Josey Wales

Put up, or shut up - PBEM me. In your last temper tantrum and departure from the forum you were challenged several times after firing off the side of your mouth about your "tactical excellence."
This thread also has nothing to do whatsoever with Black Sea.

MINUTE 15
Okay this was a VERY busy turn… and sorry once again for the amount of media.  I hope it isn’t too hard on your internet connection. 
I ordered my Abrams to immediately start to reverse while it was reloading.  I did not want it to get into a gun duel if it wasn’t ready… when the gunner yelled “SABOT UP!” and while still moving in reverse the tank fired and killed the Leopard... killed him dead and was never spotted in return.  I had also ordered one of the LAVs nearby to pop smoke in front of the M1 to cover it… turns out that wasn’t needed.

T90 #2 fired and killed the Warrior near the Water Tower... so hey, yeah, the Syrians are capable of killing stuff. 

One British dismounted team is in the field between the now dead Warrior IFV and the T-90s… that means the second Warrior arrived at its unloading point unseen, but now I know about where it is.

1st Mech Infantry Platoon’s HQ team dismounted and armed with a Javelin, crawled into position hoping to get a spot on the Challenger that my Abrams hit last turn… towards the end of the turn he took aim and let the Javelin loose... it flew true and killed the enemy tank with a top hit.

Up near Hill 41.1 another team armed with a Javelin spotted a Scimitar and quickly destroyed it.  By the way, it takes about 20 seconds to reload the launcher and be ready for another shot.  Both of these teams will be reloaded and ready for action early next turn.

It didn’t go all my way though… the BMP-3 platoon moved forward, remember I was hoping to spot the Warrior platoon which should be to their front (and probably very close)… well, they moved forward just fine, then quickly lost two of the three BMPs, the first to an unknown shooter... I believe to one of the Warriors I was looking for...
…the second fell to the remaining Leopard tank.

Damn… I should have sent a dismounted team over the ridge to find those IFVs.  The BMP-3s never spotted a thing… yikes.  I am worried about those Warriors and I need to find them ASAP.

Still two enemy tanks, one light tank, and an IFV knocked out for the loss of two BMP-3s... I’ll take that exchange ratio every time.

I also received my final reinforcements.  I will post about them in another installment.

MINUTE 14
M1 #2 moved into the hollow next to the little hill in BP1 in order to overwatch the Gate to Valhalla with the hopes that the Leopard that was moving in that direction would come under its guns.  What it spotted instead was a Marder moving next to the farm ahead of the tank.  The Marder spotted the Abrams first and opened fire with its cannon taking out the turret mounted MG, but it was not a fair fight…
 
The M1 then immediately spotted the Leopard, which does not look like it sees the Abrams… the turn ended before my tank could reload.  I hate when that happens.  (see item 1 below)  

Some artillery spotting rounds are falling next to Hill 42.0 so I have moved my M3 platoon back a bit and loaded any infantry nearby. 

As time expired one of the Warriors moving through the field came into view near the Water Tower, it started to fire cannon rounds at T-90 #2 which was elevating its gun and taking aim as time expired!  (see item 2 below) 

The Warrior rear door opened as the clock ran out... hopefully, if the T-90 can actually make the kill, it will also take out most of the infantry in the back.

The Warrior platoon that was last spotted moving past HILL 32.9 has dropped off my radar completely… I have no contacts at all for this formation. (see item 3 below) 

Looks like it could be a very interesting next turn, coming up are the following highlights:
The M1A1SA #2 versus Leopard 2A4 faceoff.       The T-90 #2 versus Warrior IFV faceoff Plus, I am moving the BMP-3s 1st Platoon forward in the hopes of spotting that Warrior platoon that disappeared past Point 32.9 A couple Javelin teams will arrive in their firing positions looking to kill something Oh, and after next turn, the final reinforcements arrive! Don’t go anywhere!
1st Platoon BMP-3s getting ready to move to hulldown positions: (see item 3 above) 

BP1: (see item 1 and 4 above) 

MINUTE 13
M1 #2 had a tight cover arc covering the position the Challenger was moving into and had a 20 second pause to give it time to spot and fire before withdrawing.  I know now that those tanks can kill mine with ease, so I am taking few chances.
The enemy Challenger turned the corner and stopped, then took aim and fired at M1 #1, which if you remember last turn was already dead… though its crew had survived.. well after this hit and another I think from the other Challenger the crew was cut in half and only two survivors crawled out of the stricken tank. 

But then M1 #2 got a good firing solution and put a SABOT right into the Challenger’s front turret…  double wow… it shrugged off that hit without any noticeable damage.  Good news is that this Challenger never spotted mine before the Abrams pulled back into safety.

One of the Leos moved out of its position and appeared to be moving towards… the Ruined Farm… now renamed the Gate to Valhalla... keep sending them that way buddy.

The HQ tank from the T-90 platoon spotted a Marder breaching a stone wall near Farm 001 and was spotted in return.  The T-90 took several cannon rounds and returned one of its own, which... missed of course.  Will any Syrian vehicle get a kill in this game?  It’s looking doubtful at this point. 

The Warrior platoon that was heading toward Farm 002 has at least three vehicles moving beyond it, two of them (maybe only one with the second in support) appears to be heading through the field toward OBJ SAPPHIRE, a third has moved into the gully that leads into OBJ DIAMOND. 

I had already started to reorient one of the T-90s to cover the water tower area and the field beyond.  T-90 #2 will pull into position next turn to overwatch this field in front of Farm 002.

