Combatintman

Having promised Threat Integration - here it is:
 
Step 3 – Threat Integration
 
Recall that in this step we combine our analysis from Step 1 (BAE) and Step 2 (TE) to come up with a likely enemy course of action. Also don't forget we are still in Question 1.
 
Likely Enemy Mission
 
This is pretty much stated in various bits of the briefing:
 
The enemy is an outpost line
The enemy is to deny the woods
The enemy is to inflict casualties (especially half-tracks)
 
So a likely mission statement would be:
 
X Platoon Group is to deny the woods IVO OSINNIK Village until 250800Jun44 in order to allow the regimental main body to prepare its main line of defence.
 
Likely associated tasks would be:
 
Identify and track German attacking forces
Delay German attacks through direct and indirect fires.
Engage high value targets (HVTs)
Preserve own combat power and break clean to the main defensive position
 
This is all very well but it is now time to return to the ground to work out what is feasible given the resources available to the enemy and his preferred tactics.
 
So some context about the ground and effects specific to the defender because my previous analysis, particularly that relating to Key Terrain, was focused on my mission.
 
Key terrain for the enemy I assess as follows:
 
Village A
 
Mainly for the same reasons I designated it a key terrain for myself – but most importantly because the enemy is reported to be there.
 
Entrances F, G and H
 
Designated because these are the most likely points of entry onto the wooded objective for any attacking force.
 
Track Crossroads I
 
This crossroads blocks avenues of approach from entrances F, G and H.
 
It is also worthy of note that Woods C and E and Complex D would be suitable outpost locations but are not significant enough to warrant the deployment of significant combat power given the Red Army commander’s limited resources.
 
So initially, on the basis of the above, I will throw the Doctrinal Overlay onto the map centred on Track Crossroads I just to give me an idea of how everything works in terms of ground and tactics. This will provide the basis for subsequent COA analysis which will take into account my terrain deductions and will involve some amendments to the doctrinal solution to make it best fit the terrain and the analysis of the enemy’s mission and tasks as previously described. The schematic below illustrates this step:
 

 
As you can see from the graphic, some manipulation is now required to turn this into a viable defensive COA on this particular piece of ground. Also on my initial laydown, I have not taken into account the probable scout team reported to be in Village A. So let’s do that now.
 

 
COA 1
 
The graphic above becomes COA 1 which I will call ‘Defend Forward’. In this COA we have the reported probable scout team in Village A which provides coverage of AAs 1 and 2 and then all three assessed rifle squads have pushed forward scout teams IVO Complex D, Wood E and Entrance H. The main outpost line is linear and lies back from the forward edge of the main wood. In this laydown the eastern most squad can cover Entrance F and any advance along AAs 1 and 2. The centre squad can cover Crossroads I and AA3. The westernmost squad can cover Entrance H and approaches up AAs 4 and 5.
 
Note that there is nothing in Wood C but it is possible that the scout team in Complex D could equally be positioned there or Wood C could be a fall-back position for the scout team in Village A once it decides that remaining in Village A becomes untenable. This is marked in the diagram by a dashed circle.
 
Also note that the westernmost scout team could also be located further forward at the western end of Wood E and achieve the same effect of covering Entrance H and AAs 4 and 5. This is marked in the diagram by a dashed circle.
 
Each of the platoon scout teams in this COA I would see as being augmented by an LMG squad and an ATR squad to take advantage of their ranged capabilities. The role of these teams being to identify my avenue of approach and to disrupt my attack by engaging HVTs before falling back on to the main outpost line in the woods. The probable scout team in Village A will likely have an observer grouped with it and its role will be to identify my avenue of approach and disrupt my attack through indirect fires before falling back to an alternate position in either Wood C or Complex D.
 
COA 1 Advantages
 
Conforms to doctrine.
Allows early identification of the German axis.
Allows early attrition of the German attacker.
Makes best use of ranged weapons.
Makes good use of concealment in the main wood.
 
COA 1 Disadvantages
 
Dispersion creates C2 problems.
Extraction of two platoon scout teams will be over open ground
Linear main outpost line lacks depth
Linear outpost line does not provide mutual support.
Defence can be outflanked and taken down from the rear.
 
So that is the first COA, on to COA 2 - illustrated below and derived using the same process:
 
COA 2
 

 
The graphic above becomes COA 2 which I will call ‘Defend Deep’. In this COA we have the reported probable scout team in Village A which provides coverage of AAs 1 and 2 and then all three assessed  rifle squads have pushed forward scout teams IVO the northern perimeter of the main wood. The main outpost position is constructed as a standard defensive position with two squads forward and one back with the killing area centred on Track Crossroads I. This laydown means that the probable scout team in Village A covers AAs 1 and 2. The easternmost platoon scout team provides very limited coverage of AAs 1 and 2 and good coverage of AA3. The centre platoon scout team provides coverage of AA3. The westernmost platoon scout team provides good coverage of AA4 within the main wood and limited coverage of AA5.
 
As with the previous COA, I would see each of the platoon scout teams having an LMG and ATR team grouped to permit best use of those weapons systems and the scout team in Village A having an observer grouped with it.
 
COA 2 Advantages
 
Conforms to doctrine.
Excellent use of concealment in the main wood.
Excellent C2.
Good all round defence and mutual support.
Provides best defence of Track Crossroads I.
 
COA 2 Disadvantages
 
Limited observation and fields of fire over avenues of approach.
Limited ability to maximise use of ranged weapons.
Surrenders initiative to the attacker.
Allows easy break in to the main woods by the attacker via entrances F, H, K and L.
Scout team in village A is entirely dislocated from the main force.
 
One really useful product from the IPB process is the Event Overlay which is designed to show activities related to time and space. Doctrinally it would contain timelines or events, I have done this but in a very simplistic form. The purple dotted lines are my timelines (measured in minutes) and are based on dismounted ‘Move’ rates of movement (which in broad terms = 2 minutes per 100m). Of course I could make this more comprehensive by showing movement rates for ‘Quick’ and ‘Hunt’ etc and applying movement rates over different types of ground (woods dismounted ‘Move’ speed per 100m is about 2 minutes and 45 seconds) and also for my vehicles.  Clearly by doing so, you expend more time and sometimes make the product to complicated. By keeping it simple my event overlay is telling me the following already:
 
I can cover the AO in 20 minutes.
The earliest I can assault Village A is H+10 or 0710 hrs in the scenario.
Related to that, enemy in Village A may attempt to extract at the same time.
The earliest I can assault Wood E is H+12 or 0712 hrs in the scenario.
Related to that, enemy in Wood E may attempt to extract at the same time.
The earliest time I can start my clearance of the Main Wood is H+16 or 0716 hrs in the scenario.
The earliest time I can finish clearing the Main Wood is H+20 or 0720 hrs in the scenario.
 
These are all useful for planning and particularly any synchronising and phasing required. It also gives me a window (H+10 to H+12) to potentially acquire track and engage moving enemy targets.
 
So that was a very basic look at the timings, now I will focus on the Named Areas of Interest (NAI) part of this product. The NAIs show where you need to look in order to acquire the enemy and determine his likely COA. This product will later be refined but for the time being let’s look at NAIs.
 
