Operation BARRAS A Company 1 PARA September 2000

[Sgt.Squarehead]

That does look cracking with all the mods. 

I'm just about to start this one too (un-modded), will post feedback in due course. 

[Erwin]

Agreed.  Very yummy...

[MOS:96B2P]

 

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SitMap 0622

1st and 2nd Platoons maneuvering to attack.  3rd Platoon in reserve.  On order 3rd Platoon will move to support maneuver platoons or move to interdict Forodugu Road.  

1) OP/LP in the bush about 70 meters west of Forodugu Road.  Tasked to monitor and report OpFor activity.  (Hmmm, only one sniper team has a radio ........... must have lost one in the bush ........... I know what we're doing after this mission.  1st Sgt. find the feckin RADIO!!!!!!!!!!!     

2) 2nd Platoon reports small arms fire from OpFor infantry inside buildings in Magbeni.  So it begins............... 

Edited May 1, 2017 by MOS:96B2P

[Combatintman]

@MOS:96B2PQueen's English dear chap ... you mean 1 Platoon, 2 Platoon and Platoon Sergeant.

Interesting scheme of manoeuvre - I like the fact that you have a reserve, its not something that is seen often in CMSF.  In terms of time and distance, I guess your interdiction option cued by the sniper team will be close to the track junction between Objectives Whisky and Tango.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I've sent 1 Platoon to the right to act as a blocking force, the Co. HQ is in overwatch, 2 & 3 Platoons will head left then sweep to the right through the village just after a linear bombardment has given the locals their 82mm alarm call.....Today's will feel like the worst hangover they ever had, of this I am quite sure. 

Playing realtime, so snapshots only when I'm done.....Definitely looks nicer with mods, but still looks pretty cool. 

Edited May 2, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[MOS:96B2P]

20 hours ago, Combatintman said:

<Snip>   In terms of time and distance, I guess your interdiction option cued by the sniper team will be close to the track junction between Objectives Whisky and Tango.

The S2 advised OpFor may arrive with Technicals from Forodugu at H+45.  As a contingency to this possible development I would like elements of 3 Platoon in position to ambush the OpFor before they gain access to the road network in Objective Tango (although it now occurs to me that damp ground conditions will not restrict the technicals to the roads).  Also Technicals on the road can make better time than my Paras moving through the bush on foot.   

WARNING ORDER: 3 Platoon at 0630hrs initiate movement east to interdict probable OpFor reinforcements arriving from Forodugu in order to prevent them joining forces with the OpFor Gulf Battalion prior to Objective Tango.  AIRBORNE!!! ALL THE WAY!!!  ---------------- or maybe it should be "God Save The Queen"???  .

"Sigh" There goes my reserves ........................       

[Combatintman]

@MOS:96B2PRemember that the assessment was exactly that ... an assessment - I hope for his sake, that the Battlegroup Intelligence Officer (not S2 in British parlance) was correct in his assessment.

[MOS:96B2P]

1 Platoon and 2 Platoon report CONTACT!!!!!

A West Side Boy spotted running east (something ironic about that).  Attempting to outrun 5.56mm and 7.62mm.     

[MOS:96B2P]

 

 

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SitRep 0642hrs.

Approximately 15 OpFor KIA, 1 Friendly walking wounded (yellow base)

2 Platoon wins a round at the NCO club for first OpFor kill. 

3 Platoon moving into ambush positions along road to Forodugu. 

 

SitMap 0642hrs.

 

Number 1.  1 Platoon dispensing freedom. 

Number 2.  OpFor technical.

Number 3.  2 Platoon HQ.

Number 4.  3 Platoon moving through the bush en-route Forodugu Road. 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2017 by MOS:96B2P

[Combatintman]

@MOS:96B2P cracking pictures and AAR as usual.  I see that you have gone long and deep with 3 Platoon - danger of them being dislocated.  Otherwise you're making good progress in the clearance of Magbeni and good to see a picture of the 51mm mortar in the Platoon HQ - I found them quite useful in my tests.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

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So here's my take on this one (Veteran/Real-Time).....Firstly, even without mods it's very jungly:

My scheme of manoeuvre with 1 Platoon and the Co. HQ:

When the reinforcements arrived I came to the conclusion that sending both platoons to the left would just create a target rich environment for the bad guys, so 2 Platoon went to the left following the route taken by the scouts, 3 Platoon moved through 1 Platoon's position and crossed the road, this was where things started to get interesting.....Just as 3 Platoon crossed the road behind Objective W a nasty scuffle kicked off at Objective V:

The mortars followed by 2 Platoon's bayonet charge soon sorted that out, but just as my lads were regrouping a RPG hit 3rd Section causing five casualties! 

At this point the lads went a bit mental, so images are few and far between.....The last survivor got his in another platoon strength bayonet charge, then we mopped up and moved on:

The local lads had decided to organise an off-road rally.....We brassed that lot up a treat and it was home in time for tea & medals:

The last two lads made it aboard the chopper with exactly 50 minutes on the clock:

Still looks pretty jungly to me, just a bit scorched here and there! 

Here's the outcome, satisfying 13-1 kill ratio, would have been much higher but for that bloody RPG! 

Excellent scenario, looks replayable, will give it another go later in the week.....Very impressed indeed (but I expected no less). 

PS - The only thing actually left alive on the map at the end was their artillery spotter, hiding in probably the only building I didn't actually send men through.....Lucky, lucky b*****d! 

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Erwin]

This looks like real fun. 

Am struggling to get through the Russian Campaign in the new module.  It's pretty good.  But, very stressful trying to keep the comrades alive in such a lethal environment.

