I do think that CMCW is not a good first CM title. It's excellent, but it's aimed a little higher than some of the others, and things like the NTC reflect that.
The real-world NTC is an environment where you're supposed to fail, essentially - it's a very powerful training tool, but it's brutal and intended to be.
The CMCW NTC campaign is very, very good at showing you what you're up against - the BMP-1 in CMSF is a joke, and in CMCW it's a serious threat. You can't park US tanks on a ridgeline and destroy everything like you can in CMSF or to a lesser extent CMBS. You have to read the terrain and pick your battles, lean on combined arms and use every aspect of your force.
It's a serious challenge, and in particular it'll punish bad habits learnt in the other CM titles. The M1A2 is such a large advantage in CMSF and CMBS that you can get away without using your armour correctly - it offers a *large* safety net, and will cover a lot of your shortcomings. This is objectively not true for the M60A1, and that's one of the major lessons which the NTC is trying to teach.
I would like to reiterate, that possibly the most valuable improvements could be toward;
-Quality of life improvements for the scenario editor, especially in the map making and enemy plans.
--Every type of linear objects; roads, streams, rivers, walls, etc. should have the path making option available. Buildings and so on should have a big square procedural generation option in order to make towns/cities faster. The fidelity of curses and angled lines needs to be improved.
--Personally, I am very interested in the upcoming VBS3 planning tools, where I can assign a tactical task and timeline (video editor style) to the unit. The current tools are good and it need to keep the postures and and fire control guidance. It just seems it would be easier to design and plans with more intuitive tools.
--PS: task organization options; I'm sure a balance could be generated IOT develop more customizable task organizations without the risk of franken units. This seems to be a continual request in the community.
All this would make content generation faster and more accessible for more players, which will (pun intended) should provide the games with a "force multiplier" to attract and keep more players!
I've been a busy bee recently. Someone has to fill the void! That, or I'm just talking to my own echo. Oh well.
Anyways, this post is about hull down (a strangely controversial topic around these parts) and Berm Drills, an explanation as to what they are, their efficacy, and how to do them in CM. I used Cold War to make the examples in this post, so I figured I would post it here. That said, the lessons apply to every CM game.
The full post can be found here: https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/visualized-in-combat-mission-berm-drills.html
Here is a little vid I made to help entice:
I've been a busy bee recently. Someone has to fill the void! That, or I'm just talking to my own echo. Oh well.
Anyways, this post is about hull down (a strangely controversial topic around these parts) and Berm Drills, an explanation as to what they are, their efficacy, and how to do them in CM. I used Cold War to make the examples in this post, so I figured I would post it here. That said, the lessons apply to every CM game.
The full post can be found here: https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/visualized-in-combat-mission-berm-drills.html
Here is a little vid I made to help entice:
Yes but, how does this relate to Ukraine? 😂 Couldn't help myself.
Anyways, fantastic writeup as usual! I'm sure many heads will pop at the performance here.
I am also curious at the scoring for this mission. I recall there was some kind of bugged scoring with this mission but was under the impression that it had been fixed. @Bil Hardenberger any idea what could be going on here?
I've been a busy bee recently. Someone has to fill the void! That, or I'm just talking to my own echo. Oh well.
Anyways, this post is about hull down (a strangely controversial topic around these parts) and Berm Drills, an explanation as to what they are, their efficacy, and how to do them in CM. I used Cold War to make the examples in this post, so I figured I would post it here. That said, the lessons apply to every CM game.
The full post can be found here: https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/visualized-in-combat-mission-berm-drills.html
Here is a little vid I made to help entice:
Agreed with the points above. It is worth remembering that in wartime environments planning does occur faster because the process has been trained by nearly every echelon in the planning process, and there is an expedited planning framework used in the field anyways.
It is also important to remember that some of this is actually a lot easier to do in real life than in Combat Mission, specifically OKOCA. In CM, you really have to move the camera around and zoom in on things from different angle to get a real feel for the terrain. Your perception of the terrain is further hindered by viewing the world through a screen. Another way of thinking about it is how different things look in perspective when viewed in person or from a photo. In photo's the Grand Canyon looks like a cool, big colorful ditch. In person, you really get to experience the sense of scale much more. Terrain is the same way. In person, many of these terrain features are much more obvious and apparent. Because of that terrain analysis tends to be easier to do in person, which helps expedite the process.
