USMC Alpha Co 1/6 Marjeh 09/2009
Location: Marjeh, Helmand Province, Afghanistan (310 31’16” N, 640 7’7” E)
Battle Type: USMC assault vs Taliban defend
Date: September 2009
Designed by: shahadi
Credits:
suhiir: Her idea to initiate USMC attack from the east fully adopted within the scenario.
Ironduke99: He introduced the notion of acceptable casualties in the modern age of warfare.
RetLt: His suggestion to increase the lethality of booby traps fully adopted within the scenario.
Grantpa1: His thread on waypoints forced me to better understand the subject and thereby adopt patrols.
Mobhack: He clarified timed objectives.
Background
In support of Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan (OEF-A), Alpha Company 1st Battalion 6th Marines, 22 MEU participated in the sweep of Marjeh, a Taliban controlled town in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in April 2009 (In this scenario, the operation takes place in September of 2009). This is a semi-historical scenario.
SITUATION
Taliban fighters control the town of Marjeh, a sparsely populated agricultural town in Helmand province of Afghanistan known as a major source of opium production providing cash to the Taliban insurgency. Our satellite and HUMINT confirms a battalion size of Taliban fighters, approximately 1,000 hard core fighters, are based inside Marjeh and the immediate surroundings.
The Taliban has had time to prepare for our operation since talks in Kabul deteriorated earlier in March. Our sources advise that the Taliban have prepared many obstacles, brought in additional AA assets, and laid booby traps, IEDs, and mines. We believe, although we have witnessed many families leaving Marjeh by lorries and on foot, many civilians remain in Marjeh.
Their insurgent operations have undergone significant transformation since the days of OBL and al-Qaeda. We have unanimous reports from Coalition partners that the Taliban use smaller fighting teams of four or five fighters in lieu of large fifteen man squads. They have adopted better command and control resources, and methods, and have shown to engage in direct combat only when they feel the likelihood of victory is much greater than in the early years of their jihad. Particularly, in Helmand province, the Taliban will not stick around and fight nor engage at ranges under 600 meters. They prefer to “shoot and scoot,” especially knowing that to stick around will bring about very accurate fires from FA and air strikes. This we believe is how they’ve adapted by using light machine guns (to engage at longer ranges), IEDs as substitute indirect field artillery although they have accurate mortar fires, and the employment of very capable snipers. The best practice we have is to pay heed to the routes the civilians walk in Marjeh. We believe the Taliban have advised civilians where they’ve planted IED’s, therefore the foot paths the villagers take will be free of IED’s.
Alpha 1/6 “Hard” will conduct a vertical assault to remove Taliban fighters from Marjeh in order that restoration of Afghan civil rule may proceed by the elected government in Kabul. Alpha 1/6 is tasked to defeat the Taliban, seize all contraband, and opiate related material in the area known as the “alsuuq al markawz” or Central Market in a way that prepares the civilian population to support the Kabul government. Therefore, no field artillery or mortars will be available to Alpha 1/6 so as to mitigate tensions and possible festering of poor relations as a result of the loss of civilian property due to Marine employment of in-direct fires. This operation is not simply winning “hearts and minds,” Alpha 1/6 will show the civilians of Marjeh that we are the strongest, fairest, and only force trustworthy to protect them and provide for their welfare in their transition to civil rule and normal life.
A. ENEMY FORCES
Approximately 1,000 Taliban fighters with a contingent of Chechen fighters, aka “the Martyrs” are suspected in the AO by a unit of the 75th Army Rangers.
B. MISSION
Alpha Company 1/6 Marines will seize and control Objective Beyonce, the “alsuuq al markawz” and Objective Jay-Z the stores and warehouses in the AO with minimal damage to civilian homes and fields.
