USMC Campaign 4th Mission AAR

[souldierz]

Forth Mission- Decisions, decisions….

Designed by- Martin Van Balkom(Moon)

Time is now 14h50, June 24

Mission, Plan, Commanders intent-1stPlt/GolfCo(2ndLieutenant McIntire), plus attachments, will conduct a route recon towards the mountain foothills in order to select a route through the mountains. The most important thing for the attack is to maintain momentum.1stPlt/GolfCo(2ndLieutenant McIntire) is tasked with pushing through the coastal plain to scout a route. Higher HQ has detailed intel on two routes - Route Tiger leading North East will produce tight battles in complex terrain against a mix of irregular and Syrian Airborne troops - Route Eagle option will be a head on thrust up the open valley against the main strength of Syrian 5th Airborne Regiment.1stPlt/GolfCo(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) will recon and pick one route and should avoid getting decisively engaged, the follow on forces will be able to handle anything that is bypassed.

Enemy-UAV(Unmanned Aviation Vehicle)flights have noticed significant movements towards the East throughout the AO(Area of Operation). The Battalion that the Marines have been fighting in this area since the initial landing is reported to have its Headquarters in the Village of KARRU. Anti-Tank mines were reported to be placed at cross road areas and 5th Syrian Airborne Regiment and Irregular forces are expected to make a determined effort in defending the routes through the mountains, with it’s main effort in the HIMS gap. There is also ATGM’s to be expected.

Friendly 26th MEU(SOC)2ndBat/6th Marines(Lieutenant Colonel Oliver)

-1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire)=2xRifle Squad,1xHQ

-1st LAR(Light Armoured Reconnaissance)Plt/D Co/2nd Bat/6th Marines(2nd Lieutenant Baker)=2xLAV,1xHQ,1xScout

-CAAT(Combined Arms Anti Tank) =M1114 Humvee M2(Corp Jackson) and M1046 Humvee TOW(Corp Talley)

-3rd MTVR Plt CLV26(Corp Thomlinson) =3xMTVR

-4th Squad Engineers(Sgt Walsh)

Terrain-The coastal plain in general is open, rolling, intensively cultivated agricultural land. Numerous orchards and farmlets dot the area .Small ,but dense villages are common in the area. The road net in this area is dense and not well developed.

-Route Tiger- Over the JABAL AN NUSAYRIYAH mountains via SHAFITA and SHIN, winding roads and steep complex terrain.

-Route Eagle- via TALL KAHLAK and through HIMS gap, just North of the Lebanese border. HIMS gap is flat and broad and carries a multi lane highway and railroad between the coast and HIMS.

Weather- Hazy, Fine and Clear

Temperature- Warm

Wind-Medium From East

Ground Conditions-Dry

Civilian Density- Moderate

Start time-14h50, June 24

Mission Begins, Time Limit 35 minutes

Between Missions-10h51, June 23 - 14h50 ,June 24

After the Syrian forces failed in their attempt to counter attack, the Syrian forces start falling back from the coast in some dissaray.26th MEB managed to secure a beachhead and an all weather SPOD(Sea Point Of Disembarkation) at TARTUS. Now the task is to push past the JABAL AN NUSAYRIYAH mountains to the Eastern plateau of the city HIMS.26th MEU has now formed a small, mixed task force of infantry, LAV’s(Light Reconnaissance Vehicle) and a CAAT(Combined Arms Anti Tank) to recon a route across the coastal plain.

14h50-15h00

The skies are clear and there’s no clouds in sight. The sun sits above and behind 1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) and the attachments as they appear on the AO, and it turned out to be a very beautiful and warm sunny day. The wind is blowing in the faces of the Marines from the East and brings with it a brief feeling of calm, peace and relaxation, but the Marines must remain on their guard within this hour because they are the tip of the spear for this thrust and are expecting to be attacked and fired upon as they look for a route through the agricultural lands.1st LAR Plt/D Co(2nd Lieutenant Baker) was ordered to dismount, and to move East on foot at the end of the tall grass to scout the wide open area East of them, and the LAV’s were ordered to hang back with the other Marines for the time being. After much thought and reflecting on the fact that the Battalion that the Marines have been fighting since the initial landing is reported to have its Headquarters in the Village of KARRU, the decision was made to try and get to Route Eagle to TALL KALAKH to the South East of the AO and while on the way to see if they could locate and hit the Syrian Headquarters and neutralize the Command. They reminded themselves that they are ordered not to get decisively engaged and if the village of KARRU proves to be to tough of a nut to crack, they will pass and allow other forces to sweep them up. A hard fight is expected in the next half hour. A perimeter is formed on a dirt road South of the main road behind elevated terrain that cuts the view from the enemy and after a quick scout from the tall grass that turns up nothing, 1stPlt/Golf Co(2ndLieutenant McIntire) and 4th Squad Engineers(Sgt Walsh) move South through the long grass to see if they can start to move East along the South of the AO. As the Marines were moving South through the tall grass, a Syrian rifle and C2 team was spotted by 3rdSq/1stPlt/Golf Co(Sgt Beall) and reveal that the enemy is located South East in a tree line 500 meters out just past a dirt road. The Marines try to engage, but the Syrian soldiers are hard to hit because there is a small wall that blocks the Marines LOF(Line Of Fire) to their location. Small pot shots would be taken from time to time by the Marines, but lead to no real or decisive results.

