IICptMillerII

Apologies for the delay on this one. I had to travel for a significant part of May and was unable to finish this before I left. Without further ado, the concluding post, along with a link to the entire post consolidated on my blog: https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/visualized-in-combat-mission-killing-fse.html
Hasty Debrief
This was a resounding success for the US. The Soviet FSE was stonewalled, and 2nd platoon was able to fall back into friendly lines without further incident. Under combat conditions, this is probably the best outcome that could be realistically hoped for.
Some might make an argument that the position was abandoned too early. After all, the enemy was destroyed for relatively little loss, and the position is a good one. There were AT weapons remaining in the platoon (roughly half the dragon missiles and LAW launchers), the defensive fortifications were intact, and the M113’s were unmolested. They could have displaced later in the fight after potentially causing more damage to the Soviet attack.
However, this would have been cutting it too close in my opinion. The platoon had stopped the initial probe of Soviet forces and helped determine and shape Soviet intent. Staying in a good position isn’t always the right call. After all, the main goal of US forces in this scenario is to hold out long enough to allow logistics unit to pull out of the town and then have the combat forces fall back as well. Leaving 2nd platoon far forward could have risked them being cut off, either physically or by fires.
In the end, the decision to fall back is a subjective one made by the commander in the field. There is no perfect solution, but there are certainly wrong solutions. Many times, the difference between a good plan and a bad one is a simple matter of timing.
How did the Soviets fare? From the US perspective, they were soundly defeated. From the Soviet perspective, it is not quite that clear cut. Jokes about political commissars and propaganda spinning aside, this is not as bad for the Soviets as one might think. The job of the Soviet FSE is to find and either destroy the enemy or fix them in place. In this case, the FSE found the enemy and engaged it. The engagement was not successful, but the enemy was found. As a result, the Soviet main effort went down the other flank, avoiding the defensive position that caused them problems. Had 2nd platoon stayed in place, they would not have been able to effectively engage the Soviet main effort as it conducted its attack down the left flank and could have easily been cut off and unable to return to friendly lines. Plus, the Soviets do eventually take over the village and surrounding areas, which is the overall Soviet objective. While not blatantly successful, the efforts of the FSE have aided in attaining that goal. Finally, the entire FSE did not perish. Roughly half of the tanks and a 3rd of the infantry were lost discovering 2nd platoons location. The remaining tanks and infantry were able to establish initial positions in the center and left side of the map, revealing those routes to be viable avenues of approach for the Soviet main effort.
When viewed through the somewhat brutal lens of Soviet battlefield arithmetic, one can begin to understand how the Soviets might not view this as a resounding defeat. This understanding reveals insight into how the Soviets thought about success and defeat on the battlefield.      

Apologies for the delay on this one. I had to travel for a significant part of May and was unable to finish this before I left. Without further ado, the concluding post, along with a link to the entire post consolidated on my blog: https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/visualized-in-combat-mission-killing-fse.html
Hasty Debrief
This was a resounding success for the US. The Soviet FSE was stonewalled, and 2nd platoon was able to fall back into friendly lines without further incident. Under combat conditions, this is probably the best outcome that could be realistically hoped for.
Some might make an argument that the position was abandoned too early. After all, the enemy was destroyed for relatively little loss, and the position is a good one. There were AT weapons remaining in the platoon (roughly half the dragon missiles and LAW launchers), the defensive fortifications were intact, and the M113’s were unmolested. They could have displaced later in the fight after potentially causing more damage to the Soviet attack.
However, this would have been cutting it too close in my opinion. The platoon had stopped the initial probe of Soviet forces and helped determine and shape Soviet intent. Staying in a good position isn’t always the right call. After all, the main goal of US forces in this scenario is to hold out long enough to allow logistics unit to pull out of the town and then have the combat forces fall back as well. Leaving 2nd platoon far forward could have risked them being cut off, either physically or by fires.
In the end, the decision to fall back is a subjective one made by the commander in the field. There is no perfect solution, but there are certainly wrong solutions. Many times, the difference between a good plan and a bad one is a simple matter of timing.
How did the Soviets fare? From the US perspective, they were soundly defeated. From the Soviet perspective, it is not quite that clear cut. Jokes about political commissars and propaganda spinning aside, this is not as bad for the Soviets as one might think. The job of the Soviet FSE is to find and either destroy the enemy or fix them in place. In this case, the FSE found the enemy and engaged it. The engagement was not successful, but the enemy was found. As a result, the Soviet main effort went down the other flank, avoiding the defensive position that caused them problems. Had 2nd platoon stayed in place, they would not have been able to effectively engage the Soviet main effort as it conducted its attack down the left flank and could have easily been cut off and unable to return to friendly lines. Plus, the Soviets do eventually take over the village and surrounding areas, which is the overall Soviet objective. While not blatantly successful, the efforts of the FSE have aided in attaining that goal. Finally, the entire FSE did not perish. Roughly half of the tanks and a 3rd of the infantry were lost discovering 2nd platoons location. The remaining tanks and infantry were able to establish initial positions in the center and left side of the map, revealing those routes to be viable avenues of approach for the Soviet main effort.
When viewed through the somewhat brutal lens of Soviet battlefield arithmetic, one can begin to understand how the Soviets might not view this as a resounding defeat. This understanding reveals insight into how the Soviets thought about success and defeat on the battlefield.      

Continued...
Wren had been monitoring the fight, listening to Bunting control the point element. Things appeared to be going well, but he could tell the pressure was on. Each report from his senior platoon leader was rising an octave, a sign he knew well from countless exercises was a sign of stress. He urged the main body of his force on, because it was clear that contrary to fixing the enemy, Bunting appeared to be getting pinned himself. By 0908 hours, Wren and the balance of the company team arrived in the hasty fighting position. The cross-attached armour platoon under 1LT Harmon pushes forward, taking hull down positions all along the ridge.

The moment had come to take the fight forward. Wren required only a couple of minutes to appraise himself of the situation, his track nudging itself in next to Bunting’s. Whilst the company leader was briefed by his point platoon leader, the company mortars set up a hasty firing position. They were soon firing a repeat mission at the OPFOR dismounts, who were still working their way around the right flank of the Company’s position. 

The situation was still very confused, but Wren was able to come up with a straightforward scheme of maneuver based on what appeared apparent:   He knew there was remnants of a BMP platoon to the right flank, practically on PL Toto. 2nd Platoon would sweep and clear them off the heights with priority of company mortars. Tank platoon (-) to punch straight towards PL Yazoo. TOWs and the rest of the tank platoon to support by fire. Air power, if he could raise it again in time, would support. 1st Platoon to remount, rearm, and follow and support (2). 
It was a good plan, all things considered, but it was based on shaky info in a highly fluid situation. Wren was still giving his tasking orders when 1LT Harmon broke in with a contact report. A single T-72 had just been knocked out by his unit at close range, and there was an unspecified amount of BMPs making smoke and driving (once more) towards the high ground on the right flank.

FO teams that climbed the craggy cliffs on the left flank firmed up these reports in due course. The OPFOR appeared to be going all in on the Company’s right flank, and Wren duly modified Harmon’s mission to sweep to the northwest, rather than directly north, to account for this.

Wren keyed his microphone, and issued his FRAGO:
“All callsigns this is Bravo 26. Orders: Situation. One times Mike Romeo Charlie approaching north, vicinity phase line TOTO. Mission. Destroy. Groupings and tasks. Bravo 22, move northwest, orient north, assault one times Bravo Mike Papa platoon.  Bravo Tango, you are the main effort. Move towards phase line YAZOO, orient northwest. Provide one times support tango each to Bravo 24 and Bravo 22.  Bravo 21 and this call sign, to follow and support Bravo Tango. Bravo 24, continue with current task. Acknowledge and questions, over?”
A satisfying chorus rolled in over the company net from his platoon leaders, all repeating some variation of acknowledgement and indication of no questions.
Supporting by fire, the TOWs open the engagement, reaching out to touch the enemy as they began to expose themselves in their approach.


The OPFOR increasingly show signs of being disoriented, caught off guard. What had been a single-minded effort to seize key terrain was becoming a fight for survival. The worm was turning, with initiative firmly passing to Wren’s company team. Roaring forward in column behind a wedge of three M60s, Wren was greeted by the satisfying sight of his joint fires coming to bear. His hurried call for further gunship support had been answered, and he could see TOW and rocket fire creating havoc, black spires of smoke testament to their effect. Then, a few hundred meters to his front, he could see Harmon’s M60s fire a volley. The RTO’s radio crackles, and the young PFC awkwardly hands the receiver to him in the cramped cargo space:
“Bravo 26 this is Bravo Tango. Am engaging three times B-M-P, repeat I am engaging three times BMP, you may want to hold your callsign back sir, out.”

