CM Black Sea – BETA Battle Report - Russian Side

[Bil Hardenberger]

Turn 3 is an action packed turn and is taking me a bit longer to pull together than I expected.. so please be patient, I hope to get it up tonight.

[verulam]

, I hope to get it up tonight.

[postfux123]

Hi Bil, loved all your AAR. First one for me to follow "live". Thanks for putting in all that effort.

[Hister]

I take blue pills to do that:)

He he he. One can clearly guess average age of the forumites here. I on the other hand need a blue pill to put it down. :cool:

[John Kettler]

Bil,

(Rant mode on) I had an extensive post, was logged in, then lost it when the site glitched and informed me I had no authority to post, which cost me same. Gah! (End rant mode)

With that disposed of, thanks for replying. Summarizing after the debacle, I'm bummed that the map won't be in the game and was wondering whether you had FASCAM available? It's certainly in the inventory for your 152s.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/6-71/Apph.htm

US FASCAM scared the Russians big time during the Cold War, for they viewed it as a mortal threat to the mobility of their OMGs, going to go so far as to develop plans for armored thrusts protected from FASCAM by killing any artillery weapon which could fire into the advance corridor. The notion of having minefields dumped into their fast moving formations unhinged them, for if it happened, they had no real counter. I see no reason, terrain and resources permitting, why you couldn't do something similar to pnzrldr.

Am very much at sea on modern Russian armor, since I haven't kept up much since the Cold War. Is there some site I can go to where I can regain my modern Russian AFV fluency, as it were? Am tired of reading treadhead discussions I can't effectively follow in detail. I know, for example, what a T-90 is and its capabilities, but don't know what improvements a T-90AM provides or how it looks. I got astounding (not hyperbole) help--full breakdown on the beast and all of its weaponry and sensors--on the BMP-3 at a new blog called Tankograd, which also has a good BTR-80 post. Upcoming ones will cover the BTR-82/A, the T-72, the BMD-2 and the BRDM-2. All highly CMBS topical! Would you believe that Arena is = 1/3 the cost of the BMP-3?

http://thesovietarmourblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-soviet-armour-blog-this-blog-was.html

I do know, though, about Khrzantema. This manufacturer's vid would've been worth millions to Western Intelligence during the Cold War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E72O_XU2anE&spfreload=10

Nor is the Tunguska new, for it was very much a concern back when I was working on a Stealth CAS bird at Rockwell. Tunguska stood in triumphant contrast to the disaster that was the Sergeant York. How the US managed to screw up an AA tank built around the 40 mm Bofors I haven't a clue.

Before some other post-related fiasco ensues, I'll close with an eye-popper of a translated Cold War Russian military journal (Zvezda?) quote. One most illuminating.

"What is initiative? Initiative consists of the exact fulfillment of the commander's plan."

[Bil Hardenberger]

Sorry guys with the holiday looming I have not found enough time to finish my write up, image/video editing for turn 3.. so while you wait, here is a teaser:

What Happens Next?

[LukeFF]

More barbecue BMP?

[BlackMoria]

Hard to say - I don't know what active defence animations look like, so the BMP is either toast or that explosion was an ERA or active protection system going off, in which case the BMP likely survived.

[vincere]

Hard to say - I don't know what active defence animations look like, so the BMP is either toast or that explosion was an ERA or active protection system going off, in which case the BMP likely survived.

I cant see active protection on that.

My guess- that's a Ukrainian BMP that is toast

[Mattias]

This little gem of a video shows exactly how the hard kill aspects of the Arena system works and looks in action. Sorry if this link has been posted previously.

[LukeFF]

My guess- that's a Ukrainian BMP that is toast

It's a BMP-3, so it's not Ukrainian.

[kipanderson]

Mattias,

Thanks.. good clip.

All the best,

Kip.

[Jargotn]

My guess- that's a Ukrainian BMP that is toast

Do you see the small red symbol over the BMP? Also, it's shooting at a blue symbol.

This is a russian APC.

[vincere]

It's a BMP-3, so it's not Ukrainian.

Ah, thanks. Ok so a good chance of surviving....

[antaress73]

that BMP has no ARENA mast on it

[MikeyD]

My eyeballs say that might've been a tree burst. Incoming missile contacting a low-hanging branch.

