Tactics Tutorials for CMSF

[snake_eye]

Ended the battle with a Total Victory with the Syrian surrender with 01:14:00 remaining time.

Playing elite R.T I really enjoyed that scenario. I think that I could have forced the Syrian surrender quicker but losses would have been heavier.

I think that the CAB is well sized with its motorized scouts Platoon and its Infantry Company. However rather than a tank Company attached to them, one or two tank platoons would have been closer to what is usually found. A tank company is rarely 100% available.

The artillery assets as well as the air ones are tremendous.

We have here, if I am not making a mistake, a by the book movement to contact. Everything is made available to avoid and or minimize all possible casualties during the advance. The US Army is on the move and you better be good against it or beat it.

Well, I am a bit jealous about the amount of troops and arms available, but I must confess that to move against an enemy that might be entrenched and which is in emplacements providing good kill zones is a bit hairy. You know that they are waiting the right moment to dislocate your tactical move and create havoc among your tracks and troops. Anyway, that seems to be the US doctrine of deployment in that case.

I have probably drawn an easier A.I plans among the 6 available. I found it clever, but easy, once you get to the high ground and can overwatch the likely avenues of approaches.

Besides the woods give a good cover.

Casualties:

Blue 12 KIA RED 113, 14 WIA 27, 1 MIA 17, 2 TL 7, 3 AVL 10, 3 OVL 3

-------------------------------SPOILERS------------------SPOILERS-------------------------

I was in a position on the ridge overwatching the suburbs of Al Ghania, ready to shell and or bring air assets onto the town, before having the tracks moving in with the infantry, when the Syrian surrendered.

Nothing of their forces, but burnt tracks and tanks,was left on the map, besides their last remains, hidden into the town, of 2 platoons (one under strength), a Company HQ team, one or two AT assets and some HMG. 2 BMP’s and a tank are also left .

The Syrian shelling if I had taken the road at the departure Line would have been costly. If I had made my move along the road, the tanks were well hidden and they would have created havoc among the tracks.

My idea to go for the high ground immediately was the sound one. I have been surprised to find the high ground not defended. If I had been a Red opponent, I will have done it, since it is a commanding area. If you don’t command it, the way to Al Ghania school and Al Ghania town is open. That is on my point of view a tactical drawback for the Red.

Is the scenario made from tactical US Army vignettes, I don’t know ?

Later the helicopters and planes (heavy bombs were released when I did not have any flights around) obliged me to move the tanks and tracks among the protection of the woods. I have had some mobility kills. Fortunately, most of my moves had been made away from the departure line, regularly shelled and sustaining repeated air strikes.

I shall probably try it again tweaking the editor’s A.I plans to make sure I don’t get the same.

Never the less, I enjoyed it, the movements were rewarding and challenging, the map well done, with well made slopes, orchards and woods areas. Nice job

[Sakai007]

I really don't know how I missed this but I am glad today is the last day, lol. Being a former Army grunt as well, I am glad that you are taking CMSF and using it in a realistic manner with the knowledge and experience you have gained in your r/l occupation. I never did see any combat, but the training exercises gave me a good idea and that is the way I fight in CMSF. Your tutorial is outstanding, and is really fleshing out my basic understanding of war. Plus, from my view of things, all I was trained for was the fireteam/squad/platoon war. Company and Battalion sized engagements were far out of the scheme of my training and knowledge. Gibsomn has helped me a TON with using armor and IFVs with some really basic stuff that opened my eyes to how it should be done. Really makes CMSF a much better time for me, thank you!!!

[jnt62006]

Just a quick word for Snake Eye, hopefully without ruining play for others.

I am glad you appreciated the scenario, took some time to set up and get everything like I wanted it. Kinda surprised it took you three hours but I can tell by your low casualties you took your time, and there was no time constraint. Thats why I set it for the max time allowed. I didnt want the player to feel like they had some sort of clock to beat, since in reality you wouldnt in this kind of situation.

