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Was wondering about that. Wanted to get the map out at a large size, and then sort of figured the splash screen with all text on it deserved a bit of a blow up too. Will limit width to 1600 in the future, and try and keep most at 1280 or 1024. That work? P.S. You need a bigger monitor! I have (the components for) a new rig enroute to my house now - Black Friday rocked for me! Will get myself another wide monitor for Xmas. Just like in combat, no substitute for the right hardware!

“Well, what do you think Tom?” LTC Shawn Falkner asked his S-3 Operations Officer, MAJ Thomas “Tank” Abrams. The stocky officer was well known for his last name, despite having no immediate family connection with the Abrams family for whom the tank was named. “Not sure Sir. Upham is in visual contact time now, but doesn’t seem to have too much of a read yet. He did confirm the front edge of the Russian security zone from that Reaper pass earlier, but without some more eyes forward at this point, is hard to tell.” Falkner’s Battalion, the 3-69 Armor “Speed and Power,” was on the move, heading northeast of Kiev and preparing to make contact with lead echelon Russian forces for the first time. They had struggled mightily with the deployment – desperate haste and agonizing hold ups, with every little last minute additional piece of gear or information precious, but hard bought in time to acquire it. Kissing wives and sons and daughter, sobbing at the airport, texting and video chatting from the staging base in Germany. Then the desperate work to draw, load, check, swap, arm, and recheck all of the gear and vehicles from the prep site – days without sleep, with seemingly a million vital problems all happening at once. Finally the armor on trains and headed for Poland, and the long bus rides to follow. Downloading and road marching the vehicles up to the Polish border and then, like a different world – arriving in Ukraine. People cheered them as they crossed the border, and lined the streets for them in L’viv. They laagered nearby a small town outside L’viv for nearly a week, as add-on armor and APS systems were flown in to them by C-130. Townspeople brought them bread, and stuffed dumplings, and harsh samohon liquor. Then they had rolled out, and almost immediately the dismaying news that A Company was detached to bolster the flagging combat power of 2d Cavalry Regiment – the Stryker Regiment had been fighting for weeks already and was rumored to be down to under 50% strength. So much news, and everyone pulling it from seemingly everywhere – nearly all the Soldiers were staying tied into the internet somehow – but no time to sort out reality from drama. And now they were into it. Called forward from their widely dispersed assembly areas the previous evening, they had roadmarched forward in darkness for 12 hours, covering nearly 130 km to the northern outskirts of Kiev. All of that to arrive here, facing a Tier 1 Russian mechanized force, face to face. The 3rd Infantry Division had already made contact with the 27th Guards Armored Brigade and the 15th Motor Rifle Brigade. The meetings had not gone well for the Russians, but neither had the Dogface Soldiers (3rd ID’s Nickname) loved the initial encounters. The Russian equipment was startlingly modern, especially the T-90 main battle tanks. The Russian APS was not as good as the hastily equipped US one, but it did quite a good job at stopping the Bradley’s TOW2B ATGMs. Thankfully, it seemed less successful at dealing with Javelins, and the vehicle remained vulnerable to the Abrams Sabot rounds at nearly any range or angle. But it was fast, accurate, and its cannon could smash anything it hit. Several Abrams crews had already discovered that they were not nearly as invulnerable to it as they had believed. Further, the US Bradleys were very nearly overmatched by the Russian BMP-3s. The 15th seemed to have the very latest model with good ERA and an APS as well. Its 100mm cannon fired a wicked HEDP shell that could airburst as well as point detonating, and it had a ‘down the spout’ gun-launched ATGM it could fire as well. As if that wasn’t enough, it further sported a 30mm automatic cannon as a coax, which was capable of penetrating the Bradley at medium range, and that could also fire HE rounds to get more suppression or destruction on light targets. In initial fights it was evident that US training was still vastly superior to the Russian’s, but not by as much as everyone had hoped. As far as courage, tenacity and dirty tricks went, the Russians were at least the American’s equals. Falkner and Abrams were crouching together in the back of the Major’s Bradley, looking together at the BFT II screen on a large MFD. “SGT Lerner reports that his UKR partners are just about into a gunfight with this Russian company here, just forward of the Tree Farm. He reports that a full Motorized Rifle Company (MRC) with 3 tanks has moved forward onto the forward slope of 347. They are going to put their infantry at them from woods on the hill, but if that MRC brought all its dismounts, it will be a tough fight. The rest of the UKR company is going to spread the field right and left, with a PLT swinging to the north slope of the hill and another to the south of Starov village. Lerner says the terrain in there sucks, with a nasty system of dried up creeks running north-south that limit lateral movement.” Falkner nodded as his S-3 continued. “Lerner did find out thought that the UKR have an element still holding out at Ukepor Power Station – we are supposed to secure that in one piece if we can – and apparently this guy can see most of the Russian deployment. Confirmed the Reaper read on another MRC down here west of Provinska Dvor. They are behind the intervisibility line (IV line) so are out of LOS of the Ukrainian Company, but for certain they will pop up on this southern flank at an opportune time. Reaper had them pretty clustered up though, so if 1-41 can get their guns set we can probably plan on hitting them.” “That’s a tempting target, but I’m not sure I want to commit our arty to it at the outset.” Falkner said. “We still have no comms with Blackknight?” referring to B Company. “No sir, not sure if its EW or what, but we still have no voice comms and are getting a good 7-9 minute lag over BFT II to them. I sent the update to stop shy of 00 Easting, but no idea if they got it.” “Well, thank God for Upham’s TACSAT link. As he finds their security elements in the north we’ll need to target those first, as Blackknight may just blunder into them. Once we have these three forward positions taken down or suppressed, we can focus Blackknight on flanking the MRC on 347 from the north. Might need to commit the mortars to a smoke shot to set that up, but more likely we’ll need them to suppress some other target somewhere. Put a smoke mission along the north edge of 347 in their queue though. To the south, Steel (C Co) should be a bit better, with all this rough terrain as they reach the 00. Their position will depend upon how the UKR boys do against the stuff to their front. If they do well, we may be able to put some Jav teams up onto the south slope of 347 to keep this southern MRC’s head down while the rest of Steel hunts them up through this rough ground south of the highway. If they don’t do so well... well, Steel will have to face off the guys at the tree farm, the MRC on 347 AND the MRC to the south. No real long shots in here, so the Abrams will need to be careful. We’ll need to either put the CAS, the helos, or the arty on that southern MRC I think. Probably no way we can dump anything on 347 – we’ve already got guys in close contact there. Nice that Brigade found all these toys for us though. I think it looks as though we are fighting a mostly forward defense. I suspect that once we crack these two companies, and the different security and ATGM outposts, the penetration to Krichek should be pretty straightforward. These woods along the stream with infantry in them may be troublesome though, as they are reverse slope until you are right on em, so make sure we save some arty or mortar ammo. Our priority is to get to MAJ Harris. We’ll plan to penetrate through to him first, and then roll south to link up with the UKR boys at the grain storage and power plant. Steel should be able to control some of that with direct fire by the time they are done with the MRC in the south anyway. If need be we’ll pass Darkknight Company through Steel, but hopefully they will manage before they come up. In any case, Darkknight priority of commitment is to achieve the linkup in Krichek.” “All right sir, sounds good. I have your intent, and I’ll be on the net. Any idea where you plan to be?” Abrams asked. “Not yet – I’ll figure it out as we approach. I’ll follow you in my panzer until we get a bit closer, then I’ll break off.” “Roger sir – Speed and Power!” Power 6 hopped out the rear door of the Bradley and jogged the few meters to his M1. The heavy ARAT2 tiles looked like Roman Legion shields, but they made good handholds for pulling himself up on board. He heard the turbine winding up as he jumped up, his driver seeing him coming. ‘Well, this is it.’ He thought. ‘Lets see if we are really as good as we think we are.’ So, this hopefully gives you a better idea of 'the plan' as far as it goes. Really wish that the US scout force was backed up by its own artillery and mortars, as would usually be the case. Then I could be attriting the Russian security zone forces in the north with precision fires right now. Strangely, I suspect that the key to this mission will be getting good infantry positions to enable Javelin shots, rather than slamming tank duels. I just don't see the range and sight lines cooperating, but perhaps I'll be wrong. I am very concerned about what is going to happen over the next 10 turns on the slopes of 347. If my Russian adversary fully controls hill 347 by the time I show up - a not impossible outcome - I will have a tough time getting my forces onto the map alive. This map isn't set up with the arrival zones being generally out of LOS. For this title, that is a serious consideration for scenario designers, as ATGMs and Thermals can spot and hit across the map in one turn. I skipped a turn with some of my foreshadowing earlier, and have another turn to get done. Hopefully you can all hang on until tomorrow for the next post when we see a bit more high intensity.