Somewhere off to their right, 2LT Renfro’s reinforced platoon was snaking forward in column, forming the right arm of a pincer. Renfro did his best to ensure his group kept, as far as the terrain allowed, the main effort in sight. He knew Wren intended this attack to be mutually supporting.
“Bravo Tango send to Bravo 26.”
“This is 26. Send.”
“Have engaged and destroyed three times BMP. Am resuming advance. Out”
The enemy’s second echelon had been caught in the open and devastated by the balance of the tank platoon. What the slow-moving sweep does not kill, the overwatching TOWs and trailing tank does. Caught off guard, the BMPs attempt to make smoke and reverse into some approximation of a hull down position. Their dismounts likewise attempt to find cover, but most are chopped up badly by the M113s. It is a testament to the professionalism of the OPFOR that, despite the unfolding disaster, they are still able to put down heavy, often accurate, return fire. One tank is penetrated and suffers crew casualties, and Harmon’s tank has its main gun damaged in the exchange. The BMPs die hard, but die they do.


Harmon’s Platoon NCO, who had been in the trail tank with the TOWs, now moves forward to take over for his leader, whose disabled tank falls back. With most of the BMPs destroyed, the fight returns to the infantry, and surviving OPFOR dismounts fight tenaciously from every scrap of cover and concealment the terrain can provide. Renfro’s unit mops up the shattered BMP platoon, .50 calibers thumping as the infantry bound forward.

One of 2nd Platoon’s Dragon teams identifies two BMPs in ambush near the main effort’s position, and duly report and engage them. The wisdom of ensuring the platoons remained in mutually supporting distance is made clear by this incident.

By 0918 hours, Wren’s command group and most of 1st Platoon had outflanked OPFOR dismounts by climbing Hill 165.5 and had begun to pour fire down their flank. Despite the dominating position, the American infantry take accurate, shockingly accurate, return fire. Three casualties are suffered in the exchange, but the result is preordained. Bunting, with the other half of the platoon, bounds forwards. With grenade and bayonet, the OPFOR dismounts are either killed, wounded, or captured. It is an ugly, intimate firefight – not what the casual observer would expect in desert terrain.

By 0926 hours, the fight is over. Individual survivors are picked off, caught in a crossfire between the vehicles of 1st and 2nd Platoon’s as they attempt to escape the close assault. Word filters down from brigade, to TOC, from TOC to Wren: ceasefire, assume a hasty defense and stand by for further orders.
 
***
The lead OPFOR battalion commander was perturbed. This was not the type of aggressive response he expected.  He was not an overly prideful man, he knew a battle lost when he saw one, but he was also not accustomed to defeat. Not on his home turf. He could turn the enemy’s success into defeat, the enemy Battalion was pushing through separate passes, outside of mutual support, and the company-sized force that had just savaged his combat reconnaissance patrol and forward security element was now out on a limb, outside of the mutual support of its sister companies.
He knew he needed to redouble his efforts and try to catch the enemy while they were either rearming or attempting to pursue his lead force. The surviving forward officer reported his men were going firm, as was expected of him, to try and fix the enemy for as long as possible.
“Adjutant, get me Regiment. Request release of the armour reserve.”
They would be ready by this afternoon. It should be soon enough.

Man, crickets on this? Really? Good to know Putin has won the PR war on the CM forums without even knowing this place existed. 
 
Another great chapter. I’m sure the performance of CPT Wren at the NTC is likely to make some heads explode. That is, if they touch grass and take a long enough break from Ukraine posting. 

Man, crickets on this? Really? Good to know Putin has won the PR war on the CM forums without even knowing this place existed. 
 
Another great chapter. I’m sure the performance of CPT Wren at the NTC is likely to make some heads explode. That is, if they touch grass and take a long enough break from Ukraine posting. 

LOL @IICptMillerII
Some of us are still here and posting on other threads!  
 Wow!  @Rinaldi This is EPIC!!  I can't wait to read more!  This puts to shame my AAR posting of my Red Thunder campaign in the screenshots thread...
Nicely done indeed!

Boeing Yard, Fort Irwin, California
CPT Wren could feel a very strong headache coming on. It wasn’t the unbearable, searingly-dry heat, (well, it was the heat in part) so much as it was the logistical nightmare his company, and his Battalion Taskforce writ-large, had been dumped into. They had just arrived at the Boeing yard, serving as an initial assembly and equipment collection point for their rotation at the National Training Centre. The officers and senior NCOs were in absolute, collective shock at what greeted them. They had left most of their equipment behind at Ft. Stewart, with the promise that they would be provided with well-maintained, pre-positioned gear on arrival at Ft. Irwin.
The sight of the Battalion XO standing amidst the metaphorical wreckage, hands on hips, with an evil countenance on his face revealed how stretched the truth of that promise had been. If looks could kill, the MAJ would’ve struck down every civilian contractor in the yard by now. The displeasure radiating out of the Battalion XO was echoed by the companies’ XOs. Wren’s second in command, 1 LT Booth, looked like he was contemplating homicide whilst talking with the civilian contractors mounting MILEs gear to the Company’s M150 tank destroyers.
They had left behind relatively cutting-edge equipment, which they had left in top shape, back at their home posting. What greeted them were older models of M60 tanks and TOW launchers, lacking the excellent thermal sights they had come to rely on. The TF’s sister battalion that had just come back from rotation had never warned them about this. They had been put through the wringer and had warned his unit that the infamous OPFOR didn’t play by the rules.
Looking over at the rundown, dated equipment in poor repair, Wren couldn't help but feel that this was part of an elaborate plot to put them off balance before the rotation even began...
Chapter 1.1: The Hasty Attack
 
Near Brown Pass, National Training Centre, Fort Irwin.
The operations group had gathered around a sand table, essentially a scaled-down presentation of local terrain, to plan how they would kick off the mock war for the barren, craggy desert. Wren could feel the sun beating down on his exposed neck as he looked down. He had wisely kept his steel helmet off for the briefing, preferring a patrol cap. It offered some slight relief to the sensation that he was in an oven, and that he particularly was being burned in the pan.
The immediate mission was straightforward, in principle. Brigade had informed them that the lead elements of an enemy Motor Rifle Regiment (MRR) had entered the area of operations and was suspected to be heading towards one of several passages through the corridor. The enemy’s general intent was not difficult to divine: secure one of these features and allow the regiment to debouch onto the desert and deploy for an attack. The TF was to establish contact with the enemy’s forward elements, fix them and, if possible, destroy them. Follow up operations would then commence against the main body of the MRR.  
These first fights would devolve to the companies. The NTC was intended to train the army to fight a step down, that is, a company was expected to go toe-to-toe with an OPFOR battalion, and a battalion with a regiment. It was a tough ask. It put a lot of pressure on guys like Wren, but it also forged these junior leaders into the backbone of America’s army.
The NTC’s entire concept was one big, tough, ask. It had thus far put units, sometimes inadequately trained, always under-equipped, against a dedicated opposing force, or OPFOR. The US Army had played around with the idea of an opposing force before. What had resulted was a hokey B-movie routine simply called the “Aggressors.” They had no foundation in reality, no equipment that bore any relation to something in service, and failed completely to reflect any one of the many likely enemies the United States would face. The Aggressors, like the men who were tasked to portray them, had nothing worth fighting for. Units that rotated in to display them liked getting killed early and often, so they could get a hot meal at the mock casualty clearing stations. It was schlock, and the army had known it.
Fort Irwin, it’s dedicated OPFOR, and the MILEs system (think one giant game of angry laser tag) had changed all that.

This OPFOR had one task: play the Soviets better than the Soviets themselves, and brutalize their enemy whilst doing so. The fact the OPFOR was also expected to meet training standards as a US unit made it a nightmare opponent: a ruthlessly competent enemy that knew your playbook back-to-front.  The first bunch of battalions that had rotated through the NTC had come away shocked, and not infrequently in tatters. Wren’s TF had the advantage of learning from these initial rotations. Two TFs from sister brigades in their division had already gotten their NTC-issued hidings and had diligently and openly disseminated their experiences. They were, theoretically, the best prepared unit yet to come prepared for the fight.
This was their first opportunity to prove that. The Battalion S-2, a highly competent officer with a Master’s in psychology, had put his money down on the idea that the enemy’s lead elements would head for Brown pass. Wren’s area of responsibility. Considering this, the TF Commander had indicated he was willing to throw significant weight behind his company team. Combat aviation, and armour retained under task force control for support of his team, if need be. There were two courses of action: let the lead MRB come through the pass and hit them hard in the bottleneck or push through and find them in the open. The resources his CO was willing to allocate would change depending on the decision, but he trusted his CPT enough to reach one on his own and held his peace as to which he would have preferred.
Wren thought for a moment…Allowing the enemy to come through the pass was the “textbook” solution. It was canalizing terrain and would allow him to get the most out of his company team. It would be a mainly defensive operation, greatly aiding his chances of avoiding heavy losses. Thing is, textbook was obvious. The textbook made for poor reading in this situation, thought Wren. The first option ceded initiative to an OPFOR he knew was lean and mean on the offensive, especially one going to plan. He interrupted his thoughts with a question:
“Are you able to allocate me any of the scouts?” he asked his CO.
“No can do. We need them to tie into the armour battalion TF operating in the Southern Corridor, they can’t put dismounts in those hills as readily as we can.”
If he fought in Brown Pass himself, he would need to seriously contest the high valley mesas, or else the OPFOR would get observers up there and make any type of hasty defence untenable due to artillery fire. He wanted scouts for that, rather than have to put too much load on dismounted foot patrols taken from his platoon. The CO’s answer settled the dilemma. Wren reached over and pushed the little blue block representing his company team through the pass on the sand table.

