Monty's Mighty Moustache

In original text used a word "copters". In Russian and Ukrainian military slang this word is reduced form of "quadcopter, hexacopter, octocopter"  - and means a drone with helicopter-type engine. Helicopter in our slang will be "vertushka" (from Russian word "vertoliot" = "helicopter"), means "pinwheel"

Of course!
That is why we can't give Ukraine Javelins, because Russia said it will nuke us. But wait, they didn't.
Oh but that is why we can't give Ukraine HIMARS, because Russia said it will nuke us. But wait, they didn't.
Anyway, this is definitely why we can't give Ukraine tanks and IFVs, because Russia said it will nuke us if we do. But wait, they didn't.
But it definitely is why we can't give Ukraine proper air defense systems, because Russia said it will nuke us. But wait, they didn't.
This time though, this is why we can't give Ukraine Western tanks and IFVs, because Russia said it will nuke us. But wait, they didn't.
It is however most definitely why we can't give Ukraine long range missiles, because Russia said it will nuke us if we do. But wait, they didn't.
And of course we can't give Ukraine the cluster ammo, because Russia said it will nuke us if we do. But wait, they didn't.
But this time. This time for sure! This time we can't help in any other way, whether it's the grain deal (also known as "Russia manufacturing famine in the third world", something Russia does for fun every once in a while) of jet fighters or more missiles, because Russia said it will nuke us if we do!
...
I took a tram in the city the other day, and saw a teenage girl with Ukraine pin on her backpack. She was wearing a glove over the stump where her right hand should be, and had some black cloth covering part of her thigh where something took out bunch of flesh. World doesn't need more of these.
But keep coming up with reasons why Russians should be left alone murdering and crippling more and more Ukrainians. Keep calling looking for solutions "bloodlust". I'm sure it's easy and fun thing to do. I wouldn't be able to look myself in the eyes, if I did, but you do you.

I am by no means an expert but I tend to do my OCOKA like outlined in my DAR (which I really must finish). It is really useful in the early stages and helps identify KT and NAIs and TAIs too. 
 
It depends on your forces I guess. If you have a boatload of artillery then there's no reason not to deny the terrain to the enemy with indirect fires, make him at least keep his head down if he's up there or dissuade him from trying to go up there in the first instance. If you have only manpower and armour then you'd probably have to find a way to take it.
Movement techniques would be my go-to, you'd have to use bounds, either successive or alternating and provide all round overwatch to the element that's moving.
When I get away from the above (tired, CBA or am not thorough enough) is when I usually get into trouble, and I get into trouble a lot
MMM

Love watching how other players approach these things, I did it completely different.
MMM

