Before he passed away a few years ago, my friend Mark Hayes of Fire & Fury Games (who in his 'day job' worked for the US Naval Historical Centre) sent me this:
4th Marine Amphibious Brigade
In the 1970s, the Marine Corps' focus changed from counter-insurgency to guarding NATO's northern flank against the Soviet Union, and it was the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade that was given the responsibility of leading that mission. During the 1980s, the 4th MAB conducted training exercise to northern Norway, which was considered their primary mission in case of war with the Warsaw Pact.
Ground Combat Element – Regimental Landing Team
Infantry Regiment
Headquarters and Service Company
22 officers and 217 enlisted Marines; 2 officers and 3 enlisted USN (the only likely unit to be represented on the game table is the Antitank Platoon, unless a provisional rifle company is formed)
x24 M-151 Jeep with TOW (replace in mid-80s with M-1045/1046 HMMWV anti-armor vehicles)
x2-3 Infantry Battalions, each with:
x1 Headquarters and Service Company (21 officers and 180 enlisted Marines; 3 officers and 66 enlisted USN)
x3 Rifle Companies, each with:
HQ
x3 Rifle Platoons, each with three rifle squads (13 men in 3 fire teams-M16A1, one with M203 and one designated for auto fire) – replace in 1984 with squad of 13 men in 3 fire teams-M16A2, one with M203, and including M243 SAW
x1 Weapons Platoon with x3 M-224 60mm mortars; x6 M-60E3 machine guns; x6 M-202A2 Multi-Shot Portable Flame Weapon, replace in 1984 with MK-153 83mm SMAW
x1 Weapons Company
x8 M-252 81mm mortars; x6 M2 .50-cal. machine guns; x10 Mk-19 40mm automatic grenade launchers; x24 M-47 Dragons (in six squads); x8 7.62mm sniper rifles (in Scout Sniper Section of four teams of two men each) – M-2 and MK-19 combined into three sections of two squads each mounted on M-1043 HMMWV armament carriers
x1 Tank Company
x17 M-60A1 105mm Main Battle Tank, including IR searchlight
Active add-on armor ("Blazer") in 1988
x1 LAV Battalion beginning in 1983
x3 LAV companies, each with x12 LAV-25
Replace with x1 LAI Battalion beginning in 1988 with
x1 Mortar Platoon of four sections with two LAV-M each
x1 Antitank Platoon of four sections of four LAV-AT each
x4 LAI Company of two platoons of x6 LAV-25 and five scout teams each
x1 Assault Amphibious Company
x47 LVTP-7, replace in 1985 with AAVP-7A1, enough to lift one battalion
x1 Reconnaissance Company, x12 scout teams of four men each (probably deleted with change of LAV battalion to LAI battalion
x1 Detachment, Force Recon Company
probably 3 scout teams, rated ELT, of course
x1 Artillery Battalion
Originally M-114 155mm howitzers replaced by M-198 15mm howitzers in 1982
AN/TPQ-36 "Firefinder" Counter-Battery Radar (from 1982)
Beginning in 1984, US Marines were equipped with Kevlar helmets and armored vests. My suggestion (for playtest) is to consider troops fired at by IDF be considered one discipline rating higher than their given rating. This will afford them some "protection" without having a drastic effect on the game. In later years, when we have SAPI plates, we could afford that protection from all fire.
Aviation Combat Element (ACE) consists of:
Marine Air Group (MAG) fixed wing
x2 fighter/attack squadrons (F-4J Phantom II) – replace in 1983 with F/A-18 Hornet
x1-2 light attack squadron (AV-8B Harrier)
x1 all weather attack squadron (A-6E Intruder)
x1 recon detachment (RF-4B)
x1 electronic warfare detachment (EA-6B Prowler)
Marine Air Group (MAG) rotary wing
x2-3 medium tactical lift squadrons (CH-46E Sea Knight) for lifting infantry
x2 heavy tactical lift squadrons (CH-53D Sea Stallion) for lifting heavy weapons
x1 attack helicopter squadron (AH-1T Sea Cobra) replace with AH-1W Super Cobra in 1986 (may fire Hellfire)
Harrier squadrons contain 20 aircraft and Sea Stallion squadrons contain 16 aircraft. All other squadrons contain 12 aircraft.
x1 Hawk Battery of 6 HAWK antiaircraft missiles
x1 forward-area defense platoon (Redeye) of 15 teams; replace in 1982 with Stinger
A Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) lands with each battalion to provide close air support and provide terminal air control services
At a minimum, each battalion will have the direct fire support of one artillery battery
Shore Fire Control Party (one at the minimum) for each gunfire ship in direct support
Battalion fire support teams include:
Fire Support Coordination Center
81mm Mortar Forward Observer (one for each rifle company)
Artillery Forward Observer (one for each battery)
Tactical Air Control Party
Shore Fire Control Party (one for each gunfire ship in direct support)
NATO began negotiations to create the preposition of equipment in central Norway to support a MAB. This prepositioning was not entirely complete until 1989, although some of it would have been available prior to that year. The Norwegians were to provide transportation to northern Norway. The land-based positioning plan in Norway for 4th MEB consisted of:
No tracked vehicles
13,000 personnel
24 artillery pieces
49 mortars
72 TOWs
96 Dragons
12 HAWK launchers
77 fixed-wing aircraft
78 helicopters
goes beyond the straight line.
