Fallujah Hospital

[Combatintman]

For a change I thought I'd take a break from the Brits and try my hand at a US scenario based on the 2nd Battle of Fallujah in Nov 04.

The map is done but a first test has shown that I need to trim the Allied force considerably to make it challenging (36 Iraqi Commando Battalion and 3 Light Armored Recon Bn USMC).

More to follow in due course.

[Buzz]

Zumbelay Withdrawal, Operation Glacier 4 , Habibollah Kalay = All good games.

Combatintman thanks and look forward to 2nd Battle of Fallujah.

[Combatintman]

This is where the battle will take place in the real world:

The hospital is the complex at the extreme north of the image.

[Buzz]

This would be Fallujah General Hospital and villages opposite the Euphrates River along Fallujah's western edge?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fallujah

"The Second Battle of Fallujah — code-named Operation Al-Fajr (Arabic,الفجر "the dawn") and Operation Phantom Fury — was a joint American, Iraqi, and British offensive in November and December 2004, considered the highest point of conflict in Fallujah during the Iraq War......."

[Combatintman]

Buzz - spot on.Yes that is the one.

If you look here you'll find a little more about the USMC Recon Bn:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Light_Armored_Reconnaissance_Battalion

And here for the Iraqis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_36th_Commando_Battalion

[Buzz]

Combatintman - Thanks.

You have a lot of possibilities with a US scenario based on the 2nd Battle of Fallujah.

"Ground operations began on the night of 7 November 2004. Attacking from the west and south, the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion with their U.S. Army Special Forces advisers and the U.S. Marine Corps Scout Platoon, 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd and 1st Platoon C CO 1–9 INF(MANCHU), 3rd Platoon Alpha Company 2/72nd Tank Battalion, and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, reinforced by Bravo Company from the Marine Corps Reserve's 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment, and supported by Combat Service Support Company 113, from Combat Service Support Battalion 1, captured Fallujah General Hospital and villages opposite the Euphrates River along Fallujah's

western edge........"

And this appears to be the beginning of the push....

[Combatintman]

I may do another Fallujah battle - I have started a map on the Eastern flank of the main operation but sort of lost the will to live with it temporarily - I may return to it.

To be honest FIBUA/MOUT doesn't really appeal to me which is why I got bored of slogging through making the map whereas the Fallujah Hospital battle offers a bit of room to manoeuvre and is less of a slog.

[black_prince]

Sounds good. Are you going to be using Syrian SF or Airborne inf for the Iraqi SF battalion?

[Buzz]

"a bit of room to manoeuvre and is less of a slog...." and more fun.

Massive MOUT is a slog in a game... requires a stubbornness that is admirable but maybe not as much fun game wise.

Interestingly. Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion

Operation Phantom Fury: Fallujah Hospital and follow-on targets...

[Erwin]

The biggest challenge in MOUT is being able to keep situational awareness at level one or two. Buildings and walls easily get in the way as the view abruptly changes with very small movements of the "camera". However, I really enjoyed playing on the Ramadi map.

[Chainsaw]

Oooh looking foward to this one as well combatiman, your scenarios have been a blast!

[Vark]

There is also the problem that exquisite micro-managing and timing is needed, and it sometimes gets vey confusing where an interior building exits and entrances are. That and the fact grenades cannot be resupplied, makes MOUT even more a PITA than in real life. One mistake, in assigning a way point or mode and a team/squad can be destroyed, whereas in real life units have SOP's for assaulting buildings and room clearance.

[Combatintman]

Sounds good. Are you going to be using Syrian SF or Airborne inf for the Iraqi SF battalion?

I'd not even considered Airborne ... I may give it a try. I'm having another big hack at this scenario today.

[Combatintman]

Ok - I have given Airborne a try and it has worked pretty well. I have just tested this again and added a 2nd AI plan. Fought it to a draw - I think by tweaking the victory parameters this will play right next time around.

[Lille Fiskerby]

I'm also really looking forward to this scenario, I think all your

battles are great Combatintman.

LF

[Combatintman]

I'm also really looking forward to this scenario, I think all your

battles are great Combatintman.

LF

Thanks mate - in some ways I wish I could revisit some of the earlier ones because I've picked up tips from feedback here that would have made some of those earlier creations better.

To be honest I don't think I'm that great at scenario design - I just find battles that interest me and I have the patience to generate the maps from them (for me it is about the map and the ORBAT). All I do is add a bit of research and from there just make them play so that they are winnable without huge amounts of difficulty (I play RT 'basic training' every time).

Notwithstanding the above - this one could be a bit cheeky ...

[black_prince]

Glad things are coming along nicely and that my question turned out to be helpful. Looking forward to this.

[Combatintman]

Ok this is the draft map - I just have to throw in flavour objects, sort out building joins and make sure that the building colours are right.

Dimensions are 1226m x 1354m which are pretty close to the actual dimensions.

A little dark I'm afraid but you cross the start line at 1900 hrs ...

[Combatintman]

Here are the orders for the mission (with my attempt at US spelling):

Situation: Enemy Forces

The city of Fallujah has become a hotbed of insurgent forces since the overthrow of the Saddam regime and these forces pose a serious threat to stability. Overall insurgent numbers in Fallujah are unknown but could number between 2,000 to 5,000 fighters. The exact strength of the enemy in the TF Wolfpack AO is unknown but the hospital has been identified as an insurgent C2 node and can expect to be fiercely contested. Intelligence has also identified a possible IED factory in the west of the AO. The insurgents are likely to be well-organized and tenacious and therefore will resist strongly. It is likely that the insurgents will field the full range of asymmetric capabilities ranging from small arms and RPGs through to IEDs, technical and indirect fire. Night vision capabilities are unknown but are assessed to be limited. The assessed most likely COA is to defend in place and the enemy will probably remain well-hidden until friendly forces enter close range engagement areas thus minimizing friendly force stand-off capabilities. It is possible that city-based insurgents will reinforce the defense once the insurgents identify the scale of TF Wolfpack’s attack.