BFC was faced with two choices. Either allow CMSF to expire from old age like CMBO or entirely rework the title to bring it up in line with currently active products. BFC put a LOT of work and expense into CMSF2 and they're practically giving it away to 'legacy' CMSF1 owners. The point is CMSF2 will remain an active viable title on their store shelves into the foreseeable future. Wondering why CMSF got upgraded is like wondering why Toyota bothered to upgrade the 2006 Camry for sale in 2018.

I'm pretty sure that a blue line means that all weapons (for vehicles: weapon-systems) of a unit can fire at the targeted spot, while a grey line means that only part of the unit can fire. 
This is very obvious when you have an infantry squad and one guy is kneeling, while the rest of the squad is prone. You will notice that the blue LOS will be limited by the prone soldiers' LOS, while there is an additional grey LOS that ends where the kneeling soldiers' LOS ends. If you order the very same squad to hide=go prone, there is no grey LOS anymore. 
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Update concerning my problems with the functionality of ditches in Combat Mission games: I've done more experiments, but ditches that you create by shaping the terrain simply don't work. Soldiers will not stick to the trench, but instead still roam around at the elevated edges, horribly exposing themselves to artillery fire. I really wish that the placement of soldiers on an action spot will be improved so that they stick to the "lower" areas. Fortunately, placing trenches in ditches helps to mitigate the problem. As soldiers now stick to the depression (because they're placed inside of the trench, which is in the middle of the action spot), and because the trench itself might also provide some kind of bonus, they are now protected against artillery fire.  IN my testing barrages, the casualty numbers for ca. 20 men placed in a ditch decreased significantly. With the natural ditch, I lost ca. 12-17 guys, with the ditch + trench, the casualties are down to 1-2., which is still very high for 2 minutes of bombardement but far better than a wipe-out. 
There are still many problems though. While the trench "in" the ditch provides good cover versus artillery, the protection against small arms fire and LOS is a different matter (see my post from 16th June in this thread, where I describe a way to create positions that offer good protection against small arms fire and good LOS, but are very vulnerable vs. arty). Also, moving along a trenchline can still result in soldiers exposing themselves on the elevated borders of the ditch. Also, you still get the problem that units tend to leave the trench (for whatever reason) when they come under artillery fire and prefer to get killed in the flat open.
Pictures to make the problem clearer:
Natural ditch: horrible soldier placement - all but one soldiers are on the high terrain at the border of the ditch. If an artillery shell strikes anywhere close, half of the squad is dead.

 
Trench placed in ditch: good soldier placement. Nobody gets hurt unless a shell lands a direct hit in the trench (for that reason, I wished that trenches were narrower...)

Something similar can be achieved by placing walls/hedges in the ditch. It looks totally stupid, but it leads to slightly better soldier placement.

So, generally speaking, if you want to have a trench/ditch that actually works (i.e. offers protection to infantry), you have to make sure that the infantry will stick to the ditch/the center of the action spot somehow.  
I really think that these issues are a major concern. I'm pretty sure that the game uses a very sophisticated system to determine hits, both from artillery shells and direct fire. For example, when I was creating good MG-positions for CM:BlackSea by using craters and logs, I noticed that in many cases the MG gunners (behind the log) survived while the MG got destroyed by enemy fire! Until then, I didn't even know that MGs could be destroyed in that way! So it's a pity that the game engine is so sophisticated when it comes to determining hits but doesn't really let us "fine tune" the amount of cover and create proper positions.

Gerbini west: axis defenses
I was quite surprised that there is no detailed (by that I mean down to company level for important individual battles) book available either in german or english when it comes to Sicily. So, most of the german dispositions will be guesswork and I'll have a lot of freedom here. For the western sector of Gerbini, however, the reports mention three distinct features: 
1) anti-tank ditch: The accounts and Rennie's sketch mention an anti-tank-ditch, ca. 20 feet deep (lined on the north side with barbed wire), south of Gerbini which served as a starting line for the attack. I've tried to make out the exact location on google maps' satellite views, but I'm not entirely sure, as there are a lot of irrigation ditches all over the place. Moreover, one would assume that the tank-ditch would link up to the Dittaino river to the west and the Simete to the east. Anyway - the anti-tank-ditch was not a really important feature for the battle itself. It would just serve as a starting point. 
2) axis pillbox/bunker: Reports of the action mention a pillbox (maybe this is what is sometimes also called "barracks"?). The bunker is visible on google maps (see pictures). It was assaulted and taken by the 1st coy/1st Blackwatch and will also be a central feature of the scenario. Unfortunately, I could not find a ground-level-picture of it. However, I wonder if this bunker might actually be the left/central building on Eadie's drawing? The shape would fit quite well, I think, and also, vegetation is growing on the building - so it seems to be camouflaged. The building to the right can be found on the contemporary map too (maybe these are the "barracks"?) - a strange dot south of "mass.a Landolina". Moreover, there is (or rather was) a "wood" behind that bunker, which would be correct. The viewpoint would be on strada statale 192, looking north-east. So the tanks would not have wandered too far off the street - a small tip of the (dirt...?) street might be shown in the lower left corner. The rise of the ground is also reasonable and the place has obviously been shelled (crater, defoiled trees, buildings in ruins). Also, Rennie's account mentions two tanks getting knocked out (well, at least "hit") somewhere around here: "Two tanks of the troop sent to E, which had moved far out onto the open and level ground, were hit."  But in the end, it's all speculation. Maybe you are in the mood to help me interpret whether this strange building might indeed be the bunker?




