pmaidhof

Silly computer wargames! What a bunch of nerds.

No problem..., hey, someone has to.

Speed Bumps, Scenario 2 from World At War: Death of 1st Panzer Elements of West Germany’s 1/172 PzG attempts to delay elements of the attacking Soviet 33rd MRD. 8 Turns, to win Soviets must control both towns of Wittburg and Talen by end of game or NATO wins. Due to massive Soviet electronic jamming, only one of 1/172 PzG’s formation marker is used for the first couple of turns, limiting their ability to engage. Also, Soviets get an automatic move at the start of the game, possibly permitting a second activation in Turn 1. The West German defense had PzG platoons with Milan ATGM’s in both towns. Centrally located was the Leo II HQ and Leo II platoon in a wooded area. The Soviets entered the east edge of the map, using the terrain to mask themselves as they approached the high ground before Wittburg. The plan was to overwhelm Wittburg, before turning on Talen. As activations turned played out early on, the 33rd MRB was able to consolidate just east of the high ground with minimum enemy contact before launching their assault into Wittburg. Once the BMP’s climbed onto the high ground they entered the engagement area of the panzer grenadiers and their Milans hunkered down on the eastern edge of Wittburg. The grenadiers gave out as good as they received, even repulsing the first dismounted assault into the town, before succumbing to repeated suppressive fire attacks and dismounted assaults. It was at this point as the Soviet platoon leaders rallied their men back onto their BMP’s for the attack on Talen that disaster struck. The slow movement of the unit’s T-62’s ensured they played no part in Wittburg, but in trying to get the HQ into position to bring supporting arms to bare, the Leo II’s opened up crushing the Soviet tanks over the course of two back to back activations. Unsupported, the BMP’s rushed into a kill zone of 120mm main gun rounds and Milan ATGM’s just short of Talen. 12 to 116 for a final score of -104 = a NATO Tactical Victory. Questions and Comments: Special Scenario Rule #3 mentions “either HQ”, but there is only one WG Leo II HQ in the scenario. Is Marder included as a unit capable of “Moving Fire”? The Leo II HQ-Leo II platoon combination was the “death star” equivalent in this scenario. 1.3.3.2 HQ Combat indicates that a co-located HQ can add its leadership to the fire power, or assault, of any one attacking unit in its hex. Rolling 9 Firepower die with a 4 “To Hit” made short work of any unit in its LOS. Must get artillery support into action. This play through it was problematic getting the HQ into position in order to spot. An enjoyable scenario. I was able to get dismounted infantry in the attack, taking Wittburg after an initial repulse. I need to work on using the numbers of Soviets to get multiple, in this case, Saggers on line in order to at least disrupt the “death star Leo II’s in order to allow the attack on Talen to at least continue until the riflemen can assault.

Blind Sided, Scenario 1 from The Death of 1st Panzer. Initial impression was who was blind-siding who, and perhaps a scenario more aptly named “race for the bridges”. Essentially 1st Tank Battalion, supported by a recon BRDM-AT unit and two salvoes of HE must advance across the map and seize the town of Walkerburg. Out of position and tasked with this mission to reinforce and hold Walkerburg are elements of the Bundeswehr’s 1/171st mechanized infantry/panzer grenadier company, reinforced with a Luchs recon platoon and Jaguar AT platoon. A Scenario Special Rule provided the Soviet 1st Tank Battalion a surprise start. An HE fire mission is called in on the BW forces to their front, causing nothing bu confirmation that the enemy is near. The BRDM-AT and a couple of T-72 platoons lay down a base of fire, disrupting a BW mech platoon and reducing the Jaguar-AT platoon, while the Soviet main body advances along the line Eben-Wittburg-Walkerburg. The first chit pulled is 1st Tanks as I quickly am reminded of the limitation of Soviet command and control as I now have units strung out along the route of advance. The BRDM-AT again makes its presence felt reducing another Marder/Mech platoon as the West Germans attempt to re-position themselves, covered by ATGM fire from the Jaguar unit. Over the course of Turns 2-4, the German command structure comes to the fore, frustrating the Russians, and gain positions in Walkerburg, as Soviet artillery rains down in the town shattering buildings and grenadiers alike. A Milan team is lost and an infantry platoon reduced. Hasty armored assaults on the local woods and edges of Walkerburg are repulsed as the Russian BN CO attempts to reconstitute his force for a massed armored assault on the town. Direct HE fire opens a whole in the defenses, as the the massed, -company minus-, assaults and is swallowed up completely by the engulfed town. The final turns are units consolidating positions on both sides, with random pop shots at unlucky units. Game called after 6 of the 8 turns allowed. As the battle hardened Grenadiers peer outward towards Wittburg, they can see the enemy reorganizing itself for a later push. They can only report in, request more support, and wait for what the bear has for them next. Lessons learned the hard-way, armor assaulting infantry in towns, without their own support is war game unit suicide. Artillety prep can be very effective. Using the victory points listed in The Death of 1st Panzer gives the West Germans a Limited Victory with a game tally of -78 points.

