Skirmish Sangin SitRep: Patrol

Setup

The free scenario can be found on the Skirmish Sangin blog here: Patrol

I picked this scenario as our first due to the low model count. I swapped the 4 Royal Marines out for 4 US Marine Force Recon I already had painted. We put out the 5 least suspecting insurgent figures I had as the farmers. The board set up looked like this:

Using the top of the image as north, the patrol was to start at the poppy field in the (lower left) southwest corner. Compound 1 was directly to its north. Compound 2 was to the east. Compounds 3 and 4 were to the north and the Blackhawk represented the extraction point. The building to the northwest was were the farmers (and dicker) were congregating.

Aerial reconnaissance shows a quiet village. Perhaps too quiet.

Bravo Company is tasked with infiltrating the village from the southwest and inspect the four compounds (one not visible here). Farmers are in the area. ROE say the Marines cannot engage unless fired upon first.

SitRep

"Hitman, this is Hitman 2-1 Romeo. Over."

"Hitman 2-1, this is Hitman. Standing by to copy. Over."

"Hitman, we have a military aged male on a cell phone at the north edge of the village. Requesting permission to engage. Over."

"Hitman 2-1, this is Hitman Actual. Permission denied. You are only to engage if fired upon. Proceed with mission. Over."

"2-1 copy. Hitman 2-1 is Oscar Mike. Over."

The Marines move up to the first compound and inspect the premises. No Taliban presence here.

The Taliban dicker calls in the Marine position and two Novice Taliban are called to the area armed with AK47s. One rifleman from Hitman 2-1 breaks away from the team and heads toward the crowd of farmers wanting to confront the man with the cell phone.

The gunner and fire team leader head east toward compound 2. But arriving from the west are two insurgents who come in, guns blazing, forcing the forward rifleman prone as they pin him behind some rock formations.

The Marine grenadier runs to the edge of the compound wall looking to provide some covering fire. Gunner puts his SAW to good use - first putting a light wound on the dicker and then later forcing the nearest insurgent threat to retire to the farm building.

The fire team leader initially fails to spot the once retired insurgent, but eventually does and then calls in the .50 cal fire support, call name Assassin.

"Assassin, this is Hitman 2-1 Actual. How copy?"

"Hitman 2-1, this is Assassin. I got you loud and clear."

"Assassin, we have an armed insurgent that has taken refuge in the northwest compound. Request fire support on target. Over."

"Hitman 2-1, this is Assassin. We're waiting to be cleared hot. Stand-by. Over."

The bunkered down insurgent fires his AK through the window at the Marine grenadier who has run up to join the rifleman behind the rocks. "F*ck this sh!t". The veteran grenadier launches a Forty Mike-Mike at the building. The grenade is slightly off its mark and hits the southeast corner of the building. The blast takes out the unconscious Taliban rifleman and further injures the dicker, who is now unconscious.

Before he was knocked unconscious, the dicker had successfully made one more call for support. Arriving from the east was a suicide bomber. He was making a b-line for the Marine gunner who was readying to clear compound 2. A snap fire by the fire team leader dropped the insurgent, who fortunately was not armed with a dead man's switch.

"Hitman, this is Hitman 2-1 Actual. Compounds cleared. Over."

"Hitman 2-1, bring it home. Copy?"

"Solid copy, Hitman. 2-1 Actual, out."

All in a day's work.