You should play/plan the scenario with Air Logistics OFF. The bases are not checked for proper ammo figures, and at this level of combat, logistics are a relatively low priority. So you can load up pretty much anything on your aircraft from the available RL loadouts.
Choose your sides, have a go, behave (no peeks over the fence ;-) and let's get this show on the road.
NATO Initial Orders
HQ units and Artillery units are to practice radio discipline with no un-necessary messages. Shoot and scoot in effect. All units to stay off the roads as much as possible.
HQ unit to be 3 hexes south of Bad Hersfeld with preparation to fall back along an axis NE to SW to a hill 3 hexes EAST of Laulerbach and then to a hill 3 hexes WSW of Laulerbach.
A/1/11 Cav Trp DEFEND NORTH of BAD HERSFELD with special attention to the open areas east of that town. Fall back will be towards Alsfeld with the defensive positions along the axis to Alsfeld.
B/1/11 Cav Trp will DEFEND AROUND
HUNFELD with special attention to the EAST, wherever possible, forward
defence in the woods East of the town.
Fall Back will be towards Fulda and then Laulerbach.
C/1/11 Cav Trp will DEFEND EAST of FULDA with special attention to the East. Fall Back will be towards Neuhof and then to Schluctern.
D/1/11 Cav Trp will ADVANCE NORTH from BAD NEUSTADT into the EAST ZONE with the aim of flanking and cutting off invading forces.
Arty Bat/1-11 AC will support units against greatest concentration of Soviet Forces. To be zeroed in on roads and towns.
I hope this will suffice....if not let me know.
Initial Air Orders
(intercepted secret communications between NATO command and air-ops
officer)
<VCDH> what kind of orders do u
need?
<VCDH> like where to make the air strike?
<Dimitris_HHQ> yes
<Dimitris_HHQ> as much or as little info as you want to provide
<Dimitris_HHQ> of course more detailed info gives you better control :-)
<Dimitris_HHQ> you can go all the way and plan a very detailed air strike,
for example
<VCDH> ok....one sec
<Dimitris_HHQ> or, for instance, tell me that you simply want this or that
aircraft to do CAS in area-X
<VCDH> D....F-16 will conduct 2 air strikes......2 x 2 plane
elements....first elements are to strike along the road leading SW towards
West Germany, the other will hit the North-South road leading into West
Germany. After the strike, the F-16s will join the F-15s and will provide
CAP over Allied Units. A-10s are 'on call' CAS and the F-4s will provide
BAI as soon as they cross the inner German border.
<Dimitris_HHQ> hmmm any specific targets for the F-16 strikes?
<Dimitris_HHQ> or search & destroy?
<VCDH> Soviet Armor takes priority
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<VCDH> Change the F-4s
<Dimitris_HHQ> CAP is BARCAP or aggressive air superiority?
<VCDH> F-4s will do Iron Hand
<Dimitris_HHQ> with SEAD loadout?
<VCDH> yeah....I need SAMs reduced.
<VCDH> CAP will be aggressive.
<Dimitris_HHQ> which SAMs to target first?
<Dimitris_HHQ> regimental SAMs or the biggie one?
<VCDH> LR SAMs have priority, after the regimental stuff
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<VCDH> after that the regimental stuff I man
<VCDH> mean*
<Dimitris_HHQ> all 4 F-4s on the SEAD strike? All on the SA-10?
<VCDH> I only have 2 F-4s
<VCDH> And I want them against that SA-10
<VCDH> and I want my ground forces to pay special attention to command
vehicles. Although I'll prolly be able to do that myself in the game.
<Dimitris_HHQ> yes, the HQ units are deliberately separate
<VCDH> what else did I miss?
<Dimitris_HHQ> F-15s or the F-16s will spearhead the aggressive CAP?
