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Baghdadi Bolts!


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According to the Sydney Morning Herald ISIS heroic leader has done a bunk (He's buggered off, he's scarpered!  :lol: ):

http://www.smh.com.au/world/islamic-state-leader-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-abandons-mosul-fight-as-defeat-looms-20170308-gutys2.html

If he's really 'hiding' in the desert he's a dead man.....That's where the SAS was borne.  :mellow:

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I notice that a contingent of US Marines are now aiding the battles both in Mosul and Syria.  My interpretation is that the locals are in trouble and can't do the job.  Highly predictable.  Not good news if this leads to US KIA as we all know how deadly MOUT is regardless of experience, skill or training.

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3 hours ago, Erwin said:

I notice that a contingent of US Marines are now aiding the battles both in Mosul and Syria.  My interpretation is that the locals are in trouble and can't do the job.  Highly predictable.  Not good news if this leads to US KIA as we all know how deadly MOUT is regardless of experience, skill or training.

There's aiding and then there's Advise, Assist, Accompany which small numbers of US forces are doing. The Iraqis are perfectly capable of taking Mosul.

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Of course it may always be propaganda but it seems that US troops are increasingly drawn into fighting in Mosul - maybe spec ops on "temporary, short-term assignments".

Nov 2016: "The White House has capped the number of U.S. forces in Iraq at about 3,870, but that total doesn't include as many as 1,000 troops who are there but exempt because of the military's personnel accounting system. For example, troops sent to Iraq for temporary, short-term assignments are exempt."

http://www.businessinsider.com/us-marines-in-battle-with-isis-in-mosul-iraq-2016-3

Jan 2017:  http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/us-troops-wounded-iraq-syria-islamic-state

Feb 2017:  https://www.stripes.com/news/pentagon-us-troops-under-fire-in-battle-for-mosul-1.455290#.WMHU6WeQxoB

It's not credible that the same Iraqi army that ran from ISIS a couple of years ago leaving all their equipment, is now well-trained and disciplined enuff to endure MOUT in a large city.  I was shocked at a documentary broadcast in the UK a few weeks ago that showed that the Iraqi Army doesn't have any organized medical support - relying on volunteers to carry WIA guys to regular hospitals. 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Combatintman said:

There's aiding and then there's Advise, Assist, Accompany which small numbers of US forces are doing. The Iraqis are perfectly capable of taking Mosul.

He knows.....Trust me, he knows.  ;)

You'll be able to have your own crack at Mosul before too long Erwin.....Combatintman helped me out massively with a Core file for the Iraqi CTS and I'm modifying the finest urban map in existence to create a suitable playground (I've sent you both files for a browse).

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Looked at the file with the units.  Looked like a nice mix.  Rare to see Nyalas in CMSF so that unit is very welcome.  Saw you had an engineer vehicle but didn't see any engineers.

I have little idea of what units are like over there, but I would think that the US airborne would generally have a higher experience than the Iraqis.  However, why not have some Iraqis with other experience levels ranging from Green to even a few Crack?  I have never understood why in CM2 nearly always all units have the same experience levels.  I liked that in CM1 one would get formations with units that ranged from Green to Crack. 

Spec Ops guys are Elite, great, but no Spec Ops snipers??

For some reason I couldn't dismount anyone so not sure if any support weapons get dismounted with them like they do with some of the Brits.

I remember fighting over your edited section of the Ramadi map very well.  Superb map.

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The Nyalas are the closest thing to an MRAP that CM:SF has.  An engineer section & HQ is attached to the each of the Company HQs.

All units other than the SEAL Trident Team represent Iraqi CTS forces (if you look carefully they all have Arabic names), I initially misunderstood the purpose of the US advisory forces, but be assured they are just there to advise and assist, the CTS do the fighting.  Feel free to use them in a fire-fight if you must, but if you lose even one of them, don't expect better than a draw, I'll quote directly from my chief advisor (Combatintman) here:

Quote

The SEAL Trident teams are simply there to provide Advise, Assist, Accompany tasks so they are there to mentor the local commander, get on the horn to call in Coalition air/artillery and unsnarl command and control (particularly fire safety coordination measures), help co-ord minor tactical logistics problems. As I said earlier in the conversation, they should always have an Iraqi force in front of them and shouldn't be much closer than a tactical bound behind the FLOT.  Make them a Red Unit Objective with huge amounts of points if any of them get whacked to the point that Blue will not get more than a draw if one of them dies.

