A Taliban's Tactical Assault AAR

[snake_eye]

The interesting comments of Adam Miles could not find an answer from my point of view, without fighting once again the scenario.

Contrarily to my habitude I played it Turn by Turn, still in Elite. That way, I am able to look at the action globally, to the left, the right and to look more closely at the replay.

Believe me, I have been surprised more than once. However at the beginning of the 12th turn, I still have all my US troops (with some lightly wounded however), but the ANA is clearly wiped out and the few remaining are hunkering down without even returning fight. The ETT seems not to have been able to raise their spirit and ability to fight as a team.

However, the assault toward the road barricade has been stopped dead for the moment. On the other exit of the village, the Taliban’s managed with heavy losses to hold in the houses of the first road curve. More the BRDM and the 50 Cal Humvee are still in the dance. How long ? they are prime target.

I hope to be able to hold the ground with the ANA QRF being due in the next 3 minutes. They might relieve some pressure from the right front and maybe come closer.

I haven’t tried the mortars yet since they take a long time to be fire planned, but I should think it over for the 12th turn.

I shall post the shots of the fight at the latest tomorrow due to my planning leaving me short breaks.

Cheers

Post scriptum : The fact to have designed the scenario is not an asset, since that scenario has been made taking in account tactical issues. If you are fighting with the tactic that should be applied in such a fight, you are able to survive or at least to try to. They are not other ways to handle that fight, but there are many ways to end laying in the dust by being careless. The ANA platoon is an illustration of that. I have done the wrong thing at the wrong time and was not forgiven for doing so.

[souldierz]

I remember this scenario,I was over run,and I remember a lot of crazy moments,it was intense.First couple times I played was a failure and I was to disappointed at my loss over at the house area,I didn't even continue with the rescue effort when the ANA reinforcements arrived.I didn't take it seriously in the beginning and this was at the time I bought CMSF,so I know more about the game now.Thought it was more or less going to be a, put troops in place and sit back and watch the firefight happen kind of scenario,but heck no,it did not play out that way,you have to be very hands on and that's one reason why I look at every scenario closely and plan thoroughly from here on out.

That scenario kicked my chair out from under me,and I now have a grudge against it.I'm going to play it again,because I really liked that scenario and the challenge, and because the loss of the first couple tries still stains my CMSF memory.

The hard thing for me in that scenario, was to get the troops to stay and fight.They would withdraw a lot,even when I had them all together in the same area supporting each other perfectly waiting for the enemy to pop up around corners and enter their kill zones.It did make for a good show watching virtual soldiers move around in panic as they get swarmed,then suddenly have a wild west showdown with an enemy that pops around a corner on the streets and in the houses a few meters away.

I hope you can keep those men alive long enough for the ANA reinforcements to get there to help out.I liked this scenario and this AAR will be a good treat to see how someone else handles this kind of situation and what happened in the ferocious fight.

Get those mortars out there ASAP:)

[snake_eye]

Setting of the forces

Thanks to Adam Miles, I am presently about to defend the village of Haschim Khan located in a deep valley, with cliffs on either side and whose only exit are by the narrow and torturous road leading to Peschsawar and Jalalabad, passing by the Haschim Khan bridge. My US forces comprising 1st plt/C company/1st Batt (1st, 2nd and 3rd squads) will take cover and defend from the houses. The 4th Batt scouts team will manned the 2 bunkers MG. The ANA 2nd Plt /B Co / 3rd Batt ( 2squads and an HQ team)for which we are doing ETT will do the same at the east exit with our 3rd squad, split in A & B teams in support. The others, that is 1st and 2nd squads, split in A & B teams, will take care of the west exit approach with the BTR-60, well hidden along the houses walls. That way it will fire in defilade toward the Taliban’s crossing its field of view. More it will be less prone to get RPG’s shots. Our 50 cal Humvee will be park in a narrow path between the houses. From that place it will be able to engage in front, but also on its right , should a break out occur.

