NATO Canadian Campaign - Sound of Guns

[Euri]

I consider myself as possessing an average+ command of CMSF.

However I wonder if anyone has tried Scenario n6 (Sound of Guns) of the Canadian Campaign. I would be very interested to discuss suggested approaches.

For me I tend to believe that the wisest decision is to call it a day - accept an early defeat and preserve forces to fight another day.

[BlackMoria]

*** Spoiler Alert ***

This scenario is a challenge but can be done. Keep in mind my comments below pertain to the AI plan I got (I don't know if there are multiple AI plans)

Your 'problems'

Lack of good cover. The high ground in the center seems the most likely spot to defend but the high ground is a killing field. I would avoid it. First, he has his artillery registered on the hill. Second, most of the high ground and buildings on Red's side of the map have good observation. His heavy weapons don't appear to leave the back areas of the map and they are placed for optimal observation of the hill.

Your left approach is basically flat. There is some dead zone you can use and a defile/wadi. The trouble is the wadi gets you closer to the enemy forces and nowhere else. Your left is compounded by the fact that the terrain on the enemy side favors him as there is lots of dead ground and buildings for him to use.

The right approach is better. For one, you have some buildings you can use for cover. While there is no defile in your near ground, the ground slopes gently up and you can use the center hill and the sloping ground for a cover approach. The enemy's side of the map has terrain that doesn't favor him. This is the best approach in my opinion for your forces.

Your advantage is you have stand-off fire power with the LAVs but that is tempered by the fact he has some limited AT capability. Your chief disadvantage is the terrain favors the enemy but he has to move so plan your battle on that fact.

My plan was to use the right side and use the gentle slope to get as close to the near right hand buildings as I could. I dismounted the infantry back and worked up towards those buildings with dismounted infantry working with the LAVs. You may have to use smoke for make it safely into final positions.

What you what to try to do is the following:

Get a spot in his heavy weapons as they are the most dangerous to you and take them out with artillery. If you can neutralize them, you will have a easier go of it.

You are going to have to stay nimble. His artillery is going to zero on you if you go 'firm' too long in a location. I used my LAVs to tease his forces into revealing themselves so you got to move out of cover, take some shots and suck back to cover and keep doing this or you will end up with smoking LAVs.

Stand off - you don't have to take Raccoon and Caribou to win if you inflict enough casualties on him. Use the 25mm on the LAVs to tear him up at range. If you close, particularly early in the game, you will pay dearly for it so keep your distance and use the firepower of the LAVs. Let him come to you, don't go after him!

Using the above, I got a total victory with about 4 friendly casualties (1 KIA, 3 WIA) but the terrain will make you work for that outcome. You don't have the ground or positional advantage to sit there and pound on him so you are going to have to use the little terrain that favors you to wipe out his ranged AT capability and then hose his infantry squads into giblets with the fire power of the LAVs. Don't take too long to push his forces past the tipping point while they are moving as they might go 'firm' on the objectives and then you will have to go after him.

Remember - you don't need to take the objectives to win. Fight him at range and tear him up and you should do okay.

[DaveDash]

I did something similiar to BlackMoria

But the key point remains, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES. You will lose far more points for getting your men killed than for not taking an objective. If you break the Syrians will to fight, you will win. The key to all NATO missions is slow, deliberate, with the goal of forcing him to surrender before the time limit runs out. Gamey? Maybe, but so are 1-2 hour timelimits.

What I did was I used fire and manouvre at a slow cautious pace.

First, I called down supporting indirect artillery on the tall buildings at the back, and the tall building on my left flank near the front of the village, as they were likely ATGM/MG spots.

I then used my initial LAVs to set up a base of fire to the rear right flank of the hill so their entire left front/left side was anchored and protected against the hill, and moved some supporting dismount assets into those buildings on the right flank also to get eyes on the village. I set up two LAVs in Hull Down on the hill and suppressed all buildings they could see, then I moved the next two LAVS next to them to the right, and then they suppressed all the buildings they could see. I then took my original two LAVS and moved them to the right, etc etc.

Any SPG, ATGM, or MG that was spotted was suppressed immediately with mortars and 25MM from the LAVs.

When second platoon showed up, I moved them in a similiar fashion, but was far more aggressive. I moved right around to the right side of the map, behind that tall building. Two LAV's would sit and fire, the other two bound, then the previous two would take their place. I managed to get that platoon of LAVs all the way up the right flank so they were looking at right angles to the village. I then moved infantry from 1st Platoon (my supporting base of fire) up to the top of the hill into the rubble of the buildings hit by arty, and then moved the dismounts from 2nd Platoon up to the tall building, putting the MG up the top, and moved the platoon in under the covering fire of the LAVs/1st Platoon into the first village and cleared it.

By this stage, I had killed most of the enemy contacts and suffered similiar casualties to BlackMoria, although I did have one LAV immobilized by a SPG.

I play in RT, so such 'shoot and scoot' tactics are much more viable than in WEGO.

It's worth noting in this mission the briefing says you get re-supplied next mission. So that was my queue to go nuts with firepower and supression.