HerrTom

I never realized how dopey the C2 upgrade looks!  Kinda like a combat toaster or something.
Looking forward to the battle proper!

Less thinking, more dying!
 
Mord.

Even though the other BETA AAR is still going on, I expect it will end very soon.  I had already promised to take IanL on in a second game to fill the time, so here 'tis.  I hope it fills the time left until release.
BACKGROUND
A NATO attack is in progress and they are making massive gains.  In an attempt to slow them down high command has decided that a spoiling attack is required.  We are the tip of that spear.  Our task is to Probe into the assigned sector on the flank of the NATO attack and determine the strength of the Canadian flank security force in front of us and if possible, destroy it or force it to withdraw.  Our force will not be reinforced unless successful, so if we fail, another unit will become the spearhead for the main attack.
Hopefully that will suffice to set the stage for what we are doing in this action.  Ian and I are playing a Quick Battle (QB) Medium Probe, with me as the Syrians on the attack, force selection for both sides was Mixed (Infantry, Mech Infantry, and Armor are all okay to purchase) with no restrictions set for either side. 
I do not expect an easy time of it, as the Canadians are tough and Ian is no slouch tactically.  He even uses some of the same movement techniques I use so I expect this to be a hard struggle
ORDER OF BATTLE
My purchases:



MAIN BODY
This element will be my main combat element in this action.  They will be tasked with capturing early objectives, ascertaining enemy strength and capabilities, and recovering the enemy Order of Battle.  
A Company Mechanized Infantry on BMP-2s 
Company HQ Element Tanks are intended for anti-infantry support ZSU-23-4 is mainly for AA support, but also is intended to be used in an anti-infantry role
1st Platoon Will have one AT-13 team attached
2nd Platoon Will have one AT-13 team attached
COMBAT SUPPORT 
120mm Mortar Battery with FO Also purchased four TRPs
 AT 13 Platoon One of the two sections will be assigned to the Main Body, one AT team per platoon Note:  truck was purchased specially to carry the remaining section and the HQ element
AT 14 Platoon One of the two sections will be assigned to the Reserve, both AT teams in the Mech Infantry platoon Note:  truck was purchased specially to carry the remaining section and the HQ element
RESERVE - This force will be husbanded until needed, or until I can identify the main enemy positions
Airborne Mechanized Infantry Platoon on BMP-3s Will have one complete AT-14 section attached
Tank Platoon on T-72M1 TURMS-T Technology Note:  These tanks feature the TURMS-T computerised fire control system by Galileo Avionica.  It will be interesting to see how that helps in action.

METT-T: Enemy

Enemy Intentions

The enemy will attempting to control the road network in this area to undermine the NATO advance happing to the south and West of here. By controlling this area they can threaten supply routes and routes for reinforcements.

Enemy Force Capabilities

The enemy tanks can range from vastly inferior T55s to pretty much equal to the C2s T90 while their IFVs are not as capable as our LAVs the BMP3s are no slouch when it comes to firepower.

Possible Order of Battle

For the attacking force in a Medium probe I expect to see two companies plus some support. Bil should be able to purchase a tank company and a mechanized infantry company.

Enemy Strengths

Depending on which tanks Bil choose we could be looking at a large numerical advantage with inferior tanks – which can still deal with a LAV and still pose a real threat to the C2s or they could still bring a numerical advantage with an equivalent tank.

Enemy Weakness

None of the enemy AFVs can match the spotting ability of ours.

Enemy Equipment

There is no intelligence on what level of equipment the enemy force may possess. I would not be surprised if we face an elite guard force but second tier force is also possible.

Enemy Course of Action

·         AA1 Has good low areas to move through and it clears the first objective naturally. The enemy would not likely try this without securing KT1 and KT3first.

·         AA2 The least likely avenue of approach since this is under easy observation from KT7 and KT8. Again there is a need to secure KT1 and KT3.

·         AA3 Offers ways of moving without being constantly under observation. Again need to secure KT1 and KT3 but this avenue is already going towards KT1.

·         AA4 Also offers ways of moving without being constantly under observation. Again need to secure KT1 and KT3 but this avenue is already going towards KT3 and past KT1.

There is a good chance the enemy may recon all four routes. I expect he will favour AA3 and AA4 but we will have to see how the battle plays out.


 

Figured I'd drop a Christmas bone of my own - haven't gotten very far due to all the holiday obligations, but I do have a turn for you guys!

