Jonas Merhoff - Skilled Commander

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

You are not new, you know the drill. Post as soon as you have read this so I can start the clock, you have four days to complete this section of the certification. Being that it is a T2 CO cert there will be multiple sections to this test.

Parameters:
- Mission execution time is your decision
- It's winter but snow has not fallen...yet

Here is your map:

img33.imageshack.us/img33/4119/breakinorbreakout.png

Your orders are:

- Recon the location using only ground assets
- Overthrow enemy position and secure prisoners
- Retrieve any Friendly P.O.W.s if located
- Retrieve/Destroy enemy intelligence

Your options are as follows:

You have 6 slots to fill for troop choices for this mission.

Infantry Squad - 1 slot
Sniper team - 1 slot
Engineer team - 1 slot
Mechanized squad - 2 slots (truck)
Anti-Armor squad - 2 slots
Armor - 3 slots (tank)

The only knowledge able to be gathered for this mission is as follows:

- Experienced Enemy forces
- Enemy forces know the location, have been stationed there for an extended period of time
- Well supplied
- Well armed
- Towers have search lights
- Rumors of enemy snipers in the forest
- All fences are 12 feet high with razor wire
- Buildings with grey walls are concrete in design

For this section, please list what troop choices you have made for this mission and how long you will recon the area and at what time during the day will your recon begin.

-JT

[Jonas Merhoff]

Start the clock I s'pose. Just upstairs for a few minutes, gonna head back downstairs.

But yeah, I'll get something up within 4 days.

[Jonas Merhoff]

A few questions:

- The five brown squares surrounded in gray are guard towers, but is there a sixth within the actual POW area of the camp? The gray square surrounded in a gray wall?

- Are my orders actually to capture the entire camp? Or am I allowed to make it a more stealthy snatch and run with the POWs and intel?

- Both the engie and sniper teams come with two men, correct? Sniper team with the sniper and spotter and engie with just 2 engies?

Yeah, kind of simple. But I just want to be certain, to be on the safer side during this test.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Dec 25, 2009 8:10:24 GMT Jonas Merhoff said:

- The five brown squares surrounded in gray are guard towers, but is there a sixth within the actual POW area of the camp? The gray square surrounded in a gray wall?

No Answer

Dec 25, 2009 8:10:24 GMT Jonas Merhoff said:

- Are my orders actually to capture the entire camp? Or am I allowed to make it a more stealthy snatch and run with the POWs and intel?

Overthrow is the word I used...can't really overthrow something if they never knew you were there now can you?

Dec 25, 2009 8:10:24 GMT Jonas Merhoff said:

- Both the engie and sniper teams come with two men, correct? Sniper team with the sniper and spotter and engie with just 2 engies?

My apologies for the bad choice of wording, and yes, that is correct.


-JT

[Jonas Merhoff]

Alright, here goes! I suppose I'm going a bit above what you asked, but I assumed your next post would include details on what my recon has gathered. So, I decided that providing enough information on the recon as possible, would strengthen the information I gathered. If not, oh well.

Troop Choice:

- Sniper team (1 slot)

(I chose the sniper team mainly for the purpose of recon before the mission, as well as performing a counter-sniper role during the mission and being able to take out guard-towers if needed.)

- Engineer team (1 slot)

(The engineer team was chosen for recon as well, also being able to take down some of the camp's fortifications and possibly take out vehicles and towers if armed with the right equipment.)

- Anti-armor squad ( 2 slots)

( I chose an anti-armor squad over armor as it took up less spots, but is also capable at taking out towers, buildings, and vehicles.)

- 2 infantry squads (2 slots)

(With an objective of capturing and holding the camp, I need a good bulk of men to accomplish this task and provide me with enough men to actually hold the camp.)

Recon:

SALUTE Report
Size, Area, Location, Unit, Time, Equipment

Size: Determine the size of the unit defending the camp as well as the highest focus of troops to form an idea of the best place to attack from.