<Dimitris_HHQ> (ie. which is more expendable)
<VCDH> The F-15s are more expendable....I am going to multi-role AC more
than single role like the F-15s
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<Dimitris_HHQ> this is quite important
<Dimitris_HHQ> (which ones go headlong into the fray...)
<VCDH> yeah....well someone's gotta go in :)
<Dimitris_HHQ> A-10s will do pre-emptive CAS/BAI or will they take off only
after contact of ground forces is made?
<VCDH> 'on call CAS' D....I need them in the air before contact.
<Dimitris_HHQ> Their safety distance from the "air front"?
<VCDH> hmm....
<VCDH> 30nm....take about 5 or 6 minutes to get on target....staying low of
course.
<Dimitris_HHQ> the CAP is high or low?
<VCDH> high
<Dimitris_HHQ> so, no aircraft on the ground at all?
<VCDH> no....I'd prefer them not to be....anything bad with that?
<Dimitris_HHQ> no
<Dimitris_HHQ> just remember there are more turns after that :-)
<VCDH> hmmm
<VCDH> damn
<Dimitris_HHQ> it's not 6 hrs and done
<VCDH> keep forgetting that it's turn based
<Dimitris_HHQ> :-)
<VCDH> ok...keep a flight of F-16s down
<VCDH> they will be loaded for BAI
<Dimitris_HHQ> 2 of them, hot pad?
<VCDH> yeah
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<Dimitris_HHQ> Dale, two things
<VCDH> sure
<Dimitris_HHQ> 1) The 2 F-4s are F-4Es, not Gs
<Dimitris_HHQ> they don't have any special SEAD equipment
<Dimitris_HHQ> or weapons
<VCDH> ok then....we'll scratch the SEAD mission and keep the F-4s on hot
pad staus
<VCDH> status
<Dimitris_HHQ> so the F-4s replace the two F-16s on hot pad?
<VCDH> no....F-16s stay on the hot pad for now....
<Dimitris_HHQ> and so the original 2x2 strike flights are valid (the F-16s)
<Dimitris_HHQ> ah, ok
<Dimitris_HHQ> all 4 of them loaded for BAI?
<VCDH> yeah
<Dimitris_HHQ> another thing
<VCDH> ?
<Dimitris_HHQ> the A-10s that will be on on-call CAS
<Dimitris_HHQ> will they get up all at once
<Dimitris_HHQ> or will they follow the 1/3 rule for 24/7 presence?
<VCDH> no....we'll have 2 planes up at once....when they run outta BBs then
they will be replaced.
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<Dimitris_HHQ> will they be commited as soon as enemy ground forces are met
by friendly air assets, or by friendly ground forces?
<Dimitris_HHQ> ie. will they be cued by friendly air or friendly ground?
<VCDH> the on call CAS is at the discretion of the troops on the ground. so
yes they will be cued by friendly ground forces
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<Dimitris_HHQ> that's it for now
<VCDH> ok
BATTLE BEGINS: DAY 1, 01:00am
SITREP Day 1, 02:00
The 2 A-10As, the 2 F-15s and the 2 F-16Cs all departed for their stations as instructed.
At 01:10, the F-16Cs passively detected emissions consistent with the reported SA-10 btn. The screen below shows the uncertainty area initially associated with the detection:
Heavy fighter opposition was encountered close to the probable area of enemy forces. The F-16C retreated so that the F-15s could deal with the air threat. At the same time the SA-10 site was localized with more precision and certainty:
The F-15s launched their first BVR volley the
same time that the F-16s came under missile attack. In the following 2
minutes three enemy aircraft (at least 2 of them MiG-23s) were shot down.
However some of the teen-fighters came under fire from the SA-10 site, and
one F-16 was lost while ingressing to the probable target area. The other
F-16 located a number of Soviet tanks and engaged with CBU-87 bombs.
Immediate BDA indicates some tanks destroyed, will refine this in a later
report. This fighter survived very intense SAM
fire and successfully RTB'd.
