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After receiving a distress call from a static security unit a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) arrives on the scene.  It may not have been Quick enough...................

The approximately 7.5 square kilometers of A/O contains urban, rural and wooded terrain. 

Death of a Russian Patriot:

Minute 3:37-3:36:
Tanks supporting E Co stay behind the mine field and engage the contacts on the other side of the road block.
 
 
Meanwhile the lead members of F Co that took casualties last turn get some HE support.

 
 
Minute 3:36: Orders
Now that some infantry have moved to the left through the breach tanks follow.
 

Infantry move up to deliver supporting fire for the squad caught in the farm track. There seems to be a single enemy team near the barn at the end of the track.
 

 
On the other side of the field tanks and infantry move up to engage the enemy we know is there behind the bocage.

 
 

Minute 3:38-3:37:
E Co is not seeing much excitement just moving into the field.
Members of 1st Planoon of F Co start firing on the new enemy contact that so badly hurt their platoon mates.
 
 
On the other side of the field members of F Co come under fire as they reach the far edge and look out over the road. They take casualties too.
 


 
Minute 3:37: Orders
Now that some infantry are in position in the next field E Co calls up the tanks to enter the field behind them.
 

F Co brings up support – infantry and tanks to pile fire power on to their two new enemy contacts.
 


 

Minute 3:39-3:38:
Members of 1st platoon E Co exchange fire with the enemy while other members of E Co move to the left to bypass the fortified location.
 
 
F Co makes contact with the enemy. The members of 1st Platoon hunting along the farm track are ambushed. The Germans wait long enough for the lead squad to be fully in their sights before opening up. In the end four members of the squad go down.
 

Minute 3:38: Orders
Nothing much different for E Co – continue the sift to the left.
 

The ambushed squad pull back firing while other members of the platoon move up to fire on the new enemy contact.

Minute 3:40-3:39:
The engineers cut the first section of bocage for E Company’s shift to the left.
 
 
F Co continues its cautious advance but all is quite at the moment.

 
Minute 3:39: Orders
The lead elements of E Co continue to take pot shots at the enemy they have spotted along the road.
 

 
Meanwhile F Co will continue its advance across the field.

Minute 3:41-3:40:
Things are pretty quiet for E Co. They continue to reorient themselves to move into the field to the left of the road.
 
F Co continues its advance at the edges of the field. They are also making sure they have firepower in position to watch the field to their left and continue to supress the location where the enemy first opened fire on them from in front.
 

 
Minute 3:40: Orders
For E Co more of the same shifting behind contact.
For F Co the advance continues along the farm track and the left edge of the field.

Minute 3:42-3:41:
One of the supporting tanks firing on the suspected enemy locations.
 
 
The recon elements leading E Co cut their first bocage row.

 
Minute 3:41: Orders
E Co brings up its reserve platoon to push to the left as lead while the lead platoon will stay where they are engaging the enemy for a while.
 

 
F Co and their support move forward into the field as well.

 

Minute 3:43-3:42:
E Co’s lead platoon stay in place at the point of contact and keep up some kind of fire since they have spotted enemy contacts ahead.
 
 
Meanwhile F Co is advancing across the field by using the farm track on the right side of the field…

…and hugging the left edge while the tanks spend their ammo on the opposite hedge row.

 
Minute 3:42: Orders
E Co’s push to their left needs fire support so I move up more tanks – lead by a Rhino tank to cut onto the road from the fields where the tanks were moving up (remember I played this turn before the discussion above about how the Rhinos were not available yet – I figure we can pretend this unit had some of the experimental cutters and pipes and they helped some so we can see the use of Rhinos and demo charges that I’m going to use  as the combination of partially working cutters and explosive that were actually used – that’s how I am sleeping at night anyway).
 

Similarly F Co is bringing up more tanks to help maintain fire superiority while the lead platoon’s flank the field.

Minute 3:43: Orders
The lead platoon of F Co will push further into the field with lots of fire support to keep them safe. The tanks will keep more than 250m and keep up the direct fire on the opposite side of the field.
 
