lomir

Hi Alex, If you set the supply to Full, they'll have 87 x 30mm HE (VOG-17) grenades. If it's not set at Full for that scenario, it's supposed that they have made some shooting before and thus you get those strange numbers of ammo. The metal box containing the ammunition or the "snail" magazine (basket, but we've understood: I'm not an English native speaker, too) seems green to me in the game, not black. If you meant the tripod, there are photos in the Internet with the tripod painted in black, too. So, IMHO I don't think that's an error in the 3D model. I was pretty boooored and I did some test. Here are the screenshots: Yup, everything was going fine (29 grenades, reload, 29 grenades, reload) until the third and last magazine (see the last two screenshots). They had to reload twice again. It probably may be that they were fixing a weapons jam, so they had to take out the magazine. So, I'm not saying it's a bug. About the rate of fire in the game... the team pictured started shooting well after the minute 29:00 against a moving target (a BTR coming at full speed from 1600 metres away), and they were making many 4-5 shot bursts, and just a few short ones (1-2). They spent all their ammo in 3 turns (reloads/jams included). And accuracy is very dependant of the skill of the shooter. Here, it was Veteran, so he performed well, I've got to say. Cheers, Lomir P.S.- BTW, have you notice how well the Syrians dig? :-)))

Hi c3k, I believe that the RPK you get it depends on the unit: Regular Army, Militia, Uncon, etc. For example, a Syrian Mech Infantry Battalion will be equipped with AK-74s and RPK-74s, doesn't matter which equipment setting (Poor, Fair, Normal, Good, Excellent) you have when you purchase that unit. In other units, I think that setting will have some effect on some of the assault rifles (AKMs or AK-74s) they might use, but as far as I know, the GPMG (RPD, RPK or RPK-74) is always set to a kind of unit. As a rule of thumb, the more "professional" the unit, the newest model of GPMG they'll have (RPD, RPK and RPK-74 in this order). The tooltip is alright, and: RPD and RPK use the 7.62x39mm cartridge, as the AKM assault rifle. RPK-74 uses the 5.45x39mm cartridge, as the AK-74 assaut rifle. Hope it helps, Lomir

In more detail: In the Editor, under Mission > Data: Force vs. Force. Change it to Red vs. Red. Now go to Units > Purchase (Blue). Purchase red units for the Blue Side. When done, finally go back to Mission > Data: Force vs. Force and change it to Blue vs. Red (Standard), or both Sides will be called Syrian Army (very confusing). Cheers, Lomir

Hi, It's very interesting what I'm reading here, as long as the Spanish Army is going to deploy "soon" (after two years) the first MRAP RG-31 Mk5Es with RCWS Mini Samson in Afghanistan, and we are looking forward to seeing a good number of them there since the currently deployed BMR 6x6 wheeled APC is an outdated vehicle (from the 70s) that turns into shrapnel when it receives a blast. A mobile coffin, name it. The new 8x8 wheeled APC project for the Spanish Army is still going to take some years (and many changes in the Army structure) to see some light, so the question is: what's wrong with those MRAPs? The U.S. Army/Marine Corps and Canada use the same model in Afghanistan (and the turn over feature is not a good reason for me but with this crazy TOW model: all wheeled armoured vehicles overturn when doing sharp turns at high speed). Clavicula Nox, how can you prefer an underprotected Humvee over a MRAP when IEDs are a major threat when patrolling in Afghanistan? Cpt. Mike, Strykers/APCs vs MRAPs... well, I guess it depends if the country's defense budget will be cut down or not: MRAPs are much more cheaper and the infantry in the back isn't supposed to fight from neither carrier Cheers, Lomir

CM:SF moves in mysterious ways... :confused: Hi, hcrof. Screenshots of a Spartan APC's GPMG manned and shooted by a passenger: Notice the portrait of the Troop HQ in the second screenshot. Don't know for sure, but I have the feeling that these are the only ones that can make use of the APC's weapons coming from the passenger seats. The rest, after giving an "Open Up" command, will just pop up through the top hatch and will stay there spotting. Trick: if their weapon is not represented in the Team Info Panel (the central one), they are actually manning the vehicle's gun. If it is represented, forget shooting in any way with that guy - IIRC, they won't even use their own assault rifle! Hope it helps somehow, Cheers, Lomir

AT-14 / 9K135 Kornet Launcher weight, kg 26 Thermal sight weight, kg 11 Guidance system semiautomatic laser beam riding Missile weight (with container), kg 29 Sources: http://warfare.ru or http://issuu.com/ufobject/docs/russian_weapons_catalog Source: http://www.defense-update.com/products/k/kornet-e.htm In its basic form, the Kornet missile is fired from a tripod-mounted single-round firing post designated the 9P163-1. The manufacturer and supplier of the AT-14 Kornet (KBP Instrument Design Bureau) for Syria says nothing, of course http://www.kbptula.ru/eng/atgw/kornet.htm The AT-14 Kornet thermal sight is designated KORNET-TP or 1PN80. The manufacturer is the Research and Production Association-State Institute of Applied Optics (NPO GIPO). Source with some technical information, but not the cooling time for the thermal imager: http://milparade.udm.ru/18/42-45.htm So the only source I've found, says it takes 3 minutes to deploy an AT-14 Kornet. And for all this kind of wire-guided weapons, remember that the tripod must be more or less level for effective operation. If the tripod is not level, lateral (azimuth) movement produces a change in the elevation angle of the launch tube (the same principle works for the tank's gun when in a slope), so acquiring and tracking the target may be difficult. Probably there are some kind of level indicators with a bubble in the tripod legs for adjusting to the ideal firing position, and this operation takes some time. In a training range, I believe the tripod is previously prepared for not having to adjust a single leg... One minute afterwards and there it goes the missile! Cheers, Lomir

thanks for the answers! I guess that TRPs might be especially useful for the Syrians...

