agusto

my understanding was there was a heavy bribe involved in moving the date based on c3k's offer of a free copy.

There is currently an internal investigation looking into this matter.  I've written my congressman on the situation, as well.

Thanks Dan.  Perhaps I will.  I'm already a grade ahead of Harold Coyle I think - didn't he get out as a Major?  I actually read Team Yankee as a pre-release review copy when I was in high school, hence, Armor officer today.  I was already well on the way though.  My Dad was the Regimental SIGO for the 2nd ACR in Nuremburg back in the day.  Took me to Graf to watch the Regiment shoot a Combined Arms Live Fire exercise.  When I saw the tanks shoot I was hooked!    If I ever do write I might be crazy enough to try Sci-fi.  I corresponded with David Drake once upon a time.  If anyone out there hasn't read "Hammer's Slammers," let me make a shameless plug for it.  Best tanker Sci-Fi ever written, and top 10% in military sci-fi in general.  Someone had a 'reading list' thread floating in here somewhere if I recall.  Perhaps I should go lurk on it a bit.

PdPK Borys Levchenko though had little to celebrate.  He saw the BMP-3 to his front detonate, but any joy was shortlived.  Behind him, one of the 3rd Company BMP-2s had spotted a BMP-3.  The vehicle, and in fact its entire company, had unmasked from the trees near Provinska Dvor and moved forward on the low hill which dominated the highway, taking 3rd Company under fire from a third direction.  The BMP was vicious looking, its long powerful 100mm cannon with its fast-firing high velocity 30mm counterpart strapped alongside, questing from side to side in search of prey. The Ukrainian track fired, sending another AT-5 Konkurs missile speeding towards its Russian target.  As the missile approached, the sensors on the low slung Russian vehicle detected it, tracking it in three dimensions, evaluating its velocity and size, and feeding this data to a sophisticated fire control system. The Arena Active Protective System evaluated the threat selected one of the countermeasure cassettes spread around the turret, and launched it.  As the radar tracked the incoming target, it also tracked the countermeasure cartridge, and when both had reached the proper points in space, the Arena sent the detonation command to the flying cassette.  The cassette had popped up and out from the vehicle and was oriented directly over the incoming missiles flight path.  When it detonated, it sprayed fragments almost straight downward, like a somewhat undersized claymore mine.  The cloud of fragments struck the Konkurs, and smashed through both the warhead and the motor, detonating both in a flash of flame and dust.  Though the warhead functioned and a piercing plasma jet of super heated high pressure metallic gas lanced from it, it was still too far from the fighting vehicle to do any harm. 
 

 
As the BMP commander was screaming at his gunner to reload the missile, the young man yelled back that he could fire his 30mm cannon.  Both men in their fear fought for control of the turret, as precious seconds ticked away.  No burst of high velocity cannon fire followed the missile to spike the Russian BMP, and it rolled forward, continuing its advance.  As the two crewmembers argued, a scant 100m to their rear one of their surviving comrade vehicles experienced the other aspect of the BMP-3’s sinister nature.  This Russian BMP popped up rolling around the southern crest of hill 347.  It paused momentarily, the doors on the back popping open and disgorging heavily armed infantrymen, who immediately sprinted for cover, as the BMP blasted the Ukrainian track with its 100mm cannon at point blank range.  The vehicle immediately belched smoke, the gunner and driver leaping off and sprinting away from the incinerating body of their commander.  Scant moments later, their wingman vehicle was bracketed by automatic grenade launcher fire.  The small rounds were of limited anti-armor utility, and the one hit in the burst did no harm.  Three seconds later instead of more AGS fire, a 125mm sabot round slammed into the vehicle, passing cleanly through it and gouging a lengthy furrow in the hillside behind.  This stricken vehicle also burned, and no one emerged from the conflagration that followed.   Borys was horror stricken as the field around him sprouted smoke columns, each one marking the grave of another Ukrainian vehicle. 
“These damn olded BMP2s are simply overmatched!”  he thought. 
“Come on.  We should pull back to a safe location to call all of this in.  Where did the American Sergeant go?” Borys asked his RTO. They began to crawl back towards the gully behind them as the battle shifted decisively in the Russians favor.
 