He could see in his mind, the actual terrain leaping up around him. Wren had always had an eye for terrain, and he knew he could make the most of it here. The “open” ground north of Brown Pass was anything but. It was a series of plateaus, a giant natural staircase, that provided good cover to all but the tallest of vehicles and would allow a commander (on either side) to switch from a long-range engagement to a close-in one at a moment’s notice. The exit of the pass also had a craggy pair of mountains, impassable to vehicles, but perfect for dismounts. Pushing through would make that terrain all his. He intended to use it to its fullest effect.

Preparing for tomorrow’s operations meant it was going to be a long night. Wren, his hard-pressed XO and the platoon leaders had a lot of work to do to make the plan a reality. Wren also had to find the TACP, frustratingly absent at the briefing, and try to integrate the combat aviation into the plan, as he wouldn’t be able to have it “on call” and flexible once the rounds were flying back and forth.
***
16th October, 0900 Hours

They were through Brown Pass, without any enemy air interdiction. At least, 1st Platoon was through. So narrow was the defile, so real the threat of OPFOR air attack, that the Company team was deliberately strung out. This meant that, for 2LT Bunting’s forward group, if there was a fight, it would be his alone for some measure of time. His job was to fix the enemy for the rest of the Company team to manoeuvre aggressively. It was an important, high-risk task and a sign of the trust Wren put in his senior platoon leader. With Bunting’s platoon was the two M150 TOW vehicles, on loan from 1LT Benner’s platoon. The group was moving in staggered column, along a sandy trail, towards a low ridge that denoted the northern mouth of Brown Pass.
Bunting, riding in the lead M113 with a Dragon team and the assigned forward observer, looked over his shoulder. A pair of Cobras was providing intimate support and were hovering just behind Hill 165.5. Suddenly, one of the Cobras raised itself up a bit more and fired off a TOW missile with a hiss and a pop. Contact?

Contact! Urging his track forward, his driver cautiously nosed the M113 in fits and starts up the ridge. Calling a halt, he could see high, hanging dust clouds in the vicinity of PL “Yazoo”, one of several reporting lines to help the TOC track the advance of both B Company and the OPFOR. It quickly became apparent that multiple enemy BMPs were moving fast towards the mouth of the pass. More than he could handle in an open fight. Bunting reacted fast, and with clear-headedness. They had expected this. The Cobras were making the enemy squirm and push with haste, that could play to his advantage. The little bowl his group was in was excellent defensive terrain from which he could pin the enemy. Signalling over the platoon radio, as well as with his hands from the cargo hatch, he ordered his squad tracks into an umbrella-shaped defence.

The flying column cover being provided by the Cobras was showing its worth. Behind excellent positions, the Cobras took turns launching TOWs, which raced at knee-height over the desert to slam into BMPs’ flanks. Wren, hearing Bunting’s contact report, got the word back to TOC quickly. The planned F-16 strike went in 5 minutes after the initial contact report, and they laid their clusters in, presumably with devastating effect.


The OPFOR recon leader stayed calm. He must have known his best bet now was to get forward and to grab the enemy by the belt. The BMPs surged forward. They would be in Bunting’s perimeter within minutes if the Americans didn’t react strongly.

The TOWs weighed in, however, at Bunting’s command. They fired from excellent hull down positions along the low ridge he established his fighting position from. To Bunting’s chagrin, their first few shots are wildly off target. The TOW crews were inexperienced and clearly a bit awe-struck at the sight of a company of BMPs ruthlessly pushing through air attack. It takes two engagements to finally find their nerve – and their targets. A BMP burns.

Then the enemy weighs in with their own fire support. A thunderous crush of artillery impacts just to the left of Bunting’s track. He buttons up to avoid the angry, buzzing shards of shrapnel. The OPFOR artillery is off target but still denies a large part of this excellent battle position to him. More alarmingly, it kicks up the high, hanging dust Bunting has already learned defines the NTC’s desert terrain. Soon his attached TOWs are telling them they can no longer actively engage threats through the dust. ****, this is going to get close and messy, thinks Bunting.
“Earl, get that ramp down and get your ass out with the Dragon, get up there!” he screams to the mounted Dragon team, ducking back down into the cargo compartment.  “Evans, get posted somewhere on this ridge and the Chucks going!” he continues, calmer now, to the attached FO.

The BMPs were only 600 meters or so away now. The vagaries of the terrain were making themselves felt. BMPs were flitting in and out of sight, and the TOWs continued to have trouble engaging, only managing to pick off the occasional BMP.
SPC Earl, the platoon’s Dragon gunner, calmly sets up on a bit of the ridge, determined to cover the short front of the Platoon’s BP. He ignores the artillery, as best he can, and adopts the awkward cross-legged firing position, waiting for the first enemy to pop up over the plateau. A pair of BMPs shortly obliges him, even halting momentarily, to his delight. One is shortly burning. The TOWs catch a lucky break soon afterwards and tally two more BMPs.

In a furious five minutes, Bunting’s small force and air cover appeared to have mauled an enemy company. There was no time to rest on their laurels, however. Another platoon of BMPs, seeing the carnage to their front, smartly pull to their left, disgorging dismounts and creating smoke, and then surge past Bunting’s right flank, towards Point 199.1. Through gaps in the smoke, Bunting is able to track the line of enemy dismounts, and he spots in the distance even more BMPs – the enemy’s main security element?
The Cobras have ceased fire, displacing so as to avoid enemy anti-air fire. A wise move, to be sure, but a poorly timed one from Bunting’s perspective. He has no way of raising them quickly again, lacking a direct communications line to them. It was entirely his fight now.  
Movement is key to any defence, but especially a hasty one. The TOWs were ordered to displace to cover the burgeoning threat on the right flank, but this takes them dangerously close to the enemy artillery fire. The TOW crews find themselves constantly ducking back down to avoid shrapnel.

Nevertheless, they can re-engage, picking off a few of the flankers. 

Then, out of the smoke - and through its own artillery - surges a single enemy BMP. Bunting, too focused on the immediate fight, had never strictly given orders to his squads to dismount in the reverse slope. Luckily, his experienced NCOs read in between the lines and dismounted on their own initiative and had liberally handed-out LAWs to their men whilst doing so. The BMP is engaged effectively by these disposable rockets and is swiftly knocked out.

 
***
This is a beefy chapter, and I don't want to bore you to death...bite sized chunks. To be continued (as for the Normandy DAR, the backlog of photos do was larger than thought, apologies). 

The Earth is big enough for interesting scenarios, there's always small fictitious nations to build.🙂

@IanL - for your SA
I have made some additions and small edits to these rules.  I added "designer notes" (look for the green boxes) and cleaned up the rules slightly. The designer notes are intended to supply an explanation for some of the more controversial rules.  I hope they do the trick.
Post here if you have any questions or comments.
Here are the basic rules - a formatted PDF Version available at this link This PDF includes all of the latest additions (version 2H) - UPDATED 01JUN22
Click the image to see full size.

The following Advanced or Optional Rules also fit on one page, they are on page two of the PDF linked above. 

Click the image to see full size.

I didn't have to edit either scenario on the fly. Once each scenario was set up, it was just a matter of hitting play, both in Command and in Combat Mission. The Command scenario established the setting for the Combat Mission scenario, which was incorporated into the beginning of the scenario in CM. 
After the fight in CM, I went back to the Command scenario and processed what had elapsed. So, fast forward the clock roughly 2 hours, and recall all the CAS assets. Other than that though, there was no need to constantly edit either scenario on the fly, which was great. 
I do have some ideas on how I can continue the Command layer, and have it lead to more CM scenarios, but to do that I would have to edit the scenario on the fly. Thankfully, the Command editor is extremely powerful and easy to use, so doing that is only a matter of putting the time in. I've had some ideas on turning Consulate Crisis into something like an episodic campaign series, but other commitments have kept me away from the project. Hoping I might get some more time in the near future to work on that some more though. 

There is no borg spotting unless you play on the easiest difficulty, called "Basic Training."

