***Transferred from the Repository – CMSF British Forces Required***
By Snake Eye
In the course of the invasion of Syria, our 2nd Regiment / 1st Marines Division has been designated by NATO HQ for blasting the NIRA dam door open, thus freeing the way to the British forces tasked with the assault of the much needed Nira’s airfield.
The code name of our mission chosen by a NATO bright mind is “Market Garden”. Don’t get me wrong, we are not going to go in history with a “bridge too far” tag on our back. We are the US Marines and assaulting either by air, sea or ground is our fare. We rather do it rightly and there is no one among our enemies to complain, because there is no one anymore around.
You got it right ? Ok let’s go through the mission……..//……. About the enemy. We have had a new assessment done three days ago. It looks like all aircrafts and helicopters seen earlier have been moved to a farther field. The bad news are that the runway has been partially damaged to prevent any landing by our forces and the good one is that their Air Assets loitering time will only be of short duration, if they use them as expected.
About their Ground forces:
They have a Static Infantry Company reported as being from the 2 Infantry Battalion stretched from Hassan Village to Nira’s Dam and Nira’s SP. Some of its Elements seem to occupy the Darya Pass. They could built their defence fire plan around the four bunkers securing the Nira’s bridge area. Our S2 points out that another Motorized Infantry Company from the 67 Battalion, without any truck, located near Al Farouk could manned some entrenched positions in a forward defence line.
The Main Defence Line before the Airfield is running along these positions, Hill 54 OP and then along the Sidi Barani ridge. It has two or three bunkers and as much a hull down immobilized tank positions.
We have been most concerned till yesterday about the Anti Tank ditches running in front of that Defence Line. As a matter of fact we had been told some weeks ago, that some Pipe Lines had been deployed in order to fill them with petrol, to set them afire. A Special Force team has successfully blown the main pump station, just a few hours ago and been ex filtrated with no casualty. If that had not been the case we would have been obliged to fight in an oily and low visibility environment, preventing all Air Supports demand.
S2 also thinks from radio intercept, that one or two, maybe three Motorized platoons from another Company of the 67 Battalion have just arrived. They with a few tanks seen, being moved on their trailers toward that AO could be part of a Force deployed to counter at short notice any attack on the airfield.
Mortar and some Artillery fire is expected as usual, but we have no report of Artillery batteries being deployed in the AO. However a lone ZSU-23-4-Shilka has been spotted during a last Recon near Al Farouk yesterday……………//……………………… Our mission, will start at 05:35:00 Zulu, with the following US Forces opening the way to the British Forces. From the moment our first air assault begins, we will have at the most 2 hours
and 30 minutes before Elements of 3 (BIRMINGHAM) Battalion and 4 Regiment Armour could relieve us. They will then proceed toward the Airfield, destroying any enemy forces along the way and seize it
US FORCES.
4th Battalion / 2nd Regiment / 1st Marines Division
B (BROOKLYN) Company / 4th Battalion :
1st (ABLE) Platoon
2nd (BRAVO) Platoon
3rd (CHARLIE) Platoon
3rd Battalion :
CAT(-) (TERMINATOR)
BRITISH FORCES
3 (BIRMINGHAM) Battalion
B (COVENTRY) Company / 3 Battalion mounted troops :
4 (INDIA) Platoon
5 (GOLF) Platoon
6 (KILO) Platoon
Javelin (Bourbon) Section
4 Regiment Armour
Recce (WISKEY) 3 x Scimitars
3 Troop , A (BRANDY) Squadron. 3 x Challengers tanks
TAC (SKY) Party………………………..//…………………………. Our orders are the following :
US FORCES
Our primary Objectives are to clear, secure and defend the NIRA 1 – 2 LZ’s and Dam bridge approaches, to destroy their bunkers, to neutralize NIRA SP and Darya Pass defence
On LZ 1:
BRAVO and ABLE will secure the LZ against a predicable Syrian counter attack
Deploy a stop line against any element that might come from Hassan Village
Destroy the bunkers located nearby and finally clear or check by fire any element, from Nira Strong Point and Darya Pass, threatening potentially the axis of the British forces toward LZ Nira 2 and Darya Pass.
On LZ 2:
Secure the LZ against a predicable Syrian counter attack
Destroy the bunkers located nearby and check by fire any element, from Nira Strong Point and Darya Pass, threatening potentially the axis of the British forces toward LZ Nira 2 and Darya Pass.
Secure the Nira’s Bridge and move toward LZ 1
CHARLIE will then rejoin ABLE and BRAVO on LZ 1 and stay in reserve.
TERMINATOR will deploy in Anti Tank defence on LZ 1 AO
If conditions prevail, US Forces can attempt to seize Hill 54 OP and Hassan SP 1. They must not in any case attempt to move forward of these objectives which are part of the Objectives of the british Forcres.
BRITISH FORCES
Will rejoin by road LZ 2, With COVENTRY Forces and its attached elements, Leaving the Darya Pass clearing GOLF forces behind..
From LZ 2 to LZ 1,tThey will clear any pocket of resistance that might prevent the normal deployment of the Force on the FUP .
On LZ 1 they will relieve the US Forces and start their attack from the designated FUP toward Hill 54 OP and the Airfield..
The Darya Pass Forces with GOLF and its attached elements will clear the pass and move in the opposite valley and toward the Anti Tank ditches in front of the Sidi Barani ridge. They will move forward on the same tempo that COVENTRY, since they will cover their right flank. They will snaked through the defence obstacle and move by fire toward Sidi Barani ridge and take it. Once done they will establish an overwatch to support the main attack along the main road on their left flank.
US & British CAS will be circling on a refuelling track and will respond within 10 to 15 minutes to a call…………………../ /………………….. Designer notes: The duration of the scenario is 4 hours. That has been set such a way to allow players to assault the airfield cautiously, if they feel doing it. Players wishing to reach more quickly the airfield objective can do so. However it will be foolish to do it before the British Forces arrive. It could be done, but if the airfield is reached and taken, even if the Red side surrender it would be anyway a Pyrrhic victory in term of suffered casualties. That victory would not be acceptable in a real battle.
I must emphasize that this non historical scenario has been done without any bad intentions against the Syrian peoples, despite the fact that geographically their country has been chosen. Syria has only been chosen, for the reason, that the Forces they could deployed against the US and British Forces were corresponding to what is commonly called RED OPFOR.
That scenario is a Tactical Battle staging a defence that should be overcome in order to reach a final objective. It is done from experiences gathered through the years and usually taught in military academies.
But as it is well known “No plan survives enemy contact”
Somewhere 12-16-2013
Gregory KELLER – snake.eye –
I would like particularly to thank Blackmoria for his clever testing and his two AAR, which are a must to read in order to apply some winning tactical skills. One for each A.I Plan. I wish that these could be made available, with a”spoilers warning” to you at a later date with his approval.
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