ekobloc

Another writeup for those of you who can pry yourselves from the Ukraine thread. This time, the topic is mission planning, specifically how to do it in relation to Combat Mission scenarios. 
The basic idea is:
Planning Framework for Combat Mission
The workflow for planning how to play a scenario in Combat Mission can be broken into four parts and are done in order. They are:
     1.      Receive OPORD/WARNO/FRAGO
     2.      METT-TC
     3.      OKOCA
     4.      Enemy Course of Action (ECOA)
Read along for the full breakdown and explanation! https://millerswargamingvault.blogspot.com/2022/06/introduction-planning-is-critical-to.html 
Feel free to discuss. Just remember that this is a very complicated subject if you decide to get really into the details. There are entire doctrinal publications covering each one of these topics. This is a more general overview meant to be easily digestible in a single sitting, as as such some nuance is lost.
Fair warning for my fellow rock bangers, there are no pictures in this entry besides the cover image.

@IanL - for your SA
I have made some additions and small edits to these rules.  I added "designer notes" (look for the green boxes) and cleaned up the rules slightly. The designer notes are intended to supply an explanation for some of the more controversial rules.  I hope they do the trick.
Post here if you have any questions or comments.
Here are the basic rules - a formatted PDF Version available at this link This PDF includes all of the latest additions (version 2H) - UPDATED 01JUN22
Click the image to see full size.

The following Advanced or Optional Rules also fit on one page, they are on page two of the PDF linked above. 

Click the image to see full size.

Yeah, Saving Private Ryan was legitimately shocking. I think a lot of people who grow up with today's media -- much of it being shaped by SPR in fact -- don't really understand how intense that movie was at release. There'd always been tons of war movies and many of them violent and grim, but SPR was the most physical depiction of combat ever seen. War movies to that point still had this sense of cinematic flair to them. SPR just hit you in the face with a celluloid shovel.

In some of the WW2 titles, your XO elements have neither radios, nor radio-equipped transport. In that case their job is to run between formations and to transmit this information manually. That's obviously less efficient, and puts some limits on what you can do with them.

Yup.

HQ support teams (XO teams) are your C2 links to other formations.

Imagine if you had a (weirdly stripped down for the purposes of clarity) force like this:


An infantry battalion, consisting of an Infantry company, and an armour battalion consisting of a single armour platoon.

The armour and infantry in this case are part of different battalions, and so will not share their C2 network with each other. Spotting contacts that the infantry see may never get to the armour, and if it does it will not do so swiftly or efficiently.

However, all units will share C2 horizontally within four action spots. This means if you do this:



Then the Battalion HQ will remain in contact with both their XO and the infantry company via their radios, and the XO can keep the armour in C2 via horizontal sharing. That way the armour can benefit from the spotting information that the infantry can do, and you can do that whole "combined arms" thing.

The following is taken from a write up I am currently working on for my blog. I figured I would post "episodes" here for some interaction before consolidating it all into one post for the blog. It comes from a playtest I did recently on a community made scenario. The small fight that occurred in the beginning of the battle was too good not to share, and is also a great opportunity to talk a bit about the Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE). I also wanted to provide everyone with a change of pace. The Black Sea forum is soaking up most of the attention around here these days, and I figured a break from that might be appreciated. So without further ado:
Visualized in Combat Mission: Killing an FSE
A Tactical Vignette

The Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE) is one of the most common task organized formations encountered by NATO forces. For the Soviets it is an important tool that helps fix an enemy defender in place and shape the battlefield to allow for a successful attack. For NATO it is the first significant Soviet tactical combat formation encountered and a harbinger for a larger dedicated attack by a motor rifle battalion (MRB). The stakes presented to both sides by the FSE are high for both sides. Initial success in a tactical engagement largely comes down to the success or failure of the FSE.
This vignette features some excellent US Army vehicle reskins, done by S-Tank on the CM Discord. He recolored and upscaled the resolution on every US vehicle in the game, and they look fantastic. They can be downloaded here, or for those of you in the CM Discord, a download link and preview image can be found the mod repository text channel.
Forward Security Element
The Forward Security Element (FSE) is a Soviet task organized formation that is approximately Company sized. It is also known as the Advance Party or Vanguard. It generally consists of a company of motor rifle troops (mounted in either BTRs or BMPs) and a platoon of tanks. The tank platoon is often made up of four tanks instead of the better known three tank platoon organization the Soviets use, because in motor rifle regiments the tank units tended to be plussed up. There is usually at least a battery of field artillery on call for the FSE to call upon and may also have mortar sections/batteries in support as well. The FSE is a fluid formation that can have additional attachments delegated to it, such as engineering units/equipment, air defense artillery, forward observers, and reconnaissance units. Generally speaking, the Soviet FSE is similar in composition to a US Company Team.

(This image doesn't agree with the forum software, so I recommend viewing it in full size in another tab. Apologies for that, a graphic artist I am not)
The primary role of the FSE is to make contact with the enemy and either destroy it if it is of a smaller size than the FSE or fix it in place to give the rest of the battalion time to deploy and attack through the enemy.
To better understand the role of the FSE, one must understand how it fits into the larger Soviet warfighting machine. In simple terms, Soviet tactical formations are like a conveyor belt. Way out in front are the regimental reconnaissance assets, but their primary role is not combat. They are there to make sure what is on the map exists in reality and other non-combat related tasks. The smallest formation is the Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP) which job is to find the enemy. A tripwire if you will. The CRP is followed by the FSE, whose job is to put pressure on the enemy by engaging and destroying him or at least fixing him in place with direct fires. The FSE is followed by the MRB (also known as the Advance Guard) which has the weight in numbers and support to conduct a deliberate attack and keep momentum going. Following the MRB is the rest of the Motor Rifle Regiment (MRR), and behind one MRR is another MRR, etc.
Apologies for the resolution on this, it is a scanned and stitched together image:

There are a lot of good resources out there to learn more about the FSE and how it fits into the Soviet way of war on the tactical level. This video does a nice job of breaking it all down, as does this simple yet informative writeup. Other resources worth checking out are TRADOC Pamphlet 350-16 Heavy Opposing Force, and the Cold War Gamer’s excellent blog. Just a heads up, many of the links on the Cold War Gamer’s blog are no longer active, and I think the owner is no longer keeping up with his blog.
A German Town—A Fighting Withdrawal
For this vignette I am going to be focusing in on a small combat action that occurs during a larger scenario. To help understand why the combat action plays out, I will provide some context.
This fight was the result of me play testing a scenario made by Cousin Hubert (Bartimeus on the CM forums). This scenario is the first of a series he is working on at the time of this writing for a mini campaign. Hubert makes fantastic maps, scenarios, and campaigns, all because he wants to add to the CM community and provide us with quality content. His map making skills alone make him a massive benefit to the community. Anyone familiar with how tedious and frustrating the CM map editor can be will have an even greater appreciation for his work. His AI plans are also very well done too.
He is the creator of two campaigns for Shock Force 2, which can be downloaded here and here. He has also produced some fantastic large maps for Cold War, which can be found here. We are very fortunate to have amazing contributors such as Hubert!
Situation
On the 8th of April the Soviet Union launched a surprise attack on West Germany. Caught by surprise, NATO’s front line has collapsed, and friendly forces are now in full retreat. Communications with higher headquarters is severely deteriorated by enemy jamming and artillery fire, but they were able to inform us that a Soviet formation is headed our way and to pull out when able.
Mission
Fox Company must hold the town until intelligence and logistics personnel have finished loading M35 trucks with gear and sensitive equipment. These trucks are located at the fire station and industrial park and should be loaded and ready to go in approximately 40-50 minutes. Then the entire force must be withdrawn from the battlefield. Fox Company must withdraw as much of its combat power as possible and remain combat effective, as it will likely have to fight its way back to friendly lines. There are two egress routes on either side of the river to the rear of the town.