I have been slowly playing through Cold War's campaigns and standalone scenarios and have been completely blown away with the fidelity of the singleplayer experience. The AI plans have almost universally been some of the best I've seen in any title. It's been immersive. As I often do when I play, I started snapping pictures and making small gifs. When I arrived to scenario 3 in the US Campaign I thought "I should start making an AAR." So, I paused, went back to play the NTC campaign, a few of my favourite scenarios from the Soviet perspective, and started writing. 
I've learned two things: I can't write to save my life, and I really enjoyed it regardless. I already have 6 AARs completed of my experiences and will share them with you all, if only to distract. They strike a more narrative tone, but I have done my best to explain the tactics and decisions. I will label the scenario/mission at the start of every AAR. Without further ado...
 
Prologue:
Kiev Military District, Ukraine SSR.
It was a clear, late spring day somewhere south of Kiev. The open pastureland was starting to show the signs of recovery following the harsh winter. Grass grew tall and the sea of mud was firming up into dry terrain. To any casual observer it would seem a scene of idyllic pastoral calm.

It is a façade. The calm is shattered in an instant, and a brutish ballet begins.

A thunderous barrage deforms and rapes the landscape. It builds to a howling, shrieking crescendo. A cacophony of mortars, howitzers and “Grad” rockets form the orchestra. The impacts smother two wooded hills with a mix of high explosive, smoke, and chemical irritants similar to CS gas. It was all the fury and violence of war, at its apparent worst.
This was not war, however. Merely a facsimile of it. An exercise. To the stern-faced evaluators observing from several kilometres away, and the attached state TV camera crews, it was real enough. Real enough for citizens of the Soviet Union who would watch these scenes play out on their TVs, real enough for Western defence analysts who would pore over every frame of the video, and real enough indeed for young conscripts sat waiting in their tanks and personnel carriers a few kilometres away, in readiness behind a low ridge.

Belly crawling forward among tree, bush and scrub on this same ridge, were more of these young Soviet conscripts. These men were equipped with heavy weapons:  machine guns, recoilless rifles, grenade launchers and potent anti-tank missiles. They would soon make their presence felt, reaching out into the roaring inferno across the open field, destroying any target they could see which remained unharmed from the bombardment. Their missiles began reaching out, flying towards real and simulated targets. TV cameras panned, keeping up with the missiles, visible as green dots against the background.


The evaluators would duly note “hits” recorded by these weapons and, using an intricate set of rules and modifiers, adjust the amount of fire (and therefore casualties) the unit would be deemed to receive when they began their attack. The prospects were good: everything appeared to be within nominal parameters for this drill. The artillery was on target, the missile fire accurate.
As the artillery fire began to abate, the MRB commander – a tough, professional soldier who had been through several prestigious state academies and had seen service in Afghanistan – knew the time was right to begin his attack. Ensconced within his personnel carrier, his voice simultaneously filled the headset of every vehicle commander of this force: begin, armour forward, came the command.
A company of T-64s, a marvel of Soviet technology and a demonstration of its single-minded design philosophy, rumbled up the ridge they had sheltered behind. Taking effective hull down positions, their imposing 125mm cannons crashed out in volleys, striking targets on the forward edge of the forested hills.

The fire is deemed highly effective, scoring several “kills” of enemy vehicles.  With this report crackling through his headset from the tank company commander, the MRB leader issues the next orders, this time via pre-assigned codeword. Repeating himself so there could be no confusion, he tersely speaks: Hornet, hornet, hornet. The unit roars forward as one.
Again, the tanks lead, pushing up and over the ridge at top speed. They fire, with much less accuracy now, on the move, too fast for even the gyro stabilizers to compensate. It is no matter, movement now is key, rather than fire. 

As they pass the exposed area, their rate of advance slows again. Their fire becomes highly effective once more, volleys crashing out across the valley. The observers would note “losses”, of course, losses would always result as an attack neared an objective. They were well within normal parameters, however. What was expected, acceptable, in the science of the attack.

Then come the personnel carriers, surging over the ridge. They move with alacrity behind the armour, in two extended lines.

With pinpoint timing, the artillery fire redoubles on the wooded hills, once again smothering the MRB’s objectives. Any surviving enemy who would chance a shot at these vulnerable vehicles would undoubtedly be discouraged by the howling high explosives.

Again, losses are incurred by the observer/evaluators. Not enough, however. Again, everything is within acceptable parameters.
The MRB closes with shocking speed, crossing several hundred meters in only a few minutes. The momentum and impetus is irresistible. Most of the tanks halt 500 meters away from the wooded tree line, redoubling their fire into and around it. A handful of T-64s move forward with the personnel carriers to provide intimate support. They close the distance aggressively, moving through the final rounds of their own artillery. This particularly impresses the camera crews, still diligently recording, delighted at the realism of the exercise.


The vehicles rumble into the woods, their heavy machineguns thumping away at silhouette targets meant to simulate enemy infantry in their foxholes. Then, the orders come: “Dismount! Forward!” Soviet infantry scramble out of rear hatches and side doors, over engine decks, and into action. Units move in an extended line, firing bursts from their assault rifles. Occasionally, a squad halts at the knee, spraying down foxholes with automatic fire and rocket propelled grenades. They press forward, moving with astonishing speed, newer conscripts desperately sucking for air as they gallop forward.

Leaning out of the hatch of his command vehicle, the MRB commander witnesses his forward companies safely debussing on the objectives. Smoke, as planned, begins to land at the edges of the hills, isolating them from one another. Exultant, for he knows his unit is performing excellently, he urges forward the remainder of his force. Not onto these terrain objectives, these are not of the greatest importance, but beyond them. Breakthrough.
The tanks form into two columns and  roar through the hole ripped in the enemy’s defence, and the MRB commander pushes his command group, air defence vehicles and his third company through in the vacuum they create. They fire as they move, riflemen spraying the smoke-shrouded treeline from open cargo hatches on the rear of the personnel carriers.


***
“15 minutes.”
“What was that, comrade Colonel?” the TV producer asks, overhearing the supervising Colonel despite the dull thuds and crunches in the distance.
“15 minutes. That’s the average time it usually takes to complete this drill.” He explains.
“Is that good?”
The Colonel laughs, “Yes, 15 minutes is quite acceptable… this commander has done it in 12.”
The dismounted infantry may take hours, in reality, to comb through the wooded hills and defeat the surviving enemy infantry. That they would suffer heavily whilst doing so was not in dispute, nor was it of any particular importance. Even the uninitiated TV crewmen could deduce that. The real takeaway, the true objective, was that most of a tank company and an entirely unscathed set of motor riflemen were through the enemy’s defensive position. Havoc would ensue, and the destruction of the notional enemy unit was almost presaged. What the Colonel observing knew, and that the TV crewmen did not, was that inexorably, inevitably, behind this breakthrough would come a tank battalion, then another regiment, and then entire brigades. Victory would follow. It was as simple as that.
Notes/Thoughts
So, the scenario played here was "Soviet Tactical Doctrine 1 (MRB)" by Miller. I wanted to play because I thought it would make a great little compare and contrast piece to how the US would have to do things, especially in the NTC campaign. It's also just a solid concept for a mission, and a trend that I hope continues. For the absence of doubt, I played it straight, precisely as the briefing guides you to do. 
I also think there's some subtle criticism to be made, through the scenario, of how we know the Soviets trained in reality. Big, choreographed exercises. Useful for producing units that knew a series of SOPs and battle-drill evolutions, perhaps not as useful for producing units that know how to keep pushing through when BTRs and BMPs are exploding. They weren't organic like say, I feel the NTC was. Keep that in your minds for now. 

Yeah sorry about that.  CMCW work and the followon stuff, plus my new job really out the brakes on the blog posts. 
I do have one in progress that I need to concentrate on and finish up. 
Bil

Isn't the best CMx1 (and CMx2) course to just play the games and to watch a few youtube videos and sometimes to ask questions in the thread for the game one is playing? And doing that is something you get for free, except for the cost of the game.
So a non-free course seems unnecessary.

Fantastic! Great screenshots as always. The write up is getting better too. Can’t wait for more!

The Battle Develops

It's go time! The men of Bravo company move out from their deployment area. 2nd platoon moves to the flank, while 3rd platoon begins their ascent up the hill towards OBJ Bear. In the distance, F16s drop bombs on targets I can't yet see while the artillery pounds OBJ Bear's reverse slope.

The enemy has rocket artillery they drop preplanned on my avenue of approach, slowing me down a bit. Luckily, no one is hit by the inaccurate fire. These rockets are also not very big either.
'
2nd platoon deploys on the flank and takes sniper fire from the town of Ar Sariya. They also immediately begin getting partial spots, armor and IFVs around the northern slope of OBJ Elk. The sniper fire is responded with suppressive fires from 2nd platoon's weapons squad. The return fire dies down and I resume 2nd platoons movement. 3rd platoon continues their ascent, nothing notable happening until they reach the top.

(The M240B in action)
The sniper fire dies down and the rest of the PL and the javelin teams move to engage the partial spots ahead. However, trouble arises when a key-holed BMP-2 surprises the platoon leader and his anti tank elements. 

