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An der Schönen Blauen Dnjepr scenario


HerrTom

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It depends on how valuable one considers life is.  My international travel experience is that anyplace but the west, life is relatively "cheap" (regrettably).

This gives rise to challenges as we now face - hard to fight an enemy that doesn't mind (or even welcomes) dying.

Edited by Erwin
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I think on principle  it's impossible for a modern, near-peer fight to not be a bloodbath for both sides. 

It's not so much just the weapons but that they are similarly equipped in terms of sensors/range. It's that zone of equality that probably creates an equivalent escalation of damage. 

Protected Vegetables Catapult made the point a few days ago about artillery, and how in the future it could well be the speed of emplace/acquire/fire/move that's critical, not just the range,. Ie the whole system matters not just the tube or its carriage. 

Whoever breaks ahead in the speed if that loop will gave a small edge thay will, after a certain threshold, rapidly grow. 

If this sounds like data analysis, it probably is. If that sounds like battlefield AI, it almost certainly is. 

The times they are a changin'....

Edited by kinophile
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 15/02/2018 at 1:36 PM, kinophile said:

I think on principle  it's impossible for a modern, near-peer fight to not be a bloodbath for both sides. 

It's not so much just the weapons but that they are similarly equipped in terms of sensors/range. It's that zone of equality that probably creates an equivalent escalation of damage. 

Protected Vegetables Catapult made the point a few days ago about artillery, and how in the future it could well be the speed of emplace/acquire/fire/move that's critical, not just the range,. Ie the whole system matters not just the tube or its carriage. 

Whoever breaks ahead in the speed if that loop will gave a small edge thay will, after a certain threshold, rapidly grow. 

If this sounds like data analysis, it probably is. If that sounds like battlefield AI, it almost certainly is. 

The times they are a changin'....

IIRC this is one of the reasons for the heavy shift in favour of SP Artillery in the Soviet Army - in addition to the added protection and mobility, it makes your artillery more responsive and faster to set up and bug out!

 

Now, since Real Life™ sucks and I haven't had much time to write stuff up for you guys, I don't have as many turns as I'd like.  I'll make it up to you by dumping a tonne of pictures at once.  Are we even? <3

 

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It's been only a few minutes as far as I've got my AAR caught up.  But a bunch has happened.

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The ATGM teams with the scout platoon fire a few missiles which all fail to hit their mark, swinging wildly off course or, in the case of one, smacking into a tree a few meters from its target!

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One team is a bit too vigorous in their firing and attract the attention of a BMP on the opposite bank

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The tanks of 5 Plt/1Co by the bridge have more success, popping a few BMPs with well aimed fire.  There is a lurking T-64 by the church but we've been alternately unable to spot it and hit it.

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A missile zooms over 5 Plt's tank.  They respond by blowing out a floor of the old church.

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Further shots from the platoon blow apart a few more BMPs and finally nails that damn T-64!  Rejoice!

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Ukrainian artillery starts to land on my positions and a lucky shell acts like a can-opener on one of 1 Company's BTRs.  The column is hidden in the forest and this appears to be an errant shell.  Seems it may be time to move.

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But where to go?  They say caution is the better part of valour.  I say to hell with caution - the best part of valour is action!  Now is better than never, and now that I've achieved some modicum of fire superiority over the river and my smoke is beginning to land, it's time to drag the BTRs into position.

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The attached tank from BtnHQ engages a retreating enemy ATGM team and pops smoke to cover the advance to the river.

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An errant shell lands well behind my lines and injures my air controller.  Hopefully the Hinds can pick their targets well enough without him!  He's getting first aid but I doubt the ability of his assistant in guiding in more missions.

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Smoke begins to thicken on the enemy positions.  There are a few trenches left uncovered, but they will be easily suppressed by the crossing force and their supporting arms.  My main worry is enemy vehicles, which will have to drive forward through the smoke - much to their disadvantage!

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14 hours ago, HerrTom said:

IIRC this is one of the reasons for the heavy shift in favour of SP Artillery in the Soviet Army - in addition to the added protection and mobility, it makes your artillery more responsive and faster to set up and bug out!