Same can be said for many things in CM really. As has been discussed often, in CM the player is every command position at once, whereas in reality you would have a staff at your level of command to assist you, and then all your subordinates would have their staff or teams to help as well. Planning, terrain analysis, fire planning, maneuver planning, all of it.
I've been a busy bee recently. Someone has to fill the void! That, or I'm just talking to my own echo. Oh well.
Anyways, this post is about hull down (a strangely controversial topic around these parts) and Berm Drills, an explanation as to what they are, their efficacy, and how to do them in CM. I used Cold War to make the examples in this post, so I figured I would post it here. That said, the lessons apply to every CM game.
The full post can be found here: https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/visualized-in-combat-mission-berm-drills.html
Here is a little vid I made to help entice:
@Rinaldi, this was intended to really push the player to the limit.. and it sounds like it did just that. You played it exactly like I had hoped someone would, using the terrain as a force multiplier. I purposefully and painstakingly built in all of the little wadis/gullies and other terrain features from satellite photos so this type of maneuver was possible, so I really appreciate your approach.
Another really fun read.. I especially appreciate seeing an AAR of this battle, as very few people have reported on it... it can be a humbling scenario if you don't approach it in the manner you did, aggressively and with flexibility.
Not sure if something is wrong with the scoring, or if the fact that the OPFOR attained their terrain objective is what pushed them over the top. Maybe @George MC can comment.
Rumour has it that once upon a time there was discussion on something called Combat Mission...passed into legend now.
Yes, I think it's a lesson in the importance of walking the terrain; only the most careful of terrain reads will help glean what the enemy's likely COAs are. I think, and from what I've gathered reading from others who have shared their experiences, that a lot of individuals assumed the Soviet MRB would pound forward. The high ground to the American left dominates any route of retreat (if someone chooses a delay in sector), so that is obvious. Likewise, a 'straight in' approach to the main American position would never be a likely route in:
The washboard terrain and the forest tiles just make it a natural obstacle to movement; hence my selection of EAs being in the pass itself, and then to my extreme right flank.
I saved the ENDREP file and I've had a look just now. Soviets gained 350 for their phase lines, and 1253 for dismounts. I'm unsure if that's intended or not, but whatever the case, I know from my own mission making experience just how esoteric the point allocations can be for units. I actually am okay with the minor defeat; I think that type of controversy captures precisely the early eras of the NTC. As we all know, the OPFOR always cheats and often wins ;).
Now, I think this is a good segue into a brief discussion about the purpose of the campaign. In short: I have nothing but praise for the NTC campaign. I truly do believe it exceeds at some points the difficulty of the US campaign, which means its doing its job. I also think it is a perfect headshake to those who are used to 'look down, shoot down' equivalents for NATO mechanized units from SF2 and Black Sea. What surprises me is how slow the realisation can be for some as they play through the campaign. The first mission being a shock to most should be no surprise, by the second mission they should be experimenting for answers to the questions asked by the OPFOR. By the third mission they should be perfecting their methodology on how to defeat the OPFOR.
So I won't mince words, any vagaries of the scoring system aside, this is a rough result for the final mission; I think the execution at the platoon scale more so than the TF scheme is where I let myself down. The formula I learned here I will put on display as we turn to the shooting war in Europe in subsequent chapters of the AAR, and with much greater efficacy, if I say so myself.
I spoke recently with @domfluff about why the fictional titles seem to be so focused in what points their campaigns are trying to make, and I do think it is because they aren't beholden to having to try to recreate a historical situation. That means, with artistic licence, they can make a point through a series of plausible scenarios. By contrast, Road to Montebourg is a massive, masterpiece-effort campaign, but it has no real thesis beyond "the bocage is tough" and capturing the actions of three separate battalions from three different regiments. The NTC campaign, by contrast, is a perfect example of our point that fictional situations can ease the task of a campaign maker to demonstrate something. It clearly sets out to prove a point: that technological supremacy is nothing without a clear tactical doctrine; the OPFOR have one, by the end you should too.
oops... the score for Mission 2B should be 160 points for BLUEFOR dismounts but due to my fat climber fingers I typed in 8160....
You wuz robbed @Rinaldi that CPT did weel to keep his gob shut. he knew it!
I've attached the tweaked version. I'll let @BFCElvisknow.
NTC 1982 Training In The Desert_v2.cam
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.
Yes but, how does this relate to Ukraine? 😂 Couldn't help myself.