Blind Sided, Scenario 1 from The Death of 1st Panzer. Initial impression was who was blind-siding who, and perhaps a scenario more aptly named “race for the bridges”. Essentially 1st Tank Battalion, supported by a recon BRDM-AT unit and two salvoes of HE must advance across the map and seize the town of Walkerburg. Out of position and tasked with this mission to reinforce and hold Walkerburg are elements of the Bundeswehr’s 1/171st mechanized infantry/panzer grenadier company, reinforced with a Luchs recon platoon and Jaguar AT platoon. A Scenario Special Rule provided the Soviet 1st Tank Battalion a surprise start. An HE fire mission is called in on the BW forces to their front, causing nothing bu confirmation that the enemy is near. The BRDM-AT and a couple of T-72 platoons lay down a base of fire, disrupting a BW mech platoon and reducing the Jaguar-AT platoon, while the Soviet main body advances along the line Eben-Wittburg-Walkerburg. The first chit pulled is 1st Tanks as I quickly am reminded of the limitation of Soviet command and control as I now have units strung out along the route of advance. The BRDM-AT again makes its presence felt reducing another Marder/Mech platoon as the West Germans attempt to re-position themselves, covered by ATGM fire from the Jaguar unit. Over the course of Turns 2-4, the German command structure comes to the fore, frustrating the Russians, and gain positions in Walkerburg, as Soviet artillery rains down in the town shattering buildings and grenadiers alike. A Milan team is lost and an infantry platoon reduced. Hasty armored assaults on the local woods and edges of Walkerburg are repulsed as the Russian BN CO attempts to reconstitute his force for a massed armored assault on the town. Direct HE fire opens a whole in the defenses, as the the massed, -company minus-, assaults and is swallowed up completely by the engulfed town. The final turns are units consolidating positions on both sides, with random pop shots at unlucky units. As the battle hardened Grenadiers peer outward towards Wittburg, they can see the enemy reorganizing itself for a later push. They can only report in, request more support, and wait for what the bear has for them next. Lessons learned the hard-way, armor assaulting infantry in towns, without their own support is war game unit suicide. Artillety prep can be very effective. Using the victory points listed in The Death of 1st Panzer gives the West Germans a Limited Victory with a game tally of -78 points.

Wow, now I know why I felt that I was underachieving this long labor day weekend. But I enjoyed myself never the less. Pretty cool Tony. Thanks for the photos, a picture is worth a 1,000 words.

Ok, after sitting on this for a week or two, I got around to printing, mounting, and cutting counters today. All kinds of C-701, C-801, Tor M-1, and Silkworm goodness to name a few of the units types present. I'll be sure to set up a scenario or two over the long weekend and report back.

This can become an interesting H4.1 or Shipwreck scenario as it may end too quickly if computers are crunching all the numbers.

I expect it is that "cache" thing you describe. Super. Then everyday I work I can continue to be graced with.. "My name is Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your Senior Drill Instructor..."

Are you saying you're having visions of Hartmann, Pete? (Major King Kong has been here for several days now). I stand here at 0911 local, GMT-4, and GySgt H is adorning your avatar. Maybe it's a cache thing, but in the words of the chosen one, that's above my pay grade.

What a minute, the good Gunny was back for a while today, but now lost again. WTFO?

GySgt Hartman appears to have made a comeback... Goodnight Ladies!...Hit it sweetheart.

This just in, Harpgamer Member #2. leading poster, and all around nice guy has changed his avatar from the beloved Gunnery Sergeant Hartman to...er something completely different.