C. EXECUTION
Commander’s Intent: Immediately upon debarkation establish a patrol base (PB) in compound 21 and occupy surrounding compounds 20 and 22. NLT turn 15 3rd platoon will assault the warehouse building 10 and occupy buildings 05 and 06 at the northern stream crossing bridge. Third platoon will continue attacking Taliban units until it occupies compound 50. First platoon will seize warehouse building 12 and press its attack killing all Taliban units to the Aden Gate, whereupon First platoon will enter the market from Aden Gate and occupy compound 70. Second platoon will enter the Central Market from the Sulaiman Gate and seize compound 60 and compound 80, destroying all Taliban units therein.
D. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION
1. Maneuver: This is a vertical assault. Although a section of AH-1W Super Cobras will direct CAS fires against Taliban mortars, vehicles and other high value targets in the AO, it is imperative the Cobras neutralize the LZ of all Taliban units. Immediately, NLT turn 12, Alpha 1/6 will establish a PB HQ and occupy the two surrounding compounds with which to launch the assault.
2. Fires: No in-direct fires are available. CAS sorties will employ bombs and rockets against targets not occupying buildings in order to minimize loss of civilian property.
3. Close Air Support: The Cobras will direct CAS sorties against mortars, vehicles, and AA units in that order with reconnoiter coordinates for the UAV Shadow aggressively employed to locate Taliban mortars. FAC has designated the following coordinates and approach for the Shadow (designated as Priority Target Hex): (67,59 90°), (69,59 90°), (75,54 90°), and (66,42 90°).
E. COMMAND/SIGNAL
Captain Gary Taniguchi, CO Alpha Company 1st Btn 6th Marines is the mission CIC.
F. FRIENDLY FORCES
Ground Combat Element
HQ Alpha Co 1/6 Marines “Apache” Camp Lejeune, North Carolina USA
USMC Fwd Obsr
USMC Engr Sqd x3
USMC Sniper Hv x1
DRACO FAE Team x1
Platoon x3
USMC Sniper Tm x2
Javelin Team x1
USMC Rifle Sqd x3
SMAW Team x2
M240 MMG x2
Aviation Combat Element
AH-1W Super Cobra x2 HMLA-167 “Warriors” MCAS New River, Jacksonville, NC
CH-46D Sea Knight “Phrogs” 4x2 HMM-744 “Wild Goose” NAS, Norfolk, Virginia
AV-8B Harrier x2 VMA-542 “Tigers” MCAS Cherry Point, NC
USAF A-10 Warthog x3 104th Fighter Squadron Maryland ANG Middle River, Maryland
UAV Shadow x1 VMU-2 “Night Owls” MCAS Cherry Point, NC
UAV RQ-1 x1 “Cotton Pickers” 15th Reconnaissance Squadron , Creech AFB Clark County, Nevada
Narrative
“You win the confidence of the people, whether it be Iraq or Afghanistan by being the strongest tribe; that means that there can be no place in our area of operations where we don’t go, and right now, Marjeh is one of those places.” Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway (Stripes.com, 12/2009)
“You remember the PI,” said Taniguchi, commanding officer, Alpha 1/6 “Hard”.
“What is this Tan, a stroll down memory lane, sh1t man yeah I’m glad to be here, even with you, after that hell hole,” lamented Peter “PR” Rice Taniguchi’s senior NCO, Alpha 1/6’s first sergeant, as cool, and smart as they come, a real smart a$s in high school from of all places Portland, Oregon.
Immediately, without a thought as if on cue, Taniguchi leaned forward, “Damn Rice, how many times do I have to remind you that I am a Christian, cut that ‘sh1t’ talking profanity with me.”
Smiling as if reading a script, Rice, the all-city standout in football, basketball, and baseball raised his head, took a deep breath and exhaled, “Sure skipper, that’s right, you’re Christian and I’m Jesus Christ, turning the other cheek, and you and I both know those kids we got, those men YOU gonna ask, no you going to order into battle tomorrow want to know if YOU are ready to get some.” He smiled, “So, what you gonna say to the men?"