NAIs are placed based on the previously derived enemy COAs. In simple terms, wherever an enemy is reported or wherever you assess an enemy grouping to be is the starting point. The process involves drawing a box around those areas and if required, refining those boxes or combining them. This is important to get right because ultimately each of those NAIs should be covered by a reconnaissance asset, and ideally for redundancy two assets. Clearly the more NAIs there are to cover, the more troops you have to allocate to the task.
 
Here is the Event Overlay for this mission
 

 
To complete the process and to add meaning to the above, an Event Matrix is produced and the combination of these two products drive the Collection Plan and ultimately the plan as a whole. In the Event Matrix you are basically defining, where you are looking, when you are looking, what you are looking for and what it all means. I will ignore the ‘when’ part of this for simplicity and because I don’t think it is a war-stopper given that the only moves I anticipate from the enemy will occur in the H+10 – H+12 window.
 
Here is the Event Matrix
 

 
High Value Targets (HVT) are another consideration, doctrinally these are the assets that are critical to the success of the Enemy Commander’s mission. This demonstrates why it is important to thoroughly analyse the likely enemy mission and tasks – if you don’t go through this process you end up targeting everything which is sometimes difficult to do and it is wasteful of time and resources. There are a number of ways of deriving these but I’m going to keep this simple. So if we refer back to assessed mission and tasks, I had them as these:
 
X Platoon Group is to deny the woods IVO OSINNIK Village until 250800Jun44 in order to allow the regimental main body to prepare its main line of defence.
 
Likely associated tasks would be:
 
Identify and track German attacking forces
Delay German attacks through direct and indirect fires.
Engage high value targets (HVTs)
Preserve own combat power and break clean to the main defensive position
 
From this my HVT list looks like this:
 
Platoon HQ – Destruction of this will affect enemy C2 and morale and reduce his ability to communicate back to higher HQ.
 
Forward Observer IVO Village A – Destruction of this limits the enemy’s ability to call in indirect fire.
Anti-Tank Rifle Squads – These are the only assets that can effectively defeat my light armoured vehicles.
 
I could go further with this but the more I add, the more I have to target which means allocating assets. The above list is the minimum needed to effectively limit the enemy’s ability to achieve his mission.
 
The above, although it is truncated, is about as far as we need to go with Question 1 so next time we will move on to Question 2 – What have I been told to do and why? This in effect is Mission Analysis and there are many ways of cracking this nut and again I will pare this down to what I consider to be essentials for this situation.

Having promised Threat Integration - here it is:
 
Step 3 – Threat Integration
 
Recall that in this step we combine our analysis from Step 1 (BAE) and Step 2 (TE) to come up with a likely enemy course of action. Also don't forget we are still in Question 1.
 
Likely Enemy Mission
 
This is pretty much stated in various bits of the briefing:
 
The enemy is an outpost line
The enemy is to deny the woods
The enemy is to inflict casualties (especially half-tracks)
 
So a likely mission statement would be:
 
X Platoon Group is to deny the woods IVO OSINNIK Village until 250800Jun44 in order to allow the regimental main body to prepare its main line of defence.
 
Likely associated tasks would be:
 
Identify and track German attacking forces
Delay German attacks through direct and indirect fires.
Engage high value targets (HVTs)
Preserve own combat power and break clean to the main defensive position
 
This is all very well but it is now time to return to the ground to work out what is feasible given the resources available to the enemy and his preferred tactics.
 
So some context about the ground and effects specific to the defender because my previous analysis, particularly that relating to Key Terrain, was focused on my mission.
 
Key terrain for the enemy I assess as follows:
 
Village A
 
Mainly for the same reasons I designated it a key terrain for myself – but most importantly because the enemy is reported to be there.
 
Entrances F, G and H
 
Designated because these are the most likely points of entry onto the wooded objective for any attacking force.
 
Track Crossroads I
 
This crossroads blocks avenues of approach from entrances F, G and H.
 
It is also worthy of note that Woods C and E and Complex D would be suitable outpost locations but are not significant enough to warrant the deployment of significant combat power given the Red Army commander’s limited resources.
 
So initially, on the basis of the above, I will throw the Doctrinal Overlay onto the map centred on Track Crossroads I just to give me an idea of how everything works in terms of ground and tactics. This will provide the basis for subsequent COA analysis which will take into account my terrain deductions and will involve some amendments to the doctrinal solution to make it best fit the terrain and the analysis of the enemy’s mission and tasks as previously described. The schematic below illustrates this step:
 

 
As you can see from the graphic, some manipulation is now required to turn this into a viable defensive COA on this particular piece of ground. Also on my initial laydown, I have not taken into account the probable scout team reported to be in Village A. So let’s do that now.
 

 
COA 1
 
The graphic above becomes COA 1 which I will call ‘Defend Forward’. In this COA we have the reported probable scout team in Village A which provides coverage of AAs 1 and 2 and then all three assessed rifle squads have pushed forward scout teams IVO Complex D, Wood E and Entrance H. The main outpost line is linear and lies back from the forward edge of the main wood. In this laydown the eastern most squad can cover Entrance F and any advance along AAs 1 and 2. The centre squad can cover Crossroads I and AA3. The westernmost squad can cover Entrance H and approaches up AAs 4 and 5.
 
Note that there is nothing in Wood C but it is possible that the scout team in Complex D could equally be positioned there or Wood C could be a fall-back position for the scout team in Village A once it decides that remaining in Village A becomes untenable. This is marked in the diagram by a dashed circle.
 
Also note that the westernmost scout team could also be located further forward at the western end of Wood E and achieve the same effect of covering Entrance H and AAs 4 and 5. This is marked in the diagram by a dashed circle.
 
Each of the platoon scout teams in this COA I would see as being augmented by an LMG squad and an ATR squad to take advantage of their ranged capabilities. The role of these teams being to identify my avenue of approach and to disrupt my attack by engaging HVTs before falling back on to the main outpost line in the woods. The probable scout team in Village A will likely have an observer grouped with it and its role will be to identify my avenue of approach and disrupt my attack through indirect fires before falling back to an alternate position in either Wood C or Complex D.
 
COA 1 Advantages
 
Conforms to doctrine.
Allows early identification of the German axis.
Allows early attrition of the German attacker.
Makes best use of ranged weapons.
Makes good use of concealment in the main wood.
 
COA 1 Disadvantages
 
Dispersion creates C2 problems.
Extraction of two platoon scout teams will be over open ground
Linear main outpost line lacks depth
Linear outpost line does not provide mutual support.
Defence can be outflanked and taken down from the rear.
 
So that is the first COA, on to COA 2 - illustrated below and derived using the same process:
 
COA 2
 

 
The graphic above becomes COA 2 which I will call ‘Defend Deep’. In this COA we have the reported probable scout team in Village A which provides coverage of AAs 1 and 2 and then all three assessed  rifle squads have pushed forward scout teams IVO the northern perimeter of the main wood. The main outpost position is constructed as a standard defensive position with two squads forward and one back with the killing area centred on Track Crossroads I. This laydown means that the probable scout team in Village A covers AAs 1 and 2. The easternmost platoon scout team provides very limited coverage of AAs 1 and 2 and good coverage of AA3. The centre platoon scout team provides coverage of AA3. The westernmost platoon scout team provides good coverage of AA4 within the main wood and limited coverage of AA5.
 