3) mines: According to Rennie's account, 6 AT-guns were moved up north modern Strada Statale 192 into Gerbini in order to fortify it against the imminent german counter-attack. The leading portee hit a mine. So one can assume that some parts of the road south of Gerbini were mined.
 
 

This thread is about the creation of a historical map and scenario for CM:FI/GL: The battle of Gerbini which was fought on 20/21st July 1943 between elements of the commonwealth 51st (Highland) Division and the german parachute-tank-division Hermann Göring. As I don’t want to create or play scenarios that are larger than 1 company, and there is a limit to the maximum map-size, the scenario will only comprise part of the battle. But maybe I will end up with several company-sized scenarios.
Context
There is not a lot one needs to know about the overall context: After its landing south of Syracuse, the british/commonwealth 8th army (XXX. and XIII. corps) pushed north along the eastern coast of Sicily. The aim was to get to Messina as fast as possible in order to cut off the germans’ path of retreat and trap them on Sicily. A few kilometers south of Catania – a major coastal town – the 8th army met stiff resistance. Montgomery tried to bypass Catania further to the west, on the inland. In the battles of Gerbini and Sferro Hill, however, he had to learn that his army had made contact with the first (Hauptkampflinie) of three main defensive lines of the Germans, stretching from the west coast to the east cost of Sicily. While the western half of the defensive line made use of the mountainous terrain, here, on its eastern end, it ran along the plain of Catania, a large plain south of mount Etna. The germans set up their defenses at the northern edge of that plain, stretching 40 kilometers along and behind the river Dittaino. At Sferro and Gerbini, the commonwealth/british army tried to penetrate the eastern sectors of the Hauptkampflinie. 
The 51st Highland-division had established a bridgehead north of the Dittaino from which it started a night attack on Gerbini. It was primarily carried out by the 7th battalion Argyll & Sutherland highlanders and 2 companies of the 1st Blackwatch Highlanders – both these battalions were part of the 154th brigade of the 51st Highland Division/XXX. corps/8th army. Gerbini itself was northing more than a crossroad, orchards and a few houses. North of Gerbini, however, lay Gerbini airfield - a major axis aerodrome which had been a high priority target for allied bombers. Also, a single railroad-track ran east-west in between Gerbini proper and the airfield, with a stop at Gerbini station (stazione di Gerbini on the map). Today, you can only make out some remains of the runway on a field in between the railroad and the modern highway.
Sources
For a contemporary 1943 map (1:25.000) take a look here: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/italy_25k/ (Gerbini) (same here: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/maps/europe/zoomify138659.html ). This seems to be the US Army Map Service -map that the allied troops actually used during the campaign. 
You can compare this to modern maps, like the OpenTopo map (https://opentopomap.org/#map=15/37.47215/14.84386) and google maps (https://www.google.at/maps/@37.4691357,14.842885,1698m/data=!3m1!1e3).  
Thanks to the 51st Division online museum, there are two quite detailed reports about the action available online: The first source is a report by brigadier T. Rennie, the commander of the 154th Brigade, dating from August 14th 1943. It also includes a sketch (based on the map linked above) on which the objectives/artillery targets are marked: http://51hd.co.uk/accounts/gerbini_combs (report + artillery fire plan), http://51hd.co.uk/history/sicily_gerbini (Map/sketch).
Note that if you compare the plan to the report of the action nothing seems to have gone according to plan. None of the 7th Argyll & Sutherlands coys seem to have reached their assigned target area - instead they stayed further to the east and advanced on the airfield and beyond (D coy) and along the railroad (where A coy made it to the station). The west was therefore still held by the enemy as the 1st coy/1st blackwatch found out when it tried to secure the road north to clear the way for the support weapons and got pinned down in the process. The course of the tank platoon is a riddle for me. They showed up at the road/rail junction (where the 7th A&S's C coy held out) in the east at 00:00, then sent a tank to support A coy in the station, but later took up position in the orchard north of Gerbini, in the west. I wonder how the tanks got there.
The second source, also to be found on the 51st Division online museum, is a shorter account of Dell Porchetta, a member of the 8th platoon of A coy of the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. http://51hd.co.uk/accounts/porchetta_gerbini (His company surrendered at Gerbini station)
I also found this account quite helpful: https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2017/02/25/the-plain-of-catania-1943-part-i/
I could even find some drawings by the Division's artist Ian Gilber Marr Eadie (1917–1973):http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/8379 It is labeled with "Gerbini". We can try to identify the exact location (see next post). 
Some impressions filmed at Gerbini airfield: https://youtu.be/6HOPxnK2a6A
Selection
The Gerbini-attack is too large to be put into a single scenario. Therefore, I've decided to select (a) single theater(s) of the battle. I think that the western flank of the battle is very interesting. Here, the 1st coy. of 1st Blackwatch got pinned down, the 2nd coy managed to take a german pillbox with the help of a smoke screen, AT-guns were moved forward, and also, the german counter-attack on the next morning has been very strong, knocking out a good part of the Shermans who had been positioned in the orchard north of Gerbini. I think that this makes for one (or two) interesting scenarios (attack - counter-attack).
Moreover, I feel confident that maps and the accounts give me a quite detailed picture of the terrain. Gerbini station and the airfield are harder to imagine, since I couldn't find any contemporary pictures. 
 