On the north side of Hill 347 the battle was equally grim for the men of Ukraine.  The leftmost vehicle of the vee died almost instantly in a hail of 30mm APFSDS darts.  In the center of the 3d PLT vee, the PL’s BMP pulled forward, trying to support the infantry who were still streaming back through the forest.  The LT was on the ground with the, and the gunner winced as another infantryman right in front of his track staggered and fell as the trees all around were ripped by cannon fire and exploding shrapnel.  He had seen his platoon mate to his left die, and wanted to gain some revenge.  He pulled his vehicle forward, straining to see through the smoke and dust, but it was useless.  As he pulled to a stop and began to scan, he saw nothing through the swirling air.  Suddenly a tremendous clang announced that the BMP-3 to his front had no such issue.  Its thermal sights could not completely pierce the hot haze, but they saw much further into it than the naked eye, and the Russian commander had no hesitation at all in blasting yet another Ukrainian vehicle.  The 100mm round detonated on impact, spending its jet on the vehicles engine pack and sparing both crewmen serious injury.  The gunner called to his friend to bail out, and they both jumped clear of the track.  As they turned to run, a second BMP3 spotted the movement, and the gunner made a fractional adjustment on his controls, and loosed a single burst of 30mm fire.  Neither of the two Ukrainian soldiers ever knew what hit them. As they died, their Lieutenant watched in horror from behind a tree scant 20 meters away. 
 
Carnage on the northern slopes of Hill 347
 
http://youtu.be/q_6d5IyDh24
 
PFC Purtle watched as the movement on the hillside, and then the firing intensified.  The young scout could not see clearly, as he was partly screened by trees, but he knew that the situation was deteriorating. 
“Hellcat Tree Tree, this is Golf, are you coming back?  I think we might need to be backing up like.”   He called to SFC Bagby over the radio.  He waited an interminable 15 seconds for a response. 
“Golf, this is tree tree…”  a gasping voice came over the headset,
“Go on and get back.  No way I make it back now without being spotted.  I’m moving slow, maybe they won’t see me.  Pull back and I’ll link up with you later.” 
Purtle and the driver looked at one another in shock. 
“Roger that.  We are pulling back to last covered and will wait for you there Sarn’t.  Keep your head down.” 
“You heard him, lets go.”  Purtles command to his friend was punctuated by a loud bang from the hillside.  As the HMMWV backed up Purtle could only loose a short futile burst at the hillside in the hopes that it might cover the older man’s slog back through the field.  
 

 
The sole surviving BMP2 on the northern hillside got a paltry payback.  Stationary and scanning on what had been the south side of his LT’s vee, the grizzled gunner took under fire the only target that came his way – an old Russian MTLB personnel carrier.  He didn’t know if it was a special carrier of some kind, or just the Russian 1SG’s support vehicle, but the older man was under no illusions about his likelihood of getting off of this cursed hillside, and was determined to ensure that at least some of the Russian invaders never left it either.  He fired two long bursts, and the vehicle burst into flames. 
 

 
On the south side of the hill, KPT Antonyuk was still ignorant of the Platoon’s plight, but watching his 1st and 2d Platoons burn around him, he had little hope that the 3d Platoon had done much better.  

pnzrldr,
 
Great battle coverage, engrossingly written and quite disturbing at times. What I want to know is when Bil's AFVs start exploding en masse? The slaughter of your force is becoming rather dreary, though it's doubtless worse for you. Russian thermal sights are, I think, winning the battle for him. They provide an enormous acquisition and targeting  advantage over the Ukrainians, one Bil's using to telling effect. Thank heavens the Russians didn't have this tech during the Cold War. Could've been disastrous had war come. Are IR-suppressing ghillie suits in the game? Seems to me they're desperately needed. Don't know whether you've ever encountered one of these (starting 2:00), nor do I know what it does to IR emissions, but it looks real to me, makes tactical sense, builds on known US work (not the misdirect in the front end of the video, which presents it as a possibility) and has been confirmed to me as real by a retired four star (who still is operationally involved on several fronts), one of my contacts. Also, YT has suppressed this vid, was only the combat footage, at least once already, on an unsupportable pretext.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zKQe-1BUFQ&spfreload=10
 
