Re: USMC vs N. Korea and China
 

Mission 6: Decisive Victory on Turn 39
October 93
N. Korea Assault
Force Total: 20142
Notes: For the first time South Korean support forces were used. 2 Companies of Engineers plus some attached Wheeled APCs and a pair of K1 tanks. Augmented by a Marine Leg Engineer company and 4 Pave Low helos. A river ran from NE to SW of the map with 2 roads and bridges acting as crossing points. The bridges formed a triangle with the crossings at the approximate edge of the enemy line. A third S. Korean Leg Engineer Company was held in reserve.

The initial plan was to send 1 S. Korean engineer company with APCs and 2 K1 tanks as support to clear the roads and bridges. Meanwhile the MH-53s would execute an Airborne Assault drop behind enemy lines at the northernmost edge. The Marine Engineer company (plus scouts and Snipers from my 2nd company) dropped by this insertion would move south and east to seal and clear the northern sector. Once accomplished my triumphant 1st and 2nd companies riding their APCs would sweep across the road into they enemy lines laying waste to everything in their path.

At least that was the plan. The east/west road was heavily mined and defended by a Rifle Company. The NW/SE road was defended by a Mechinized Rifle Company. The only part of the plan that actually worked was the helo insertion of the Marine Engineer Company. S. Korean Mechnized Engineer company was severely hammered (Survivors: 35 engineers, 7 APCs, and both tanks). After SK Mech engineers got plastered by enemy artillery at both bridge crossing points that plan was abandoned. Pave Lows made repeated trips to transport SK Leg Engineer company and Infantry elements of my Marine 2nd Mech Inf Company. From there everyone walked southward and secured victory.

The East/West road was not cleared until Turn 37 when perversely enemy artillery also blew up the bridge. NW/SE crossing cleared on Turn 21 when it was basically useless although some APCs and the 2 MBTs crossed and headed SW from there. Without those Pave Lows this battle would have been a disaster.

Re: USMC vs N. Korea and China
 

Just an FYI, the Pave Low is owned and operated by the US Air Force and generally used to support operations by the US Army Special Forces and occasionally US Army Rangers, USMC Recon

In my OOB variant the Pave Low is listed as the "MH-53J*Pave Low" or "MH-53M*Pave Low", the "*" indicates it's operated by the US Air Force.

The USMC uses the CH-46 or MV-22 for helo operations. The CH-53 is primarily a cargo mover, and the UH-1 an observation/command copter.

That said, helos do have their uses don't they :up:

Re: USMC vs N. Korea and China
 

Ya... I know... but they were the only ones with TI:D

Since I knew I was going to be flying them over enemy lines and through a smoke filled artillery saturated area I decided it was necessary to be able to see where the hell they were going :)