MINUTE 12
Apologies ahead of time for the media heavy content in this post...
Another Warrior IFV platoon appears to be moving toward Point 32.9… M1 #1 moved into position in the early stages of this turn and almost immediately spotted one of them moving up to the Ruined Farm (Baneman does like that position), with one round it was sent to Valhalla…

10 seconds later it killed a second Warrior also near the Ruined Farm.  Think he has learned the lesson to stay away from that farm yet?

Immediately after killing the second Warrior IFV, M1 #1 spotted a Challenger!  Alas... before he could reload and reorient, the Challenger killed the Abrams with a one round turret front penetration… wow…

After looking at it from the Challenger’s perspective, I don’t think M1 #1 was hulldown to it… not sure if that would have even made a difference though.  To kill an Abrams from the front is impressive gun performance.
M1 #2 spotted one of the Warrior IFVs headed toward Farm 002 and got off one round, which hit the weapon mount with no ill effects that I could see, but that must be a gun kill.  The IFV trundled on toward Farm 002.

At the end of the turn the other Challenger was seen moving around the southern end of the large stone walled field in KT1.  M1 #2 will attempt to get a spot next turn and see if we can’t even the score.  I do like that he has split up his Challenger tanks so each is now operating independently.

Baneman has at least one dismounted infantry AT team (German) far forward near the wall… he is obviously attempting to get close enough to engage my LAVs with an AT weapon.  I need to check on the range for that weapon.  I suspect it looks meaner than it is.  LAV #4 spotted and fired on this team which went to ground.

The Bradley platoon started to arrive this turn, the dismounts will organize a Javelin armed AT team which will proceed to the ridge while the remaining infantry will remount next turn.

At least two Warrior IFVs moved beyond Point 32.9 appearing to be heading toward the position that is held by the BMP-3 Platoon.  I think he has two Warrior platoons in this area, one near the Ruined Farm (two vehicles spotted, both destroyed), and the other moving past Point 32.9 (three vehicles spotted).
Overview of enemy movements this turn:

Battle Position 1 (BP1):

MINUTE 11
Remember the LAV-AT’s orders:

Now, imagine my horror when I saw this…

…for some reason, instead of moving along its ordered path, LAV-AT #5 reversed into a position and presented its rear to Baneman’s Leopards…  Ce la Guerre.

It is difficult, but it is important to remain positive when things like this happen.  Even in real war, a commander has to deal with the friction such events cause, it can separate the good from the bad.  Still.. losing both of these assets in subsequent turns is a huge impact to my available combat power.
 
Baneman continues to build up his KT1 position.  A platoon of Warrior IFVs were spotted moving fast south along the back road.

This image shows the locations for the two leopard 2A4s and the one Challenger spotted this turn.  Also identifies the Warrior platoon movement.

Also spotted a Spartan moving toward the line in company of either one or two Warriors.  This can only be either the HQ Section or the Javelin Section (see the possible Enemy Order of battle below).

A Bradley platoon moves to cross the stream on their way to the Hill 42-Hill 41.1 ridgeline.  What they are up to in a future post.

PIR:  Where are the enemy tanks?  The enemy Leopard 2 tanks and at least one of the British Challengers (and probably both) are in the KT1 line providing fire support. A slightly reformatted Blood Board showing available and remaining vehicles of each type:

RECOVERED ENEMY ORDER OF BATTLE
NOTE:  Bolded items indicate confirmation sightings indicating I KNOW these formations exist on the map whether I have spotted all components or not.
UK
RECCE Platoon x8 Scimitar x1 FV432 Mk3 Bulldog x1 Spartan Armoured Rifle Company HQ Section x2 Warrior x1 Spartan x3 Rifle Platoon x4 Warrior Javelin Section x2 Warrior x1 Spartan x2 Javelin Launcher (with x2 dismount teams) Mortar Platoon x1 Spartan x2 FV432 (Mortar Carrier) Tank Section x2 Challenger GERMAN
Aufklarung Platoon x4 Fennek Panzergrenadier (PG) Company HQ Team x2 Marder Observer Section x1 Wolf x3 PG Platoon x4 Marder Panzer Section x2 Leopard 

AT guns are my favourite CM unit type. I only know about British WW2 doctrine when it comes to AT guns and I use this in game.
In defence the guns would be positioned in defilade or reverse slope positions with infantry positioned to defend them rather than the guns positioned to protect the infantry.
In attack, tanks would be used to take ground. AT guns would then be brought up to take the positions of the tank units so that the tanks could advance whilst the guns protected the newly captured position with infantry supporting them.
I have broken with doctrine on occasion and used smoke to conceal AT manouevre to attack tank positions.
I am currently playing a game where I have several AT guns at the edge of woodlines. They are protected by sandbags and have been getting the upper hand against multiple panzer assaults. All guns are in tact with a couple of crew casualties only, whilst the area they are covering is a graveyard of German armour and burning wrecks. Man I love AT guns!!

AT guns are my favourite CM unit type. I only know about British WW2 doctrine when it comes to AT guns and I use this in game.
In defence the guns would be positioned in defilade or reverse slope positions with infantry positioned to defend them rather than the guns positioned to protect the infantry.
In attack, tanks would be used to take ground. AT guns would then be brought up to take the positions of the tank units so that the tanks could advance whilst the guns protected the newly captured position with infantry supporting them.
I have broken with doctrine on occasion and used smoke to conceal AT manouevre to attack tank positions.
I am currently playing a game where I have several AT guns at the edge of woodlines. They are protected by sandbags and have been getting the upper hand against multiple panzer assaults. All guns are in tact with a couple of crew casualties only, whilst the area they are covering is a graveyard of German armour and burning wrecks. Man I love AT guns!!