MikeyD, it seems the time you need to pass the sign from red to yellow depends of the number of engineers that are with the 'mark mines' command over this spot (and it should depend as well of the experience, but I'm not sure about this part). I've seen a complete squad of British pixelengineers doing that in the matter of a few seconds after giving them a 'mark mines' command (and with Elite level of difficulty). After they have done the "change of colour", they always start crawling towards the sign (the blue movement line becomes automatically a purple line), and as you have very well said, it's a really insane behaviour to do that as there still are many chances that they will still find a mine in the bad way when entering (for what?) and when you'll have to take them out of the minefield (yay!). You can't give a 'mark mines' command on a yellow sign. The only way for a minefield to be completely safe (green sign) is by making all the mines go boom. Pretty mad, hey? The 'mark mines' command, marks the location of most mines for a safe passage (20%? well, safe, very safe... ehem) but it doesn't deactivate any mine. Paper Tiger, I like your idea and even I would say that I'd prefer to make all the minefield signs visible to both sides but for the IED mines. It would end the problem of finding mines by stepping into them or having to implement code to make the 'hunt' order work as a let's look for mines, for example. Currently, even if you know that a minefield is there, it isn't an easy way to make it totally safe when it's an antipersonnel minefield (to run an Abrams tank back and forwards into the mines around the yellow sign for a few minutes?? nah!), and it's impossible to do it safely when AT mines are present. Another idea is to change the code to use the engineers and recce troops as mine spotters, so the minefields continue to be hidden but an engineer/recce unit can make them appear when walking towards them using the hunt order, as I said before. Of course, the perfection would be reached having available in game some assets to reduce a minefield: bangalore torpedos, rocket-propelled Mine-Clearing Line Charges (MICLIC) and Antipersonnel Obstacle Breaching Systems (APOBS), and mine rollers for the tanks. MikeyD, You don't need to steal the "Crown jewels", hehe (that would be great, though ). Aerial recce can tell you the rough location of minefields and say a lot about them. Ground-surveillance radar may provide useful information about the obstacle emplacement activity. And Reconnaissance land forces should have the capability to collect OBSTINTEL, too. On the ground detection of a minefield may be accomplished through four methods: visual, physical (probing), electronic, and mechanical (mine rollers) or it may be unintentional (in game it's always painfully unintentional). And after collecting the OBSTINTEL, you can use charts that will tell you all you need to know for effectively reducing the minefield: probable limits and depth, density, etc. I don't know the Syrian minefield-emplacement capability, MikeyD, but mines are cheap, and very easy and fast to lay when they are not buried. Even faster if you don't keep a track of every single location in a template as unfortunately use to happen when militias or uncon forces use them. But in a manoeuvre war you can expect to find a lot of minefields placed beforehand to defend valuable targets and the likely avenues of aproach. Just adding to the debate. Pvt. Ryan, With the first sentence I totally disagree with you if you mean reduction, breaching... name it. Obstacle reduction is fundamental in a breaching operation in open terrain against a well-equipped, well-prepared enemy defense, and it's critical in restricted terrain. You could even say that this is the real beginning of the combat. Second sentence: I agree with you. Clearing operations (the total elimination or neutralization of a minefield or a portion of the minefield) are not conducted under fire and are usually performed by follow-on engineer forces. I just wanted to point out that clearing is not a synonym for reduction. Costard, A quarter acre is around 1000 square meters... around 32x32m. Twelve hours? Now you are kidding! Of course, it does depend if it's my grandma and her friends, hehe... No, seriously talking: it depends of the asset you use to lay the minefield, Costard (if you say crew, I understand some kind of vehicle), but I can assure you that definitely not twelve hours...

Aren't Target Reference Points a feature of landscape (the only standing tree of that field, around 500 m. away, for example)? :confused: An image for today: Remember not to crowd together your troops. Or remember not to park your APC in a antipersonnel minefield Another thing. Probably it has been discussed before but I couldn't find it. In an uncrewed APC (I've seen it with a Bulldog) you can make your troops enter and adquire things, good, but although you can give an "open up" order and one chap will pop up to man the 7,62mm, he can't shoot with it... It doesn't make any sense. Bug? Cheers, Lomir

Hi hcrof, It's obvious: don't let the enemy happily concentrate too many weapons against one position at a given time. But if they do such a thing, it doesn't mean that it's tactically wise for them to do so. Situation dictates. If a whole platoon is supressed by heavy incoming fire, the platoon must be prepared to engage during the enemy's suppression despite this threat fire, otherwise the enemy could draw close to decisive engagement without having taken significant losses. That's the ideal situation. If the platoon is not totally supressed (when you have all of them huging their knees, praying in the bottom of a trench and you can't give them a movement order), and you think that this platoon will be soundly defeated where is currently staying, here may come a point in the battle where evacuation of that position is necessary and it's time to pop smoke and move back to the next set of Battle Positions. You must ensure that in addition to the primary fighting positions, you also have a series of alternate and supplementary positions. As the platoon withdraws, its move is covered by the other platoons (the move is overwatched). Remember to always have as many mutually and interlocking supporting direct fires as possible. Eventually, you will probably reach the point where you will have to commit the reserve to counterattack by fire. A counterattack by fire is executed to destroy the enemy's exposed threat elements and free your decisively engaged elements. Usually a company team/group executes a counterattack by fire with one element moving on a concealed route to firing positions from which it can engage the enemy threat in the flank and/or rear, while another element (the base-of-fire/overwatch element) continues to engage. The manoeuvre element must move rapidly to its firing position to complete the counterattack before possible enemy's follow-on forces can be brought forward. In real life (or if you play H2H), smoke may be used to deceive the enemy threat. Deception is achieved by placing smoke on the manoeuvre element's previous positions to simulate disengagement, on the flank opposite the counterattack to deceive the threat as to location of the counterattack, or along the counterattack route. Playing against the AI, only use smoke support to screen the movement of your forces. Once the counterattack by fire is complete, the company team/group continues the defense against the enemy's follow-on forces from the team/group's initial or current positions. The base of fire element may move forward to assist the manoeuvre element and smoke may be called to mask the occupation of the counterattack by fire position from enemy observation, or the manoeuvre element may rejoin the base of fire element on the Battle Position from which the counterattack was launched. If the enemy is able to press the attack, fires may also be called on the recently evacuated Battle Positions as the enemy arrives on the location. Artillery fire support, when available, must be oriented on those terrain features which may be occupied by enemy forces. If you have to counterattack by fire using a company team/group to disengage more than one platoon that's being supressed at the same time, when possible, the most engaged platoon should be disengaged last so that overmatching platoons can move to favorable positions to support its disengagement by fire. And you should have one or more platoons overwatching the disengaging platoons. (A disengagement is breaking contact with the enemy and moving where the enemy can neither see nor engage the unit). If for AT defenses you mean the ATGMs, it's not lost yet. If you are using the broad meaning for all the AT resources: ATGMs and short-range AT weapons, such as rocket launchers; but also tanks and IFVs, and there isn't artillery support and/or air assets available... well, of course yes, it is. Soldiers with hand grenades and rifles won't be able to win the aboveground battle against the enemy armour. Another thing is the number of casualties they could still stubbornly inflict to the enemy infantry in the underground battle, but in modern warfare the enemy will be wise enough to heavily suppress with all their assets these troops before commiting their infantry into the underground battle, so there isn't any chance for you to win that battle. Nonetheless, again situation dictates: infantry with just RPGs defending in urban terrain (think of Grozny where there wasn't a real need of long range ATGMs), making some clever AT ambushes... and say goodbye to your armour. You'll win the battle. I hope it has been useful. Cheers, Lomir

