Night of Tigers

A standard tactic used by governments in fighting low intensity conflicts is the patrol. Patrols not only gather

information on insurgent operations, but also serve to display a government presence in the patrolling area. The Sri Lankan Army also mounts sporadic patrolling operations to try to carry the war back to the LTTE and other insurgent groups.

This scenario allows players to plan competing LTTE and Army night patrols. The Army unit must perform a sweep around and through the plantation, while the LTTE unit must intercept them. This is a night scenario with a full moon.

The scenario is designed for two players and a referee, using the Spotting and Large Scale Battlefield rules in ”Advanced Phoenix Command” Sections 7.2 and 7.3. Players plan their itineraries for several minutes on separate maps. They hand these maps to the referee, who resolves spotting and notifies players of combat when it begins.

Terrain Notes: The plantation is covered with mature tea plants. These plants are waist-high shrubs which impede movement. The only non-impeded routes of movement through the plantation grounds are small harvesting paths between the shrubs. These are shown as lines on the plantation map. Harvesting paths are narrow enough to only allow combatants to move in single file.

LTTE: The LTTE squad has received word through its supporters that an Army patrol is operating in the area. The squad must locate the patrol and ambush it as a display of LTTE authority.

LTTE Units:

Number             Quality              Weapons

3                      Line                  AK-47

2                      Green               L7A2

3                      Green               AK-47

1                      Green               AK-47, RPG-7V with 10 HEAT   

Ammunition: All combatants with AK-47s carry 6 magazines FMJ. The L7A2 gunner carries 4 belts FMJ. All soldiers also carry 4 RGD-5 hand grenades.

Army: The Army has received intelligence indicating a Tamil squad is operating in the field either in or near the tea plantation. The Army must perform a sweep of the area and capture or kill the LTTE squad.

Army Units:

Number             Quality              Weapons

2                      Line                  AK-47

1                      Green               Bren L4

5                      Green               AK-47

1                      Green               AK-47, RPG-7V with 10 HEAT

Ammunition: All soldiers with rifles carry 6 magazines FMJ. The Bren gunner carries 10 magazines FMJ. All soldiers also carry 2 RGD-5 hand grenades.

Victory: The success of an operation like this would be judged by the ARMY and LTTE command on the basis of body counts and kill ratios. Strategic victory is therefore determined as follows. In order to qualify for a chance at strategic victory, the squad must have eliminated or captured at least a quarter of the opposing side. Then, to claim the strategic victory, the squad must have killed or captured more people than it itself lost to death or capture.