I've caught a lot of flak in the past for my narrow target arcs for armor engagements.  But I have had a lot of luck with them, so I continue to use them when the circumstances warrant.
Care is required when using them like I am in the clip above:
Be assured that the target vehicle(s) have not moved for a while which means there could be a high likelihood of them not moving out of the arc Protect your tank if at all possible by placing it in a key hole position.. in the example with the LAV-AT it can only be sighted along the narrow arc, it is masked from neighboring terrain for the most part.  I do not always follow this rule, and in those cases I try to keep them exposed with a narrow arc for a short period of time and then withdraw and cancel the arc. Advantages (from my experience, YMMV):
All eyes are focused on the same small slice of terrain, so in my experience they spot very quickly, all other factors being in their favor (optics, skill level, enemy activity, terrain factors (dust, vegetation, etc.) etc.) A turret or weapon system has only a very short distance to travel to align on an enemy target within the arc, this also increases the spot to engagement speed.  You have to weigh whether these advantages in armor combat are worth the risk.
You and others know the disadvantages.  Be assured that I use them, but I try to use them only in certain circumstances and when the situation is exactly right. 
Bil

MINUTE 10
LAV-AT #5 sat still in its hulldown position and waited to get a spot... I was hoping it would be able to get a shot on the Leo, however a Marder came trundling forward next to the Leo... the LAV instantly saw it and sent a missile on its way.  If you watch closely, right before the TOW is loosed the ammo from the LAV-AT destroyed last turn goes up in a fireball.

Right before the missile hit, the Marder spotted my hulldown LAV-AT and sent some cannon rounds their way which all went high.  I think the very small footprint of that launcher is going to be hard to hit (that’s my hope anyway).  The missile however hit the mark and that is scratch one Marder.  He won’t like that result and I can only hope it still had its infantry squad in the back. 

LAV-AT #5 did spot the Leo for a few seconds after hitting the Marder, but lost the spot soon after.  Of course the LAV-AT couldn’t fire anyway as it was reloading.

The LAV-AT carries two missiles in its launcher and this was the second one this vehicle has fired, so it immediately went into reload mode after firing and this was in progress as the turn came to an end.  Next turn I will pull this vehicle back over its ridge to complete reloading, then move forward one more time in an attempt to bag that Leo.

The Scimitar opposite T-90 #2 of course popped smoke and withdrew to safety. 
T-90 HQ never spotted anything while it was in position, but it did receive a laser warning, popped smoke and withdrew.  These Syrians are a challenge to use effectively, most of the time they can’t spot worth a damn... in the rare event that they do spot, they miss.  They have missed every shot fired so far.

This image shows my current dispositions, the enemy situation has become muddled as few vehicles are now firmly spotted.

The situation in and around DUMAYR isn’t great, the fighters I was moving towards DUMAYR are staggered and spread out from the river bank to their original start positions.  Most are exhausted, tired, panicked, etc.  I just want them over the river and in cover for now.


 
REINFORCEMENTS

The Main Body arrived in zone   
M1A1SA Section (x2 Tanks) D Company Mech Infantry on M2A3 Bradley (x13 M2A3 and x1 BFIST) The remainder of the SP Mortar Battery (x2 M1064A3 and x2 HMMWV) Battalion CO on HMMWV

Now I have some serious firepower to engage Baneman with.  Of course this means that his main body will also have arrived and the British Army are no pushovers, though I think my US Army forces have a slight edge.  It’ll be down to who uses them more effectively. 
I have a two stage plan that I have been waiting to implement and now that these troops are on the board those plans are getting implemented.  It will take several turns to get everything into position.
It will get very deadly now in this area of operations.  Stay tuned. 

@John Kettler - We're talking about "fatigue" effects in the Combat Mission games, not in real life.  Your well researched references don't apply.  Hence, LukeFF's note to move past them.

I'm Mordified!!!  

MINUTE 8
A relatively quiet turn… I think Baneman has hunkered down, at least temporarily.  Next turn it should liven up again as my T-90s, all three of them will move into hulldown positions, my LAV-ATs will be in their hulldown positions and a couple of the LAVs will also move into hulldown positions.
Only a few minutes until the main body arrives.  I will admit that I am disappointed that I haven’t had more contact with Baneman’s forces and been able to attrite it at all.  It is taking much longer to deploy and reorient than I expected.  I will have more pieces in play next turn than any previous.
The USMC dismounts achieved the OBJ GARNET (touch) this turn… the T-90s will be passing them to go into their positons next turn.  Real curious how Baneman is planning on countering my tank threat.

MINUTE 9
In trying to get the LAV-AT #6 into a good firing position where it could see into the enemy rear area I pushed it too far... it ended up not being hulldown when it was spotted by the Leopard 2 and was hit, at first losing its weapons, then suffering a wheel hit  becoming immobilized.  Once that happened it was just a matter of time before the Leo found the range and dealt the killing blow.  That was a waste of a crucial piece of weaponry that is 100% on me.  