Throughout these events the 2 A-10s remained in close proximity to friendly troops but did not engage, as per orders. They returned to base and a new pair will be launched shortly.
The situation as of 02:00 (one
hour after the commencement of hostilities) is shown below. Currently there
is one F-15C in the air. The Patriot battery indicates no airborne contacts
close to friendly troops. Ref. Point 1 indicates the location of the Soviet
tanks engaged by the F-16.
Comments: Air superiority coverage by the F-15 is deemed as satisfactory; Soviet fighter strength should already be significantly diminished as a result. The SA-10 site is causing substantial problems to our CAS/BAI assets as long as enemy forces remain under its coverage. Location of forces other than the tanks located is unknown.
Operations will continue as per standing orders unless otherwise instructed.
(intercepted comms supplementary to
SITREP)
<VCDH> when do u need my orders?
<Dimitris_HHQ> optional only
<Dimitris_HHQ> you may not give any new ones, if you wish
<Dimitris_HHQ> up to you
<Dimitris_HHQ> you only _have_ to give new orders at the start of the next
turn
<Dimitris_HHQ> I'd say it's going pretty well for you, so far
<VCDH> I have nothing new for the land guys....they have to defend and
that's fairly easy....can I send those F-16s on hot pad after that SA-10 now
or do I have to wait until the next turn?
<Dimitris_HHQ> hmmm
<Dimitris_HHQ> if I manually enforce the CRTs (i'm using ScenEdit, so...),
it will get pushed back to the next turn
<VCDH> alright....we can wait until next turn....I hope
<Dimitris_HHQ> two?
<VCDH> 2 F-16s u mean?
<Dimitris_HHQ> you currently have 3 available
<Dimitris_HHQ> yes
<VCDH> oh yes....
<Dimitris_HHQ> plus 2 F-4s
<VCDH> never go anywhere alone
<Dimitris_HHQ> and 4 A-10s
<Dimitris_HHQ> so...?
<VCDH> so that's it....as soon as we can....we'll launch those 2 F-16s
against that SAM site.
<VCDH> A-10s will maintain 'on call' CAS
<Dimitris_HHQ> ok
<VCDH> lemme check the map one more time
<Dimitris_HHQ> weapon loadout for the strike?
<VCDH> SEAD
<Dimitris_HHQ> okay....loadout #160822......2 HARMs, 2 winders, 2 tanks, 1
ECM pod
<VCDH> yeah
<VCDH> and send the F-15s, if they can, to take a look at that contact to
the north.
<Dimitris_HHQ> you mean Ref. point 1
<Dimitris_HHQ> ?
<VCDH> ummm...on the map u sent me, there's a yellow contact somewhat West
of Ref1
<VCDH> B044 is the designation
<Dimitris_HHQ> aaah....that screenshot is relatively old (01:17)
<Dimitris_HHQ> the contact was designated as hostile as was shot down
<Dimitris_HHQ> (and)
<Dimitris_HHQ> probably a MiG-23
<VCDH> oh ok
<VCDH> never mind then :)
SITREP Day 1, 04:00
This report would normally be issued on 04:00 (five minutes ago), but an aerial clash was in progress and it was deemed worthwhile to conclude the event before reporting. The sole orbiting F-15C was lost one minute ago, falling prey to a SA-10 missile. At the time of the shootdown, the aircraft was sprinting high and fast, closing head-on with an unidentified enemy fighter. During the sprint, it may have strayed within the estimated engagement envelope of the enemy SAM battalion (based on our estimates of its location). The other F-15C has been immediately dispatched to cover the gap.
The SEAD sortie is being readied, they can take off in just under 4 hrs. Two A-10s on call behind friendly lines, as specified. No other friendly aircraft airborne at the time, and no other unidentified air contacts available.
No further developments since the previous SITREP.
SITREP Day 1, 06:00
SITREP Day 1, 01:00-07:00
Your orders to the ground units have been executed. Here are the results.
