Decision Making Exercise 05: The Hills Have Teeth
"Though thine enemy seem like a mouse, watch him like a lion." -Italian proverb
Editor’s Note: This is an installment in our Decision Making Exercise (DMX) Series. We publish a DMX at the beginning of every month. Solutions should be sent to cxfile0302@gmail.com NLT 28 June for a chance at publication.
Situation Update
Be advised, this scenario is a continuation of DMX 04: The Hills Have Eyes
You are the Platoon Commander, 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines
“Holy crap this is actually going well” you think to yourself as you hustle through the breach on the flank of Hill 78.
You check your watch. 2125. About twenty five minutes ago, you initiated the attack on the enemy mechanized section on Hill 78. The task organization and scheme of maneuver from your order sounded something like this:
“3rd Squad has the machineguns in direct support plus the MAAWs and two AT4s. 2nd Squad has the engineers in direct support. Both shotguns are with 3rd. After a quick leaders recon with 3rd, I’m moving with 1st. Staff Sergeant moves with 3rd.”
"This will be a flank attack with a 2 squad action left, a 1 squad support by fire. Direction of attack- Support by fire from South to North, maneuver will attack West to East. This is our squad release point. At 2100, 1st and 2nd will move together to the assault position, 3rd squad will move independently. 3rd Squad will establish a SBF from Hill 60 on to Hill 78 by stealth. 1B (staff sergeant) calls for fire on the enemy position on Hill 78. Upon effective IDF suppression, volley fire AT4 shots destroy the ZBD and allow machineguns to go hot on Hill 78. MAAWs bats cleanup on the ZBD and bunkers. Upon effective suppression, 2nd Squad breaches the wire and 1st Squad clears Hill 78 from West to East. Hasty defense goes on Hill 78 per SOP and will be oriented Northeast."
You give the coordinating instruction that:
“We must destroy the ZBD before unmasking any other direct fire besides rockets. Rocketeers: I'm looking at you. I'm also looking at my grenadiers. Everyone else on that SBF is in support of those rockets until that ZBD is dead!”
After your rapid verbal order, the platoon stepped off from the Objective Rally Point. 3d Squad with you, your platoon sergeant and the machine guns approached Hill 60 through the dense brush as 1st Squad, 2nd Squad, and the engineers began moving towards the Assault Position. As 3rd hunted up Hill 60, wary for that LP/OP, your Skyraider UAS could be heard zipping towards the enemy on Hill 78 from RTE BILLS. This was a last-minute idea from one of your enterprising intel Marines:
“Sir it’ll give us a confirmation of the enemy on Hill 78. Plus, if they are so worried about RTE BILLS, it’ll get them looking that way while we hit them from the opposite flank! And if the bad guys are looking up for our UAS, they’ll be paying less attention to what we’re doing on Hill 60. It’ll be momentary distraction, but it may help.”
Sure enough, one of the LP/OP soldiers couldn’t resist breaking hide to stand up and point towards the UAS while hissing excitedly to his buddy.
Capitalizing on this lapse in discipline, the scout fireteam from 3d squad dropped them both with controlled pairs from suppressed M27s.
Things started moving really fast from there.
You crested Hill 60 with 1B just enough to confirm the ZBD was still there. You could see figures moving hurriedly around on Hill 78 as you nodded towards your Platoon Sergeant. He nodded back and keyed the radio handset to initiate the fire mission.
As you and your radio operator scrambled down the hill and linked up with the maneuver element, you could hear the first 60mm rounds impacting Hill 78. The impacts built into a sustained barrage as you and your Marines reached the assault position.
Suddenly, the salvo was punctuated by a series of loud blasts: two right on top of each other and two more following behind.
“1A, 1B: ZBD destroyed. One AT4 dumped short, second one hit but was a mobility kill. MAAWs finished him off. Machineguns going hot”
On the “T” of “Hot” you heard the SBF roar to life. Through gaps in the brush you watched tracers smash into Hill 78 while a pitiful amount of return fire arced towards Hill 60.
As 2nd moved to prep the breach with the engineers, you called for 60s to cut.
Your engineers executed a flawless mechanical breach on the obstacle belt, saving the bangalores. With the 60s cut, pairs of enemy seemed to be catching on to the flank attack. 2nd methodically picked off these soldiers as they stumbled towards hastily dug supplementary positions.
As soon as the engineers passed “Breach Open” you and 1st Squad were powering through it.
Fast forward to now.
You and 1st Squad are clearing the fighting positions on Hill 78. Flashes of grenades and bursts of assault fires explode to your left and right. As you crouch near a blown-up fighting position with your RO you joke that you wish your last 410A run during MCCRE would have gone this well! “Damn coyotes!” your RO laughs nervously.
As you pick up the handset to call over to 1B, a staccato “RUP RUP RUP RUP” echoes across the hill, followed by blasts of sparks exploding across the face of Hill 60.
Before you can key the handset, the radio screams to life-
“1A, 1B: Reinforcements coming from the North! 2x ZBDs in hull defilade on Hill 78! They’ve got dismounts! At least a Squad! Skyraider picked them up and it just went off-line!”
“We’re taking accurate cannon fire! I’ve got one urgent, two pri-”
The radio cuts out as another burst of cannon rounds blasts into Hill 60 while the SBF position fires back defiantly.
You become aware of a high-pitched whine overhead.
You RO’s voice quavers: “Sir I think there’s a drone up there.”
You nod as you fight the urge to look up at the sky.
You check your watch. 2130.
What now lieutenant?