Regards,
 
John Kettler

LOL.  Well, I cannot address Harry Potter invisibility cloaks.  I'd say that either that is what the Soldier in your video has, or else the vid is simply doctored.  Scene is obviously an older, early war one, as the US response makes no allowance for secondary devices.  I know of no working, practical 'invisibility cloaks' that are effective against naked eye.  However, there are several fairly easy passive ways to offset thermal detection.  Much more feasible for men, rather than vehicles, although modern design does take thermal signature reduction into account.  Simple 'reverse polarity' tape that we use for target ranges affords fairly good outline disruption if cut into strips.  Doesn't mask ambient heat that soaks around it, but effective at moderate to longer ranges.  I quite literally assumed that our sniper teams (who have thermals of their own) are cognizant of this and have created suits that allow them to remain hidden.  However, such things are not in the game.  Maybe in a module.  I think there should be some sort of icon or UI indicator for thermal equipped units in game as well, but again, maybe in the module.

P.S.  Please do keep voting up the posts. If I cannot defeat Bil on the battlefield, perhaps I can amass more 'forum reputation points' than him!  Ha!

On the north side of the hill, the remnants of 3rd Platoon were still being ground down by the advancing Russian BMP-3s and infantry.  The Platoon leader came staggering back through the forest and collapsed by a tree, falling next to the last two surviving dismounted infantrymen from his small command, both bleeding from multiple shrapnel wounds to their faces and upper torsos. 
“Sir, are you okay?”  one asked.  The Lieutenant’s haggard face told the story as he just stared at the man in obvious shock.  In that instant, another burst of lethal 30mm cannon fire struck, directed by the thermal sights on an unseen enemy vehicle, and the officer fell forward on his face and was still.  The two infantrymen cried out in panic, then both began crawling away from the source of the fire, one whimpering in fear and the other snarling in impotent rage.
 

 
Note:  BMP in background is destroyed Ukrainian 3d Platoon vehicle.  
 
 
In Krichek, KPT Kovtun knew that the Russians were up to something.  The artillery  continued to hammer down, but there was simply not enough fire or probing coming from the far side of the river, especially given the destruction of one of an enemy BMP over there by his ATGM team several minutes ago.  Someone or something should have been hunting, searching, trying to pin down the missile team or flush out its comrades.  He called the BMP2 section which had moved up and taken position along the row of houses on the west, facing the river. 
“Borsuk 11, have you seen anything?  Any activity from the far side?”
“Nothing Viktor, hang on, I’ll move up and take a quick look.”
“Borsuk 11, this is Vovk, Hang on 11, don’t do anything stupid.”
“Trust me Viktor – we are good on this.”
An instant later a Kovtun heard the unmistakable hammering of outgoing 30mm fire, over the shriek of another incoming artillery shell.  As his ears were still ringing from the tremendous detonation, he gradually heard the voice calling again on his radio.
“Vovk, this is Borsuk 21…  Vovk this is Borsuk 21…”  with a heavy heart, already knowing Kovtun took a deep breath and replied.
“Go ahead 21.” 
“11 is destroyed.  We never saw what did it.  His track is burning.  No one got out.” 
“21 this is Vovk, do me a favor and don’t DIE in the next five minutes.  Keep scanning but keep YOUR heads down.  We need your track, your cannon, and your missiles!  Stay under cover and respect the enemy’s abilities.  Vovk out.”  He passed the handset back to his RTO, making a deliberate effort not to throw it against the wall, and carefully peeling his white-clenched fingers from the black plastic.  An instant later, he took it back and spoke again.
“Brytva 22, this is Vovk.  Move to checkpoint 2 and observe.”
“This is Brytva 22, understood.  Moving.  I have permission to shoot?”
Podpulkovnyk Tymoshenko stepped into the room.
“You are committing the Tunguska?”
“Brytva 22, destroy anything you see.  Out”  Kovtun gave his Air Defense Commander a hard look. 
“Yes Sir.  It is needed.  We have lost too many combat vehicles, and now 11 has stupidly gotten himself and his crew obliterated.  I need a check on the south, and it must be fast, and lethal if anything is there.  Brytva 21 on the other side has done quite well, although he said he saw nothing from his new position.”
“Absolutely.  Good, I approve.  I trust you Viktor.  Keep the fight going.  Levchenko will get here with the Americans.” 
 
