MECHANIZED TDG 10/25/2018
B4V6139
General Situation: You are the platoon commander for 2d Platoon, Company C, 1/6, which has been reorganized as Team Mech by detaching 1st Platoon, Charlie Company and attaching 1st Platoon, Company A, 2d Tank Battalion. It is currently 2100 and you have just arrived at the company CP to receive the operation order for tomorrow’s attack. Your company is located in an assembly area in the vicinity of grid 760145, awaiting resupply of fuel and conducting maintenance after the day’s road march.
One week ago the friendly country of Virginia was invaded by its rogue-state neighbor, the People’s Republic of Maryland. The Marylander mechanized forces have since penetrated deep into the western portion of Virginia via the Shenandoah Valley corridor, and are now preparing to pivot to the east in an effort to capture the capital city of Richmond. The lead elements of the enemy have penetrated south of Middleburg. The enemy’s logistical site is located on the south side of Middleburg. In an effort to prevent the fall of Richmond, the United States has initiated the deployment of II MEF to assist the Virginia Defense Forces in resisting the Marylander invasion. Two days ago the lead echelon of the MEF, RLT-6, landed unopposed in the vicinity of Quantico, Virginia. Our battalion has since pushed northwest of the town of Manassas, where it is preparing to continue to drive west toward the Shenandoah Valley.
Orientation: Team Mech’s area of operation is characterized by rolling foothills, traversed by farmlands and woods. To our immediate west lie the Bull Run Mountains, which constitute the first major obstacle between the Shenandoah Mountains and us. Due to the rugged terrain, there are only a few routes through the mountains that are suitable for wheeled or tracked vehicles, the most suitable being Thoroughfare Gap (Interstate 66) which is BN Objective 1 and Aldie Pass (Route 50) which is BN Objective 2. The logistics site in Middleburg is REG Objective C. Company Objective A is Hill 245, just south of Rt 50. Our area surrounding Aldie Pass has two water features, Howsers Branch and the Little River. Both rivers flow north to south. Howsers Branch is fordable only at the bridge at 732 163, which spans 15 feet across the river. Little River Bridge (715 169), which covers a 50 foot gap and is supported by three 20 foot tall pylons, is the only fording point for M1A1s but there are three fording points for AAVs at Fording Site 1 (713 169), Fordinig Site 2 (705 172), and Fording Site 3 (704 164). All routes (Rt 50, Rt 15, unnamed roads) are unrestricted for armor and mechanized assets. There is a patch of dense old forest north of Aldie Pass that is severely restricted for armor and mechanized assets. The patch of vegetation south of the Little River is sage brush and is restricted for foot mobile, severely restricted for wheeled vehicles, but is unrestricted for all tracked vehicles. In all other areas, except for the rivers, foot-mobile travel is unrestricted. The current is too swift to cross at the fording points. The AAVs can cross the rivers, but the fording sites are the only places where the banks are shallow enough for the AAVs to cross. Visibility is unlimited from the Howsers Branch to the Little River. Within Aldie Pass visibility is 400 meters on the high ground and from the roof tops of the buildings. Visibility is 100 meters in the pass on the low ground and is limited to the buildings in the pass. In Aldie Pass there are five major structures south of Rt 50 and six structures are north of Rt 50. Temperatures will be in the 90s for a high and in the 60s for a low. There is only a 5% chance of precipitation. Our AA is off the map to the Southeast2 km 754 150. The Atk Pos is east of Howsers Branch 736 166. The LD is Howsers Branch. The LOA is the 704 easting.
Team’s Task Organization:
Co C (-) (REIN), 1/6
2d Plt, Co C
3d Plt, Co C
Wpns Plt, Co C
Det, 2d Plt (reduced), Co A, 2d AA Bn (10 AAVs)
1st Plt, Co A, 2d Tank Bn (4 M1A1s)
Det, Anti-Armor Plt, Wpns Co, 1/6
1 Javelin Squad (2 teams per sqd and 1 launcher, 3 missiles, and 2 Marines per team)
I. Situation
A. ENEMY:
1) SALUTE: The Marylanders have pushed the bulk of their 2d Armored Corps south into the Shenandoah Valley, thus leaving their logistical tail to the north exposed. Within our battalion’s sector, elements of the 2d Battalion, 232d Motor Rifle Regiment have been located. Their apparent purposeis to hold the passes through the Bull Run Mountains in an effort to protect the 2d Armored Corps’ logistical trains further to the west. Aerial reconnaissance has spotted a Mechanized Rifle Company (MRC) reduced sized force in the vicinity of Thoroughfare Gap and a platoon (reduced) (two BMP 2s and a BTR 70) sized force near Aldie Pass.
2) DRAWD: The enemy is able to defend the passes in platoon (reduced strength). Additionally, the enemy possesses the capability to reinforce either pass with an additional MRC within 1 hour.
3) EMPCOA: The enemy will stubbornly defend Thoroughfare Gap passes in an effort to gain time to reorient his forces against the newly emergent threat that II MEF poses to his flank. His forces at Aldie Pass will delay as an economy of force mission.
B. FRIENDLY
1) Higher
a. MISSION: At 0700 1/6secures BN Obj12 IOT deny enemy forces the logistical support necessary for continued operations in the vicinity of Richmond. BPT exploit any opportunity to destroy retreating enemy forces by conducting follow on offensive operations in the Shenandoah Valley.
b. INTENT: The enemy’s COG is his use of mechanized speed to exploit the Shenandoah Valley Corridor. The enemy’s critical vulnerability is his over-extended and exposed logistical support network. We will exploit this critical vulnerability by concentrating our force on two Bull Run Mtn Passes and then quickly overwhelming his ability to conduct resupply. Without access to his key logistics sites and staging areas he will be forced to withdraw back to Maryland, in the process yielding the initiative to us. Initiative gained, we will then go directly after his main forces and destroy them piecemeal. Endstate: Seize the Thoroughfare Gap and confirm the location of his MSRs in the Shenandoah Valley Corridor.