Hi, So the first scenario (UK Hell for Leather) has already been uploaded in the CMSF - British Forces Repository. It should appear there for downloading in 2-3 hours. I tested it yesterday and I think it's ready to be played. I'll upload as well the empty map (hopefully if my work permits, by the end of next week) for those that want to use it in QBs. Any comment in this Forum about the scenario is very welcome, so I might make some changes for good in the campaign version. You'll have to wait for this, though (10 scenarios intended and probably the NATO module will be available by then!). A piece of advice about the scenario. Not an spoiler. The briefing clearly states that during the first hour you'll only have the equivalent of a reinforced platoon (around 35 men) of the Special Forces Support Group to operate with. The SFSG is Britain's newest special operations unit (similar to the 75th Ranger Regiment in the U.S. Military) but they are not SAS/SBS forces (the SFOD-1 (Delta Force) in the U.S. Military). Their men still are very tough guys, but you'll have to use them wisely. Remember that you have plenty of time for doing things slowly and nice until the 4th Mech Bde arrives! Patience is the key. The map size is 1616 x 1200 m. (1 mile x 3/4 mile) and you'll have a time limit of 4 hours for not rushing things up Combatintman, thanks: I had already used "Mechanized" as I saw that it seems to be the official spelling of the Mech brigades in the British Army (www.army.mod.uk). Now your answer has definitely dispelled my doubts. Probably it's just a matter of old fashioned words vs the new trends, as you was saying before in some reply. Cheers, Lomir P.S. ScubaSam, you'll get credit for your great help in the unit's recognition at the campaign map. In this first scenario none of these troops are used and that's why you are not mentioned, but I just wanted to make you know that you'll be on the next one. I really appreciated it

Already changed Before I had done it using the names of the Routes and the description to not disconcert the player by the idea of controlling two objectives that are set on the edge of the map (looks quite gamey this "on the ropes" situation) and then to ask the reasonable question about their importance. So, now I've used your Objective names (that are just known to the Blue player) and in the place where the roads are going out of the map I've placed two Landmarks saying M4 and Highway 6, so any reader of the briefing can easily make a connection between the Routes and the Objectives, and understand the importance of controlling the access to these roads in the next scenario. I haven't named Route ACHERON and Route TARTARUS the landmarks if somebody wants to play H2H or I decide to make someday the Red vs AI in the stand alone scenarios. But you are right, now it looks nicer with the Objetive names (as you point out that it should correctly be). One question: in British English is Mechanised or Mechanized??? I used to write the latter before, but lately I'm just seeing written the one with the "s" and that's what I've used here... What would be the correct form in this case? :confused: So, the first scenario is finished and I should be able to upload it to the repository this weekend. I'm working on the last details of the images for the briefing... It's getting quite disheartening because I have find out that the size of my operational map fits very nicely in the space alloted for the tactical map In its correct place the operational map I've done seems to be completely unreadable! Cheers, Lomir

Combatintman, a huge thank you!!

Don't know why, but lately I also have the strange feeling that in the moment that any of your troops get close to the "area target" radius, they instantly become the priority target, no matter which enemy forces are inside... But I've learnt to keep my pixeltruppen a good distance away from those areas and these kind of friendly fire incidents hasn't happened to me anymore. I'd like to share with you my last "friendly fire" incident: Normal Dude's Task Force Panther campaign (BTW, I'm enjoying it a lot!). First scenario ("Knees in the Breeze") at Aleppo International. It's completely dark. I send two guys on recon from a house to another one that is (IICR) 200-300 metres away, and unfortunately inside :eek: (but just for a few metres) an area target for an aircraft. The JTAC team is in the house that the two unlucky have already left and "controlling" the maneuver... The recon guys sneak through the darkness into the small house and they hide to observate the nearest complex of buildings... I don't need to continue to know how it ends: a huge crater I can imagine two situations for this to happen: Situation 1. The two poor guys get into the house. It's June, they are in a mainly Muslim country, but in this home the Christmas lights still are all over the place. The recon guys decide that it would be funny to check if they work. They do. The JTAC team has found a photocopier in working order in the first house. They are making copies of their butts while a Hornet decides to drop his bomb in what looks like a fair booth... Situation 2. There's been a huuuuge misunderstanding between the pilot and the JTAC team about friendly forces in a house inside the target area. So, my idea: all the friendly forces within the LOS of the air controllers (at least, the JTAC teams) should be considered safe from a direct attack, doesn't matter where they are. The JTAC team have control of the situation notifying the air assets what's going on and where not to shoot at without us needing to do a "cease fire". They still might be too close to the action radius of a bomb attacking some enemy unit inside the "area target", but friendly forces shouldn't be attacked directly when they are in the LOS of the JTAC! Of course, I'd leave some small chances that in this situation everything goes REALLY wrong and there are these kind of friendly fire incidents, so we can still have a shiver down our spine when we have those helicopters flying overhead... Cheers, Lomir

