Tactical Decision Game #97-1 Solution A
Tactical Decision Game Solution #97-1 A January 1997
Contact at the Seven Mounds
by Maj John F. Schmitt, USMCR
View a map of the solution
Squad Leader's Orders
To 3d Fire Team Leader: "Negative. Do not assault. Get your fire team back in cover of the stream bed and return fire at the sustained rate. You're the base of fire. When the lieutenant gets here tell him that I took the rest of the squad up to that mound on the right (pointing) and I'm looking for a way to flank the enemy position around the right side.
"Guns and 1st Fire Team: Follow me on the double. We're gonna get up on that mound where we can get better fields of fire."
Explanation
Using the cover of the terrain, I will lead the rest of the squad (minus 3d Fire Team) to join 2d Fire Team on the mound to my right front. From there I hope to get a better view of the situation. I expect to be able to employ the machineguns more effectively from the mound. Once I get there I will decide whether to continue to advance to try to find a route by that we can flank the enemy positions. I do not expect to launch an attack with only two fire teams, but as the point my job is to develop the situation to best advantage for the rest of the unit which follows. I do not want 3d Fire Team assaulting frontally across open terrain. A successful frontal attack would only cause the enemy to withdraw anyway, which is not what the company commander wants-particularly when this seems like the best opportunity we have had to destroy a sizable enemy force. Unless we can pin him down or box him in with supporting arms, the enemy may withdraw before we can flank him, but my estimate is that trying to develop a flanking attack is still the most promising option under the circumstances. I'm assuming I have no means to request supporting arms but that the platoon commander will.
For more detailed information on the structure
of Marine Corps units, Marine Corps equipment, and
symbols used in Tactical Decision Game sketches, see
Marine Corps Gazette, October 1994,
pp. 53-56 and the modification reported in the
January, 1995, edition on page 5.