A video of our movements: http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/TOAW_Turn1_US.ace
A screenshot of the situation as of 07:00 is available here:
> HQ units and Artillery units are to practice radio discipline with
no un-necessary messages. Shoot and scoot in effect. All units to stay
off the roads as much as possible.
Followed as much as marching orders allowed. A number of Soviet units were spotted, including a recon company, two tank battalions, a MR battalion and regimental headquarters. The presence of other (yet unspotted) units is highly probable.
> HQ unit to be 3 hexes south of Bad Hersfeld with preparation to fall back along an axis NE to SW to a hill 3 hexs EAST of Laulerbach and then to a hill 3 hexes WSW of Laulerbach.
Executed.
> A/1/11 Cav Trp DEFEND NORTH of BAD HERSFELD with special attention to the open areas east of that town. Fall back will be towards Alsfeld with the defencive positions along the axis to Alsfeld.
Executed.
> B/1/11 Cav Trp will DEFEND AROUND HUNFELD with special attention to the EAST, whereever possible, forward defence in the woods East of the town. Fall Back will be towards Fulda and then Laulerbach.
B Troop encountered the advance elements of the enemy recon company and dug-in on the woods, without attacking. (Attacking was possible, but could potentially lead to so much time being lost that digging-in would no longer be possible, thus increasing vulnerability to enemy attack).
> C/1/11 Cav Trp will DEFEND EAST of FULDA with special attention to the East. Fall Back will be towards Neuhof and then to Schluctern
As ordered.
> D/1/11 Cav Trp will ADVANCE NORTH from BAD NEUSTADT into the EAST ZONE with the aim of flanking and cutting off invading forces.
As ordered. Use of roads was made to maximise the rate of advance in the manouver.
> Arty Bat/1-11 AC will support units against greatest concentration of Soviet Forces. To be zeroed in on roads and towns.
The guns moved alongside C Troop and have been placed on tactical reserve [in TOAW-speak, this means that they will automatically support any friendly unit's defence during the enemy's turn, similar to SPMBT's opportunity fire]. Their position allows them to support B Troop's defence and strike both the recon company and also the following battalions.
Awaiting further orders, for both air and ground forces.
Orders
Picture provided to give a rough idea of what I have in mind.
HQ unit to stay in place....for now...in the event that Russian units come East, it is to immediately fall back to that hill East of Laulerback.
A/1/11 (current South of Bad Hersfeld) will proceed SOUTH EAST towards inner German border with the aim of knocking out detected Regimental HQ. Get in, blow them away and get out. If resistance is too great the unit is to withdraw to the west one hex. Live to fight another day. Fall back orders remain the same.
B/1/11 is to maintain position. Fall back orders remain the same. Use the town of Hunfeld to your best defensive advantge should the Russians attempt to break thru there.
C/1/11 is to head NORTH thru Hunfeld and take up position between A/1/11 and B/1/11 with the intent of blocking further advance by Russians units. Fallback will be towards Laulerback.
D/1/11 will proceed on road NW and then NORTH into the East Zone, then head NW again into the Russian Mech Inf unit with the aim of flanking the entire mob of Russians. Blow away any Russian unit that moves between your current positions and the target.
Arty Bat/1-11 will move as necessary to support A/1/11 attack on Regimental HQ. If this is not possible then they will move to support B/1/11 and C/1/11 in their defence.
A-10s are released to attack identified Soviet Tank units....MBTs take priority.
F-4s are released to attack Soviet Regimental HQ...they are to approach at low level from the West.
SEAD mission to continue as normal. Find that SA-10 site and kill it.
F-15 (I think there's only one left) is to maintain TARCAP on the Regimental HQ attack.
Other remaining F-16 (the survivor from the initial attack where his buddy got nailed by the SA-10) is to load for AAW and assist F-15 in CAP.