http://youtu.be/cKvN6JINyaw
 
Outside, Major Harris drew the same conclusion from both the sounds of cooking off ammo from the recently destroyed BMP up the street, as well as the radio traffic which he and Beach were monitoring.  He too drew out his handset:
“Guiness, this is five, over.”  As a small team, the SFAT had adopted informal call signs.  SPC O’Brian was well known for his heritage, and his favorite beverage.
“Five this is Guiness.”
“Need you to get over to TRP 2 like we discussed.  Seen anything? Figure you can make it?”
“Roger.  We can make it.  The green boyos over here saw a couple dismounts earlier, but they laid into them with their AGS and we haven’t seen any movement since.  I think our move is still masked.  Same mission?”
“Roger, just like we rehearsed, over.”
“Guiness moving.  We’ll be back in a bit with notches on our CLU.  Out.”
One hundred meters away, the SPC O’Brian picked up the Javelin launcher, tapped PVT Metcalf on the shoulder, and headed quickly down towards the river bridge, carefully skirting the anti-tank mines laid on either side of the road.
 

 
At the Ukepor Power Plant, LT Lysenko grinned as he spoke into his mike. 
“Yes, that is in there.  Fire for effect.”
The infantry in the field had dropped from view, discouraged by a few bursts from his squad in the entry building, and the mortar spotting rounds had bracketed the position where he had last seen the Russian truck and troops.  He hoped the mortar boys would fire fast so he could shift them closer into the field.  He doubted his few men could hold off a platoon of determined Russians. 
 
Starshiy Kostenko knew he was a dead man.  The 2nd Platoon private was on the ground, crawling past the body of one of his comrades, trying to follow his section leader back down the hill to the west, away from the murderous fire from inside the trees.  It was like a horrible story to tell little children.  From dark shadows beyond sight inside the trees, the forest had suddenly belched fire and flame, and all around him men had fallen.  His own thighs and cheek burned with shrapnel, and he felt the warm sticky wetness of his own blood on his pant legs as he crawled.  Suddenly, right behind him, he heard a crashing roaring clatter of sound.  He turned his head and saw the Russian beast, a BMP-3, a mere stones throw behind him.  He swung his rocket launcher around, and thought to himself how sad his mother would be…
 

SSG Venar wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but he knew it wasn’t good.  The Ukrainian infantry up the slope from him seemed to be having a bad time of it, and the shrapnel from the airburst they continued to receive rattled the trees above his head.  He turned to his teammate.
“We need to get the hell out of here.  Lets go.  I’ll call the LT as we move.”
 The two scouts began slithering back down the hill towards the gully they had infiltrated along.  As they moved, Venar keyed his mike and spoke into his headset.
“Fernandez, you there?  I don’t see you.  Where did you go?”
His driver responded almost immediately, gasping loudly,
“Outlaw 13, this is 13 Delta!  We had to pull back.  We got hit – no idea where it came from, we were just sitting there and BAM!  The right fender is all blown to ****!  I think the run flat is still okay, but I don’t know if it hurt the engine, or…”
“Delta, are you in cover?”
“Roger, I backed further up the gully.  I’m pretty sure no one can see us from here.  Michaels is checking the right side.”
“Okay, hang tight.  We’re gonna try and get back to you.  Too hot up here.  Switching higher, so just hang on.  13 out.”  Venar switched his radio over by feel, and immediately keyed on the platoon net.
“One Six, this is One Tree, over.” 
“This is One Six, send it.”
“One Tree, it is way hot here.  Green boys on the hill are getting their ass handed to them by our friends in red.  Could not stay.  Displacing back.  My Delta says our truck took a hit.  Seems to still run, but will have to assess when I get back.”
“Roger, bound back and stay under cover.  Let me know when you are remounted.”
“Wilco, out.”  The two scouts began working their way down into the ravine. The veteran NCO turned to his teammate.
“Get that AT-4 ready.  I don’t like those engine noises, and that green BMP over there is backing up.” 
 

