MOS:96B2P

Just finished watching it on the Military Channel. The program intercut between the development of the Resistance and insertion of the Jedburghs before D-Day on the one hand, as well as the odyssey and massacres caused by SS Panzer division Das Reich, set against the use of Spec Ops in OIF, complete with specially declassified hide images on the other. The part of direct interest to CMSF players lies in the Northern Tier pitting Special Forces and Peshmerga against Iraqi tanks and APCs, this after an extensive discussion of how the Special Forces organized for combat and the vehicles used. The fight involved tacair, Javelins, MGs and more in a most atypical fight for the Special Forces. See this episode if you can. You'll be glad you did.

Regards,

John Kettler

tyrspawn,

This is a marvelous overview of what Spetsnaz is, does and how it differs from line formation combat ops.

http://www.officialspetsnaz.com/russian_spetsnaz.htm

Though I worked under a variety of administrative titles, I was a Soviet Threat Analyst at Hughes and Rockwell from early 1978-mid 1989, tasked to keep track of anything and everything that might affect company programs. Covered the threat gamut from Spetsnaz to deep orbital surveillance, on everything from the TOW missile to the National Aerospace Plane.

Returning to your larger issue, if you visit the long Afghanistan thread, someone helpfully provided links to the core Army FM 100-2-1,-2,-3 covering the Russians and to several DIA pubs on the tank company and MRB which should prove quite useful to you. I highly recommend Isby's Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army, Fully Revised Edition and Baxter's Soviet Airland Battle Tactics, the latter heavily documented from Russian military sources.

Regards,

John Kettler

kohlenkau,
 
What a cool and clever project!  I don't own CMFI, but I have appeared from time to time and helped when I could. Here is some first rate large format color photography of Italian parachutist uniforms. Part of which is primo IWM yet not displayed to the public.
 
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251718&page=4
 
The above references an Italian film made in 1954 about Folgore. In it, the men are wearing authentic combat uniforms, except for a so-call  samurai or samurai gilet aka magazine carrier shown in the film but not used until after the war. The quality of the print used to make the vid is astounding. Consequently, the stills taken from the film in the article are utter dreck by comparison. You should be able to learn a great deal as a result. Useful uniform stuff starts an hour in, and there are some phenomenal closeups in the last ten minutes, maybe less, of the film. Eye watering closeups!  Below the vid is a site in which you can see what the paratroopers should've been wearing. Lots of AFVs in this (hostile) and a true miracle, the Italian field radio with the prominent ring antenna. First one of those I've ever seen anywhere.
 

 
And a resource you may not have thought of lies in those who collect, modify and build nit pickingly accurate 1:6 and other scale soldier figures. They're even more grog anal than we are, as you'll see here. A bunch of Folgore uniforms are depicted, including those worn after Italy went over to the Allies. Fun starts on page 2 and continues in page 3.

http://www.massimomoscarelli.it/leadaddicted/?cat=12&paged=2
 
A look at actual period Italian camouflage fabric and full detail (gnat's rear level) from all around of everything a Folgore sergeant wore in the period of the diorama being built.
 
http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=92678&p=1
 
How about an equally anal Folgore historical re-enactor unit?

http://www.ww2italianreenactment.com/para.html
 
Correct uniform for Tunisia
 
http://home.earthlink.net/~frenchgreg/id3.html
 
10 minutes or so into this Italian newsreel shot before WW II, you can see what a drop looks like as the men shuck their drop smocks (cammies beneath), grab weapons and packs and go double timing away single file.
 


  Am stopping now while both of us a relatively sane!
 
Keep up the fantastic work!
 
Regards,
 
John Kettler

What RepsolCBR, womble and IanL said.  Below is a screen shot from CMBN of the concept in action.  All kinds of cool stuff in this game.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

And when it is working you will still see the red X for the broken command to the platoon HQ but instead of blank boxes next to that you will see the voice or other appropriate command icon. That is how you can tell that your squad is under command of a higher level HQ.

Yes. An HQ higher up in the same CoC will be able to take over command of an element from lower down the chain if its immedate HQ is out of range or hors de combat. This can only take place at "Sight" or "Hearing" (or both) range though. There is no benefit from seeing Bttn HQ way over there in "Distant Sight" command range, or from having the "stand-in" HQ on the radio.

SPOILER ALERT
 
//////////////////////
 
/////////////////////
 
 
Instead of using demo charges 2 Para takes the front door just to prove they can. (Or maybe they are running low on demo charges )

 
2 Para locates and secures objective Suspect Compound #2.  

 
 
 

LOL. I ran some tests, years ago. I took about a 100 tanks, dismounted their crews. Then, I ran them through sniper alley. Next, I sorted the surviving crew based on which crewmember(s) had been removed. I then remounted the crews. (Just for grins, I really, really, really want anyone to dismount 100 crews, run them around, and then try to figure out who goes where. No, there is no "tank 7/crew 7" logic.)
 
This gave me 100 tanks with various crew positions empty. Most had lost 1. Some had lost 2. A few, 3.
 
Then I put the tanks through their paces.
 
Then I repeated the test a couple dozen times starting with a new batch of 100 tanks each time.
 
The game did a very nice job, IMO, of prioritizing positions. Especially if you imagine the crew is an organic group, not robots.
 
Some tweaking may be nice in certain configurations, but I shudder at the thought of replicating that test...
 
