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Hasty AAR: Rahadnak Valley Search (USMC)


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While the cool guys get to play CMSF2 and tease us with their AARs, I couldn't resist and got myself some CMSF1 play too. Several months ago I tried doing English-based AAR (while I'm Russian, obviously) for my WITP AE campaign and I really liked doing it. But I don't have much time to play these days, so the AAR itself will get even less attention (sorry).

Mission name:  Rahadnak Valley Search.

Difficulty: uhm.. Elite?

I play as US Marines against @jackal263, who plays Syrians. My main goal is to have fun. And I cannot really enforce my opponent to not read this thread. So I don't mind him looking. We'll pretend that my Company is embedded with a reporter who likes to broadcast live. Not the one from the Rolling Stones :)

Let's go!

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I played this mission several years ago, in H2H. But I played as OPFOR, and got my arse handed to me big time. Don't remember much of anything, but it was really great! Interesting landscape & great scenario. Not sure how it will play out this time around, with me playing as BLUFOR.

Mission: "secure" the town (whatever that means)

My starting force: 3x Infantry Platoons (+) on AAVs and a Sniper Section (two three-man teams), 60mm off-map mortars.

Enemy force: completely unknown.

Time: 2 hours to go

My initial plan

I have absolutely zero intel on the enemy. And two hours of time. The briefing suggests double envelopment. But I ain't moving my Marines before I know more about the enemy. 1st Platoon is on hold, mounted. AAVs will observe the road leading into the town. 2nd Platoon will detach a fire team for a dismounted patrol to recon the low ground. 3rd Platoon will remain in reserve, also mounted. Sniper section will slowly advance up the ridge to get an OP on the town.

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Edited by L0ckAndL0ad
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3 hours ago, L0ckAndL0ad said:

But I ain't moving my Marines before I know more about the enemy.

Very wise.  In the modern titles especially have often found it suicidal to move forces forward without scouting.  A couple guys with binocs or better are harder for the enemy to spot (usually) than sending a vehicle etc.

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3 hours ago, Erwin said:

Very wise.  In the modern titles especially have often found it suicidal to move forces forward without scouting.  A couple guys with binocs or better are harder for the enemy to spot (usually) than sending a vehicle etc.

Well. Information is the key. Always. But you also have to balance between being aggressive enough and being knowledgeable enough. That's the hardest part.

Mission start time: 8:00

Sitrep @ 8:02

Scout Sniper Platoon HQ that was sent to the Hill 40 to do some leader's recon spotted two vehicles in the town. First one looks very sketchy and might be a VBIED. Second vehicle is an SPG-9 armed technical. If there are IEDs involved, I should REALLY avoid using the most obvious routes. The main road into the town and the dried up creek to the South should not be used. 

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8 hours ago, L0ckAndL0ad said:

Scout Sniper Platoon HQ that was sent to the Hill 40 to do some leader's recon spotted two vehicles in the town. First one looks very sketchy and might be a VBIED. 

+2  Interesting AAR.  Just what is needed as we wait for CMSF2.  Thanks for taking the time to do this. 

All of @George MC scenarios are very good.  It will be interesting to see the improvements made to this scenario for CMSF2.    

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9 hours ago, L0ckAndL0ad said:

you also have to balance between being aggressive enough and being knowledgeable enough. That's the hardest part.

Agreed.  Fortunately, 2 hours is pretty reasonable for a mission like this.  Have you mentally given yourself deadlines for the recon portion vs the assault portion?

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2 hours ago, MOS:96B2P said:

+2  Interesting AAR.  Just what is needed as we wait for CMSF2.  Thanks for taking the time to do this. 

All of @George MC scenarios are very good.  It will be interesting to see the improvements made to this scenario for CMSF2.    

Glad to be doing this! Did not expect so much attention, actually!

1 hour ago, IanL said:

From the naming of the file "USMC Rahadnak Valley Search.btt" it looks like it would be a stock scenario from the marine module.

Yep, it's from the Marines module.

55 minutes ago, Erwin said:

Agreed.  Fortunately, 2 hours is pretty reasonable for a mission like this.  Have you mentally given yourself deadlines for the recon portion vs the assault portion?

Oh, no, 2 hours is good, but not "more than you really need". MOUT is much more time consuming than any other operational environment. Well, if you want your soldiers to survive, of course :)

Nah, I'm bad at deadlines. And I don't plan too much in details. I have a general idea in mind, and keep re-evaluating it as I go.

I depend on my gut and tactical experience. Having read many US Army & USMC doctrinal publication over the years, and just recently refreshed my memory by re-reading MCDP 1 "Warfighting", MCDP 1-3 "Tactics", MCWP 3-35.3 "MOUT" (I should also check out MCRP 12-10B.1 for MOUT changes, just need time), but having not served in any actual military, I lack discipline and simply just not really into "milsim for the sake of milsim" thing.

If we come back to "Generation Kill" references, yeah, I kinda hear it in my head as if General Mattis screams at me asking why the hell his Marines aren't "rolling through that city". But given that there's no clear objective area to take in this mission, I don't really have to actually roll anywhere at all :)

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1 hour ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

I wouldn't really think of that as MOUT, not even by middle eastern standards.  :unsure:

Well, according to MCWP 3-35.3, it is a village with a residential sprawl. But what is more important is that MOUT rules do apply to this mission.