The path the Marines took

15h00-05h10

The CAAT teams were ordered to dismount and to set up their heavy weapons along the tall grass to gain LOS to the East, they will form a line with the dismounted units of 1st LAR Plt/D Co(2nd Lieutenant Baker) In the tall grass to provide over watch as 1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) and 4th Squad Engineers(Sgt Walsh) split into teams and start to move East in the South of AO towards the contact. The teams will try to use bounding over watch using the scattered bush’s to conceal themselves and cover each other along their path in the open in an attempt to close in on the Syrians in the tree line.60mm Mortar fire support has signalled it is ready for requests and 3rd Team Scout/1st LAR Plt/D Co(Sgt Abrams) would direct Heavy Short Linear fire across the Syrian positions in the tree line.1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) then held their positions for the mortar strike.1st Section 1st Team Anti Tank(Corp Talley) ended up spotting a Syrian C2 team in an open field East of them, and was ordered to see if they could hit them with a TOW missile. The TOW missile was successfully fired and landed within a 10meter radius of the Syrian C2 unit and detonated, but had no effect on the enemy Infantry and 1st Section 1st Team Anti Tank(Corp Talley) was ordered to pack up and relocate to a similar position after some time. The commander had confidence in their equipment and that the Marines can win that battle of missiles, but deploying and packing up the TOW missile proved to cost to much time and the Humvees presented themselves as to good a target for the enemy to hit, so the TOW missiles would not be used or deployed again. As the 60mm mortar support fire was hitting the Syrian troops in the tree line, it was decided that the two LAVs(Sgt Bradford and Sgt Orosz) would put the pedal to the medal and rush the Syrian forces in the tree line as mortar fire hit them and faded away. There were bush’s and tree lines there that the LAV’s could use to break any possible visual on them from the ATGM’s that have yet to be seen in the AO. As the LAV’s were moving South, an explosion was seen near KARRU. It is unclear as to what caused it, but it’s suspected that it could have been a failed ATGM attempt. Just seconds later another explosion occurred in the center of the AO as the LAV‘s turned to move East. It’s now clear the enemy are reacting and trying to hit the LAV’s that are racing across the open to assault the Syrians in the tree line. More explosions are heard from failed ATGM attempts in the distance and an AT-3 ATGM Sagger was identified on a roof top in KARRU. The LAV’s had now reached their destination and quickly spotted and gunned down the Syrian troops that were previously identified in the tree line and held into place by the Mortars. Right after they finished off the Syrian soldiers in the tree line, 2nd LAV(Sgt Orosz) was ordered to put area fire on the roof of the enemy ATGM position, and 1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) and 4th Squad Engineers(Sgt Walsh)started to continue their movements East across the open field.

The LAV’s rushed the Syrians Identified in the tree line. There was nothing those Syrians soldiers could do to react to the mortars and LAV’s.