PdPK Borys Levchenko watched as the mechanized infantrymen scrambled to execute KPT Antonyuk’s orders. As the 3rd PLT BMPs moved out to swing north, 2nd PLT began pulling up on line with Borys’ observation position. He nodded as he recognized the opening steps of the dance against the Russian vehicles and troops they had spied in the treeline ahead and by the tree farm. The Battalion Commander tsk’ed to himself as he realized that he and his security detachment were in the likely line of the Russian return fire. But, he didn’t want to his men to see him backing down or sending them to face what he was unwilling. He signaled Molodshiy Serzhant Mischenko, his BMP gunner: “Mischa, fire the smoke to cover his move!” he shouted. The attentive Sergeant’s head popped back down inside the track, and a second later the vehicle pivoted a few degrees to the left, and with a ‘Pop-pop-pop-pop!” a volley of smoke grenades arced into the field, belching black smoke. It was scant cover, but better than nothing Borys figured. He watched as the 2nd PLT lead vehicle moved up, its rear doors swinging open, infantrymen hurriedly offloading before the vehicle crested the fields edge and exposed itself to enemy fire as it began scanning for targets. He turned back and scanned the far treeline with his binoculars, praying to himself that his men would spot the enemy vehicles first. As he watched, behind the treeline, the first rounds of a new sheaf of artillery rained down on the Ukepor Power Station. In Krichek, artillery also continued to pound the town. MAJ Harris ground his teeth as yet another shell detonated with a bone-jarring “Tchunnng!” “That sounds like Vulcan’s own hammer!” Beach shouted. “What, you reading Percy Jackson again? Aren’t you a little old for that?” Harris shouted back. His Netwarrior vibrated, and he quickly scanned the new message. SFC Doty reported that all of his troops were accounted for thus far, and none injured – surprisingly good news, considering the volume of fire. Harris looked up as he heard the another distinct sound over the artillery’s intermittent crash – a mechanical chuckle, as the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher gunner at the south end of town opened up. Harris knew the weapon was positioned to cover the village on the far side of the river crossing and wondered what was drawing the gunner’s fire. They had mined approach to the bridge on both sides, but not thoroughly enough to stop a determined push, and it was vital to keep the bridge itself open. Despite the fact that the Russians were on the other side, friendly lines lay beyond them, and Harris for one had no interest in seeing the inside of a Russian POW camp. As an advisor team leader, he had gotten the classified SERE brief during his hasty train up before deployment. It was unknown exactly what the Russian policy on western EPWs would be, so the instructors had used examples of captured Afghan Mujahedeen and Islamic Chechen rebels. Needless to say, that was more than enough to convince the advisor leaders that death might indeed be preferable to capture. Harris’ tablet vibrated once again, and he cursed this time as he read it. One of the Home Guard ATGM teams had taken casualties. SFC Doty tied the report to an enemy icon on the far side of the river, so Harris presumed they were under direct fire from the far bank rather than taking artillery fire. Still, they had only a few precious ATGM teams in the town, including the single Javelin section from Harris’ own security team. Losing one would be a serious loss. Harris tapped back a quick ‘keep me updated,’ and then began tapping out a SITREP to his higher command.

