LF CARAT. A USMC excercise in Asembazans, Indonesia -similar to what this scenario depicts. Photo by Sgt. John S. Vanucci. See http//www.usmc.mil/marinekink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2000102205814 for more photos. It is just before dawn. Task Force ROBERTS is near the coast, moving in with only the minimum light necessary for the troops to deploy. Just five miles away can be seen the lights of TOPMOM, the capital of MOMZONIKA. There is a crisis in MOMZONIKA. A coup took place forty-eight hours ago, toppling MOMZONIKA’s government. The rebels are moving on the capital, intent on taking it. MOMZONIKA’s army has joined them. The capital is in turmoil with rebels in the streets. The U.S. Embassy has over 150 civilians in it, mostly US citizens or European refuges, guarded by one platoon of U.S. Marines. Moving towards the city is an estimated five battalions of rebel and regular troops and they are expected to arrive near dawn. There is only one U.S. force able to answer the call - Task Force ROBERTS, USMC MEU (SOC) 26. The Marines go in at dawn. This game represents a police action, an incident, one day on the front page. One side is a USMC battalion sized Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC), the other rebel forces of a small country intent on kicking out the foreigners and taking control of the country by force. US Marines MISSION: 1. Secure the Embassy. Evacuate all Civilian stands to the fleet. 2. Secure the Airport. The airport is secure if occupied by a USMC unit and no opposing troops are close enough to fire on it with direct fire weapons. 3. Secure the Harbor. The harbor is secure if no opposing troops occupy any of the city squares next to the water. FRIENDLY FORCES: The city square with the star in it has the US Embassy. There are 5 civilian stands in that square and one Marine Infantry stand (1990 Inf). The Marine stand is a Veteran “dropped off” stand in -2 cover (well built embassy). Civilian stands count for victory purposes only. They are also in -2 cover. If “killed” in close assault they are captured. ENEMY FORCES: There is a Green company of 3 1950 Infantry stands in the city. They may be in any city square except the embassy city square at the start of the action. AT START: TF ROBERTS is off shore. The Marine battalion may be deployed by helicopter, landing craft, or Armored Tracked Landing vehicle. Capacity is given in MEU TOE and vehicle charts. USMC goes in at dawn (turn 1). Air Support: The Harrier and Attack Helicopter units are deployed as per the rules. If undamaged they may rearm and return after 1-2 turns (roll a D6 on the turn AFTER the helicopter/Harrier leaves the table - on a 1-3 you may start rolling for missions after 2 turns, 4-5 after 1 turn; 6- roll again next turn. Indicate armament.) Artillery Support: The dedicated 155mm battery in the MEU must be on shore to fire. TF ROBERTS has two Frigates and one Cruiser as escort. This provides four 125mm FH Batteries in support. FO per rules. There is a naval FO stand in the MEU TOE. Order of Battle The USMC MEU (SOC) organization, in MSH terms, is: BN HQ: 2/3 Veteran 1/3 Regular 1x BN HQ Std BN SUPPORT UNITS: Recon PLT: 1xInf Std (note: this may be mounted in a FAV stand or deployed by “boat”) Engr PLT: 1xCombat Engineer Std FO PLT: 1xFO Std (Navy) AA: 1xStinger AA Std Seal Plt 1xSEAL Inf Stand (Veteran) 3x RIFLE COY each: 3x Inf Std 1x HVY WEAPONS COY Mortar PLT: 1x81mm Mortar Std, 1xHummer ATGM PLT: 2xHummer TOW AGL PLT: 1xHummer Recon HMG PLT: 1xHummer Recon BATTALION HEAVY SUPPORT UNITS: Tank Plt: 1xM1A1 Tank Recon PLT: 1xLAV-25 (this is not the same unit as the BN support RECON Plt) Landing PLT: 3xAAV/LVTP-7 Arty Battery: 1x155mm FH w/1x5-ton Truck Air Support: 2xAV-8B Harrier Air Support: 2xAH-1 Super Cobra BATTALION LANDING ASSETS 4 CH-46E Helicopters Carry a company of Marines 2 CH-53 S/Stallion These can carry the 155mm FH battery AND the truck (1 per load) 1 UH-1N Huey Often used to carry the USN FO team 1 LCU Carry a company of Marines 1 LCM Carries the tanks or LAV-25 or 2xtruck 1 LCAC Carries the tanks or the LAV- 25 or 2xtruck 1 “Boat” This represents several powered rubber boats used for sneaking in, usually by the Recon PLT FO is Navy FO Plt or UH-1N Added aircraft and vehicles: WPN NAME SIZE DEFENSES DEF DEFENSES CED DEFENSES HD DIRECT FIRE AT DIRECT FIRE AI AA ATGW FP NV NBC WT MOVE FAV Mxd 2 2 0 1-9” 4-9” HS-9” 3-3” B IR P 1 20” CH-46 3 carries 1xInf