05h10-05h25

80mm Mortar fire support has announced it is ready for request’s and after considering the options and realizing things will progress to slowly if the Marines keep going with the original plan, in an unorthodox way, the plan changed and half way into the open field, the Marines on foot were ordered to stop and turn around and head back as quickly as they can, back across the open field. 1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) and 4th Squad Engineers(Sgt Walsh)along with the dismounted units of 1st LAR/Plt/D Co(2nd Lieutenant Baker) then loaded back onto the trucks and then would hold for a moment before they moved South, then East with the CAAT teams M1114 Humvee M2(Corp Jackson) and M1046 Humvee TOW(Corp Talley), who also simultaneously started to load back onto the Humvees. As they mounted, It was considered that the enemy will be able to hit the gunners in the vehicles before the enemy could be spotted and identified as the vehicles moved, so everyone located in a gunner seat was ordered to button up and take shelter in the vehicle and the LAV‘s would be the only one’s allowed to shoot back with it‘s cannon. As time is winding down and the Main Marine force behind the Recon Marines are getting closer, the Recon Marines decide that they need to quickly get passed KARRU and avoid any and all firefights. The enemy have a presence in KARRU and in order for the recon Marines to get past it without getting engaged, a plan was decided quickly on how to proceed.60mm mortar fire support will lay down smoke cover at the South of KARRU and Half way through the Smoke fire mission, 80mm mortar fire support will hit the village of KARRU in hopes of keeping the enemy pinned down in KARRU, and the Recon Marines will roll past South of KARRU through the farmland, as a convoy, to Route Eagle, to TALL KALAKH during the fire mission. The farmland is very muddy and there’s a chance at getting bogged down ,but any other way could be mined and ambushes could be set up, so the vehicles will have to take their chances and try to remain on the high banks within the cropland. The LAV’s were sent ahead East to the next tree line and as they moved, heavy MG fire was heard echoing and zinging past the trucks and Humvees as they also started to move South, then turn to move East. The shots were suspected of coming from KARRU right away due to the echo from the burst of fire, and the LAV’s were ordered right away, to start to systematically hit every roof top in KARRU in order to suppress the enemy further.

LAV’s start to systematically hit every roof top in KARRU from second tree line

3rd MTVR Plt CLV26(Corp Thomlinson) with 1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire) and 4th Squad Engineers(Sgt Walsh) who are mounted in the trucks along with CAAT teams M1114 Humvee M2(Corp Jackson) and M1046 Humvee TOW(Corp Talley) have passed the first tree line where the fist contacts were made, and are now racing up to the next tree line where the LAV’s are and continue to suppress the roof tops in KARRU. As mortar smoke and fire came down, the vehicles simultaneously navigated their way through the narrow palm trees and started to cross the cropland in a column while the LAV’s kept and maintained suppressive fire on KARRU at the head of the column. One LAV then quickly punched a hole in the small wall in front of them so all the vehicles could get through and move to Route Eagle, to TALL KALAKH, and the LAV’s still continued to aim and hit the roof tops with heavy fire as they proceeded, and halted at route Eagle.

Picture above is the view from KARRU rooftops on the scattered convoy’s path passing through the cropland under smoke cover.

The new plan to move between the palm trees and roll across the farm land as a tight convoy sounded like a good easy idea at the time it was created, but it was very sloppy and poorly executed. The mortar strike was accurate on KARRU, but lasted a very short time and the fire mission smoke cover was lousy and lasted a short time also and was basically useless and did not create the smoke wall that was anticipated. Along the way the LAV’s had to deploy smoke to help further conceal the convoys movements across the cropland as well as continuing to put down constant suppressive fire on KARRU. The convoy was broken up as it moved through the trees and farmland and became very loose. Luckily all the drivers of the vehicles were able to keep on a straight line on the high mound in the croplands as they passed through under some smoke cover from the LAV‘s, and no one became bogged down in the mud or shot at. As time ticked away it’s last seconds and ended the mission, most of the Recon Marines vehicles have made it and were in the Route Eagle marker except for a MTVR and the Humvee TOW(Corp Talley), who just got out of the croplands and were almost there.

NOTE-The game says the Marines suffered a Major Defeat. In the briefing it was mentioned as a note, that if the player chooses Route Eagle a loss outcome would appear. It continued to say winning or losing was irrelevant in the context of this particular battle and that it’s merely a mechanism by which the campaign knows which routes to progress along. In other words Mission Accomplished.

There were very few shots fired by the enemy then anticipated ,but some enemy MG rounds narrowly missed the mounted Marines who were shoulder to shoulder in the MTVR‘s. There were no casualties, and that’s thought to be due to the LAV’s constant area fire on the roof tops of KARRU. 1stPlt/Golf Co(2nd Lieutenant McIntire)and the Attachments were successful at getting past KARRU and were able to provide intel on the Syrian forces they encountered for the Marine forces following up onto route Eagle. They were unable to clear KARRU themselves, but they sure let the Syrian Headquarters in KARRU know that the Marines were outside passing by and there was no where left for the Syrian Headquarters to go now.

[c3k]

Hmm, nicely done. When I played this, I suffered a lot of casualties and got embroiled in a slugfest.

Ken