As with the previous COA, I would see each of the platoon scout teams having an LMG and ATR team grouped to permit best use of those weapons systems and the scout team in Village A having an observer grouped with it.
 
COA 2 Advantages
 
Conforms to doctrine.
Excellent use of concealment in the main wood.
Excellent C2.
Good all round defence and mutual support.
Provides best defence of Track Crossroads I.
 
COA 2 Disadvantages
 
Limited observation and fields of fire over avenues of approach.
Limited ability to maximise use of ranged weapons.
Surrenders initiative to the attacker.
Allows easy break in to the main woods by the attacker via entrances F, H, K and L.
Scout team in village A is entirely dislocated from the main force.
 
One really useful product from the IPB process is the Event Overlay which is designed to show activities related to time and space. Doctrinally it would contain timelines or events, I have done this but in a very simplistic form. The purple dotted lines are my timelines (measured in minutes) and are based on dismounted ‘Move’ rates of movement (which in broad terms = 2 minutes per 100m). Of course I could make this more comprehensive by showing movement rates for ‘Quick’ and ‘Hunt’ etc and applying movement rates over different types of ground (woods dismounted ‘Move’ speed per 100m is about 2 minutes and 45 seconds) and also for my vehicles.  Clearly by doing so, you expend more time and sometimes make the product to complicated. By keeping it simple my event overlay is telling me the following already:
 
I can cover the AO in 20 minutes.
The earliest I can assault Village A is H+10 or 0710 hrs in the scenario.
Related to that, enemy in Village A may attempt to extract at the same time.
The earliest I can assault Wood E is H+12 or 0712 hrs in the scenario.
Related to that, enemy in Wood E may attempt to extract at the same time.
The earliest time I can start my clearance of the Main Wood is H+16 or 0716 hrs in the scenario.
The earliest time I can finish clearing the Main Wood is H+20 or 0720 hrs in the scenario.
 
These are all useful for planning and particularly any synchronising and phasing required. It also gives me a window (H+10 to H+12) to potentially acquire track and engage moving enemy targets.
 
So that was a very basic look at the timings, now I will focus on the Named Areas of Interest (NAI) part of this product. The NAIs show where you need to look in order to acquire the enemy and determine his likely COA. This product will later be refined but for the time being let’s look at NAIs.
 
NAIs are placed based on the previously derived enemy COAs. In simple terms, wherever an enemy is reported or wherever you assess an enemy grouping to be is the starting point. The process involves drawing a box around those areas and if required, refining those boxes or combining them. This is important to get right because ultimately each of those NAIs should be covered by a reconnaissance asset, and ideally for redundancy two assets. Clearly the more NAIs there are to cover, the more troops you have to allocate to the task.
 
Here is the Event Overlay for this mission
 

 
To complete the process and to add meaning to the above, an Event Matrix is produced and the combination of these two products drive the Collection Plan and ultimately the plan as a whole. In the Event Matrix you are basically defining, where you are looking, when you are looking, what you are looking for and what it all means. I will ignore the ‘when’ part of this for simplicity and because I don’t think it is a war-stopper given that the only moves I anticipate from the enemy will occur in the H+10 – H+12 window.
 
Here is the Event Matrix
 

 
High Value Targets (HVT) are another consideration, doctrinally these are the assets that are critical to the success of the Enemy Commander’s mission. This demonstrates why it is important to thoroughly analyse the likely enemy mission and tasks – if you don’t go through this process you end up targeting everything which is sometimes difficult to do and it is wasteful of time and resources. There are a number of ways of deriving these but I’m going to keep this simple. So if we refer back to assessed mission and tasks, I had them as these:
 
X Platoon Group is to deny the woods IVO OSINNIK Village until 250800Jun44 in order to allow the regimental main body to prepare its main line of defence.
 
Likely associated tasks would be:
 
Identify and track German attacking forces
Delay German attacks through direct and indirect fires.
Engage high value targets (HVTs)
Preserve own combat power and break clean to the main defensive position
 
From this my HVT list looks like this:
 
Platoon HQ – Destruction of this will affect enemy C2 and morale and reduce his ability to communicate back to higher HQ.
 
Forward Observer IVO Village A – Destruction of this limits the enemy’s ability to call in indirect fire.
Anti-Tank Rifle Squads – These are the only assets that can effectively defeat my light armoured vehicles.
 
I could go further with this but the more I add, the more I have to target which means allocating assets. The above list is the minimum needed to effectively limit the enemy’s ability to achieve his mission.
 
The above, although it is truncated, is about as far as we need to go with Question 1 so next time we will move on to Question 2 – What have I been told to do and why? This in effect is Mission Analysis and there are many ways of cracking this nut and again I will pare this down to what I consider to be essentials for this situation.

There seem to be a few tutorials doing the rounds of late … so you’re going to get another one – on planning. So if you’re somebody who wondered how it is done, or are somebody who casts a rudimentary eye over the ground, skims through the orders and then just launches across the line of departure with the view to developing a plan on the hoof and wants to change this – then this is the thread for you.
 
The vehicle for the tutorial is SeinfeldRules Assault Position Mission.  The associated thread is here:
 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119212-seinfeldrules-scenario-thread/page-1
 
The mission can be downloaded from here:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d85cs6w3xeeg0oi/AD%20Assault%20Position.zip?dl=0
 
What do you get from this thread – simply put it will delve into the planning process and then roll into an AAR. I am playing this as designed so Axis attacker versus the AI. So without further ado, let’s crack on with it. Also I’d be grateful if people could refrain from posting spoilers on this mission if you’ve played it – I haven’t yet – which is kind of the point of stepping through the planning process first!!!!
 
I will warn you that I am no means an expert on military planning but have been around it enough to know how it works. I will cut corners with it here and there but this isn’t necessarily about military doctrine, it is about giving you guys an understanding of some techniques to help you plan your battles should you have a mind to do so.
 
Clearly questions (that do not contain spoilers) are welcome but many of my answers might be ‘I’ll come to that later’.

Bill - I'm probably preaching to the converted but the IPB process requires drawing Mobility Corridors (MCs) and then deriving Avenues of Approach from those MCs - they should be drawn over areas where manoeuvre is unrestricted. Now I haven't slavishly followed the doctrine in deriving my AAs (had I done so AAs 1,2 and 5 would have been the only ones on the schematic) and I have skimped a lot on my labelling of AAs (more likely MCs to be honest) for simplicity, but the ones I've come up with reflect AAs I can use (albeit with some constraints) with the force mix I have.
 
