Stars and Stripes Newsletter March 2011 issue by Andrew Van Der Plaats

D-Day June 6-12, 2011 March 2011 Edition

Volume 9

D-DAY COUTDOWN D-Day is less than 3 months away and the pace of preparations is already ramping up. For a lucky few there’ll even be a chance to take a flight on a vintage C-47, along with our favorite WWII veteran, Jake McNiece. Click the photo on the left for a glimpse of what’s in store if you’re one of those who signs up for “The Flight Into History With Jake”

Inside This Issue Page

2. Flight Into History

Page 12. Worst Case Scenario. Page 14. 2011 D-Day Camp Site Map

Submit articles about your units, along with suggestions to Stars and Stripes, C/O ADorsai@aol.com or call 407/563-3884

TOP– 1944 Jake (right) painting fellow paratrooper’s face

BOTTOM— 2010 Jake (right) painting re-enactors face

The Flight Into History with Jake McNiece. About a month ago we came up with the idea of arranging for Jake to take what could be his last flight aboard a WW II vintage C-47 and what better way to do this than by having him serve as a tour guide for a couple plane loads of Oklahoma D-Day Event players. Once the idea was born the biggest problem was locating a suitable aircraft to serve as the replacement for chalk 21, the C-47 Jake flew for the D-Day invasion. As luck would have it, a near perfect double of that plane is owned by a group which calls itself Airborne Demonstration Team, or ADT. If you’d like to join Jake for this historic ride back in time, give our office a call 407/563-3884

JUNE 6, 1944, Omaha Beach D-Day. Never forget, never forget Click on these photos in order to view scenes shot during past Oklahoma D-Day Omaha Beach landings, then ask yourself, do you have what it’ll take to take that beach? If so, join some of the best of the best as they fight their way up Omaha Beach, in memory of the soldiers you see here. Ride the boat, land at Omaha and secure a beachhead there. With help from the 238th Combat Engineers and the 5th Rangers breach the Atlantic Wall and storm uphill to take the two German held gun emplacements. Once you’ve done that, it’s on to your secondary objectives at Vierville, St. Laurent and Colleville. Remember, the Big Red 1 leads the way..

WORST CASE SCENARIO We’re bound to be outnumbered sometimes. That is unless the MILSIM scenario planners intentionally set the opposing forces at exactly an equal number of troops – and that almost never happens! The natural instinct under such conditions is to bunker-down tight and form the team into a small defensive perimeter. And who’s kidding whom? That makes perfect sense. After all, the defense is stronger than the offense, and we are told to use the defense as long as it takes to form into an effective offensive force. “I was too weak to defend, so I attacked.” – Gen. Robert E. Lee Here we’re presented with a paradoxical statement. While the defense is the logical conclusion to being significantly outnumbered on the battlefield, the defense is rarely used with positive effect. How can that be true, is MILSIM plagued with ineffective leadership? Not necessarily. The defense requires significant resources of time. Energy is spent developing and coordinating fortifications from which to repel the attack. In MILSIM, and indeed on actual battlefields, these resources and energy are scarce! A viable alternative to frantically working toward an effective defense is to mount an effective offense. There are numerous types of offensive tactics: deliberate attack, movement to contact, pursuit, and exploitation. Each offensive tactic is employed in different situations against specific targets.

Deliberate Attack The deliberate attack is employed for situations in which the enemy’s disposition in known. That is, the attacking force knows where the enemy is, what their strengths and capabilities are, and what obstacles lay in front of the enemy position. Remember that the defending enemy force must cover down its resources over the entire front of the terrain they wish to defend. Ironically, this means that the larger enemy force is vulnerable to attacks by a smaller force IF the attacking force has cleverly chosen a time and place that allows the attackers to outnumber and overwhelm the local defenses along their point of attack. The key element for the deliberate attack is that the smaller assaulting force only has to outnumber the enemy at the local point of the engagement! This is true for all forms of offensive tactic.