The bunkers field of fire have had their range card and trigger line checked once more. The one overwatching the Peschsawar road, will have defilade fire brought near him by the Jalalabad one if the enemy comes to close. Field of fire are more difficult for the latter, yet it will cover rear of the houses it needs come. As for the 2 X 120mm mortars, the time to get a fire plan going is rather delicate. I don’t count too much on them.

So, everyone is in the houses to get some protection, since as usual we should be pasted with mortars and when it ends the assault will start.

I hope to be able to hold my ground till the ANA QRF comes. In no case should we try to get toward them. We must stay where we are and for god sake not move. The movement in the village will be difficult without any doubt. Another problem and none the less, the ammo expenditure might prevent us to keep a sufficient rate of fire later on. Will see then, what to do. I don’t think that a truck or two, will have help us in any way. To get to the truck under fire, in order to reload and eventually to be blown up sky with it, doesn’t make sense

The situation map

The location of our forces and their area of fire

Turn 1-7

Every one being hunkered down, I am expecting any moment some mortar plastering, just to get us in the mood of what is coming. Here it comes!. The warning incoming and the cracking heard after it makes us crouch and or hit the floor. It doesn’t stop for the next few minutes. Luckily for us, I had decided to move the ANA out of the trenches and into houses. The one that did occupy the trenches near the peschsawar exit would have been seriously hit have they not moved in time. 2nd squad is yelling contact while they fire. Some Taliban’s are using the mortar barrage to move forward unnoticed. Well, they thought they would be.

While the mortars rounds do their dance, we are drawing some snipers shots, rather more disturbing than dangerous. The humvee 50 cal locates one on the far cliff on the Jalalabad exit and give it a rough time. The bunker MG team, on that side, do the same to one of them looking straight at them. He is well hidden and they don’t do him much harm. Hope they don’t use all their ammo on him. They will need every round available later on.

3rd squad A & B teams are now engaged by fighters moving along the road and taking cover behind the low stones fences. Every one is trying to prevent them to get to the first house near the road curve. The ANA doesn’t seem to fire. What the hell, are they doing ?

[snake_eye]

The 3rd squad area :

Cheers

[snake_eye]

To Souldierz :

Thanks for your comments and I shall try not to forget in the heat of the battle these damn mortars. It will be however tricky to lay them on a target area or in line. I am praying for the ANA QRF time to come.

Cheers

[MeatEtr]

Just downloaded and will give it a try.

For anybody else looking for it, it's found in the Marines/scenarios section here: http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=513

[snake_eye]

To MeatEtr : Thanks for giving the scenario link.

Turn 8 - 11

B team is pouring down fire onto the incoming Taliban’s. Unnoticed to me at the time and seen in the replay a SAW gunner was outside the house defended by the team. In the following dreadful event it looks like a miracle that he was able to rejoin the house,

Hiding and crawling being partly covered by the smoke of a grenade.

The ANA 1st squads is just wiped out by RPG shots at them. There is only one soldier left alive, forgetting the buddy aid and running for its live. He will dash on the other side of the road and rejoin the 2nd squad which has been badly mauled. Yet I have been unable to confirm from where the incoming fire was coming.

Crouched behind the low stone wall the Taliban’s are still trying to get forward, two of them are dropped on the left

[snake_eye]

The ANA 1st squad needs reinforcement and quick medical care. I decide to move in the coming turns the HQ team, hunkering down in a house near the ETT 3rd squad B team. The team will be able to give them covering fire during their move. I shall move also, shortly, the A team to a house closer to the Humvee. From there, they will be able to cover the flank of B team heavily fired

The HQ team sustaining its first casualty.

My god! the HQ team is getting to the door in full view of the enemy, instead of the one on the back. Are they crazy?. They all get mowed down.

The Taliban’s shoot at the house to finish the ANA HQ team

3rd squad A team intended tactical move

The 50 cal Humvee becomes registered by enemy fighters. Two RPG shots land in the house wall. It is time to back up

[snake_eye]

A team gets near the house, while the Humvee reverse

Oh, no, not that way d…head! Luckily the Humvee is not drawing any fire confirming the sound move of the A team to better field of views.