 

 
On the south side of the hill, SGT Cox continued his crawl, cursing all the way.  He could not believe that his team had not worn their anti-thermal Ghillie suits.  He would never be sure, but he felt those might have hidden them from view.  His crawl was slow and deliberate, as he had been taught, and as he had done numerous times in training and in Afghanistan.  He gradually worked his way back towards his torn teammates, focused on at least recovering their dog tags, and double checking to ensure they were both actually dead.  Unfortunately, his premonition on vulnerability to thermal sights was well founded.  A Russian tank gunner on the south side of the wheat field, equipped with solid second-generation thermal imaging sights, courtesy of the French company Thales, caught a hint of movement from within the treeline.  The commander told his gunner to fire if he thought he saw troops, and a 125mm high explosive fragmentation round screamed across the intervening kilometer in less than a second.  Though it missed him by over 20 meters, the shell exploded at a height of nearly 5 meters off the ground, blasting steel shards at lethal velocity in all directions.  SGT Cox felt his body struck by half a dozen splinters.  Three drove into his body armor and stopped, bruising him, but doing little harm.  Two tore into his right arm and shoulder, piercing his muscle but doing recoverable damage.  The last was a strip that failed to fully fragment, nearly 20 cm long and razor sharp, peeled from the length of the bursting shell, still flying at nearly 600m per second when it struck him in the left leg just below the knee.  Dazed but still conscious, SGT Cox clamped his left hand down on his gushing leg while his right groped for his Combat Application Tourniquet, conveniently rigged, per training, for single handed application. 
 

 
As the Russian forces decimated KPT Antonyuk’s company, the first two BMP-2s to die had been 1st Platoon vehicles.  Now the sole surviving vehicle hunkered down in the gully and watched fate bearing down on him.  The commander could not quite spot the enemy vehicles, but he could see their antennas moving towards him as he peered over the lip of the gully embankment that shielded his track.  He looked behind him, and was gratified to see his squad of infantrymen moving up into the trees to his rear.  The LT was dismounted and ordered to keep his men in and around the village of Starov.  Obviously he had decided to interpret the village borders somewhat loosely.  Perhaps they could still manage to hit a few of the Russian dogs as they came hunting for him.
 

 

Thanks Mike. I got it to work by right clicking on the image at photoshop and selecting "copy image location", then pasting it into the box provided here when selecting "image" . Odd selecting the image url provided by photobucket no longer works like it did in the old forum.
 

taking no prisoners is a surefire way of increasing one's own casualties as the enemy will fight to the death instead of giving up 

PFC Purtle hollered down to the armored truck’s driver to stop.
“Hold up here.  We don’t want to get too far back from Sergeant Bagby.”
“What are you talking about?” the young Private responded, “He said to leave him. The whole world is blowing up on that hillside!” 
“Just hang here a few minutes,” Purtle ordered, “I’ll see what I can do.”  He finished clipping the lead round from a new box of 40mm HEDP onto the dangling belt from his Mk19, swung the weapon around, and adjusted the traverse and elevation mechanism to lay the heavy gun on the hillside a scant 300m away.  All he could see were trees, with smoke sifting up through the leaves. 
“Well, what the hell, they won’t like these grenades going off over their heads,” he thought, and loosed a quick burst, followed by another.  He had no solid target, but shooting back at anything felt good, and soothed his jangling nerves.
 

