Bil Hardenberger

Interesting! Obviously I am not sure. Glad you are around to correct me akd. Bil

Thanks for that. I will be careful around them and try to keep them outside their effective range (around 900 meters) though I think this AT Team is already within that range to some of my vehicles.

Alex, yeah the night vision is a known bug.

Yes, I also suspect that tank took some damage to its optics or gun.

You misspelled armor Bud. Yes, the round was APFSDS... though the hit decals are too large for the penetrator rod.. I need to make a report about that. Remember also that I purposefully took the M1A1 instead of the M1A2, and though I;m not sure of the armor difference between them, the M1A2 should be more survivable against the other western tanks. Did anyone notice that in the last few turn reports there were no black floating icons? Progress!

MINUTE 13 M1 #2 had a tight cover arc covering the position the Challenger was moving into and had a 20 second pause to give it time to spot and fire before withdrawing. I know now that those tanks can kill mine with ease, so I am taking few chances. The enemy Challenger turned the corner and stopped, then took aim and fired at M1 #1, which if you remember last turn was already dead… though its crew had survived.. well after this hit and another I think from the other Challenger the crew was cut in half and only two survivors crawled out of the stricken tank. But then M1 #2 got a good firing solution and put a SABOT right into the Challenger’s front turret… double wow… it shrugged off that hit without any noticeable damage. Good news is that this Challenger never spotted mine before the Abrams pulled back into safety. One of the Leos moved out of its position and appeared to be moving towards… the Ruined Farm… now renamed the Gate to Valhalla... keep sending them that way buddy. The HQ tank from the T-90 platoon spotted a Marder breaching a stone wall near Farm 001 and was spotted in return. The T-90 took several cannon rounds and returned one of its own, which... missed of course. Will any Syrian vehicle get a kill in this game? It’s looking doubtful at this point. The Warrior platoon that was heading toward Farm 002 has at least three vehicles moving beyond it, two of them (maybe only one with the second in support) appears to be heading through the field toward OBJ SAPPHIRE, a third has moved into the gully that leads into OBJ DIAMOND. I had already started to reorient one of the T-90s to cover the water tower area and the field beyond. T-90 #2 will pull into position next turn to overwatch this field in front of Farm 002.

It was brutal.. took forever to prep those graphics too. Yes the Challenger has a rifled gun, nasty bugger. From this point on the action will start to ramp up dramatically... it is a dangerous battleground for sure.

MINUTE 12 Apologies ahead of time for the media heavy content in this post... Another Warrior IFV platoon appears to be moving toward Point 32.9… M1 #1 moved into position in the early stages of this turn and almost immediately spotted one of them moving up to the Ruined Farm (Baneman does like that position), with one round it was sent to Valhalla… 10 seconds later it killed a second Warrior also near the Ruined Farm. Think he has learned the lesson to stay away from that farm yet? Immediately after killing the second Warrior IFV, M1 #1 spotted a Challenger! Alas... before he could reload and reorient, the Challenger killed the Abrams with a one round turret front penetration… wow… After looking at it from the Challenger’s perspective, I don’t think M1 #1 was hulldown to it… not sure if that would have even made a difference though. To kill an Abrams from the front is impressive gun performance. M1 #2 spotted one of the Warrior IFVs headed toward Farm 002 and got off one round, which hit the weapon mount with no ill effects that I could see, but that must be a gun kill. The IFV trundled on toward Farm 002. At the end of the turn the other Challenger was seen moving around the southern end of the large stone walled field in KT1. M1 #2 will attempt to get a spot next turn and see if we can’t even the score. I do like that he has split up his Challenger tanks so each is now operating independently. Baneman has at least one dismounted infantry AT team (German) far forward near the wall… he is obviously attempting to get close enough to engage my LAVs with an AT weapon. I need to check on the range for that weapon. I suspect it looks meaner than it is. LAV #4 spotted and fired on this team which went to ground. The Bradley platoon started to arrive this turn, the dismounts will organize a Javelin armed AT team which will proceed to the ridge while the remaining infantry will remount next turn. At least two Warrior IFVs moved beyond Point 32.9 appearing to be heading toward the position that is held by the BMP-3 Platoon. I think he has two Warrior platoons in this area, one near the Ruined Farm (two vehicles spotted, both destroyed), and the other moving past Point 32.9 (three vehicles spotted). Overview of enemy movements this turn: Battle Position 1 (BP1):

Great questions Bud. BP = Battle Postion T-90s - well yes they are seriously outclassed, but I do not intend for them to combat the enemy Challengers and Leopards. I suspect they would be very roughly handled if they did. I have other assets I intend to use against the enemy tanks. Constraints in movement - in a form of battlefield judo, I intend to use his maneuver advantage against him. I WANT him to feel comfortable deploying deep into the valley between my position and his, the more he spreads his combat power out in that kill zone the better. Baneman's Infantry v Syrian infantry - this is not a concern of mine at all. I doubt the dismounts will have much of an impact on this fight, at least not against each other. Concentration - I intend to concentrate my fire, not necessarily my units, so in that sense, yes it is important for me to concentrate against his assets in order to defeat him. Sorry to be so cryptic, but I would hate to give too much away. Bil

My position is slightly higher. But he has the advantage of maneuvering room. It takes me a lot longer to get my units into position than it does him. The Farm 11 contact was discussed in previous turns. There are two Scimitars in that area.