Eventful in the explosions, but uneventful on the manoeuvring.  1. Platoon, 2. Company managed to reach the copse to the east of the dachas without losing any more vehicles.  For now I'm going to keep the rest of 2. Company in cover until the smoke starts raining down in the next few minutes.  The smoke screen will be kept up for the next ten or fifteen minutes as the companies stage and start the crossing.  2/4 PTRK (ATGM teams from 2. Company weapons platoon are doing a number on the Ukrainians - knocking out 4 BMPs with the help of the battalion tank, and another tank got blown to smithereens by a well placed shot from 5. Platoon, 1. Company.
Buddy's been on vacation so it's been slow going getting these turns in - hopefully we can speed it up again with the new year!  I'll make it my resolution 

A Ukrainian BMP eats an ATGM.

The ATGM teams at the Dachas are doing great work, quickly enaging and launching missiles at the number of visible enemy vehicles on the far bank.

One after another, three BMPs are perforated by the skilled operators.

A fourth BMP gets exploded by the battalion HQ's tank, avenging the demise of the BTR crew the last minute.

Kablooey.

5. Platoon, 1. Company watches over the bridge.  The gunner of the westernmost tank spots a little shimmer hidden behind the trees - another T-64!

He fires a shot that lands squarely on the glacis plate, brewing up the enemy tank in a pillar of fire.

The ATGM group moving to the dachas made a slight detour to get better line of sight on the opposite bank.  2/5 has been essentially wiped out.  More details on that in the following report.  Overall, the plan has not changed significantly.

The ATGM teams of 2/4 dismount and move into position to cover the crossing.

The battalion's support tank fires on the newly spotted enemy tank.

The shot slams into a tree, annihilating it.  The enemy tank crew, however, fails to notice the close call.

Another shot is fired, and streaks past the battalion tank.

The shot slams into steel as another tank of 5. Platoon, 2. Company explodes in a gigantic fireball.

The battalion's tank returns fire again, this time landing a shot right in the turret ring, disabling the lucky enemy.

The last tank in 5. platoon explodes from yet another unseen threat.

5. Platoon, 1. Company spots the threat and fires, exploding another Ukrainian tank.

5. Platoon, 1. Company observes the destruction across the river.

Reconnaissance troops move to the edge of the woods to identify any enemy forces on the bank opposite of the Razvedka team.

Artillery fire continues to rain down upon the opposite bank.  A couple of ATGMs have screamed overhead and impacted things on the other bank.  No positive ID on the targets yet.

John, have you ever heard of chroma-keying?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_key
 

There is a fourth channel on the bitmaps that controls the alpha, so they're really RGBA bitmaps. If that channel doesn't exist or is all white (really 255), then the background will show.

Eh, I don't see any harm in posting a pict since early models had already appeared in the AAR.
 

Pffft I bought my house in San Jose in 2009 for 530k (it is public info) it is now valued at over a million. The house is single story 2 bed 1 bath 1000 sq ft on a 4000 sq ft lot.  
I could rent it for 3k a month. 
Welcome to Silicon Valley. 

Initial situation
This AAR is being played using the Quick Battle system from the v4 engine in the new version of Shock Force. We are playing a Red probe with Bil taking the Syrians vs Canadians commanded by myself. The back story we decided on is that the NATO advance is proceeding well and the Canadian battle group has been assigned to flank protection for the main advance. D Company has been directed to take up positions around a village on the main East West road in the area.
Taking the walk through the village to meet with the local elders was something that Capt. Leslie actually enjoyed. The security situation for these types of meetings was much better here than in Afghanistan where, as a platoon commander, often had to provide security for the CO in one of these meetings. Over there it was always a nerve racking time. Here, today, his men had taken up their positions already and there was no love for the Assad regime around here. There was no love for the Assads anywhere actually – even in the enclave where his family drew the most support it was based on fear not love. So his walk today was pretty safe. Walking through the village reminded him of the last time he was in Syria. When he was just a boy visiting his father who was stationed on the Golan Heights as a UN Observer. Back then this trip to Syria was an exciting event. He got to fly on Hercules from Germany to Damascus where his Dad’s apartment was. The trip had made an impression. Not just the Roman ruins and the amazing castle Krak des Chevaliers (and having lived in the UK a few years earlier he knew castles) but it was really the people that impressed him the most. They were so friendly and open. It was this trip and listening to his father tell the stories of visiting with security guards on his way home each night that cemented in him the certain knowledge that you can go anywhere in the world and the regular people you meet are more like you then they are different.
This meeting was just a formality but an important one. They would not be here for long and the Canadians had no mandate to provide any kind of assistance this was just to introduce the force that would be on their door steps for a while and point out that most likely nothing eventful would happen today, tomorrow or the next day. Capt. Leslie had put off this meeting for a hour because he had to spend time on the radio sorting out their artillery support. They were not expecting any action and so had only been assigned only a battery of light artillery and some Battalion mortars but he wanted to make sure they were ready with solutions plotted just to be sure. For some reason there had been a delay. Usually the artillery guys were ready before his FO was but today somehow the assignments had been confused and no battery thought they were supposed to be on call for D Co.. He had the reputation not as a rising star but a solid cross the t’s dot the i’s find a solution get it done officer. And he had done so again. Other officers liked him because he did his homework and was fair even when he was pushing for something. He didn’t make a big production but he didn’t back down either. He remembered his Dad used to say “not everyone can be a rising star, those stars need good officers to get their jobs done”. His Dad’s other advice when he joined up as a junior officer was “always listen to your Sergeants and Warrant Officers, they are the ones that have the experience know how to help you find solutions and keep you from screwing up”. He had taken the advice to heart.
 