If you think I am a pro - I urge you to write my annual reports
 
Thanks for your comments btw

I downloaded and opened this to try to follow along.  But it was a different scenario from SeinfeldRules: AD Interlock OP 
 
I think the post to the scenario you are playing, Assault Position, is below.  A link to the download is in the post.  (I could not link the scenario download directly)      BTW SeinfeldRules has several interesting scenarios in that thread.
 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119212-seinfeldrules-scenario-thread/?p=1602054
 
Looking forward to the threat assessment.

QUESTION 1 – WHAT IS THE ENEMY DOING AND WHY?
 
This is broken into the three steps of Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield ( IPB). I am aware that most armies go for four steps (including the one I currently work for) but I was brought up on three and as I am inherently lazy, I’m sticking with three. These steps are:
 
Battlefield Area Evaluation (BAE) which in simple terms is the ground and weather.
 
Threat Evaluation (TE) where you look at the enemy in isolation according to organisation and doctrine.
 
Threat Integration (TI) where you combine steps 1 and 2 to determine enemy courses of action
 
Step 1 - BAE
 
To do this properly I’ve had to crack open the scenario editor to get some of the mission data, however rest assured I have not had a sneaky peek at the Russian forces or setup. So from a combination of information supplied to me from the map, orders and the data screen in the editor here is what I have come up with.
 
Weather
 
According to the data screen it is 250700Jun44, the ground is damp, temperature is cool with overcast skies. Wind source is from the West with heavy wind.
 
Deductions:
 
Wind direction will blow smoke from my setup zone up the map as I look at it, this could be an advantage when using smoke to masking any approach into the woods from the West but is negated by the wind speed. Overall judgement is that I should not rely on smoke and weapon accuracy over long range could be effected.
 
Ground conditions, when combined with terrain mean that all vehicles should manoeuvre carefully when off road.
 
Temperatures should have no adverse effect on dismounted troops.
 
Despite the overcast skies, visibility will be generally good.
 
Ground
 
The area of operations (AO) is approximately 1km x 1km and is best described as a mix of open and close terrain. The two principal features are the small village (Village A) and the large wooded feature to the South which is the form up objective specified in the mission orders. The remainder of the ground comprises open farmland and small wooded areas with a single road running generally West to SE. Elevation is best described as rolling countryside with low ground to the South rising to higher ground to the East.
 
The map again ...
 

 
The traditional method of looking at ground is under the OCOKA headings (shown below) so here is a brief description
 
O - Observation and Fields of Fire
 
Generally good throughout with the exception of the wooded features where visibility is limited to approximately 30m. In open areas, visibility and fields of fire can extend up to 600m but changes in elevation creating dead ground restrict this to an average of 200m to 300m
 
C - Cover and Concealment
 
The only readily identifiable features that provide true cover are the buildings, the majority of which are located in Village A. There are two additional small building complexes, complex D which lies between Village A and the wooded objective and a small complex at the NE exit of the woods near annotation L. Otherwise, all wooded areas provide good concealment with the best concealed positions located in the depths of the woods.
 
O - Obstacles
 
There are no significant natural obstacles with the exception of some small areas of heavy woods. Overall the natural environment would be rated as unrestricted with areas of restricted terrain around village A and all wooded areas. Although not a significant obstacle, I am aware that the boundary of the woods is delineated by a single strand low wire fence and this may expose my dismounts as they enter the woods.
 
K - Key Terrain
 
In relation to my mission, the entrances to the woods (marked F, G, H, K and L) are potential key terrain but I designate Village A, Wood C and Complex D as my key terrain. Here is why:
 
Village A
 
My intelligence briefing states that the enemy has a probable scout team deployed there. It is therefore important because the enemy has deemed it important and because it overlooks my initial deployment area. It is also important because it covers AA1 and AA2 and can disrupt manoeuvre along AA3. If I choose do so, once I get into Village A, it allows me overwatch and a base of fire into Wood C, Complex D and parts of Wood E.
 
Wood C
 
Although not apparent from the top down view, close analysis shows that Wood C is on high ground and forces on this position cover AAs 1, 2 and 3. In addition they have overwatch on to my start position. Most importantly, this position gives good observation and fields of fire across the northern boundary of the main woods, Complex D and the Eastern extent of Wood E.
 
Complex D
 
Comprises two buildings which offer both cover and concealment. It covers AAs 2 and 3 and to a limited extend, parts of AA1. Most importantly it again provides a potential good base of fire across the North of the main woods as well as Wood E.
 
A - Avenues of Approach
 
Are as marked on the schematic – in essence there are five broad avenues of approach with a number of branches designated AAs 1-5.
 
 
 
Finally just some other things to note about fighting in woods and forests
 
Other tactical points to note regarding ground in woods:
 
Command and control is extremely difficult due to close terrain and limited visibility.
Observation and fields of fire are limited.
Indirect fire is extremely difficult to employ effectively due to limited visibility and command and control issues.
 
We will look at Threat Evaluation next.
 

QUESTION 1 – WHAT IS THE ENEMY DOING AND WHY?
 
This is broken into the three steps of Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield ( IPB). I am aware that most armies go for four steps (including the one I currently work for) but I was brought up on three and as I am inherently lazy, I’m sticking with three. These steps are:
 
Battlefield Area Evaluation (BAE) which in simple terms is the ground and weather.
 
Threat Evaluation (TE) where you look at the enemy in isolation according to organisation and doctrine.
 
Threat Integration (TI) where you combine steps 1 and 2 to determine enemy courses of action
 
Step 1 - BAE
 
To do this properly I’ve had to crack open the scenario editor to get some of the mission data, however rest assured I have not had a sneaky peek at the Russian forces or setup. So from a combination of information supplied to me from the map, orders and the data screen in the editor here is what I have come up with.
 
Weather
 
According to the data screen it is 250700Jun44, the ground is damp, temperature is cool with overcast skies. Wind source is from the West with heavy wind.
 
Deductions:
 
Wind direction will blow smoke from my setup zone up the map as I look at it, this could be an advantage when using smoke to masking any approach into the woods from the West but is negated by the wind speed. Overall judgement is that I should not rely on smoke and weapon accuracy over long range could be effected.
 
Ground conditions, when combined with terrain mean that all vehicles should manoeuvre carefully when off road.
 
Temperatures should have no adverse effect on dismounted troops.
 
Despite the overcast skies, visibility will be generally good.
 
Ground
 
The area of operations (AO) is approximately 1km x 1km and is best described as a mix of open and close terrain. The two principal features are the small village (Village A) and the large wooded feature to the South which is the form up objective specified in the mission orders. The remainder of the ground comprises open farmland and small wooded areas with a single road running generally West to SE. Elevation is best described as rolling countryside with low ground to the South rising to higher ground to the East.
 
The map again ...
 

 
The traditional method of looking at ground is under the OCOKA headings (shown below) so here is a brief description
 
O - Observation and Fields of Fire
 
Generally good throughout with the exception of the wooded features where visibility is limited to approximately 30m. In open areas, visibility and fields of fire can extend up to 600m but changes in elevation creating dead ground restrict this to an average of 200m to 300m
 
C - Cover and Concealment
 
The only readily identifiable features that provide true cover are the buildings, the majority of which are located in Village A. There are two additional small building complexes, complex D which lies between Village A and the wooded objective and a small complex at the NE exit of the woods near annotation L. Otherwise, all wooded areas provide good concealment with the best concealed positions located in the depths of the woods.
 
