ScoutPL Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 Go to www.geocities.com/fpd131 to check out my new post. Setting up a battalion defense in sector is discussed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wildman Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 Another great article Scout. I can't wait for the next segment. Great reading for a zoomie. --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tris Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 Great organization, Todd. Any chance we could get a glimpse of the actual ground beforehand to better justify your schematics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 What a great article! I'll be proud to be part of your battalion anytime! Martin ------------------ "An hour has 60 minutes, each minute in action has a thousand dangers." - Karl-Heinz Gauch, CO 1st Panzerspähkompanie, 12th SS Panzerdivision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 Looks like a grand article, Scout, but the maps are a bit difficult to understand: first you label the map areas EA1, EA2, etc, but in the next map, the areas are called EA Dagger, EA Knife, etc, and there is no indication about which is which. Reminds me of the alien message in "Contact". The roads and hill landmarks seem to have disappeared from the latter maps and the background graphics are very fuzzy, so it is unclear if these represent the whole map or sectors of it, and if so, which sectors (I believe it is the latter, but I can't figure out which sector).On my computer, none of the unit types can be identified. Some of the fuzziness may come from my color setup (I am using a Mac here), but I'll have another look from my PC when I get home tonight. Henri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralsaw Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 Thanks SPL. You provide insight into a type of analysis that people with no experience in the US army have not had the chance to do. Looking forward to the next part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pillar Posted January 23, 2001 Share Posted January 23, 2001 Scout, Can you make the map available for download so people can analyze your setup on their own machines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirocco Posted January 24, 2001 Share Posted January 24, 2001 Originally posted by ScoutPL: Go to www.geocities.com/fpd131 to check out my new post Thank you for a thought provoking article. I'd recommend it to anyone who'd like to improve their defensive tactics. I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future. ------------------ "He belongs to a race which has coloured the map red, and all he wants are the green fields of England..." - Joe Illingworth, Yorkshire Post War Correspondent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutPL Posted January 24, 2001 Author Share Posted January 24, 2001 I'll post a copy of the scenario with just the US setup on the map later tonight. Thanks for all the great comments. Henri, I'm a grunt not a computer "specialist". Any ideas you might have on how to get a 2km x 5km map in one screenshot, I'm all ears. Plus any help on improving the quality of the screenshots after two or three conversions without making them into 1mb files would be a help as well. I had hoped a close study of the terrain would reveal which EAs were used for the actual COA that was selected but its a good point, I'll go back and make it clearer. I didnt think unit types really needed to be distinguished since I used graphics depicting infantry platoons (the main combat units of an infantry battalion). I could fill up my alotted 25mb with pretty pictures of every foxhole but that not what I wanted to do. I am paying for this you know. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasoncawley@ameritech.net Posted January 24, 2001 Share Posted January 24, 2001 Extremely clear and well-laid out. Two items I hope to see discussed in future segments, are #1 more elaboration on the point about the forward deployment of the trucks to help withdraw if necessary. From the terrain and snow, it is not clear how this is supposed to work, and I am particularly interested in the withdraw and rally plan for the forward delaying company. Or as they just expected to fight in place and get themselves killed? And #2, I will be interested in discussion of tactics and techniques to deal with supporting dismounted infantry, particularly men dropped off opposite the central body of woods just east of your center and right blocking positions. That body of woods and the hill immediately west of it, is an obvious point for the attacker to fixate on, not as an avenue of approach but as a likely point of defense. You've kept most of your force out of it, deploying some along its rear or western side. There are obvious advantages to that, and I understand the anti-armor focus of the set-up as a whole. But what I'd be most worried about with your defense plan is a successful move by dismounted enemy infantry through that central body of woods (after plastering it with indirect fire, probably). Once through to the western side, I can see that causing trouble. A TRP in those woods, for quick fire by supporting mortars? Might help. That is the sort of thing I am interested in hearing about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutPL Posted January 24, 2001 Author Share Posted January 24, 2001 You'll notice there is no alternate position planned for any of the companies. This is why. The forward company will quite probably be overrun before they can get out. I spent eight years in the light infantry and everytime I fought an anti armor defense I died beside my foxhole. Its not pretty, no one likes to admit it, but when it comes to anti armor fights the infantry are there basically to protect the obstacles and AT guns. Which means they're within small arms fire range as soon as they engage the enemy, making withdrawal very hard. It will usually be piecemeal and will result in a lot of stragglers. The trucks are there because there's really nothing else for them to do and they may be of some help to a lucky squad or two. But dont bet on it. As far as the wooded center, he can push all the infantry through there he wants. His vehicles wont get off map without clearing the obstacles and passing through my EAs. All of the company BP's are mutually supporting and well dugin for handling dismount threats from any direction. Plus my task force reserve can deal rather effectively with any dismounts that come over the hill without tank support. Dismounts are definately a concern but I'm more worried about them massing against my BP's then I am about him walking deeper into my sector just because he can. Actually I would rather he dismount and attempt to dislodge me without armor support first anyway. I'm dug in with plenty of well sited support weapons. I'd love to be able to deal with him piecemeal like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutPL Posted January 24, 2001 Author Share Posted January 24, 2001 The scenario file has been added to the end of the tutorial. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer_n_Pretzels Posted January 24, 2001 Share Posted January 24, 2001 ScoutPL, this is a fantastic contribution to the CM literature. In conjunction with the stuff from Fionn, Pillar and others anyone interested in sharpening up their CM skills is spoiled for choice. As a former Bombadier, I salute you Sir BnP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gen. Sosaboski Posted January 24, 2001 Share Posted January 24, 2001 Very well-written article ScoutPL! Although I am a platoon-company level fighter, the tactics will certainly come in handy sometime when I fight a battalion scale battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pillar Posted January 24, 2001 Share Posted January 24, 2001 It doesn't take much to prepare a secondary fighting position Scout, why not do it just in case you DO get the opportunity? Why deny yourself the option? Rommel talked a lot about sweat saving blood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutPL Posted January 25, 2001 Author Share Posted January 25, 2001 Pillar, I assume you're talking about alternate company BP's behind the first ones. Ever tried to move with a combat load through snow? CM does a pretty good job on effecting rates of movement. There's no way i could split all my squads and set up secondary positions farther back in sector. My guys would be exhausted trying to reconsolidate in the first couple turns. Probably wouldnt get to cover in time and probably would get cut to pieces by arty in the process. Look at it from the other angle. You're a german commanding a fully motorized PZGR battalion supported by a company of Panzers. You going to give your enemy time to hoof it back a klick or two to his secondary positions? No, you're going to use your mobility to run him down and run him over. I'm not betting on it, either. And of course we're not even getting in to the real world time table and building supply stocks that get sucked dry by building defensive positions. Even with 48 hours of prep an infantry battalion is very hard pressed to get the TLP's complete and dessiminated, obstacles in, mines laid, fire lanes marked and cleared, and primary defenses dug before the bad guys come in. And thats with grabbing a bite to eat between shovel fulls and trying to get a catnap every now and then when your squad leader isnt looking. Know what the quietest sound in the world is? A company assembly area about an hour after a defensive battle was fought. Everybody's dead asleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pillar Posted January 25, 2001 Share Posted January 25, 2001 ScoutPL, Good points, I agree. Never even considered the snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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