“What’s your systems status?” Meade asked of the Strike/Missiles Officer.
The Lieutenant replied, “All the missiles in the VLS (Vertical Launch Systems) must have been shielded from the EMP, they’re fine. The Harpoons check out too.”
The captain turned to his Fire Control Officer, “Can you get a missile to its target yet?”
The harried Lieutenant JG shook his head, “Everything’s still down. But…”
“But what?” Meade demanded.
“…well, sir, it’s a crazy idea, but it might work and it’s all we have right now…”
“Out with it!” The junior officer’s hesitancy made the already notoriously impatient skipper even more on edge.
“Sir, one of my Fire Controlmen suggested we send out spotters from the Marine air wing. Two or three Harriers or helicopters might be able to spot ships and call for fire sort of like the Marines do with artillery…”
“Hmmm…” the captain’s sound was uncommittal.
The young officer decided to press on, “Anyway, many of the aircraft have working radios and they all have inertial navigation equipment. Some of them may even have decent targeting or navigation systems that survived the EMP. If we still don’t have any radar up by nightfall, the Marines even have some night vision capability that could help us.”
Meade pursed his lips, then looked at his officer and grinned, “It looks like your Fire Controlman just invented the ‘Mark One Marine’ early warning and targeting system. Make it happen!”
It had been a busy two hours. The Marines of the 31st MEU were coming ashore and establishing themselves. The task was, in a way, much easier than it should have been. For one, the Taiwanese were not shooting at them (which might have been the case had the Chinese attack not stunned them so completely). For another, all the Marines had been briefed on the mission prior to the landing due to Colonel Flint’s relentless training. The leadership knew exactly where to go (they had maps) and were already familiar with the terrain (due to the practice L-Forms). It was one of the most amazing bits of luck in military history. No, Flint corrected himself, not luck, you make your own luck in this business.
Colonel Flint had established a command post in a well-lit (windows and skylights) office of a small hangar with cement walls at Kaohsiung International Airport. The airport was virtually empty and no one complained when they moved in. The war’s opening moves must have unnerved the airport personnel and passengers and sent them scurrying for cover in the city.
The Lieutenant Colonel Burl assembled the staff for a quick situation briefing. The S-2, Major Ramirez, kicked it off. “We expect the weather to become increasingly cloudy today with possible bands of thundershowers beginning in the late afternoon from the typhoon to our south. The high today will be about 88 degrees, the low tonight about 82. Humidity will increase from 90 % today to over 95 % tomorrow. Without ‘met’ support from the Navy, this will be the last weather report we’ll have until we can develop alternate sources.” Rez looked at the assembled staff in the hastily prepared command post. He nodded towards the map recently pinned to a wall. Surprisingly, there was even a roll of acetate over the map with the MEU’s graphic control measures on it (graphic control measures are the military’s version of a football play’s Xs and Os). “The enemy situation is as follows. Elements of an unknown PLA force of at least battalion size have landed in Kaohsiung’s harbor. Our Harriers have engaged this force, but we don’t have any BDA (battle damage assessment) yet. The enemy downed one of our Harriers with a laser-guided SAM of an unknown type. In addition, when Golf Company secured the building next to this hangar they captured a probable PLA operative. He was dressed in a ROC Army uniform. He doesn’t speak English. We found these on him.” Rez held up a portable SATCOM phone, a GPS receiver, two pistols, three knives and a piano wire garrote. “He was dialing the phone when we found him. His leg was injured too. I think he may have parachuted in. As soon as we link up with someone who speaks Chinese and English, we’ll interrogate the man.” Rez drew in a breath and began the most critical part of his briefing, “The enemy’s probable courses of action are obvious…”
Flint loved the way his S-2 was sure of his analysis. A wimpy S-2 who provided too many caveats to cover his ass was worthless to a commander. Rez always stuck his neck out. If his analysis was wrong he’d be the first to correct it, rather than proudly sticking by a faulty prediction.
“…First, he is trying to seize Taiwan by force. This means he must destroy Taiwan’s army, then take Taiwan’s center of gravity — in this case, the capitaclass="underline" Taipei. Given the distance between Kaohsiung and Taipei, we are only seeing the enemy’s supporting attack. At Kaohsiung, the enemy will seek to engage the Taiwanese army and take away its freedom of action. The PLA must tie down Taiwanese reserves and disrupt their mobilization process. For that reason, I see only infantry and airborne troops being employed on the attack at Kaohsiung. The initial objective will be to seize the harbor, the city and the international airport. Two infantry divisions ought to be sufficient for this task. We’ll probably see up to one battalion of airborne dropped on the airport and at least an infantry regiment in the initial assault on the beach. Because the Chinese lack sufficient amphibious assault capacity to lift all they need, I expect that the forces committed to the supporting attack will use improvised transport such as commercial vessels and ferries. To support this attack, the Chinese will have to concentrate air power and missile strikes. We will probably see the use of chemical weapons in the attack…”
Flint broke in, “Let’s go to MOPP-2 right now.” (Mission Oriented Protective Posture-2 would place the Marines into their charcoal-lined chemical protective suits with rubber overshoes, but leave the masks and rubber gloves off — in a hot and humid climate, the suit is extremely uncomfortable to wear.)
“…I think it is unlikely that we will see additional use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield now that the Chinese are committing their troops to the battle. If there are no questions, I will be followed by the S-3.”
Lieutenant Colonel Cook nodded to Rez and took his place by the map, “We have established Echo and Foxtrot Companies at the airport with the Tank Platoon and sections of the Heavy Weapons Company in support. Golf Company and the Amphibious Assault Company remain at the landing site with the remainder of the Heavy Weapons Company. Two sections of the Armored Recon Platoon are in place with the Recon Platoon on the dominating hill mass at Shoushan Park. We have excellent comms with them as long as the couple of working radios they have hold up. The Whiskey Cobras are supporting the recon mission and should return to the airport to refuel shortly. The SEAL team made it out alive with most of their equipment by hitching a ride on the ARG’s Bullfrogs. They’re at the beach. The Two recommends sending them into harbor to check on the ship that fired on the Harriers. They received the mission about ten minutes ago. We have four Harriers remaining. Two of them are on stand-by here at the airport. The other two have refueled and are currently conducting reconnaissance and anti-shipping patrols in coordination with the Curtis Wilbur to our west. The rest of the ACE is involved in lifting surviving Marines off the remnants of the ARG.”
Flint inwardly winced at the word “surviving”—it was accurate, but it smacked of defeat. He’d have a private talk with the Three afterward.