cross the Highbank River with major units. The bulk of his force consists of light armored vehicles that can cross the river at many places, so he doesn’t need the bridge for his own purposes.”

Your plan is simplicity itself. You intend to land at Landing Zone (LZ) Hawk and set up a perimeter defense around the bridge.

On the last leg of your flight toward LZ Hawk, your force flies south along the path of the Highbank River. Just north of the Eastbank woods, you see 10 enemy light armored vehicles travcling south along the road. What do you do?

Send your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette. TDG #91-5, P.O. Box 1775. Quantico, VA 22134. The Gazette will publish the authors’ and other solutions in the July issue.

Heliborne Assault Gone Bad

by Maj A.J. Graham

Situation

The 28th MEU is ashore in the country of Wasteland conducting counter-terrorist operations against a global network of religious extremists. Today, the BLT and ACE are conducting a heliborne assault into the village of Bad in order to establish a blocking position to deter an enemy attack from both Bad and through Canyon, a nearby valley. An enemy squad occupies the government center adjacent to local soccer fields, which are the primary landing zones.

You are the escort flight lead, leading a mixed section of H-1s on an assault on Bad. You are flying the lead Huey, and your wing is a Cobra. The friendly scheme of maneuver is a three-wave assault of 3 x MV-22s to land a platoon of infantry Marines, secure the government center, establish defensive positions around the village, and posture for follow-on operations. In addition, the infantry platoon has sections of mortars and heavy machine guns attached to the final wave which will be established in the courtyard of the government center once it is secured.

An RQ-7 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) provides route and landing zone reconnaissance during the assault support holding and approach, calling the zone winter. You approve the assaults out of the initial point and take up the overhead support position.

The first wave of three Ospreys takes a volley of RPGs fired during the approach and waves off during the first wave. Mercifully, none of the MV-22s were hit by the RPGs. You lead an attack to suppress the RPG’s point of origin, allowing the first and second waves to land unmolested.

After the attack, you have the following ordnance remaining:

The original plan was to land the first two waves with five minutes of separation. Due to the attack on the first wave and the close air support (CAS) during the second wave, you now have five minutes remaining until your fuel minimums for landing, and it takes 30 minutes to fly back to the base for refueling. The third wave has not launched and will wait for you to escort them; they will not arrive for at least 90 minutes.

Your wingman calls that he has low engine oil pressure, an emergency that requires reducing power on one of the two engines in flight. However, if oil pressure continues to drop, he will have to shut down the engine, which becomes a “land as soon as possible” emergency. Your wingman says he is comfortable flying for another 5 minutes time on station, but he is limited in speed, maneuverability, and standoff since he now has only half the engine power.

The RQ-7 reports a convoy of seven to nine technical vehicles, armed with heavy machine guns, travelling at high speed toward the village. The enemy convoy will arrive in approximately ten minutes. Immediately after this radio call, the FAC “Rocksalt” reports troops in contact again and asks if you are ready for CAS game plan and nine-line attack brief. Taking stock of the situation, you realize the following:

1) You have five minutes time on station before you must fly back to your only source of fuel. In six minutes time, you will be unable to make it back to the FARP.

2) Only half the assault force is at the objective, and they do not have their heavy weapons attachments. The assault force is in a firefight, and their situation is bad enough that it requires air support.

3) Your wingman is in the middle of an in-flight emergency but can provide five minutes of flight time. He can fire the Hellfire missile in his reduced capacity provided you or the RQ-7 can provide laser designation for the missile.

4) Enemy reinforcements are on the way and will arrive five minutes after your time on station ends.

Requirement

1) Accept the airstrike, assuming you can complete it in five minutes?

2) Deny the airstrike, and get your wingman home safely?

3) Do something else entirely?

Include an overlay sketch and provide a brief discussion of your rationale. Submit your solutions by email at [email protected] or to the Marine Corps Gazette, TDG 05-17, Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134. The Gazette will publish solutions in an upcoming issue.