More in that post to discuss than an errant LAV.. For example: - any insights from the Enemy Order of Battle? - where do you think the Warrior platoon spotted this turn is heading? - how ugly are the British vehicles with the antitank grenade cages?

MINUTE 11 Remember the LAV-AT’s orders: Now, imagine my horror when I saw this… …for some reason, instead of moving along its ordered path, LAV-AT #5 reversed into a position and presented its rear to Baneman’s Leopards… Ce la Guerre. It is difficult, but it is important to remain positive when things like this happen. Even in real war, a commander has to deal with the friction such events cause, it can separate the good from the bad. Still.. losing both of these assets in subsequent turns is a huge impact to my available combat power. Baneman continues to build up his KT1 position. A platoon of Warrior IFVs were spotted moving fast south along the back road. This image shows the locations for the two leopard 2A4s and the one Challenger spotted this turn. Also identifies the Warrior platoon movement. Also spotted a Spartan moving toward the line in company of either one or two Warriors. This can only be either the HQ Section or the Javelin Section (see the possible Enemy Order of battle below). A Bradley platoon moves to cross the stream on their way to the Hill 42-Hill 41.1 ridgeline. What they are up to in a future post. PIR: Where are the enemy tanks? The enemy Leopard 2 tanks and at least one of the British Challengers (and probably both) are in the KT1 line providing fire support. A slightly reformatted Blood Board showing available and remaining vehicles of each type: RECOVERED ENEMY ORDER OF BATTLE NOTE: Bolded items indicate confirmation sightings indicating I KNOW these formations exist on the map whether I have spotted all components or not. UK RECCE Platoon x8 Scimitar x1 FV432 Mk3 Bulldog x1 Spartan Armoured Rifle Company HQ Section x2 Warrior x1 Spartan x3 Rifle Platoon x4 Warrior Javelin Section x2 Warrior x1 Spartan x2 Javelin Launcher (with x2 dismount teams) Mortar Platoon x1 Spartan x2 FV432 (Mortar Carrier) Tank Section x2 Challenger GERMAN Aufklarung Platoon x4 Fennek Panzergrenadier (PG) Company HQ Team x2 Marder Observer Section x1 Wolf x3 PG Platoon x4 Marder Panzer Section x2 Leopard

Depends on who's commanding them I would guess.

I've caught a lot of flak in the past for my narrow target arcs for armor engagements. But I have had a lot of luck with them, so I continue to use them when the circumstances warrant. Care is required when using them like I am in the clip above: Be assured that the target vehicle(s) have not moved for a while which means there could be a high likelihood of them not moving out of the arc Protect your tank if at all possible by placing it in a key hole position.. in the example with the LAV-AT it can only be sighted along the narrow arc, it is masked from neighboring terrain for the most part. I do not always follow this rule, and in those cases I try to keep them exposed with a narrow arc for a short period of time and then withdraw and cancel the arc. Advantages (from my experience, YMMV): All eyes are focused on the same small slice of terrain, so in my experience they spot very quickly, all other factors being in their favor (optics, skill level, enemy activity, terrain factors (dust, vegetation, etc.) etc.) A turret or weapon system has only a very short distance to travel to align on an enemy target within the arc, this also increases the spot to engagement speed. You have to weigh whether these advantages in armor combat are worth the risk. You and others know the disadvantages. Be assured that I use them, but I try to use them only in certain circumstances and when the situation is exactly right. Bil