Enemy
An entire Soviet motor rifle battalion and all its supporting assets can be expected to attack us.
Troops
I am in command of a heavy combined arms company team, Fox Company. It consists of two tank platoons equipped with M60A2 Starships (the second platoon of tanks is due to arrive in approximately 5 minutes), and two mechanized infantry platoons mounted in M113A1s. In addition, I have a few support assets on hand, such as a self-propelled mortar platoon (three M125 mortar carriers, which provides all of my indirect fire support for this fight), two heavy machine gun teams (dismounted .50 caliber machine guns), two M150 ATGM carriers, three M48 Chaparral SAM tracks, and 8 M35 supply trucks. The company headquarters (CPT Duvauchel) along with the company FSO is present.
Terrain
A small town on a riverbank rests at the southern border of the map. There is single road bridge in the town that crosses the river, though there is also a railroad bridge and a dam that cross the river as well. North of the town are some plowed fields, a farm, a small inn, and light forests. A single MSR runs from North to South into the town down the middle of the map, and a railroad parallels the MSR on the West side of the map. The terrain elevation undulates slightly with approximately +/- 20m of change.
The weather is less than ideal. It is misty out, which reduces visibility. It is early morning and thus low light, further hindering visibility. The ground is damp, which increases the chance of vehicles bogging and becoming immobilized. There is a medium strength breeze blowing from the North.
Of note for this vignette, there is a small raised and wooded area just North of the town along the Western map edge. It is a forward position with good concealment and good sightlines (given the conditions) overlooking the terrain the Soviets are likely to attack across to get to the town. To its immediate South is a gentle decline that provides a covered route for friendly forces to fall back into the town. It is the ideal location to get early warning on Soviet movements and to conduct a delaying action. This is where our combat action will take place.



The Plan
The larger plan is to use the tanks and infantry to defend the town long enough for the M35s to be fully loaded, then to have everyone collapse back to the rear and take the Southern most exit point and leave the field. The infantry are dug into the buildings, tanks and M150s are in keyhole positions, and the mortars and Chaparrals are in the rear, standing by.
2nd platoon led by 2LT Tassin is occupying the forward position. Their task is simple: disrupt the enemy and fall back. The Soviets must conduct a movement to contact. They know we are in the town, but they do not know the specific layout of our defense. The opening phase of this battle will have the Soviets attempting to shape the battlefield in their favor. This simply means they want to discover where my defenses are while also establishing advantageous positions for themselves that support the attack going in. By disrupting the Soviets ability to shape the battlefield in their favor, I make my overall defense easier and I buy precious time for the supply trucks to load up and get out.
To accomplish this, 2nd platoon will occupy the forward position and lay low. This will allow them to ambush the Soviets if the Soviets bypass the forward position (Engagement Area Primary) or deny the Soviets the forward position while attritting the enemy at the same time (Engagement Area Secondary). If either of these engagements are successful it will hurt the Soviets early, giving me a crucial advantage and a nice time cushion.

The men of 2nd platoon are dug in. They have foxholes (as well as a handful of dummy positions) just inside the tree line along the Southeastern edge of the woods. They are equipped with the infamous (for its questionable reliability) Dragon ATGM, the venerable M72A3 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) M60 GPMGs, M16s and hand grenades. The platoons 4 M113s are waiting along the Southern tree line, ready to mount up the infantry for a mad dash back to friendly lines after engaging the enemy.
2nd platoons’ initial positions:

The men of 2nd platoon occupying their fighting positions. The men are keeping low (‘Hiding’ in CM parlance) to keep from being seen:

Instead of being dug in near the tree line facing North, 3rd squad is further back in the woods. They have taken up position in a ditch along a dirt road and are covering an opening in the forest. If the Soviets decide to attack these woods and take the position (which I anticipate) this small opening is an ideal killing ground:

The M113’s, ready to mount up and haul ass:

One engagement. Let the Soviets stumble into our positions, knock off as many as we can in the initial engagement, then break contact and fall back.
Up next is the fight itself!

@IICptMillerII, very well written and your graphics are perfect... you have come a long way padawan.  