Dull Garrison Chronicles Part IV: Take the Airfield R

By Carl F. Kusch

Situation

As the commanding officer BLT 2/8 (part of 26th MEU), you and your command are feeling pretty good about yourselves after Company G was able to rescue the American Ambassador. The general situation, however, has deteriorated further. The forces of BAD invaded Dull Island and are threatening to overrun the Marine garrison, which has suffered heavy casualties and is now fighting for survival on the outskirts of Al Habib. Furthermore, it would appear that BAD is already reinforcing and fortifying its defense of Dull Garrison Island even while it is attempting to eliminate the Marine stronghold.

The loss of Dull Garrison Island would be devastating to the American effort since access to other possible staging areas has eroded through the neglect of reciprocal defense treaties. Therefore, the National Command Authority has no choice but to order the immediate seizure of that vital island staging area.

It has been decided that the initial attack on Dull Garrison Island will occur at the island’s Airfield #2 in order to (a) relieve pressure on the beleaguered Marine garrison; (b) cut off the airfield through which BAD is bringing in supplies and reinforcements; and (c) provide an entry point for the U.S. forces that will continue the attack and secure the entire island.

In defense of Dull Garrison Island, the enemy has mustered a full division spearheaded by elite Guards and filled out with regular infantry spread throughout the entire island. Fortunately, other than a few antiaircraft batteries, the division’s heavy equipment has not yet caught up with it. Airfield #2 is thought to be defended by a small battalion (400 men) of regular infantry along with three antiaircraft emplacements. (See map.)

Available to provide close air support (CAS) are the MEU’s eight Harriers and eight Cobras. A carrier battle group (CBG) will support the landing from a distance but will be engaged primarily in air superiority and CBG and amphibious task force (ATF) defensive missions. Once the airfield secured, elements of the 82d Airborne Division will be airlifted directly into it (by parachute if necessary). The initial elements are to assist the MEU in strengthening and expanding its foothold. The division will eventually assume the mission of securing the rest of the island. Finally, you are ordered to minimize collateral civilian damage. In support of this effort, the BLT’s specific missions are to:

• Secure Dull Garrison Island Airfield #2 (ATF Obj I) ensuring that the three antiaircraft emplacements are destroyed. The airlift of stateside forces is scheduled to begin a mere six hours after the commencement of the assault.

• Secure the village of Al Joblin (LF OBJ 1) in order to destroy the enemy headquarters and combat units located there as well as to prevent any reinforcement of the airfield.

• Seize the bridge over North River (LF Obj 2) in order to block any reaction the enemy may attempt as well as to facilitate future operations ashore.

Because of unfavorable beach conditions, the only suitable landing site for an amphibious assault is located at the mouth of North River, which is dry at this time of year. It is felt that the LCACs and AAVs will have no difficulty in overcoming any sandbars that may be located in this area. Beachmasters, however, will have to determine if an alternate landing point will have to be offset slightly for the LCUs, LCM-8s, and general offload. There are two LCACs and two LCUs aboard the LHA and one LCAC and one LCU aboard the LPD. Company E retains possession of the combat rigid raiding craft. Furthermore, there are only enough helicopters available to lift either one reinforced rifle company or the 105mm platoon of the battery at a time. The BLT is tasked organized aboard ship as follows:

  • LHA BLT 2/8 Headquarters (-) (rein)
  • Company G
  • Artillery Battery (4xl05mm+4xl55mm)
  • Engineer Platoon (-)
  • TOW section
  • 3d Squad, Dragon Platoon
  • LPD
  • Company E
  • Weapons Company (-)
  • 2d Squad, Engineer Platoon
  • Platoon LAI
  • (4xLAV+2xLAV-AT+lxLAV-M)
  • IST
  • Company F
  • AAV Platoon
  • 1 Javelin Squad, Anti-Armor Platoon
  • 1st Squad, Engineer Platoon

Requirement

As the BLT commander, briefly discuss your plans for accomplishing your mission to include your task organization for the assault, your sequencing of units ashore, and the broad missions you assign your subordinates. Include an overlay, which indicates the landing zones you intend to use, additional BLT objectives that you may designate, and your general scheme of maneuver. Submit your solution to the Marine Corps Gazette, Tactical Decision Game #92-6, Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134. The Gazette will publish solutions in an upcoming issue.