MINUTE 10 LAV-AT #5 sat still in its hulldown position and waited to get a spot... I was hoping it would be able to get a shot on the Leo, however a Marder came trundling forward next to the Leo... the LAV instantly saw it and sent a missile on its way. If you watch closely, right before the TOW is loosed the ammo from the LAV-AT destroyed last turn goes up in a fireball. Right before the missile hit, the Marder spotted my hulldown LAV-AT and sent some cannon rounds their way which all went high. I think the very small footprint of that launcher is going to be hard to hit (that’s my hope anyway). The missile however hit the mark and that is scratch one Marder. He won’t like that result and I can only hope it still had its infantry squad in the back. LAV-AT #5 did spot the Leo for a few seconds after hitting the Marder, but lost the spot soon after. Of course the LAV-AT couldn’t fire anyway as it was reloading. The LAV-AT carries two missiles in its launcher and this was the second one this vehicle has fired, so it immediately went into reload mode after firing and this was in progress as the turn came to an end. Next turn I will pull this vehicle back over its ridge to complete reloading, then move forward one more time in an attempt to bag that Leo. The Scimitar opposite T-90 #2 of course popped smoke and withdrew to safety. T-90 HQ never spotted anything while it was in position, but it did receive a laser warning, popped smoke and withdrew. These Syrians are a challenge to use effectively, most of the time they can’t spot worth a damn... in the rare event that they do spot, they miss. They have missed every shot fired so far. This image shows my current dispositions, the enemy situation has become muddled as few vehicles are now firmly spotted. The situation in and around DUMAYR isn’t great, the fighters I was moving towards DUMAYR are staggered and spread out from the river bank to their original start positions. Most are exhausted, tired, panicked, etc. I just want them over the river and in cover for now. REINFORCEMENTS The Main Body arrived in zone M1A1SA Section (x2 Tanks) D Company Mech Infantry on M2A3 Bradley (x13 M2A3 and x1 BFIST) The remainder of the SP Mortar Battery (x2 M1064A3 and x2 HMMWV) Battalion CO on HMMWV Now I have some serious firepower to engage Baneman with. Of course this means that his main body will also have arrived and the British Army are no pushovers, though I think my US Army forces have a slight edge. It’ll be down to who uses them more effectively. I have a two stage plan that I have been waiting to implement and now that these troops are on the board those plans are getting implemented. It will take several turns to get everything into position. It will get very deadly now in this area of operations. Stay tuned.

Actually, the LAV-AT that killed the Fennek still lives! This was the second one that displaced from Hill 42.0 to join it's buddy. Give him a "false sense of security".. yeah that was the plan all along

Ha! the messiness of the steps I go through to pull these together is best left behind the curtains... much like sausage making.

I only count armored vehicles in the blood board.. so if I lose a HMMWV later in the game it will not show on the blood board either. The whole UNCON front isn't very interesting right now... not a lot of combat power there, and they are short on ammo and can't maneuver without getting tired.. so it is a bit stagnant.

Sorry about that.. was in a hurry this morning and had a slip up. All's well now.

MINUTE 8 A relatively quiet turn… I think Baneman has hunkered down, at least temporarily. Next turn it should liven up again as my T-90s, all three of them will move into hulldown positions, my LAV-ATs will be in their hulldown positions and a couple of the LAVs will also move into hulldown positions. Only a few minutes until the main body arrives. I will admit that I am disappointed that I haven’t had more contact with Baneman’s forces and been able to attrite it at all. It is taking much longer to deploy and reorient than I expected. I will have more pieces in play next turn than any previous. The USMC dismounts achieved the OBJ GARNET (touch) this turn… the T-90s will be passing them to go into their positons next turn. Real curious how Baneman is planning on countering my tank threat. MINUTE 9 In trying to get the LAV-AT #6 into a good firing position where it could see into the enemy rear area I pushed it too far... it ended up not being hulldown when it was spotted by the Leopard 2 and was hit, at first losing its weapons, then suffering a wheel hit becoming immobilized. Once that happened it was just a matter of time before the Leo found the range and dealt the killing blow. That was a waste of a crucial piece of weaponry that is 100% on me. The advantage in playing large scenarios like this is you can absorb losses like this more easily... if this had been a company scale engagement losing that one piece of equipment might have been terminal… in a Battalion sized engagement it is a blip, as long as it doesn’t become a trend! T-90 #2 moved into its hulldown position, spotted the Scimitar it was sent to kill... however, though it fired twice, one was a miss and the second round hit the corner of a building… damn. Baneman’s luck has to end at some point. This is the third vehicle (Scimitar near the ruined farm and Marder hit by two of the LAVs) that I got the drop on, the other two he was able to withdraw to safety.

