Defending Jericho
I was never a fan of Jericho. But I did watch most of the episode where the Gerald McRanney character was killed off. Most cause I also was running interference between 2 grandsons.
When viewing movies or television shows, I have to remind myself….. It’s Not In The Script! Or it was written that way to allow the movement of the show to move to what the writers feel is the logical conclusion. Also, we must remember that most writers and directors have no idea what they are doing when working with military style operations. That’s why they often hire Tech Advisors like Captain Dale Dye.
So……let’s do what in the service would be a Command Post Exercise.
You have 30 people with mixed weaponry and 12 hours to prepare a defensive position at the farm McRanney was killed at.
I know the writers did not give them that much time to prepare, but if you knew there were folks out there wanting what you have and were willing to kill to take it, would you wait till the last minute to prepare for such an attack?
I have already posted my rough plan on the net and asked RightHand to bookmark it till needed. At the end of 1 week, she can copy & paste it too the board.
There is no perfect answer to this scenario, only concepts. Each person willing to join in will have to accept that there are no wrong or correct answers. Some just might not work as well as others.
AND….. Except for answering direct questions, I have no desire to critique answers given. That might sound arrogant, but I’m not head hunting, only running a thinking exercise.
So…my turn….
Given this is Kansas Farm country, first thing to do is slow the Bad Guys done as much as possible. Considering we are defending at a farm, first thing we are going to do is create barriers.
First barrier will be the plowing of the fields in the route of march. Plowing will start no less then 500 yards in front of the main defensive line. Considering that the show depicted dirt roads leading up to the farm, even the road will be plowed up. Repairs to the road can be made later if needed. Plowing will cover as far up each ridge as safely as possible.
Depending on time and other elements not predicted, the plowing should create a barrier the 200 yards in front of the defensive line. And another plowed barrier 100 yards wide at 500 yards will require the opposing forces to dismount the vehicles at an extended range.
Barbed wire will be recovered from every source possible to develop additional barriers in the form of tangle foot and fencing where possible. Create a situation at approximately 200 yards from the defensive line with the wire to channel the opposing forces into a narrow passage. Do not create any barrier that could be used as protection by the opposing forces.
Concurrent with the plowing will be the digging of defensive positions. A Backhoe is ideal for this under these conditions. Depending of soil conditions, a trench line is the ideal situation. If a trench is not possible, two man positions should be prepared with the help of the backhoe.
NOTE: Considering they are driving an Abrams around like fuel is cheap, then there is fuel available for the operation of the tractors for plowing and backhoe. An Abrams averages 0.6 miles per gallon with a capacity of 498 gallons when topped off.
Next, this is Western Kansas. Prairie Dog country. I have never seen a town in that part of the country that does not have at least one poodle shooter. Send one or more of these shooters a couple miles down the road to the position of their choice where they can get a clear shot at the vehicles. Instructions are simple: Put a bullet into the drivers windows at max range. And put one into every vehicle as possible until you feel it is time to clear the area. Take any targets of opportunity.
These shooters can leapfrog back to the defensive positions at their discretion. These folks are not expendable.
The older trucks that the BG’s were using did not have impact resistant windshields. Hit one with a bullet the windshield will spider web if not shatter, and the driver will duck and in doing so will probably jerk the steering wheel. The possibility of at least one wreck is near certain, especially if a second truck is hit before anyone can react to the incoming fire.
Also, considering that the lead vehicles appeared to be private automobiles, the first should also be targeted. Again, the possibility of creating a collision.
No need to hit a driver, but would help insure the possibility of wreckage. If a truck happens to turn over, then 10 to 30% of the passengers will become non-combatants due to injuries. Possibility more if there is any cargo in the back with the passengers.
Note: Prairie Dogs are often taken at ranges in excess of 500 yards. 1000 yards hits are not unheard of. And a prairie dogs are much smaller then the windshield of any vehicle in the BG’s convoy.
Back at the Farm. One trick in helping the defenders judge range on flat, open ground is an old British Army trick. Range Markers. A 6 foot tall man, walking at a normal pace will cover approximately 100 yards with 100 paces. All that has to be done is pace off 100 yard segments, placing a bucket or some visual object at each distance. Have 1 person move the object as the plow passes and replace the object once the ground is plowed. Ranges do not have to be exact, but will give each defender a range reference to use based on the limitations of his firearm.
Distribution of firepower. Difficult concept considering the mix of weapons used by the defenders. I’d place any Bolt Actions using Belt Magnums on the flanks at a higher elevation then the rest. This will give them better visibility to utilize the farther range capabilities of the cartridges. Standard Long Actions will be placed inside of them for the same purpose. Intermix all other weapons down the line with all semi-automatic rifles near center to be able to deal with the channeling effect of the barriers.
Shotguns near center for the same purpose. Military Specifications for shotguns require them to be lethal at 75 yards and casualty inflicting at 150 yards with 00 Buck from a 20 inch barrel. Longer barrels can improve range slightly, but will improve accuracy at given ranges.
Lever Actions. Highly underrated. But in the average shooter 150 to 200 yards is it’s prime performance distance. I would pair these rifles up or at least with a weapon that would allow one to be reloaded as another is providing fire.
Other ideas. Overturned rakes and plows can create major obstacles for an attacking force. But only if they do not provide protection to the attacking elements. This can be partly corrected by having the backhoe scoop a shallow hole so place them in. Not deep enough to provide protection, but shallow enough as not to all them to be used protection also.
One major risk is a flanking movement. That is always a problem when you have small forces and no other units on either flank to tie in with. This can also be a prefect place to put the shotguns, depending on terrain. Lots of barbed wire can help protect the flank if available and time allows.