John – thanks for the praise, and glad everyone else is enjoying this as well. I do know a bit about Bil’s approach, but we shall see how important or unimportant that is. Him bum-rushing Hill 347 is uncharacteristic to say the least. On jargon, I often forget, but will try. I present the briefing up front in a reasonable approximation of actual Army format – perhaps 70% - to try and apply actual flavor; like real vs. artificial sweetener. SFAT is Security Force Assistance Team and is the currently approved name for a team of US advisors assigned to assist host nation forces. They can either be embedded or commute (under current COIN construct) but we have assumed they are now performing an advisory and liaison role, rather than some of the other roles required when working with less robust counterparts. CP is in fact a command post, but is also a Check Point, meaning a multi-purpose reference on a map that may or may not have any importance attached. “Meet me 500m north of CP41,” “orient your fires on CP24” or “proceed on route X-Ray and report CPs in sequence as you clear them,” are all valid uses of the term. The scout HMMWV which will feature in the next post, and which does some nice suppression on one of Bil’s BMP-3s, is equipped with Long-Range Advance Scout Surveillance System (LRAS), a very powerful thermal sight unit, as well as an Mk-19 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Quite possibly the LRAS allowed him to achieve hard-spot on the BMP first and get off the suppressing fire before being engaged with fires he could not match. DU = depleted uranium, and features in both the armor package and the kinetic energy armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS-DU) rounds that the Abrams and Bradley fire. Fairly sure the Russian ammunition has it as well. It is simply the highest density metal that could be found for use in what is – for all intents and purpose – a really fast dart, intended to penetrate armor by sheer velocity and impact. The fact that armor so penetrated flash heats by friction to unendurable temperatures is just a nice side effect (from the standpoint of the shooter, not the receiver). With respect to ADA I do actually have a single Ukrainian SAM launcher on map – I just haven’t talked about him yet. He is stationary to the rear of hill 347 awaiting orders. Not sure if the TF Speed and Power boys have their Stingers with them or not, but if they do I will position them tactically and you can all see what they do. One of the MAJOR aspects of our air defense capability not covered in this game is the advent of precision airburst munitions for our combat vehicles. PABM means that the ballistic computer communicates with the round in the breach and tells it exactly how far to fly before detonating. The Abrams new Advanced Multi-Purpose round (AMP) does exactly that. It has a VERY effective full 120mm HE/FRAG warhead which can (in point detonation mode) breach walls and defeat light armor; set to delay, it can destroy bunkers and knock out positions in buildings or heavy cover; set to PABM the gunner can lase to a target and then toggle a certain number of meters to fly before detonating – so lase to the tree by the infantry trench, raise your sights a couple meters, fire, and the round detonates right above their heads. Same if they are around a corner. If you lase to an aircraft, even at quite long range, and then fire, you stand a good chance of getting the round close enough to achieve ‘significant effect’ on a low flying aircraft. People don’t quite get just effective the Abrams is at picking up targets, especially if warned on their Blue Force Tracker II (BFT II) network system by an integrated Brigade/Division level air defense radar or even AWACs downlink. Figure if it is flying above the horizon inside 4k of an M1A2SEPV2 Platoon and they know it is a bad guy, it will have a very bad day. However, while CMBS does model the AMP, the decision was made to restrict ADA fires to dedicated ADA vehicles or forces. If we try to merge too much of our actual unit targeting effort (because everyone could shoot at helicopters, small UAS, even low altitude fast movers) we would get bogged down in counter air operations. Keeping it this way retains a clean focus on ground warfare, while still allowing for the role and impact of close air support and autonomous aerial platforms. Worth noting that the Russians have a moderately less effective PABM capability as well, and I believe it is modeled too. Will show some effects of that in my next post. I am enormously concerned about modern ATGMs in anyone’s hands. Watching feed from Syria and Israel is very illuminating. I cannot discuss specifics, but modern threat systems are very challenging, and the Israeli solution of the Trophy Active Protection System (APS) is a potential game-changer. It was very effective in Operation Protective Edge, and for game purposes we have assumed that US Abrams and Bradleys have been retrofitted/upgraded with a similar system. It detects and shoots down incoming ATGMs, RPG, Recoilless and other munitions with an explosively formed penetrator linked to a radar with a VERY fast processor. Look it up on Youtube. However, we also assume that perhaps not ALL vehicles were so upgraded, so both versions are available in the editor. US vehicles are also fitted with the latest array of ERA which is currently operational, although photos of the newest explosive reactive armor (ERA) on the Abrams are not widely distributed so the Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles II (ARAT II) may look fairly unusual. On Abrams, Bradley and Stryker the ERA provides a better solution to HEAT projectiles than a slat-armor solution, but with moderately greater risk to nearby personnel. This trade off is undesirable in COIN so you have seen Strykers in AFG/IZ with the slat deployed, however you will see them with their ERA in the game. I am simply not at liberty to talk about other EO/EW solutions on our vehicles – sorry. You can assume that we have some capabilities along these lines, that’s about it. You will, however, see abstracted EW effects as a scenario condition for each side. I believe both Bil and I are laboring under ‘low’ ECM conditions right now. Hard to determine actual effects, but it may become evident later on when I get some UAS and other US assets into play. I have no idea how much smoke I have. The three 120mm UKR mortars on map now have several rounds per tube, but not a plethora. I don’t yet have access to any other assets, although you may notice that onboard launchers are used a LOT in this title, as they are assumed to be tied in with laser warning receivers and ‘soft kill’ APS systems. Fighting a real near-peer OPFOR? Not on my list of desired outings, unless we are talking about the refocused ‘Decisive Action Training Environments’ put together by our dedicated OPFOR (and my old unit, the 11th ACR “Blackhorse!”) out at our National Training Center (we have two other Centralized Training Centers, but NTC is IMHO the best, having been to all three). They worked very hard for years to simulate conditions in Iraq and AFG to execute ‘mission rehearsal exercises’ (MREs) for our deploying Brigades, but are now back to the old-school ass whooping they used to do on our maneuver forces to beat them into shape for full up combat. The DATE approach actually combines aspects of counter-insurgency and wide area security operations with a hybrid threat of irregular forces, backed up by full scale mechanized capability. It is a very tough scenario to do well at, and challenges both schoolhouse skills and recent combat experience. I would love to go back out and do that, but am regrettably probably past that point in my career <sigh!> But hey, you never know! More to follow, hopefully this evening. If I don’t get it done, no promises for Thanksgiving, but I’ll do my best. Oh, and I am building a new rig to improve CM performance, so will be shopping for components over Black Friday. Wish me luck!

Ha! I got those beat. Wait til you see the new Sniper Teams in my next AAR post!

Acknowledge the need for a broader overview of the fight and of the thinking behind it. I am admittedly making few major tactical decisions right now - just trying to consolidate and expand the positions I hold to the NW and SW of Hill 347, defeat Russian security/screening elements to my front, and hinder Russian attempt to seize 347. Assuming I can do these things, I will then begin work on how to bring my reinforcing American companies on and maneuver them to destroy or dislodge the Russian defenses between me and Krichek, and how to deal with the Russian Mech company still consolidated to the south. Very concerned about reinforcement arrival in the Northern half of the map - not sure where they pop out and strongly hoping it is not in immediate direct fire contact. I doubt LT Upham will attrit to many of the positions up there without getting killed (and I'd like him to make it!). So - if I can get the scenario designer to feed me the names of the 3-69 Commander and S-3, they can have a little discussion over a map for all of us to listen to. If not, I'll keep it out of italics and lay it out for everyone. I really don't want to step 'out of role' too often on this, but fully understand the need to see and understand the battle, as well as the decisions I am making in fighting it. A few things: 1. Most of the units in Krichek are 'hiding' in buildings until the arty is over. I've found it increases survivability, but sacrifices most spotting. Deliberate choice since they are essentially pinned in the town anyway. 2. I did pull the ATGM team off the building roof. Flat roofs give great firing platforms, but you tend to stick out. The comments about airburst rounds are correct - you will see them much more often/effective in this title over WWII. Also, the Russian BMP-3s that I assume are liberally scattered all over the map each have a 100mm cannon which is extremely effective at medium range destruction of point troop targets, especially when firing multiple rounds (target briefly x 2 or 3). Will probably pop the team back up - the Corsar has no extended setup time, so popping up for a turn or two is possible. May also see about generating a more expendable observer, and then bringing them up from lower floors once a target presents. 3. Call for fire times are reduced over previous titles. I didn't play original SF so don't know how it reflected there, but UKR 120mm mortars on map are showing between 4 and 6 minutes. I regret to say that the mission called in by our hapless artillery observation vehicle will not be landing as scheduled, but assure you I will get the 120's into play shortly. 4. ATGMs are an interesting dynamic, and require players to experiment some. They can kill across literally the entire range of the map. Some older/smaller can be defeated by ERA. Most can be defeated by APS. All have some chance to kill despite these systems, but odds are against you taking out an Abrams from the front at 3k with a Metis-M. Javelin, on the other hand, is lethal against nearly anything. Players will need to learn the different systems and their capabilities and limitations. You'll also want to frequently make use of 'target armor arcs' to prevent your teams from flinging them away at enemy infantry. Believe the tac AI is mostly cured of this annoying habit, but it may resurface. Teams carrying a lot of reloads also fatigue rapidly when moving 'quick' for any distance. 5. Don't have one yet, but the UAS are coming and they add a fascinating component. We have pretty good pre-battle intel right now, but once we have a couple of ravens up it will increase our picture of Russian disposition dramatically. We'll also have some sort of interdiction by his ADA weapons, which will provide cool screenies if it does nothing else. 6. In all the fighting I do in this scenario, I am generally very aware of LOS and terrain considerations. If you have seen Bil's examination of 'finding' hull down positions, I learned from him. It is especially critical in modern warfare, as thermals and multiple sets of sensors make for quicker spotting times. I am much less formal in my analysis though, so you won't see a mapped out OCOKA from me. I am a couple turns ahead right now, and am on pins and needles to see whether my latest firing orders - mostly based around 15-20 second exposures - were too aggressive and get my AFVs zapped. I will try to show it, but the folks in Starov have no LOS across the field to their east to the Tree farm and the Russian positions there. This will develop into an interesting maneuver to try and get them into the fight alive, along with causing me to send some elements up onto the near south slopes of 347 to try and spot them as well. We'll see how it goes. 7. I follow some potentially counter-intuitive principals for maneuver. First and foremost, as a tanker I was taught that low ground is your friend and high ground is usually bad. Over exposure gets you dead more frequently than height advantage imparts firing advantage. Low ground masks your movement too, making you harder to spot by defending assets. I like to use overwatch when possible, but am even more into mutual support. I hate exposing single vehicles for a shot, and like to try and bring up multiple assets at once to present hard decisions for adversary gunners. Sometimes this results in two burning hulks rather than one, but more often I find that at least one asset gets off a killing shot before the target. And I LOVE suppression. More to follow soon. I know Bil is travelling for the holiday, though I am not, but he will likely be moving somewhat slowly this week. We will try and keep the tempo up.