The advantage in playing large scenarios like this is you can absorb losses like this more easily... if this had been a company scale engagement losing that one piece of equipment might have been terminal… in a Battalion sized engagement it is a blip, as long as it doesn’t become a trend!
T-90 #2 moved into its hulldown position, spotted the Scimitar it was sent to kill... however, though it fired twice, one was a miss and the second round hit the corner of a building… damn.  Baneman’s luck has to end at some point.  This is the third vehicle (Scimitar near the ruined farm and Marder hit by two of the LAVs) that I got the drop on, the other two he was able to withdraw to safety.

I led a 107mm self-propelled mortar platoon for 13 months.  Gunners cannot accurately fire at targets they cannot see.  More importantly, they cannot adjust fires so as to hit targets they cannot see.  Your "justification" is flawed in that is not realistic.  The game currently (and accurately) lets mortars and grenadiers lay "area" fires anywhere they have lines of sight.  That's about as realistic as it should get in any game.   

MINUTE 7
As LAV #4 and #1 were moving towards their hulldowns positions they both spotted one of the Marders that came in with Baneman’s advance guard moving laterally just in front of KT-1.  LAV #4 and LAV #1 both spotted and opened up on the enemy IFV which suffered several hits in the side and a few penetrations.

Later it took several frontal hits and one partial penetration and internal spalling. 
Those things are tough, but I expect it took some damage, perhaps to its weapon systems (the ATGM took what looked like several direct hits), optics, or maybe, if I’m extra lucky, to its crew or passengers. 
It was reversing when I lost sight of it but not before taking several more hits.  It never spotted my firing LAVs. 

Still, that doesn’t mean another vehicle didn’t, so next turn I will pop smoke and withdraw LAV #4 as it seems very exposed right now.  LAV #1 will also pull back over the ridge.  These LAVs are too light to go head to head against Marders and there are way too many enemy vehicles in the area next to the Marder to take unnecessary chances.

One Scimitar moved quickly to join its partner at the Farm 011 and Farm 012 area. 

Speaking of that… two of the T-90s are moving as fast as possible, starting next turn, to try to get eyes on one or maybe both Scimitars there.  I think having these tanks deeper in the AO will hopefully disconcert Baneman some and could make him react with his Leos to counter them.

The intent with my moves right now is to try to isolate one or two of the enemy vehicles at a time while limiting my exposure to the bulk of his firepower.  Basically move into a position, spot if possible, take a shot or two then withdraw, rinse, and repeat.  I do not want to stay in one position longer than necessary in this environment.
Moving my fighter group from the Monastery area toward DUMAYR may not have been my smartest move... they are getting very tired and a few units are fatigued or exhausted.  Definitely not the same quality as line troops.  I am worried about them now... if they get caught in the fields with his technicals moving in on them they could be in trouble... I am moving another LAV into position to help in spotting those pickups and I am trying to position the RPGs in spots where they can get firing solutions if the trucks move in close enough.

PIR:  Will the enemy Mechanized Force attempt to seize KT 2?  It does not appear Baneman is trying to attack KT2 yet, but he could be building a Support by Fire (SBF) position to support such an attack.
PIR:  What is the force composition of the enemy Advance Guard?  This formation appears to mainly be made up German units, Marders and two Leopard 2A4s. 
PIR:  Where are the enemy tanks?  The enemy Leopard 2A4 tanks are in the KT1 line providing fire support.

MINUTE 5
Team 2’s ATGM that was in flight last turn missed high again… I think all the incoming fire threw off their aim so they missed both of those shots and in my opinion that is a realistic result.  Baneman opened up on them with several Scimitars this turn, however the team was able to pull back over the ridge no worse for wear.  The AT-7 is still partially deployed, an advantage of moving just one action spot, resetting will take far less time.  They do have three missiles left... next time I use them I need to find a better, more keyholed position, preferably away from the prying eyes of those damned Fenneks.
One lucky SOB (composite image to show the missile's path):

The BMP 2 is now re-manned and I will be moving them toward a firing position next turn to attempt to engage a Scimitar further in depth.

LAV-25 4 moved into a keyhole position and at the end of the turn spotted, fired at and penetrated the Scimitar near the ruined farm (Weapon Mount penetration).  I don’t think it is knocked out yet, so next turn I will be pouring it on.  The Fennek right next to it spotted my hulldown LAV almost immediately and fired a salvo of grenades, but they went long.  Damn that thing has amazing optics.  Drives home that I need to take them out as quickly as I can.  The Scimitars in comparison do not seem to spot my units very well at all. 

At the end of the turn the LAV-AT attached to Team 2 got a firm spot on the Fennek near the ruined farm.  It was taking aim as the turn ended.  I doubt they will miss like the AT-7 team did, fingers crossed.  Killing the Fenneks is now a priority task.

The dismounted recon platoon is closing in on OBJ GARNET.  They are looking for a covered route to move towards the enemy positions.

At Farm 002 the Fennek that dismounted last turn remounts.  That vehicle is useless without its crew and loses all the advantages its optics give him, guess he realized that.
In DUMAYR, Baneman continues to throw his teams forward.  I am going to abandon my positions near the Monastery and move my fighters to South DUMAYR and let them join the fight for that objective. 
The Monastery and Village Charlie are not as important as DUMAYR and I’d like to concentrate against the unit he has engaged there and eliminate it.  With a little luck he could find himself squeezed between my two irregular forces.  Team 1’s BMP-2 will be providing some support fire into the enemy held buildings across from my teams in an attempt to reduce some of the pressure. 