Ken

Well it does. Ammo sharing only takes place within an organisational unit ("platoon", is often used as shorthand, but "whatever highlights when you click that unit" is a more practical definition, given the proliferation of sections and other such subunits) 
Good for you. 
I don't think it's crazy, as I'm going to try and explain, but a misunderstanding of what you're seeing.
First to check that you know the two mortars not mounted and not part of the halfie's orgunit are 60mm not 81mm, and there are no mortar round for them in the M4A1. The only 60mm rounds are HEAT for the bazooka.

This is where you're misinterpreting the numbers. The green unit info pane shows the number of rounds available to the mortar, not the number of rounds being carried. If you'd used "Acquire" to grab any 81mm HE, the number in white-on-black where the small arms ammo count is registered would have increased. While they're in the M4, that still shows 16. But since the M4 will share with them, the mortar could expend 88 rounds of HE.
 
That's because sharing only works over about 16m or so, so once the mortar tube (or the icon which represents the 'centre of gravity of the team', or whatever the game engine measures the relevant distance from) moves a couple of AS away, as seen in the video, the ammo from the half track is no longer available.
I hope I've answered that question.
For my next trick, I'll have a go at answering the question of the disappearing ammo. Shakier ground here, but I'm basing it on the fact that you've highlighted the non-mortar-platoon 60mm mortars in the video to show something about them, and postulating that those are the ones you loaded on and Acquired mortar bombs from that disappeared. I am guessing that you grabbed 81mm shells for them. These wouldn't appear in the green "unit info" pane, where it shows "available ammo", because the unit can't ever use them, not having and never being able to get, an 81mm mortar. They aren't visible in the white-on-black unit ammo count area, because they are already carrying as many different types of ammo as can be displayed in that small, un-scroll-barred-because-scroll-bars-are-not-useful-in-the-interface-honest (yes this is a hobby horse of mine) display area, in the same way as you might not be able to see the white-on-black count for WP for the 81mm, even though you know they've got 'em because they're there in their "available ammo" count on the green info pane.

I don't think so, since this is all, as far as I can tell, working as intended, though obviously not intuitively to the new guy.

It's also worth pointing out that the tool exists to do that handholding, up to the point of losing control of the element entirely, in the shape of the "Evade" command.

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

There is, but it involves some work. What I did was remove all the older maps temporarily to a new folder on my desktop. This turned out to be more time consuming than I had expected, but it worked. Now whenever I want to start a QB, only the new maps show, but I can put the old maps back in whenever I choose to do so.
 
What I am wondering is whether it is possible to simply add a letter or something at the front end of the map identifier without screwing up how the game processes it.
 
Michael

I found it on page 73 of CMBS manual:
 
TRPs also double-function as “ambush” markers for regular troops and vehicles. When soldiers fire their weapons at a target near a friendly TRP, they are much better at estimating the range correctly.  

I get frustrated when my troops get pinned or panic and refuse to take any orders.  One of the things I found that can help is the Instant Command Evade.  It works in the orders phase of We-Go.  It will give you a fast waypoint even when the troops refuse all other commands.  You can then click and drag this waypoint to a relatively safe location.  So if the automatically appearing Evade waypoint has the troops running out the front of the building into the line of fire you can drag it out the back door where it is safer.  This has solved most of my problems in this area.  Hope that helps. 

I finished my first scenario and would like to share it with you.
 
A small US combat patrol tries to recover a downed Air Force pilot that came down near a Russian OP. Best played Blue vs. AI.
 
Tiny battle in a wooded area. 30 min. +< 10min. 4 AI plans for Red and 1 for Blue. Playing Red vs. AI might be fun, depending on how good a day the AI has, it might also completely mess it up since the job that the Blue player has to do is not something the AI is good at and also hits some limitations (e.g. AI can't remount vehicles). Playing H2H might work, but I did not test it. The forces and victory conditions are quite fair I think.
 
I wanted something similar to the outstanding "An August Morning" in the sense that the map and the forces are tiny but Blue has to cross the map to touch an objective and then retreat. To spice things up I throw in vehicles!
 
Since the repository does not seem to get updated (I submitted sometime early this week), here a dropbox link for now:
 
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9849673/Airman%20Down.zip
 
Please criticize, I want to improve my scenario making skills.

Also along the same lines if a CM title (CMRT) has tank riders infantry units that get on the tank can use the tank's radio. The below screen shot was taken from CMRT to demonstrate this ability.  The scout team, was selected from specialty teams during the QB purchase phase and had no radio assigned to it.  The scout team was able to use the tank's radio for C2.  I dismounted the scout team and positioned them next to the tank.  No more radio contact.  The scouts had to be on the tank to use the tank’s radio for C2. The scout team was assigned to this tank platoon.

 
 
Maybe the new Battle of the Bulge title will allow tank riders ............................  

Every few months I read a thread where C2 is discussed to include how best to use the XO team.  (Most of the time I use the XO as a medic).  It is often brought up if the XO team can take over from the CO.  So I thought it would be interesting to share the below screen shot where the CO was KIA and the XO takes command.
 

Thought these may interest some of you...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every few months I read a thread where C2 is discussed to include how best to use the XO team.  (Most of the time I use the XO as a medic).  It is often brought up if the XO team can take over from the CO.  So I thought it would be interesting to share the below screen shot where the CO was KIA and the XO takes command.
 

An oldie.....
 

It has always been the case, and has been averred in every thread where people have asked "What use is the XO". It's even in the manual, IIRC. Lovely graphics illustration to make more people aware though.

Oh nice. Never thought about this. I always had them as the escort for the CO.

That's very very useful to know. I may stop deleting them from the TO&E of my purchases in QB's!