O - Obstacles
 
There are no significant natural obstacles with the exception of some small areas of heavy woods. Overall the natural environment would be rated as unrestricted with areas of restricted terrain around village A and all wooded areas. Although not a significant obstacle, I am aware that the boundary of the woods is delineated by a single strand low wire fence and this may expose my dismounts as they enter the woods.
 
K - Key Terrain
 
In relation to my mission, the entrances to the woods (marked F, G, H, K and L) are potential key terrain but I designate Village A, Wood C and Complex D as my key terrain. Here is why:
 
Village A
 
My intelligence briefing states that the enemy has a probable scout team deployed there. It is therefore important because the enemy has deemed it important and because it overlooks my initial deployment area. It is also important because it covers AA1 and AA2 and can disrupt manoeuvre along AA3. If I choose do so, once I get into Village A, it allows me overwatch and a base of fire into Wood C, Complex D and parts of Wood E.
 
Wood C
 
Although not apparent from the top down view, close analysis shows that Wood C is on high ground and forces on this position cover AAs 1, 2 and 3. In addition they have overwatch on to my start position. Most importantly, this position gives good observation and fields of fire across the northern boundary of the main woods, Complex D and the Eastern extent of Wood E.
 
Complex D
 
Comprises two buildings which offer both cover and concealment. It covers AAs 2 and 3 and to a limited extend, parts of AA1. Most importantly it again provides a potential good base of fire across the North of the main woods as well as Wood E.
 
A - Avenues of Approach
 
Are as marked on the schematic – in essence there are five broad avenues of approach with a number of branches designated AAs 1-5.
 
 
 
Finally just some other things to note about fighting in woods and forests
 
Other tactical points to note regarding ground in woods:
 
Command and control is extremely difficult due to close terrain and limited visibility.
Observation and fields of fire are limited.
Indirect fire is extremely difficult to employ effectively due to limited visibility and command and control issues.
 
We will look at Threat Evaluation next.
 

QUESTION 1 – WHAT IS THE ENEMY DOING AND WHY?
 
This is broken into the three steps of Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield ( IPB). I am aware that most armies go for four steps (including the one I currently work for) but I was brought up on three and as I am inherently lazy, I’m sticking with three. These steps are:
 
Battlefield Area Evaluation (BAE) which in simple terms is the ground and weather.
 
Threat Evaluation (TE) where you look at the enemy in isolation according to organisation and doctrine.
 
Threat Integration (TI) where you combine steps 1 and 2 to determine enemy courses of action
 
Step 1 - BAE
 
To do this properly I’ve had to crack open the scenario editor to get some of the mission data, however rest assured I have not had a sneaky peek at the Russian forces or setup. So from a combination of information supplied to me from the map, orders and the data screen in the editor here is what I have come up with.
 
Weather
 
According to the data screen it is 250700Jun44, the ground is damp, temperature is cool with overcast skies. Wind source is from the West with heavy wind.
 
Deductions:
 
Wind direction will blow smoke from my setup zone up the map as I look at it, this could be an advantage when using smoke to masking any approach into the woods from the West but is negated by the wind speed. Overall judgement is that I should not rely on smoke and weapon accuracy over long range could be effected.
 
Ground conditions, when combined with terrain mean that all vehicles should manoeuvre carefully when off road.
 
Temperatures should have no adverse effect on dismounted troops.
 
Despite the overcast skies, visibility will be generally good.
 
Ground
 
The area of operations (AO) is approximately 1km x 1km and is best described as a mix of open and close terrain. The two principal features are the small village (Village A) and the large wooded feature to the South which is the form up objective specified in the mission orders. The remainder of the ground comprises open farmland and small wooded areas with a single road running generally West to SE. Elevation is best described as rolling countryside with low ground to the South rising to higher ground to the East.
 
The map again ...
 

 
The traditional method of looking at ground is under the OCOKA headings (shown below) so here is a brief description
 
O - Observation and Fields of Fire
 
Generally good throughout with the exception of the wooded features where visibility is limited to approximately 30m. In open areas, visibility and fields of fire can extend up to 600m but changes in elevation creating dead ground restrict this to an average of 200m to 300m
 
C - Cover and Concealment
 
The only readily identifiable features that provide true cover are the buildings, the majority of which are located in Village A. There are two additional small building complexes, complex D which lies between Village A and the wooded objective and a small complex at the NE exit of the woods near annotation L. Otherwise, all wooded areas provide good concealment with the best concealed positions located in the depths of the woods.
 
O - Obstacles
 
There are no significant natural obstacles with the exception of some small areas of heavy woods. Overall the natural environment would be rated as unrestricted with areas of restricted terrain around village A and all wooded areas. Although not a significant obstacle, I am aware that the boundary of the woods is delineated by a single strand low wire fence and this may expose my dismounts as they enter the woods.
 
K - Key Terrain
 
In relation to my mission, the entrances to the woods (marked F, G, H, K and L) are potential key terrain but I designate Village A, Wood C and Complex D as my key terrain. Here is why:
 
Village A
 
My intelligence briefing states that the enemy has a probable scout team deployed there. It is therefore important because the enemy has deemed it important and because it overlooks my initial deployment area. It is also important because it covers AA1 and AA2 and can disrupt manoeuvre along AA3. If I choose do so, once I get into Village A, it allows me overwatch and a base of fire into Wood C, Complex D and parts of Wood E.
 
Wood C
 
Although not apparent from the top down view, close analysis shows that Wood C is on high ground and forces on this position cover AAs 1, 2 and 3. In addition they have overwatch on to my start position. Most importantly, this position gives good observation and fields of fire across the northern boundary of the main woods, Complex D and the Eastern extent of Wood E.
 
Complex D
 
Comprises two buildings which offer both cover and concealment. It covers AAs 2 and 3 and to a limited extend, parts of AA1. Most importantly it again provides a potential good base of fire across the North of the main woods as well as Wood E.
 
A - Avenues of Approach
 
Are as marked on the schematic – in essence there are five broad avenues of approach with a number of branches designated AAs 1-5.
 
 
 
Finally just some other things to note about fighting in woods and forests
 
Other tactical points to note regarding ground in woods:
 
Command and control is extremely difficult due to close terrain and limited visibility.
Observation and fields of fire are limited.
Indirect fire is extremely difficult to employ effectively due to limited visibility and command and control issues.
 
We will look at Threat Evaluation next.
 

On with the planning then ...
 
For the planning process, I am going to use a number of planning models or tools that I’ve come across in my career – many of you board regulars will have seen some of these in other similar threads but some may be new to you. I’m not saying that these are the best tools or that this is the only way to skin the cat – it is just the way I have chosen to do it.
 
The framework MDMP (Military Decision Making Process) I am going to use is the UK Combat Estimate, which is also known as the 7 Questions. The main reason I am using this format is because I am very familiar with it (I was involved in the trials) and I find it very intuitive. The basic premise is that if you answer all of the 7 Questions you will have a plan at the end of it.
 