But they probably will require updating the engine to 64 bit to gain ANY better optimisation. That's been the elephant in the room all the time and should have been undertaken years ago. 

No, just no. If you're talking about graphics from the year 2000, then sure, but too many things that were acceptable back then just don't cut it any more:
1. The shadows look awful
2. Long-distance rendering of objects is really bad - hilltops covered with trees become as bald as a billiard table beyond about a thousand meters
3. Performance with the latest and greatest hardware is unacceptable, especially as map sizes increase (anything over about 30 FPS is almost never seen). 
4. Fog and flame effects look awful.
5. On a lesser note,but still there, the vehicle models are starting to show their age - seriously, is this the last computer game (and yes, these are all computer games, whether you like it or not) where the main gun barrels and wheels are 8-sided objects?
Don't get me wrong - CM does a lot of things right, but a lot of other things are vastly outdated. 

I decided to play around a bit more with this and added a British production skeleton stock as opposed to the game's Canadian production wire stock, and made them appear ready to fire with the bolt open.
https://www.mediafire.com/file/jlellal1yal1ea7/Sten+gun+adjustments.rar/file

Better use of unused screen space.
Full info at one glance and less clicks:


 
 
When there are many units, it is quite difficult to remember exactly, which infantry unit has already lost which unit, or which tank among many has a certain damage, or how much ammo is left.

New mod released by @umlaut3 different camo versions for the Pz III M & G builds.  Use them in Red Thunder.
https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/cm-mod-warehouse/combat-mission-red-thunder/cmrt-vehicles/cmrt-pz-iii-g-and-m-camo-umlaut/
 

Hmm, well I do recognize that the openings of the Soviets is probably one of the biggest issues we have with the campaign, this statement is not entirely true in RL and definitely not true in context of the campaign.
So off the bat we were aiming for realistic portrayal of how things would look and feel should the Soviets and US had dropped gloves in 1982.  So to do that we took doctrine and then some contextual professional military judgement, mixed them together to try and give the closest we think we could get to this "what if" war.
So doctrine:   https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/fm100-2-1.pdf  (among others)
Here doctrine for a Soviet MRR on the advance/attack (which is very much what is happening here).  There doctrine states that an MRR will have "5-10km" between the CRP and FSE. 
 
So a 10km gap would probably give a 20min window (assuming a 30km/hr push) for the CRP to bang around and try a more nuanced approach [aside, the CRP normally does not have any arty/FOs but I was in a generous mood].  OR half that if the distance is 5km = 10 mins.  But contextual factors of LOS and speed play a key factor here. 
Speed is easy.  We have the Soviet opening of a surprise attack against 11 ACR (probably the best US unit on this front), who have owned this ground for a generation by this point, so speed is essential.  The speed-pressure, normally high in the Soviet military, would be more intense given the requirement to attempt to dislocate 11 ACR. In short no way that the MRB Bn CO is going to go slow and cautious here.
Distance.  Ok, so Soviets didn't like radios for a lot of reasons so they relied a lot on LOS (flags etc).  So now we need to look at the terrain with a bit wider lens:
 
So that is Manbach on the left, that lump of trees is where your CRP starts.  That line is 5km back along the likely route of advance for the FSE.  As you can see it is already stretching LOS, 10km is out of the question, they would totally be out of contact with the CRP.
So we have situation where we are at the opening of a risky "all or nothing" attack as the Soviets come crashing over the border.  A lot of pressure to move fast and furious before the 11th ACR (or god help them the the 3rd Armd) could get into their very well prepared positions.  Add to this terrain that really did not support stretching out too far and we have the conditions for a "door-crasher" situation.  
So in that context the Soviet player does not "by rights" have the luxury of time with respect to a more deliberate recon effort, in reality the MRB "is" the Recon effort.
So is it fair?...probably not.  Is it realistic...absolutely.  Is it fun?  Well a matter of taste really and I am going to have to leave that to you all to decide.

I wonder why do these variations exist in the game?

