Combatintman Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Ok folks ... Predator imagery just in ... This mission is semi-historical inspired by an article I saw in a recent issue of Modern War Magazine and deals with TF 4-31 Infantry's actions in Iraq 2006. More details to follow and mission release should be some time this week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grunt_GI Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 3 hours ago, Combatintman said: Ok folks ... Predator imagery just in ... This mission is semi-historical inspired by an article I saw in a recent issue of Modern War Magazine and deals with TF 4-31 Infantry's actions in Iraq 2006. More details to follow and mission release should be some time this week. Outstanding...I also get Modern War Magazine...great publication! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 @grunt_GI in which case Issue #23 May-Jun 2016 pages 64-69 are your friend. You can re-read the article without fear of spoilers but it was the map on page 67 which inspired the mission because I looked at it and thought 'that would be an easy map to make in CMSF'. The rest as they say is history. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Looks like some compounds need to be cleared ................... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 (edited) 9 minutes ago, MOS:96B2P said: Looks like some compounds need to be cleared ................... Yep ... and you'll struggle more with this one because only two of those compounds has a building adjacent to a compound wall (first building up from the bottom of the image and the bottom building in the compound on the LH side of the highway). Edited July 5, 2016 by Combatintman 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 Ok this is coming together now ... maybe going to the pub before doing the briefing graphics was not a good idea ... Anyway here is a screenie of what they look like in game ... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Looks like another excellent CMSF scenario and the briefing graphics seem fine. Maybe you should go to the pub more often . I really like the idea of having to escort those trucks through the A/O. I may have to read up on convoy escort tactics. Looking forward to this one. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 So here is the first draft of the mission orders ... Situation: Enemy Forces The area South of BAGHDAD has generally become a safe haven for Al Qaida and other anti-coalition elements, due mainly to a limited Friendly Force footprint. Reactions to the move of Team Bravo into the AO last month have deteriorated from sullen acceptance and an absence of violence to civilian avoidance of patrols and individual sniping and indirect fire attacks on PB RUSHDI MULLAH. Yesterday a HMMWV was destroyed by an IED as it transited a track leading to the MULLAH FAYYAD Highway. Identified firing points in AO ROCKY and the site of the IED incident have been marked by the S2 on the Tactical Map. Otherwise little is known about the enemy in AO ROCKY so it is assessed that Team Bravo will face a mix of lightly armed local nationals protecting their property and better organized and more heavily armed Al Qaida insurgents. Contacts are likely to range from isolated small arms engagements to more sophisticated complex attacks involving the use of a combination of IEDs, indirect fires and small arm/RPG engagements. There is likely to be a 360 degree threat and insurgents will likely attempt to isolate maneuver elements using aggressive flanking maneuver. Situation: Friendly Forces As part of the overall operational plan to stabilize IRAQ, TF 4-31 has pushed out from its main FOB in YUSIFIYAH 6km to the East. For Team Bravo, Phase 1 of this operation was to deploy to and establish a Patrol Base in the village of RUSHDI MULLAH last month. Having established PB RUSHDI MULLAH, the CO of TF 4-31 has directed that Team Bravo is to enact Phase 2 which is to push out and extend the security bubble around RUSHDI MULLAH and the MULLAH FAYYAD Highway. This security bubble will be established by increments with the first increment being the establishment of a platoon Battle Position (BP) to be named BP148 giving overwatch over the highway and two canal crossing points IVO the highway. The preliminary phase of this operation involved the move of 1st PLT from PB RUSHDI MULLAH to FOB YUSUFIYAH to marry up with a logistics element and to escort that element to AO ROCKY today. The logistic element carries essential ammunition required to sustain stability operations in the AO and vital engineer stories required to construct suitable defenses for BP148. The convoy left YUSUIFYAH an hour ago and is fighting a series of running engagements along the route. Team Bravo at PB RUSHDI MULLAH comprises 2nd, 3rd and 4th Platoons of Bravo Company 4-31 plus the Team engineers comprising an Engineer Company HQ and two engineer platoons. 1st Platoon, mounted on HMMMWVs is escorting the convoy and will arrive at 0715 hrs followed by TF 4-31 Inf’s CO and the logistics convoy of four trucks at 0730 hrs. Indirect fires will be provided by TF-4-31s M-120 12omm mortars and Team Bravo’s organic M-224 60mm mortars. Situation: Terrain and Weather AO ROCKY is 1.6km x 1.4km and is bounded by the map area. It comprises generally flat and open farmland crossed by irrigation ditches and paths. With the exception of some tree crops, the majority of vegetation is low crops. Manmade features include small compounds and isolated buildings generally hand railing tracks and roads. The principal route is the Mullah Fayyad Highway which is a good quality high-speed tarmac road. The canal is a major obstacle and is impassable for dismounts and vehicles apart from the two crossing points named Eastern Canal Crossing and SE Canal Crossing. The former is designated key terrain while the latter is decisive terrain for this mission. Overall, the ground is favorable for mounted and dismounted maneuver and offers excellent observation and fields of fire while irrigation ditches, compounds and buildings offer excellent cover and concealment. It is 0600 hrs on 01 Oct 06 and the weather is clear, warm with dry ground conditions and a gentle wind blowing from the West. Overall the climate is favorable to operations but temperatures are likely to impact more on friendly forces due to the weight of combat body armor than on the enemy. Mission: Overall Description Mission: Team Bravo 4-31 Inf attacks along the MULLAH FAYYAD Highway to seize BP148 NLT 0830hrs to control AO ROCKY. Tasks: 1. Secure PB RUSHDI MULLAH (Occupy 100 VPs). 