Plt NOTES RULE MODIFICATIONS for a MEU A MEU consists of a single battalion with attachments (a LOT OF ATTACHMENTS). This follows the standard rules in MSH in Section 2. A USMC is a NATO 1 unit - 2/3 Veterans 1/3 Regulars. There is only one change that has to be made, and this is due to the unique deployment of the companies in a MEU. The MEU has the capacity to land a company by amphibious tracked landing craft, a company by helicopter, a company by landing craft as well as bring in the support units, mostly all at once. MARINE MEU 1. A USMC MEU may flank march with a Company by carrying it in the AAV7 or CH-46 helicopters. Attachments may move with this company - for example the LAV-25 Recon Platoon and M1A1 Tank Platoon with the AAV7 mounted USMC Rifle Company, or the 155mm FH and truck can be landed by the SH-53 helicopters with the USMC Rifle Company coming in by CH-46. 2. A USMC MEU command zone is 24”. RECON units use the 36” command zone distance. 3. A USMC MEU may use more than one kind of transport to move its units ashore and once on shore may use the attached transport to move companies. Transport must move a company at a time. 4. The “standard” naval gun support may be augmented by the scenario. U.S. Seals These guys tend to really get in your way. The USMC player, for any ONE successful order change by his opponent during a game, may change that successful order change to an unsuccessful one by rolling on a D6, representing the SEALS getting in and messing up its opposition. Change for success: If NATO 1 or WARPAC 1 chance is 4+. If NATO 2 or WARPAC 2 chance is 3+. If Third World, chance is 2+. MOMZONIKA Rebels Victory can be ours. The President has fled the country. The Army has come over to support us and is even now moving with our forces on the capital of TOPMOM with the only airport and the main seaport in the country. Our forces should be in TOPMOM and in full control of the airport and harbor before noon today. We are just hours away. We will also crush the defenders at the embassy which is held by only a handful of soldiers. Even now, victorious rebel troops hold all of the city outside the embassy grounds. MISSION 1. Seize the airport and hold it. 2. Seize the embassy and take all occupants hostage. 3. Take the harbor area and cover the harbor with guns. AT START: All units are off table. Prior to the game starting you will roll a die for each battalion. The die roll will determine the road that battalion will arrive on (table edge entrance). If a six (6) is rolled, roll again and subtract 1 from your die roll to arrive. Repeat (and take another 1 off the arrival die roll) if a “6” is rolled again. Write orders for all units. All units must have a pre-determined road entrance. On your move on turn one roll a D6 for each battalion. On a roll of 4+ the battalion will arrive this turn (don’t forget the possible -1 to your roll). If you fail, you may roll again next turn. UNITS REBEL HQ: 1xHQ (REGT) Stand 1xTruck REGULAR ARMY TANK BATTALION (Regular troops) BN HQ: 1xT54/55 tank 3xCoy each 2xT54/55 tanks REGULAR ARMY MECH INFANTRY BATTALION (Regular troops) BN HQ: 1xBTR-60PU, 1xBN HQ Std; 1xBTR-60P, 1xSPG-9 Std 3xCoy each 2xBTR-60PK Combat Teams 1xTruck, 1x120mm Mortar Stand 3xD-30 122mm Gun/howitzer Stands 3xTrucks MILITIA BATTALION A (Green troops) 1xBN HQ Stand, 1xJeep 3xCoy each 3xInf Stand (1950), 3xTrucks 2xMortar Stands, 2xTrucks 1x57mm Soviet ATG Stand, 1xTruck MILITIA BATTALION B (Green troops) 1xBN HQ Stand, 1xJeep 3xCoy each 3xInf Stand (1950), 3xTrucks 2xMortar Stands, 2xTrucks 1x57mm Soviet ATG Stand, 1xTruck The 1950 Infantry Stands (Green) are in the capital of TOPMOM and are to be placed by you prior to the start of the game. They may set-up in any city square EXCEPT the one with the embassy in it. VICTORY CONDITIONS Both sides have three victory conditions. Victory condition 1 is worth 5 points, 2 is worth 3 points, 3 is worth 2 points. Each stand of civilians is worth 1 point. The maximum number of turns is 28 turns. This represents 7AM to 9 PM or a 14 hour day. At the end of the day either the Momzonika troops will withdraw under the cover of darkness, or the Marines will pull out IF they have less points than their opponents. * USMC Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2/6 Marines 26th MEU (SOC) 1996, Source: Marines by Tom Clancy Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #80 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com