Quote

Categories of Built-Up Areas. Built-up areas are generally classified as:
Villages (populations of 3,000 or less)

Quote

(4) Residential Sprawl. Residential sprawl areas consist mainly of low houses or
apartments that are one to three stories tall. The area is primarily composed of detached
dwellings that are usually arranged in irregular patterns along streets, with many smaller
open areas between structures (Figure 1-6).

 

Sitrep @ 8:06

Reinforcements of 4 humvees (2x TOW, 1x .50 cal, 1x 40mm, 2x Javelin teams) arrived at 8:05. Scout Sniper HQ boys were ordered to get down from the ridge to hand off their recon information to other units (horizontal C2). On their way down, my boys were fired upon by what appears to be a sniper. From the built-up area. No exact (or approximate) position is known.

Two humvees (minus ATGM stuff) were ordered to move out and head north, to start scouting the northern part of the AO. 4 LAVs that should arrive in ~10 minutes will join them there.

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Edited by L0ckAndL0ad
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Sitrep @ 8:07

Mortar rounds start falling near 2nd Platoon's forward element. No casualties yet. Ordering them back to AAVs. This ground is too open for dismounted scouts. I may have to go with vehicle recon or an assault. Need to consider the best route for the southern area maneuvers.

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38 minutes ago, L0ckAndL0ad said:

Sitrep @ 8:07

Mortar rounds start falling near 2nd Platoon's forward element. No casualties yet. Ordering them back to AAVs. This ground is too open for dismounted scouts. I may have to go with vehicle recon or an assault. Need to consider the best route for the southern area maneuvers.

RhKbWtalyEBhNYm0tOqp4SCcJ8ooSd5i5PzzgicB

Like "sitrep" remind my soldier time...

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Sitrep @ 8:08

...Or maybe I should not do a vehicle recon. The enemy has ATGMs. Lead humvee got hit. Enemy sniper team on Hill 41 also opened up. A firefight started. Second humvee fired upon a sniper, killing the guy with SVD and suppressing his buddy. Second ATGM was fired. Both humvees will be down in a few seconds, I'm afraid.

Marine Scout Snipers are the only ones within a clear LOS on ATGM. 60mm mortars fire mission is called on ATGM. 4-5 minutes ETA. The enemy will be gone by that time, I bet, but that's the best thing I can do right this moment. Sending more vehicles there would be a wrong move. And massed infantry on that ridge will be seriously exposed. Hmm...

Okay, now is the time to come up with something.

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4 hours ago, L0ckAndL0ad said:

I lack discipline...  now is the time to come up with something.

This is the hardest part of the CM2 game system to master imo.  Am talking abut the discipline of patience.  Often one has to wait and observe, wait for the FO to bring down arty on the targets that are identified, wait some more to locate other targets and dispose of them one by one.  Ideally, one doesn't put oneself in the situation where one is forced to deal with multiple enemies simultaneously.  

If you are looking for suggestions:  It seems that now you need to hunker down (maybe w/d exposed units back to safety) and wait for the FO to neutralize the enemies you do see with arty before advancing any unit further into the enemy kill zone.

 

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8 hours ago, Erwin said:

This is the hardest part of the CM2 game system to master imo.  Am talking abut the discipline of patience.  Often one has to wait and observe, wait for the FO to bring down arty on the targets that are identified, wait some more to locate other targets and dispose of them one by one.  Ideally, one doesn't put oneself in the situation where one is forced to deal with multiple enemies simultaneously.  

If you are looking for suggestions:  It seems that now you need to hunker down (maybe w/d exposed units back to safety) and wait for the FO to neutralize the enemies you do see with arty before advancing any unit further into the enemy kill zone.

 

I only have one section of 60mm mortars to go around with. 2x Cobras are yet to arrive (7 minutes out).

Sitrep @ 8:09

Yep. Both forward humvees are gone. 2 Marine KIA so far. They do not respond.

Enemy mortars are currently busy firing where none of my boys are. So, all things being considered, I think it's safer for me to operate my Marines on foot. Even if they have to walk long distances.

I ordered 1st Platoon forward a bit, then they'll dismount in the open under the cover of smoke and will proceed into the village. 3rd Platoon is to be deployed from Reserve to deal with the remainder of the the enemy Sniper Team on Hill 41. I think I can somewhat maneuver there without exposing 3rd Plt too much, after all. 

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1 hour ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Have a look at the stats for the Sagger, it has characteristics that you may be able to use to your advantage.

PS - It's hard to tell where the launcher(s) actually is(are) in relation to the HMMWVs in your image.

ATGM location - NW corner of the map. I just looked up. A single launcher can in fact fire two missiles in a minute.

BTW, does anyone have problems with the images that I post? I looked into this thread while at work, and some of the images were not showing up. Not sure what's up.

Here's the album I use, if anyone's got problems with images (can't edit old posts anyway):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cp2XUbL8qFA5WgiEA

Edited by L0ckAndL0ad
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