The road advance has stalled out. There is no way to continue along the road. Behind the scenes some engineers are being brought forward but in the meantime the recon troops have satchel charges and they will pull back and start the bocage cutting process.

The summary of the progress 2 Battalion 116th has made so far.
 
E Company is blocked by the mines and road blocks. Instead of pressing forward they will bring up the engineers and cut the bocage so they can head to the left

 
F Company has taken casualties but will continue to move forward. With one platoon following the farm track to protect the right flank and the other platoon going through the field.

For this game we wanted to show as much as possible, and yet provide an entertaining and challenging game.  We decided that each of us would take two nations, and some UNCONs and Fighters and duke it out man on man, steel against steel (or Chobham as the case may be)... the only constraint was that whoever chose the US would also have to field the Syrians as the US does come with some advantages (Javelins etc.).
I gave Baneman first choice and he went with his own folks, the UK and partnered them with the German Army.  He suggested that I, as an American should take the US, so what choice did I have?   
As for force purchases we adhered to the following:
These constraints will apply to EACH nation we choose (purchase must be 50-50): Light troops - one platoon of mounted recon (or light armored recon) or two platoons of dismounted recon Armor - either two tanks (1st class: M1, Leo, or Challenger) or one platoon of second class tanks (anything Syrian, Leo 1 (Canada) Infantry - either one company (mounted) or two companies dismounted troops Artillery - whatever comes with our purchased units, plus:  one battery of medium howitzers (one from each nation) UNCONs - will let George select and deploy for us No air We then sent our purchases to @George MC who provided a gorgeous map for us to fight on, and he set us up.. George also selected and setup the UNCON force for us and deployed them.. neither of us knew the force composition or the locations of our irregulars.  George identified key objectives for us also and really this game could not have happened without him.  So, THANKS GEORGE!!!
I will get into the details of my force pick and what I suspect Baneman is bringing to the party in a later post... should be interesting, this is a Meeting Engagement with the following forces arrayed against each other:
BANEMAN - UK and German - UNCONs including some Technical (gun truck) support) ME - US and Syrian - UNCONs including some Technical (gun truck) support) The next post will have some pictures.    I will show some map highlights and include a topo map that I am using to track the action in this battle. 
I will run through my METT-T analysis as quickly as I can in order to get to the action... the first of those posts will probably go up tonight.
Bil

Very interesting. I've seen watermelons used but not balloons.  Same idea though.  Thanks for sharing. 
If you don't mind my asking what units were you in? I was 313 MI Bn. / 82nd Airborne 1983 -1987.  Thanks again

I realize I am late to the party but I wanted to add some real life experience to the discussion on the effectiveness of indirect fire upon dug in Infantry.
In 1986 we completely dug an infantry platoon defensive position plus company weapons det. This totalled 12 x 2 man fire trenches, Platoon HQ bunker, a mortar pit and 1 x AT trench and a M249 MG trench. We also dug all the communication trenches as well. The individual fire trenches had proper overhead protection consisting of corrugated metal (you could stick your bayonet through it) covered by 2 layers of sandbags. The HQ bunker consisted of 6inch. diameter logs covered by corrugated steel and 2 layers of sand bags.
In each trench we put 2 x target balloons. In the HQ bunker we put 3 x target balloons. The mortar pit had 2 x balloons as did the MG and AT trench for a total simulation of 33 humans.
4x 155mm Howitzers (7km distance) and 4 x 81mm Mortars (3km distance) continuously fired both impact and airburst rounds. for exactly 3 min.
Upon inspection of aftermath we found the 2 balloons of the Mortar pit gone from a direct hit. 2 other balloons were gone presumably from shrapnel. The HQ bunker took a direct hit. 29 persons survived. Although bleeding ears and an overall stunning would most certainly have occurred.
Suppression is the main purpose for both artillery/mortars and machine guns. I have heard many gamers complain that their MGs and artillery/mortars are useless because they are not very accurate...good..they are not supposed to be.