The question facing military professionals everywhere out of this war are:
- "What is unique to this war?"
- "What is universal to all future wars?"
We had a whole thread going on the General Forum on development of warfare over the 19th century and I believe modern militaries are facing a similar conundrum.
"How would NATO do in this war?"  Well it depends which side we are going to be.  As Ukraine against Russia we would likely have seen a shorter sharper war but the costs would have been a serious shock to the western world. [note: let's not get dragged into another nuclear equation discussion, we can just put that one to the side]  We are talking likely tens of thousands of casualties and a lot of expensive kit lost.  Why?
- Air superiority.  I do not know what this means in a modern context.  A2AD capability is rapidly becoming distributed and highly portable.  We may have been able to gain air superiority over 20,000 feet but below that we would have been taking serious losses as there is not such thing as SEAD for MANPADs basically everywhere.  Modern MANPADs and IADs can operate independently all over the battlefield.  Further they can deny airspaces at much higher altitudes and higher ranges.  Why?  Because while we were stonking Iraq, Libya, Serbia and a bunch of dirt farmers in Afghanistan competing states were taking notes and investing heavily in the tech.  Take away our air supremacy and the western way of warfare is immediately in trouble.  And, shocker, places like Iran really don't like us and do not want to be invaded.
Below 20,000 feet it is the freakin wild west right now.  I do not care how many lasers we strap on every tank, IFV or truck.  I do not care how much EM is pumped into space - birds f#ucked up for the next 20 years.  Unmanned systems are 1) cheap, 2) highly effective and 3) everywhere.  Whether they are doing ISR or strike they have changed the fabric of warfare between about 3 to 20,000 feet...and they are just getting started.  Air superiority below 20,000 feet does not exist as a concept right now.  Hell we lost it below 2000 feet in Iraq to freakin ISIL, who were basically the lowest bar one can get with respect to conventional warfare.   If we were fighting the RA the UAS problem would be extremely costly...as in freakin nations pulling out after losing too many people, costly.  Can anyone imagine if the Taliban got their hands on this tech and started dropping old cluster munitions right on our heads back in the COPs and FOBs?  I slept for weeks about 200m from a 50,000 gallon fuel bladder that was resting under an open sky ...let that sink in.
So what?  Well "wither goest Air Superiority" is one of the biggest questions of this war, and as you can see it is a multi-dimensional one.
- C4ISR.  Russia does not have a world class C4ISR architecture.  But even with what they do have the principle of "making them go dark" to establish C4ISR superiority - far more important in this day and age then any domain superiority - is also in question.  With everything being a sensor hooked into crazy comms and networks - hell with hotspotting everything can be a node in a comms network.  So I am not even sure how to make an opponent go dark anymore (see unmanned).  I am sure we got people working on it but the fact that an even poorly armed opponent can see me tens of kms out makes me nervous.  Worse, they can see my logistics train as well.  The fact they can record all this and stream it all over the planet in real time turns really concerns me.  A half decent opponent would be broadcasting every screw up and horror show, which makes sustainment of national will a big problem.
- PGM.  Artillery, ATGM...insert whatever nightmare comes next.  No one is ready to face this.  I cannot begin to imagine trying to do an obstacle crossing when my opponent can hit me at 3-4kms with an 80% success rate with ATGM.  "Oh that is ok, we have APS"...fantastic, right up until someone comes up with workarounds like sub-munitions or EFP.  And even if we do magically put bubble wrap around ourselves, nothing on earth can stop artillery round that can land directly on my head.  Oh and this is while I am still trying to deal with old stuff like mines, and new stuff like UAS.
All of that  adds up to some very disconcerting calculus.  As in "is combined arms dead as we know it?" type of calculus (someone is going to try and answer this, someone always does...just don't bother.  I do not post my mil quals for some very good reasons but trust me when I say no one has this figured out yet).
Now here is the punchline: this is all if we were fighting Russia.  I, frankly, am far less concerned about fighting Russia - now more than ever.  I am very worried about fighting Ukraine.  If we get stuck on the wrong side of a proxy war and our opponent is armed with C4ISR, PGM and A2AD like Ukraine is right now, we are in very serious trouble. 
"Well we just won't fight those wars."  Ya, that is not how it works.  We don't get to choose the wars we decide to fight, gawd that is a post-Cold War perception that needs to die, and fast.  This is the nightmare scenario and I do not know if you guys have been paying attention but we kinda been doing a lot of expeditionary operations in all sort of places to push the brand.  What happens when Chinese space based ISR start lighting us up?  We wind up in a hybrid fight with the other side armed with HJ-12s?
I do not know.  This is a big reason when [insert talking head] says "Ukraine needs to do this"  "We need to give them that"...and the war will be over in a week.  My advice is to stop listening.  No one in the west has been in a war like this since Korea and the freakin needle has moved miles since Korea.  I say this without hyperbole, we are going to be spending the rest of this century trying to figure this all out as things like UGVs start coming online.  Tell your (grand) kids to get into the sciences of killing because it is a major growth industry.  For now, the best we can do is watch and learn.  Both the UA and RA are feeling their way through a war unlike any we have seen before.   

Nope, pointless comparison.
The truck bomb explosion can be huge but how much would be directed at the bridge? Beats me but a lot less than the full ride because the explosion has so many places to go that are not hurting the bridge.
This time nearly every Kg of explosive was going to hurt that bridge either directly at the point of impact or on the under side of the road deck.
I'm no military explosive expert but the effects of a confined explosion are significantly more powerful than an unconfined explosion. Spill a bunch of hydro carbons onto the ground and watch it go boom - it will suck to near by. Confine that inside a building or a rail car and watch it go boom and the range where your life will suck is so so much larger.

