New Scen Wadi Al Sirree

[MarkEzra]

Based on John F. Antal's book: "Infantry Combat-The Rifle Rifle Platoon", Wadi Al Sirree is a very challenging scen. Playable ONLY as Blue, your infantry platoon is tasked with defending against a battalion strength attack. I have attempted to follow the storyline of Col Antal's book as much as possible. While it is NOT necessary to read the book to play Wadi Al Sirree, I hope those that have will recall the complex command decision challenges the book so entertainingly describes.

Note: It is Very Important to thoroughly read the Briefing prior to setup. You must have V1.21 with the British Module installed to play this scen. My best wishes to all the worlds veterans. Thanks for your service.

[Lethaface]

Thanks!

Where can I find this gem? (if i find a link ill post it myself )

EDIT: By 'gem' I ofcourse mean your scenario

[MarkEzra]

It will be found at the Repository pretty soon... BFC screens uploads so there is always a short delay from uploading to availability. As to "Gem"...you'll curse me later....

[Lethaface]

Got it in the mean time

Ill use it to test 1.21, so I hope you won't spoil the patch

[afreu]

Looking forward to testing this.

[Mad Mike]

Hi all,

just finished this scenario with a US Army Minor victory.

*** Details below ***

Suffered 10 KIA and 7 WIA while inflicting 68 KIA, 31 WIA, 19 MIA, 5 Tanks and 7 BMPs destroyed.

I decided to defend the exits in the rear. I couldn't deny the Syrians access to their objective (access to the wadi), but I think that would be unrealistic to expect, given the odds you are facing.

Overall, a very interesting scenario, but a less frustrating experience than reading the book (which I read, but never finished "successfully" ).

[tyrspawn]

Was this a real battle? I can't imagine a decisive victory for the BLUFOR.

I played it, and I forgot to save my stats, but it was something like 9 BMPs and 4-5 tanks, and that was with extremely good ambush positions. I also had no idea all the vehicles were going to come down 2 paths only, so I wasted about 1/3rd of my mines.

It was really fun to setup my defense though... taking all the ammo out of the trucks and setting up the mines.

Question: Why is there a dismounted squad in the center of the ammo pit?

[MarkEzra]

Hi all,

just finished this scenario with a US Army Minor victory.

*** Details below ***

Suffered 10 KIA and 7 WIA while inflicting 68 KIA, 31 WIA, 19 MIA, 5 Tanks and 7 BMPs destroyed.

I decided to defend the exits in the rear. I couldn't deny the Syrians access to their objective (access to the wadi), but I think that would be unrealistic to expect, given the odds you are facing.

Overall, a very interesting scenario, but a less frustrating experience than reading the book (which I read, but never finished "successfully" ).

congratulations. Were you able to keep 2nd Lt alive? And yes it is easier than the book. Most of my testing was done with "scarce" arty settings. It required really excellent location/timing for arty calls. In the end I decided to give the player more arty for reasons of scen playability

[MarkEzra]

Was this a real battle? I can't imagine a decisive victory for the BLUFOR.

I played it, and I forgot to save my stats, but it was something like 9 BMPs and 4-5 tanks, and that was with extremely good ambush positions. I also had no idea all the vehicles were going to come down 2 paths only, so I wasted about 1/3rd of my mines.

It was really fun to setup my defense though... taking all the ammo out of the trucks and setting up the mines.

Question: Why is there a dismounted squad in the center of the ammo pit?

Based on John F. Antal's Book.

The split squad with the ammo must not be used so that the actual number of troops stays close to the book.

The Syrians have 5 Attack plans. So the attack direction and timing can get very different.

[tyrspawn]

Based on John F. Antal's Book.

The split squad with the ammo must not be used so that the actual number of troops stays close to the book.

The Syrians have 5 Attack plans. So the attack direction and timing can get very different.

Why can't I deploy all my mines at the entrance to the valley with the fighting positions?

[Mad Mike]

Were you able to keep 2nd Lt alive?

Alas, no. The 2nd Lt found himself on the wrong end of one wandering T72's 125mm gun. The XO survived, surprisingly.

And yes it is easier than the book. Most of my testing was done with "scarce" arty settings. It required really excellent location/timing for arty calls. In the end I decided to give the player more arty for reasons of scen playability

Agree, the artillery is crucial and I was a bit surprised by the amount that is available. I didn't really coordinate my arty very well, probably wasted at least two "calls". Therefore I don't think that the amount of available artillery should be reduced, with the response times of 5 minutes +, it is difficult enough to employ it effectively.