Area: Learn the terrain, weather conditions, and set-up of the camp again in order to determine the best and safest route through the camp.

Location: My location, the enemy location, and friendly location. I know where I am, but where should I attack from? We need to learn the enemy location to plan our attack as well. And finally we need the location of our allies, both within and around the camp. What is the best way to free the POWs and what friendly troops in the area could support us afterward?

Unit: Identifying the enemy unit. Is there any visible identifiers? What unit are we facing and how much experience do they have? Who are their officers and can they be taken out? Having this information can help with planning of the attack.

Time: The time enemy soldiers were spotted and where. With this information, we may be able to determine the route and timing of enemy patrols and direction of guard towers watch. Could be helpful in deciding the best time to assault the camp.

Equipment: What equipment is the enemy carrying? Weapons, heavy weapons, transportation, markings on vehicles, communication, gear, etc.

The reconnaissance would take place for well over 24 hours, with the sniper team and engineer performing the recon. Putting my infantry that close to the camp could end up disastrous, especially if spotted. The sniper team is the trained reconnaissance unit under my command, with the engineers being able to perform recon as well.

The sniper and engineer teams would approach from western trees making sure avoid contact with the road, where enemy troops may be. This would occur in the middle of the night, around twelve or one AM. Positioning themselves in the cover of darkness would allow them to get near the camp safely without being spotted. The sniper team would make sure the position is effectively camouflaged. At this point, the recon teams would rest until dawn with one man keeping watch every thirty minutes. At dawn, the two teams would monitor the camp's activity throughout 24 hours to determine the location, time, and movement of enemy troops within allowing them to gather a detailed SALUTE report for me.

The purpose of the sniper team for recon is obvious. With a spotter and scope, the team could scout out much of the camp and would obviously be experienced with reconnaissance. The task of the snipers:

1.) Scout the guard towers. Which buildings are the guardtowers, what weapons are in them, how many men are in them, which way they face, etc. Find out as much as possible.

2.) Watch the barbed fences and woods inside the camp. What is the size and route of any enemy patrols? At what time do these take place? How many men are in the woods at any given time? Are there snipers in the woods?

3.) The buildings within. Determine around how many men are stationed in each building along with their task. The two buildings to the south could provide cover from guard towers if making a stealthy break into the camp. How many men are garrisoned there? Which buildings have guards and which have POWs?

4.) Terrain and weather. What is the terrain within the camp's area? What effect does it have on the defenders?

The task of the engineers:

1.) Evaluate the camps defenses. Gather more information on the guard towers, fences, and buildings.

2.) Information on any obstacles in the camp terrain-wise or man-made.

3.) Determine the best way to diminish the camp's defenses. This would include how to get into the camp, how to take out it's defenses, and also how to defend the camp once taken.

This four-man recon team would then pull out towards the west under the cover of nightfall again and provide the report to me. From there, I can begin planning an attack.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

What you have discovered:

1 - Enemy forces are operating in 6 hour rotating shifts.

2 - One enemy sniper team confirmed to be in the area (Red Circle) another team presumed to be in the are as well Yellow Circle.

3 - 25 enemy soldiers confirmed (Red dots) an additional 6 enemy soldiers may be located here as well (Yellow dots) recon teams were unable to confirm if these troops had been previously accounted for in their numbers.

4 - 11 confirmed P.O.Ws able to move under their own power (Blue dots) 3 unconfirmed (Purple dots) the larger building inside the fenced in area seems to be a make shift infirmary, but this could be incorrect. There are 6 confirmed P.O.W.s inside unable to move under their own power and 2 unconfirmed, again unable to move under their own power.

5 - There are 6 enemy towers at this location, only one is inside the interior of the compound.

6 - The large concrete structure outside of the P.O.W. area is a small barracks that is housing at least 8 confirmed enemy troops and at least 4 unconfirmed. (these numbers were included in the above totals)

7 - How this facility gets it's supplies is unknown but given the restlessness of the enemy soldiers, the food supplies are getting low and are being rationed very strictly.