An interesting tidbit on this, but in the US Army not the Russia. Today, field artillery (M777) actually move faster operationally speaking than the Paladin SPG. I don't know why this is and can only speculate, but I believe it has something to do with the mechanized nature of the Paladin itself. Its a large, lumbering machine that requires more maintenance and has a smaller ammo stockpile it brings with itself than field howitzers. However, I do still think it is the case that the Paladin is better at "shoot and scoot." 

Anyways, the AAR is coming along very nicely. I especially like your map graphics. I can only imagine how long that took to originally set up. Your plan also looks very good, and based on the last screenshot you seem to be doing a lot of damage to the defenders on the other bank. I'm looking forward to the attack across the river and how it all plays out. It is a very complex, dangerous maneuver that even if you do everything right, could still go wrong. Good luck!

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5 hours ago, IICptMillerII said:

An interesting tidbit on this, but in the US Army not the Russia. Today, field artillery (M777) actually move faster operationally speaking than the Paladin SPG. I don't know why this is and can only speculate, but I believe it has something to do with the mechanized nature of the Paladin itself. Its a large, lumbering machine that requires more maintenance and has a smaller ammo stockpile it brings with itself than field howitzers. However, I do still think it is the case that the Paladin is better at "shoot and scoot."

Interesting. With the Gvozdika attached to most manoeuvre formations the most interesting capability was the amphibious capability which in theory vastly expands its mobility.

5 hours ago, IICptMillerII said:

It is a very complex, dangerous maneuver that even if you do everything right, could still go wrong. Good luck!

Thanks I'm going to need it!

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On 28.02.2018 at 3:37 AM, HerrTom said:

With the Gvozdika attached to most manoeuvre formations the most interesting capability was the amphibious capability which in theory vastly expands its mobility.

Not Gvozdika but Akatsia, though... :)

DD-902vXcAEbuCr.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

1YWdPHC.png

My forces continue to maneouvre to the river, getting ready for the ambitious crossing.  (Designer's note... I think I overestimated the capability of my reduced Russian MRB against these BMPs!  I originally designed this scenario with the 3rd battalion arriving after some time but thought twice.  Call it thrice now?)

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An ATGM bounces its way through the air towards 5. Platoon, 1. Company's tanks.

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It screams right overhead, scaring the hell out of the crew.  They frantically work to find the source of the missile.

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They fail.  A second missile slams into the upper front plate, killing the driver.  The crew abandons the tank.

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Things continue going poorly as one of my BTRs in 1. Company's weapon platoon eats some 30mm cannon shells.  The fragments kill the driver and gunner, as well as a Metis team.

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Clearly the smoke and suppression hasn't been enough to protect the BTRs fully.  Thankfully, they are almost all in position, ready for the crossing in the next minute or two.  Above, smoke can be seen covering the approach into the dachas from the forest.

 

In the next couple of minutes, hopefully I can get the shots we've all been waiting for.  The amphibious crossing! (And literally the main reason I made this map and scenario B))

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40 minutes ago, kinophile said:

I'd be up for a RT game. 

Streaming it would be very neat. 

Do you mean proper real time or direct connect we-go? You'd hand me my ass in proper real time but I'd be down for it, I don't really care about winning or losing. Its a matter of when and how; I'm entering exams and I'll be back in GMT-5 timezone starting this summer. 

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  • 3 months later...

I found something in my CM Helper inbox a couple of days ago...

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The dachas turn out to be more exposed than I anticipated.  This means I need to start the crossing ASAP.  The platoons on the riverbank and dive into the water.

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BTRs from 1st Company boldly drive to the riverbank, catching up with their comrades.

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Another BTR eats some 30mm fire from across the river.  The passengers survive with major wounds as they bail out of the doomed vehicle.

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And yet another.  Clearly the smoke screen is not doing its job!  None of these hits have been catastrophic, but they are definitely decreasing the combat power I can deploy across the Dnjepr.

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All the while artillery shells land around 1st Company as they stage.

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But the order comes: "Cross to landing point Boris!"

The engines roar to life as the platoon surges forward.  The crossing gets staggered as some drivers attempt to find better slopes to enter the river.

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But the crossing has begun...

 

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