[MarkEzra]

Alas, no. The 2nd Lt found himself on the wrong end of one wandering T72's 125mm gun. The XO survived, surprisingly.

Agree, the artillery is crucial and I was a bit surprised by the amount that is available. I didn't really coordinate my arty very well, probably wasted at least two "calls". Therefore I don't think that the amount of available artillery should be reduced, with the response times of 5 minutes +, it is difficult enough to employ it effectively.

If you recall the book When 2nd LT Bruce (Madden in the scen....BFC give us name editing PLEASE) dies, you lose. I did try that out as an "unknown to both destroy unit" with Syrians getting big points. But using the Unit parameter seems to trigger the AI to pay a bit more attention to killing all inf before moving to their objective. I felt it would tend to frustrate the player. It was also not the described Syrian action or goal in the book.

Your thinking on arty is what I came to as well. I do think that one thing this scen can teach (from a game standpoint) is improving the players use of arty commands.

[tyrspawn]

If you recall the book When 2nd LT Bruce (Madden in the scen....BFC give us name editing PLEASE) dies, you lose. I did try that out as an "unknown to both destroy unit" with Syrians getting big points. But using the Unit parameter seems to trigger the AI to pay a bit more attention to killing all inf before moving to their objective. I felt it would tend to frustrate the player. It was also not the described Syrian action or goal in the book.

Your thinking on arty is what I came to as well. I do think that one thing this scen can teach (from a game standpoint) is improving the players use of arty commands.

I wasn't exactly sure how to use the arty... the armor is moving so fast and there are so many sharp turns that you can't really track them with a point fire mission. I tried doing that in the beginning.. and by the end I just relied on big area fire missions in the vain hope that I would hit something. Neither were really effective. I also tried a linear fire mission down the entire length of one of the trails, but that wasn't effective either.

[MarkEzra]

I wasn't exactly sure how to use the arty... the armor is moving so fast and there are so many sharp turns that you can't really track them with a point fire mission. I tried doing that in the beginning.. and by the end I just relied on big area fire missions in the vain hope that I would hit something. Neither were really effective. I also tried a linear fire mission down the entire length of one of the trails, but that wasn't effective either.

If I do a poor job placing my FO (and didn't take time to check LOS!!!)

then I'll have real difficulty using arty effectively. The good news is US Arty doesn't require a lifetime to shift targets. Some of my favorite locations are:

Here's a helpful hint: Use "linear" plotting for the two narrow exits (Reverse Slope Defense)

[Mad Mike]

If you recall the book When 2nd LT Bruce (Madden in the scen....BFC give us name editing PLEASE) dies, you lose.

Now that you mention it, I'm starting to remember. The poor 2nd LT died a lot when I "played" the book .. and now it happened again :eek:.

Maybe it's just not meant to work out for me .

Still, very nice scenario, the favourite moment for me was when one BMP drove into a trench which had a full squad in it, with the result of almost complete (one squad member survived) mutual destruction.

Seeing your picture with the preferred artillery strike areas, I almost exactly used the same ones, at least at the two exits (obvious, I guess), but also on the two "assembly areas" before the two exits.

[JonS]

Played this last night, and got a US Minor. The platoon got badly chewed up - 20 KIA and 9 WIA. Both MGs, the Pl HQ, on Jav det, and the two large squads were all wiped out. The Syrians lost 5 tks, about 12 BMPs, and had about 100 cas (~70 men left at game end).

###here be spoilers###

Interesting battle. I, too, chose to defend back - I assume this is one of the key lessons the reader of the book is supposed to learn? Those forward positions would be useless, even without them coming under immediate artillery fire. So I had my forces mostly massed in the 'bowl' to the rear. The FOs both had good obs (one right forward in the centre, the other on the hill left rear) and I used them and the Javelins to attrit the Syrians on the long approach before they got to the 'bowl' area. The initial push was an easy beat, with a company(?) up the right (trail 1?) and a platoon up the left (trail 4?). Both were essentially anihilated either prior to or just as they got to the Bowl, with low-to-no friendly cas. But that pretty much depleted my AT assets. Then another company(?) arrived down Trail 4(?), with more T-72s, and I was reduced to sniping them with 155mm. while they devastated my men caught in the open. The heli borne assault was a bit of a surprise, but easily dealt with by long range MG fire.