The 7 Questions are:
 
Q1 What is  the enemy doing and why?
Q2 What have I been told to do and why?
Q3 What effects do I want to have on the enemy; and what direction must I give to develop a plan?
Q4 Where can I best accomplish each action or effect?
Q5 What resources do I need to accomplish each action or effect?
Q6 When and where do the actions take place in relation to each other?
Q7 What control measures do I have to impose?
 
At this point it is probably worth adding a graphic to orientate you:
 

 
The blue lines are a 100m grid overlay.
 
Also required for context are the orders supplied for the mission:
 
Situation
 
Our forces are counterattacking. Having detrained merely days ago, your Regiment has been pushing around the flank of the Soviets, looking for an opportunity to halt the Russian juggernaught. Your panzergrenadier company has been tasked with securing the flank of our regiment's counterattack by taking a town overlooking an important road highway. Located on the reverse slope of a ridgeline, you determine that a wooded grove just NW of the town (and SE of your assembly area) would be the perfect place to form up your company before it's final attack on the main Soviet defenses. The morning of your attack, you begin to move your company to take your assault position.
 
Mission:
 
Secure the woods to your south west.
 
Execution:
 
Your 1st PLT is currently staged on the road leading into the village of Osinnik. 2nd PLT is not far behind and will arrive within the next 5 minutes. Your 2 company mortars are in trucks and will arrive within 10 minutes. Currently our friendly tanks are occupied in more important areas on the line, and the only support battalion has attached is in the form of a Sd.Kfz. 251/17, travelling with your 2nd PLT.
 
The enemy defense is not expected to be fairly strong. Their tanks are many kilometers to the west, and are using their regular rifle infantry to hold the corridor. The forces to your immediate front are an outpost line, delaying our advance to give their main defense on the reverse slope more time to dig in.
 
There should be no more then a platoon of dismounted infantry, though expect several machine guns and anti-tank teams. Friendly observers had been using Osinnik to direct fire, but were driven out by a small Russian patrol last night. Expect no more then a scout team in Osinnik itself, with the majority of their forces in small blocking positions south of the village among the treelines. Utilize your HMGs, halftracks and mortars to suppress the enemy and secure a foothold in the woods to your SE.
 
Your panzergrenadier company consists of:
 
-1x Company HQ
-1x Sd.Kfz. 251/17
 
-2x Panzergrenadier Platoons, each with:
---1x Headquarters Team
---3x Panzergrenadier Squads (90% manning)
---4x Sd.Kfz. 251/1
 
-1x Weapons PLT, with:
---1x Headquarters Team
---2x HMG42 Teams
---1x Mortars HQ Team
---2x 81mm Mortars
---2x Opel Blitz Trucks
 
Notes:
 
Scoring is as follows:
 
500 points for each objective, 500 for inflicting casualties, for a total of 1000 points. Russian side scores the same, weighted heavily towards vehicle kills. Preserve your halftracks, they are easily destroyed!
 
Orders End
 
I have attached these orders as a PDF for you to refer back to as we go through this process.
 
So that is the problem laid out – time to get on with solving it so here we go ….
 
 
Mission Briefing.pdf

On with the planning then ...
 
For the planning process, I am going to use a number of planning models or tools that I’ve come across in my career – many of you board regulars will have seen some of these in other similar threads but some may be new to you. I’m not saying that these are the best tools or that this is the only way to skin the cat – it is just the way I have chosen to do it.
 
The framework MDMP (Military Decision Making Process) I am going to use is the UK Combat Estimate, which is also known as the 7 Questions. The main reason I am using this format is because I am very familiar with it (I was involved in the trials) and I find it very intuitive. The basic premise is that if you answer all of the 7 Questions you will have a plan at the end of it.
 
The 7 Questions are:
 
Q1 What is  the enemy doing and why?
Q2 What have I been told to do and why?
Q3 What effects do I want to have on the enemy; and what direction must I give to develop a plan?
Q4 Where can I best accomplish each action or effect?
Q5 What resources do I need to accomplish each action or effect?
Q6 When and where do the actions take place in relation to each other?
Q7 What control measures do I have to impose?
 
At this point it is probably worth adding a graphic to orientate you:
 

 
The blue lines are a 100m grid overlay.
 
Also required for context are the orders supplied for the mission:
 
Situation
 
Our forces are counterattacking. Having detrained merely days ago, your Regiment has been pushing around the flank of the Soviets, looking for an opportunity to halt the Russian juggernaught. Your panzergrenadier company has been tasked with securing the flank of our regiment's counterattack by taking a town overlooking an important road highway. Located on the reverse slope of a ridgeline, you determine that a wooded grove just NW of the town (and SE of your assembly area) would be the perfect place to form up your company before it's final attack on the main Soviet defenses. The morning of your attack, you begin to move your company to take your assault position.
 
Mission:
 
Secure the woods to your south west.
 
Execution:
 
Your 1st PLT is currently staged on the road leading into the village of Osinnik. 2nd PLT is not far behind and will arrive within the next 5 minutes. Your 2 company mortars are in trucks and will arrive within 10 minutes. Currently our friendly tanks are occupied in more important areas on the line, and the only support battalion has attached is in the form of a Sd.Kfz. 251/17, travelling with your 2nd PLT.
 
The enemy defense is not expected to be fairly strong. Their tanks are many kilometers to the west, and are using their regular rifle infantry to hold the corridor. The forces to your immediate front are an outpost line, delaying our advance to give their main defense on the reverse slope more time to dig in.
 
There should be no more then a platoon of dismounted infantry, though expect several machine guns and anti-tank teams. Friendly observers had been using Osinnik to direct fire, but were driven out by a small Russian patrol last night. Expect no more then a scout team in Osinnik itself, with the majority of their forces in small blocking positions south of the village among the treelines. Utilize your HMGs, halftracks and mortars to suppress the enemy and secure a foothold in the woods to your SE.
 
Your panzergrenadier company consists of:
 
-1x Company HQ
-1x Sd.Kfz. 251/17
 
-2x Panzergrenadier Platoons, each with:
---1x Headquarters Team
---3x Panzergrenadier Squads (90% manning)
---4x Sd.Kfz. 251/1
 
-1x Weapons PLT, with:
---1x Headquarters Team
---2x HMG42 Teams
---1x Mortars HQ Team
---2x 81mm Mortars
---2x Opel Blitz Trucks
 
Notes:
 
Scoring is as follows:
 
500 points for each objective, 500 for inflicting casualties, for a total of 1000 points. Russian side scores the same, weighted heavily towards vehicle kills. Preserve your halftracks, they are easily destroyed!
 
Orders End
 
I have attached these orders as a PDF for you to refer back to as we go through this process.
 
So that is the problem laid out – time to get on with solving it so here we go ….
 
 
Mission Briefing.pdf

There seem to be a few tutorials doing the rounds of late … so you’re going to get another one – on planning. So if you’re somebody who wondered how it is done, or are somebody who casts a rudimentary eye over the ground, skims through the orders and then just launches across the line of departure with the view to developing a plan on the hoof and wants to change this – then this is the thread for you.
 