Harris turned, to take another scoop with his E-tool, and suddenly found himself flat at the bottom of the hole. It took a moment for the shock of the sudden explosion to register – up close explosions don’t go “Ka-boom!” they go “Tchunk!” - all of the sound in one instant, with little time for the recipient to register the reverberations afterwards. An instant later Harris was slammed even further down into the hole, as PFC Beach arrived on his back. “Yours is deeper Sir, make room!” Harris wasn’t sure what size the incoming rounds were, but they seemed to be smashing in all over Krichek. He prayed that the few men Tymo had placed on the roof with one of their precious ATGMs would be alright, and that everyone else would seek cover in a ground floor. Over the thudding of the barrage, he also made out the distinctive crack of AK-fire coming from the direction of the river. They would be busy once the barrage lifted, Harris thought. He elbowed Beach in the side, pulled his knee further down into the hole, and pressed his hand over his earpiece to monitor the radio. Once SFC Doty had an idea of the situation he would call. Borys was surprised at the sudden fall of incoming rounds – the muffled thundering from Krichek was loud, even at this distance, with rolling “Booms!” echoing from the nearby hills. At nearly the same instant, Borys noticed dust trails rising up from beyond the tree farm to his front. “Sir!” KPT Antonyuk called him over excitedly, waving his radio handset, “ It is Yuri! I mean, Leytenant Lysenko! I know him from school. He is up in the power plant and can see Russian mechanized forces pushing towards us! He says they are heading for our hill!” Good to have a friend, Borys thought, and quickly looked back to the dust with his binoculars. “How many, and how fast are they....” The KPT quickly replied, “He says it is at least a company, and..” “Kshunk!” Another explosion, this one closer, announced the end of one of the advancing Russian vehicles. KPT Antonyuk continued, “and, that they have just lost one BMP-3. The rest are still racing forward!” PdPK spun around from the view of the approaching dust. “Quickly Vasyl! Get your lead PLT up and moving. Onto the hill and get their Soldaty out of the vehicles and into anti-armor teams quickly! They won’t dare flatten the hill with artillery now! But our men must get to good positions before they get there! We want to be waiting for them. Move! And try to protect those Ami’s up there as while they are at it. We cannot afford to let too many of them die for our homeland today.” Starshiy Bondarenko gasped in shock as the shells rained down on Krichek. He simply could not believe that he was here and that this was happening. Six months prior, all he had cared about was playing handball with his friends, and now he was crouched in the open for all the world to see on top of a building, while Hell itself slammed down from the sky. The noise was mind boggling. “Ahov!” his friend Sasha called, as he pointed southwest over the parapet. Bondarenko cautiously raised his head, and the shells were suddenly forgotten as he saw the dust trail and then the Russian Infantry Carrier itself speeding away from the town... and towards his home in Kiev. Not today. Bondarenko picked up his Corsar missile system, the sight already switched on and ready. The Corsar was a relatively new weapon, an internal Ukrainian development. A laser beam guided semi-active command line of sight (SACLOS) weapon, all the young Starshiy need do was launch the thing and keep the crosshairs in the sight glued to the target. The tandem warhead was easily powerful enough for a BMP-3, especially from this angle. As hefted the heavy launcher, Sasha called out the range from their range card – Pidpulkovnyk Tymoshenko and the American Major had coached them through drawing yesterday. The American scout’s laser range finder said it was 1350m to the corner of the tree farm, easily within the Corsar’s range. With a whooshing roar, the missile leapt from its tube and sped away, trailing a little smoke, with the heat from its exhaust distorting one’s view like a mirage. A little hop up into the air as it acquired its guidance laser, and then it tracked straight and true until scant seconds later it slammed into the Russian vehicle and detonated. The infantry carrier rocked with the impact, and rolled on a few meters further, before its hatches flew open and panicked men bailed out on both sides. Bondarenko could not hear them – he was half deaf from the shelling and the launch, but their agitation was clear, as smoke began to boil from the stricken vehicle. He gazed in amazement, first at the distant burning vehicle and then at the smoking launcher in his hands. Then he automatically began disconnecting the spent missile casing and replacing it. As Sasha moved forward with a reload, PkPK Tymoshenko’s grizzled head popped out of the roof access hatch. “We heard it launch – did you hit? Good! But one will have to do for now. Get down here before they switch to airburst rounds and you are both turned into ground sausage!” The two Starshiy crouched low and fumbled with their cumbersome weapons as they sprinted for the ladderway and the scant safety of the stories below. As he finished recalling the ATGM team, PdPK Leonid Tymoshenko nearly ran into KPT Viktor Kovtun the Infantry commander of the Home Guard element. Tymo’s command was technically the Air Defense and Missile unit here in the Krichek, and in the entire sector, but as senior officer he was also in overall charge of the town defense. If Viktor resented this, he was quite good at keeping it to himself. Now he told his commander that the artillery observers at the north end of town had spotted enemy infantry quite close on the far bank of the river. They claimed to be in radio contact with the relief force’s mortars, and wanted permission to call fire on the enemy. Tymo gave a small shrug. “You recommend this?” The young KPT nodded quickly, “These infantry are taking two of our other missile teams under fire, and the mortars will do little to the armored vehicles. What use is unfired ammunition if we aren’t around to count it afterwards, Sir? I say let them shoot.” “Very well, approved.” The KPT turned immediately to his radioman, as the salt and pepper scrub brush of his bare headed PdPK disappeared down the steps. He wanted to find the Amerikanskiy Major and see what his intelligence said now... preferably after the shelling stopped of course. A few kilometers to the west, KPT Antonyuk crouching just below the lip of the bank, shouted hasty orders into his mike, and gestured to his platoon leaders who were looking at him from their vehicle hatches. “The Russians are attacking US, not the other way around! We must prepare to meet them.” “2d Platoon dismount your men and get them moving towards the hill. Then send a track up here to see about this far treeline. The Pulkovnyk says there is a Russian BMP over there, break.” “1st PLT, you need to spread out to the right and try to get eyes on the far treeline – I think that village is too low to see from.” “3d PLT will bound 300m north to the far slope of the hill and establish a dismounted position oriented on the crest and eastern slope. All elements, be alert for Russian armor moving up from the east, and please try not to kill the Americans – their sniper team and forward observers are over there, on the south slope.” “Execute your orders and keep your men focused on our homeland and our mission. Are there any questions, over?” There were none, and Vasyl saw his lieutenants all speaking into their microphones in turn, alerting their men to the change in plans. He turned back to watch the dust rising from the advancing Russian force, barely a kilometer distant, thankful for the reverse slope that hid them – at least temporarily – from the Russian fire. As he watched, a single pyre of black smoke rose from the center of the dust, and the KPT cheered silently and sent a brief prayer for victory, followed immediately by a second quick prayer for his wife and young son. Then he rechecked his AK and slipped back down the slope – he saw no need to provide any further target for the advancing Russians to acquire and had seen all he needed to for now. To the North, LT Upham also saw the dust rising. It took him almost thirty seconds longer to figure out exactly what it was, but he reached the same conclusion as his allies if a moment later. He hunkered down another few seconds and tapped a few lines of text into his Netwarrior tablet, instantly generating a spot report for the moving Russian company on all US platforms in theater, and then raised his head again. He was frustrated at his inability to fix any actual Russian positions, and knew he would have to risk their fire to try and spot them from closer in. The earlier UAS pass had yielded some tentative locations to his front, but he knew his platoon had to pin down hard locations and confirm earlier positions weren’t merely deception locations before committing artillery fires to neutralize them or sending in the tanks and Bradleys. Even the Abrams didn’t like getting hit with the new Russian ATGMs, and the Brads – including his – were terribly vulnerable. They had to get effective suppression going – of course, the mortars were still on the move, and the Paladin’s sliced to support 3-69 hadn’t come on line yet either. He didn’t know why, he just knew that the Fire Direction Center (FDC) said no fires yet. Which was totally jacked up – the S-3 had told him they would have priority of fires by the time they got up on the enemy, but right now they would have to settle for harsh language and maybe a TOW missile if things got really rough. Glenn might not be an Iraq or Afghanistan vet, but he knew better than to go looking for a gunfight with just his Brad, no wingman and no artillery. He swept the fields once more with his binos in frustration, casting about for any glint or angle out of place, but found nothing. He sighed, and slipped back down the slope towards his idling armored vehicle. Borys had listened as Antonyuk gave his orders. He and the KPT had only needed to speak a few terse sentences to generate the movement. He was frustrated – this was not good ground for a defense, even if the range would play into their favor, but the Russians had the initiative and Borys hated that. But, if he could keep them occupied until the Amerikansky showed up, they might find they had their hands quite full. He looked towards SGT Lerner and raised an eyebrow. Lerner immediately turned to his interpreter, who instantly repeated “15 minutes.” The American and Borys looked at one another and nodded together, both knowing that could be a very long time indeed. Sorry about the quantity of pics. I just forgot to take one of ol' LT Upham, but will show him bravely jumping back on his Brad next turn. Will also continue to work to improve the pix themselves. I hope to have some form of reference graphics worked out by the time this is over, with a north seeking arrow, and perhaps some CPs to help orient photos to their location on the map/battlefield. Will see how it goes. Still learning the ins and outs of Photoshop. More soon.