Cross posted here and in on CSW. Play two run throughs of a hypothetical engagement between Russia and a former member of the USSR. Both sides equipped with T-72M1. Russians task was to enter the map with a tank battalion and a 152mm battery in direct support. Opposing them and defending a road/rail junction was a company of now western leaning T-72M1's with the possibility of a reinforcing company, rolled for at the start of each turn, a roll of less than or equal to the turn number is successful. At 250m per hex, the map was a home brewed 6 1/2 x 7 1/4 km. I used rule tweaks found here such as "X" damage results equalling DP except for natural "1" die rolls. petermc's activations, and I believe Steven B's unpin attempts at the start of each turn as well as revised sequence of play. Aslo all SOW movement ranges were halved and round down. First try the reinforcing company never was able to deploy on board, and the defenders were overwhelmed. The second try the reinforcing company arrived on T1. This tipped the balance to where the scenario was very bloody, but essentially the defenders held, but were in no position to put up much more defense should a follow on echelon arrived any time soon. The russian main effort basically expended itself in the center, while a company in a supporting effort broke through its opponent and flanked the main objective, controlling it by fire for a turn. The next turn however the reinforcing defender company rushed a platoon and its HQ to the objective hex to begin taking its lumps. Game ended in T6 or an hour and one half game time. I really liked the activation system, gave some uncertainty to the russian advance. The X to DP rule worked well. I like to keep a natural 1 being an X where appropriate. The Russian 152mm Battery was essentially ineffective vs an armored target in woods. I/we still need to work on melding Steven's First Battle revised sequence of play with SAW, particularly with reference to artillery, when its fired vs when it strikes within a 15min turn, and 1/2 moving units, firing at 1/2 and then due to gun stabilization entering a reaction fire position. Need to intergrate infantry and APC/IFV's. By the way I doumented many of the common tanks and APC/IFV's found in both Battlefield Europe and Sands of War, then guesstimated a number of units for the SOW platoon sized unit rules such as Leopard 1A3, Leopard 1A5, Leopard 2, Luchs, Marder, BTR-70/80, and BMP-2.

Hi Joe, Not that I do not doubt your experience, but having been active duty USMC from 1988-1992 and again 2002, reserve time between that through retirement Aug 1, 2008 I had never heard that. In addition, having had to think up interesting things to keep my platoon, part of the embarked troops aboard LHA-2, while wondering around the Med and western Africa during most of 1990, the only time we came close enough to the CVBG was for the very nice photo op of all the ships etc, standing in line for chow was a daily training highlight. That along with MORP (Marine Officer Rest Period), "Hey, it's general quarters, again, quick hit the red light.", but that's another story for another time.

I agree from the stand point of the amphibs such as an LHA, since there is not as much parking for aircraft and helos on the flight deck, there would have been room for for at least one more helo on the hanger deck. 800 Marines embarked on a carrier, by the numbers sounds like the BLT of a MEU. For whatever reason they were on the carrier, when on a ship, other than as assigned to a MarDet, the Marines are considered "embarked troops", not "ships company" so standing in line for chow seems like a pretty good idea to me. What else would you have preferred them to do? Better than having them looking for something to break. The old saying goes lock a Marine and a ball bearing in a quadcon for 24 hours, when you open it up, he will either have broke it or lost it.

When was this? How long were they aboard the TR? Why weren't they on the standard amphibs? Sometime it boils down to "Jarheads" being paid for what they can do, not what they do at some specific point in time. I'm sure they appreciated the "ride".

Follow up to a local feel good story...for those locals paying attention. Newsday.com F-14 Tomcat memorialized in Bethpage BY JESSE COZZETTI jesse.cozzetti@newsday.com August 23, 2008 It was the plane pilots loved to fly, and Friday one of the last of a series of Tomcat jets to roll off the line at Grumman came back to Long Island. Northrop Grumman Corp. in Bethpage memorialized the 711th of the 712 Tomcats F-14s built at the Long Island aerospace company. The Navy retired the aircraft in 2006. "Only one made it home out of the 712 that rolled off the lines," said Vice Adm. Dave Venlet, commander of the Naval Air Systems Command and a speaker at the ceremony. The F-14D is the 36th of the 37 "D" models ever built. Grumman sold it to the Navy May 29, 1992. Like all 712 Tomcats, it was built on Long Island. Guests at the ceremony included Bob Smyth, the first pilot to fly an F-14; Lt. Cmdr. Bob Gentry, who was a member of the crew on the last F-14 flight to Long Island; and James Howe, a former commanding officer of one of the last squadrons to fly the Tomcats, VF-31. The jet, which sparkled under clear skies Friday, had been stored in Farmingdale since 2006 while its new home on the Grumman grounds in Bethpage was readied. Navy air crew on the Grumman grounds in crisp white uniforms spoke about their love of the Tomcat. Flying the jet was like "flying a street-legal muscle car in the air," said Gentry, who flew the jet to Long Island from Florida. He added that its "lethal combination of speed and maneuverability" made the Tomcat a beloved aircraft. "The sheer power the plane possessed was always exciting, no matter how many times you've done it," Howe said. Grumman inscribed on the jet the names of the late Mike Pelehach, head of the team that designed the plane and known as the father of the F-14; Bob Kress, the F-14's first chief engineer; Smyth; Gentry; Howe; and Lt. Cmdr. Chris Richard, who flew with Gentry. Gentry said he was overwhelmed by the tribute. "There are hundreds of guys more deserving and qualified to have their name on that jet," he said. The plane is on permanent loan to the Grumman Club, a group of retired Grumman workers, from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla. The club's sponsorship made the F-14 monument possible. "Now it rests in its rightful place," said the Grumman Club's Barbara Nilsen. Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

No worries, we're on the same page.