Situation: Friendly Forces

Today the Iraqi authorities signed the order to clear Fallujah. This operation will be carried out by 1 MAR DIV with US Army and Iraqi forces. Civilians have already been advised to leave Fallujah and many have done so. 1 MAR Div, including TF Wolfpack has cordoned Fallujah as part of initial shaping operations and is now poised to clear the city from North to South. TF Wolfpack’s attack is part of further shaping operations aimed at deceiving the insurgents and forming a block on the West flank of the main effort attack. TF Wolfpack comprises A Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and A and B Companies, 36 Iraqi Commando Battalion accompanied by US Army mentors. Indirect fire support is provided by organic 81mm and 82mm mortars. The remainder of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and 36 Commando Battalion have already secured the Line of Departure to the South and will continue to do so throughout the operation.

Situation: Terrain and Weather

Terrain is generally flat and open interspersed with small clusters of buildings on the East and West flanks of the AO. Vital ground is the Hospital itself comprised of a mix of single and multi-story buildings, the latter providing dominating overwatch over the whole AO. The AO is flanked on both East and West by the Euphrates River which is impassable to mounted and dismounted elements. There are two main embanked highways, one oriented East to West and the other Northeast to Southwest. The two bridges over the Euphrates are key terrain and canalize enemy attempting to reinforce the AO from the city. It is 1900 on 07 November 2004, weather is generally clear with warm temperatures and light winds. It is dusk with low levels of light which will continue to deteriorate during the operation. Temperatures and light conditions favor friendly forces.

Mission: Overall Description

Mission: TF Wolfpack secures Fallujah Hospital in order to provide a secure west flank to main effort clearance operations in Fallujah City.

Tasks:

1. Secure the Highway Junction.

2. Secure the South Bridge.

3. Secure the North Bridge.

4. Secure the IED Factory.

5. Secure the Hospital.

6. Exploit to the Limit of Exploitation (Hospital Boundary).

Execution: Commander’s Intent

My intent is to initially identify the insurgent defenses by establishing observation posts in suitable buildings. These observation posts will then provide overwatch and cue both direct and indirect fire against identified insurgents. A Company LAVs will be employed as mobile bases of fire for dismounted clearances of the assigned objectives ensuring sufficient stand-off and overwatch for the assaults. ROE is a key consideration and damage to civilian structures, particularly the hospital, is to be minimized. LAV in particular are to limit employment of their 25mm cannon to prevent unnecessary collateral damage. Endstate is the AO cleared of insurgents with the hospital secure and exits to the city blocked to prevent insurgents escaping the main effort clearance of the city.

Execution: Basic Plan

Your choice Wolfpack 6 but ensure that you make best use of your assigned forces and in particular do not overestimate the capabilities of your Iraqi forces, they are brave but still relatively inexperienced. Your LAVs are your most powerful asset but you must exercise care in their deployment and use of firepower. You have plenty of organic indirect fire support in the form of mortars which are both light enough and deadly enough to neutralize insurgents likely to be encountered while minimizing collateral damage to civilian objects in accordance with the ROE. Your biggest problem will be securing the Hospital while avoiding unnecessary damage. It is likely to be a tough nut to crack so you may need to be imaginative in your choice of tactics during this phase. Ensure your dismounts are well-supplied with ammunition at all times to enable you to suppress and assault defended insurgent locations and maintain your tempo. You have until 2130 to complete your mission.

Designer’s notes

This mission attempts to replicate the successful attack to secure Fallujah Hospital by the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion USMC (Wolfpack) and the 36th Iraqi Commando Battalion during the evening/early night of 07 November 2004. This mission was one of the shaping operations as part of the wider clearance of Fallujah by 1 MAR DIV.

In order to provide balance and a more challenging mission, the Blue force has been pared down from the real life TF Wolfpack force. Likewise, the enemy is much stronger than that faced on the day for similar reasons.

Further reading can be found in the publication On Point II Transition to the New Campaign: The United States Army in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM May 2003 – January 2005.

This is the tactical map:

[Imperial Grunt]

This is where the battle will take place in the real world:

The hospital is the complex at the extreme north of the image.

Wow, here I go perusing the outer boards and I see the photo and wow...

I tromped all over this peninsula during the first battle of Fallujah and at the moment I can picture it like yesterday. I have been in that hospital, patrolled in that ville south near the southern bridge and all along those MSRs. Amazing what a photo can do.

[Combatintman]

Imperial Grunt ... hope I have not triggered any unpleasant memories, with Northern Ireland (twice), Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan (thrice) under my belt myself I know how this can be.

Also - no pressure on me to get this mission right then ...

[Combatintman]

Ok - just fought this through to a tactical victory which is good enough for me - should be up in the Repository soon.

[Combatintman]

Gents - as I have had the odd problem uploading to the Repository before - if this doesn't work in the next few hours or so unfortunately you are not going to see this mission for about a fortnight due to my lack of internet access over this period. Rest assured the mission is done and as soon as I get back to the virtual world this will be uploaded.

[Buzz]

Thanks Combatinman. Safe travels. Looking forward to your scenario.

[LongLeftFlank]

I'd note for the good of the Corps that M1A1TC did a nice Iraqi Army 'jundi' mod for Syrian SFs.

My CM cold turkey continues, but as I never acquired the Brits module I can't play this one anyhoo. But glad to see someone else is tackling Anbar. Feel free to cannibalize my Ramadi and Baba Amr maps (credit appreciated) if you can't stomach building out block after block of heavily built-up areas.