On the Peschawar exit 1st squad defend from a house that has been reinforced by stone walls on the first ground. They have ammo and no casualties. They fare well.

2nd squad A team, from its higher position breaks the assault of the left spear for a while. Yet the Taliban’s are still trying to get trough the withering fire coming also from B team, located in front of their house (they have taken two casualties - one being serious) and from the left bunker MG.

On the right the Humvee left its precarious position and dashed succesfully close to the house where the ANA hunkers down doing nothing

[MeatEtr]

Haha, my first try and everybody got wiped out before the first reinforcements arrived. This is a down and dirty fight for sure, I love it. Completely forgot about using my mortar and could of placed my units much better. My 50 cal Humvee and BTR got KOed fairly quick. The ANA are essentially useless. Gonna try it again...

Nice AAR snake eye, keep it up!

[snake_eye]

Turn 8 -11 Follow up

A team gets near the house, while the Humvee reverse

Oh, no, not that way d…head! Luckily the Humvee is not drawing any fire confirming the sound move of the A team to better field of views.

On the Peschawar exit 1st squad defend from a house that has been reinforced by stone walls on the first ground. They have ammo and no casualties. They fare well.

2nd squad A team, from its higher position breaks the assault of the left spear for a while. Yet the Taliban’s are still trying to get trough the withering fire coming also from B team, located in front of their house (they have taken two casualties - one being serious) and from the left bunker MG.

[snake_eye]

The BTR-60 is shooting from a defilade position Taliban’s trying to approach the houses on the left of the road. It has not taken for the moment a single RPG shot. Hope it stays that way.

As can be seen in the rectangle area, the converging fire from 1st squad B team and the BTR-60 is claiming around eleven fighters crumpling in the dirt.

Around 3rd squad the Taliban’s sustained quite a few losses. 8 fighters are seen on the ground.

Meanwhile the left bunker, which MG is doing such a good work, start to annoy the enemy. An RPG is darting toward it and miss it by a meter or so. A second will do the same less than minute later. Unimpressed the MG crew keeps firing

[snake_eye]

A fighter pretty courageous or is he running on high drug?, is rushing toward its death in front of the house defended by 3rd squad B team

1st Plt HQ has finally decided that to plan a fire mission on the Peschawar exit could be a good opportunity. It will be fire within 7 minutes. I hope that the enemy will still be in that area, otherwise it will be worth nothing.

Maybe, the bunker’s MG team (on the Jalalabad exit)should have rather planned that fire mission, since they just have spotted a HQ team. That means there are quite a lot of fighters around ready to move toward 3rd squad. That is a serious threat. Anyhow it is too late to replan the fire mission. Besides they might need more than 7 minutes time, or worst not be able to plot a fire mission.

It is time to make a battle assessment. We have inflicted despite the heavy losses sustained by the ANA, quite a lot of casualtie to the enemy. Between 30 and 40, for sure (having done a body count of the one being seen),and possibly up to 60.

We still have around the BRT-60. Maybe I should have its HQ team unloaded and take position into a nearby house or rather close to the ETT. That way we could make a last stand like Custer did it at Little Big Horn. I am not pessimist, but the fight might get out of balance at any time. I have urged the ANA QRF to get around here at the soonest. I just hope that they will fare better than their brothers, otherwise the last stand will be for real.

That we will discover at the start of the 12th turn in the next release.

Cheers

[snake_eye]

Haha, my first try and everybody got wiped out before the first reinforcements arrived. This is a down and dirty fight for sure, I love it. Completely forgot about using my mortar and could of placed my units much better. My 50 cal Humvee and BTR got KOed fairly quick. The ANA are essentially useless. Gonna try it again...

Nice AAR snake eye, keep it up!