Taniguchi, rubbed the stubble on this face, as if rubbing a crystal ball for answers, then turning around he looked Rice squarely, “What did I tell my platoon in the Philippines, you remember don’t you?”
“Yes sir, I do.” Rice continued, “If you see the bush move, shoot, shoot, shoot and please kill that bastard, don’t miss.”
He got up and walked around the table, “And, you said a hundred of them ain’t worth one of you, my brothers, my Marines.”
He looked him eye to eye, sh1t, sir, sorry, but damn your words had me holding back tears.” He lowered his head, then taking in a long breath as if to make a confession, something he hadn’t done since the eighth grade in preparation for spring Confirmation at Saint Michael’s, “Then, I knew this California kid with a name my dad only knew as the name of the enemy on Saipan, was not Japanese but Marine.”
“First Sergeant Rice, are we ready?” Balked Gary Taniguchi the son of an interned Japanese American family, whose father and two uncles fought in Italy with the famed and much decorated 442nd Infantry Regiment, whose mother raised three children, two of whom became doctors, and one of them, the coolness in the eye of his father, a captain of United States Marines.
Rice replied, shouting in a loud voice, a voice of thunder and authority, “We be ready, sir, oorah!”
Both men smiled seemingly a long time, standing, as if alone, but yet needing not to say a word, while speaking an unspoken language between men on the epoch of battle between life and death, good and evil, right and wrong.
Abruptly, Rice stepped back, looked at his friend as if committing to memory every detail, every outline of his face, from the widow’s peak of hair atop his forehead, to the thick eye brows, to the dark brown eyes nearly swallowed over by his eyes lids, to his cheek bones and to his two day old facial hair.
Taniguchi immediately, recognized the look creeping across Rice’s face, then instinctively, he reached out to Rice and they grasped each other’s hands, and wanting to say something, he could only tuck in his lips and nod his head, as if to say, “We’ll be okay my friend.”
“I should leave now, you need anything sir,” said Rice.
“Yeah, I know you keep a mean “dog eat dog way” with the men, but I know you pray too, I know you pray a lot, so yeah, I need you to keep me in your prayers.”
“Aye, aye sir, see you at the bird at oh four hundred hours.”
As Rice departed, Captain Taniguchi, sat down taking out a picture of Meredith his wife, his high school sweet heart and the only woman he has ever known with carnal knowledge, and their little baby girl, and he smiled thinking, “We go a long way back baby, I’m coming home by the grace of our Lord.”
Gameplay
Play this scenario from the side of the USMC against the AI. Gameplay is 60 turns with visibility at 22 and timed objectives on. It is important Victory Flags are captured early with timed objectives on, as the Taliban gains 3 points from turn 20 onward on the number of VFs under their possession.
Victory conditions
Destroy Taliban forces at Marjeh and occupy the Central Market and warehouses. Moreover, player must: (1) Move “Phrogs” off map, (2) Maintain and capture all flags, and (3) No victory with casualties (damage) above 12 percent of force.
Notes
Move the Cobras ahead of the Phrogs to gain a visual of the central market in order to acquire target selection for CAS sorties and Cobra kills. Do not linger long on station (Obs 1).
You should break early (ideally after destruction of mortars) to secure LZ for Alpha 1/6.
Activate Cobra stores depending on target acquisition in order to conserve ammo loads for the duration of the scenario.
There are two UAV’s available: the USMC Shadow and the Air Force’s RQ-1. If you fly the UAV’s simultaneously, you may lose both birds in the same turn; therefore, you are strongly urged to fly the RQ-1 only upon loss of the Shadow.
Updates
This area will serve to update you with the progress I am making with this scenario.
Here is a depiction of the area of operation for Alpha 1/6.
Please note I'm getting away from using hedgegrows. Instead, I'm using single stone buildings to simulate an Afghani compound.
Map files are included.
Please share any comments or suggestions.