What if the Ukrainians basically have baited the Russians into counterattacking in the north by attacking the south, and have forces built up and waiting to launch a spoiling attack to destroy them when they push? They of all people know the Russians love to attack and don't like to sit and defend.
That would be epic (although probably pretty unlikely but one can hope)!

Mandatory.

WP interview with Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, where he made several tough messages: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/14/ukraine-military-valery-zaluzhny-russia/
Zaluzhny said, he uses weapons made in Ukraine for the frequent strikes across the border that Kyiv never officially acknowledges as its own.
“To save my people, why do I have to ask someone for permission what to do on enemy territory?” Zaluzhny recently told The Washington Post in a rare interview. “For some reason, I have to think that I’m not allowed to do anything there. Why? Because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will … use nuclear weapons? The kids who are dying don’t care.
“This is our problem, and it is up to us to decide how to kill this enemy. It is possible and necessary to kill on his territory in a war. If our partners are afraid to use their weapons, we will kill with our own. But only as much as is necessary.”
 
Zaluzhny, however, isn’t shy about his intent to reclaim Crimea, the peninsula Russia illegally annexed in 2014, even as some Western officials privately worry about what Putin’s response would be if Ukrainian troops ever reached the territory. “As soon as I have the means, I’ll do something. I don’t give a damn — nobody will stop me,” Zaluzhny said.
 
 
 

Of course, Slavic settelmnent names are like abrakadabra for western readers, especially if it has more that 15 letters ))), but yes each name of city, town and village can be roughly translated in English. 
Urozhayne is adjective, so it better to translate not like "harvest", but "fruitful"  ) Though, of course geographical names aren't translated, even partilly like Velyka Novosilka can't be Large Novosilka ) - full rough translated name will be "Large Newcomerville" )
Typical Ukrainian village or rarely setlement/town name has ending -(il/in/ian/iv)ka. Then this in noun. It consists from some significant part and the ending. This "-ka" usually means founding /belonging/first settlers name/name originated from some charakter - so, for example Ivanivka - "Ivan's village", "originated from Ivan", "belonged to Ivan" or Dubivka - "originated from oaks".  Nesterianka - "originated from Nestor"
Some villages and towns rarely have only significant word, without ending.  For example Kopani  - old Ukrainian word "Kopan' ", means "the pit for keeping a water or the well without the frame", so it translated like "Waterpits", or Lyman - despite this word is equal to "liman, firth" for Donbas it has local means "the lake". Or Tokmak - name derived from name of the river Tokmak, which has turk origins means "poll/butt"
Many villages have endings in the names "-le", "-ne", "-te", "-s'ke", "-ve", "-che" and then this is just adjectives. Verbove - from "verba" ("willow"). Sometime it has means of belongings like "-ka". If Ivanivka is "originated from Ivan", that "Ivanivs'ke" is "belonging to Ivan". Robotyne, btw, it more similar to the noun - it's from the word "work", so maybe "place of [field] work", but I think it likely was initially Russian name "Rabotino" more typical for Russian names, which was just translated on Ukrainian manner.   

Hah. Which Tory is "first division" if Wallace is second?
In case you hadn't noticed, last time, it was Argentina who did the invading. Britain has some pretty far-flung interests which it is prudent to retain the capacity to defend at need. Defend. You know, like Ukrainians do. Not invade, like Russians.
We should (and are) give Ukraine what we can.  Most of the NLAWs that helped stop Russia's first attacks came from the UK. They got 800 Storm Shadows.. I don't think we have that many left on the RAF's establishment. We've promised them the entirety of the annual production of the cruise missiles. If we want to replace the ones we've given over already, we have to ramp up production (and I believe the statment implied that we were).

Ah brill - good to know it works! 
Re the second one - crap that's me probably uploaded the wrong briefing. I'll double check. Good catch ta. Actual briefing below.
 