MINUTE 7 As LAV #4 and #1 were moving towards their hulldowns positions they both spotted one of the Marders that came in with Baneman’s advance guard moving laterally just in front of KT-1. LAV #4 and LAV #1 both spotted and opened up on the enemy IFV which suffered several hits in the side and a few penetrations. Later it took several frontal hits and one partial penetration and internal spalling. Those things are tough, but I expect it took some damage, perhaps to its weapon systems (the ATGM took what looked like several direct hits), optics, or maybe, if I’m extra lucky, to its crew or passengers. It was reversing when I lost sight of it but not before taking several more hits. It never spotted my firing LAVs. Still, that doesn’t mean another vehicle didn’t, so next turn I will pop smoke and withdraw LAV #4 as it seems very exposed right now. LAV #1 will also pull back over the ridge. These LAVs are too light to go head to head against Marders and there are way too many enemy vehicles in the area next to the Marder to take unnecessary chances. One Scimitar moved quickly to join its partner at the Farm 011 and Farm 012 area. Speaking of that… two of the T-90s are moving as fast as possible, starting next turn, to try to get eyes on one or maybe both Scimitars there. I think having these tanks deeper in the AO will hopefully disconcert Baneman some and could make him react with his Leos to counter them. The intent with my moves right now is to try to isolate one or two of the enemy vehicles at a time while limiting my exposure to the bulk of his firepower. Basically move into a position, spot if possible, take a shot or two then withdraw, rinse, and repeat. I do not want to stay in one position longer than necessary in this environment. Moving my fighter group from the Monastery area toward DUMAYR may not have been my smartest move... they are getting very tired and a few units are fatigued or exhausted. Definitely not the same quality as line troops. I am worried about them now... if they get caught in the fields with his technicals moving in on them they could be in trouble... I am moving another LAV into position to help in spotting those pickups and I am trying to position the RPGs in spots where they can get firing solutions if the trucks move in close enough. PIR: Will the enemy Mechanized Force attempt to seize KT 2? It does not appear Baneman is trying to attack KT2 yet, but he could be building a Support by Fire (SBF) position to support such an attack. PIR: What is the force composition of the enemy Advance Guard? This formation appears to mainly be made up German units, Marders and two Leopard 2A4s. PIR: Where are the enemy tanks? The enemy Leopard 2A4 tanks are in the KT1 line providing fire support.

Just a word of warning on this application... ...it is generating the contours from real world data, however it is not really very precise. if you look at the image below, both the generated contours (colored lines) and the contours as shown on the underlying map image (gray lines) are 20 meters. However the difference in quality and detail is striking. Increasing the resolution to a smaller increment, say 5 meters only adds interpolated contours between what you already have, it does not add any real detail. However, for areas of the world where getting contour data is difficult or if you don't care too much about accuracy and are only trying to get some reasonable contours laid in then this is still of course an incredible tool. Bil

Yeah the mix and matched forces was done by George, not in QB. I'll work on organizing better.

I am trying to be careful with them... they are not the equal to anything western, so I hesitate to throw them in to the line with the LAVs, and that is why in these turns I am refocusing them to fire support for the Dumayr irregulars. Thanks Tom... as for the Blood Board.. oh yeah, it is going to get quite full, stay tuned. Bil

MINUTE 6 The Fennek near the old farm didn't really stand a chance: The LAV-AT will withdraw next turn. I’ll pull it back until the other LAV-AT can join it in this area, then I will push them forward together. Team 2’s BMP-2 will be withdrawing from this sector next turn to join the other BMP-2. It should be spotting from this position, but can see nothing. Sadly, the Scimitar that was penetrated last turn successfully withdrew under a smoke screen. It was unlucky that my LAV only got a few rounds off last turn... it gave Baneman time to extricate the wounded Scimitar. There is one more Scimitar in this area, though I have not seen it in several turns. The contact icon has been stationary for a few minutes at least. I am pushing a couple of LAVs into positions to try to get a spot. Frustratingly Baneman was able to rush the Fennek he had at Farm 002 right under the eyes of the LAV-AT I have overwatching this area. The LOS on this map is complicated and he found the perfect seam to move down that was out of my LAV-AT’s view. The only Advance Guard reinforcement I spotted was this Leo 2A4. So he will have two of those and he may be using them as a team, at least that’s what I would do, so the other one may be near this one. Most of my spots are coming from the DRT on Hill 42.0. Baneman’s technicals are starting to move towards my fighters near the Monastery. It’s interesting that none of my units on KT2 can spot them... I’ll see if I can fix that next turn. The BMP-2 should be able to spot that area. Definitely not impressed with the Syrian vehicles or units (i.e ATGM Team) so far in this battle, they need to get their sh*t together. Right now I am fighting with one arm tied behind my back... I expect that will change once the US Mech Company and tanks arrive with the main body, but for now I need to be careful with the forces I have on hand. The Marines are doing the main punching right now… hopefully the Syrians will be able to contribute in a meaningful way soon. This should be fun... two more LAV-25s join the LAV that shot up the Scimitar from last turn. This is a sweet position, it is masked from the majority of Baneman's force and it closes off a major route to KT2. I know I promised you a SITMAP this turn but I decided to hold off on that until I get more information about his Advance Force. I hope the following suffices to give you an idea as to how the enemy positions stand: Finally, we have our first entry in the Blood BoardTM!! PIR: Will the enemy Mechanized Force attempt to seize KT 2? It does not appear Baneman is trying to attack KT2 yet, but he could be building a Support by Fire (SBF) position to support such an attack. PIR: What is the force composition of the enemy Advance Guard? Have only spotted one Leopard 2A4 so far. PIR: Where are the enemy tanks? The spotted enemy Leopard 2A4 tank is in the KT1 line possibly providing fire support.