2016.07.30: Tried to make the CH-46F Sea Knights land on VF flags on grey border hex to incentize moving them off map ASAP. However, they cannot capture VFs. So, their cost just skyrocketed to 999.
2016.08.06: Taliban RPG-7 loadout changed to He and Heat ammo so the weapon will fire on infantry.
Javelin Team M-148C ammo changed to 4 He and 1 Heat.
CH-46D Sea Knights guns are removed to make room for additional troop load.
Reverted to default unit cost for the CH-46D.
Substituted M16A4 rifle for M27 IAR and inserted a SATCHEL Charge for the DRACO FAE Teams.
Set USMC Base Experience and Morale to 110, Infantry, artillery, and armor command up to 100 due training of USMC company commanders in Air Land Combat.
Weapons platoon personnel are inserted within rifle platoons to make it easier to manage units.
The Bombardment Priority Hex is a guide for UAV spotting runs. If the UAV spotting direction is from the west, the UAV will turn south to initiate a run and north if the direction of the UAV is from the east.
Use the Priority Target Hex to designate spotting runs for the Shadows using the third element in the coordinate as the direction of approach. 90 degrees indicate an aircraft is traveling from the west to the east. The first two elements give the hex location and the third gives the direction of approach. Example: (67,58 90°), is hex coordinate 67,58 with UAV approaching hex coordinate from the West (left side of map) at 90°.
Several Taliban snipers modified to fire on the Super Cobras at ranges well beyond 50m by substituting the sniper rifle for an AAMG.
Ground Combat Element
HQ Alpha Co 1/6 Marines “Apaches”
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina USA
Captain Gary Taniguchi, CO Alpha Company
USMC Fwd Obsr
USMC Engr Sqd x3
USMC Sniper Hv x1
DRACO FAE Team x1
HQ Platoon x3
USMC Sniper Tm x2
Javelin Team x1
USMC Rifle Sqd x3
SMAW Team x2
M240 MMG x2
Aviation Combat Element
AH-1W Super Cobra x2 HMLA-167 “Warriors” MCAS New River, Jacksonville, NC
CH-46D Sea Knight “Phrogs” 4x2 HMM-744 “Wild Goose” NAS, Norfolk, Virginia
AV-8B Harrier x2 VMA-542 “Tigers” MCAS Cherry Point, NC
USAF A-10 Warthog x3 104th Fighter Squadron Maryland ANG Middle River, Maryland
UAV Shadow x1 VMU-2 “Night Owls” MCAS Cherry Point, NC
UAV RQ-1 x1 "Cotton Pickers" 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, Creech AFB, Clark County, Nevada
2016.08.18: Placed VFs on gray border hex with significant point values in order to incentivize moving the Phrogs off map after disembarkation. I inserted a crew member on each CH-46D. After disembarkation of Alpha 1/6, reload each crew member and then land each Phrog on a VF on the gray border, and then finally, unload the crew member to capture the VF.
2016.08.22: Enhanced booby traps may inflict damage equivalent to a 1,000lb bomb. Booby trap detonated with a squad of engineers facing in adjacent hex plus a sniper team and a SAMW team with damage to the engineers at six. In weapon slot #1 is the booby trap with the inserted 1,000lb bomb in slot #2. Other combinations failed to yield detonation. I think this is a solution given the Mujahedeen OOB. Also, note the IED has a HE Kill of 192, whilst the booby trap is just under a 100 at 96.
2016.08.25: The Helicopter airborne assault phase of the scenario is essential to the success of the mission. The LZ’s 1, 2 and 3 identified on the map are highly suggested landing zones and they correspond to the platoon numbers.
Disembark the CO’s helo one hex behind 1st platoon.
I suggest you disembark the platoon HQ helo first, as they carry your assault squads, after disembarking the CO helo.
It is important that the crew member is reloaded immediately after you unload the Marine units. The Phrogs cannot capture the VF’s on the gray border without the crew member.