Anyways, fantastic writeup as usual! I'm sure many heads will pop at the performance here.
I am also curious at the scoring for this mission. I recall there was some kind of bugged scoring with this mission but was under the impression that it had been fixed. @Bil Hardenberger any idea what could be going on here?
We're back; and we're here. The end of Part 1 of this little project (don't worry, I've already typed up Missions 03 through 06 of the 82 campaign). Red pass. The big one. The centrepiece.
Chapter 2: Counterattack at Red Pass!
October 21st, 0630 hours. Somewhere south of Hill 644.2.
“I am expecting a pure MRB, with no frills. Probably coming in three echelons, a MRC each, and you can bet the bottom dollar those lead MRCs are going to go for the flanks and hold the shoulders for a final assault on your main positions…”
It was the TF S-2 talking, addressing the three company leaders. They were stuffed into the TOC, and the close proximity was rapidly driving the temperature and humidity up to unbearable levels. It was affecting Wren’s ability to focus, but he willed himself to concentrate on the briefing. It was an important one. This was their final test. The TF had a hard-fought 20th of October. The heavy team and C Company had spent themselves unsticking die-hard enemy reconnaissance elements and an MRC in the vicinity of Hill 644.2. They had succeeded, but so comprehensively ruined was the tank-heavy team that they had been functionally disbanded, and surviving tanks folded into platoons in the rifle companies. The TF had gone firm to lick its wounds and await the OPFOR counterstroke, the topic of the briefing. The Battalion scout platoon, well forward and in good hides, had identified the main effort: Red Lake Pass. B Team’s area of responsibility.
The S-2 finished, and the LTC stepped forward.
“Gentlemen, step outside and catch some air, and follow me.” They tumbled out of the TOC and followed the Old Man around its side, to see yet another sand table. They looked expectantly at their chief. Slowly and deliberately, the LTC took a marker meant to represent B Team, moving it onto a mound of sand representing Benchmark 2108.
“As you know, the engineer platoon got chopped up pretty badly during the last attack. They don’t have enough men to go around to dig us in before the OPFOR are expected to go in. To my mind, that makes the coming fight an ultimately offensive operation.” He paused to meet his subordinates’ gazes. He clearly liked what he saw, continuing, “we’re going to assume some risk here, I’m going to shore up C Team with your – “he nods at Wren “M150s and a rifle platoon, they’re also going to get most of the engineer support. A Team will also provide M150s to C. That should allow them to hold a larger-than-usual frontage and make up for their losses. That will free up A Team as a reserve. Once we confirm the main effort is in B Team’s sector, I’m going to let them off the leash to counterattack. B Team’s going to fix them, attrit them, force ‘em to dismount. Then A team is going to finish them.”
Wren liked what he was hearing, and it was completely in line with his own aggressive thinking. The TF had learned from the Brown Pass fight that the way to counter the OPFOR’s clockwork-like battle drills was to get them off balance early and often, and counterpunch frequently. His combat team being halved for the battle was disquieting, but he knew fortune favoured the bold. It was a solid plan, based on excellent intel, and he knew the terrain would allow him to push his thinned-out company to maximum effect. He looked up to see the LTC studying him, as if trying to read his thoughts. Finally, the boss said: “Captain, tell me how you intend to fight the initial battle, and we’ll plan around it.”
“Well sir, as I see it, we’re going to have to accept a decisive engagement to take advantage of our superior dismounts. The Tanks are going to have to fight forward to force the enemy to deploy and to feel out their main effort. With some range cards and sufficient fire support, say priority from the 155 battery and some combat aviation, we can bleed them at range well enough to fix them close. I’m envisioning two engagement areas…”
Eight helmeted heads crowded around the sand table as Wren outlined his basic plan with emphatic gestures and sweeps of his hand. They would need another hour or so to flesh it out on the map, and another two hours after that to walk the intended ground with their platoon leaders and fire support officers, but the nucleus of a winning plan had formed. Wren’s defence was aggressive and scrappy, and more importantly, shaped an excellent flanking counterattack for A Company.
Later that morning, Wren and his counterpart in A Company explained the taskings to their own subordinates.
Initial Tasking:
- B Company (-) – Task: Fix
o Tank Platoon (-) – Raid to Benchmark 2108. With the following attachments:
1st Squad, 1st Platoon
FO, 1st Platoon
o 1st Platoon (-) – Task: Occupy main BP vic. Benchmark 2124. With the following attachments:
Company HQ
Tank section
o Mortars – Task: Priority of fires to 1st Platoon (-). Position in “Sandy Wadi”.
o Company FIST: OP on Benchmark 2124.