In other news, my Advance Guard arrived in the AO.  I am actually wishing I had another five minutes for the recon battle... it is just now starting to develop and get interesting.  With my Advance Guard will also come his… and he can deploy his forward far faster than I, so could, in theory achieve fire superiority before I can get into position.  KT-2 does provide the highest ground in the AO so that is an advantage for me... but it will be tricky bringing my combat power to bear without exposing them.  I also expect a linear artillery barrage on KT2 in the near future... maybe before the main body arrives so I need to prepare for that as well.

Advance Guard
I have five turns before the main body arrives so I would like to commit the Advance Guard to action as soon as possible.  My intent is to attrit the enemy recon force and the enemy Advance Guard to such a degree that when the main bodies arrive I will have a leg up.  I feel like the battle in EA1 is the key to this battle.  Whoever wins that fight will have freedom of maneuver.

I will try to target my mortars on KT1 if possible.
The T-90SA platoon will be quickly moving over the bridge to support the LAVs that are engaging the enemy recon elements and to be in a central position in order to react to where they are needed.

The BMP-3 platoon will disembark their infantry and then the vehicles will move en-masse to the north edge of the KT2 ridgeline.  I want them to engage the enemy with their ATGMs, if possible one part of the enemy force at a time.  I would love to eventually get them down to the plain between KT1 and KT2 to take the fight to the enemy but that might have to wait for the main body to arrive.

The dismounted infantry platoon will move down the gully and move toward the river.  Once close they will await orders.  My intent with them is to drive as deep as possible under cover toward the river, and cross it if possible to support the irregulars in DUMAYR.  It will take a few turns for them to get moving as they need to disembark, split, remount one of the teams to allow the BMP-3s to operate at full efficiency, and only then can they head out.
Can't wait to play with these guys:

Once the BMP-3s arrive at the ridgeline I will pull the LAV-ATs from the teams they are supporting and attach them to the BMP-3s.  The Syrian Recon Platoon dismounted elements will remain where they are for now and continue their dismounted recon and harassment role.  The BMP-2 #2 will be moving to join its brother so they can cooperate as a team, mainly against the enemy DUMAYR irregular fighters. 
Next turn I will include a SITMAP to show all friendly and enemy unit positions (known and suspected).

I don't usually quote an entire post, especially one as large as this, but an exception is certainly warranted.
@Bil Hardenberger, you have surpassed your usual high high standards with this one! Embedded gifs (or whatever magickry you used) highlighting the action? Outstanding.
Great overview, perspectives, command analysis, etc.
Now, I have to give Baneman some credit: expending his uncons to make you expend your ammo is a BRILLIANT tactic. Do your Uncons have grenades? Knives? Nearby rocks? 
In a serious vein, if your Uncon defensive position is running low on ammo, what is your plan for them?

MINUTE 4
Team 2’s AT team finished setting up its AT-7, aimed at the Scimitar near the ruined farm and let fly… the missile just skimmed the turret but hit the ground well beyond…

…immediately the accompanying Fennek spotted the team and fired a few volleys of grenades at this team.  None hit, but the grenades were churning up the ground as they moved closer and closer toward the end of the turn. 

The AT team fired a second missile that is still in the air at the end of the first turn.  I will be pulling them out of the line next turn... hopefully they get out okay… if not, that’s okay too as long as he loses the Scimitar.  I’m on the edge of my seat…

Neither of my vehicles in this team got a spot this turn... I will be pulling the BMP out of the line next turn in order to re-mount one of the scout teams as noted last turn.  The LAV-AT will stay where it is for now, I expect Baneman will move a vehicle or two next turn near the ruined farm, and that might help the LAV-AT spot one or both of them.
Team 1’s BMP did pull off the line this turn, and will now wait for the Recon Platoon leader team to remount next turn.

The Fennek at Farm 2 dismounted this turn and entered the buildings.  It does not look like he wants to push beyond the farm at this point... he is happy to sit in place and provide support fire with the Scimitar towards my UNCONs near the Monastery.

Two of the four LAVs in my reaction force will be moving forward into keyhole positions next turn, hoping to get a spot or two on a Scimitar or Fennek.  This movement is in preparation for my Advance Guard which is just one minute out. 

The dismounts from this platoon are starting to move out on a route reconnaissance toward OBJ GARNET.  The other two LAVs are being held back in reserve.

In DUMAYR, Baneman is pushing his irregulars hard toward mine and it continues to cost him.  My teams are going to get critical on ammo very soon though, so he might be able to get an advantage.  I am switching my teams in this area to control their own fire.  I should have noticed the small amount of ammo they carried from the start.  I’ll try to provide them some support by fire from my positions near KT2, but to be honest, the action in DUMAYR is a side-show right now and I am not intent on pushing forward at all there.
My final Technical did extricate itself, so that will help some and it is moving to the sound of guns in DUMAYR-North.

PIR:  Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize DUMAYR?  His assault is picking up steam, but it has cost him a lot of casualties to this point. I estimate he has lost 9 or 10 fighters (maybe one or two more) to 3 of my own. PIR:  Where are the enemy Technicals?  I finally get some contacts on his technicals, they are presently located near the built up area at the western most bridge.

This is great. Bil you set the standard in AAR presentation that the rest of us aspire to. 

MINUTE 3
I think Baneman must be starting to get spots or at least contacts on KT2 because his movement has started to stall…

It appears he is primarily focused on the UNCONs around the Monastery and DUMAYR.  At least two Scimitars have opened fire on my irregulars outside the Monastery…

…he has started to push towards my UNCONs on the edge of the north boundary of the town.  For now I am letting him come... he has lost at least five men and probably more while I have taken two casualties in this action. 