Peter Panzer, you forgot one of the visual odds: The PM pistol that is used by some Syrian officers appears as an AKM. I know that you'd hardly see that side arm in the game (in fact, someone knows if it's modeled to shoot at all?), but IMHO I'd prefer to see these officers as if they were un-armed (but still keeping their PMs) than with an assault rifle, that they doesn't have, on their hands... Just an opinion. Cheers, Lomir

Please, feel free to play finding the error

The briefing is already corrected. If you are reading it and you find any typo or you have any comment about it, please post it. I'm working on the strategic and tactical maps now Hell for Leather Enemy Forces In order to delay the incoming invasion, the Syrian Army has called up a Militia battalion to garrison the Tall Kushik Border Crossing. The Militia is mostly hidden in the urban area to avoid targeting by the Coalition airpower flying from Incirlik and Diyarbakir in Turkey. These forces are expected to attrite our invading forces so that other Syrian forces may then try to counterattack to push us back into Iraq. Other Syrian forces in the area consist of static tank batteries and a battalion of decent quality Border Troops dug in along the berm in a wide defensive line, as well as at some posts defending the border crossing, the ring road approach to the Syrian M4 highway (designated Route Acheron) and the access to the Main Road 6 (designated Route Tartarus). We expect to find just a reinforced company of them with obsolete BTR-60 APCs in the Tall Kushik AO. The Militia have also recently been equipped with limited quantities of older-generation ATGMs, but we don't expect the Syrian militiamen will withstand effectively our push for long. Beware of the better trained and equipped Border Guard, though. The Border Guard have some heavy mortars and artillery support (18 D-30 122mm towed howitzers and 6 Type 63 107mm multiple-launch rocket systems), but given the dispersed deployment of these units along the border it is only a nuisance problem to take care of. Our initial counter-battery fire and air assets should easily get rid of them on the first stage of the invasion. Our aerial reconnaissance has not identified IVO Tall Kushik any of the T-62s that the Border Guards use to operate with as they might be hidden somewhere else, but after some recent rains, there are clear evidences that the Syrians have laid minefields along their side of the berm to create tactical barriers to deter any direct attack and to act as area-denial weapons against our incoming invasion. Military Intelligence has identified a group of around 50 Kurdish Sunni Islamist mujahideen and other foreign Arab fighters assisting the Syrian militiamen and local insurgents of Tall Kushik. That group probably is the most dangerous enemy we'll have to face, since most of their members are hardened veterans from the Chechen, Iraqi or Afghan wars. The local insurgency in the Area of Operation comprise approximately 100-150 men, mainly poorly armed civilians. They all seem to be operating from the vicinity of the main mosque of Tall Kushik. Friendly Forces All along the Syrian-Iraqi border, British recon teams an SAS troops have been very active further ahead of the FEBA in the last days determining the disposition of the Syrian military forces and another unconventional threats. Your invading force is mainly the British 4th Mechanised Brigade (The Black Rats), with the Queen's Royal Lancers from the 19th Infantry Brigade in the formation reconnaissance role, and air and artillery support. 4 Mech Bde has been task-organized into battalion-sized Battlegroups: The 1 LANCS BG, based around the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (1 LANCS) including elements of the Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) will lead the main attack on the Tall Kushik Border Crossing with their Challenger 2 MBTs and FV432 Bulldog APCs. Two companies of the 1 SG with elements of the Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL), with their Warrior IFVs and Scimitar Recce Vehicles, will act as a mobile force contraflanking any Syrian Border Guards flanking attempt on the 1 LANCS BG, while two squadrons of the RDG with their organic Recce elements will create diversionary attacks north and south of the main attack axis. 1 MERCIAN, with the remaining forces of the 4th Mech Bde will stay back on standby to act as a reserve force ready to exploit the gap created by the 1 LANCS BG on the urban area of Tall Kushik. You have priority for artillery support for the area from the 3/29 (Corunna) Bty of the 4 Regt RA after their counter-battery assigments are complete. The 1 LANCS BG in detail consists of: 1 LANCS Headquarters (2 x Bulldog APC; 1 x Sultan APC). A (Anzio) Mech Rifle Coy, 1 LANCS (23 x Bulldog APC; 2 x Spartan APC). B (Burma) Mech Rifle Coy, 1 LANCS (23 x Bulldog APC; 2 x Spartan APC). C Armd Sqn, RDG (14 x Challenger 2 MBT). D (Somme) Manoeuvre Support Coy (-), 1 LANCS (12 x Bulldog APC; 1 x Spartan APC). 2 Fd/1 AES, 21 Engr Regt (4 x Bulldog APC; 2 x Spartan APC). 2 x Sabre Tp, A Lancer Squadron, QRL (8 x Scimitar Recce Veh). 3/29 (Corunna) Bty, 4 Regt RA (6 x AS90 155mm Howitzer). 1 x FOO Party, 3/29 Bty TAC Gp (1 x Warrior Artillery Observation Vehicle). 1 x Tac Air Control Party (1 x Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier). Additional direct support will be provided by some elements from the Special Forces Support Group (SFGS) and 4 Apache AH Mk1s from the 656 Squadron AAC with Hellfire missiles and 2.75'' rockets. Terrain and Weather The terrain in the area of operations is relatively flat, with dry-farmed crop lands in the outskirts of Tall Kushik. The Iraqi side of Tall Kushik Border Crossing is mainly made of former Iraqi Army barracks and an station of the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement, all of it actually abandoned since it is controlled by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Light winds out of the Northwest, with clear skies. There is an almost full moon tonight. It is now 0030hrs local time, 20 June. Recce teams will start moving in about two hours, and the main force attack is scheduled to begin at 0600hrs. Mission Your mission is to destroy the enemy forces in the area. Secondary objectives are the control of the Highway M4 (Route Acheron) ring road approach and the Main Road 6 (Route Tartarus) access next to the train station of Tall Kushik. Commander's Intent We will conduct an all-force assault at dawn in the area west of the border berm and wall, with the destruction of enemy units as the priority. The 1 LANCS BG will attack on a relative small portion of the Syrian border at Tall Kushik to achieve a breakthrough. We'll slice through the enemy defensive line and we'll rapidly exploit the gap created. As the enemy units defending Tall Kushik break, the northern and southern Border Guard units along the berm will suffer adverse results from this (spreading panic, additional defensive angles, threat to supply lines) and, since they will be already pressured north and south of the main attack axis, it will lead them to snap as well, causing a domino-style collapse of the Syrian defensive system. We seek the complete destruction of the defensive force at the breakthrough point in Tall Kushik, giving us the option to rapidly move more troops into the gap, stabilizing our flanks and then exploiting the breakthrough in width (by flanking the remaining Border Guard units at the edge of the breakthrough) and in depth (advancing into enemy territory and towards our strategic objectives). Capture the town with minimal losses by the use of maximum firepower. Most of the civilians have fled to safety from the Area of Operation long time ago, expecting the incoming invasion, so there aren't any ROE restrictions. Gentlemen, we cannot fail now. Basic Plan At 0500hrs infiltrate the area with the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) avoiding contact with enemy patrols and defensive positions. Occupy OPs to observe the area and report the disposition of enemy forces to higher, and to guide attack aircraft with their RAF Regiment Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). Eliminate any enemy HQ elements, fixed positions and targets of opportunity, if possible, but do not get decisively engaged yet. The SFSG should be prepared to support the main attack by coordinating supporting arms and reporting any enemy activities that could be a major threat to our forces. At 0545hrs, the 4th Regt RA (The North East Gunners) with its 18 AS90 155 mm howitzers, will start the counter-battery fire to neutralize all the Syrian artillery assets IVO the Area of Operation. At 0600hrs elements of the 21 Engr Regt and the D Manoeuvre Support Coy (-), 1 LANCS, screened by Formation Reconnaissance, the Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL), will lead the attack opening breaches along the Syrian defenses at Tall Kushik and marking the not mined corridors to be used during the main force assault. Military Intelligence doesn't think that the Syrian minefields will be effectively covered by fire in its whole extension, so it's a matter of exploiting the weakest points of their defense. Four Apache AH Mk1s will be on station to provide air support if required by 0600hrs. 3/29 (Corunna) Bty should be in position to provide fire support and smoke screens for the Royal Engineers and the main attack shortly after. At 0615hrs attack with the C Armd Coy, RDG, and its Challenger 2s and destroy the remaining dug in static tanks and any heavy opposition found. At 0630hrs follow-up with the A and B Mech Inf Coys, 1 LANCS, and destroy any remaining opposing forces in the Area of Operation, control the M4 highway (Route Acheron) approach and the Main Road 6 (Route Tartarus) access, and make sure to clean up the insurgent area around the main mosque of Tall Kushik. Good luck. Military Terms Glossary AAC Army Air Corps AES Armoured Engineer Squadron AO Area of Operation APC Armoured Personnel Carrier Armd Armoured ATGM Anti-Tank Guided Missile Bde Brigade BG Battle Group Bty Battery Coy Company Engr Engineer Fd Field FEBA Front Edge of Battlefield Area FOO Forward Observation Officer Gp Group HQ Headquarters IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle Inf Infantry IVO In Vicinity Of Mech Mechanised MBT Main Battle Tank OP Observation Post RA Royal Artillery RAF Royal Air Force Recce Reconnaissance Regt Regiment ROE Rules Of Engagement Sqn Squadron Tac Tactical Tp Troop