Thanks for these @George MC, I like to use scenarios such as these to hone tactics. I've played through the first scenario and without giving spoilers away it looks like I went exactly the way you were predicting. I got luck though and only suffered one casualty and that was through friendly fire.
I just fired up the second one and it seems the briefing is the same as for the first scenario. Not that it matters as it's clear what I need to do but thought I'd let you know. Not checked the third one (have to work now) but it might be worth double checking that one too.
MMM

To be fair, @panzermartin specifically mentioned Western Europe. None of those countries are in western Europe.
Again, there is enough to discuss that people actually post, so can we all please reduce the number of strawmen a bit? They are multiplying like rabbits of late. 😉

Damn. It's very bad. Chief sergeant of 47h mech.brigade Valeriy Markus blamed command of brigade in incompetence and wrote a report to move him on lower duty of squad leader. 
This is real scandal, because Markus is a "face", "frontman" and "PR-manager" of this brigade, who was one of founders of this unit as far as it was 47th separate rifle battalion. He was in the list of Forbes Ukriane among most influent military of Ukraine, he is founder of charity fund "Markus Fundation"
In order to you could understand why this is bad, I have to tell about Valeriy Markus and history of 47th mech. brigade "Magura". 
29 y.o. Markus is very popular in Ukriane - he fought in ATO from 2014 to 2016, he passed a hell of Shakhtarsk battle with 25th airborne brigade. His popularity came to him via his Facebook - his posts were always true and wise. He got heavy shell-shock and was forced to retire from service. He fought with heavy PTSR via sport and travelling and became a classical "self-made man". He wrote a book about his life and war "The traces on the road" (as Valeriy Ananyev - later he changed his surname), which became bestseller and beat up circullations of all modern Ukrainian writers, causing sometime envy and hatred from their side to the "upstart"
Markus is one of servicemen, who promoted a question of strong sergeant corps establishment in Ukrainian army as an earnest of effectiveness. Despite he was retired, his popularity allowed him to have aquintances with influent military and civill volunteers, which promoted the same thoughts. In 2023 his open lection to sergeants of 47th brigade in Youtube got 1 million reviews.   
When the war began, Markus returned to army and some time served as recon in 30th mech.brigade. In April 2022 high command (Markus likely has good relationships with Zaluzhnyi) offered to him to participate in forming of 47th separate rifle battalion, where he got a duty chief sergeant of battalion. The unit fought, defending Svitlodarsk, after Russians brokethrough Popasna front. 
Ideas of Markus and some officers about creation of modern effective large unit, free from old Soviet s...t, found the response of High Command and in Autumn there was announced about forming of 47th assault regiment (since Novenber 2022 - brigade). According to idea of Markus and his like-minded people, the unit should have been free from сasual people. Only competitive selection, only volunteers with leadership, motivation, readiness to learn and fight. Enlistment points of regiment were gathering many people, many servicemen wanted to transfer to "Markus brigade". But... something go wrong as later wrote Markus himself. Either General Staff, or MoD decided by unknown reasons to finish this "experiment" and to brigade were directed enough officers and personnel, which didn't  match to initial requirements. Yes, most command of brigade almost all was taken from famous 93rd mech.brigade. Brigade commander lt.colonel Oleksandr Sak "Staff" is a youngest brigade commander in UKR army - he is 28 y.o. He fought since 2015, has four injuries. Thanking to Markus PR the brigade became so popular like Azov or 3rd assault brigade. All expected a miracle from the unit, which have been training more that 8 months and got modern equipment. 
And now THIS. Translation of Markus report. 
Tweet: 
I categorically don't agree with decisions about usage and development of 47th brigade. We were not allowed to build a muilitary unit, according to our values, which we declared at the beginning of forming. I havn't more any opportunity to influence on situation or change it. I no longer consider my tenure of chief sergeant to be expedient. I can't abandon my people, so I go on lower duty by my own will in order to be closer to them on the battlefield. 
Report:
 
Because of systematical humilitation of brigade's sergeant corps work, of misunderstanding by brigade command an importance of fighters moral spirit for effective tasks acomplishing, because of absence of punishment for <self-censored> and incompetence of persons of highest officer corps of brigade, rejection and sabotaging traditions and mythiology of brigade on all levels of officers chain, because of absence of the will of brigade's command to protect interests of brigade in front of higher command, I ask you to transfer me, chief sergeant of 47th brigade Valeriy Markus to lower duty of combat vehicle commander - the leader of mech.squad of mech.platoon of x mech.comapny of  x mech.battalion.
Also valid reporting, that by my opinion, the deputy commander of 47th brigade major Ivan Shalamaha is immorale degenerate, being with which in one team humilitates my honor and dignity. 
 