8 - The buildings in the wooded area to the south of the facility seem very over decorated for just some home, but no one has been seen entering or exiting the structures.

9 - The recon teams (both of the ones you tasked to the job) believe there are enemy K-9s in the area, your sniper team found semi fresh droppings and both teams reported faint barking, neither team was able to locate a single K-9 or kennel though.

img706.imageshack.us/img706/1399/breakinorbreakout2.png

Section Two:

All information to be gathered has been completed, given the troops you have been allocated for this mission describe in DETAIL how you would go about completing your objectives, please feel free to use maps if you feel the need to do so.

You have ten(10) days to complete this section.

[Jonas Merhoff]

First off, the best and most essential step will be to train my men for a night assault on the camp. Provided with this recon and any maps of the camp, we would conduct makeshift practice raids given the timeframe we have to assault the camp and whatever materials we have. If we can not achieve this, well we will do the best we can to prepare every one of my men for this mission.

So, we will move in during the night near one of the ends of the 6 hour rotating shifts to take advantage of the restlessness of the guards especially in the middle of the night. And I say ends, because I would want to strike perhaps an hour before a shift ends. Otherwise, you are now assaulting a bunch of fresh, rested guards.

Phase 1

I have split my men into groups and labeled them with different colors. Now each dot does not represent each men, it just represents around the center point of the unit. So a squad would be around a dot in the best cover possible.

Red: Sniper team
Yellow: Engineer team
Gray: AT squad
Black: Rifle squad
Orange: MG squad

I separated both of my squads into my rifle section and my MG section, assuming that every squad usually comes with 8+ men with rifles and/or SMGs and an MG team. I don't think I would be leading a squad of 6 men with rifles. Not very wise. Of course, if we're going on the shop standards the orange and black would simply be 3 man fireteams. The second squad is positioned off the map to the east during this phase. As well as the AT Squad and Engineer team.

All the units approach, prone and stealthy and take cover in their respective spots around the camp. A chunk of the men wait off to the east, to avoid being spotted by the eastern guard tower. The sniper team, trained for such an ordeal, moves ahead and scouts out the red and yellow circles as the western squad moves in on the main gate.

Phase 2

The engineer team, AT squad, and second squad begin to crawl in from the east under the cover of darkness. As the AT squad gets into position, at a set time the squad in the southwest attacks the main gate. The MG team opens up along the main gate to suppress as the rifle team quickly moves to flank and secure the gate after MG fire has softened it up.

As this attack starts, the AT squad moves back away from any trees and aims their panzershreck for guard tower. The AT squad fires and takes out the tower, while the second squad and engineer team move to the sniper's position.

With the sniper team having picked anyone off in the yellow circle, they now focus their attention on the red circle and provide cover as the engineer team crawls towards the fence and cuts a hole with their supplies. The eastern squad quickly follows them in ( the MG team hasn't split off yet) with the MG team up front so they can quickly get down and lay down fire if they encounter any enemies.

Phase 3

Having broken through the fence, the men quickly secure the sniper position. Then they move on the "empty" building cautiously, the MG team hanging back to support if needed. The AT squad joins them now as well (rifle, engie, AT) as they make their way into the building and clear it looking for any enemy intel.

With the sniper areas cleared, the sniper team moves in and scouts out the northern sections of the camp.

In the southwest, with the rifle team securing the gate they cover the MG teams advance to the gate. When both teams link up, the squad advances cautiously into the woods taking their time as their comrades secure the buildings to the east.

Phase 4

Now that we've successfully entered the camp, we will slowly ease our way in seeing as the guards are on alert. We moved in at night to catch the camp off guard, but now we must be alert and careful ourselves.

In the southeast, the rifle team supports the MG teams move into the building. Likewise, the MG team then supports the rifle and engineer teams as they advance on the second northern, skinnier building and clear it out. As this happens, the sniper team slowly moves up and scouts out the northeastern guard tower.