There are eight VFs under Taliban control worth 800 points.
If you opt to use the “A” during helicopter transport, be sure to turn off the “All” feature.
Locate the VF flags on the gray border to the east of Alpha 1/6's LZ.
The helicopter loading for the platoons are shown below:
Platoon HQ and Assault Squads:
Rifle Squads:
2016.08.30 Please find attached an exercise to practice how to conduct ingress, disembarkation, and egress of the CH-46D's from the map. A quick 5 turn scenario. Filename: USMC Alpha 1-6 Help Ops.zip. Slot #505 (renumber as appropriate).
2016.09.14 Alpha 1/6 LZ Assignments & Platoon IDs and suggested helo ops.
AH-1W Super Cobras "Snakes" Unit Ids
(O)scar
CH-46F Sea Knight Squadron Unit Ids
(K)ilo - HQ Alpha 1/6
(L)ima - 1st Pl HQ
(M)ike - 2nd Pl HQ
(N)ovember - 3rd Pl HQ
Rifle Platoon Ids
(H)otel - 1st Pl
(I)ndia - 2nd Pl
(J)oilet - 3rd Pl
Rifle Platoon Organization (template)
H0 Pl HQ Sqd
H1, H2 USMC Sniper Teams
H3, Javelin Team
H4, H7 USMC Rifle Sqds
H5, H8 M240 MMGs
H6, H9 SMAW Teams
Landing Zone Assignments
LZ 3: November Helo - 3rd Pl
LZ 1: Lima Helo - 1st Pl
LZ 2: Mike Helo - 2nd Pl
LZ 4: Kilo Helo - HQ Alpha 1/6
LZ 5: Kilo 1 Helo - USMC Engr Sqds
LZ 6: November 1 Helo - USMC Rifle Sqds
LZ 7: Lima 1 Helo - USMC Rifle Sqds
LZ 8: Mike 1 Helo - USMC Rifle Sqds
CH-46F Phrogs LZ Assignments
Alpha 1/6 Disembarked
Use the Snakes to clear the LZ, after destruction of Taliban mortars NLT turn 6.
Position the Javelin teams on the LZs 1,2 and 3 markers. Bring up the Javelins after breaching compounds.
Do not advance more than a hex at a time. Meaning, move a unit one hex, halt, face unit to left, right, and center before moving to the next hex.
Keep your platoons in single file formation with your assault squads (snipers, SMAW, and a MMG) in front.
You may use the USMC Alpha 1-6 Helo Ops scenario to practice.
2016.10.24 Final Alpha 1/6 LZ Assignments
LZ N0: CH-46F N0 - 3rd Pl Hq
LZ N1: CH-46F N1 - 3rd Rifle Sqds
LZ K1: CH-46F K1 - USMC Engr Sqds
LZ L0: CH-46F L0 - 1st Pl Hq
LZ K0: CH-46F K0 - Alpha 1/6 Hq
LZ L1: CH-46F L1 - 1st Pl Rifle Sqds
LZ M0: CH-46F M0 - 2nd Pl Hq
LZ M1: CH-46F M1 - 2nd Pl Rifle Sqds
Design Notes
In order to depict the realities of modern combat, in particular where so called First World armies engage in battle with Third World armies, a victory by a First World army where minimizing loss of personnel is paramount in the calculus of victory, the placement and value of Victory Flags, and the timed objectives setting are balanced in a way to ensure that casualties (damage) above 12 percent will not result in a win (in winspmbt a decisive win is won by scoring eight times total score). Please read the Shrapnel Forum thread for additional information: The Western Way of War today (
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showp...13&postcount=1). Additional discussion at: Acceptable US Casualties Against 3rd World Armies (
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showp...11&postcount=1).
Downloads
Full scenario: Scn595_Alpha_1-6_Marjeh
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Alpha Co BLT 1/6 22 MEU OEF-A
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