[MikeyD]

This little gem of a video

Word to the wise - don't drive around unbuttoned! That explosion, though it stopped the incoming round, was still powerful enough to rock the tank back. Must be hell on the exposed optics.

[Palladium]

Word to the wise - don't drive around unbuttoned! That explosion, though it stopped the incoming round, was still powerful enough to rock the tank back. Must be hell on the exposed optics.

Considerably less so than a penetrating HEAT hit, though. ;)

[Buzz]

"Turn 3 is an action packed turn and is taking me a bit longer to pull together than I expected.. so please be patient, I hope to get it up tonight."

Enjoying your battle Bil. Thanks for your excellent AAR reports.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[Bil Hardenberger]

The Third Minute

Note: Don't miss the two links to videos within the text below:

A lot of action this turn.. so lets go around the field... starting with the ATGM that was left in the air at the end of the second minute... well, wouldn't you know that Scott was able to back that vehicle out of position before the missile struck. Damn!

2nd MRC: Activity is heating up opposite the 2nd MRC, a few new US contacts, one new Ukrainian BMP 2 (now for a total of 2 in this area), and an unseen grenade launcher tries its luck against one of the GL Platoon BMPs.

This image shows the US team heading up the slope towards 2nd MRC... they are carrying a lot of radios and no Javelins (that I can see).. so maybe an FO or Air Controller team?

This image shows the BMP3 that came under attack from an unseen grenade launcher.. there were a few penetrations but little damage and the vehicle was able to get out of the impact zone. He also spotted another US team maneuvering on the other side of the hill that 2nd MRC is climbing. Portions of 2nd MRC can be seen just over the engine deck of the BMP in this image.

The unseen, unpotted grenade launcher team could be a problem.

2nd MRC also came under fire from Scott's Tunguska in the pocket.. no damage, but that thing is scary and unfortunately I don't have anything to engage it with. I will be placing some area fire on it myself next turn to try to make it back off at least.

1st MRC: There is still no activity in front of 1st MRC and the first units have gone over the top this turn and I have eyes on part of the zone on the other side of the hill. Next turn a few tanks will be moving to get eyes on the area between the two MRCs and hopefully engage those BMP2s and perhaps the US infantry teams.

The Pocket

Some excitement in the pocket this turn when I moved a BMP 3M forwards to engage an ATGM team. I thought this vehicle had Arena when I moved it forwards.. but unfortunately it did not.. sigh... oh well, live and learn. The BMP got two rounds off, one impacted in the trees well short, the second detonated right over the ATGM team, which nonplussed got a missile off, which flew true... watch the

Some happiness in this turn however as Scott moved a Ukrainian observation vehicle forward into the sights of another BMP-3M... the 30mm gun on these things is murder... wish the other would have used the 30mm against the ATGM team.. would have turned out differently I think. Watch the

I apologize for the low quality of this video.

I will be pulling together an overall view of the action in my turn 4 report on the topo map used during my analysis. Some things are starting to become obvious.. enough that I can make a few determinations.

[czarejs]

Love the way the house next to the observation vehicle got chewed up by the incoming fire.

[Alan8325]

Great DAR and video footage! Agreed that BMP-3 should have used 30mm against the dismounted AT team in the trees. Anyone know the real-life target types for the useage of 100mm vs 30mm? I would think 30mm would be preferred against close to intermediate range dismounted infantry due to the ability to sustain suppression and suppress a wider area. A particularly brutal series would be 30mm bursts followed by a 100mm HE shot!

[Jargotn]

Some excitement in the pocket this turn when I moved a BMP 3M forwards to engage an ATGM team. I thought this vehicle had Arena when I moved it forwards.. but unfortunately it did not.. sigh... oh well, live and learn.

Regarding that...

How are the new active protection systems detailed in the UI? Is there a easy way to find out whether It's activated or prevented from use by electronic warfare? IS there a way to find out if it's empty, etc?

I'd like to hear some details.

[c3k]

That 100mm has an airburst setting. It's very effective against infantry, apparently.

Nice autocannon vs the BMP2.

[MikeyD]

Vehicle active protection systems aren't affected by ECM (which is mostly modeled as communications interference, it seems). The various systems are in the vehicle name so you've got BMP-3, BMP-3M, BMP-3-M(ERA), BMP-3M(Shtora), BMP-3M(Arena). ERA blocks explode and disappear as used. I haven't paid enough attention to know if Shtora explosive cassettes disappear one-by one as used, they might!