Wow, looks like I lost the internal betting pool.  We are 13 days released and first time someone asks this question.
Answer.  We spent days of work on this one, round and round.  So basically US mech infantry platoon still brigaded the M60s and (technically) the Dragons at the PL HQ level where they would be dolled out as the situation dictated.  This is impossible with CM so we created variation to reflect that decision and give the player flexibility in their use. 
So: 
Heavy = a bulked up squad, obviously expecting trouble.  2xM60s and the Dragon
Medium = originally we were going to only have the medium version but it was too restrictive. 
Light = 1 xM60 and no Dragon.  There were enough Dragons in the platoons and coys for one per squad but they could taken away and sent out to tank hunting teams and some squads might wind up light.  Light also does not get the extra M60.
In any standard mech infantry platoon the mix would normally be:
2 x Heavy and 1 x Med squads.  But now scenario designers can have flex in different scenarios. 

Ok, so as promised, for those that might be interested here is the scenario that Bil and I played (consider it bonus content) so you guys can see in detail how this whole thing went down.  I am also attaching the last couple turns from the Soviet side so people can see the final layout when we ended it.  Password is "rochette" (don't worry I don't use it anywhere else...and she is our dog).  Up front this is not a finished or official scenario (so no briefings or such), nor is there any AI, strictly H2H.  But if you guys want to recreate the fight, have at it!  Are you a Bil, leading his capitalist swine to their inevitable doom?  Or are you a Capt, who led his men to a glorious victory for mother Russia (unfortunately only a few get to enjoy that fact)?
Note: the map is Dollbach Heights, a Pete Wenman original (seriously with this whole crypto art thing, this map might in crease in value over time).  The bare map is also included in the Master Maps folder, for aspiring designers.  Finally if you do want to play as is, I would highly recommend turning Blue EW off, as the Soviet arty is really neutered currently.  Enjoy.
BETA-AAR Meet-Force v3.btt 1892770176_DolbachHeights066.ema 2039406995_DolbachHeights068.ema

Between Two Fahrbahns March 1979 Brauersdorf July 1981 Czechmate June 1982 Direction Found July 1981 Everyone - Get Out of Dodge August 1980 Fleeing Altdorf May 1982 The Grieshof Meet and Greet August 1979 Hunter or Prey October 1982 Killing Time at Kirtof August 1982 Kriegsburg 1979 July 1979 Kriegsburg 1980 May 1980 Kriegsburg 1981 July 1981 Kriegsburg 1982 July 1982 Mittelaschenbach sudden awakening - 1979 March 1979 NTC If it aint cav… October 1982 NTC Tank Training 1979 May 1979 NTC Tank Training 1980 May 1980 NTC Tank Training 1981 May 1981 NTC Tank Training 1982 May 1982 Rumpenheim Rumpus Sept 1982 Scouts Out October 1979 Skirmish at Sichenhausen May 1981 Stem the Tide March 1982 The Last Starship Sept 1981 TRAINING Soviet Tactical Doctrine 1 (MRB) June 1982 TRAINING Soviet Tactical Doctrine 1 (TB) June 1982 TRAINING Soviet Tactical Doctrine 2 (MRB) June 1982 TRAINING Soviet Tactical Doctrine 2 (TB) June 1982 A Hille to Die On July 1982 Bad and Worse July 1982 Bear in the Sun July 1982 Bumps in the Dark '82 July 1982 Dollbach Heights July 1982 Racing the Moon '82 July 1982 Route 66 July 1982 The Citadel July 1982 They Own the Night '82 July 1982 Unhook the Leesh July 1982 Valley of Ashes July 1981

You know I just received the M150s and I was looking at the right flank forest thinking I should have moved or maybe I will still move one of my M60s up there. Already have a M113 squad heading to the forest to try get some sneaky dragon shots off but it may be too late now as the Soviets are at the barns.
I'll redo this one again some time with that in mind. I didn't really plan my defence much more than holding hull-down on the ridges as I didn't intend to complete this scenario this time around and I'm taking a bit of a bruising. Still have all but one M60 firing though so could be worse...