 
It's will be very interesting about reaction of Zaluzhnyi. Because in Ukrianian social network already holywar is setting on fire...

This is Part 1 of a short series giving a summary and overview of the tactical fundamentals and principles behind WWII German and Soviet armoured unit tactical drills and combat formations commonly used in 1944 using examples from Combat Mission Red Thunder to illustrate key points.
Part 1: What is the difference between formations, drills, principles and tactics?
This video defines these terms and may also help the viewer differentiate between a potentially bewildering array of terms and puts them into context with German armoured doctrine.

EDIT
Thanks to @Monty's Mighty Moustache who picked up a briefing error in TTP No2. This has been amended and the attached zip file below has the updated file.
This series of three missions is very loosely based on several of the ‘Tank Battle Problems’ detailed in the Nafziger publication ‘the German Tank Platoon in WWII: Its Training and Employment in battle’.
Whilst the series of ‘problems’ outlined in the book appear to be pre/early war I have updated the fundamental concepts to a later period in the war i.e. 1944.
The key intent of these tank tactical problems is to give the player new to using German armour an opportunity to use them in a more doctrinally ‘correct’ manner within the limitations of the Combat Mission game engine.
This series complements the German halftrack (SPW)/panzergrenadier training lessons in the CMRT Battlepack 1 where the main focus is on using SPW in Combat Mission.
For the tactical problem series the German player uses Panzer IVs. This tank was used in significant numbers during the war and though starting to become outclassed by 1944 by the Soviet T-34/85 was still a significant part of the tank strength of most panzer divisions. Though Panthers were slowly starting to form the main panzer strength in the panzer regiments. The player cannot rely on superior armour/armament to bully through this series as the Panzer IV’s armour is comparatively speaking, inadequate. 
All the missions are best played as German Vs Soviet AI. 
There are NO German AI plan. 
Each tactical problem has a ‘Tactical Top Tips’ at the end of each briefing (under ‘notes’) which may help the player new to using tanks in Combat Mission get the most out of them.

Plan is when done to convert them to Soviet versions so players can contrast.

If you get a chance to give em a whirl I'd appreciate any and all feedback thank you.



You download  https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-red-thunder/cm-red-thunder-add-ons-scenarios/cmrt-german-tank-tactical-problems/
 
 

So if Putin gets the cat, who gets the CD collection?  Gotta be the best 80s synth stuff around.  And we all know they are keeping keys.

Author of video Valeriy Markus, he is not squad leader, he is in a rank of master-sergeant and he is chief sergeant of 47th brigade. Very ineteresting video, alas, only UKR subs. 
Some episodes - Markus detained Russian POW. He is convicted. Enlisted from correctional facility in May 2023. Nobody ask their agreement, they just were sent "to dig trenches". They dug trenches near Vasylivka, then were deployed near Tokmak. This guy told "alot of armor and Grads" around Tokmak in fields. To this place, where he was captured they were moved five days ago. He had AK-12 rifle. Markus says to him "nobody will risk to evacuate you now, so the only way for you to survive is that we must kill all your friends in next tree-line. This is a war" 
In trench Markus is planning tactiacal actions - he ordered to put two MGs on flanks and wants that artillery conduct short, but concentrated and intensive strike on enemy position, then assault group with fast attack wil burst into tranches
In the night, Markus again plans next assault. He say there need two pairs, which have to silently crawl along tree-line, where Russian trenches and to throw grenades there, when other group will attack from other side. He says he will in this "grenadier group" and ask who are ready to go with him. One soldier answered, that nobody of them didn't do these things, so Markus says "If we don't take in dare rush this positions, we will must withdraw, because enemy artillery will smash us here"
Looks like he has found volunteers, we are hearing sounds of explosions in the night and next cadre is a group of Markus after the rest in seized trenches. This is about Markus meant in short video where they are slept on corpses of Russians (and this turned out not a joke). Next Markus again plans mopping up the tree-line with two groups, which have to crawl along the plant and seek a trail, leading inside the tree-line, He ordered the sapper to move first and he checks the way in tree-plant with a probe tool. Next by radio we are hearing Russians withdrew to blindage and shooting is starting.
Next cadres - UKR soldiers comletely captured enemy positions. They say Kadyrov troops were here, but on my opinion there was just regular troops of 42nd division, which mainly consists of Chechens.     

