Sergeant Arent (Problem 1)
A Decision-Forcing case
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The Third Squad consists of yourself, five combat engineers, and a glider pilot.1 It is armed with a submachine gun (your personal weapon), four rifles, a light machine gun, and seven pistols. Apart from the machine gunner and the pilot, each member of the squad carries of bag of small explosive devices. (Each of these bags contains two 1-kilogram charges, a smoke candle, two smoke grenades, two “egg” grenades, and eight “potato masher” grenades, as well as an assortment of fuzes.)
The glider assigned to Third Squad also carries a 6-meter ladder, a variety of pioneer tools (such as shovels, saws, wire-cutters, and pickaxes), and a substantial stock of explosive charges. (The last named consists of three Bangalore torpedoes, three 50-kilogram shaped charges, three 12.5-kilogram shaped charges, six 3-kilogram charges, and a 25-kilogram box of bulk explosives.)2
Like the other ten squads in Assault Group Granite, your squad has a primary mission. The moment you land, you are to head straight for Objective 12, a concrete casemate armed with three 75mm guns, each of which is pointed towards the north, in such a way as to cover the areas on either side of the three bridges across the Albert Canal. Once you get there, you are to destroy the three guns. If you fail to do this, the guns of Objective 12 will be able to fire, at a rate of as many as sixty 7-kilogram (15-pound) shells each minute, upon any German soldiers trying to seize, hold, or make use of the bridges.3
At 0524, the glider carrying the Third Squad lands on top of Eben-Emael, some 25 meters away from Objective 12. In keeping with your training, you and your squad jump out of the glider and run towards the casemate. Your plan, which you and your squad have practiced many times, calls for the placement of a 50-kilogram shaped charge on top of the steel observation cupola on top of casemate. This, you have been told, will not only deprive the gun crews inside of their ability to observe the fire of their guns, it will also fill the interior of the bunker with fire and smoke. This done, your men will use a 12.5- kilogram shaped charge to blow in the steel door in the rear of the casemate, thereby enabling them to enter the bunker and destroy the artillery pieces.
As you approach the casemate, you notice that the cupola that you expected to be on the top of bunker is not there. When you get closer, you also discover that the is no steel door, whether in the rear of the casemate, its sides, or in front. That’s the bad news. The good news is that no one is firing upon your squad.
Sergeant Arent, what are your orders to your squad? What other actions will you take?
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The chief job of the glider pilot, Sergeant Alfred Sapper, is to land the unpowered aircraft that carries the Third Squad as close as possible to Objective 12. This done, he is to help the squad in any way that he can. He is armed with a pistol.
kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. Thus, the 50-kilogram shaped charge, the 12.5-kilogram shaped charge, and the 3-kilogram shaped charge contain, respectively, 110, 27.5, and 6.6 pounds of explosive.
The 75mm guns of Objective 12 have a range of 11,000 meters and are mounted in a way that allows them to traverse 35 degrees to the left and the right.
Grenades through the apertures to deal with anyone in the casemate, then down the barrels of the guns to disable them. If grenades too big to fit, put charges on the barrels once casemate cleared and blow.
Give the Smoke Candle to the Glider Pilot. Pilot and Light MG on the top of the casement for overwatch. Two pairs of Combat Engineers on each side of the casement with their small explosive devices bags & the Bangalore torpedoes, 12.5kg shaped charges, & 3kg shaped charges.
Pilot lights the smoke candle & drops it over the side in front of the apertures in the casement. Engineers throw stick and smoke grenades through each aperture, Squad Leader fires submachine gun into the apertures.
If the torpedoes fit down the barrel of the guns, use them to spike the guns. They ought to, US M1A1 torpedoes used in WW2 were 54mm diameter. German designs likely weren't 21mm larger. If they wont work, then whatever charge will fit down the barrel. Detonate from the cover of the casement if possible.