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An der Schönen Blauen Dnjepr scenario


HerrTom

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1644

Not much happened this turn, so no new map.  Please forgive me!

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An unsuppressed BMP-2 managed to fire off a volley at one of the crossing BTRs.  Shots riddle the front plate and rip apart the crew.  There are no survivors as the BTR drifts to a stop.

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One of the surviving T-72s notices the trouble too late to save the stricken BTR, but exacts revenge, delivering an APFSDS round into the BTR straight through a thick cloud of smoke and a building!  (Thanks @Bil Hardenberger for the idea of using a PIP!)  It was hard to get a good shot here since the BMP was literally engulfed in smoke from the artillery shells landing nearby.

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Despite some (maddening) pathfinding issues with BTRs taking the long way down the slope, going into the water and coming back out at another point, the crossing is going OK for now.  It's not as coordinated as I was planning, with a 2+1 configuration.  More like piecemeal.

Regardless, we go onward! To victory!

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On 7/3/2018 at 4:24 AM, Bil Hardenberger said:

This is a lovely and well written AAR.  Screenshots are amazing.. please share the overlay you are using, if you don't mind.

Bil

Thank you Bil, it's an honour to receive such praise from you!

The overlay is actually how it appears in-game, believe it or not!  I'm using Reshade to inject some post-processing over CM.  It's really something I only use for screenshots since it can definitely get in the way of gameplay, depending on what's enabled.  I posted some info on it here:

 

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1645

Just a couple of screenshots.  The crossing continues, and is beginning to look a bit more organized.  I've been somewhat attrited, but in the next few minutes I should be able to dump a reinforced company across the river.

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Supporting fire from the riverbank lays into a Ukrainian trenchwork blocking the railway access.  Staccato autocannon shots burst around an SPG-9 emplaced in the fortification.

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A view from the railroad bridge at the BTRs as they cross the river.

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  • 2 weeks later...

1646

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The BTRs engage enemy positions as they cross.  They're moderately effective, but I really wish I had BMPs for this!

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Infantry are squirrely, though.  A squad hidden in the copse by the river fires an RPG at one of the crossing BTRs - a hit!  At this point I feel I haven't prepared the opposite bank enough.  BMPs, ATGMs, and a T-64(!!) have knocked out four BTRs as they cross the river.  There are at least two enemy tanks remaining, since the one I have spotted does not have a good view of the river itself.

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A T-64 spotted by one of my Konkurs teams.  They spent about 20 seconds staring at it without trying to engage, so they have a direct target order for this next turn.  Hopefully a Konkurs can defeat the ERA!

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Despite the shortfalls, the Ukrainian side of the river is a moonscape.  Here we can see a lone crewmember taking cover in a crater as smoke shells rain down in front of him.

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It's not all bad, though.  Two BTRs have landed intact.  The Company HQ and a rifle squad, all laden with extra disposable RPGs to deal with any latent armoured threat.  Once I can assemble a platoon of the survivors, we can start limited offensive operations to clear out.

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The view from my side of the river.  I don't have a picture of it, but the reconnaissance team has been crossing the western side of the river unmolested.  We previously knocked out a BMP sitting cover there, and spotted a small team watching over the river.  I have no doubts that he knows I'm crossing, but the enemy appears unable to do anything about it.  An AGS is finished setting up and will start to pepper the spotted scout team.

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On 7/27/2018 at 8:28 AM, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Looks a very impressive scrap.....Did you ever add an AI to this @HerrTom

Not yet - it's pretty big so I'm tinkering around with smaller scenarios so I can learn what I'm doing in the (totally opaque in my opinion) AI editor B).  I've had fairly limited time lately, so that hasn't helped.

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3 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

It's definitely easiest to script for the defender first, test a few triggers and stances, see how it works out.....Do you mind if I have a mess with it? 

Be my guest. I also plan on clearing up some issues like the slope at the riverbank and obstacles in the Dachas. I'm excited to see what your wizardry can do!

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Wizardry?  Where?  :o

I rather fancy experimenting with something, big, unscripted and with a plausible force balance (ie: with no Oplots on holiday from Thailand).....This is the best example I know.

Don't expect any actual output (although I'll be happy to send you what I do), I'm still quite new to the later games.

PS - Wonder if you can paint triggers in water? 

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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1647

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The scout unit's BTRs cross seemingly unmolested.  A knocked out BRM-1 is in the foreground.  It may have friends nearby, but the last fifteen minutes of observation have only shown the scout team associated with it.  My platoon should have little problem taking them out, and I think the BTR-82A's autocannon will be more than a match for a BRM-1's low pressure gun at close range, if it comes to that.

But I didn't expect my overwatching ATGM team to fall asleep.

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They stare at a T-64 as it drives out of the woodline towards the crossing BTRs.  Over the course of a minute, it gets into position and takes out the headquarters BTR just a dozen meters from the shore.  It doesn't have good sight on the remaining two, so they should be able to drop off their troops, but I doubt the ability of RPG-16s to take on an MBT!

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Finally, some autocannon fire reaches out of the smoke and damages another BTR as it crosses the river.  Things are going very badly right now.  I think I pushed too hard at the beginning and rushed the crossing in the name of the Blood God.  I'm sure Ken is satisfied!  The restart of the scenario also definitely didn't help, since I guess my opponent got a good enough look at my strategy and I didn't change it enough!

Things are looking grim, with almost a dozen BTRs sinking in the Dnjepr and heavier enemy presence than anticipated.  I'm currently feeling that I need to give the Russians more troops when I update the scenario (or better ones for this crossing, since it's approximately even).  Time will tell.

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Adjusting the wind intensity and direction could help to make the smokescreen more effective, if you set it such that the smoke blows back across the river.  Weather would probably be a big part of the planning for an operation like this, so it's not unreasonable IMHO.

Just a thought.

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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Good thoughts.  I used the wonderful work by @IanL and @Ithikial_AU to gauge the actual weather on this date at this location, including wind and temperature.  Additionally, the original map actually had a road bridge, but I was corrected that it's actually a railroad.  I think I can drive vehicles over a railroad bridge too, but I haven't tried it yet.

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Cheers @HerrTom

Judging by the timed 'ping' I get every night in my Dropbox folder I share with IanL, I'm guessing the script he wrote to record daily weather patterns across Ukraine is still running. If the CMBS timeframe expands out to cover 2017-18 winter and autum period we'll be covered. ;)

If anyone is interested. :D (Current CMBS timeframe only)

http://cmmodsiii.greenasjade.net/?p=5228

Edited by Ithikial_AU
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2 hours ago, HerrTom said:

Additionally, the original map actually had a road bridge, but I was corrected that it's actually a railroad.  I think I can drive vehicles over a railroad bridge too, but I haven't tried it yet.

I tried to move vehicles through it, but in one place BTR didn't want move throgh the place, where two sections of the bridge merged, though without problem croosed over previous the same place. Maybe something wrong with heights...  In the real world I think, tracked vehicles will have some problems with moving along rails. 

Edited by Haiduk
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