Thanks for the comments. I am myself at a decisive time and I hope I will be able to stop the human wave coming at me. The ANA is unpredictable. They can do the best or the worse. The worse that is for the squads completely annihilated (what's left is like it did not exist), the best, that is for the BTR-60. Yet, if it moves into the sight of an RPG armed Taliban, that will be the end of it

Cheers

[snake_eye]

Turn 12 - 13

I have decided to reinforce the right flank of the village with the ANA recon HQ team kept in reserve in the BTR-60. Since, it looks like the Taliban’s are using more and more their RPG, it would not make sense to have the BTR destroyed and still having the Recon team in it.

They are successfully moving to the house located on the far right of the BTR. That house has a stone wall built on its level ground. It should afford them good protection.

As soon as they are in the house, they are engaging fighters coming from the valley ridge and these are shot when they get near the trench. Good work.

With the good news, comes the bad one. The Peschawar exit bunker is destroyed. Two grunts are trapped in it and I can’t give any order. Maybe I should have them hide when times come, unless they can crawl to the near trenches. Will see later.

TheJalalabad exit bunker is getting a flurry of RPG. For the moment, they burst either too high or too low. But just for how long. If the bunker gets destroyed, it will be serious for the 3rd squad. Maybe I will have to bring back the Humvee, since the ANA recon is checking the left Taliban’s spear out of the valley.

3rd squad B team has 1 down and 3 wounded. A Taliban in a good state is firing at them from next door. How could I give them some support ?. It is rather risky to move around.

What the QRF is doing ? It should get around here, pretty quickly or we are done

If we are slowing down the assault, me might get away from here. But, I am worry about the platoons size of fighters surely around the HQ team seen by the MG crew at the Jalalabad exit. That surely explain the flurry of RPG grenades they are getting.

Cheers

[snake_eye]

TURN -14- 15

JUST BEFORE STARTING THE TURN 14

The Jalalabad exit fighter’s platoon seem to be about to move up hill. Their axis being the trenches near the Peschawar bunker exit. Just before setting the next move of my units, I am conducting an ammo and casualties assessment.

- 2nd squad B team has 2 grunts Ok and 1 slightly wounded. Their ammo level is dry, besides few hand grenades. A team has 4 grunts ok. They have some ammo left with 40 mm grenades for their UGL and hand grenades. I should take measure and have them bound together again in order to have their ammo split between them.

- 1st squad B team 4 grunts has still a good level of ammo, no 40mm grenades and few hand grenades. A team , manning the MG in the bunker has 3 troopers (yet they are 4 in the shots being taken . Same for the other bunker. Somehow a bug ?) with very good ammo level. But they are under a constant RPG grenades barrage. I fear that that won’t last too long, from what I have seen happening to the Peschawar bunker

-1 st Platoon HQ Lt has rifle ammo and hand grenades. More he has good links with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd squads and their respective teams.

- 3rd squad A team has 4 troopers with a good level of ammo for their rifle,. They have also 40mm grenades and hand grenades. B team has 2 casualties and 2 slightly wounded. Buddy aid seems not to be given, since they are in a delicate situation.They have few hand grenades, but their rifles ammo is low. I would like to have them united with their A team. But I can’t leave the 2 casualties behind.

- The Humvee 50 cal , has 1 guy ok and 1 slightly wounded with a good ammo level. I am going to have it reverse and take position between the house near 3rd squad A team to give them support if needed.

- The ANA Recon HQ team 5 soldiers have a low ammo level and good link to the BTR-60.

- ANA 2nd squad has 2 soldiers OK and 2 slightly wounded. They have ammo and few hand grenades. They are still shaken and ineffective. Better not ask them anything, they will add to the casualties numbers.

- The BTR-60 has a low level of ammo for its 14.5mm gun, but it has some reloads for the 7.62 mm and 5.45mm. Maybe, I should have the HQ team reload?

We are approaching the time when the mortar fire mission will start and the QRF arrive near the bridge.