Took the same approach as you, tried the training campaign first and got my arse handed to me rather quickly, so thought I'd try some quick missions. Managed to get a total victory on Direction Found, quite liked how simple it was and had some echoes of Team Yankee to it... a nice toe dipper.
Coming back to 2 Fahrbahns though – I'm about 10/15 minutes in. M60s in hull down positions on the slopes, so far we've picked off quite a few T72 that are making their way across the plains and I've only lost one of the M60 to a penetrating round right through the gun so basically combat ineffective now. Thought I would try pushing up 2 squads in the M113 to the north woods with the hopes of being able to stick a few LAW in the sides of anything down there. Other 2 squads with the dragon are holding up in the forward buildings, but as you say nothing to shoot at so wondering if that was best placement for them. 
Coming from the WWII titles and this being my first 'modern' title I'm not too clued up on how to make best use of mech. inf. especially in a defence situation so will be interesting to see if this was a bad move on my part  

Good job getting through it and interesting that your M150 got sniped. When they appeared I split them north and south to get hull down positions over the entire length of the map almost, and already had an AA team close enough to them. Think I must have got lucky taking down the air support.
In the end I managed a total victory, with no loss of M60 apart from the one that took a penetrating round to its main gun. I did lose an M113 and a full squad in my rather foolish push up the north flank good scenario! Time to try it from the Red side...

Interesting.  My shillelagh missiles won the battle.

Ah...a journey of learning about to begin.  So for the Cpt Miller has given you the Soviets.  For the US I would suggest:
https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/FM71-100C1(79).pdf (Div level....very big picture, more for context than use in CM)
https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/FM71-2(77).pdf  (Bn TF, start here, this one will walk you right through)
https://books.google.ca/books?id=My8-u2rYNVoC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=tank+and+mechanized+company+team+fm+1977&source=bl&ots=qqIQKfV9MT&sig=ACfU3U00aPRhU6AIK2f45OySHMo3SQX7Xw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjkj9nanKnwAhV2Ap0JHeqIBQ0Q6AEwEXoECAgQAw#v=onepage&q=tank and mechanized company team fm 1977&f=false (Coy Tm Bible from 1977)
https://books.google.ca/books?id=V7rLfdbG5QcC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false (Mech Inf Platoon, 1977)
Attached.  FM 17-95 (Cav Troop, 1977)  [Edit.  MikeyD already posted The Tank Platoon)
 
The_Capt's advice:  Keep your gun pointed at the enemy, keep one foot on the ground, timing, timing and....timing, weapon ranges=the point of your existence, make them dead - they fight poorly when dead.  Oh and do not overextend....I always break that one.
 
 
FM_17-95_1981.pdf

These are what I list in the designer notes in the scenarios. Good starting point, at least for the Soviets:
FM 100-2-1 The Soviet Army - Operations and Tactics (1990 version)
TRADOC Pamphlet 350-16 Heavy Opposing Force (OPFOR) Tactical Handbook
FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army - Troops, Organization, and Equipment (1991 version)
AFM Volume 2 Part 3 - Soviet Tactics
I'm also planning on doing a more detailed write up for the training scenarios and including them as a PDF, but I did not have enough time to complete it before the game was released. I figured it was better to get the game out the door than hold it up for a pamphlet no one is going to read! 😁

Finally got thru it. It was encouraging to know I still had a chance. I'm glad I mentioned it. I sometimes saved every few seconds (this is RT mode, Basic Training level) so that I could go back and see what just happened (as well as cheat like a Time Bandit, sometimes). I didn't even notice one of the aircraft kills my AA troops achieved. The Soviet air support expertly zapped an M150 a minute or two after it arrived on station. That was a dramatic explosion, but I didn't know what had caused it. Was totally absorbed. Still poking through the ashes. Fascinating. Now I'm gonna go back thru some earlier saves and watch some highlights, all the pretty lights.

I'd much rather see other countries in the time period that CMCW is about rather than backtracking all the way to WW2 again. It seems like a huge waste of potential doing that.