A CAB contains two tank companies and two bradley companies. So even if you task organize them (cross load tank and bradley platoons under each company HQ), in most cases when you put two of the companies in the same AO you are going to come up with three bradley platoons and three tank platoons. Particularly when you are talking about the lead companies of the lead battalion of an advancing mech force. US AFVs are built with survivability and lethality in equal doses. Its what makes them so formidable. And we arent afraid to capitalize on those capabilities in order to save US lives. Alot of our detractors will call it heavy handedness or excessive force or whatever. But believe me, when you walk across a battlefield and you see the bodies of your enemies scattered around and listen to the cries of their wounded, you begin to feel pretty glad that the odds are stacked in your favor. Its war, its not about fighting fair. Sorry, I have a tendency to digress on here sometimes.

The CAS and Artillery coverage, once again, are what an advancing ground commander could expect on the tip of the spear so to speak.

The different AI plans are all equally weighted as far as chance of being the one used. Chances are good you wont get the same one again.

[snake_eye]

JNT, thanks for your answer. It is sure than in a RL with such assets available it would have taken less time to reach Al Ghania School and in the run Al Ghania town through or on either side of the main road.

However, it would seem likely to find that axis fully registered by the enemy and have them pre positioned along it with good kill zones.

To maintain, anyway, such an attack axis, the Air assets would have made an overwatch in front of the advancing CAB. The artillery would have registered all important and potential troops position and made pre planned and or on call fire missions.

The units would have moved using the marching fire doctrine. Brad’s troopers either mounted or dismounted near strong points, while others try to outflank them. But as an axiom is saying :”To halt under fire is folly. To halt under fire and not fire back is suicide. Move forward under fire”;

To do that, in the game is relatively difficult. To control all units during their move even in WEGO is difficult. So many things can happen in one minute time. In RL each unit would have pre planned fire area and mutual lateral support and the air and artillery would be called on targets being seen during the move, besides the ones already registered.

As a matter of fact, as I said it in my previous post, I am a bit jealous about all these support facilities. That was a thing, I have not seen around many times.

However, I would rather have them and save precious lives. Ours, needless, to say.

For the rest I know what you meant about walking on a battlefield. War has nothing to do with what we are seeing on TV or even on well done movies. Blood and guts splashed all around and even on you, that you will never forget. The cries, the sight and the odour. Now days, when I am taking care of cats, I am very satisfied to open a dry pack for them. Years ago, I used to give them heart and lungs. One day coming back, I was just unable to keep up with cutting the lungs. Don’t wonder why ! Something like a PTD.

Years went by and things have settled down. But even in a game, I am trying to use artillery and air with care and not abuse of its mighty power as long as my pixels troops are not endangered. That is my real challenge today. What I was doing fast years ago, I do it, now with time and caution. In the game it works, in RL I don’t think the enemy would wait for us to take our time. So we go back to the marching fire doctrine and its axiom.

Again thanks JNT for that scenario, so close to what you might encounter, that it brought back memories that I have a tendency to obliterate, keeping in mind only the tactical and materials issues

[Erwin]

That explains why your scenarios are so good.

BTW: Did you ever get a chance to do a version of "Road Opening" that had a larger set-up zone so we didn't have to dance around with the Trucks and native troops to get the RPG's out to the US troops?

[snake_eye]

To Erwin,

Yeah, I know that you were rightly upset to find the Afghan troops mounted in US MTVR at the airfield. Don't worry, following your remarks made at the time, I have done right away a slight modification about the setup Zone as well as to permit the US troops to retrieve ammos from the MTVR's prior to the Afghans boarding them.

I have not uploaded that V2 for the time being. Partly because I wanted to replace the MTVR's trucks with Zil's ones (that has been done). Zil's trucks were only available in NATO prior to the release of the patch 1.31 (if I am not mistaken). I thought at the time, that to use Zil's trucks will make the V2 only available to people having NATO. Then V 1.31 came along with the news of some bugs specifically with the panzerfausts when played with NATO. I think that there are no more reason to delay that release. If I am wrong (about the Zil's available with V 1.31 without NATO) let me know.

If it is OK, I shall release V2 at the end of march, not having my BF HDD with me while travelling.

Thanks for liking the scenarios

[Erwin]

I'll be looking forward to the new version. I was really enjoying the first turns.