The second squad to the west is slowly advancing further through the woods, now joined by the AT squad as well. They prepare to attack the second guard tower.

Phase 5

The sniper team moves into position and begins to pick off the guards in the northeast tower as well as keeping a tab on any movement in the central camp, a bit of intel for our second big push.

The rifle team in the east supports its MG team up to their building and then everyone begins to lay down fire on the second guard tower near the gate.

In the west, the other MG team sets up and opens fire on the tower as well while their rifle team moves north under the cover of the trees and begins to lay down fire on the infantry near the gate and to the west of the camp.

With this cover, the AT squad again slowly works their way into position by crawling through cover and then positioning themselves away from any trees or other obstacles that could be dangerous to fire near. Again, they prepare their shot while attempting not to expose themselves and take out the guard tower.

Phase 6

The western rifle team continues to lay down fire on the second gate as their MG team and the AT squad advance to new positions near the central camp.

In the east, the rifle and engineer teams cover their MG team as it positions itself in cover near the southern fence. Then, they move into cover near the MG as well. Once the eastern sniper team clears out the northeast, they make their long trek over to the west.

The two MG teams that have moved to the southern fence now open fire into the camp, especially at the outer fencing where the guards are stationed. I have included their field of fire (any unit that has two red lines spaced out means their field of fire). They do not fire far towards the buildings, aware the POWs are there. Instead, they aim for any guards that moved near the fence.

Phase 7

With two MG teams placing some heavy covering fire to the south, the engineer team sneaks in through the gap through their fields of fire. Again, they crawl in the cover of darkness. Reaching the fence, they slowly work their way through it after they are assured all the Allied soldiers in the area have been killed.

The sniper team arrives in the west and slowly crawls into place near the road. Again, they scout out the area to the west before opening fire on the western tower. The rifle team continues to suppress anything west/near the gate. As all this madness and confusion is happening, the AT squad slowly crawls up north around the destroyed guard tower (making sure to move around any wreckage) and get nice and close to the guard tower within the central camp. As they have previously executed they, knock the tower out.

Phase 8

The rifle team moves up slowly through the MG gap to the engineer team. Once they breach the fences they cover one anothers move to the POW buildings. The MG teams then switch their positions. Now, one covers the western flank of the troops in the POW camp leaving them the responsibility of covering their eastern flank. The second MG team moves towards the west and opens fire into the barracks area of the camp.

The sniper team continues to suppress the western most guard tower as the rifle team assaults the gate. With the rifle team clearing the gate, the AT squad slowly crawls for the road (hiding for a while in case they were previously spotted) and fires on the western guard tower. The sniper team then moves up to the gate with the western squads cover and finish off anyone in the western tower if needed.

Phase 9

With an MG covering the west side of the POW camp, the rifle and engineer team within clear out each POW building one by one and gather anyone who can assist them and/or assist any wounded POWs. They move against the west of the buildings to take cover from the remaining guard tower. The engineer team takes up its final position in the infirmary with the rifle team in the western most building. Both provide covering fire on the west of the camp to allow the MG team to move up and support them.

To the east, the second MG team shifts its fire to focus purely on any of the remaining soldiers in the barracks area. The rifle team moves up and takes cover along the fence, with the AT squad hanging back in cover for the time being. The sniper team moves along the western edge of the camp to take a position against the remaining guard tower.

Phase 10

For most of this phase, the sniper team opens up on the northern tower to allow a pincer move on the remaining guards in the barracks area where I expect the heaviest resistance. I would hope most of this raid would move swiftly and that the guards most likely asleep in the barracks would not have time to move very far from this area. Or that they were at least pinned by the MG teams that advanced quickly. The three teams in the POW area suppress from the same positions, as well as the second MG team positioned at the south of the barracks area.

With this cover, the rifle team and AT squad move up supporting each other. The rifle team settles down and opens fire on the barracks building, while the AT squad moves up to the opening and knocks the barracks out. Of course, the AT squad only destroys the barracks if their attack only encountered light resistance on the way meaning that the barracks would still be a heavy source of resistance. From here, it would be a matter of mopping up any stragglers and securing the camp.