(A bad situation)
The BMP-2 lays down horrifying amount of 30mm fire at 2nd platoon, but only one man is hit by it, severely wounded but alive. A moment later - the BMP-2 is silenced with a Javelin missile through the turret. My big mistake was underestimating the strength of the SLA picket forces in the town, that engagement could have ended a lot worse.

2nd platoon also develops the partial spot earlier on OBJ Elk into a BMP-2, and quickly destroys it with a Javelin missile. Finally, 3rd platoon gets some action in. The oasis develops into uh, a cluster ****. An extremely incompetent SLA commander has a bunch of tanks and IFVs bunched together in the oasis, stuck. 2 Javelins are enough to disable every vehicle in the cluster. Note that there are about 2-3 unspotted vehicles in this clump. 

(Yeah.... not the greatest employment of these assets)

The 3rd platoon reaches the top of OBJ Bear, with no resistance on the hill. So far, everything is going smoothly. A T-72 in the distance is also nailed by 3rd platoon. At this point, I begin to feel overconfident (a mistake not unnoticed by the enemy). During this action, 2nd platoon continues to engage targets of opportunity with the Javelins. Much to my annoyance, 2nd platoon is cut in half by SLA mortars and I am not able to maximize their strength where I want it. Luckily no one is hit by the mortar fire, but it serves it's purpose.


2nd platoon takes more sniper fire while taking cover from the SLA IDF. The sniper ends up severely wounding two men. Fire superiority is soon established and the fire begins to slacken. The platoon's medic is brought up to render aid to the casualties. To ensure to kill, the MGS platoon leader's vehicle is moved up and pours a couple of rounds into the sniper's building. The fire stops.  

The Calm Before the Storm
That concludes the end of this half of the battle, the next update will include lots of decisive action and conclude the combat in this scenario. Things might seem quiet now, but they really take off in the next few turns. I'll just say the SLA won't let me control the map without a fight....
In the meantime, enjoy some action shots



 

Stryker's Attack
By: Beeron

B/1-24 Infantry conducts a movement to contact against a reinforced SLA armored battalion, October 2004.
Introduction
Armor Attacks might be one of my favorite scenarios in Shock Force 2. Created by the great GeorgeMC, the scenario puts a US Army heavy company team against a reinforced Syrian armored battalion, but their equipment and training level really puts them more at a generic OPFOR level. While not an unbeatable challenge for an experienced/competent US Army player, the scenario tests your fundamentals while making sure to punish any rookie mistakes you might create on the way. Inspired by IICptMillerII's excellent after action report on this scenario (which you can find here), I was extremely curious to see how a Stryker infantry company would fare in this scenario. We both concluded the Stryker infantry would mop the floor, the firepower US Army dismounts can produce is unmatched. To add on, the Javelin missile and the heaps of ammo the Stryker can carry would allow the infantryman to control the decisive terrain on the map (which we shall get into).
Mission
B/1-24 Infantry is to conduct a spoiling attack against an SLA mechanized battalion heading into the sector. On contact Bravo company is to develop the situation as is deemed appropriate by the commander by destroying the enemy units or fixing them to allow the battalion to move around their flanks.
Objectives
Destroy/fix in place SLA mechanized battalion between the LD and LOA. Occupy decisive terrain on OBJ Bear Deny the enemy access to OBJ Elk Desired End State
SLA mechanized battalion rendered combat ineffective Bravo company in control of OBJ Bear Bravo company reaches LOA Tennessee  Breathing space for battalion Maintained a 50% ammo load 85% of Bravo company still intact Tactical Map

(The tactical map from the original scenario)

(Another graphic from the original scenario)
Enemy Forces
Information from the battalion S2 states the following:
Enemy mechanized units in reinforced battalion strength are expected to be attacking in force into this sector from the north/north east. Elements from these units have been attacked by our air support, suffering heavy casualties. However this does not appear to have slowed their advance although it has split the unit up into smaller parcels. 
The S2 templates that threat forces will establish counter recon units, armed with ATGMs to counter and neutralize our recon assets thereby screening their main effort which will be from tank and mech infantry units. 
The small town of Al Quasimli is believed to contain an enemy mechanized rifle platoon supported by several tanks, possibly T72s. Exact locations are currently unclear.
Terrain & Weather
The terrain in this scenario might be the single most important thing in it, one look at the map will tell you all you need to know. He who controls the decisive terrain at OBJ Bear, wins the battle. This especially applies to the SLA commander, who would enjoy a turkey shoot at my poor Stryker company. The other piece of key terrain on the map is OBJ Elk, which also gives a very nice view of the valley. The downside is that it is across the map, a risky movement for my men dismounted or mounted through complex terrain. Other key terrain features include a town to the northwest and another west out of my deployment zone. An oasis with a building and lots of trees and vegetation is also located in the middle of the map. 

(The view from OBJ Bear)

(Overview of the map from deployment)
Troops 
I have Bravo Company "Bulldogs", 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, under my command. These men have great leadership, high motivation, and are excellent soldiers. However, they lack combat experience since their deployment to Iraq in early 2004 was cancelled to respond to the SLA threat in this country. Bravo company consists of 3 rifle platoons, an MGS platoon, and 2 Stryker mortar carriers. In addition the company headquarters team, XO team, FISTer, and Sniper team are present on the battlefield. Note the MGS platoon is technically anachronistic (wish I remembered that before committing to the scenario), having not been deployed into combat until 2007. For the sake of this scenario, it shows up three years early. The Bulldogs have priority fires from A/2-8 FA, and CAS from a 2 ship F16 flight in the area.

Initial Scheme of Maneuver

  The plan is simple, since I do not have much battlefield intelligence, my plan will remain flexible and help develop the battle further. 3rd platoon moves dismounted and secures OBJ Bear. 2nd platoon will cover the flank dismounted, fending off any flanking movements or targets of opportunity they might encounter there. For now, 1st platoon and the MGS platoon are the company's reserve. In addition, a platoon from A/2-8 FA will pound the reverse slope with their M198s. The 2 ship F16 flight tasked to support the Bulldogs will find targets of opportunity around the map, hopefully killing enemy armor.
Fun times ahead.....
This thread will likely consist of three parts, the deployment, battle, and conclusion. I am well aware that I have not finished my other AAR, but I practically already have this one written already. Anyways, this battle ended up being probably the coolest engagement I have ever had in Combat Mission, and is again a great example of the excellent scenario design GeorgeMC blesses on this community. Also, after I wrap up this AAR, keep your eye out for a Battle for Normandy write up! Stay tuned for the next update!

Yes, and the direction of the wind does not appear to matter.
The mortar was about 400-500 meters to the left from the target below if my memory serves.

Keep in mind that the mortar is to the left of the pictures above.
So the shots with no wind have very little left/right drift, just the typical over/under variance, as you'd expect.
But then, the 2nd and 3rd pictures, with high winds, show that the rounds are drifting in all axes, as you'd expect once again.
Pretty well simulated imho.

The Fight
(Apologies for some of the gifs not embedding. It seems Imgur only generates a .gif link if they are under a certain time limit. They can be viewed by clicking on the link, and once uploaded to the blog they will be properly embedded there as well. )
Things start off in typical Soviet fashion, with an artillery barrage.
https://i.imgur.com/Y2yEi2B.mp4
The Soviets pummel the town with BM21 rockets and tube artillery, probably a mix of 122mm and 152mm HE. What’s more, helicopter gunships can be heard over the din of artillery fire. The town is getting shellacked.
However, 2nd platoon and its forward position remain unmolested. There is some sense to this. The Soviets are correctly massing their preparatory fires against the town, which they know to be defended. As they do not know about any of my positions outside the town, firing artillery at random points on the outskirts of town would be a waste. Part of the job of the FSE will be to identify my forward positions and either fix them with fire or destroy them outright, clearing the way for the main attack. The Soviets not knowing my specific unit positions as well as the main body of the battalion being at least 15 minutes away explains why there are no smoke missions either.
The volume of artillery fire reduces from a crescendo to a steady drumbeat as the BM21s empty their tubes and begin displacing and reloading. The tube artillery keeps up a rhythmic barrage. Casualties are suffered but are not nearly as heavy as an observer may think. In fact, the most damage done by this barrage is to prevent infantry and light vehicles from moving around inside the town to reposition the defense. Artillery does not have to kill to be effective. Despite the light casualties caused, reducing my ability to maneuver is just as debilitating.
The men of 2nd platoon breathe a sigh of relief, which is quickly replaced by pangs of guilt as they watch the town get bombarded. These feelings pass quickly as well when they realize they are not out of the frying pan. Just as the Germans were infamous for their counter attacks, so too are the Soviets famous for their massed ground assaults following a preparatory artillery barrage. 2nd platoon does not have to wait long until the lead elements of that assault begin making their presence known.
Through the leaves and mist, and over the din of artillery fire, vehicle engines are heard.

Based on these tentative contacts it would appear the enemy is moving along two initial axes, the small inn, and our forward position in the wood.
The contacts creep closer and closer to 2nd platoon. More vehicle engines are heard as they draw closer.