Thanks @George MC, I must remember it is a game from time to time though, especially when the points are on the line  
I should get the next one up soon.

The One Hundred and Nineteenth Minute
KG Leino -  Die Mitte
The SPWs arrive on station.

KG Perala - das Rechts
The attack continues.

A 251/17 goes boom.

At least one more T34 to deal with!

The poor infantry. The pictures tell the story.

On a positive note the StuG arrives to help, a bit too late, but he has spotted the T34 and it does not appear that he has been spotted in return...

SITMAP

I've updated the blood board with the loss. It's all pretty much academic now. I could try and rush the StuG onto the objective but that doesn't seem like good form to me, and certainly not realistic and I like to play as if I were actually there.

MMM

The One Hundred and Eighteenth Minute
KG Leino -  Die Mitte
The SPWs move out, far too late to be of any assistance I fear but fingers crossed for overtime!

The armour is awaiting their arrival before moving on.
KG Perala - das Rechts
The attack begins.

The StuG is on its way over to support the infantry. The T1 is peppering the objective building with fire as are the supporting SPWs.

I start taking casualties. I already had a paucity of infantry, this is not good.

I get some firm spots on the objective, as predicted it is swarming with Ivans.

The casualties continue to mount.

Then I get another sound contact heading to reinforce the objective.

SITMAP

I've left it too late, unless I get some generous overtime then I will not be able to clear the objective in time. I could maybe get onto it to deny him the points but that would depend on him I guess. He's already reinforcing it with one tank and I still expect an attack to fall on their left flank from the direction of the farm at any moment.
MMM

Follow up…ok, I think I have got the only solution that makes any sense: Putin and Prig are in love but cannot admit it to each other or themselves.  Only a rom-com scenario makes any sense in what we have seen - hear me out (and yes I am sober as I type this) 
Prig and Putin have known each other for years - him a working class ex-con trying to go straight, Putin a golden haired princess who is so lonely at the top.  They have been sharing stolen glances and smiles for years but neither has the courage…their worlds are too far apart.  Prig is desperate to get Putin to really see him, instead of a boom box outside in the rain he rolls up to Moscow with T90s and MLRS.  It was a romantic gesture of the highest order.  A demonstration of power and masculinity while being vulnerable at the same time.
Putin, like a sexy fox, flees to St Petersburg to hold up with a couple girlfriends…he can’t cope with all this - it is too much too fast.  He is into Prig but the man is both intoxicating and terrifying.  Putin throws out threats but he really does not mean them, inside his heart is pounding - should he?  He mustn’t.  He is so confused right now.  Should he call in airstrikes or run out on the M4 into his man’s arms?
Prig is wailing into the night with an electric guitar (and AD systems), he is in love so hard it hurts.  He bashes out With or Without You by U2…Russia holds it breath, the two star crossed lovers both in love and hate at the same time.  They resent each other for making that love into something that threatens to consume them both.  Finally Lushenko, a girlfriend to both from way back I the day talks them both off the ledge - “you are both love struck fools, stop now before you say something you cannot take back!”
Prig realizes it first.  Putin is a fox to be lured and must feel in control.  Prig has come on too strong.  He dials it back, goes back to the dorm and tells all the guys “he totally scored” but inside he is tortured by the waiting game.  
Putin has fooled himself that he is back in charge but deep inside knows it is too late.  He says strong words but everyone at work knows the truth - FFS would they just do it already.  Their love is self-destructive and wholly doomed but neither can look away - it is a storm that must happen….to be continued.

Prig knows where to hit, give him that.  Likely been thinking about this move for awhile.  Ironic if he can quickly take a major city in a lightening strike…you know….after Feb 22…

Somewhat ironic that a group called Wagner is trying to pull a operation Valkyrie