CC/17th RCT (II)
A decision-forcing case
This post continues a series of decision-forcing cases. With that in mind, I recommend that, before reading the paragraphs that follow, you read (or, better yet, work through) the first post in the sequence.
You tell the S-4 that, while you would be happy to send your five ‘basic’ privates to the beach to move ammunition, you cannot spare your ammunition sergeant. The S-4 reacted to your offer by asking the commanding officer of RCT 17 to settle the dispute. As the latter sided with the S-4, and so you lost the services of an able NCO for several hours.
Happily, the ammunition sergeant returned to the cannon company before the unit went into action.
At 1800 on the evening of 22 October 1944, the commanding officer of RCT 17 received an order to follow in the wake of the 767th Tank Battalion. Armed with Sherman and Stuart tanks, the latter unit was to advance inland along the seventeen or so miles of highway that connected the towns of Dulag, Burauen, and Dagami.
The advance begins at 0830 on the morning of the following day, 23 October 1944.
For this operation, the regimental combat team consists of:
two infantry battalions
the cannon company of the 17th Infantry (your company) (minus one platoon)
the anti-tank company of the 17th Infantry (minus one platoon)
a platoon of four 4.2-inch mortars
a platoon of combat engineers
RCT 17 also enjoys the services of a battalion of twelve 105mm howitzers, which has been placed in direct support. The forward observers and liaison officers of this battalion, moreover, can also request fires from the other field artillery battalions of the 7th Infantry Division.
RCT 17 advances in two columns, each of which is led by one of its infantry battalions. You assign one of your two-gun platoons to each of these columns.
The rest of your company - two trucks, two jeeps, and forty-three men - marches with the headquarters and service elements of the regimental combat team.
At first, you move through terrain in which a pair of wide verges, each of which extends a hundred yards or so from the side of the road, allows the columns plenty of breathing space. Before long, however, you enter an area in which the jungle extends to the very edge of the road.
The need to explore the jungle on both sides of the road greatly reduces the rate of advance.
You have yet to encounter the enemy.
The weather is very hot, to the point where you spend a lot of time reminding soldiers to wear their shirts and helmets.
All of the food issued to RCT-17 takes the form of ‘C’ rations. That is, rather than fresh or frozen items, everything that your soldiers eat comes in a can.
With these things in mind, how do you employ the forty-three officers and men (the number includes yourself) of your company who serve outside of the numbered platoons?
Please feel free to use the comments section to propose a solution to this problem. When doing so, please employ a first-person perspective. That is, rather than writing ‘Captain Jensen should’, please begin your response with ‘I would …’
If you are new to decision-forcing cases, you will find much of interest in the following article.
I would organize my march column as follows:
1. Recon Team, reinforced by the Basic Soldiers. This way you have an armed force to your front in the event of ambush. This also gives me a maneuver element in the event of a flank attack.
2. Command Section for situational awareness and column control.
3. Ammunition Section, reinforced by half of the Spare Gun Crews for extra security, but not so far back they cannot be called forward in an emergency. This is my most vulnerable and important element.
4. Supply and Mess Sections, grouped together for security.
5. Maintenance Section reinforced by the remaining Spare Gun Crews for rear security and to deal with any vehicle problems.
I would also ensure I had radios at the front, command section and rear if at all possible.
Emphasize to all that everyone needs to stay alert, watch their flanks, front and rear at all times and go over what they need to do in the event of attack:
a. Return fire and get out or aggressively fight your way out of there unless blocked or ordered to hold.
b. If ordered to hold or really blocked, get down and return fire, holding until maneuver forces, ours or the Regiment’s, deal with the attack. Hold the perimeter and do not get isolated by the enemy (no wish to repeat the Winter War between the Finns and the Russians).
I would break down the ammunition and spare gun crews into 3 or 4 man teams. I would rotate them to clear the jungle so I can try to ensure no one collapses from dehydration. The recon team and a couple of the basic soldiers lean forward to the flanks and front to provide security. The 1SG, Supply Sgt and two men would make sure enough water and salt tablets on hand along with a medic. I don’t think they had anything like Gatorade at the time and so it has to be salt tablets If I had access to an old Asian hand or maybe a few friendly civilians I would try and supplement the c rations with wild fresh fruit if it could be had and not jeopardize security- Darian, Rambutan. elephant apples. If they could anything like lemons in order to try and make lemon water