The men brace themselves, knowing it is only a matter of time now before the enemy is upon them.
The contacts draw closer. The vehicle noises grow louder. And then, it happens.

A T-64 comes roaring into the clearing in the wood. 2nd squad sees it first. The men grab for prepared LAWs and the Dragon gunner begins aiming. It is hard to ask for a better shot than this, broadside on within 100 meters. The broadside behemoth is aligned in the sights, and 2nd squad cut loose.
https://i.imgur.com/u6wRiSf.mp4
The first LAW rocket misses high but the second one slams home, hitting the tank on the upper hull, penetrating it, and detonating the ammo stored in the auto loader carousel. The result is a massive explosion as all the ammo cooks off instantly, exploding violently up and out. 2nd platoon has drawn first blood.
Moments later a BTR rolls up to the edge of the tree line. The Dragon gunner aims and takes a difficult shot through the trees at close range.

The gunner makes the tough shot, dispatching the BTR. Moments later, another BTR rolls up and begins spraying the area with machine gun fire. The Dragon gunner frantically ducks and begins reloading the launcher.

Soviet infantry suddenly appear, advancing forward in bounds while firing.

3rd squad holds their fire till the enemy are at point blank range, then lay into them with rifles, machine gun and grenades.
https://i.imgur.com/tV6vH9Z.mp4
This firefight is short and sweet. The three advancing Soviets all go down in a matter of seconds under the close-range fusillade. Its not over yet though. More Soviets rush in, and a sharp firefight develops.

Both sides exchange fire at close range.

A Soviet RPK gunner gets off a good burst, wounding three men from 3rd squad. The victory is short lived for the gunner. Return fire silences him and his buddies.

Firefights at close range like this with automatic weapons, underbarrel and hand thrown grenades and shoulder fired rockets are very short and very violent. The casualties suffered by 3rd squad certainly sting, but they are not unexpected or catastrophic. Despite these losses, 2nd platoon continues to put out a large volume of fire, killing and wounding the attacking Soviet infantry. After a firefight lasting no more than a minute or two, the Soviet infantry is repulsed, and the survivors flee.

The Soviets aren’t done yet. In a last desperate act, a T-64 charges through the woods at our positions. It screams past 2nd squad guns blazing, wounding the squad leader.

It continues further until it is intercepted by point blank anti-tank fire from 1st squad.
https://i.imgur.com/YAPYY1K.mp4
With the destruction of the tank, an eerie quiet falls over the wood. After waiting a few moments to watch for a renewed attack and with none materializing, the men begin tending to the casualties.

Once the casualties are collected and tended to, 2nd platoon begins falling back by squad, starting with the squads furthest forward. 3rd squad and part of 2nd squad fall back, with the other half of 2nd squad and 1st squad providing security.

After they have safely passed, the rest of 2nd squad and 1st squad pull back to the M113s. The platoon leader and FIST team are the last to pull back to the waiting carriers. The entire movement proceeds without incident and the men mount up.

With .50 cals facing to the rear, the whole platoon pulls away from the woods and back to friendly lines. 2nd platoon has completed its mission.

I will post a small after action debrief along with a link to the entire consolidated post once completed in the next few days. Thanks for the positive feedback everyone!

The following is taken from a write up I am currently working on for my blog. I figured I would post "episodes" here for some interaction before consolidating it all into one post for the blog. It comes from a playtest I did recently on a community made scenario. The small fight that occurred in the beginning of the battle was too good not to share, and is also a great opportunity to talk a bit about the Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE). I also wanted to provide everyone with a change of pace. The Black Sea forum is soaking up most of the attention around here these days, and I figured a break from that might be appreciated. So without further ado:
Visualized in Combat Mission: Killing an FSE
A Tactical Vignette

The Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE) is one of the most common task organized formations encountered by NATO forces. For the Soviets it is an important tool that helps fix an enemy defender in place and shape the battlefield to allow for a successful attack. For NATO it is the first significant Soviet tactical combat formation encountered and a harbinger for a larger dedicated attack by a motor rifle battalion (MRB). The stakes presented to both sides by the FSE are high for both sides. Initial success in a tactical engagement largely comes down to the success or failure of the FSE.
This vignette features some excellent US Army vehicle reskins, done by S-Tank on the CM Discord. He recolored and upscaled the resolution on every US vehicle in the game, and they look fantastic. They can be downloaded here, or for those of you in the CM Discord, a download link and preview image can be found the mod repository text channel.
Forward Security Element
The Forward Security Element (FSE) is a Soviet task organized formation that is approximately Company sized. It is also known as the Advance Party or Vanguard. It generally consists of a company of motor rifle troops (mounted in either BTRs or BMPs) and a platoon of tanks. The tank platoon is often made up of four tanks instead of the better known three tank platoon organization the Soviets use, because in motor rifle regiments the tank units tended to be plussed up. There is usually at least a battery of field artillery on call for the FSE to call upon and may also have mortar sections/batteries in support as well. The FSE is a fluid formation that can have additional attachments delegated to it, such as engineering units/equipment, air defense artillery, forward observers, and reconnaissance units. Generally speaking, the Soviet FSE is similar in composition to a US Company Team.

(This image doesn't agree with the forum software, so I recommend viewing it in full size in another tab. Apologies for that, a graphic artist I am not)
The primary role of the FSE is to make contact with the enemy and either destroy it if it is of a smaller size than the FSE or fix it in place to give the rest of the battalion time to deploy and attack through the enemy.
To better understand the role of the FSE, one must understand how it fits into the larger Soviet warfighting machine. In simple terms, Soviet tactical formations are like a conveyor belt. Way out in front are the regimental reconnaissance assets, but their primary role is not combat. They are there to make sure what is on the map exists in reality and other non-combat related tasks. The smallest formation is the Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP) which job is to find the enemy. A tripwire if you will. The CRP is followed by the FSE, whose job is to put pressure on the enemy by engaging and destroying him or at least fixing him in place with direct fires. The FSE is followed by the MRB (also known as the Advance Guard) which has the weight in numbers and support to conduct a deliberate attack and keep momentum going. Following the MRB is the rest of the Motor Rifle Regiment (MRR), and behind one MRR is another MRR, etc.
Apologies for the resolution on this, it is a scanned and stitched together image:

There are a lot of good resources out there to learn more about the FSE and how it fits into the Soviet way of war on the tactical level. This video does a nice job of breaking it all down, as does this simple yet informative writeup. Other resources worth checking out are TRADOC Pamphlet 350-16 Heavy Opposing Force, and the Cold War Gamer’s excellent blog. Just a heads up, many of the links on the Cold War Gamer’s blog are no longer active, and I think the owner is no longer keeping up with his blog.
A German Town—A Fighting Withdrawal
For this vignette I am going to be focusing in on a small combat action that occurs during a larger scenario. To help understand why the combat action plays out, I will provide some context.
This fight was the result of me play testing a scenario made by Cousin Hubert (Bartimeus on the CM forums). This scenario is the first of a series he is working on at the time of this writing for a mini campaign. Hubert makes fantastic maps, scenarios, and campaigns, all because he wants to add to the CM community and provide us with quality content. His map making skills alone make him a massive benefit to the community. Anyone familiar with how tedious and frustrating the CM map editor can be will have an even greater appreciation for his work. His AI plans are also very well done too.
He is the creator of two campaigns for Shock Force 2, which can be downloaded here and here. He has also produced some fantastic large maps for Cold War, which can be found here. We are very fortunate to have amazing contributors such as Hubert!
Situation
On the 8th of April the Soviet Union launched a surprise attack on West Germany. Caught by surprise, NATO’s front line has collapsed, and friendly forces are now in full retreat. Communications with higher headquarters is severely deteriorated by enemy jamming and artillery fire, but they were able to inform us that a Soviet formation is headed our way and to pull out when able.
Mission
Fox Company must hold the town until intelligence and logistics personnel have finished loading M35 trucks with gear and sensitive equipment. These trucks are located at the fire station and industrial park and should be loaded and ready to go in approximately 40-50 minutes. Then the entire force must be withdrawn from the battlefield. Fox Company must withdraw as much of its combat power as possible and remain combat effective, as it will likely have to fight its way back to friendly lines. There are two egress routes on either side of the river to the rear of the town.