 
On the other side of the hill, KPT Antonyuk spoke emphatically into his handset, his tone imperative. 
“No, you must pull back.  There are too many, and they are on the south side too.  Get your men back to the gully!  Now!” 
“Is that LT Kolomiyets, with Second?”  his RTO asked. 
“Yes, but he is not himself.  He must lead his men back….” 
As the Kapeytan spoke, the “TCHANK, TCHANK, TCHANK!” hammer on anvil sound came again from behind the 2nd Platoon Positions.  Moments later yet another column of smoke rose into the sky, marking the destruction of yet another Ukrainian BMP-2, this one belonging to PdPK Levchenko himself.  Antonyuk looked to his rear for his commander, and saw him with his team headed back down towards the gully to their rear.  Cannon shells from up on the hillside and across the valley kept whipping across, each one detonating above the surviving infantrymen of 2nd Platoon, each with a fearful “Craccckk!”  Antonyuk watched in helpless agony as yet another team of dismounts hit the ground and lay still.  Then another round zipped past from the south, this one seemingly close enough to reach up and grab as it passed.  It detonated closer, and tight behind.  The Ukrainian officer gasped in shock as he recognized that it had found its mark, directly over his commander’s team.  He saw the haze of smoke in the air, and the dust thrown up on the ground from the shrapnel’s impact, all around his trusted mentor.  He said a brief prayer, and as it cleared he saw PdPK Levchenko still moving forward, though one of his party now lay still. 
“This is a disaster,” Antonyuk thought, “We must save what we can.  I wonder if the mortars can retreat in time.”  He grabbed the handset again and began speaking.
 

 

 
North of PFC Purtle’s position, LT Upham assessed the situation.  He was desperately working his way through his PACE plan, trying first his primary – his MNVR radio, then his alternate – his Blue Force Tracker 2, then his contingency – TACSAT (couldn’t find the bird) and finally his emergency communications systems.  His emergency system was a locally procured GSM cell phone he had picked up in Lviv, but to operate it he had to shut off his Bradley’s on board electronic warfare set.  While he was frantically working his way through this, his crew was helping SSG Svendson’s team cross loading the Javelin rounds.  It took less than a minute, but time seemed precious.  Upham hated his position – as soon as Purtle and Svendson had pulled back he had lost his eyes up front, and now had no idea how close the Russian elements had drawn. 
“Sir, we’re good to go.” 
“Dammit – frickin’ phone.  Good Sergeant, I need you to move back up so you can see what’s coming.  Move carefully up about 50m that way, where I came from, and get eyes on the hillside.  I’m pretty sure you should get a Jav shot in short order.  Don’t hang for two, just shoot and scoot like we practiced.  Haul ass back here.  I’ll send your truck back another terrain feature.”
“Roger that Sir.  Anything from Battalion at all?” 
“Not a damn thing.  Go kill a tank and I’ll bet I’ve got them up before you get back.”
The grim look in the NCO’s eyes struck the young collegian like a brick.  But he took the hit and nodded. 
“Good luck.  We’ll back you up.” 
He tucked the apparently useless phone back in his cargo pocket, and clambered up the side of the Bradle, hooking up his headset as he dropped into the BC’s hatch.  Without usable comms the scouts had no access to covering artillery, attack aviation, Air Force close air support or any other help, including MEDEVAC.  Nor could they do their actual job of communicating the enemy’s disposition to their Battalion leadership.  Upham hoped that comms would clear as the rapid columns of heavy armor drew nearer.
 

At the edge of Krickek, a 30 year old Ukrainian private was smoking a cigarette.  He was a rough looking character, with a light beard over heavy acne scars, and the tobacco stains on his teeth hid the poor dental repairs.  But despite his ragamuffin appearance, he was alert and was keeping his smoke low in the hole he shared with a young high school kid from Kiev. 
“There, look…” he said, carefully setting his smoking cigarette against a sandbag. 
“It is a Russian – you see him Bubi?”
“Don’t call me that, you derelict.  Of course I see him.  Are you going to shoot him, or just admire him?”
The veteran grinned, never taking his eyes from the Russian trooper, creeping along a hedgeline in the little ville on the far side of the river.  For such a young punk, this kid had spirit!  He gave the AGS-17 grenade launcher a nudge to the left, and triggered a burst without even rechecking his aim.  The machinegun chuckled, and spat out a short stream of deadly little balls – like black little golf balls he thought, as he followed their short flight.  The rounds bracketed the hedge, detonating close around the Russian soldier, who quickly dropped from sight.  The private fired three more bursts for good measure, precisely dropping the grenades onto both sides of the hedge.  No more could be seen, but a shout in Russian seemed to promise that at least some of their fire had done some damage.  He smiled a crooked grin, and tucked his cigarette back into the corner of his mouth.  With the dust raised by their firing, it could hardly give away their position now.  Behind him another volley of artillery slammed down on Krichek, shattering street cobbles, bricks and roof tiles, as it detonated against the streets. 
 