Force selection:
The Quick Battle system is still not complete so don’t read much into what you see other than the happy path I will describe J. As you can see the usual points panel is there along with the selected force’s flag and available branches. The various units might still need tweaking in the QB list and single vehicles and teams is not officially complete and the points might change. All the usual caveats apply. No one has tested the auto pick force make up yet – although the three times I used it during testing it actually did a good job. At any rate before release this stuff will be tweaked some more.
Similar to the CMBS game there are combined force battle groups available. That is where I will start:

 
Defending in a Medium Probe lets you purchase about a mechanized company or so. I start with paring back to D Company and a platoon of tanks. Then I do something I started doing recently – renaming the top commander on QB battle field after myself. I think it is more fun to think of yourself down there in the game. Hopefully no one thinks it is too arrogant since I have never served as more than a truck driver but I’m adding a little colour this time based on an alternate reality where I joined up back in university like I very nearly did.

 
Now the hard choices. I am pretty certain that Bil will be bringing armour to this and those T72s are every bit as deadly to the Leos as the Leos are to the T72s. That means I need to be able to handle enemy armour. So, to get the points room to have some support I chose not give up a tank but instead gave up a platoon of infantry. Therefore the basic force is two platoons of infantry and one troop of tanks.

 
 With that I’ll settled I chose to keep two of the battalion’s AT LAVs, one battery of mortars and a sniper team. Never leave home without your sniper team.

It can't return, I already created this thread.
 
Mord.

I think you originally replied to add "nuance" to sburke's "simple and practical" answer. I just wanted to add that COIN is not a new term, nor is counterinsurgency theory a "post 9/11" theory. FM3-24, which is the Army's documentation and statement of this post-9/11 COIN doctrine, is a revival of the doctrines developed in the 1950s and 1960s with updates to adapt to new technology and the differences between the current Jihadist insurgencies compared with Communist and other prior insurgencies. Gen. Patreaus and Gen. Mattis, the listed authors of FM3-24, specifically discuss how they are applying these earlier doctrines that have been neglected for 20 years, and placing them in the context of the current insurgencies. 
I see your point, though: Soldiers fighting in counterinsurgencies prior to the modern world of post 9/11 had to deal with such primitive situations as:
---Being assaulted by AK47 and RPG-equipped guerillas who blend in with the civilian population
---Dealing with restrictive ROE that prevent the use of firepower in various situations
---Being transported in helicopters on air assault missions and relying on helicopters for casualty evacuation
---Being blown up by improvised explosive devices and other booby traps (maybe there will be an initialism for this sort of thing in the modern era!)
---Setting up combat outposts and firebases and conducting ambush patrols outside of observation posts and outposts to detect and disrupt guerilla attacks on those outposts
---Relying on fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft to deliver close air support including dedicated COIN aircraft like the AC130 gunship
---Being armed only with a mix of assault rifles, precision rifles, automatic rifles, grenade launchers, hand grenades, rocket launchers, light wheeled vehicles, light armored vehicles, APCs, tanks, artillery, mortars, and radio communications
---Using elite special forces to conduct raiding, interdiction, intelligence gathering, and training indigenous personnel
My god, it was practically the bronze age. I'm surprised they didn't pay the troops with salt. 

 

1645
Just a couple of screenshots.  The crossing continues, and is beginning to look a bit more organized.  I've been somewhat attrited, but in the next few minutes I should be able to dump a reinforced company across the river.

