Tactical Decision Game #96–6 support the LAR.

You send them to

screen ahead. At 0555 they report “about
20–25 combat vehicles heading east
To the Rear, March—Part II through McCloskey Wells.” The Cobras
are forced to break off when engaged by
antiaircraft guns and cannot provide any
by Maj John F. Schmitt, USMCR more detail. Just as you are digesting this
new piece of information, the security
force defending Kleinport reports contact
This scenario is the continuation of Tactical Decision with “five or six enemy vehicles just west
Game #96–4, “To the Rear March,” described in detail in MCG, of Kleinport.”
Apr96. It is based on my solution to that problem, which is de- “You’d better get some forces over here
scribed in this issue, p. 75. ASAP,” the RAOC cuts in.
What are you going to do?
Situation vo strike the rear from the west—just like Requirement
You are the commander of 1st Tank you diagrammed it. In a time limit of 5 minutes decide what
Battalion, the division reserve, with two But then at 0500 Bravo reports difficult you will do by issuing any orders and mak-
tank companies and a rifle company on terrain where the salt lake is nearest to the ing any appropriate reports/requests. Then
AAVs. The desert is layered in three tiers escarpment. Twenty minutes later the Bra- provide a sketch and an explanation of
separated by distinct escarpments: the nar- vo CO reports he has found a single-file your plan. Send your solution to Marine
row coastal tier is cultivated; the scraggy lane through the obstacle, but it will take Corps Gazette, TDG #96–6, Box 1775,
middle tier, vegetated with sparse brush, about 10 minutes per vehicle. Meanwhile, Quantico, VA 22134 or fax (703)
offers good cross-country mobility for your main body continues to approach 640–0823.
tracks but is slower going for wheeled ve- Klinger. The enemy attack seems immi-
hicles; the highest tier is flat, open desert nent, and 3/24 is directing air strikes
that offers excellent mobility for all vehi- against the enemy positions. You decide
cles. While the division attacks north, ene- you do not have time to wait for Bravo;
my armored and mechanized forces, re- you’ll have to attack with Charlie and Kilo. For more detailed information on the structure
ported to be anything from a reinforced Your artillery battery is in position to sup- of Marine Corps units, Marine Corps equip-
battalion to a couple of regiments, have en- port your attack. You try to raise Alpha ment, and symbols used in TDG sketches, see
veloped through the high desert to Mc- again: no luck. MCG, Oct94, pp. 53–56 and the modifica-
Closkey Wells and are wreaking havoc in Your Cobra support arrives at 0540 and tion reported in Jan95, p. 5.
the vicinity of Klinger. Your battalion, reports that another section has gone to

;;
with a reinforced light armored reconnais-
sance (LAR) company attached and an ar-
tillery battery in direct support, is ordered

;;
south to eliminate a threat to the MEF rear.
You have been “chopped” to the CSSE N
Front 20km

;
;;
and report to the rear-area operations cen- Frontier Gate
ter (RAOC).

;;
At 0345 at Wolf Wells you send the
LAR into the high desert through Wolf
Gap on an independent mission to develop Wolf Wells 20 30
the situation and attack the enemy’s lines of

;; ;
Wolf Gap
communications. You have not heard 10
Escarpment

from them since. (“Shades of Jeb Stuart at

Gettysburg,” you mumble to yourself.) ?
Charlie, the main effort, heads south on C 14

;;
Heaton
Rte. 10 with Kilo in trace. Bravo moves
Escarpment

(+) (-)(+)
south on the high desert between the salt A

;;
B (-)(+)
K 20
lake and the escarpment, keeping abreast of
(-)(+)
Charlie. Your intent is to fix the enemy C

;;
with whichever axis makes contact first and
Salt Lake 0300
to envelop with the other. As you head
Cultivated

south from Wolf Wells you learn that the Klinger

main enemy force has taken up positions
west and south of Klinger and is pounding ?
Klinger with field guns. The security forces McCloskey Wells 0200
defending Klinger (part of BLT 3/24) esti- 2000-2300
Kleinport
mate the enemy force at a regiment and
believe the enemy is preparing for a delib-
2330
erate attack. “So far, so good,” you think.
Your plan is to strike the enemy’s north Uphill
Kilometers

flank with Charlie and Kilo and have Bra- TDG#96-6 0 5 10 20

78 Marine Corps Gazette ✩ June 1996