Reinforcement:
- A Company (-) – Task: Flank
o Tank Platoon
o 1st Platoon
o 2nd Platoon
Fires and Combat Aviation:
Cluster 155mm at H+5; and
1 x Flight of Cobras at alert 15.
Though Wren’s team did little more than follow and support during the night attack to seize 644.2, the job of clearing out die hard infiltrators had inevitably caused some losses. Most of 1st Platoon had suffered at least one or two men critically or lightly wounded in the squads, and they were down a basic load of ammunition from the sporadic fighting and patrols. More critically, two TCs in the tank platoon had been wounded by mortar fire earlier that morning, leaving two tanks understrength. Wren opted to take those two tanks into the main BP, where proximity to the infantry and OPs would hopefully make up for the crew deficit.
They were as ready as they were going to get. The men of 1st Platoon rested in shifts, and improved their fighting positions throughout the morning, awaiting word from the TF scouts about whether the big one was indeed coming their way. The sun reached, then passed its zenith, baking the men and causing much discomfort.
Then, came word: 40-50 vehicles were approaching the dry Red Pass Lake. Ten minutes later, a lone scout track came barrelling through what was going to be EA Red and pulled back along Bitter Springs MSR. Wren, deployed forward of Benchmark 2124 with the sniping tanks, could see it for himself: a massive cloud of high, hanging dust in the distance. A veritable stampede. It was 1250 hours.
The horde advance with alacrity, and by 1255 hours he could begin to spot individual vehicles through the dust. It was the main element of the MRB, just as the Battalion S-2 predicted. Travelling well in front of the main herd was a platoon of BMPs, in line, coming right down the middle towards Point 606.1. Artillery began to crash several hundred meters off Wren’s right, along the goat trail that constituted Bitter Springs MSR, smoke shells began to billow among the explosive bursts of HE.
“Bravo 26 send to Papa 66.”
“This is Papa 66, go ahead” – An unfamiliar voice, one of the Duty NCOs at TOC, responds.
“Bravo 26 reports contact with enemy main body.”
“Bravo 26, this is Papa 66. Roger your last. H-Hour, H-Hour. Out” – The Old man himself is on the horn now, announcing the start of the planned final battle.
It was 1300 hours.
“Bravo 26 send to Bravo Tango. Get your men moving, out”
“Bravo Tango: acknowledged”
1LT Harmon’s tank section, on this signal, moves out in column. The company mortars, monitoring the net, provide pre-arranged smoke to mask this movement. The destination: the rolling hills on the company team’s left flank.
It only takes them two minutes to arrive at an appropriate attack-by-fire position. The two carriers rolling with them, carrying 1st squad of 1st platoon, and the FO, roll on towards the more complex terrain.
Harmon pushes his men up for a quick attack by fire, but the engagement proves frustrating. Such a mass of enemy targets are impossible not to identify, but at such extended range, the small, speedy BMPs make difficult targets. Little is accomplished, and the 1LT doesn’t waste any further time in the position: he signals with his hands from his cupola, telling the section to orient on him.
As the tanks pull back into cover and rumble on, the promised priorities of fire from the supporting 155 battery are released to Wren. The battery is immediately tasked to fire on the building concentrations of BMPs along Benchmark 2033 and Point 606.1.
From his OP position, well forward, Wren can see more BMPs entering the area. It appears to be another company. Like the lead forces, this unit initially speeds across the dry Red Pass Lake, but then wheels smartly to the north and disappears behind Benchmark 2108. Are they heading for 1LT Harmon’s position?
1LT Harmon is trying to remain calm. There’s a lot of combat power driving right at the rest of the Company, and the compulsion to rush is almost overwhelming. “Move deliberately” he chides himself. “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast” he repeats to himself, mentally. The sandy desert floor was treacherous, and his tanks were likely to throw a track if they rushed unduly or made too sharp a change of direction. Nevertheless, he pressed his men on as fast as he dared. It took just shy of ten minutes to reach a second attack-by-fire position. This time, gunnery is much more satisfactory, aided no doubt by the fact that the BMPs are entering terrain they had previously ranged out. A BMP is destroyed at Point 2033.