Ops! One more question... So, the QRL four squadrons aren't named anymore after their former regiments? Like this: 5th Lancer Squadron 16th Lancer Squadron 17th Lancer Squadron 21st Lancer Squadron I amalgamated the four squadrons in two: 5/16 and 17/21 (my fault), since the TO&E that you can find in CM:SF for a Recce Regiment only comprises two Sabre Squadrons and one Surveillance Squadron, plus the small HQ Team... I guess now that the HQ Squadron should be the fourth of these squadrons, but because it's mainly administrative it doesn't appear as such (the HQ and 2IC Teams with just 2 x Sultans). Well, I have to say that now I'm very confused with this... :confused: Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. Lomir

Thank you very much, Combatintman!! I'll correct all the mistakes I made and post the briefing again. I used the App-6a map symbology from April 2001 and the "W" for the Warrior didn't appear, but now I can recall that I saw this symbol in the CM:SF British campaign, so I should have known I was missing something... ayayay I'll make the needed corrections on the strategic map, too. And I forgot to paint the "I" on top of the No. 656 Squadron AAC! It's supposed that there are 8 Apache AH Mk1 supporting the attack, but only four of them will operate within the boundaries of the map. I just bunch them all together in one AVN (ROTATORY WING)-ATTACK symbol for simplification. And the Militia unit is going to be a battalion, not a company (since I believe that half of them will go "?" when the artillery barrage will start... it wouldn't be nice to find empty such a large map ). About the 4th Regt RA, now I've read the good source (www.army.mod.uk). Just 18 AS90s, 6 per battery. One battery should be fine then. Let's say the other two are firing at the northern and southern Border Guard companies, out of the map limits. One question about the 88 Battery: do you know if it is spelled Arracan or Arrakan? I've seen it written almost everywhere with "c", although it looks like the correct former English name for the town in Burma is written with "k". Yes, it should be called 1 LANCS BG. I thought about it at the beginning and at the end I didn't change it. You are right, Combatintman: it makes more sense that having the 1 LANCS three companies and the RDG just one, the Headquarters for this Battlegroup should come from the 1 LANCS and so its name. Especially in this scenario, where the Challengers 2s are just acting as a fast maneuvering asset for the mechanised infantry, that is going to do most of the hard MOUT work. So, I'll follow your piece of advice and I'll change that, too. The HMS and RN shouldn't appear in the glossary of this scenario, thanks! I've been adding some terms from the whole campaign briefing and there you'll find this: Naval Strike Wing RN (9 x Harrier GR9) flying from HMS Illustrious aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea. I hope that is correct. As far as I know (and about the British Army is not too much, though), the Royal Navy could use that Harrier GR9s from an (that) aircraft carrier. Do you know if they would use the NSW just to support a Royal Marines deployment or that could make any sense here? I thought it was acceptable and even realist to see that aircraft carrier deployed close to the waters of Cyprus and their British bases in the force protection/support role. And last but not least, thanks a lot for the explanation in the spelling conventions and the correct English military terminology. Cheers, Lomir

Sorry, my fault. You are right, Smaragdadler: so the T-62 (1972) is the "worst" mobile tank you can find on the game. I didn't notice that KTD-2 laser range finder in the T-55 (1974). Nonetheless, thumbs up for your idea of having mobile versions of the T-54B and T-55 (1970)s available in the game.