This plan starts off slow and steady and then heats up with an opening attack meant to stun the enemy. From there, the men of course move in cautiously again unaware of some of the camps interior. Any intel is searched for (especially in the decorated houses in the south), the POWs are secured, and the camp is fully secured achieving my objectives.

Back Up Plans

If at any point the battle turns into an unachievable win, all elements pull out under the cover of the sniper and MG teams. Certain scenarios are also planned for situations that would only cause some light casualties to the men. If any snipers or dogs are encountered, the missions is carried out as planned once the threat is eliminated.

A fall back location is also set, where the survivors can regroup to either attack again, be refitted, or call of the mission altogether.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Alrighty, here we go.

First and foremost, all NPC units used in this cert were based off of the IO shop, I should have specified I guess. Also I did not provide you with an MG option...so your entire plan is based off of the three man fire teams you specified.

What you did right:

- Knocking out the towers as you came to them. They are a vantage point and were equipped with search lights, this is a deal breaker in a night time assault.

- Taking to time to make sure that enemy sniper teams were neutralized as soon as possible. Quite possibly the only unit that could have messed up your plans at any moment.

- Keeping an eye out for enemy K-9 unit's (although a longer recon period would have revealed that the enemy did not have any K-9's at this location.)

- Trying to move quickly and at night to catch the enemy off guard.

- Planning your attack near the end of the rotating shifts, very good choice.

- No hard moves, by this I mean you kept each unit close to at least one other (except the sniper team, but they are trained for hard moves) keeping cover on enemy forces to provide the best chances for little to no Allied casualties.

- Searching the decorative building for intel, this is most likely the commander's quarters given the security near it and the lavish accommodations, any intel worth taking back would have indeed been located here.

What you could have improved on:

- You never had a deadline to execute this mission, you should have used this to your advantage and extended your recon time...quite possibly for a couple of weeks. This would have allowed you a very solid list of numbers for enemy troops and P.O.W.s not to mention when supplies would have arrived, how often the sniper teams relocate, what the decorative buildings were for, if there was any illness spreading amoungst the P.O.W.s...so on and so forth.

- You attempted to take out everything in one swoop, coming in from the northwest would have allowed a swift attack where the enemy forces that are not on high alert are most concentrated (the barracks, farthest interior guards) allowing your men to inflict the most casualties in a short amount of time, not to mention if the enemy had comms, they would most likely be in the barracks. This also would have allowed you to set up a defensive position in the northern area of the camp therefore giving you the advantage of position since the enemy has the advantage of numbers, not to mention the engineers could have used mines to aid your forces until you were ready to leave.

- You already had only a small amount of men, splitting them wasn't the best option, but keeping them close and covering one another avoided to many marks against you here.

- Your exit plan? You have at least 6 P.O.W.s that need to be carried out, that is an entire rifle squad down to make this happen, not to mention 11 P.O.W.s that are most likely malnourished, moving on foot will prove slow and probably costly, having a truck ready to come in would not have hurt you to badly on men and allowed a quick excape...taking a tank, well that could have easily been used part of the way into the attack to avoid early detection not to mention the ability to take out towers/buildings/fences and also allowed you the ability to leave quicker as the weakest P.O.W.s could have easily hitched a ride atop the tank.



All in all I think you had a decent plan and executed it as best that could have been...you just might not have put too much thought into actually getting out of there. I think a different approach could have got you to the heart of a sleeping enemy faster inflicting more casualties with the least amount of loss, also enabling you to use ENGs and Snipers to their full potential.

Only because the way you executed your plan was very VERY well am I going to pass you...by the skin of your teeth, (Seriously, if you had misspelled a few words I would have failed you, it's that close) your plan wasn't the best in my eyes, and leaving is usually pretty important, not saying you couldn't have left mind you, but I doubt it would have been an easy task.



-Edward Scott McMillan
3rd SS Totenkopf