More and more BMPs array themselves on and around Hill 636.2 and Benchmark 2033. Harmon isn’t sure what they’re waiting for, but he’s glad they’ve stopped. His tank section continues their attack by fire, doing berm drills to avoid the growing attentions of his erstwhile targets, and the volleys of Sagger missiles they send his way.
Then the artillery ordered by the CPT arrives. Bomblets immediately make an impression, and another BMP is flamed in the beaten zone, compelling BMPs to fall back in a hurry.
The retrograde movement is fleeting. The moment arrives: the mass of BMPs, despite the discomfort of the artillery fire and Harmon’s flanking fire, surge forward. The MRC that had earlier disappeared to the north reappear, forming up only a ridge away from Harmon’s positions. Wren is able to raise his tank platoon commander on the net and inform him of the impending threat. A strained acknowledgement is received. To his relief, he sees the three M60s swiftly pull back and orient to face this.
Would Harmon be able to hold with just three tanks and 12 dismounts? Pulling back to the main BP in time is simply out of the question. Wren winces, realising that to have asked such a small force to punch out so far forward was a mistake: he just hoped it wouldn’t be a fatal one. Little further time could be spent agonizing over the matter, as another MRC competes for his attention to the southeast. They are straddling the Bitter Springs MSR and flanking to the south.
“The S-2 will be glad to hear how correct he was about the enemy scheme.” He thinks bitterly.
Despite how well-predicted and doctrinal the assault was, it hadn’t done them a whit of good. Astonished by the pace of advance, they haven’t whittled down the lead OPFOR units anywhere near as much as they had hoped or planned. There was no time to dwell on that now. Nor was there time to alter the scheme. Wren was experienced enough to know to do so would only cause undue, possibly fatal confusion.
“Time to get in this fight.”
Scrambling down the sandy embankment, Wren rushes towards the nearest M60, waving it forward. He hoped that as the range closed rapidly, his own gunnery would become far more accurate. He had high expectations that this forward sniping position would put a hurting on the BMPs as they entered EA Blue.
As the M60 rumbled up the ridge to a firing position, the SPC commanding the (under-strength) tank slips into the turret and slams the hatch shut behind him. His wingman, no doubt alerted via the platoon net, shortly does the same. One of the pair expertly two BMPs in as many shots, but before it can pull back into cover it is struck by a Sagger missile from somewhere to the north.
The other M60 also finds success. It flames a BMP with its first shot, destroying it even as it attempts to return fire with a missile. A second round impacts on the next nearest BMP, which explodes with such violence that a third, trying to skirt around its stricken comrades, is also knocked out.
The sudden violent attack by fire sows confusion, briefly, among the OPFOR . The BMPs must slow their rate of advance to push past their burning compatriots and deploy back into an effective line. CPT Wren and the surviving M60 take this opportunity to make good their escape, falling back across several ridges and washes to take position in the main BP.
***
To 1LT Harmon what is happening several hundred meters to his right may as well be in a different universe. He is entirely preoccupied with the immediate fight, which rapidly descends into what can only be described as a confused melee.
Upon being warned by the CO of the impending attack, he had just enough time to deploy his three tanks into somewhat effective battle positions. There was a massive blind spot on his left created by a low spur, and the best he could do in the time he had was to give vague orders to the infantry NCO to get over there and “deal with it.” No sooner had he given that unhelpful order, then the first OPFOR BMPs crested the ridge to his immediate front.
All three TCs dropped into their cupolas, slamming their hatches in near unison. Three cannons snap in quick succession. Harmon had failed to assign any fire sectors. 3 HEAT rounds smash into the same BMP, which shudders and explodes violently.
The next couple of volleys are better controlled by the hard-pressed platoon leader, and three more BMPs are destroyed. The OPFOR surge roars forward, almost heedless, and Harmon realises they’re going to go right through him at this pace. He urgently orders the tanks to retreat, heading for a ravine in the rear slope.
Chaos reigns. Harmon bounces between the vision blocks in his cupola, in an attempt to figure out what the hell is happening. He’s astonished to see a BMP surge right past his tank, beelining into a scrub-filled ravine to his rear. Slewing the turret with the override, he gives the surprised gunner firing point procedures, even as he sprays frantically with the .50 calibre. The BMP is knocked out.