Sorry to say it is just a one off - can't remember if Bil or The Teacher built it. Bil I think. Nice to see here for illustrative purposes, but not something that will be included in game scenarios. Did Bil include it in his thread? I am not reading it so don't know. It was available to him, and I know he does extensive terrain analysis.

Well, I am glad the majority seem to favor this approach. For what it is worth, I DO intend to "beat Bil" in this engagement. He and I have a fairly strong friendship, and are frequent PBEM opponents. We live close by and he came over and helped me learn some Photoshop stuff to work this piece. My running record against him is something like 2/3/1, of the games we've taken close to completion. I whomped him in our first match, and he works extra hard since to ensure he doesn't underestimate me. The first CM:BS alpha match we started, he took UKR and I took RUS. It did not go well for him, and he discovered just how evil BMP-3s are in that match, so I know he is looking for some payback against Borys' boys in Company A. I am also quite concerned at his skill at picking positions, and suspect that I will get hit throughout by ATGMs from unexpected locations. I have good initial intel though, which is a blessing. Now that he is coming to meet us, ol' Borys will have to figure out how to tenaciously hold on until the Cavalry (or Combined Arms Battalion, in this case) shows up. Much of the Alpha and Beta testing has centered around the Abrams tank and its amazing durability and lethality. I think our current version has balanced this a bit, probably realistically. My experience with the M1 is fairly extensive, and I think I can fight them well - if I can get them onto the map alive that is. Should also get some other nice toys, like US 120mm and 155mm support with precision munitions, some attack helos and CAS, etc... We took a unique approach to designing this scenario; it is a one off from a fairly good scenario crafter down under 'The Teacher,' whom you may have seen on the boards before. Bil and I expressed our mutual desires to him, and all the beta testers weighed in a bit on the overall design, but Bil and I were unsure exactly what the final force mix would be. I am assuming the TAC MAP that Chris provided accurately reflects my reinforcements, but 0815 will tell. I do hope that the characterizations help bring the scenario to life a bit. Bil has a fairly standard way of doing his AARs, which I love, but which still seems a bit gamey to me at times. I am an immersion guy, and like to attach to the characters and leaders some. Cannot stand the whole 3PS kill/die/respawn churn games. Losing my best guy on X-Com used to send me round the bend. Also, I do equate combat games a tad with the real thing, and cannot send even pixeltruppen to their doom lightly. Hopefully this novella will not read like "Game of Thrones," but I am sure we will see new characters crop up as the game goes on. I am a bit worried especially about LT Upham - but we will see how he does. I will continue to run 'narrator voice' or my own over arching thoughts in plain text, and our heroes (or zeros) in italics, just to keep things straight. For a little teaser, our boys from Ukraine did draw first blood, and Bil is down one runner. At the end of our current turn though, there is a round in the air headed for one of Borys' BMPs, so it may be evens soon. Will show some more overview shots in the next post to give you all a flavor for the PLT level fight and to seek ideas on how I hold on to - or at least contest - hill 347. More soon.

