Below is a faux-orders package for OP GRANGE. This was all I used when I was running the airport assault – well, along with the Challenge sheet and the maps for the Conaktry airport. Although this is a directed game, I’ve taken a sandbox approach to GMing. Others with a different style will wish to map things out better. At least decide the purpose of each building on the airport map, because that does have an impact on what the characters are doing.
The TARGET CHARLIE referred to in the orders as the target for the SRD is a building at Conakry airport. I chose a medium-sized building, decided it was a hanger, and put a couple of technicals out front. That was the opposition. I’ll be sharing the challenges soon.
For maps, I used Google maps to find areas, then Print Screen, and used GIMP to crop out the extraneous elements. Like with OP NOMOS, it provided a reasonable facsimile of a satellite photo, but that Google watermark remained. Good enough for gaming.
And here is the faux-orders package I made for my players:
OP GRANGE
Copy 1 of 1
CANSOFCOM SRD
Niamey
OPORD SRD110513-A01
111324Z May 13
1. SITUATION
Enemy Forces
BATA: An unknown number of the parachute regiment are currently in mutiny. SIGINT indicated President Condé believed three companies had transferred to Alpha Yaya, indicating a force of approximately 270 to 500. Further SIGINT links the mutinous paratroopers to former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara – who resides in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – and LGen Siba Loholamou Severin, Governor of Boké – who was a confederate of Camara during his coup and later dictatorship.
Most recent IMINT places BATA at Conakry International Airport, grouped around structures on the northwest perimeter of the main buildings, abutting the taxiway.
Expect BATA to respond to any attempt to secure the airport with lethal force. The successful completion of mission will almost certainly require the neutralization of BATA.
PROTESTORS: Open source estimates of the number of protestors presently demonstrating in Conakry range from 8,000 to 29,000. Some of the protestors are armed, and local criminal gangs from the Hamdallaye and Koloma neighbourhoods have infiltrated demonstrations at the US Embassy, the French Embassy and the Palais Presidentiel. SIGINT suggests that armed Islamic extremists have infiltrated demonstrations at the US Embassy, the French Embassy and the Palais Presidentiel.
Expect the armed elements among the protestors to respond to any attempt to impose order with lethal force. It is likely that protestors could impede exfiltration of unit. The successful completion of the mission is unlikely to require the neutralization of the protestors, however skirmishes are likely.
ARMED ISLAMIC GROUP: SIGINT indicates that armed Islamic extremists with communications links to the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (le Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest, MUJAO) in Mali have infiltrated the popular protests with the intent to recreate the incident at the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi of 11 Sep 12. There is no evidence that MUJAO or other known extremist organizations are supporting Conakry’s unknown armed Islamic group (UAIG), nor is there evidence that Canadians are specific targets. It is highly likely that should the UAIG have the opportunity to impede or obstruct Canadian operations in Conakry, it will.
Expect the UAIG to respond to any encounter with Western forces with lethal force. The successful completion of the mission is unlikely to require the neutralization of the UAIG, unless UAIG impedes securing the airport, recovery of the ambassador, or exfiltration of the ambassador and/or SRD.
Friendly Forces
INTERNATIONAL NEO SUPPORT FORCE: SRD will be operating alongside forces from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom in the International NEO Support Force (INSFOR). All INSFOR units will operate in uniform for ease of identification.
2. MISSION
SRD is to assist in INSFOR capture and securing of Conakry International Airport as a first step in the recovery and exfiltration of Ambassador Matthew la Pointe.
3. EXECUTION
a. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
SRD will insert by HALO from an RNLF C-130 HERCULES transport aircraft travelling in a commercial air lane at 120200L May 13. SRD will land at or near coordinates 9° 34′ 23.76″ N, 13° 36′ 2.90″ W and advance through residential zone to the airport perimeter. At 0300, SRD will advance and secure Target Charlie.
A UK taskforce is to relieve SRD at 120600L May 13. SRD will commandeer transport and move to the last known residence of Ambassador la Pointe: Hotel de Niger on N.1 and 8th Avenue, west of the Belgian Consulate. Recover the ambassador and return to the airport for exfiltration by Dutch military aircraft.
SRD’s rules of engagement are to only fire when fired upon, in order to protect civilians, or to neutralize an obstruction to exfiltration.
4. SERVICE SUPPORT
SRD will not receive resupply for duration of OP GRANGE. Should SRD take prisoners, said prisoners are to be temporarily restrained but SRD will not remove prisoners from location of capture.
5. COMMAND AND SIGNALS
a. Command
Tactical command rests with CO SRD. Strategic command rests with CO CANSOFCOM.
b. Signals
SRD callsign is SIERRA.
Allied callsigns are as follows:
Australia – CHARLIE, signals to CHARLIE 37
Germany – GOLF, signals to GOLF 87
the Netherlands – KILO, signals to KILO 77
Spain – MIKE, signals to MIKE 07
United Kingdom – ROMEO, signals to ROMEO 57
For those of you following the Direct Action adventure ideas that I’ve been sharing, I’m afraid there won’t be more for a while. My group only gets together once every three weeks, so we move through these adventures slowly. I can’t post something before the group gets through it, so if it takes three sessions to get through an adventure, that’s nine weeks. I hope you can be patient.
Below are the challenges for OP GRANGE. How would one use Allies as a challenge? Well, it never came up in our game, but while hostile, armed conflict is unlikely, bartering or scrounging from allies might happen, so the allies are presented as a Challenge.
Below are my notes for OP GRANGE. They are pretty sparse because I like to leave a lot open. Players never do what you expect, so be ready to improvise.
This is a continuation of OP NOMOS. On completion of the mission related previously, the SRD are recalled to Niamey, the capital of Niger. They haven’t had a chance to sleep, and food gets shovelled in while they are briefed by LCol Nick Adams, the OP NOMOS liaison officer embedded in US Joint Special Operations Command. The SRD are being sent to Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea. While Canada’s JTF-2 are en route, they will not be arriving for at least 24 hours. The SRD have the skill sets to undertake OP GRANGE.