It seems that the worst mobile tank you can get for the Red Force is the T-55 (1974). The T-54B and the T-55 (1970) are only static (immobilized) tank batteries. I don't know how difficult it would be to code the movement of the T-54B and T55 (1970)s, but since the v1.20 patch you can set the start status of all the vehicles to OK, immobilized, destroyed or burning. However, if you set the status of the T-54B and T-55 (1970)s to OK, they still appear immobilized. If you set these vehicle status to immobilized, there is a bold red X in the damage report of their tracks instead of the bold green + when the vehicle status is set to OK (but they still can't move, as there is a message saying Immobilized and a yellow base under them when you select them). I agree with you that, eventhough the Syrians probably aren't using any mobile T-54B or T-55 (1970), it would be great to have them available for their use in any Third World country made scenario.

Hi, So the first scenario of the campaign (Hell for Leather) is almost done. The British 4th Mechanised Brigade (The Black Rats), supported by the Queen's Royal Lancers, invade Syria at the Tall Kushik Border Crossing. Map size: 1616x1200m. I'm just putting the final touches. As long as I'm not a English native speaker and I'm the first person that likes to read a correct English text in a briefing, I'm looking for some forum member that is fully proficient in English Grammar to do some proof reading and that has some passion for writting as well, because I understand that my writting can be a little bit thick to read at some points and it will be great if someone could mend those parts, too. I do believe that too many spelling typos and wrong English expressions doesn't help a lot to arouse everyone's interest in any matter, don't you? Of course, the person helping will be credited. Thank you! I leave the briefing text here so you can copy it. [B][U]Hell for Leather[/U][/B] [B]Enemy Forces[/B] In order to delay the incoming invasion, the Syrian Army has called up a Militia unit to garrison the Tall Kushik Border Crossing. The Militia is mostly hidden in the urban area to avoid targeting by the Coalition airpower flying from Incirlik and Diyarbakir military air bases in Turkey. These forces are expected to attrite our invading forces so that other Syrian forces may then try to counterattack to push our forces back into Iraq. Other enemy forces in the Tall Kushik AO consist of static tank batteries, obsolete BTR-60 APCs and a battalion of decent quality Border Troops dug in along the berm in a wide defensive line, as well as at some posts defending the border crossing, the ring road approach to the Syrian M4 highway (designated Main Route Acheron) and the Main Road 6 access (designated Main Route Tartarus). The Militia have also recently been equipped with limited quantities of older- generation ATGMs, but we don't expect the Syrian militiamen will withstand effectively our push for long. Although beware of the better trained and equipped Border Guard. The Border Guard have some mortars and artillery support (18 D-30 122mm towed howitzers and 6 Type 63 107mm multiple-launch rocket systems), but given the dispersed deployment of these units along the border it is only a nuisance problem to take care of. Our initial counter-battery fire and air assets should easily get rid of them on the first stage of the invasion. Our aerial reconnaissance has not identified IVO Tall Kushik any of the T-62s that the Border Guards use to operate with as they might be hidden somewhere else, but after some recent rains, there are indications the Syrians have laid minefields along their side of the border to create tactical barriers to deter any direct attack and to act as area-denial weapons against the incoming Coalition invasion. Military Intelligence has identified a few number of Kurdish Sunni Islamist mujahideen and other foreign Arab fighters assisting the Syrian local militiamen and local insurgents of Tall Kushik. The insurgency in the Area of Operation comprise approximately 150 men, and they are operating from the vicinity of the main mosque of Tall Kushik. [B]Friendly Forces[/B] All along the Syrian-Iraqi border, British recon teams an SAS troops have been very active further ahead of the FEBA in the last days determining the disposition of the Syrian military forces and any other unconventional threats. Your invading force is mainly the British 4th Mechanised Brigade (The Black Rats), with the Queen's Royal Lancers from the 19th Infantry Brigade in the formation reconnaissance role, and air and artillery support. 4 MECH BDE has been task-organized into battalion-sized Battlegroups: The Royal Dragoon Guards Battlegroup (RDG BG), based around the Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) including elements of 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (1 LANCS) will lead the main attack on the Tall Kushik Border Crossing with their Challenger 2 MBTs and FV432 Bulldog APCs. 1st Battalion, Scots Guards (1 SG) and some elements of the Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL), with their Warrior IFVs and Scimitar RVs, will act as a mobile force contraflanking any Syrian Border Guards flanking attempt on the RDG BG, while another two squadrons of the Royal Dragoon Guards with Recce elements will create diversionary attacks north and south of the main attack axis. The 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) (1 MERCIAN), with the remaining forces of the 4th Mechanised Brigade will stay back on standby to act as a reserve force ready to exploit the gap created by the Royal Dragoon Guards Battlegroup on the urban area of Tall Kushik. You have priority for artillery support for the area from two batteries (the 3/29 (Corunna) Bty RA and the 94 (New Zealand) HQ Bty RA) of the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery (4 REGT) after their counter-battery assigments are complete. The Royal Dragoon Guards Battlegroup in detail consists of: The Royal Dragoon Guards Headquarters (2 x Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank). A Mech Rifle Coy, 1 LANCS (23 x Bulldog Armoured Personnel Carrier; 2 x Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier). B Mech Rifle Coy, 1 LANCS (23 x Bulldog Armoured Personnel Carrier; 2 x Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier). C Manoeuvre Support Coy (-), 1 LANCS (12 x Bulldog Armoured Personnel Carrier; 1 x Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier). D Armd Sqn, RDG (14 x Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank). 2 x Sabre Tp, 5th/16th Lancer Squadron, QRL (8 x Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle). 3 x Engineer Fd Tp, 1st Armoured Engineer Squadron, 21 ENGR REGT (12 x Bulldog Armoured Personnel Carrier; 6 x Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier). 3/29 (Corunna) Battery RA (6 x AS90 155mm Howitzer). 