I used my mines *badly*. Next time I'd concentrate them, probably at the final two defiles, then use artillery to work over enemy halted on the mines. I also had a bit of difficulty reigning in the Javelins - I tried to retain them for exclusive use against tanks, but they were too eager to fire at anything that moved. More direct control of them and their targetting is required.

The map is a bit hokey, although it's obviously completely consistent with the map of the book. It actually looks a bit like a TacOps map

So, yeah, a Minor Vic, although not a very satisfying one given my mistakes. I think next time I'd probably be able to get a much better level of victory.

Good work Mark

[MarkEzra]

Thanks Jon... staying faithful to the book and making it playable in the game was not even close to possible until CMSF and then only in the last couple of patches. It is indeed a very instructive book and I view the scen to be but a small slice of what the Col Antal's work offers. If the player can damage the Syrian attack, keep the majority of his troops and himself alive, and effectively withdraw his troops while under fire, then that minor Vic is the gold standard.

Opps almost forgot: The map is indeed a bit hokey. I had two goals in mind there:

1. close approximation of the book's map

2. reduce Map size and terrain height locks usage where ever possible.

So yeah...like tac-ops nothing fancy just functional

[JonS]

... It is indeed a very instructive book ...

I have his company-level one, set in Korea. I remember that being v.good to, but it's ages since I read/played it. As I recall, that one is mainly offensive ops.

[BlackMoria]

Thanks, Mark, for another fine scenario.

Played this one throught twice last night.

First go around, I opted for the reverse slope defence and placed the mines in areas in which the enemy will be slowed enough for me to bring artillery to bear. I spread my forces out with kill zones being both draws into the eastern most bowl.

I restarted after the first few minutes as 6 out of 8 javelins missed :eek: their targets. Normally, I would let that result stand but since the deck is already stacked against blue and the Javelin is the main AT asset, I figured something weird must be going on and wanted to try it again. I got a better result on the Javelins this time. After expending all their missiles, the Javelin teams bugged out for the rally point.

The Syrian armor hit the first mined chokepoint and I killed 3 vehicles as they slowed considerably going through the minefield. Arty claimed a few more as they approached the second minefield. Got a good mass of armor on the second minefield and all guns where brought to bear but by the time the shells started raining in, the armor passed through the minefield and were going for broke, so I didn't kill the number I would have liked.

The squad(+) and the HQ element opened up with the AT-4s, killing several BMP and taking out T72. More vehicles streamed past, not seriously taking the time to engage my forces and went for map edge. Because I waited too long to have the southern most squad move to support the engaged northern defenders, by the time they arrived, most of the enemy armor had slipped past. I decided to cut my losses at this point, dropped arty smoke and withdrew to the rally point.

I got a Minor Tactical Victory, only taking 4 KIA and 6 WIA. I destroyed 10 T72 and 6 BMP and inflicted over 100 personnel casualties (KIA, WIA, MIA).

And the 2LT survived.

I decided to play the scenario again, opting for the same defensive plan but tweaked my defensive layout better and decided to move the FOs a bit to try to cover the blind spots as I felt a fair amount of armor ended up in my back yard that I didn't see coming until they hit the second minefield.

The plan worked better this time as I had more 'eyes on' with the FOs so the arty was more effective. Once I determined what route the enemy was taking, I repositioned my defenders to better concentrate my firepower (in the first game, one squad didn't fire a shot as they were too far away and in ground that made them ineffective in the battle and by the time I moved them to support, the enemy had pushed past me).

This time, I got a Major Victory with only 2 KIA and 4 WIA. Again, the 2LT survived. The Syrian losses this time were 5 T72 and 14 BMP as I made a point of taking out the infantry carriers instead of tanks this time to maximize casualties.

A good study of infantry defensive operations against an armor attack. I look forward to seeing how a forward defence will fair.

Thanks, Mark.

[MarkEzra]

BlackMoria:

Thanks! I really glad you posted the major Vic. It is possible to deny the Syrians their obj pts but as you note it takes some damned good tactics and some luck with the AI pathing plans. I, too, noted Javelins occasionally having a tough time hitting targets. It usually occurred when arty fire was hitting the Syrians at the same time.

Jon:

I have that book as well... Great storyline and I keep thinking about doing it... the problem that holds me back is the river crossing/bridge layer use which is so critical to the story. Perhaps when Modern temperate comes along I'll give it a shot... As a Campaign.