War Game

War games are played by military formations, units and personnel to visualize a potential outcome of a strategy or tactics employed. Scenarios are set and tokens are placed and played, with resolutions generated by computers or umpires. It is very much a mind game of sorts.

I also played war games daily in the frontline. I create positive scenarios and positive resolutions all the time when our guns are firing. Positive thinking is a very powerful tool. It brings out the best in us. It harnesses and release all the good hormones in our terrain and maneuvers them to the right direction. We become winners all the time and that is good. Mind imageries are also taught in meditations,Yoga, Pilates, and most cultural/religious cultures.

Each day as I visit the gun position, I see our gunners preparing for the fireplan. Bearings and Elevations and Angle of Sights are set to the assigned targets. Bearings are still measured in degrees and elevations measured in millimeters. Munitions are loaded. A Safety Officer would check the center of arcs, survey data and gridlines in the good old ARTY board. I will then ask the GPO permission to order the fire orders. I still remember the elements of fireorders necessary to fire the guns.

I have a built- in TANOY speaker system and I would shout the fire orders into it.

Fire Mission Bty

ZU1001

Radiation, Photon

 Charge .....30 Gy.

10 MegaVolts

10 seconds

Enemy dug in.

At my command…..

I wait until the safety officer clears me and I shout TEMBAK.

The guns fire with a whirling sound for ten seconds. And I would order Check Firing before I order for the next target ZU1002. We fire 4 targets for 10 seconds each per day. Ten seconds is a long time when I am lying motionless on my terrain. I would bring out my binoculars and observe the target areas. I actually can visualize the fall of shots. The crumps (sometimes a late gun ?) and smoke and dust kicked up. It is a joy to visualize the enemy being hit with a direct full barrage of radiation beam. I can vividly recollect the tight crump when all the guns are calibrated and compensated for bearings and elevations. I am actually most happy to be able to visualize the effects of a bombardment. It makes my day. And I long for my next fire mission. I am glad I am a Gunner, trained in the ASAHAN ranges.

Targets destroyed. End of mission. Hurray……another successful fire mission.

I can smell the fresh aroma of cordite. Just like when we were in the gun position in Asahan. Can you smell it too?

Allen Lai

Lessons learnt No 5

Know your terrain and fight on grounds of your own choosing.