2. Seize BP148 (Occupy 200 VPs). 3. Clear the MULLAH FAYYAD Highway to LOE CRAMPON NORTH, CENTER & SOUTH (Touch 100 VPs). 4. Escort the Logistics convoy. Execution: Commander’s Intent My intent is to aggressively patrol from PB RUSHDI MULLAH using maneuver elements overwatched by a security element remaining in the PB. Maneuver elements will initially clear the canal crossing and if necessary defeat any insurgents posing a threat to friendly force elements using the crossing. With the crossing cleared maneuver elements will seize BP148 and clear the MULLAH FAYYAD Highway to LOE CRAMPON prior to the arrival of 1st PLT NLT 0715 hrs. Maneuver elements at LOE CRAMPON will then escort the logistics convoy after its arrival at 0730 hrs to PB RUSHDI MULLAH. My Main Effort is ensuring the safe arrival of the logistics convoy at PB RUSHDI MULLAH. Endstate is BP148 held in PLT strength, with all other elements secure in PB RUSHDI MULLAH at 90% Combat Effectiveness and poised for future operations. Execution: Basic Plan Your choice commander but you should ensure that you keep your casualties and ammunition expenditure low to enable future construction operations at BP148. You must also take care to avoid civilian casualties and unnecessary collateral damage particularly around BP148 because damage here will create more work for the Engineers and make the position more difficult to secure in the short term. Most importantly, protect those vehicles, they have valuable ammunition and engineer stores on board. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 While I have posted similar before on another thread ... see below for a real World and CMSF map comparison (this time using the final map) Actual ground ... CMSF ground ... Also, I should have mentioned earlier - if you punch the Geo Coords shown in the 'Predator' image in my first post to Google Earth, it will take you straight there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 And finally ... the Designer's Notes This mission is semi-historical in that it is set in the right area in the right timeframe using the right units. However sources available are not specific enough to establish exactly when Team Bravo established BP T148 or whether a convoy was involved so it is reflective of the type of operation conducted by those brave soldiers. For reasons of mission design I have had to make some changes or fill in gaps in the research by making compromises. The actual location of BP T148 according to the Modern Warfare magazine article locates it in the open ground between the canal and the highway and the Eastern Canal Crossing Point. I had to change this to give a physical objective for team Bravo to secure but I have only moved it a matter of meters. The initial inspiration for the mission came from reading the May June 2016 Edition of Modern War magazine which provided some overall detail on TF 4-31 Infantry’s operations in Iraq and had a map which immediately made me think … ‘Hey this would be a great CMSF mission and an easy map to make’. In terms of playing the mission – there are things implied in the briefing but not explicitly stated, the only thing I will say is that the margins for a total victory are very tight indeed which is a common feature of all of my COIN missions. Ideally you should aim for a total victory. Also, due to the limited choices available in terms of Objective types in CMSF and the way the ground is laid out in this mission, I have no means of ‘forcing’ the player to run the convoy from LOE CRAMPON to PB RUSHDI MULLAH by rewarding the player VPs. So, to get the full mission experience I have to trust you the player to attempt to run that convoy back to the PB. Like my other modern missions, another part of my motivation was to pay tribute to the soldiers of TF 4-31 Infantry and the following summary says it all … Task Force 4-31 deployed again to Iraq for 15 months, beginning 16 August 2006. The 809 member task force was their Brigade's main effort and was given the daunting task of establishing the first permanent Coalition Force presence in the Sunni region south of Baghdad frequently referred to as the "Sunni Triangle." Working daily with their sister Iraqi Army battalion to re-establish the rule of law and the legitimacy of local Iraqi Forces to the area, Task Force 4-31 became a model vehicle of contemporary counterinsurgency theory and practice. They established 6 patrol bases, 17 battle positions, assisted the Iraqi Army in the establishment of many more. They conducted over 50 air assaults and 3 amphibious operations, and fired nearly 400 counter-fire artillery missions against enemy forces and in support of troops in contact. TF 4-31 killed or wounded 51 insurgents and captured 148, while aiding the Iraqi Army in the capture of over 1,500 additional insurgents. While actively hunting insurgents, the Soldiers of TF 4-31 set about improving the community, aiding in the improvement of schools, roads, irrigation canals, community centers, and emplacing solar power street lights. While completing their mission, Task Force 4-31 suffered 26 Soldiers killed in action. The Polar Bears, earned 2 Silver Stars and the Battalion was nominated for a Valorous Unit Award. Task Force 4-31 returned to Fort Drum in November 2007 to take a well-earned respite as they reset and trained for future combat operations. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) New CMSF content is always welcome. PS: Can't you make the destination for the convoy an exit area? Then they can get VP's. Even if you put the exit point elsewhere than the historic end point, it would help gameplay if the convoy has that motivation to move. Edited July 8, 2016 by Erwin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 45 minutes ago, Erwin said: New CMSF content is always welcome. PS: Can't you make the destination for the convoy an exit area? Then they can get VP's. Even if you put the exit point elsewhere than the historic end point, it would help gameplay if the convoy has that motivation to move. Exit objectives don't exist in CMSF - they came in with those pesky distracting WW2 titles 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Released !!!! Get it here ... http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-shock-force-2/cm-shock-force/mullah-fayyad/ Thanks @Bootie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootie Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Not a problem thanks for letting TSDIII host your content for the community. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) Ooops. Ok... Got the d/l. Thank you... Took a quick look. Question: Why did you name both the inf and the eng HQ's exactly the same: "Bravo HQ". A bit confusing. Edited July 8, 2016 by Erwin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 56 minutes ago, Erwin said: Ooops. Ok... Got the d/l. Thank you... Took a quick look. Question: Why did you name both the inf and the eng HQ's exactly the same: "Bravo HQ". A bit confusing. Three reasons: 1. I didn't want to strip the Engineer Coy HQ from the Blue Force. 2. I spent more time (at least 3 hours) than I was prepared to trying to find out the actual name of the engineer unit that was part of TF 4-31 and came up with a blank. 3. The force is Team Bravo so calling everyone Team Bravo was an appropriate compromise given the factors above. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Nice work! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 3 hours ago, LongLeftFlank said: Nice work! Thankyou - have you played it yet? I'll be honest I'm a bit nervy about it because the premise of escorting the convoy is not something I can totally control with victory conditions. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Very cool. We Have been having internet problems out here on the farm again. As soon as the system is stabilized (I hope by this evening) I will download this one and start the IPB. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Have only had time to play the first 20 minutes so far. Feedback: I found the briefing rather complex. Content that should have been in Designers Notes was in the Briefing. As I found the instructions confusing, I just used "common sense" in terms of sending out the troops. Not sure if there is some reason to keep a guard at the starting location. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 (edited) 7 hours ago, Erwin said: Have only had time to play the first 20 minutes so far. Feedback: I found the briefing rather complex. Content that should have been in Designers Notes was in the Briefing. As I found the instructions confusing, I just used "common sense" in terms of sending out the troops. Not sure if there is some reason to keep a guard at the starting location. Hi, thanks for the comments and yes I take the point about complexity and briefing content as I had to think long and hard about it to ensure that I could give the player the information required to play it in the required manner without setting out exactly how they should do it. The real World reason for keeping a guard at the starting location is the fact that this is your PB (Patrol Base) which contains all of your life support and your communications. The 'incentive' for the player is in the form of making it an 'occupy' objective and of course it is a specified task in the orders. Edited July 11, 2016 by Combatintman 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 ///////////////////////////////// SPOILER ///////////////////////////////////// Got it downloaded. IPB completed. Big map. The no-go terrain (think they call it severely restricted terrain now days) creates a few choke points and may make it impractical to take possession of some of the compounds that are sure to cause problems. Also the MSR is slightly raised. Reminds of the scenario in Market Garden where the avenue of advance was also raised. This should be a good fight. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 9 hours ago, MOS:96B2P said: ///////////////////////////////// SPOILER ///////////////////////////////////// Got it downloaded. IPB completed. Big map. The no-go terrain (think they call it severely restricted terrain now days) creates a few choke points and may make it impractical to take possession of some of the compounds that are sure to cause problems. Also the MSR is slightly raised. Reminds of the scenario in Market Garden where the avenue of advance was also raised. This should be a good fight. Good observations - potentially tricky isn't it? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted July 23, 2016 Share Posted July 23, 2016 (edited) ////////////////////////////////////////// SPOILER ALERT ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// SPOILER ALERT ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// SitRep 0630Hrs. Friendly KIA: 0 OpFor KIA: Approximately 4 With light contact 2nd & 3rd Rifle platoons along with 1st & 2nd Eng. Platoons maneuvered to the SE canal crossing. Photo #1 Covering fire while the point team crossed at SE canal crossing. Photo #2 OpFor with lead poisoning. Edited July 23, 2016 by MOS:96B2P 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combatintman Posted July 24, 2016 Author Share Posted July 24, 2016 @MOS:96B2P - nice screenshots mate ... are you comfortable with your timelines though? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.