2) Adjacent:
a. Team Tank (Co B): You are the BN ME. At 0700 seize BN Obj 1 IOT allow the unhindered movement of follow on forces to the west.
b. Co B, 2d LAR: You are the BN SE2. NLT 0400 establish a screen line and delay enemy forces north of the 19 gridline until 1300 IOT prevent the enemy from conducting a spoiling attack against the battalion.
c. Co A: You are the battalion reserve. BPT assume the mission of Team Tank or Team Mech. BPT conduct heliborne assault vicinity REG Obj C.
3) Supporting:
a. Section of AV-8s, priority to Team Tank, Team Mech, BN Res.
b. Section of AH-1Ws, priority to Team Tank, Team Mech, BN Res.
c. B, 1/10 in DS of 1/6, priority to Team Tank, Team Mech, BN Res. Located 751 125.
d. 81 mm Mort Plt in DS of Team Mech. Located 753 150.
C. Attachments and Detachments – Effective immediately, we will have 1 Javelin squad attached.
II. Mission: Team Mech: You are BN SE1. At 0700 seize BN Obj 2 IOT allow the unhindered movement of follow on forces to the west.
III. Execution
A. Intent: The enemy’s COG is his prepared defensive positions oriented on our axis of advance. His CV is that because of his small size (3 vehicles) he can only concentrate a small volume of Anti-Armor Fire on that avenue of approach. We will exploit this CV by forcing him to button up with indirect fire, thus narrowing his observation of the avenue of approach. Once the enemy is suppressed, we will overwhelm him with mechanized fire. My Endstate is that all three vehicles are destroyed and Team Mech possesses the Aldie Pass.
B. Concept of Operations:
1) SOM: The team will be broken down into a platoon as the ME and two platoons as SEs. We will conduct a frontal attack to the west northwest. We will leave the AA and move NW on Rt 50 with the ME as advance guard and the SEs as the main body. Once we cross Hoswer’s Branch (the LD), the ME will destroy the BMP-2s and BTR, while SE2 follows in trace. SE1 will occupy Co Obj A to protect the ME and SE2’s flank. Once the BMPsare destroyed, The ME and SE2 will clear the westside of the Little River Bridge. Once the bridge and immediate area is clear, SE1 will FIT and clear the remainder of BN Obj 2. We will consolidate to the northwest at the 704 easting.
2) FSP: The purpose of my fire support plan is to suppress the BMPs and force them to button up IOT allow the ME to locate and destroy the platoon reduced. We will use 81s and 60s to accomplish this. 81s POF: Tank Plt, 2d, 3d; 60s will be located east of Hill 245 IVO 730 164 POF: 2d, Tank Plt, 3d. Our FiST will observe the fires from Hill 215. I have Bn TGT numbers
AF 42027125 1705 Likely BMP PosHE/PDBN 81s COF
AF 42037038 1745Suspected Veh PosHE/PDBN 81s COF
C. Tasks
2d Platoon: You areSE1. O/O SeizeCo Obj AIOT protect the left Flank of the Team’s ME. O/O Seize buildings 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11 on BN Obj 2 IOT allow the unhindered movement of follow on forces to the west. Attach a Javelin squad, a machinegun squad, and a SMAW squad to your platoon effective immediately.
3d Platoon: You are SE2. O/O Seize the bridge and buildings 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 on BN Obj 2 IOT allow the unhindered movement of follow on forces to the west. Attach a machinegun squad to your platoon effective immediately.
1st Platoon, Co A, Tank Bn: You are the ME. From the SBF Pos IVO 720171 Attack by fire the enemy platoon (reduced) IOT allow the ME to close with and destroy the platoon (reduced).
Det, 2d Plt (reduced), Co A, 2d AA Bn: Attach one section to 2d Plt, Attach one section to 3d Plt, and Attach one section to the Headquarters platoon effective immediately. (???Should each section be in DS of each platoon or should we leave them attached???)
Weapons Platoon: Establish a mortar firing position IVO 738 167 with an AOF(azimuth of fire) of 5000 mils. POF to 2d, Tank, 3dAttach 1 MG Squad to 2d and 3d platoons effective immediately. Attach 2 SMAW Teams to 2d and 3d platoons each effective immediately.
D. Coordinating Instructions
1) TOA: 0700
2) LOA: 704 E on Rt 50
IV. Administration and Logistics
B. Logistics
1) Supply
All Infantry Platoons have the following gear:
5 AT-4s
4 PRC-119s
3 WSCs
3 GSCs
3 RSCs
6 WSMKs
2 YSMKs
V. Command and Signal – Platoon level Signal Plan will be developed isolated from the Company Signal Plan with the given pyrotechniques.
Callsigns
Charlie COColdsteel 6
Charlie XOColdsteel 5
Charlie Wpns PltColdsteel 4
Charlie 2d PltColdsteel 2
Charlie 3d PltColdsteel 3
Det, 2d Plt, Co A, 2d AA BnGator
1st Plt, Co A, 2d Tank BnStretcher
M88A2Big Brother
Student Requirements - Student Deliverables. The students will arrive to the TDG with an estimate of the situation (METT-T), a partial platoon-level operation order (EMPCOA, Execution Paragraph, and Signal plan), and a graphic (TDG Map). The student will turn in his METT-T, partial operation order, and graphic (with scenario FragO/communications to adjacents on back and scenario graphics updated).
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