Since this is a public forum, my bag of dirty tricks remains closed.
When viewing movies or television shows, I have to remind myself….. It’s Not In The Script! Or it was written that way to allow the movement of the show to move to what the writers feel is the logical conclusion. Also, we must remember that most writers and directors have no idea what they are doing when working with military style operations. That’s why they often hire Tech Advisors like Captain Dale Dye.
So……let’s do what in the service would be a Command Post Exercise.
You have 30 people with mixed weaponry and 12 hours to prepare a defensive position at the farm McRanney was killed at.
I know the writers did not give them that much time to prepare, but if you knew there were folks out there wanting what you have and were willing to kill to take it, would you wait till the last minute to prepare for such an attack?
I have already posted my rough plan on the net and asked RightHand to bookmark it till needed. At the end of 1 week, she can copy & paste it too the board.
There is no perfect answer to this scenario, only concepts. Each person willing to join in will have to accept that there are no wrong or correct answers. Some just might not work as well as others.
AND….. Except for answering direct questions, I have no desire to critique answers given. That might sound arrogant, but I’m not head hunting, only running a thinking exercise.
So…my turn….
Given this is Kansas Farm country, first thing to do is slow the Bad Guys done as much as possible. Considering we are defending at a farm, first thing we are going to do is create barriers.
First barrier will be the plowing of the fields in the route of march. Plowing will start no less then 500 yards in front of the main defensive line. Considering that the show depicted dirt roads leading up to the farm, even the road will be plowed up. Repairs to the road can be made later if needed. Plowing will cover as far up each ridge as safely as possible.
Depending on time and other elements not predicted, the plowing should create a barrier the 200 yards in front of the defensive line. And another plowed barrier 100 yards wide at 500 yards will require the opposing forces to dismount the vehicles at an extended range.
Barbed wire will be recovered from every source possible to develop additional barriers in the form of tangle foot and fencing where possible. Create a situation at approximately 200 yards from the defensive line with the wire to channel the opposing forces into a narrow passage. Do not create any barrier that could be used as protection by the opposing forces.
Concurrent with the plowing will be the digging of defensive positions. A Backhoe is ideal for this under these conditions. Depending of soil conditions, a trench line is the ideal situation. If a trench is not possible, two man positions should be prepared with the help of the backhoe.
NOTE: Considering they are driving an Abrams around like fuel is cheap, then there is fuel available for the operation of the tractors for plowing and backhoe. An Abrams averages 0.6 miles per gallon with a capacity of 498 gallons when topped off.
Next, this is Western Kansas. Prairie Dog country. I have never seen a town in that part of the country that does not have at least one poodle shooter. Send one or more of these shooters a couple miles down the road to the position of their choice where they can get a clear shot at the vehicles. Instructions are simple: Put a bullet into the drivers windows at max range. And put one into every vehicle as possible until you feel it is time to clear the area. Take any targets of opportunity.
These shooters can leapfrog back to the defensive positions at their discretion. These folks are not expendable.
The older trucks that the BG’s were using did not have impact resistant windshields. Hit one with a bullet the windshield will spider web if not shatter, and the driver will duck and in doing so will probably jerk the steering wheel. The possibility of at least one wreck is near certain, especially if a second truck is hit before anyone can react to the incoming fire.
Also, considering that the lead vehicles appeared to be private automobiles, the first should also be targeted. Again, the possibility of creating a collision.
No need to hit a driver, but would help insure the possibility of wreckage. If a truck happens to turn over, then 10 to 30% of the passengers will become non-combatants due to injuries. Possibility more if there is any cargo in the back with the passengers.
Note: Prairie Dogs are often taken at ranges in excess of 500 yards. 1000 yards hits are not unheard of. And a prairie dogs are much smaller then the windshield of any vehicle in the BG’s convoy.
Back at the Farm. One trick in helping the defenders judge range on flat, open ground is an old British Army trick. Range Markers. A 6 foot tall man, walking at a normal pace will cover approximately 100 yards with 100 paces. All that has to be done is pace off 100 yard segments, placing a bucket or some visual object at each distance. Have 1 person move the object as the plow passes and replace the object once the ground is plowed. Ranges do not have to be exact, but will give each defender a range reference to use based on the limitations of his firearm.
Distribution of firepower. Difficult concept considering the mix of weapons used by the defenders. I’d place any Bolt Actions using Belt Magnums on the flanks at a higher elevation then the rest. This will give them better visibility to utilize the farther range capabilities of the cartridges. Standard Long Actions will be placed inside of them for the same purpose. Intermix all other weapons down the line with all semi-automatic rifles near center to be able to deal with the channeling effect of the barriers.
Shotguns near center for the same purpose. Military Specifications for shotguns require them to be lethal at 75 yards and casualty inflicting at 150 yards with 00 Buck from a 20 inch barrel. Longer barrels can improve range slightly, but will improve accuracy at given ranges.
Lever Actions. Highly underrated. But in the average shooter 150 to 200 yards is it’s prime performance distance. I would pair these rifles up or at least with a weapon that would allow one to be reloaded as another is providing fire.
Other ideas. Overturned rakes and plows can create major obstacles for an attacking force. But only if they do not provide protection to the attacking elements. This can be partly corrected by having the backhoe scoop a shallow hole so place them in. Not deep enough to provide protection, but shallow enough as not to all them to be used protection also.
One major risk is a flanking movement. That is always a problem when you have small forces and no other units on either flank to tie in with. This can also be a prefect place to put the shotguns, depending on terrain. Lots of barbed wire can help protect the flank if available and time allows.
Since this is a public forum, my bag of dirty tricks remains closed.
posted by The Cowardly Lion at 7:37 AM