Maybe. But there will be a lot fewer T-90's around Krichek, UKR when I'm done, regardless.

1LT Glenn Upham from Rockingham, NC, otherwise known as “Outlaw 16,” trembled with excitement as he gazed down from the side of a bare hill past waving fields of wheat and barley to the distant rooftops of Krichek a mile and a half or so to his east. A veteran of the closing days of US involvement in Afghanistan, he new he was exposed, and should try to slither down the slope to his idling Bradley, but he needed to see and understand what lay to his front, so he accepted the risk a little longer. Upham had labored his whole military career to overcome the accident of his name – how was he at fault for the fact that the mousy clerk typist from “Saving Private Ryan” was also named Upham? Well, CPL Upham had survived to the end of that fight, and Glenn firmly intended to survive this one. BCT HQ had clearly shown the Russian mech battalion moving into sector the day prior. The Brigade S-2 still thought he had firm grids on several vehicles. Further, the reports from the Security Force Assistance Team (SFAT) that had hung on with the Home Guard force in Krichek confirmed the strength of the force to their front. Upham knew it was his PLT’s job to ferret out their specific locations and survive the effort, to pave the way for the other battalion elements that followed him. He could even now see his PLT SGT, SFC Bagby, working his HMMWV scout section forward to get better observation. His main concern was what to do if they found anything. Though he had solid comms to BN, the Battle CPT had told him that they would not have priority of fires for another quarter hour or so. He had called up SGT Lerner with the Ukrainian Battalion to his right and coordinated for mortar support, but had no real confidence in the speed, accuracy or ammunition supply of their allies, especially if both units were in contact simultaneously. Lerner had assured him that their friends had both ammo and competence, but admitted they were not too speedy. Upham spoke in a low voice, checked the text message in his tablet for accuracy, and hit ‘send’ requesting an update on A CO’s ETA, and then gathered up his binos to slip back down to his track. In Krichek, Major Nathan Harris cursed as he hit another rock. He and his driver were digging a couple of quick foxholes, as Harris would not let the young PFC do both himself. Despite the fact that they were right next to a stone building, Harris routinely insisted on burrowing into the soil for cover. PFC Beach had silently bitched, whined and cussed him – communicating without vocalizing a word – every time they did, right up until the first time they were shelled by Russian 122mm Howitzers. Since then Beach had taken to simply asking Harris if he wanted the HMMWV’s shovel or pick first every time they stopped. Beach was also eager to scrounge up something to replace the three heavy railroad ties he had used for overhead cover and had been forced to abandon at their last hasty departure from Khirovorad ten days prior. Harris stopped for a moment and swigged some bottled water. PdPK Tymoshenko was a solid Soldier, for an air defender, and Harris was impressed that he had stayed with his remaining troops until further evacuation of the town became impossible. But their disposition in Krichek worried him. They had seen signs of the Russians’ advance, and Harris had followed along on his BFT2 and shared the scene with Tymo, laying out the Russian recon CO’s general frontline trace as they reconnoitered around the town, and now he looked at the solid red blobs that represented much more significant Russian Armor and Mech forces. Though they had some good support weapons and a fair amount of ammo, Harris feared they could not survive a determined assault. Their meager supply of mines was barely enough to provide harassing defense on a few intersections, and aside from some hastily strung wire they had no other fortifications. Harris helped Tymo plan for some deception with the wire, hoping to force the Russians to deploy and treat each obstacle as (doctrinally) overwatched by fire. The two of them had withdrawn their remaining forces to the corner of town nearest the bridge, their only potential means of escape, and had barricaded up the Town Hall as a mini fortress. ATGMs were sighted for short, quick shots and their ADA weapons had abandoned their primary role and were sighted now to provide quick, lethal automatic fires. After much debate, Tymo had pulled all but two of his five squads of infantry into the town and away from the critical power station and grain storage sites. They simply didn’t have enough men or support weapons to squander them all over the place, and Harris knew they would find ample challenge defending the town. He pulled up his BFT2 message screen to see if there was any update on 3-69 Armor – “Speed & Power” movement forward.