Still conflicted numbers, unsurprisingly. The Russians admit to four (three Su-25s and the Tu-22M3) while the Georgians claim as many as 19. Wonder where the NYT gets its figures. And any ground attack jet that gets down in the weeds and targets visually is bound to be 'vulnerable'. Believe you-me that I am no fan of the New York Times or it's self concieved notions of superior and balanced journalism, I stumbled across the article while looking more closely at what variant the Georgian T-72 is (T-72BV as I understand it now - thermal sight, GPS, and some type of command suite). Found it a somewhat interesting read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NY Times article here. August 17, 2008 Military Analysis Russians Melded Old-School Blitz With Modern Military Tactics By THOM SHANKER WASHINGTON — Russia’s victorious military blitz into the former Soviet republic of Georgia brought something old and something new — but none of it was impromptu, despite appearances that a long-frozen conflict had suddenly turned hot. The Russian military borrowed a page from classic Soviet-era doctrine: Moscow’s commanders sent an absolutely overwhelming force into Georgia. It was never going to be an even fight, and the outcome was predictable, if not preordained. At the same time, the Russian military picked up what is new from the latest in military thinking, including American military writings about the art of war, replete with the hard-learned lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan. So along with the old-school onslaught of infantry, armor and artillery, Russia mounted joint air and naval operations, appeared to launch simultaneous cyberattacks on Georgian government Web sites and had its best English speakers at the ready to make Moscow’s case in television appearances. If the rapidly unfolding events caught much of the world off guard, that kind of coordination of the old and the new did not look accidental to military professionals. “They seem to have harnessed all their instruments of national power — military, diplomatic, information — in a very disciplined way,” said one Pentagon official, who like others interviewed for this article disclosed details of the operation under ground rules that called for anonymity. “It appears this was well thought out and planned in advance, and suggests a level of coordination in the Russian government between the military and the other civilian agencies and departments that we are striving for today.” In fact, Pentagon and military officials say Russia held a major ground exercise in July just north of Georgia’s border, called Caucasus 2008, that played out a chain of events like the one carried out over recent days. “This exercise was exactly what they executed in Georgia just a few weeks later,” said Dale Herspring, an expert on Russian military affairs at Kansas State University. “This exercise was a complete dress rehearsal.” Russian commentators have countered that more than 1,000 American military personnel were in Georgia for an exercise last month. But that exercise focused on counterinsurgency operations to prepare a Georgian brigade for duty in Iraq, a different mission from the seizing of territory or denying an aggressor a new stake on the land. Even as the Russian military succeeded at its most obvious objectives — taking control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, humiliating the Georgian government and crippling army and police units — serious shortcomings on the Russian side were revealed, Pentagon and military officials said. To the surprise of American military officers, an impaired Georgian air-defense system was able to down at least six Russian jets. The Sukhoi-25, an aging ground attack plane, appeared to be the most vulnerable. Georgia never has fielded an integrated, nationwide air defense system, and those ground-to-air weapons that survived early Russian shelling operated without any central control — and some without battle-command radars, as they were destroyed by Russian strikes. That they bloodied the Russian air wing was taken as a clear sign of poor aircraft maintenance, poor piloting skills — or, most likely, years of insufficient funds for adequate flight training. Russian-language news media and unofficial national security Web sites in Moscow, which since the days of the disastrous Soviet foray into Afghanistan have developed a skeptical independent streak, also noted other shortcomings. A Russian general in command of the 58th Army was wounded in the leg when he led a column of 30 armored vehicles toward the capital of South Ossetia, apparently without sufficient intelligence from scouts on the ground or surveillance aircraft overhead to know a Georgian ambush was waiting. The Russians also suffered losses as they came through the Roki Tunnel, which connects South Ossetia to the neighboring region of North Ossetia in Russia proper. Russian national security analysts said there was no air cover to protect Moscow’s forces in their first minutes outside the safety of the mountain tunnel. Despite these failings, the Russian military was able to coordinate infantry advances with movement of airborne troops, simultaneously with the deployment of armor and artillery. Russian warships moved off the coast of Georgia, and Russian Special Operations forces infiltrated into Georgia through Abkhazia, according to Pentagon and military officials. “This was not the Russian Army from the humiliation of Afghanistan, and it’s not the Russian military that had to flatten Chechnya to save it,” said one Pentagon official knowledgeable of how the fighting unfolded. Another said: “The Russian military is back. They are to be contended with.” Despite a recent increase in Russian long-range bomber flights along old, cold war routes near United States airspace, the offensive into Georgia gave little indication of a renewed capacity or renewed interest in global projection of power by the Russians. But Moscow’s military is wholly capable of pressing the Kremlin’s designs on hegemony over the formerly Communist states along the border that Russian leaders call “the near abroad.” Russia prepared the battlefield in the months leading up to the outbreak of fighting. In April, Russia reinforced its peacekeeping force in Abkhazia with advanced artillery, and in May it sent construction troops to fix a railroad line linking that area with Russia. Georgia’s overmatched army of about 30,000 was able to field four combat brigades of about 3,300 soldiers each. At the start of the fighting, the Georgian Army’s First Brigade was in Iraq, and was airlifted home aboard American aircraft — but without their war-fighting gear. The Fourth Brigade was in training for the next rotation to Iraq. The Second and Third Brigades were in western Georgia, closer to Abkhazia than to South Ossetia, where the fighting started. The American military training for the Georgian troops has been described as involving counterterrorism for domestic security and counterinsurgency for the Iraq mission, with little emphasis on taking ground, holding ground or defending against invasion. Against the Russians, Georgian command and control withered quickly, and army and police units were operating on their own, often at cross purposes or overlapping missions. Although the Georgians had been taught that speed of operations brings a mass all its own to the battlefield, and that improving accuracy in firepower brings a mass all its own, the lesson of the conflict is that, in some cases, mass has a mass all its own. Russia easily smothered the smaller Georgian force.