The CTS are as close to an Elite force as anything Iraq currently has, their uniform standard of training and morale is largely a convenience (plenty of other things to edit first), but it's not entirely unreasonable either.

Don't worry about the dismounting thing, that's a quirk of the editor.....If you save the core file to your scenario folder and play it as blue you will see that everyone can dismount as normal once the game starts.  You can even resupply your AKs with 5.56mm ammo and acquire heavy weapons from the vehicles!

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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@Erwin - I'm sorry but it is entirely credible that the ISF are capable of clearing Mosul - this is the same organisation that cleared the Baghdad belts and the Euphrates River Valley up to Haditha which included clearances of built-up areas such as Fallujah, Hit and Ramadi. It also went as far West as Ar Rutbah and cleared that. It has also cleared all the way up the Tigris River Valley to the outskirts of Mosul and conducted a break in and clearance of one half of the city.

It is true that the ISF is not a finely honed fighting machine and logistics are a particular weakness but it is perfectly capable of clearing Mosul.

As to the unit file you are looking at - the US Army elements represent Iraqi Army Engineer elements attached to the CTS - they will need a uniform Mod to look right. There are snipers in the unit and I have had no problems dismounting.

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Should I maybe replace the US Engineers with Syrian Special Forces Engineers do you think? 

It might simplify things as IIRC they come in individual sections so I might be able to slightly reduce the number of redundant units at the same time.

PS - Just checked in the editor, the Syrian SF Engineers come as Platoon HQ (5 men) & One Section (5 men), plus a couple of UAZs that can be burned.....This would give them two more engineers than are currently currently present in each Co. HQ (US HQ (2 Men) & One Section (6 Men).

PPS - Sadly the Syrian SF Engineers won't all fit in the Nyala.....I think they're probably a bust TBH.

PPPS - In the process of experimenting I did find a way to simplify the core structure a little, I've replaced the separate US engineer unit with E Company from the same US Battalion that provides the Abrams, they are identical in all regards as far as I can see.

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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@Sgt.Squarehead- as previously discussed there are other ways of skinning the cat but whichever solution is adopted involves a compromise or three. The CTS dudes as implemented are all armed with the wrong weapons but the Syrian SF pick gives you the right colour uniforms, body armour, the right numbers (give or take) and the right language without too much hassle. If accurate weaponry is important then you would need to go for a solution that involves the standard US Army pick and using a black uniform Mod. The problem is that if you then swap out the sound files for the US Dudes this then impacts on the USMC guys who represent the Trident Team because they would also end up speaking Arabic. I know you are much like me with Mods in that neither of us really use them but this I think the last few posts on the CUF have demonstrated that if we are using US guys to represent normal Iraqi Army dudes then some distinction is required over and above the way that you've named the in the Unit Editor.

I look forward to your new solution with the Abrams and engineers but otherwise I'd leave as is and just hunt down the Mod that changes US Army uniforms to the 2003 uniform.

If you want to go down the US Army route for the CTS pick instead of the Syrian Special Forces then hit me up and I'll have a rummage around the editor.

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Erwin really wants a top end sniper to play with as I accidentally left one in a scenario he tested for me and apparently he had a whale of a time picking off random Mujahideen with him.....He pleaded with me to leave it in that one, but he had to go (Sarandoy just weren't that good IMHO).  

To keep everyone happy, would it be appropriate to add a group of 'Local Volunteers' to the Core, that way I can let Erwin play with a sniper based on this guy (I'll call him Baba Tahseen and he will have to use an SVD): 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2946730/meet-the-grey-bearded-63-year-old-iraqi-volunteer-sniper-who-has-just-claimed-his-321st-isis-victim/

I think I've found a way to use the Syrian Special Forces Engineers to replace the US guys, it means adding a Humvee to each Co. HQ and will add two men to the total as discussed above, but it will also mean that all the 'Iraqi' infantry on the map are in the same uniform (different to the SEALs), have Arabic names and speak in Arabic (and have the wrong guns). 

The US tank crews I can do nothing about, I could replace the Abrams with T-72s, but I'd rather not as Abrams is what I'm seeing in the pictures from the real place (when I'm seeing tanks at all)  :mellow:

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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Baba is now Elite, +2, Extreme, Excellent.....Just an Easter Egg, not to be taken terribly seriously, though he will no doubt be quite useful (but don't get him killed, Iraqi national morale would suffer terribly). 

The other locals are set dressing, many will almost certainly come to a nasty end.....I've included them in the Core as potential recurring scenario hooks and because you never know when you might need a taxi.  ;)

Edited by Sgt.Squarehead
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