This scenario is designed to highlight many of the new features in Combat Mission: Black Sea. Set in late July of 2017, the conflict itself springs from continued antagonism between Russia and Ukraine, and a Ukrainian bid to join the west, NATO and the EU. Continued low-intensity conflict in Luhansk and Eastern Ukraine erupts when Russia moves in to support the separatists openly. A NATO expeditionary force deploys and is soon embroiled in full scale fighting, leading to continued escalation and deployment against a backdrop of Russian full scale invasion and a tremendous campaign for control of the skies. In the North, all focus is on Kiev, with Russian forces pushing hard to completely encircle the city, while a BCT from 3d US Infantry Division, finally completes its deployment and slams into the Russian forces. Situation: 0400 hrs, 28 July 2017, Northern Front, North East of Kiev. The front line has been adjusted on the situation maps more times than any operations officer cares to remember. The 3rd Infantry Division is finally moving to establish a line north east to shield Kiev from the Russian 15th Motorized Brigade which is advancing toward the vital town of Krichek. Ukrainian Home Guard troops are holding the Russians to the north and east with the help of a US Cavalry Squadron. At 06.00hrs this morning a garbled message came from a Ukrainian home defense unit to the north of Kricheck and then American Cavalry scouts reported intense pressure on the front lines to the north and north east by strong Russian Armored units. Forced to fall back or be overrun, the Cavalry elements tried to keep the Russians from splitting the defenses. All was going well until a strong thrust by the 15th Motor Rifle Brigade and the 27th Guards Armored Brigade struck a seam between disorganized Cavalry Troops, and rushed toward Krichek. A Russian breakthough was achieved. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flash Message ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ukrainian Home Guard company and Security Force Assistance Team have been encircled in and around the town of Krichek. Friendly forces still hold the power station, Ukrainian Government Grain Storage Facility, Textile Mill, The Town and require relief ASAP. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Forces Russian forces appear to be from the 27th Guards Armored Brigade and the 15th Motor Rifle Brigade. These two units have been rotating troops into and out of the area along the 3rd Infanrty Divisions front line to the east and north east. These units appear to have been rebuilt after earlier operations in early July. In the area of operations the Russians have deployed at least 2 motor rifle companies and 2 platoons of Armor from the 15th motor Brigade in positions around the town of Krichek. Support elements from the 15th motor rifle brigade along with a company of Armor from the 27th Guards Armored Brigade are also nearing the eastern edge of the area in question. Attack Helicopters and some strike aircraft have been detected heading toward the Krichek area and with this support the Russians may be about to take the town and industries. Friendly Forces Ukrainian 4th Home Guard company - in and around Krichek and its vital Industries. US SFAT assigned to 4th HG CO. 1st ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division BCT - west of Kricheck, preparing to counter attack and relieve Krichek and its defenders. A Co 21st UKR Mech (OPCON) Stetson 32 2 x AH-64D Longbow Cougar 44 2 x F-15E Strike Eagles. Mission NLT 0815, TF 3-69AR “Speed and Power” attacks in zone to seize Krichek and relieve UKR Home Guards Company and US SFAT to deny Russian control of river crossing and eliminate Russian Mech/Armor forces in zone. Execution: UKR 21st Mech BN(-) establishes support by fire position focused on CPs E and G to secure TF approach march and focus RUS forces on penetration from center sector. O/o, B and C Teams envelop RUS mech elements, seizing key terrain and focusing fires to control primary crossing point on river. D Co (the main effort) follows C Co in the South, assaults through CP G to seize crossing and execute link up with encircled forces. Key to this operation is effective ID and neutralization of RUS AT systems in zone, effective use of screening smoke, and tactical patience to allow CAS/RWATK to attrit RUS forces. Pidpolkovnyk (PdPK/LTC) Borys Levchenko looked out and across the tall field of oilseed rape as he contemplated the terrain. Kapitan Vasyl Antonyuk his first company commander peered through his binoculars a few meters away. SGT Michael Lerner, US Army crouched behind a tree, with his ever-present interpreter surreptitiously smoking a cigarette. The field rose up to the east in front of them, and was bordered on the far side by the edges of tree farm. In to the right they could catch glimpses of the highway to and could see the tops of the stacks from the Ukepor Power Station standing out above the trees to the southeast. To the northeast, he could just see the rooftops of the town of Krichek. The Pidpolkovnyk contemplated the mission before him. His friend, and former neighbor, Pidpolkovnyk Tymoshenko was the “Home Guard” commander in Krichek. Activated from his reserve status in Kiev, and sent to Krichek, Tymo had phoned Borys yesterday morning to tell him that Krichek had been encircled by Russian forces. Though authorized to leave, Tymo had been unable to muster sufficient transport for his men. He had gotten about a hundred out in his last trucks, but had kept his meager armor and intended to make the Russians pay in blood to stabilize this part of their front line. Amazingly, their Amerykans’ky vzvod of Advisors had remained with them in the town, despite ample time to withdraw. Borys glanced over at Lerner – a mere Sergeant, assigned to him, a Lieutenant Colonel of Mechanized Infantry, with combat experience stretching back to the first fight for Donetsk in 2014! The Sergeant’s boss was a Major – Borys had met him once a week ago at Brigade HQ and not seen him since. In fairness, SGT Lerner from the American 3rd Infantry Division, had made an effort to be deferential and sincere. He had twice made significant contributions, once by supplying Borys with American Satellite photos and maps of the area around Kiev, and once by showing him video feed from an Amerykans’kyy bezpilotnyk drone, which had neatly identified a Russian ambush on the highway ahead, and a saved one of LTC Levchenko’s companies a tough fight. Borys was grateful for the help, and even more grateful for the might of the US military, amazingly committed to freeing his country from the tyranny of the Russian oppressors. Levchenko had followed US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly his whole professional life, and had marveled at the diplomatic naiveté and blunt arrogance of America. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined they would commit to shedding blood – likely in no small quantities – for the sake of his homeland’s unity and freedom. He contemplated Lerner a moment more, and then returned to the task at hand. Levchenko’s mechanized battalion was still recovering from a rocket strike that smashed into his assembly area a week prior. The total casualty count was 112 men, 23 of them dead. The battalion was now awaiting reconstitution from Kiev. Only the 3rd Company remained combat effective – in fact untouched from the strike. They were now behind him, neatly and efficiently herring boned along a low dry creekbed, awaiting his order to attack. Before them, somewhere between their position in the woods and the distant Krichek rooftops, were the Russians, awaiting them. Borys knew – because SGT Lerner had told him – that the better part of a Russian mech battalion lay between him and his friend. He had seen the American’s intel feed on the Sergeant’s tactical tablet, and thought that the Americans certainly did have incredible toys. He just hoped that they could fight as well. Thus far he had not fought directly alongside the US forces, although the stories from his friend in 2d Brigade sounded quite promising – supposedly their Abrams tanks were all but invincible! Well, they were not here yet, and Borys’ commander had relayed that preparing the battlefield before Krichek for them was Borys’ and his men’s job. Levchenko considered the ground. He was positioned at right side of a commanding wooded slope that he sincerely hoped held no Russians scouts. Borys intended to occupy this hill as swiftly as possible. Though likely to draw artillery, it commanded most of the ground all the way to Krichek, and with the sporadic trees on its slopes would make an ideal spot for a couple of observer teams. To his rear lay the little ville of Starov, currently occupied by his mortar Battery and Antonyuk’s 1st Platoon. Borys relayed to KPT Antonyuk that this platoon should assume tactical overwatch positions in and forward of the village and neutralize any Russians in the treeline to their front. For the rest of his lone company Borys intended to maneuver forward onto the right slopes of the hillside. In this way they need only engage the Russians on the right, with their left secured from observation against the slope. Once they held fire superiority to their right, they could slip forward and secure the tree farm. Though it offered scant cover, it was ideally positioned as a jump off point to move on either Krichek itself or the power plant. The little farm track that led along the right side of the hill seemed to offer some good low ground to screen much of this move, so Borys was fairly confidant in reaching the tree farm. Once there, SGT Lerner had told him that US forces were not far behind. In fact, though he had not seen them, Borys knew that a US recon force was maneuvering on the left side of the same hill he was moving to occupy. Lerner’s tablet also revealed a Russian mech PLT just east of the hill, reinforced with at least one tank. Borys was wary of this, but all in all he preferred a close in fight with the Russians. They had similar equipment, and the short range knife fight that ensued would likely go to the one who seized the initiative.

Biggest issue with lethality right now is the Abrams. In truth, it is a deathwagon, and is very hard to kill, especially with APS added to it. Javelins are also difficult for Eastern hardware to cope with. Best bet there is to kill the squad before they shoot. Everything else is fairly balanced. Both sides have thermals, and though western are better, they still serve as an equalizer. If the Abrams is too lethal for you, try taking Stryker units up against Russian Mech! Note that you can also play UKR versus RUS and enjoy a sizable tech advantage as the Russians! However, you have to respect the overall lethality of ALL the weapons on the battlefield. Modern tandem RPGs are wicked. Russian INF squads also carry thermobaric warheads - very evil for US INF. INF weapons on both sides are vicious. Light cannons and grenade launchers will shred INF on either side. If you are good at systematic, bounding, flowing fire and maneuver, or synchronized focused defensive kill sacks, you will love this game. If your typical tactics resemble Cardigan at Balaclava... well, you may have a sizable learning curve.

Think like a really big artillery area target ellipse. Inside it, you get spotting acquisitions for the unit that launched the UAS. Requires a targeting unit, sort of like artillery. Can also be set to attack if desired/equipped, aside from observe-only missions. Of course, depends on whether the enemies' air defense assets shoot it down! Observation ellipse can be shifted around like artillery. Not a dynamic moving video, but a reasonable abstraction. Not perfect, but enough to provide the effect and fun to play with.