http://youtu.be/jyIP2M3Av3s
 

 

 
LT Lysenko was wondering exactly who had his range.  He wasn’t certain, but his little post had taken nearly 20 rounds of something, and though he thought initially they had been seen by a tank, now he feared someone had zeroed in on his little band with a deadly large mortar, perhaps two.  The rounds came it at fairly regular intervals, and though he couldn’t get a direction from inside, they certainly seemed to be falling from above rather than below.  He popped his head up long enough to see a Russian infantryman plowing through the wheat, heading towards him from the north, then ducked as another bomb whistled in before detonating against the roof of the power plant stack to his east.   He strained to catch the fall of shot against the truck he had targeted with his own mortars, but could not see anything but a cloud of dust in that direction.  They must be on though, and he carefully pulled the radio set from his dead RTO’s back to raise the antenna so he could make the call.  
 

You cant rate the admins, ian.

Yeah, the CMSF forum is kinda dead since they anounced CMBS. But great footage you found there. I often surf liveleak for combat footage from Ukraine but they dont have much on that topic. You mostly find political propagnda for both sides there.

video of the USN F-35C undergoing sea trials on the U.S.S. Nimitz last month.



that is one beautiful aircraft or maybe I have just been watching too many F-35 vids.

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.

This battle will be fought against probably the most experienced and knowledgeable opponent I have ever faced. Pnzrldr is a serving US Army LTC (Armor) and this makes him a formidable opponent. We have played several times and I think are well matched. We have both had games where one of us has totally routed the other, but most games have been very tightly fought affairs. I hope this game turns out to be one of those.

The scenario which was put together specially for Scott and I by TheTeacher is going to be quite a challenge. My request was to be on the defense and to play redforce. What he presented us with is truly an interesting and challenging situation. Basically I have been presented with an enemy bypassed company sized force that I am expected to deal with prior to setting up a defense against the enemy force coming to relieve them.


The enemy force in my rear is sitting on an area that stretches across three objectives: Textile Mill, Town Hall, and the Power Station. I am expected to reduce this concentration prior to reorienting to engage the relief force. Interesting no?



Stay tuned… this is going to be fun. I will be doing an abbreviated analysis where I will analyze the mission, the enemy, my troops, and the terrain, all coming up in future installments.

Steven, they were firing at the crew from the SA-13 they knocked out in the previous turn.. then they started to react to the more dangerous threat, the RPG team.
 
No, just the one immobilized T-90.  

The Eleventh Minute - Part 2   In the pocket, my T90s fight back against the RPG team in the house next to the immobilized T90.  I still need to decide what I am going to do with this tank section.. I do not want to push only a single unsupported tank forward to hunt for that Tunguska. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IuellWVyIM&feature=youtu.be
 
Finally, I wanted to illustrate the new amphibious vehicle feature in Black Sea... this BMP 3 is swimming the river separating the Recon Platoon from the town in the pocket.  I want to bring the second BMP across as well, but wanted to get this one over safely first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwiP4Tv5nPw&feature=youtu.be 
 
Updated Blood Board:

Psychological warfare, I love it!

While I wait for Scott to send the next turn I am thinking about how I want to proceed.  This is a key deicsion point in the battle.  I want to keep a strong force to face the US reinforcements, but I also want to start to take down the units in the pocket and grab some of those objectives.
 
This map is several turns old, but should be a good reference for the discussion:
1st MRC  - After moving through the terrain that this company is sitting on I have concluded that Scott will not move that way even if his reinforcements come in there.  The woods are impassable to vehicles except in a very few narrow corridors.. so any force he tried to move through those woods would be channelized and would have to advance single file.  A dream for me to defend.. but I doubt it'll come to that.  
 
What I plan to do is push some AT teams as far forward as possible and take up reverse slope positions to attack any armor that might move laterally out of this corner of the map.  I will deploy a lot of the 1st MRC infantry in depth in ambush positions in case Scott does try to bull his way through.  I will also keep a platoon of BMP-3s as support and they will be positioned fairly far forward in the gullies and dry stream beds as a counter-attack force and for quick sniping if it looks like Scott is presenting a flank I can take advantage of.  
 
At least one Platoon of BMP-3s and the T90 platoon will remain in the rear of 1st MRC and be ready to advance to hull down positions to cover any other contingencies.  The key is to get as close to Scott's US units as possible to negate his range advantage.  Or, to hit them in the flank or rear when the opportunity presents itself.
 
The remaining BMP-3 platoon will be moving out and I will discuss them in a bit.
 
2nd MRC - I am not comfortable with this company staying on the forward slope of center hill so I am planning on pulling them back to cover the flanks and the area especially between 1st and 2nd MRCs.. I suspect Scott will seek open ground to move through, especially now that I have this hill well covered.  He probably will not want to move through this terrain where he could run into hidden AT teams.  I will be leaving several AT teams in hide positions to pop out if Scott does try to recapture the hill.
 
One platoon of BMPs and two of the T90s (the two that have suffered some damage) will be moving out and I will discuss them in a bit.
 
GL Platoon and ATGM Section - These units will remain in their current positions to secure the area between the two MRCs and the open area to the north,  I doubt the GL Platoon will be of much help, but I have to work with the resources I have available.  I will strengthen them by moving the second remaining GL Platoon BMP 3 from the north to the area between the two MRCs.
 
3rd MRC - This formation which has no vehicles (which really sucks by the way   ) has already started to scout the Power Station objective and will attack it in the next few turns.  One platoon is moving up to the area around my immobilized T90 to provide some support and to scout that approach for follow on forces.
 
Recon Company - This formation is too weak to be a viable offensive force other than the platoon that has two BMP-3s (without Arena).  This BMP platoon will move across the river (one has already done so) and cause some havoc on any enemy units on the north end of the town.  Many other teams have been scouting forward in to the town for several turns already and will continue that mission as a distraction and to keep Scott's forces in place.
 
Assault Company Team (clever name TBD) - This new formation will be made up of the following units:
Command: Tank Company HQ tank BMP-3M (Arena) Platoon/1st MRC BMP-3M (Arena) Platoon/2nd MRC 2nd Tank Platoon (-) - two tanks that have suffered damage. 3rd Tank Platoon (-) - two tanks - this is my reserve tank platoon, the platoon leader's tank from 3rd platoon is the immobilized tank Mission - this formation will strike hard at the enemy units in the pocket.  I have yet to decide their scheme of maneuver but they will assemble near the Power Station objective over the next few turns.
 
Objective - kill as many enemy units as possible and make Scott believe he has to increase his tempo with the US relief force which could cause him to get careless and rash with his US force.

Very cool footage of Right Sector volunteers and troops from 93rd MB on patrol in the fog no combat just very atmospheric shots
(this channel has lots of good footage from the UA and right sector troops)



More translated stuff from Kazzura

A drive around donetsk airport and a chat with some of the DNR fighters



Shelling UA positions with a AGS and a few OG-7s



Fighting in Nikishino (footage looks like footage from chechnya 14 yrs ago)





Sad to say with things heating up again and the ceasefire officially done there is probably going to be lots more footage coming in the near future....

2 RPG Hits And Several Close Calls On Ukrainian Paratrooper BMD-1 During Intense Firefight Filmed From The Driver Seat | English Subtitles 
 
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5ab_1418861987
 
Some very cool footage, i was really impressed by the childrens drawings on the front of the mesh armor.