Enemy
An entire Soviet motor rifle battalion and all its supporting assets can be expected to attack us.
Troops
I am in command of a heavy combined arms company team, Fox Company. It consists of two tank platoons equipped with M60A2 Starships (the second platoon of tanks is due to arrive in approximately 5 minutes), and two mechanized infantry platoons mounted in M113A1s. In addition, I have a few support assets on hand, such as a self-propelled mortar platoon (three M125 mortar carriers, which provides all of my indirect fire support for this fight), two heavy machine gun teams (dismounted .50 caliber machine guns), two M150 ATGM carriers, three M48 Chaparral SAM tracks, and 8 M35 supply trucks. The company headquarters (CPT Duvauchel) along with the company FSO is present.
Terrain
A small town on a riverbank rests at the southern border of the map. There is single road bridge in the town that crosses the river, though there is also a railroad bridge and a dam that cross the river as well. North of the town are some plowed fields, a farm, a small inn, and light forests. A single MSR runs from North to South into the town down the middle of the map, and a railroad parallels the MSR on the West side of the map. The terrain elevation undulates slightly with approximately +/- 20m of change.
The weather is less than ideal. It is misty out, which reduces visibility. It is early morning and thus low light, further hindering visibility. The ground is damp, which increases the chance of vehicles bogging and becoming immobilized. There is a medium strength breeze blowing from the North.
Of note for this vignette, there is a small raised and wooded area just North of the town along the Western map edge. It is a forward position with good concealment and good sightlines (given the conditions) overlooking the terrain the Soviets are likely to attack across to get to the town. To its immediate South is a gentle decline that provides a covered route for friendly forces to fall back into the town. It is the ideal location to get early warning on Soviet movements and to conduct a delaying action. This is where our combat action will take place.



The Plan
The larger plan is to use the tanks and infantry to defend the town long enough for the M35s to be fully loaded, then to have everyone collapse back to the rear and take the Southern most exit point and leave the field. The infantry are dug into the buildings, tanks and M150s are in keyhole positions, and the mortars and Chaparrals are in the rear, standing by.
2nd platoon led by 2LT Tassin is occupying the forward position. Their task is simple: disrupt the enemy and fall back. The Soviets must conduct a movement to contact. They know we are in the town, but they do not know the specific layout of our defense. The opening phase of this battle will have the Soviets attempting to shape the battlefield in their favor. This simply means they want to discover where my defenses are while also establishing advantageous positions for themselves that support the attack going in. By disrupting the Soviets ability to shape the battlefield in their favor, I make my overall defense easier and I buy precious time for the supply trucks to load up and get out.
To accomplish this, 2nd platoon will occupy the forward position and lay low. This will allow them to ambush the Soviets if the Soviets bypass the forward position (Engagement Area Primary) or deny the Soviets the forward position while attritting the enemy at the same time (Engagement Area Secondary). If either of these engagements are successful it will hurt the Soviets early, giving me a crucial advantage and a nice time cushion.

The men of 2nd platoon are dug in. They have foxholes (as well as a handful of dummy positions) just inside the tree line along the Southeastern edge of the woods. They are equipped with the infamous (for its questionable reliability) Dragon ATGM, the venerable M72A3 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) M60 GPMGs, M16s and hand grenades. The platoons 4 M113s are waiting along the Southern tree line, ready to mount up the infantry for a mad dash back to friendly lines after engaging the enemy.
2nd platoons’ initial positions:

The men of 2nd platoon occupying their fighting positions. The men are keeping low (‘Hiding’ in CM parlance) to keep from being seen:

Instead of being dug in near the tree line facing North, 3rd squad is further back in the woods. They have taken up position in a ditch along a dirt road and are covering an opening in the forest. If the Soviets decide to attack these woods and take the position (which I anticipate) this small opening is an ideal killing ground:

The M113’s, ready to mount up and haul ass:

One engagement. Let the Soviets stumble into our positions, knock off as many as we can in the initial engagement, then break contact and fall back.
Up next is the fight itself!

Heres a training movie from the NVA of the GDR. Its in german and it demonstrates how the FSE of a East German MRD would handel a occupied hamlet. I think the Soviets would act in a similiar way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_j2pCsdyE&list=PLTuXoP0i0GpiFUaXe6havKaM2eBtVYuVu&index=37

The Fight
(Apologies for some of the gifs not embedding. It seems Imgur only generates a .gif link if they are under a certain time limit. They can be viewed by clicking on the link, and once uploaded to the blog they will be properly embedded there as well. )
Things start off in typical Soviet fashion, with an artillery barrage.
https://i.imgur.com/Y2yEi2B.mp4
The Soviets pummel the town with BM21 rockets and tube artillery, probably a mix of 122mm and 152mm HE. What’s more, helicopter gunships can be heard over the din of artillery fire. The town is getting shellacked.
However, 2nd platoon and its forward position remain unmolested. There is some sense to this. The Soviets are correctly massing their preparatory fires against the town, which they know to be defended. As they do not know about any of my positions outside the town, firing artillery at random points on the outskirts of town would be a waste. Part of the job of the FSE will be to identify my forward positions and either fix them with fire or destroy them outright, clearing the way for the main attack. The Soviets not knowing my specific unit positions as well as the main body of the battalion being at least 15 minutes away explains why there are no smoke missions either.
The volume of artillery fire reduces from a crescendo to a steady drumbeat as the BM21s empty their tubes and begin displacing and reloading. The tube artillery keeps up a rhythmic barrage. Casualties are suffered but are not nearly as heavy as an observer may think. In fact, the most damage done by this barrage is to prevent infantry and light vehicles from moving around inside the town to reposition the defense. Artillery does not have to kill to be effective. Despite the light casualties caused, reducing my ability to maneuver is just as debilitating.
The men of 2nd platoon breathe a sigh of relief, which is quickly replaced by pangs of guilt as they watch the town get bombarded. These feelings pass quickly as well when they realize they are not out of the frying pan. Just as the Germans were infamous for their counter attacks, so too are the Soviets famous for their massed ground assaults following a preparatory artillery barrage. 2nd platoon does not have to wait long until the lead elements of that assault begin making their presence known.
Through the leaves and mist, and over the din of artillery fire, vehicle engines are heard.

Based on these tentative contacts it would appear the enemy is moving along two initial axes, the small inn, and our forward position in the wood.
The contacts creep closer and closer to 2nd platoon. More vehicle engines are heard as they draw closer.

The men brace themselves, knowing it is only a matter of time now before the enemy is upon them.
The contacts draw closer. The vehicle noises grow louder. And then, it happens.

A T-64 comes roaring into the clearing in the wood. 2nd squad sees it first. The men grab for prepared LAWs and the Dragon gunner begins aiming. It is hard to ask for a better shot than this, broadside on within 100 meters. The broadside behemoth is aligned in the sights, and 2nd squad cut loose.
https://i.imgur.com/u6wRiSf.mp4
The first LAW rocket misses high but the second one slams home, hitting the tank on the upper hull, penetrating it, and detonating the ammo stored in the auto loader carousel. The result is a massive explosion as all the ammo cooks off instantly, exploding violently up and out. 2nd platoon has drawn first blood.
Moments later a BTR rolls up to the edge of the tree line. The Dragon gunner aims and takes a difficult shot through the trees at close range.

The gunner makes the tough shot, dispatching the BTR. Moments later, another BTR rolls up and begins spraying the area with machine gun fire. The Dragon gunner frantically ducks and begins reloading the launcher.

Soviet infantry suddenly appear, advancing forward in bounds while firing.

3rd squad holds their fire till the enemy are at point blank range, then lay into them with rifles, machine gun and grenades.
https://i.imgur.com/tV6vH9Z.mp4
This firefight is short and sweet. The three advancing Soviets all go down in a matter of seconds under the close-range fusillade. Its not over yet though. More Soviets rush in, and a sharp firefight develops.

Both sides exchange fire at close range.

A Soviet RPK gunner gets off a good burst, wounding three men from 3rd squad. The victory is short lived for the gunner. Return fire silences him and his buddies.

Firefights at close range like this with automatic weapons, underbarrel and hand thrown grenades and shoulder fired rockets are very short and very violent. The casualties suffered by 3rd squad certainly sting, but they are not unexpected or catastrophic. Despite these losses, 2nd platoon continues to put out a large volume of fire, killing and wounding the attacking Soviet infantry. After a firefight lasting no more than a minute or two, the Soviet infantry is repulsed, and the survivors flee.

The Soviets aren’t done yet. In a last desperate act, a T-64 charges through the woods at our positions. It screams past 2nd squad guns blazing, wounding the squad leader.

It continues further until it is intercepted by point blank anti-tank fire from 1st squad.
https://i.imgur.com/YAPYY1K.mp4
With the destruction of the tank, an eerie quiet falls over the wood. After waiting a few moments to watch for a renewed attack and with none materializing, the men begin tending to the casualties.

Once the casualties are collected and tended to, 2nd platoon begins falling back by squad, starting with the squads furthest forward. 3rd squad and part of 2nd squad fall back, with the other half of 2nd squad and 1st squad providing security.

After they have safely passed, the rest of 2nd squad and 1st squad pull back to the M113s. The platoon leader and FIST team are the last to pull back to the waiting carriers. The entire movement proceeds without incident and the men mount up.

With .50 cals facing to the rear, the whole platoon pulls away from the woods and back to friendly lines. 2nd platoon has completed its mission.

I will post a small after action debrief along with a link to the entire consolidated post once completed in the next few days. Thanks for the positive feedback everyone!

Fantastic!

