RE: [Epic] marine chapters (was: Orks with LandRaiders)

From: MCLAUGHLIN, RICHARD A. CPT <MCLAUGHLINR_at_...>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 16:01:03 +0200

----------
From: J. Michael Looney[SMTP:mlooney_at_...]
Subject: Re: [Epic] marine chapters (was: Orks with LandRaiders)

Oki Purwanto wrote:
> I hope that did not come off too loud/obnoxious guys. But the fact
> that NATO actually figured out that "identifying and
taking out
> Warsaw Pact command tanks in the heat of the battle" is
one of their
> best tactics simply scares the hell out of me. Hence
the ramblings.
> Even though I am in Singapore, 1/3 the world away.

Looney without ranting:
Command elements act differently than line elements. If you are
allowed
to watch a group of troops for say 5-10 mins, which one is the leader
is
obvious. The better trained the army in question is, the harder this
becomes (target army, not the shooting army). MadMac, being a still
serving officer type, and as a former tanker may be able to answer
this
a bit better than I, a medically discharged Air Defense NCO, but as a
rule these are the "general targeting orders" (BTW, this is biased
toward Air Defense, which works under some odd rules.

MadMac's Abridged version of JML's ROE
0) Shoot priority targets.
1) Shoot command & control elements.
2) Shoot biggest threat (usually a tank).
3) Protect flanks.

I don't quite understand Oki's comments. You don't beleve its
possible?
Ok, with me. It is what we do. I don't know how to convince you.

Here you go, this "kind of" what it is like in a tank.

LT Stevens attemped to wipe the moon dust off of his goggles. He
could
not see the rear of "Blue" through the cloud of powder. He keyed his
intercom, "Rucal, can you see "Blue 3"."

"No sir", the driver reponded. "I just drive forward and figure as
long
as we don't hit nuttin we are good-to-go."

"Shit", Stevens muttered to himself. He looked at his watch. 0550,
he
might as well report to the CO a few minutes early.

"Cyclone 6, this is Red 1," the LT said into the handset.

"Red 1, this is Cyclone 6 wait over." The CO sounded agitated.

"All Cyclone elements this is Cyclone 6. Apache and Bandit made
contact.
Looks like we got us a shooting war. Red 1, action right and protect
that
flank, Bantit is getting hit hard."

Stevens acknowledged, and relayed the order to his Squad leaders.
 They
would not have heard the order because they were on the 1st Platoon
Net
and Cyclone 6 was on the Company net.

They had to wait, but not long. Rucal saw them first, "Sir I got
something. 2, no 3 tanks. No more. Holy shit there are 8."

TC: "Gunner, Sabot 2 tanks"
Gunner: "Idententified"
Loader: "Sabot up"
TC: "Left tank first, fire"
Gunner: "On the way"
TC: "Target! Gunner, Sabot right tank"
Loader: "Sabot up"
Driver: "Got BMP to our right, Sir"
TC: "Fire! Gunner you have the turrent I'm on the .50 Cal."
Gunner: "Target! Loader Heat BMP in the open."
TC: "Gunner, he has two antennas. He must be important. Lets
tag
         him twice."

Even in the heat of battle when you are looking through a 10X
magnification
reticule on 60 tons of gun, you know what you are shooting at.

Is that what you wanted Looney. I can't believe I'm doing this. I
am
against the target anyone rule.

Oki, If my answers frighten you; don't ask scary questions.

Remember everybody. This may be the most theorized confrontation in
history
that never happened. Warsaw pack outnumbered NATO 10 to 1 in tanks,
20 to
1 in Artillery, we were equal in the air. Who knows about the ocean.
 NATO had
the advantage on quality. During Desert Storm, "Soviet" observers
were
surprised as anyone when the T-72 105mm smooth bore Sabot round
bounced
off of the front slope of the M-1A1 Heavy. It would have been Orks vs
the Marines
and no one will ever know who would of won. The way it turned out. I
say we both
did.

MadMac
Received on Tue Sep 09 1997 - 14:01:03 UTC