NationStates Jolt Archive

World Wide News

The small Natal-Transvaal military base at Morombe on the island of Madagascar has been surrounded by anti-government rebels which contol the south-west of the island ever since the new government was elected into power in May. The new government have professed their lack of ability to change the situation as the rebels are too strong for the poorly equipped and poorly trained Madagascan Army.
Natal-Transvaal has maintained the Morombe Naval base as a small refuelling base for several years. The present lease is for 12 years and was signed just after the present government took power, this act flared up anti-government sentiment which was the spark for the rebel sepratist movement to be formed.
NT defence sources indicate that there is very few troops on the base at the present moment as most of the NT fleet is on excersise in the East Atlantic. The source said that there was 50 Naval personnel on base which manned the refuelling equipment and patrol boat, he went on to say that the defence of the base was provided by a company of Marines. The latest estimates suggest that there are around 1,000 rebels dug in around the perimeter of the base.

Morombe Naval Base, Madagascar

Lt Commander Dirk Smuts commanded the small base that had now become the centre of a crisis. He had been in the job 16 months and it had proved to be boring and repetitive, he had become a little worried when the rebels had taken over part of the country but in the intervening 6 months nothing had happened. Now he was looking through a Marines pair of binoculars and saw movement in the woodline barely 200m away. The rebels where all along the 500m long perimeter which was marked by a fence and towers every 150m. Each tower was the HQ of a Marine Platoon which was responsible for a stretch of fence. The only other structures in the base where the 2 barracks buildings, a hospital, the Commandants house, the armoury and the pump station on the end of the mole where ships refuelled.
A NT Marine company was made up of 3 Platoons, a scout section and a HQ section, each platoon had 3 8 man sections and a 4 man HQ squad. Each section had 6 riflemen (SA-80, 2 men carry a LAW), 2 light machinegunners (LSW). The scout section was made up of 3 scout sniper teams, these teams consisted of 1 sniper and a spotter. The platoon HQ had the commander (Capt. John Louw) his assitant (Lt. Francais Jacob), the platoon Sgt (Shaun de Beer) and 3 radio men. The total strength of the Marines was 96.
The rebels had not fired on the base yet so under the ROE the marines could not fire at the rebels. In the meantime they fortified the perimeter by creating defensive positions along the fence line and making the buildings into strong points. As a desperate measure the Naval Personnel where trained how to use the SA-80 and basic infantry tactics they would form the base reserve.

Anyone want to RP the rebels surrounding the base?

Durban,

The Prime Minister of Natal-Transvaal had auothrised the mission to relieve the surrounded Naval base. Diplomatic efforts where under way to try and breach a deal with the Madagascan government which consisted of unrestricted military access to Southern Madagascar in return NT would take care of the rebels who posed such a danger to democracy in Madagascar.

In the harbour a small fleet of naval ships where being prepared for the aptly named Operation Anvil. There where 2 Type 23 class frigates HMS Natal and HMS Transvaal supporting the Albion class amphibious assault ship HMS Richards Bay which carried the remaining 3 companys of 10 Commando. The small task force was due to set off in 12 hours, the sailors where desperatly loading stores and checking electrical equipment. The Richards Bay was loading the 350 men and heavy equipment of the Commando which would soon be trying to relieve their fellow Marines on Madagascar.

Morombe Naval Base,

Smuts had been given the order which had changed the rules of engagement so that any possible threat could be engaged. The Marines had now dug in completely with squads of men manning interlocking firing positions all along the perimeter fence. The snipers where located in the towers with their spotters picking out rebel soldiers in the distant treeline. Capt. Louw had set up his command post in the armoury building because it was the best protected, he had direct cummunications with his platoon commanders via radio.

Lt Cmdr Smuts was on the radio to Durban hearing of the newly set up relief force when a series of pops sounded in the distance followed by a whistling sound. A few seconds later a string of defening explosions sounded as the rebel mortars impacted around the base.

'This is Smuts, what is happening Capt?' the Naval officer inquired down the radio

'Sir Lt Cmdr Smuts is on the line?' the young radio operator passed the headset to Louw

'Sir, rebel mortars have opened up and are targeting the fenceline, they are trying to create gaps so that they can mount an assault'

'Have you located the mortars yet?'

'The spotters are doing their best'

'Keep me informed' Smuts finished with

Louw gave the headset back to the marine and told the radio operators to tell the platoon commanders to engage all visible targets. A small map of the area on the wall pointed out known enemy positions and the marine positions it was not a nice map to look at, the enemy where in huge strength around the whole perimeter while the Marines where spread very thin.

The Marine snipers in the towers had several targets each and had guessed the order to engage would come after the first few mortars had landed 20m infront of the fence. One pair had picked out the mortar crews trough a gap in the treeline,

'Target 35 degrees, 250m, left of oak tree, loading mortar' the spotter relayed instructions to the sniper

'Target aquired' the sniper fell into a pattern of breathing followed by a large intake of breath and then a slow exhale in which he fired the shot, BANG

'Hit, 4 yards right, mortar layer' the same routine followed by the sharp crack of the 7.62mm bullet

'Hit, 2 yards right Sgt' CRACK, the bullet winged its way to the target

By now the mortars had stopped firing and the crews where running for their slit trenchs. Following this stoppage in anemy fire a marine got out of his position and extended his LAW aiming for the mortar pit. He steadied himself for a few seconds before pulling the trigger, the rocket accelerated out to top speed and homed in on the deserted weapons. The rocket hit with precise accuracy destroying the 3 mortars in the area. By the end of the morning the snipers where claiming 21 confirmed kills with no losses.

OOC: Great RP, is this your first one?

OOC- Yeah :)

Durban,

Task Force Sabre as all NT fleets that where sailing into action where called went to sea at midnight after the final marine and final box of stores had been loaded. The final parts of the Task Force to come into place where 2 Puma Medium Lift Helicopters which landed on the Richards Bay and a SBS team on the Frigate HMS Natal. They expected to make the transit in a day at slow speed as to prepare fully for action and to finalise plans for the interdiction they would make.

Morombe,

Suddenly several smoke trails appeared out of the treeline arcing towards the fence, the 6 RPG-7's detonated upon impact with the metal chain fence shredding it and creating 20m gaps at each impact point. Second later more smoke trails curled from the trees this time heading towards the three towers,

's**t, run' the spotters words had a simple effect the 2 Marines slid down the ladder and ran for a slit trench, one team wasn't quick enough and where at the top of the ladder when the RPG destroyed the post.

'Open up with everything!' yelled Louw at the radio operators

Most of the Marines had not waited for the order, they shredded the foliage with 5.56mm bullets. A couple of Marines fired LAW rockets down the smoke trails hopefully killing the rocketmen. As soon as it had began it stopped, there was a 100m gap in the fence and the three towers where nothing more than stumps. The Marines quickly changed mags and scanned the trees for any sign of an enemy assault onto their position, but none came. During the night a pastrol was sent out to set motion sensors in the gap, these where linked to flares which would go up if the sensors where triggered.