Supporting fire from the riverbank lays into a Ukrainian trenchwork blocking the railway access.  Staccato autocannon shots burst around an SPG-9 emplaced in the fortification.

A view from the railroad bridge at the BTRs as they cross the river.

We knew Bil is a tough opponent but this is the first we’ve heard of him putting someone in the hospital. Sheesh!

Hello all, I'm back, sorry about the delay in the entertainment. I, at least,  the NHS.
I will hopefully have another instalment to post tomorrow, although by now I'm sure you've read all about it from the Bil's side.

As a general rule of thumb you should never set a completion date to Friday the 13th. Its unlucky.

1645
Just a couple of screenshots.  The crossing continues, and is beginning to look a bit more organized.  I've been somewhat attrited, but in the next few minutes I should be able to dump a reinforced company across the river.

Supporting fire from the riverbank lays into a Ukrainian trenchwork blocking the railway access.  Staccato autocannon shots burst around an SPG-9 emplaced in the fortification.

A view from the railroad bridge at the BTRs as they cross the river.

Not quite sure what I am "blindly defending".  I just commented that Steve isn't an IT Professional which by default is a criticism as it says the site should have been up.  Nobody is dying here and BF is not taking orders so if anyone should be upset it is them.  I don't need to stress over stuff that just isn't that important.  Yeah the site is down, yeah that sucks and there isn't much excuse for it.  And no I am not gonna get worked up over it.  I have plenty of other things to do like put in pavers for my front walk, or run the electrical line so my wife can put in festive lighting in the breezeway or take advantage of Nat'l ice cream day and go have an evening with my wife.
Steve knows it is down and is probably embarrassed and working to fix whatever it is that has it broke.  I don't feel the need to rub salt in the wound.  Unless I was standing behind him holding a beer in which case I'd likely be making loads of unhelpful comments at his expense. (including the beer)

There is a fourth channel on the bitmaps that controls the alpha, so they're really RGBA bitmaps. If that channel doesn't exist or is all white (really 255), then the background will show.

Under the cover of darkness, Russian forces scout a Ukrainian MSR (also Morning Coffee)

lol yea saw it on my phone first, but i always play with alt-b so I thought it was that. Nice screenshots (esp the NVG one) either way, love that scenario

Under the cover of darkness, Russian forces scout a Ukrainian MSR (also Morning Coffee)

Under the cover of darkness, Russian forces scout a Ukrainian MSR (also Morning Coffee)

MINUTE 18
Let this be a warning to you.., if you are playing a modern game and keep your armored assets in the same position for more than a turn or two this is what will happen.  Death can come from anywhere... it was only a matter of time before I got those two tanks.  They hadn’t moved really since they came in as reinforcements, eight turns ago for the Challenger and 13! Turns for the Leopard.  Even in WW2 if you position your vehicles in non-hulldown positions and leave them there, you will have to pay the price eventually.
 
First to fall to a Javelin, his remaining Challenger…

…then another Jav Team took out his last remaining tank, the Leopard 2A4.

As time expired, another Javelin had just started its downward plunge on a Marder.

Baneman is pushing several infantry teams and another Warrior towards my ridgeline.  Also in view is a Scimitar that has been in that position since very early in the game.  This move seems kind of desperate to me, it’s too weak to be able to do anything really worthwhile.  It is however, the correct solution, too little too late though... he needs to push as much combat power as he can muster as close to me as he can.. one or two vehicles and a few teams will not be able to do much against what I have in the area.

The Bradley at BP1 is taking the infantry under fire, but the Warrior IFV drove by without incident.

Shown in this image on the reverse slope of HILL 41.1 and HILL 42 are four Bradleys and their dismounts… There are another three Bradleys in this area as well, plus a BMP-3 and two BMP-2s.  They can all reorient as required, I have the interior lines.

Here is an overview of the situation in the north.
NOTES:
The BMP-3 Platoon is taking up overwatch positions on OBJ DIAMOND.. I suspect he has a Fennek and a Warrior IFV in this objective, or nearby.   The LAVs are gathering all of the dismounts, Syrian and USMC and then will move to the Assembly Area for an attack on FARM 011 and 012.  Two Scimitars were last seen in this area.  They will be supported by the T-90 section. My reserve is starting to move forward to get into jump off positions for their eventual attack into EA1... but this has yet to be decided, and I may push them on another axis, toward FARM 002 perhaps. BP-1 and the Javelin teams on the ridgeline will be a support by fire position for any attacks.
 
As can be seen in the Blood Board, he has a lot of combat power remaining.. I am not taking anything for granted: