So, if my assessment of the reading is correct, I've got 3rd squad with me (as we've made our way westward on the north side of the trail) and I've run up on 2nd squad (sans two weapons) and the two survivors of 1st squad. That gives me about two squads worth of men, and a malfunctioning LMG.
Clearly, targets of opportunity take priority. Given the fact that the enemy assault force has descended upon the dead of 1st squad, I'm going to assume that the enemy machine gun has been cut off from firing, at least temporarily.
The BAR is down, so I'll get my riflemen of "2nd squad" on line and firing, from the relative cover and concealment of the bush on the side of the road. If the situation permits, I'll get this hasty SBF onto the side of the road most opposite the stone-walled house. This will provide better cover from the house. I will take the malfunctioning BAR along with me to this position.
I'll get this squad firing onto the banditos down on the trail, and, after destroying them or driving them back, will then get the SBF to shift fire onto the house where the machine gun was. I will nominate the highest ranking Marine I can find there (LCpl?) to command my SBF position. I will instruct him to keep fire onto the house, and, once he hears rifle fire to the east of the house or sees me and the other squad assaulting, to shift fire to the west. I will do my best to help the automatic rifleman with his BAR, or get the LCpl to do so, or the other, weaponless Marine to assist him, but I'm assuming it's something of a lost cause.
From here I will link back in with my 3rd squad, brief them the hasty plan, and lead the maneuver up towards the house, flanking boldly from the east, doing my best to ensure my SBF has shifted west as we assault.
I would help the guy get the autorifle back in business; if not possible get him and the gun back to my squad. Get my squad organized and bring suppressive fire on the MG. Send a runner from my squad to the rearguard and have them organize a flank attack on the MG that we are trying to suppress. Once the MG is dealt with we can move away from contact with the guys on the hill and maybe draw then into an ambush with a rear-guard left in the stone wall. Heck, maybe the rearguard platoon even captured the MG in their flank assault from earlier.
Assist the auto-rifleman to clear whatever's preventing his weapon from firing, then once it's either done and he kills a few bandits, or clearly impossible, get back to my squad (with autorifleman if possible depending on wound etc.) and direct return fire to the enemy on the heights - from the map, the machine gun in the house should be far enough away that my squad don't have to worry too much about that yet. Either defeat or at least suppress the enemy on the heights enough to regroup with the rearguard squad, intending to then loop around to the north to take out the enemy position in the house as that's what makes our progress to the ranch impossible.
From the article it seems like the MG caused the initial round of casualties whilst the guys up on the hill are merely making noise; they are probably out of big bombs after the first salvo and are now even less of a problem. I go after the MG first.
So, if my assessment of the reading is correct, I've got 3rd squad with me (as we've made our way westward on the north side of the trail) and I've run up on 2nd squad (sans two weapons) and the two survivors of 1st squad. That gives me about two squads worth of men, and a malfunctioning LMG.
Clearly, targets of opportunity take priority. Given the fact that the enemy assault force has descended upon the dead of 1st squad, I'm going to assume that the enemy machine gun has been cut off from firing, at least temporarily.
The BAR is down, so I'll get my riflemen of "2nd squad" on line and firing, from the relative cover and concealment of the bush on the side of the road. If the situation permits, I'll get this hasty SBF onto the side of the road most opposite the stone-walled house. This will provide better cover from the house. I will take the malfunctioning BAR along with me to this position.
I'll get this squad firing onto the banditos down on the trail, and, after destroying them or driving them back, will then get the SBF to shift fire onto the house where the machine gun was. I will nominate the highest ranking Marine I can find there (LCpl?) to command my SBF position. I will instruct him to keep fire onto the house, and, once he hears rifle fire to the east of the house or sees me and the other squad assaulting, to shift fire to the west. I will do my best to help the automatic rifleman with his BAR, or get the LCpl to do so, or the other, weaponless Marine to assist him, but I'm assuming it's something of a lost cause.
From here I will link back in with my 3rd squad, brief them the hasty plan, and lead the maneuver up towards the house, flanking boldly from the east, doing my best to ensure my SBF has shifted west as we assault.
I would help the guy get the autorifle back in business; if not possible get him and the gun back to my squad. Get my squad organized and bring suppressive fire on the MG. Send a runner from my squad to the rearguard and have them organize a flank attack on the MG that we are trying to suppress. Once the MG is dealt with we can move away from contact with the guys on the hill and maybe draw then into an ambush with a rear-guard left in the stone wall. Heck, maybe the rearguard platoon even captured the MG in their flank assault from earlier.
Assist the auto-rifleman to clear whatever's preventing his weapon from firing, then once it's either done and he kills a few bandits, or clearly impossible, get back to my squad (with autorifleman if possible depending on wound etc.) and direct return fire to the enemy on the heights - from the map, the machine gun in the house should be far enough away that my squad don't have to worry too much about that yet. Either defeat or at least suppress the enemy on the heights enough to regroup with the rearguard squad, intending to then loop around to the north to take out the enemy position in the house as that's what makes our progress to the ranch impossible.
From the article it seems like the MG caused the initial round of casualties whilst the guys up on the hill are merely making noise; they are probably out of big bombs after the first salvo and are now even less of a problem. I go after the MG first.