Stryker Rifle Platoon Hasty Attack, solo game

For full details of my Stryker Brigade Combat Team project can be found here, with details on 5Core Company Command.

I am starting up again, here is a short solo game I played this weekend.  One innovation is I created some sliding firing calculators printed with the basic 5 Core Company Command rules.  Here are some pictures, you can find them at the link above under Play Aids.  Feel free you copy them and modify to your heart's delight.  Click to enlarge, you will also notice I have also incorporated some of my own idiosyncratic rules changes. 

Now on to the game....

SITUATION:

2nd Stryker Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (BCT) has deployed to defend The Republic of Ruritania from aggression by Krasnovian backed separatists and Krasnovian regular forces.  The BCT's overall mission is to restore the territorial integrity of Ruritania and expel Krasnovian forces.

2nd Squadron has been tasked with advancing to contact and establishing blocking positions to delay the advance to Krasnovian Battalion Tactical Groups (BTG's) while the rest of the Brigade deploys.

E Troop is the lead element of the Squadron and squadron scouts have identified a platoon sized blocking position of Ruritanian Separatist Militia along Axis of Advance CUSTER.  

You are the platoon leader for 2nd platoon and have been ordered to perform a hasty attack to clear this force and allow the rest of the Squadron to move forward unimpeded.

The Troop commander has provided coverage of the NAI (Named Area of Interest) with the troop's Raven UAV's and identified the following enemy forces:

1 x AGS-30 team and 2 x infantry squads in tree line 

1 x Infantry Squad in treeline on other side of road.

Execution:(Click pictures to enlarge)

Here you can see the initial scheme of maneuver for the platoon.  3rd Squad and Weapons Squad with 2 x M-240 MG's would set up a position on the wooded hilltop to support by fire 1st and 2nd squads.  When the enemy position is suppressed, 1st and 2nd squads will use their mobility to out flank the position and destroy it by close assault.  At least that was the plan.

In the picture you can see the militia have moved to re-position their AGS-30 to cover the new threat.

3rd Squad and Weapons squad dismounted in order to provide suppressive fire, but accurate fire from the militia infantry squads prevent the weapons squad from setting up it's machine guns and a burst of machine gun fire renders 3rd squad combat ineffective (the squad leader, one fire team leader, and a SAW gunner were hit and required MEDIVAC.  The squad would not function effectively for the rest of the battle.

After this the platoon leader decides to leverage the mobility advantage of his Strykers and shift his maneuver element to the other flank, assault the isolated enemy infantry squad, and then roll up the enemy's right flank.

2nd Platoon begins to win fire superiority.  The Maneiver element on the left flank manages to scatter the isolated militia squad with accurate fire from the ICV's .50 cal's.  From the rest of the platoon, weapons squad manages to get it's two M240 Machine Guns into the fight and along with the other two ICV's suppress the enemy elements on the hill.

Intense fire from the hill eliminates another militia squad, while the rest of the enemy elements are forced to stay hunkered down due to the volume of fire they are receiving.  Meanwhile, the maneuver element roll to the rear of the enemy position, dismounts both rifle squads and eliminates or captures the remaining enemy personnel on the objective.

Afterwards, it is time ti call in a MEDIVAC for the wounded and send the EPW's to the rear for processing.  3rd Squad will need to be reorganized.  While 2nd platoon reforms, refuels, and rearms, the rest of 2nd Squadron passes through on the way to making contact with the Krasnovian BTG.

After Action Review (AAR)

What was the plan?

• Split the platoon into two sections, establish a base of fire on the hill to suppress the enemy on the objective, assault on the right (enemy's left) and roll them up.

What actually happened?

• Accurate enemy fire slowed the development of a base of fire, and even led to taking 3rd squad out of the fight.  This dislocated the scheme of maneuver.
• As a result, the platoon leader made good use of his superior mobility and communications system to change the axis of attack on the fly.

What do we want to improve?

• The entire platoon could have been engaged in providing suppression fire, with the maneuver element then breaking off once suppression had been achieved.

What should be sustained? 

• The platoon leader's initiative in changing the plan on the fly was crucial to the success of this operation along with leveraging the superior mobility of the platoon compared to the enemy.
• Use of Raven UAV system to reconnoiter the objective before the attack was able to confirm the lack of heavt ATGM's on the enemy's part, giving the platoon the freedom to maneuver mounted while in contact.

Now breaking out of character...

• What do you think about the platoon leader's initial plan and execution?
• What would you have done differently?
• What would the outcome have been if there had been ATGM's in the position?

Feel free to send me your comments.

We may get to find out soon and 2nd Squadron continues to move towards contact with the BTG proper, stay tuned.