The vehicle for the tutorial is SeinfeldRules Assault Position Mission.  The associated thread is here:
 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119212-seinfeldrules-scenario-thread/page-1
 
The mission can be downloaded from here:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d85cs6w3xeeg0oi/AD%20Assault%20Position.zip?dl=0
 
What do you get from this thread – simply put it will delve into the planning process and then roll into an AAR. I am playing this as designed so Axis attacker versus the AI. So without further ado, let’s crack on with it. Also I’d be grateful if people could refrain from posting spoilers on this mission if you’ve played it – I haven’t yet – which is kind of the point of stepping through the planning process first!!!!
 
I will warn you that I am no means an expert on military planning but have been around it enough to know how it works. I will cut corners with it here and there but this isn’t necessarily about military doctrine, it is about giving you guys an understanding of some techniques to help you plan your battles should you have a mind to do so.
 
Clearly questions (that do not contain spoilers) are welcome but many of my answers might be ‘I’ll come to that later’.

There seem to be a few tutorials doing the rounds of late … so you’re going to get another one – on planning. So if you’re somebody who wondered how it is done, or are somebody who casts a rudimentary eye over the ground, skims through the orders and then just launches across the line of departure with the view to developing a plan on the hoof and wants to change this – then this is the thread for you.
 
The vehicle for the tutorial is SeinfeldRules Assault Position Mission.  The associated thread is here:
 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119212-seinfeldrules-scenario-thread/page-1
 
The mission can be downloaded from here:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d85cs6w3xeeg0oi/AD%20Assault%20Position.zip?dl=0
 
What do you get from this thread – simply put it will delve into the planning process and then roll into an AAR. I am playing this as designed so Axis attacker versus the AI. So without further ado, let’s crack on with it. Also I’d be grateful if people could refrain from posting spoilers on this mission if you’ve played it – I haven’t yet – which is kind of the point of stepping through the planning process first!!!!
 
I will warn you that I am no means an expert on military planning but have been around it enough to know how it works. I will cut corners with it here and there but this isn’t necessarily about military doctrine, it is about giving you guys an understanding of some techniques to help you plan your battles should you have a mind to do so.
 
Clearly questions (that do not contain spoilers) are welcome but many of my answers might be ‘I’ll come to that later’.

There seem to be a few tutorials doing the rounds of late … so you’re going to get another one – on planning. So if you’re somebody who wondered how it is done, or are somebody who casts a rudimentary eye over the ground, skims through the orders and then just launches across the line of departure with the view to developing a plan on the hoof and wants to change this – then this is the thread for you.
 
The vehicle for the tutorial is SeinfeldRules Assault Position Mission.  The associated thread is here:
 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119212-seinfeldrules-scenario-thread/page-1
 
The mission can be downloaded from here:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d85cs6w3xeeg0oi/AD%20Assault%20Position.zip?dl=0
 
What do you get from this thread – simply put it will delve into the planning process and then roll into an AAR. I am playing this as designed so Axis attacker versus the AI. So without further ado, let’s crack on with it. Also I’d be grateful if people could refrain from posting spoilers on this mission if you’ve played it – I haven’t yet – which is kind of the point of stepping through the planning process first!!!!
 
I will warn you that I am no means an expert on military planning but have been around it enough to know how it works. I will cut corners with it here and there but this isn’t necessarily about military doctrine, it is about giving you guys an understanding of some techniques to help you plan your battles should you have a mind to do so.
 
Clearly questions (that do not contain spoilers) are welcome but many of my answers might be ‘I’ll come to that later’.

There seem to be a few tutorials doing the rounds of late … so you’re going to get another one – on planning. So if you’re somebody who wondered how it is done, or are somebody who casts a rudimentary eye over the ground, skims through the orders and then just launches across the line of departure with the view to developing a plan on the hoof and wants to change this – then this is the thread for you.
 
The vehicle for the tutorial is SeinfeldRules Assault Position Mission.  The associated thread is here:
 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119212-seinfeldrules-scenario-thread/page-1
 
The mission can be downloaded from here:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d85cs6w3xeeg0oi/AD%20Assault%20Position.zip?dl=0
 
What do you get from this thread – simply put it will delve into the planning process and then roll into an AAR. I am playing this as designed so Axis attacker versus the AI. So without further ado, let’s crack on with it. Also I’d be grateful if people could refrain from posting spoilers on this mission if you’ve played it – I haven’t yet – which is kind of the point of stepping through the planning process first!!!!
 
I will warn you that I am no means an expert on military planning but have been around it enough to know how it works. I will cut corners with it here and there but this isn’t necessarily about military doctrine, it is about giving you guys an understanding of some techniques to help you plan your battles should you have a mind to do so.
 
Clearly questions (that do not contain spoilers) are welcome but many of my answers might be ‘I’ll come to that later’.

Anything by George MC and Paper Tiger.

Another great I source I recently found.
 
http://www.landkartenarchiv.de/deutschland_heereskarte.php
 
Full coverage of a large part of Eastern Europe. Scale is 1:100 000, but the resolution is really high, so definately usable for CM maps. Note that elevations are (mostly?) in the weird Russian scale for elevations.

Suits you sir...
 

Thanks Combatintman... I checked the X86 nothing there.. but when I logged into Shock Force as Administrator, I now can save and delete the games.  small little glitch but no harm.

Have you tried your virtual store? The filepath will look something like this:
 
C:\Users\YourNamel\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Battlefront\Combat Mission Shock Force\Game Files
 
I think that will probably solve the problem

At some point I will get around to uploading mine - there's about half a dozen of them I think.

Forget about feedback, forget sharing with the community and grand plans. I wonder how many folks posting here have made scenarios for their own gratification?
Actually constructed a map, placed units on it, and got the AI to move them around in a coherent manner. I don't care if you shared them, if they were historical or fictional,  if the locations were real or even if the scenario was any good. All I care about is if you've made-your-own then had fun playing it afterward. If you haven't done that at the very least then you're just talk.

I heartily agree with astano, sburke, SLIM and Sequoia on this one - the time snapshot and Middle East setting is just right - you can do Iraq and Afghanistan, as I have done with my released scenarios:
 
Op GLACIER 1 - Afghanistan
Op GLACIER 2 - Afghanistan
OP GLACIER 4 - Afghanistan
CIMIC House - Iraq
Habibollah Kalay - Afghanistan
Into the Green - Afghanistan
Zumbelay Withdrawal - Afghanistan
Fallujah Hospital - Iraq
 
If I ever finish it I have a campaign based on 3 Cdo Bde RM on Op TELIC which does the warfighting bit as well - Syrian Army TO&E is not that radically different from the Iraqi Army that you would notice the difference.
 
Current and recent red on red conflicts such as Syria and Libya can also be done in CMSF and I have seen at least one historical mission released set in Syria and (from memory) a fictional/semi historical mission or even mini campaign based on Libya - some new Gucci setting for CMSF 2 takes all of this flexibility away and would be a mistake. As I have said before on this and other threads - the ability to do rivers and bridges and the Special Editor Overlay feature would bring new life into CMSF and would allow time poor people like me to knock out real terrain maps and missions at a much quicker rate.