“There’s a freakin’ BMP to our front, it’s practically kissing us!” it’s his driver on the intercom. Even as they were dealing with the BMP to their rear, another one had charged right at them. Harmon hadn’t even realised. The Gunner, calmer now, quickly slews the turret. The vehicle fills the entire FOV of his sight. At this range, he cannot miss. The BMP explodes in a fireball. Harmon’s two wingman tanks report their own successful engagements in similarly messy, point-blank scraps.
The attached infantry are equally astonished to see BMPs driving right past them, their firing ports flashing and winking with rifle fire. Having grabbed as many LAWs as they could before dismounting, they are able to destroy several BMPs from the flank and rear.
The M113s, hidden away in the washes near their dismounts, are likewise able to knock out a pair of BMPs, firing into their sides and rear.
Belatedly, a few surviving BMPs disgorge dismounts, who try to work their way down into the washes. They are able to knock out the M113s as they crest a ridge but have more trouble dealing with the dismounts. In a shootout right out of a Western, they are sprayed down at close range and forced to retreat.
It’s chaotic, it’s messy, but it ends decisively in Harmon’s favour. In two extremely confused minutes, he has removed an enemy company from the larger fight. He takes a minute, trying to restore his situational awareness (and his frayed nerves). The head count takes longer than he would like, and his stomach drops at the thought that all his dismounts are dead. The M113s don’t answer, and his worry mounts. Finally, breathing heavily, the FO NCO reports in and confirms his left is secure. He is also able to re-establish contact with the company HQ via radio and gives as accurate a SITREP as he can, given the circumstances.
“Good, we’re still in this fight.” He concludes.
“Alright, we need to sweep this ravine for any stragglers we missed. Gunner, scan every BMP, some might be playing dead and waiting for a chance shot. Driver, advance. Speed: 1.”
***
Wren is equally focused on his immediate fight, and after having guided the surviving M60 into a good hide, has once again taken as exposed from which he could control the battle. 1LT Voegt, from his position near Benchmark 2124, reports the OPFOR beginning to dismount within EA blue. It's an excellent sign; the enemy would be basically fixed in position as they tried to climb up around the flanks with their dismounts first, at an infantry pace. 1st Platoon and the surviving M60 are now decisively engaged. It is 1320 hours.
Then Wren’ radio squawks:
“Alpha 26 send to Bravo 26: we are now exiting Sierra Whiskey.”
Sierra Whiskey – the Sandy Wadi. A Company had arrived, with impeccable timing.
Risking a somewhat lengthy radio message, CPT Wren does his best to update his counterpart on the current situation. The decision ultimately lies with A Team’s CPT: the counterattack is on…but how?
Leaning out of his command track’s hatch, the newly arrived leader takes a moment to gather his thoughts. The thrust on the northern flank sounds like it had been stopped cold, if not destroyed. He could push his team in that direction, wheeling right to hit the enemy engaged in EA Blue from the flank and rear. Alternatively, he could push his entire team into the main BP and engage the deployed enemy head-on. He had to decide, and quick. Ultimately, he chooses the bolder option, rationalizing that wheeling right through B Team’s tank platoon would:
Reinforce a success
Help mop up any straggling or infiltrating enemy; and
Avoid a complex forward passage of line through the main BP and into the teeth of an attacking MRC.
Ordering a tank section to take a support-by-fire position near point 632.1, the rest of A Company (-) move out of the Sandy Wadi in column, keeping Point 632.1 to their right, and begin their attack. He informs CPT Wren of his scheme of manoeuvre. All 1st Platoon and its attachments must do is hold on. Cluster munitions shift, in the meantime, to deny the ground the OPFOR are attempting to advance through. The hope is that it will buy enough time to vector Cobras onto the surviving enemy.
As A Co roars forward and through a brief danger area, the number 3 tank from the company’s tank platoon foolishly halts to engage a BMP several kilometres distant. It misses, badly, and is immediately struck by a Sagger missile for its wasted effort. The tank platoon leader can only swear to himself and urge the rest of his callsigns to be less foolish.
It only takes a couple of minutes to link up with 1LT Harmon’s surviving callsigns. The hard-pressed armor officer was still rooting out surviving enemy dismounts and BMPs that were scattered around the ravine. In the hide-and-seek firefight that resulted after the melee, he had lost both M113s and one of his tanks had been damaged by a BMP’s 73mm gun. The point element of A Company arriving swings the balance firmly back in Harmon’s favour, and they announce its arrival in style, the lead tank knocking out one of these sheltering BMPs.