Wow, Chris beat me to it. I think the on-board mortar carriers - especially the M1064s - are too cool for school. Sorry about the tree's - had Alt-T on, or would not have been visible. Trying to stay under cover (though we all know mortars don't like to fire through trees!)

Customizable. SFAT's are task organized with the training and liaison skills they need for their particular mission. Wait until Bil and I start the AAR and you will see one. Hell, I was one two years ago!

I was playing a CMFI scenario against Bil H., and he landed an 81mm mortar round on the turret top of one of my Mk IVs - catastrophic kill. Same salvo killed an Infantry Platoon Leader, and one other round (of 5 or so) killed an entire INF squad - every man.

Not sure we need to see any more. Next move is that Bil pulls to the flanks and back out, and his Russian SMG pursuers pop out of the woods into the cleared fields of fire for the MG-42 HMGs. Do we really need to see how that turns out? <wink!> Nice job Bil, and as usual, a great lesson!

Bil H and I are currently play-testing a scenario from Tigers in the Mud, built by Stephen Hilla, aka "The Teacher" on the outer boards. Involves the incident when Otto Carius' Kompanie came upon a batch of IS-1s which had run out of gas in a village. Especially fun, as it is one of the few scenarios in which you can play crack/elite crews with some degree of historical authenticity. I've played it through vs. AI and it is fun. Will let you all know once he is ready to actually post it. Beautiful map.

Heh, I find German troops nearly invincible in more open terrain, with their plethora of MGs. Only US troops are real competition, and even with the better US squad firepower from the Garands/BAR, they still struggle to match lethality at rifle ranges. It usually takes support weapons - mortars, HMGs or armor - to really disrupt them. Biggest weakness is their lack of numbers. They lose combat power fast with only a few casualties, and if you lose a machinegunner and fail to recover his MG your squad is pretty much done. This 'in-close' thing is definitely not their forte, but Bil's tactics look solid, and when he switches to his own area fire the MGs will still be quite deadly even at close range. These woods look pretty heavy - I would argue that Russian SMG'ers would best stay in the sweet spot between 100m and grenade range for optimal employment. Terrain like this that sucks them into grenade range lets the Germans even up the odds. Light forest with fewer trees and less undergrowth might be a tougher proposition.

Thanks folks - anyone want to discuss this one off-line, PM me. Ithikiel is posting a run through of it on Youtube. He is doing... okay. However, he is blowing up the wrong buildings! Hopefully once he finishes this novel method for clearing LOS to the target buildings, he will still have sufficient HE to complete the mission!

Many of the fires were not engine related. Had a number of NBC system fires back in the 90s. Had a fellow LT lose his driver that way at NTC. Tragedy. My point though is that tanks have lots and lots of flammable things on them, and when they catch fire the crew usually does not want to remain inside. First, a video of what happens to an armored vehicle when hit with sufficient flaming petrol... Now an amusing but relevant clip from a movie on the Finnish war, depicting both flamethrower tank use, and molotov vs. tank.

2013-11-07 12.23.38 by pnzrldr Oh, whoops, no... that isn't in game. Drat, sorry. I'll try again! 2013-11-07 12.14.58 by pnzrldr Dang, that's not it either. I'll keep trying!

All: This was my post when we discussed this prior to release. Gentlemen - tanker here. You are seriously understating the effects of having flaming gasoline engulf a tank (your tank). Tanks are NOT waterproof. When it rains, tankers get wet. This is why molotov's work. Flaming gasoline will find ways to get inside the tank. Hatch 'seals' typically don't. Why do you think the US Army uses fairly significant air overpressure to combat chemical weapons? Wouldn't you assume that 'seals' would keep the nasty gas out? Not so much. Think like quarter inch or more gaps. If you shoot a tank with a flamethrower, it is all going to depend upon how much winds up on the tank. Gravity will take the stuff down, while the heat of combustion simultaneously takes it up. If you get some on the engine deck, it will drip into the engine and ignite belts, hoses, wiring, batteries, fuel, etc... Very good chance of starting a real engine compartment fire. If you get it on/around the turret you have near certainty that some will come in via the vision slits, hatch gaps, MG blisters, coax port, air vents, turret ring, etc... If even a split instant of the pressurized spray hits an actual opening it is bad news. Imagine you are inside a metal box. How much flaming gasoline needs to be in there with you to significantly discomfort you? I submit the answer is 'not very much.' Experiment with your car if you like to prove this point. Second, the combined effects of smoke and fume inhalation, oxygen dep and sheer unadulterated panic should have a VERY significant effect on crew morale. Tankers fear nothing so much as burning to death - think WWI flying crews. 88mm through the front armor, and then my chest? Well, sh** happens, at least it was quick. Ammo catches fire and I can't find the hatch handle to get out? Screaming, searing, agonizing pain as I am immolated? Yeah, that is NOT good. I do NOT want to play that game. Also bear in mind that a LOT of stuff on the tank is flammable. All the gear, rations, spare oil/grease, rubber, main gun ammo, smoke grenades, small arms ammo, hell even the PAINT can all burn if you get it hot enough. A lot of that is INSIDE the crew compartment. Spray a tank with a flamethrower and all that stuff on the outside (and very likely some on the inside) is going to catch fire and burn. And when it does, a lot of that smoke will find a way to go inside the tank - promise. And then the crew will not be able to breathe. And they will get out to try and find someplace where the CAN breathe. Quickly. Might get out, watch the flamethrower petrol burn out, realize the rest of the tank didn't catch, and then hop back in. But remember, when you are inside and recognize that the thing is on fire, you don't know necessarily if the fire is inside or outside. Smoke in tank. Can't see sh**. You don't know if it is the field jacket you left on top of the turret or the main gun ammo down in the hull about to cook off. Fire = bad. Get out, NOW. Any one here mention the effects on open topped AFVs? Pretty much catastrophic if you actually hit it for a second or so I would imagine. Bottom line - while not an ideal anti-tank weapon because you do NOT want to have to get real close to use it, a flamethrower is a very effective anti-tank weapon if you get a 'hit' (say more than 2-3 seconds of spray, actually onto the vehicle) and they should be modeled that way in the game. Hard to use, but deadly if actually employed. Final word - known weakness/trade-off of US tanks is the fact that we use rubber track blocks and road wheel rims. Some other nation's tanks do too. That stuff is flammable, and I have read numerous instances of it catching fire in combat, from WWII to present day. Doesn't always result in a major problem unless the fire spreads, but it is a factor. If we retrofit flamethrowers back into CMBN or bring Shermans to Ostfront, they should be more vulnerable to this particular weapon.

Not necessarily a deliberate ruse, but dealing with battlefield 'clutter' is a factor in battle. You can prevent this problem by doing better recon, and/or by using broad 'target armor arcs' for your advancing panzers. The trucks generally simulate Russian supply elements unable to pull out in time to avoid the swift German advance. You are chasing a fleeing foe who occasionally turns to fight back. Do your best!:cool: