TDG Unit: Battalion

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.

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.

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.