As the tanks advance, they take small arms fire from surviving OPFOR dismounts, they report it for the following infantry and press on to link up with Harmon. The combined two tank sections take effective hull down positions and attack by fire. Despite the long range they are able to knock out several BMPs at the edge of EA Blue are knocked out.
The enemy attack appears to be stalling, the main effort in EA Blue reduced to a bloody dismount-forward assault. Then the OPFOR helicopters arrive. Despite the VADs best efforts, the pilots skilfully evade and devastate the company mortar platoon with gun runs and rockets. The weapons platoon leader is killed in action during one of these attacks.
While frustrating, and devastating to the rear area of B Team, it doesn’t give the attack the impetus it needs. The BMPs, taking cover as best they can in the washboard-like terrain in EA Blue, fill the air with Saggers, searching out for the surviving M60 which has been making a deadly nuisance of itself, ably directed by Wren into, and out of, firing positions.
Eventually, however, the M60’s luck runs out. An enemy Sagger finally strikes, disabling the tank. Nevertheless, the MRBs losses rise inexorably. The “battlefield calculus” is overwhelmingly in A and B Team’s favour thus far.
Back in the ravine, 1st Squad from B Team’s 1st Platoon continue to root out enemy dismounts. They are shortly joined by the infantry from A Team, who dismount behind a low berm and effectively engage the enemy, who have expertly and calmly sheltered in any fold of terrain they could find. They take casualties, but the firefights go overwhelmingly their way, often aided by the M113s.
The battle is reaching its climax. The surviving BMPs are fighting gamely from decent cover, and at least of company of enemy dismounts are continuing to advance. Wren gets on the horn:
“Bravo 26 send to Alpha 26.”
“Alpha 26 here.”
“Cobras are telling me they’re Winchester and we’re in a firefight here with multiple dismounts. If you’re going to make a move, make it now. Out”
The stress is evident in Wren’s voice, and it spurs A Team’s leader to action. He tells his tank platoon (-) and to get moving, and the unengaged 2nd Platoon to follow and support. The three M60s do one final jockey into a firing position, scanning for targets, then roll up and over the ridge.
The tanks surge forward, aiming to hit the rear of the OPFOR’s formation. Advancing on line and at a steady pace, they hose down the washboard terrain with coax, in an attempt to keep the OPFOR dismounts pinned. Despite the volume of fire, the platoon leader’s tank is disabled by a die-hard RPG gunner. Nevertheless, the two remaining M60s push through and begin to sweep away the surviving BMPs.
While the balance of A Company is driving into the MRB’s flank and rear, its 1st Platoon, having finished mopping up OPFOR infiltrators, climbs Benchmark 2108. A beautiful sight greets them. Excitedly, the platoon FO requests for priority of fires. “We got the whole logistical tail of the MRB here!” – He gets his fire mission. Several minutes later, the 155 scattering the soft skins that are taking cover behind Hill 636.2 and destroying two.
The roaring battle slowly peters out, as A Company’s 2nd Platoon root out the enemy from the washboard terrain.
Even at this late stage, the OPFOR dismounts fight tenaciously. Almost all of them must be killed in close assaults by the riflemen. None surrender.
Then, the radios across the Taskforce crackle: “End-ex, end-ex, end-ex.”
The fight is over. Indeed, the battle and rotation are over. The burning vehicles and the dead men fade into what they really are: blinking MILEs lights and disappointed soldiers sitting cross legged on the desert floor, signalling they are “killed.” To Wren and the entirety of this TF however, it was real enough. This final fight was nothing short of harrowing. The OPFOR were relentless, quite literally storming through their positions at times.
While the field of ruin that used to be an entire enemy MRB is a gratifying sight, and would appear to be clear evidence of a smashing success for the TF, determining who won was a matter of difficulty.
Controversy ensues during the final AAR. The observers and evaluators can hardly agree among themselves how to rate the TF’s final performance. The OPFOR brigade commander, the NTC coordinator, ultimately declares it a minor defeat. He cites, absurdly to Wren’s mind, the dismounted losses taken by A and B Company Team as being unsustainable. Worse still, CPT Wren is criticized, though not with enthusiasm, for accepting a decisive engagement.
The TF commander is lauded for his aggressive plan, and equally importantly, for trusting his subordinates with planning and command decisions. The LTC had the idea, and a framework, but how it was accomplished was rightly left to the two CPTs who would have to fight the actual battle.