94 (New Zealand) Headquarters Battery RA (6 x AS90 155mm Howitzer). 1 x FOO Party, AS90 Tactical Group (4 x Warrior Artillery Observation Vehicle). 1 x Tac Air Control Party (1 x Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier). Additional direct support will be provided by some elements from the Special Forces Support Group (SFGS) and the following aviation element: No. 656 Squadron AAC (4 x Apache AH Mk1) flying from Diyarbakir AB in Turkey. [B]Terrain and Weather[/B] The terrain in the area of operations is relatively flat, with dry-farmed crop lands in the outskirts of Tall Kushik. The Iraqi side of Tall Kushik Border Crossing is mainly made of former Iraqi Army barracks and an station of the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement, all of it actually controlled by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Light winds out of the Northwest, with clear skies. There is an almost full moon tonight. It is now 0030hrs local time, 20 June. Recce teams will start moving in about two hours, and the main force attack is scheduled to begin at 0600hrs. [B]Mission[/B] Your mission is to destroy the enemy forces in the area. Secondary objectives are the control of the Highway M4 (MR Acheron) ring road approach and the Main Road 6 (MR Tartarus) access next to the train station of Tall Kushik. [B]Commander's Intent[/B] We will conduct an all-force assault at dawn in the area west of the border berm and wall, with the destruction of enemy units as the priority. The Royal Dragoon Guards Battlegroup will attack on a relative small portion of the Syrian border at Tall Kushik to achieve a breakthrough. We'll slice through the enemy defensive line and we'll rapidly exploit the gap created. As the enemy units defending Tall Kushik break, the northern and southern Border Guard units along the berm will suffer adverse results from this (spreading panic, additional defensive angles, threat to supply lines) and, since they will be already pressured north and south of the main attack axis, it will lead them to snap as well, causing a domino-style collapse of the Syrian defensive system. We seek the complete destruction of the defensive force at the breakthrough point in Tall Kushik, giving us the option to rapidly move more troops into the gap, stabilizing our flanks and then exploiting the breakthrough in width (by flanking the remaining Border Guard units at the edge of the breakthrough) and in depth (advancing into enemy territory and towards our strategic objectives). Capture the town with minimal losses by the use of maximum firepower. Most of the civilians have fled to safety from the Area of Operation long time ago, expecting the incoming invasion, so there aren't any ROE restrictions. Gentlemen, we cannot fail now. [B]Basic Plan[/B] At 0500hrs infiltrate the area with the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) avoiding contact with enemy patrols and defensive positions. Occupy OPs to observe the area and report the disposition of enemy forces to higher, and to guide attack aircraft with their RAF Regiment Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). Eliminate any enemy HQ elements, fixed positions and targets of opportunity, if possible, but do not get decisively engaged yet. The SFSG should be prepared to support the main attack by coordinating supporting arms and reporting any enemy activities that could be a major threat to our forces. At 0545hrs, the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery (The North East Gunners) (4 REGT), with its 24 AS90 155 mm howitzers, will start the counter-battery fire to neutralize all the Syrian artillery assets IVO the Area of Operation. At 0600hrs elements of the 21 Engineer Regiment (21 ENGR REGT) and the C Manoeuvre Support Coy (-), 1 LANCS, screened by Formation Reconnaissance, the Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL), will lead the attack opening breaches along the Syrian defenses at Tall Kushik and marking the not mined corridors to be used during the main force assault. Military Intelligence doesn't think that the Syrian minefields will be effectively covered by fire in its whole extension, so it's a matter of exploiting the weakest points of their defense. Coalition ground- attack aircrafts will be on station to provide air support if required by 0600hrs. Two batteries (3/29 (Corunna) Battery RA and the 94 (New Zealand) Headquarters Battery RA) of the total four should be in position to provide fire support and smoke screens for the Royal Engineers and the main attack shortly after. At 0615hrs attack with the D Armd Coy, the Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) and its Challenger 2s and destroy the remaining dug in static tanks and any heavy opposition. At 0630hrs follow-up with the A and B Mech Inf Coys, 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (1 LANCS) and destroy any remaining opposing forces in the Area of Operation, control the M4 highway (MR Acheron) approach and the Main Road 6 (MR Tartarus) access, and make sure to clean up the insurgent area around the main mosque of Tall Kushik. Good luck. [I]Military Terms Glossary:[/I] AAC Army Air Corps AB Air Base AO Area of Operation APC Armoured Personnel Carrier Armd Armoured ATGM Anti-Tank Guided Missile BDE Brigade BG Battle Group Bty Battery Coy Company ENGR Engineer Fd Field FEBA Front Edge of Battlefield Area FOO Forward Observation Officer HMS Her/His Majesty's Ship HQ Headquarters IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle Inf Infantry IVO In Vicinity Of MECH Mechanised MBT Main Battle Tank MR Main Route OP Observation Post RA Royal Artillery RAF Royal Air Force Recce Reconnaissance RGT Regiment RN Royal Navy ROE Rules Of Engagement RV Reconnaissance Vehicle Sqn Squadron Tac Tactical Tp Troop I know, I know... the Brits are going to chew up the Syrian forces But I wanted to be realist in this part (forces involved) and please notice that this scenario will just be the first of a wider campaign (the Syrians aren't going to put all one's eggs in one basket next to the border), but it isn't going to be as so easy as it seems. Don't expect that the public opinion back in the UK will think that a major victory has been achieved when the first Globemaster with a dozen of coffins will arrive at RAF Brize Norton, so keep in mind that you'll really have to look after your troops and Challenger tanks a lot! The 12 AS90s might be a little too much... they should have spent most of their ammo in the meantime they will start supporting the scenario, but I'm not sure yet of how much destabilizing could be. Well, the main idea is to test the scenario for the campaign. Any comments, ideas, after action reports, etc. about the scenario will be really appreciated. And of course, when it will be uploaded in the Repository (soon), you'll be totally free to change it as much as you want (maybe adding a battalion of T-90s or so...). Cheers, Lomir