I lost the technical that was dismounted last turn to enemy Scimitar fire this turn.  Not much I could do about that, they were left exposed on the road to Baneman’s movements and there was little I could do about it... well I could have moved them turn one, and that’s on me.  I will try to extricate the last vehicle, but I will be very lucky if they can pull out and into safety before getting hit too.  Best to not factor it into my plans moving forward.
One Scimitar did area fire (light) at the crest of Hill 42, nothing was there at this point. 

By the end of the turn I did have two DRTs close to the crest, but still on the reverse slope.  These from Team 2.  The BMP has successfully reversed into a hulldown position. 

Team 1’s AT team has moved into position and was still deploying its AT-7 at the end of the turn… it did end the turn with two enemy vehicles in view. 

The AT-7 team has spots on the two vehicles near the Ruined Farm:

The BMP and the LAV-AT have moved into positions on the crest but have yet to spot anything... and I have no clue whether they were spotted moving into their hulldown positions.

PIR:  Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1?  After three minutes it appears there are only the two vehicles (Scimitar and Fennek) on this route for now.  I am officially calling it a Route Recon only, at least for now.  PIR:  Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation?  After three minutes this does not appear to be his intent. PIR:  Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1?  After three minutes of action it appears like my opponent is indeed putting most of his Scimitars into overwatch positions oriented towards KT2. Analysis:  It appears that Baneman has formed a couple of two vehicle teams (one Scimitar paired with one Fennek), one of these teams is on AA1 at Farm 002, and the other pair is near the ruined farm. 
PIR:  Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize DUMAYR?  It does appear like he has this intention, and seems to be throwing a large irregular force into capturing the town. PIR:  Will the enemy militia/fighters attempt to seize the Monastery?  There has been no sign of enemy activity near the Monastery, but it is early and I have no eyes on the other side of the compound.  It is too early to make a determination on this question. PIR:  Where are the enemy Technicals?  After three minutes there has been no sign of these vehicles. GAMEPLAY NOTE:   I am worried about my BMPs... after some reading on the forums it appears that it is best practice to leave at least one other individual in the BMP so someone can man the leader’s seat.  I have dismounted all of my BMP teams so each is only left with a two man crew which is substandard... I will pull them out of view and remount one team in each at the earliest opportunity.  Of course that’s going to have to wait until next turn as I have already returned the file.

MINUTE 2
 
Baneman continues to push down AA1… he only has one Scimitar and one Fennek on that route so far so it is hardly a movement in force.
His Scimitars and a couple Fenneks are fanning out and taking up positions inside the EA1 box behind walls, in trees and hull down if possible in order to overwatch KT2.  From the orientation of a few of them he seems particularly interested in the saddle between the two hills, but that might just be to keep them centered so they can orient on whichever hill needs attention.
This image identifies all eight of the Scimitars and their locations, three of the four expected Fenneks and the FV432, which now sits behind a building as shown.  Except for one Fennek I have identified the locations of his entire reconnaissance force and can start planning how to counter it. 
(NOTE:  The vehicle icons were added in Photoshop, this is not a game feature)

One Scimitar took up position behind the Old Ruined Farm walls.

Another Scimitar engaged my Technicals again... one of which dismounted.  Not moving these on turn one is starting to haunt me… oh well, hindsight and all that.
Baneman is moving his UNCONs into the OBJ Gold buildings... one of this teams has suffered one casualty and is cowering... this team did return the favor and took out one man from an MG team.  But I have a lot of fire pouring into that building so he might be outgunned.

I can see several more UNCON teams moving through the buildings as well… I have contact icons for them anyway.  So will hold tight and let them come.

I have no doubt that his UNCONs are giving him intel on my movements on KT2 just like mine are of his movements... nothing I can do about that right now though.
Team 2 has finally reached its destination and dismounted the ATGM and recon teams.  They will be in position next turn... hopefully unseen.  If the ATGM team is not spotted moving into position or setting up the ATGM, they may be able to do some damage... but time will tell.  The vehicles will be positioning into (hopefully) keyhole positions to engage a Scimitar or two. 


Team 1 has also finally moved into position, the hulldown LAV-AT getting a fleeting spot on the Scimitar Baneman is moving down AA1, but it was a short sighting and he lost it as the light tank moved behind the Farm 002 mound. 

The BMP actually stopped in a non-hulldown position to the Scimitar at Farm 002 and could be spotted... so I will back it into a hulldown position to overwatch the AA1 route.  This team is masked from the mass of Baneman’s Scimitars as that is not their target... making the AA1 route uncomfortable for him is however.  I wouldn't mind if he knew these vehicles were here, might make him cautious.


My LAV reaction force was still moving into position at turn end.  


·         PIR:  Will the enemy recon attempt a recon in force down AA1?  A Scimitar joined the Fennek on this route, still no recon in force, it appears to be a route recon only for now.
·         PIR:  Will the enemy recon attempt a counter-recon operation?  After two minutes this does not appear to be his intent.
·         PIR:  Will the enemy recon force take up overwatch positions at KT1?  After two minutes of action it appears like my opponent is indeed putting most of his Scimitars into overwatch positions oriented towards KT2.
Three turns until my Advance guard arrives, in the meantime I am chewing my fingernails to the quick.