Movement to Contact Likewise, the movement to contact (MTC) merely needs to identify those enemy targets that it can outnumber and overwhelm. Remember the MTC is used when the attacking force has little information regarding the enemy disposition. Still, the conclusion that only a superior force can conduct a MTC is patently wrong (though admittedly ideal). Smaller forces can conduct MTC. In such case, the forward vanguard teams are instructed to identify enemy targets that can effectively be destroyed by the reserve force. The offense must employ either stealth or mobility to remain elusive. Otherwise, the larger enemy force will press a decisive engagement and use their superior numbers to defeat the MTC. The key element for the MTC is that the smaller assaulting force must maintain elusiveness. Elusiveness helps achieve the element of surprise. And again, the element of surprise is key

Pursuit The pursuit is a transitional offensive tactic. That is, the pursuit is used to maintain momentum after a successful attack when the enemy is on the run. The pursuit has the expressed goal of destroying or capturing an enemy force. The mistake that is often made is the assumption that the pursuit must destroy or capture the escaping enemy ENTIRELY. This is all but impossible, particularly so when the enemy significantly outnumbers the attacking force. Instead, the pursuit must quickly identify the target exactly. That might be the enemy’s command element, or it might be critical weapon teams such as the mortar section, rocket section, or marksmen teams. The key element for the pursuit is that the smaller assaulting force must immediately identify targets for the enveloping team. The enveloping team bounds rapidly forward of the main pursuit and attempts to fix the assigned target in its escape route. The main pursuit must bypass any and all enemy pockets of resistance and maneuver quickly to destroy the identified target!

Cont’d page 6

W ORST CASE SCENAR IO, cont ’d. Ex ploitation Exploitation is also a transitional offensive tactic. The exploitation is used to seize critical terrain or facilities after a successful attack. Again, a common mistake is that the successful attack force will attempt to exploit every enemy resource simultaneously. This is a difficult task when the attacking force outnumbers the enemy. It is futile for an attacking force that is significantly fewer in number than the enemy! Instead, the commander must have an idea of what lies beyond the initial engagement area. With this knowledge, the commander can communicate his intended target to the troops once the initial offense has achieved success. And again, the exploitation bypasses all other enemy pockets of resistance while maneuvering to the target. The key element for the exploitation is that the smaller assaulting force must be informed of the critical (secondary) target to exploit. Without this information, tactical success will stall. The victory is for nothing. Remember that troops must ALWAYS have an objective! A tactical victory that is not followed upon with an operational victory is a useless expenditure of resources. Let’s be clear on this. When significantly outnumbered by an enemy force, the optimal solution is to have a prepared defense into which our force might fall back. From this stronger position, the defending force seeks the opportunity to conduct a counterattack. However, the defense requires time and energy. Often the case is that a series of quickly, carefully placed counter-strikes will produce the desired effect of defeating the larger attacking enemy force. Key to a successful assault by an outnumbered team is that (1) the troops are informed of the commander’s intent, (2) specific objectives are identified, (3) elusiveness is employed to achieve surprise, and (4) the offense needs only to outnumber the enemy at the local point of engagement.

[Christopher Larsen is the author of of Paintball and Airsoft Battle Tactics (Voyageur Press 2008) and co-founder of One Shepherd.]

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Allied TOC Is Recruiting (Tactical Operations Center) Using a combination of both new and old technologies and equipment, the Allie’s now have a fully operational TOC, thanks to our sponsors as well as to those staff members who donated their time and equipment in order to complete it. Positions are now available in the TOC, and in other supporting roles. 2011 is the perfect opportunity to become an active participant in the Oklahoma DDay event, even if you or a family member can’t take the field as a player. It’s a fun, exciting way to be at the heart of the event. Many different roles and positions, at all levels of experience are available. For more details contact adorsai@aol.com or visit us at the field.

Allied Headquarters and Communications Center, located on campgrounds, just east of CEF Camp

ARE YOU READY FOR THE ‘O’ COURSE

3rd Bn 506th PIR marched from Atlanta to Ft. Benning, 136 miles in 72 hours, with full packs

STAY HYDRATED It will be hot and humid. You’ll need a Camelbak or similar hydration system. Don’t take the field without one. It’s the best way to stay hydrated and in the game.

Unit cohesiveness is the key to success Keep your unit intact. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if you are Airborne, Infantry, or Armor; American, British, Canadian, French, or German. We need all of you on the field at the end of the day. Your units are counting on you. Stay properly hydrated. Avoid drinking soda and alcohol during the week leading up to the event and ALWAYS carry extra water with you.

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June 6,2010 members of the Pathfinder Company, 101st Aviation Regiment, stationed in Afghanistan pay homage to Jake McNiece and to the other members of 10st Division who took part in D-Day Invasion by painting war paint on their faces and cutting their hair in Mohawk fashion.

RECRUITING VIDEOS CLICK PHOTOS