Always thinking of me...thanks Brad. Seriously, it will come to good use. Mostly doing generic scenarios based on the fighting...i.e. generic map, loose OOB interpretation. This will help along with other sources. Thanks again.

There is a SitRep article on the modernization of the Russian air force a few editions ago listing Su-25 with 3rd Gen Decoys, which should give something more in Airpower terms. It's DDS-A, Decoy Dispencer System "A" is the basic piece of gear. For comparison, the game lists F/A-18A as having DDS-B, and the F/A-18C a DDS-C.

Re-did the SA-11 SAM engagement versus the Su-25 using the Airpower rules vice the Air Superiority/Air Strike rules. Airpower is essentially v2 of the AS/AS rules with some enhancements as well. It turns out that the Frogfoot's AJM-A still effectively jammed the Gadfly's TTR for three turns, it "locked on" on the fourth turn, about when it did yesterday. The big difference is that the Soviet/WP Internal DDS-A contains no chaff, but 10 flares. No help vesus a radar guided SAM. Hindsight being what it is, I'd definitely look into carrying an extenal EW pod which would give me some chaff. Equipped as it was, the Su-25 was hit by both missiles directly, rolls of 10 and 9 on a 9 attack rating resulted in two Heavy Damage result, the second culminates to a cripped. The first Critical Systems Loss roll disable the radar, none on the Frogfoot. The second killed the pilot removing the a/c or determining the crash site. It's a quick attack so I'll run it again using Airpower, and more appropriately loaded soon and see what comes of it.

First of all - No disrespect to the belligerents and/or victims of this current war between Georgia and Russia. Just using the situation to frame a viable scenario. Georgian Su-25 responding to ground units observing a Russian armored column advancing on their defensive positions. Russian armored column of 2x tank platoons and a mechanized infantry platoon. At a rearward position, covering a bridge crossing, is a solitary SA-11 launch vehicle. Su-25 enters the south edge of the map at T Level and moves up along the eastern side of the map. Turns 3-4, Su-25 effectively jams the SA-11 TTR with its AJM-A EW Pod. Turn 5 it is not jammed and the SA-11 locks onto the Su-25. The Su-25 comes over a wooded area and spots the armored column. Unfortunately, at 1 hex it is now too close to effectively dive bomb the target so the pilot lets loose with his Rocket Pod, securing a suppression result rolling on the 1:2 column of the Air-To-Ground Attack Table on Turn 6. As the pilot crosses the target making his way to the west map edge, he employs his internal DDS-A dropping a single chaff unit each FP, while a volley of two SA-11 Gadfly missiles launch and track the Frogfoot. Chaff effectively decoys one of the SAMs, but the second tracks home and secures a “direct hit”, causing a “crippled” result on the Aircraft Damage Table. As the Su-25 left the west map edge I rolled for progressive damage – there was none, so the scenario was declared over with the Russian attack somewhat disrupted and the crippled aircraft making it home.