Cheers

[snake_eye]

Turn 14 -15

The situation is moving back and forth quickly. The Jalalabad exit becomes the spring board of an attack of fighters in almost platoon strength. Their main attack objectives are the trenches up hill toward the Peschawar exit bunker.

The Jalalabad exit bunker MG team do what they can, being under constant RPG grenades volleys. What I feared most just happened. The bunker is destroyed. Yet the 3 grunts are Ok and they have a full load of ammo. As soon as they recover, I can expect to have them back in the fight.

2nd squad A team has rejoined B team in their house, without trouble. In their field of view the killing zone where quite a lot of fighters were killed. Just now the fighters have back up having sustained a withering fire coming from 1st squad B team house.

The 50 cal Humvee reversed as, I had planned it. Unfortunately, a kamikaze fighter coming from the street runs after it, firing wildly. The top gunner falls from the hatch being seriously wounded. The driver keeps in reverse till he gets as far as the 1st and 2nd squad houses and stay there. I think I should have the driver bail out and carry with him, the 50 cal, inside the house as soon as I can do it.

[snake_eye]

Finally a grunt from 3rd squad B team hidden between the house sent a grenade and killed the fighter

I have heard the Fire Base giving a go for the mortar fire planned barrage. It should land shortly in the kill zone located at the Peschawar exit. That should put an end for few minutes to the continuous probing and assaults coming from the valley end.

Whow ! the ANA just signaled they are near the bridge. They will have to be cautious not to run into a gauntlet of fire and IED. To follow the road is the sure way to get into it.

Here is the tactical situation drawn for the latest squads leaders reports.

I just have now to plan the counter attack of the ANA QRF. They must put some pressure on the Taliban’s, since the US QRF won’t come before the next 15 minutes. That won’t be easy.

Cheers

[snake_eye]

TURN 16 -18

I have decided to move 3rd squad A team to the next house in the far corner. That way they will be able to draw enfilade fire onto the fighters moving toward the Peschawar exit bunker. I am bringing among the houses narrow path, the 50 cal Humvee to get him out of harm.

The BTR-60, will reverse 20 meters or so and then the ANA HQ recon team will rejoin it, embark and get their ammo. They will then go back to the house they hold previously with some success.

The grunt of 3rd squad B team who took down the fighter will be urged to get back into the house.

About the QRF, I have devised a new plan, I have never tried before. The BMP carrying the B company HQ will move into the hills on the right side of the road and reach an overwatch position, that should allow him to see the bridge, the road going to the village and its surrounding.

The 2nd platoon HQ will reach a position about 150 meters away and dismount. They will be able from there to overwatch the road leading to the bridge, the hill over looking it on the left side and the fields on the other side of the river, where the 1st and 2nd squads from the 2nd Platoon will take mutual defensive position after having secured the bridge.

We shall see the effect of the mortar barrage in the next turns and if we can slow down the assault toward the Peschawar exit bunker, sufficiently to get some instant of respite

Believe me we will get our share of surprise.

BTW, I have always played that scenario but on Elite Real Time. I was against Turn by Turn play, finding them boring and taking too long.

I must confess that to have played up to 19 turns at the moment and been able to watch the replay, made me change drastically my previous opinion. If there is a scenario to be played Turn by Turn, that is the one.

I will not have been able to go so far in Real Time with the results I have had this time. I did not get them before. The village was mostly occupied, the bunkers out of commission, the Humvee and the BTR shot apart and I did not have that many people around. The QRF only came to fill body bags, if I might say so.

It might change this time, but nothing is done and still anything could happen bad or good, that I don’t know. That is, what we call the fog of war.

Cheers

[Wodin]

I loved the previous CM games as they where WEGO so I play CMSF WEGO aswell. I couldn't play it any other way. I can constantly assess what to do and I also get a chance to replay vital areas at the end of each turn, this means I don't miss anything.