[MOS:96B2P]

22 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

<Snip>

The local lads had decided to organize an off-road rally.....We brassed that lot up a treat and it was home in time for tea & medals:

<Snip> 

LOL.     That is just funny. 

[Erwin]

Still... 5 KIA.  In RL only 1 Brit was killed.

This is interesting: "The successful use of 1 PARA in Operation Barras influenced the creation of the Special Forces Support Group—a permanent unit, initially built around 1 PARA, whose role is to act as a force multiplier for British special forces on large or complex operations."

Anyone know about this SFSG?  Maybe a formation for a future scenario?

Edited May 5, 2017 by Erwin

[Combatintman]

10 hours ago, Erwin said:

Still... 5 KIA.  In RL only 1 Brit was killed.

This is interesting: "The successful use of 1 PARA in Operation Barras influenced the creation of the Special Forces Support Group—a permanent unit, initially built around 1 PARA, whose role is to act as a force multiplier for British special forces on large or complex operations."

Anyone know about this SFSG?  Maybe a formation for a future scenario?

There were no British KIA at Magbeni.  The SFSG is tri-service but its core is formed from 1 PARA.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Combatintman

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I was definitely too, gung-ho.....Deliberately so TBH.  My playing style and AAR both were heavily influenced by the Parachute Regiment Rules of Engagement  that Combatintman introduced us to earlier in the thread.  Once that RPG hit my pixelparas really did go mental (I've never used 'Assault' so much).  

Three of the KIA were from that single RPG, I didn't actually see it fired as I was up at the road with 3 Platoon when it happened (real-time is pretty unforgiving like that), I just witnessed the aftermath and the swift & bloody revenge. 

I'll no doubt play this scenario at least once more in real-time and a couple of times WEGO too, then it's into the editor time to see how it was achieved.  As I said earlier it's a really enjoyable scenario, immersive even without mods and it 'feels' right. 

PS - The carnage at the 'off road rally' site was just staggering, two full platoons of really very angry Paras caught the reinforcements still in their technicals, the tyres went first so they didn't reach their presumed disembarkation point and then the mortar started to fall.  There were no survivors (and no friendly casualties).

Edited May 6, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Erwin]

Ok, I thought this was Barras:  http://www.eliteukforces.info/special-air-service/sas-operations/operation-barras/

FWIW:  "The SAS lost one man, named as Brad Tinnion, whilst the Paras had 12 wounded, 1 seriously."

[Sgt.Squarehead]

So I actually took the same number of casualties, but mine were much more serious.....I'm guessing Combatintman's not counting the fallen SAS trooper as they weren't within the parameters of the scenario?

[Combatintman]

17 hours ago, Erwin said:

Ok, I thought this was Barras:  http://www.eliteukforces.info/special-air-service/sas-operations/operation-barras/

FWIW:  "The SAS lost one man, named as Brad Tinnion, whilst the Paras had 12 wounded, 1 seriously."

Brad Tinnion was not killed at Magbeni, which this scenario replicates. He was on the other side of the Rokel Creek at Gberi Bana.

[Combatintman]

19 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

I was definitely too, gung-ho.....Deliberately so TBH.  My playing style and AAR both were heavily influenced by the Parachute Regiment Rules of Engagement  that Combatintman introduced us to earlier in the thread.  Once that RPG hit my pixelparas really did go mental (I've never used 'Assault' so much).  

Three of the KIA were from that single RPG, I didn't actually see it fired as I was up at the road with 3 Platoon when it happened (real-time is pretty unforgiving like that), I just witnessed the aftermath and the swift & bloody revenge. 

I'll no doubt play this scenario at least once more in real-time and a couple of times WEGO too, then it's into the editor time to see how it was achieved.  As I said earlier it's a really enjoyable scenario, immersive even without mods and it 'feels' right. 

PS - The carnage at the 'off road rally' site was just staggering, two full platoons of really very angry Paras caught the reinforcements still in their technicals, the tyres went first so they didn't reach their presumed disembarkation point and then the mortar started to fall.  There were no survivors (and no friendly casualties).

TBH it is probably only worth replaying once - there is only one AI plan. I wouldn't get your hopes up about learning much from what I've done in the editor either - it is a pretty simple AI plan. Most of my plans work on the KISS philosophy - my main trickery with the AI just comes down to planning and a reverse IPB.  Once I've done that, it is just a case of solving the speed, time and distance problem which usually takes a couple of tests to fine tune.

[MOS:96B2P]

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SitRep 0658hrs.

Approximately 20 OpFor KIA, 1 Friendly walking wounded (yellow base)

SitMap 0658hrs.

1 Platoon reports another technical. 

OpFor reinforcements enter the A/O via Forodugu Road.

Fire teams of 3 Platoon in ambush positions along Forodugu Road.

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by MOS:96B2P

[Combatintman]

@MOS:96B2P Looks like the next turn could get interesting - I'll be interested to see how this COA develops as I didn't test the option of chucking a platoon out to interdict the road.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

My money's firmly on the British TBH.....I sense imminent burning Toyotas, shortly followed by much running & screaming on the part of the BSB! 

 

[MOS:96B2P]

 

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SitRep 0705hrs

Approximately 50 OpFor KIA

Two friendly casualties and 2 friendly walking wounded (yellow base)

SitMap 

3 Platoon initiates the ambush.

I will allow the combat photographer to tell the story. 

WSB Gulf Battalion: Be advised, the road to Forodugu is closed. 

 

 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Thought as much TBH. 

Great AAR, I'm going to have to try doing one in WEGO.