The tank losses are brought up and are bitterly criticized. The US Army CPT who was leading the main MRB battalion (the OPFOR always lead “one up”, so a LT often lead a company) is conspicuously and noticeably quiet throughout the debriefing. Wren and his counterpart in A Company take this as the greatest sign of how the battle really went.
The vivid image of the MRB’s logistical units’ MILES indicators blinking in the desert heat was evidence enough for the officers and men of the TF. The criticisms raised did ring true, and the NTC had shown itself to be a harsh master. Years later, men of the TF would say it was, in many ways, harder than the real thing. The OPFOR pushed through often murderous fire with a unity of purpose and fearlessness that no unit could maintain in the face of such heavy losses. Real men in a real battle fear death, are awed by the sight of burning, twisted metal and flesh, the howl of artillery and the screaming of the wounded. No matter how realistic the NTC was, Wren mused, a self-confident OPFOR could never be convinced to halt their attack when they are simply resurrected for battle the next day.
Despite this, the TF had won. This rotation was firm proof that the Soviets, the real opposing force, can and could be defeated.
Isn't this also a question of taking time to make sure every aspect of the process is understood and refined when there is time (i.e. during peacetime), so that when **** hits the fan and there are REAL deadlines those involved can do the same thing under pressure and 'more rapid' without just 'checking the boxes' and go with it?
That's basically what I got from methodology and doctrines/frameworks in my field of work; it's often overkill for the situation at hand, especially when there's no burning platform. But when stuff needs to get done quickly and with good enough quality, you need to have the capabilities to know/feel where you can cut corners (or fix later) and where you can't; that knowledge/experience takes a lot of time and effort to learn.
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.
Another writeup for those of you who can pry yourselves from the Ukraine thread. This time, the topic is mission planning, specifically how to do it in relation to Combat Mission scenarios.
The basic idea is:
Planning Framework for Combat Mission
The workflow for planning how to play a scenario in Combat Mission can be broken into four parts and are done in order. They are:
1. Receive OPORD/WARNO/FRAGO
2. METT-TC
3. OKOCA
4. Enemy Course of Action (ECOA)
Read along for the full breakdown and explanation! https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/introduction-planning-is-critical-to.html
Feel free to discuss. Just remember that this is a very complicated subject if you decide to get really into the details. There are entire doctrinal publications covering each one of these topics. This is a more general overview meant to be easily digestible in a single sitting, as as such some nuance is lost.
Fair warning for my fellow rock bangers, there are no pictures in this entry besides the cover image.
Another writeup for those of you who can pry yourselves from the Ukraine thread. This time, the topic is mission planning, specifically how to do it in relation to Combat Mission scenarios.
The basic idea is:
Planning Framework for Combat Mission
The workflow for planning how to play a scenario in Combat Mission can be broken into four parts and are done in order. They are:
1. Receive OPORD/WARNO/FRAGO
2. METT-TC
3. OKOCA
4. Enemy Course of Action (ECOA)
Read along for the full breakdown and explanation! https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/introduction-planning-is-critical-to.html
Feel free to discuss. Just remember that this is a very complicated subject if you decide to get really into the details. There are entire doctrinal publications covering each one of these topics. This is a more general overview meant to be easily digestible in a single sitting, as as such some nuance is lost.
Fair warning for my fellow rock bangers, there are no pictures in this entry besides the cover image.
IICptMillerII reacted to domfluff in So you just got your hands on CMCW...now what? Designers Q&A thread.
IICptMillerII got a reaction from George MC in How to survive early barrages? - Spoiling Attack?
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Rinaldi in How to survive early barrages? - Spoiling Attack?
IICptMillerII got a reaction from S-Tank in Visualized in Combat Mission: Berm Drills (Feat Cold War)
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Dr.Fusselpulli in Visualized in Combat Mission: Berm Drills (Feat Cold War)
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Vacillator in Visualized in Combat Mission: Berm Drills (Feat Cold War)
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Phantom Captain in Visualized in Combat Mission: Berm Drills (Feat Cold War)
IICptMillerII got a reaction from BrotherSurplice in Cold War: The (Massive) Narrative AAR
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Lethaface in Visualized in Combat Mission: Berm Drills (Feat Cold War)
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Vergeltungswaffe in Cold War: The (Massive) Narrative AAR
IICptMillerII got a reaction from Chibot Mk IX in Killing a Forward Security Element
IICptMillerII got a reaction from G.I. Joe in Planning in Combat Mission: Mission Analysis