I have no military training so what takes me about 10 mins working out what to do will probably take a trained soldier a few seconds. Also as you can't take in everything whilst in realtime I think your at a disadvantage compared to real life. Each and every squad\vehicle in real life knows roughly whats going on in their area all the time...in the game at realtime you can't give 100% concentration to all your units...so in effect its as if in real life some units are pretty much blindfolded to whats going on in front of them. In turn based\WEGO like I said you can replay the turn and get a grip on whats going on with each and every unit.

A gfew things could be done to mmake it a little more WEGO friendly like an approx time an order will take so you can see roughly what they will do in the next minute because sometimes they have finished an order with 15 secs to go say and just do nothing.

Great AAR by the way...exciting stuff...this is what makes CMSF the classic it is..

[Jonny(FGM)]

I think the main difference between RT and WEGO is that in RT you get an increased ability to micromanage at a decrease in level of information you're able to obtain from the battle and vice versa.

I am a WEGO player and I tried RT once or twice but just kept finding myself finding half my armour in flames thinking what on earth did that?

[snake_eye]

Turn 16 -18 follow up

Everything planned for the QRF went the right way. At the end of the 18th turn, 2 nd platoon, 1st and 2nd squads have reach their first objective after having secured the bridge and they have dismounted in such a way that they can provide to each other mutual support as well as toward the bridge area if necessary.

The platoon HQ is near the bridge in a defense over watching posture. From there, it can support its 2 squads area.

The Company HQ has reached also its over watching site on the right hill far crest. From there, I think that it will soon be able to get intelligence from what can be seen in the valley entrance and around. Then, it will be able to support by fire whichever troops or tracks will be designated to assault in that area.……./……….

As for the village defenders, just a spoiler :

The ALAMO or LITTLE BIG HORN kind of fight will be in the next release. Believe me without the replay, we would all have lost that action which is to my feeling unbelievable. I let you sweat just a bit, but these pictures deserve a good presentation that I don’t want to mess up.

For having been against the TURN BASED mode and really happy to have the REAL TIME coming with CMSF, all I can say, is that I like more and more the TURN BASED mode of play. Only the fools don’t change their mind.

Cheers

[snake_eye]

Turn 16-18 follow up

ANA 2nd Platoon squads and Company HQ tactical planned movements

The ANA 2 Platoon’s 1st & 2nd squads have secured the bridge exit. They can proceed to their objective.

The 2nd Platoon HQ is firmly established on its fire support position

The ANA Recon HQ leaves the house and dash for the BTR-60 to get some ammo

Meanwhile, the first ranging mortar round lands on the far right of the pre plan fire zone. Just on time to break the fighters back while they are rushing forward. They are going to get quite a pasting. Better them than us. That will leave some time for the Recon HQ team to get their ammo and come back to the house.

One thing to notice in the unit table of 1st Platoon HQ

1st squad A team is indicated as written off, all the others are OK.

[snake_eye]

To my complete surprise the ANA 2nd squad has moved from the corner house to the next one. More, they are firing at attackers coming from the valley end. However I still can not give them any orders.

The ANA Recon HQ has rejoined its previous position, having gotten its ammo reload from the BTR-60

3rs squad A team are taking in enfilade the fighters dashing and the ones assaulting the Peschawar exit bunker strong point. Their move to the house at the corner was a sound move

The tactical situation established at the end of the 17th turn

The fighters are renewing their assault toward the bunker, despite some losses. At the same time, the 50 cal Humvee has moved behind 3rd squad A team house. I have been unable to issue a bail out order to disembark the HMG. I have just one trooper left in it. That might explain he can not carry it away alone. That is too bad, that would have been quite an asset that Taliban’s are scared about.

[Jonny(FGM)]

I have been unable to issue a bail out order to disembark the HMG. I have just one trooper left in it. That might explain he can not carry it away alone. That is too bad, that would have been quite an asset that Taliban’s are scared about.

I may be wrong but i think the only way you can get a dismounted M2 is if you get a heavy machine gun plt with the marines. I don't think any of the vehicles will take the .50 with them when they disembark, I know the british don't (they take the GPGM)