The following is taken from a write up I am currently working on for my blog. I figured I would post "episodes" here for some interaction before consolidating it all into one post for the blog. It comes from a playtest I did recently on a community made scenario. The small fight that occurred in the beginning of the battle was too good not to share, and is also a great opportunity to talk a bit about the Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE). I also wanted to provide everyone with a change of pace. The Black Sea forum is soaking up most of the attention around here these days, and I figured a break from that might be appreciated. So without further ado:
Visualized in Combat Mission: Killing an FSE
A Tactical Vignette

The Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE) is one of the most common task organized formations encountered by NATO forces. For the Soviets it is an important tool that helps fix an enemy defender in place and shape the battlefield to allow for a successful attack. For NATO it is the first significant Soviet tactical combat formation encountered and a harbinger for a larger dedicated attack by a motor rifle battalion (MRB). The stakes presented to both sides by the FSE are high for both sides. Initial success in a tactical engagement largely comes down to the success or failure of the FSE.
This vignette features some excellent US Army vehicle reskins, done by S-Tank on the CM Discord. He recolored and upscaled the resolution on every US vehicle in the game, and they look fantastic. They can be downloaded here, or for those of you in the CM Discord, a download link and preview image can be found the mod repository text channel.
Forward Security Element
The Forward Security Element (FSE) is a Soviet task organized formation that is approximately Company sized. It is also known as the Advance Party or Vanguard. It generally consists of a company of motor rifle troops (mounted in either BTRs or BMPs) and a platoon of tanks. The tank platoon is often made up of four tanks instead of the better known three tank platoon organization the Soviets use, because in motor rifle regiments the tank units tended to be plussed up. There is usually at least a battery of field artillery on call for the FSE to call upon and may also have mortar sections/batteries in support as well. The FSE is a fluid formation that can have additional attachments delegated to it, such as engineering units/equipment, air defense artillery, forward observers, and reconnaissance units. Generally speaking, the Soviet FSE is similar in composition to a US Company Team.

(This image doesn't agree with the forum software, so I recommend viewing it in full size in another tab. Apologies for that, a graphic artist I am not)
The primary role of the FSE is to make contact with the enemy and either destroy it if it is of a smaller size than the FSE or fix it in place to give the rest of the battalion time to deploy and attack through the enemy.
To better understand the role of the FSE, one must understand how it fits into the larger Soviet warfighting machine. In simple terms, Soviet tactical formations are like a conveyor belt. Way out in front are the regimental reconnaissance assets, but their primary role is not combat. They are there to make sure what is on the map exists in reality and other non-combat related tasks. The smallest formation is the Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP) which job is to find the enemy. A tripwire if you will. The CRP is followed by the FSE, whose job is to put pressure on the enemy by engaging and destroying him or at least fixing him in place with direct fires. The FSE is followed by the MRB (also known as the Advance Guard) which has the weight in numbers and support to conduct a deliberate attack and keep momentum going. Following the MRB is the rest of the Motor Rifle Regiment (MRR), and behind one MRR is another MRR, etc.
Apologies for the resolution on this, it is a scanned and stitched together image:

There are a lot of good resources out there to learn more about the FSE and how it fits into the Soviet way of war on the tactical level. This video does a nice job of breaking it all down, as does this simple yet informative writeup. Other resources worth checking out are TRADOC Pamphlet 350-16 Heavy Opposing Force, and the Cold War Gamer’s excellent blog. Just a heads up, many of the links on the Cold War Gamer’s blog are no longer active, and I think the owner is no longer keeping up with his blog.
A German Town—A Fighting Withdrawal
For this vignette I am going to be focusing in on a small combat action that occurs during a larger scenario. To help understand why the combat action plays out, I will provide some context.
This fight was the result of me play testing a scenario made by Cousin Hubert (Bartimeus on the CM forums). This scenario is the first of a series he is working on at the time of this writing for a mini campaign. Hubert makes fantastic maps, scenarios, and campaigns, all because he wants to add to the CM community and provide us with quality content. His map making skills alone make him a massive benefit to the community. Anyone familiar with how tedious and frustrating the CM map editor can be will have an even greater appreciation for his work. His AI plans are also very well done too.
He is the creator of two campaigns for Shock Force 2, which can be downloaded here and here. He has also produced some fantastic large maps for Cold War, which can be found here. We are very fortunate to have amazing contributors such as Hubert!
Situation
On the 8th of April the Soviet Union launched a surprise attack on West Germany. Caught by surprise, NATO’s front line has collapsed, and friendly forces are now in full retreat. Communications with higher headquarters is severely deteriorated by enemy jamming and artillery fire, but they were able to inform us that a Soviet formation is headed our way and to pull out when able.
Mission
Fox Company must hold the town until intelligence and logistics personnel have finished loading M35 trucks with gear and sensitive equipment. These trucks are located at the fire station and industrial park and should be loaded and ready to go in approximately 40-50 minutes. Then the entire force must be withdrawn from the battlefield. Fox Company must withdraw as much of its combat power as possible and remain combat effective, as it will likely have to fight its way back to friendly lines. There are two egress routes on either side of the river to the rear of the town.

Enemy
An entire Soviet motor rifle battalion and all its supporting assets can be expected to attack us.
Troops
I am in command of a heavy combined arms company team, Fox Company. It consists of two tank platoons equipped with M60A2 Starships (the second platoon of tanks is due to arrive in approximately 5 minutes), and two mechanized infantry platoons mounted in M113A1s. In addition, I have a few support assets on hand, such as a self-propelled mortar platoon (three M125 mortar carriers, which provides all of my indirect fire support for this fight), two heavy machine gun teams (dismounted .50 caliber machine guns), two M150 ATGM carriers, three M48 Chaparral SAM tracks, and 8 M35 supply trucks. The company headquarters (CPT Duvauchel) along with the company FSO is present.
Terrain
A small town on a riverbank rests at the southern border of the map. There is single road bridge in the town that crosses the river, though there is also a railroad bridge and a dam that cross the river as well. North of the town are some plowed fields, a farm, a small inn, and light forests. A single MSR runs from North to South into the town down the middle of the map, and a railroad parallels the MSR on the West side of the map. The terrain elevation undulates slightly with approximately +/- 20m of change.
The weather is less than ideal. It is misty out, which reduces visibility. It is early morning and thus low light, further hindering visibility. The ground is damp, which increases the chance of vehicles bogging and becoming immobilized. There is a medium strength breeze blowing from the North.
Of note for this vignette, there is a small raised and wooded area just North of the town along the Western map edge. It is a forward position with good concealment and good sightlines (given the conditions) overlooking the terrain the Soviets are likely to attack across to get to the town. To its immediate South is a gentle decline that provides a covered route for friendly forces to fall back into the town. It is the ideal location to get early warning on Soviet movements and to conduct a delaying action. This is where our combat action will take place.



The Plan
The larger plan is to use the tanks and infantry to defend the town long enough for the M35s to be fully loaded, then to have everyone collapse back to the rear and take the Southern most exit point and leave the field. The infantry are dug into the buildings, tanks and M150s are in keyhole positions, and the mortars and Chaparrals are in the rear, standing by.
2nd platoon led by 2LT Tassin is occupying the forward position. Their task is simple: disrupt the enemy and fall back. The Soviets must conduct a movement to contact. They know we are in the town, but they do not know the specific layout of our defense. The opening phase of this battle will have the Soviets attempting to shape the battlefield in their favor. This simply means they want to discover where my defenses are while also establishing advantageous positions for themselves that support the attack going in. By disrupting the Soviets ability to shape the battlefield in their favor, I make my overall defense easier and I buy precious time for the supply trucks to load up and get out.
To accomplish this, 2nd platoon will occupy the forward position and lay low. This will allow them to ambush the Soviets if the Soviets bypass the forward position (Engagement Area Primary) or deny the Soviets the forward position while attritting the enemy at the same time (Engagement Area Secondary). If either of these engagements are successful it will hurt the Soviets early, giving me a crucial advantage and a nice time cushion.

The men of 2nd platoon are dug in. They have foxholes (as well as a handful of dummy positions) just inside the tree line along the Southeastern edge of the woods. They are equipped with the infamous (for its questionable reliability) Dragon ATGM, the venerable M72A3 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) M60 GPMGs, M16s and hand grenades. The platoons 4 M113s are waiting along the Southern tree line, ready to mount up the infantry for a mad dash back to friendly lines after engaging the enemy.
2nd platoons’ initial positions:

The men of 2nd platoon occupying their fighting positions. The men are keeping low (‘Hiding’ in CM parlance) to keep from being seen:

Instead of being dug in near the tree line facing North, 3rd squad is further back in the woods. They have taken up position in a ditch along a dirt road and are covering an opening in the forest. If the Soviets decide to attack these woods and take the position (which I anticipate) this small opening is an ideal killing ground:

The M113’s, ready to mount up and haul ass:

One engagement. Let the Soviets stumble into our positions, knock off as many as we can in the initial engagement, then break contact and fall back.
Up next is the fight itself!