Hi Agusto,

 

Just gave this a runout and didn’t even tick off one terrain objective. Here are my comments:

 
 
 


 
 
Definite potential here and this will be a decent scenario with a bit of tweaking - it is plenty of fun for sure.

Hi Agusto,

 

Just gave this a runout and didn’t even tick off one terrain objective. Here are my comments:

 
 
 


 
 
Definite potential here and this will be a decent scenario with a bit of tweaking - it is plenty of fun for sure.

AAR … of sorts (don’t expect anything of Bill Hardenberger’s quality)
 
What I know
 
Enemy
An unidentified regiment of 220 Rifle Division which has started to dig in. Army artillery is likely out of range and no armour has been seen yet. Likely dispositions are:
 
An outpost line to the front.
Forward defensive line between the outpost and Biale Blote
Defensive position in Mankowice.
Defensive position in Biale Blote.
Defensive position on the hill feature with some anti-tank guns.
 
Deductions:
An outpost line to the front = probable recce coy.
Forward Defensive Line = one coy from the assessed inf bn in Biale Blote
Defensive position in Mankowice = probable inf bn.
Defensive position in Biale Blote = probable inf bn.
Defensive position on the hill feature with some anti-tank guns = probable inf bn and atk bty.
Artillery will certainly include mortars up to 120mm = probable bty/coy and possible a bty of 76mm on call.
Armour not seen but plan for either a tank or assault gun coy.
These deductions are recorded on the COA schematics that you will see later.
 
Friendly Forces
III Bn minus vehicles
7 x Stug III
4 x 81mm mortars, 2 x 150mm guns and 1 x bty of 105mm
 
Deductions
Outnumbered and therefore must concentrate combat power.
Stug III are going to be important.
 
Ground
In essence a flat open plain flanked on my left by hill features which dominate the plain. On the right flank, the ground slopes away and is more broken with a mix of foliage, built-up areas and marsh. The village of Biale Blote is at the far end of the map and again is a built-up area surrounded by broken wooded marshy terrain.
 
Deductions
Successful advance across the plain requires either securing the heights or denying them to the enemy. They are probably Vital Ground/Decisive Terrain. The low ground on the right flank provides a covered avenue of approach and using this will dislocate enemy on the heights.
 
Mission (abbreviated)
III Bn is to secure Biale Blote and Mankowice NLT 0700 and conduct a passage of lines with II Bn IOT enable the II Bn attack on Sopocknie.
 
I’ll spare you a full mission analysis but in essence my key deduction is that I’ve got 2 hrs and 40 minutes to do this so I need to get a move on given the distance I have to cover. This means that I need to factor in using the Stugs as battlefield taxis.
 
Likely COAs/schemes of manoeuvre are:
 
COA 1 – I’ll call it secure the heights for want of a better term.
 

 
Preliminary operation by 2 Coys (9 & 10 Kp) to secure the heights. Once secure, advance across the plain with the remaining Coy (11 Kp) supported by the Stugs to clear the outpost line. Once this has been done, clear and secure Biale Blote using one Coy to provide a base of fire while assaulting with the other Coy. Stugs will also provide fire support for this attack. With Biale Blote clear, the Coy that had cleared the outpost line swings right supported by the Stugs to conduct a clearance of Mankowice.
 
Pros
Secures the left flank hill features.
Maximises combat power for the assault on the main objective (Biale Blote)
Stugs are in the best position to counter any armoured threat
Complex terrain on the hills allows for a covered approach and minimises artillery threat
 
Cons
Dismounts have to cover a lot ground before initial contact with the enemy.
Forces crossing the plain are vulnerable to flank shoots if the hill is not effectively cleared and flank shoots from any forces on the right flank.
Only one Coy and the Stugs are available for the clearance of Mankowice.
Clearance of the hill features may take too long to achieve the objectives.
 
COA 2 – I’ll call it middle for diddle for want of a better term.
 

 
A two up advance with my two on-map Coys (9 & 10 Kp) supported by the Stugs. This envisions company clearances of the outpost line/lines. Initial line will be cleared by the two on map Coys supported by the Stugs and once complete the Inf Coys will clear the second line with Stug support at distance. By this time I will have observers forward to call in indirect fire on the hill feature on my left flank. Once both lines are clear and the hill feature has been neutralised by indirect fire, both forward Coys will clear and secure Biale Blote with one Coy allocated to each objective. The third Coy (11 Kp) will move up to the outpost line in trail and is to be prepared to provide fire support to the assaults on the Biale Blote objectives. Once Biale Blote is secure, the trail coy supported by the Stugs will swing right and clear and secure Mankowice.
 
Pros
Concentrates combat power for the assault on the main objective (Biale Blote).
Stugs are in the best position to counter any armoured threat.
Ground and avenue of approach offer the quickest route to the primary objective (Biale Blote).
Use of open ground as an avenue of approach takes advantage of superior skills/spotting of Stugs.
 
Cons
Does not secure the overlooking hill features.
Use of fire to deny the enemy the hill features cannot guarantee the neutralisation of the flank threat.
The advance across the plain will be vulnerable to attacks from both open flanks.
The main avenue of approach is overlooked by dominating ground and dismounts will be vulnerable to indirect fire.
Dismounts have to cover a lot ground before initial contact with the enemy.
Only one Coy and the Stugs are available for the clearance of Mankowice.
 
COA 3 – I’ll call it right hook close to Sopocknie for want of a better term.
 

 
An echeloned attack using the right flank as the main avenue of approach. One Coy (9 Kp) with Stugs will advance to provide fire support to an assault by an echeloned second company (10 Kp) into the first Mankowice Objective. Once secure, the assaulting company and Stugs will provide fire support to the echelon Coy (10 Kp) to clear and secure the second Mankowice objective. Once secure the first company (9 Kp) will conduct a left flanking manoeuvre to clear the outpost line as far as is required to facilitate further manoeuvre to Biale Blote and provide observation of the hill features on the left flank. With the outpost line cleared, the third company (11 Kp) supported by the Stugs will clear and secure Biale Blote.
 
Pros
Dislocates the anti-tank threat on left flank hill feature.
The right flank offers a covered avenue of approach.
Maximises combat power for the assault on Mankowice.
Echeloning will allow momentum to be sustained.
The right flank is secure (gamey but true).
Force is better balanced.
 
Cons
Does not secure the overlooking hill features.
Clearing and securing Mankowice may take time.
Isolates one of 9 Kompanie’s platoons in the early phases.
Enemy armour attacks along the most likely avenue of approach will require Stugs to reposition.
Route to Biale Blote is indirect and will take time to traverse.
Only one Coy and the Stugs are available for the assault on Biale Blote.
Echeloning across a narrow avenue of approach is vulnerable to enemy indirect fire.
 
COA Analysis
 
I've used the functions in combat as my metric:
 

 
My chosen COA is ... Course of Action 3.