Hi all! I'm picking up this thread since I'm working out a way of the Syrian forces not surrendering too soon in my new scenario, as well. Actually, I have to say that I'm a little bit confused with the Parameters (Blue and Red) in the Mission Editor... :confused: Let's see, the CM:SF Field Manual says: CASUALTIES - the number of casualties the side is allowed to endure [bROWN and RED]. CONDITION - the number of units allowed to be panicked, routed, tired, or wounded [YELLOW]. For each parameter the scenario designer determines the threshold in % (from 0% to 100%) and the amount of victory points associated with each once the threshold is reached. Specifically, you get the points if: Enemy Casualties > X% Enemy Condition < X% Friendly Casualties < X% Friendly Condition > X% Casualties is casualties suffered, e.g. 100% means the whole force was wiped out. Both soldiers and vehicles are factored into this and you get partial credit for immobilizing a vehicle. Condition is a combination of (from most important to least) morale, fatigue, suppression, and light wounds [YELLOW] (more serious wounds [RED] or death [bROWN] are part of casualties, not condition). Well, unfortunately I've never been very good at maths, but I understand that Condition is a positive thing, opposite to Casualties, isn't it? E.g. Let's say, 100 men on each side (no vehicles). RED Force: 40 KIA [bROWN]; 40 WIA [RED]; 10 lightly wounded [YELLOW] and the last 10 routed or tired. BLUE Force: 10 KIA [bROWN]; 10 WIA [RED]; 10 lightly wounded [YELLOW] and another 10 routed or tired. (Enemy Casualties) 80 > 75% (good work! you get 100 points for your good marksmanship) (Enemy Condition) 20 (???) < ?% (Friendly Casualties) 20 < 30% (well done! you get 100 points for keeping your casualties low). (Friendly Condition) 20 (???) > ?% I'm sorry. I don't understand how Condition works. Unless, Enemy Condition is 80 (100-20) and it's a "positive" factor. If not, how can you get points for a number that is increasing when you are doing things right (wounding, suppresing and tiring the enemy) and shouldn't go over a threshold? And the same works for Friendly Condition, as far as I understand. I'm not very strong on Maths, as I've said, so, could someone explain it to me, please? About the topic of how to stop the Syrians surrendering early, it might be that the "problem" lies in the surrender threshold being reached when you get at the number of points given by the manpower and NOT the vehicles. E.g. 100 Syrian infantrymen (100 surrender points) and 10 T-62 (70 surrender points). If the surrendering threshold is set at 100% (100 surrender points instead of 170) and then you'll easily destroy that T-62s with your Abrams/Challenger 2s (70 points) and after just killing/seriously wounding 30 Syrian infantrymen (30 points), they surrender (because the 100 surrender points have been reached), of course you are going to say "WTF! there still are 70 Syrians paratroopers with ATGMs and they give up?!". I don't say that it's a bad thing, but because the Blue Force usually chews up very easily (read superior MBTs, but also Javelins, artillery and air assets!) all the Red Force vehicles, you are getting a lot of points for the "easiest" part of the work and we don't realize that when the Syrian infantry units, in perfect condition, surrender. My apologies in advance, because I may be wrong and the surrender threshold counts with the add on of the surrender points given by all the units on the map (e.g. 170 points), as it is said in the Field Manual. Just a guess. Please, correct me. I found this in a previous thread and it can be very useful to understand the topic: And my last question about the Parameters (Blue and Red)... What is the Friendly Bonus and how it works? Cheers, Lomir

Thanks a lot, Paper Tiger! It's amazing! I've been already working with the Building box for long a time and I didn't notice that Rubbled icon!

Yup, Dietrich, but this isn't the easy way as long as there are adjacent buildings and your way of clicking will end up affecting them and the whole thing goes crazy After playing a lot with the editor to get rid of what I also find like those freaking interior windows, I found out that the faster way is: 1. As Dietrich well said, place the camera in a way that you have the feeling that you are totally inside the room. (using at some point the A S W D slow movement keys is quite useful). 2. There is a kind of painted line in the floor next and parallel to all the interior walls. CTRL+Click in the floor next to this line. The wall will disappear. CTRL+Click again. A plain wall will appear. 3. If you want to place a door in an interior wall comunicating with an adjacent building, first make a plain wall as explained before and then move slowly the camera until you have the feeling that you are looking at this wall from the inside of another wall of the same room (you are not totally inside the room and you also are not totally outside, but inside that wall). Now CTRL+Click directly on the wall you want to place the door. A door will appear in the middle of the wall. If you keep just CTRL+Clicking you'll go through all the window and door displays available (good to place doors that are not in the middle of the wall). 4. Go to the adjacent room/building and do the same. Now you have two doors one in front of another, comunicating two rooms with the right interior wall paint. Don't worry, it sounds more tricky than it really is. Practice five minutes with that and you'll save many future hours editing the walls Other useful stuff: CTRL+ALT+Click affects to the whole side of the building you are acting upon (good when you have many floors, as it is more easy to just work from the lower one and it will save you a lot of time moving up and down. That allows you as well to place doors in upper floors without needing to do any kind of balcony ). SHIFT+Click changes the skin of the whole building. ALT+Click changes the aspect of the window frames of the building. SHIFT+CTRL+Click builds and toogles through the balconies. And now, to demonstrate that I'm far from a know-it-all about the editor , my question. How can you make a totally collapsed building? I've seen scenarios with this squares filled with rubble, but I don't manage to find the way to do get rid of the roof of any building. Any help appreciated. Cheers, Lomir