SITREP Day 1 08:00
On 07:07 the pair of A-10As already airborne attacked the tank battalion 5 km north of the enemy's advance recon elements, with AGM-65D missiles. The enemy armor was caught unprepared, speeding along the open terrain with little cover; this resulted in a good kill tally, seven tanks and an IFV. There was some sporadic SAM fire but both aircraft broke clear without casualties.
The follow-up pair of A-10s (with CBU-87 bombs) was delayed and attacked the same forces at 07:15. The surviving vehicles had scattered and taken cover where possible, making targetting more difficult. Only 5 tanks were destroyed. The SAM fire was also much more intense, though again evaded.
At the same time, however, enemy aircraft (at least 6-7) rapidly approached the FLOT. One of them shot down one of the two A-10s near-instantly with a BVR missile. Our overhead F-15 engaged in a missile duel with the enemy fighters and also launched Sidewinder attacks against what seemed to be ground-attack aircraft. Unfortunately the enemy aircraft were able to attack B Troop just before being engaged by our fighter. Casualties are still being clarified for this attack. At least 3 enemy aircraft were destroyed (2 of them were identified as Su-25s) by the Eagle, which then withdrew almost immediately as it had used-up all its missiles. The enemy fighters pursued both the F-15 and the A-10 on their way to Ramstein & Hahn respectively. Unfortunately they were able to catch up with the second Warthog and shoot it down as well, with a close-range shot. Our Patriot battery shot at the enemy fighters repeatedly, without success.
Ten minutes ago, the F-4E pair commenced its attack run on the regimental HQ with CBU-87s. We'll be waiting for BDA as soon as the crews return. Perhaps equally important, they visually located a previously undetected artillery battalion, a new threat. The F-16C that was running TARCAP for them feel victim to another SA-10 barrage. This site is becoming a real pain.
The current air picture is shown on the picture below. The selected unit (designated F199) is the enemy artillery battalion. The aircraft returning to Hahn is the F-4E pair.
Our two remaining A-10As have just finished their turn-around cycle (Mav-D loadout) and are about to take off again. The two SEAD-tasked F-16Cs are now taking off as well. Our sole F-15C is 4 minutes to launch, standard A2A outfit. These, together with the returning Phantoms, are all we have left.
Air ops to continue as already instructed, pending any change in orders.
SITREP Day 1, 10:00
The SEAD sortie was a disaster. For reasons as yet undetermined, our HARM-loaded F-16 pair failed to acquire the SA-10 battalion at sufficient stand-off range, despite the fact that it had registered on our RWRs repeatedly in the past. In order to force the enemy in revealing themselves, the two aircraft penetrated WP territory increasingly deeper, searching the area at which the site was previously localised. Then we suddenly lost contact with them. No launch warnings, no ejection calls, nothing. They simply vanished. As it has been over 90 minutes since this happened, we can only assume that the aircraft have been lost.
On more negative news, our repeated air attacks on the enemy regimental headquarters cost too much, and apparently for too litle benefit. Our F-4Es sprinkled the entire area with bomblets and we saw only one explosion signifying a probable kill. Worse, the second time around their SAM crews were actually awake and handed us our bacon on a platter. We lost a Phantom to an IR SAM and another limped back home, it's going to take at least 6 hrs before it flies again.
Our A-10 pilots continue the road show, albeit with more limited results. On their third run on their earmarked tank battalion (they can almost swear they know some of the tankers down there by name by now), at least two more Mav-Ds blew up _something_, hopefully tanks. The Hogs didn't stick around too long for BDA and follow-up gun strafes as they almost immediately came under missile fire. One of the aircraft took a SAM right up the tailpipe but held on; she'll be down for maybe 6-8 hrs.
Ivan has started attacking our ground formations in earnest. Somehow they sniffed out our artillery folks and are making life hard on them. We already had two air attacks on them, and more are probable to come. The good news is that we're gradually thinning their air resources out. Our sole F-15 (the butcher of their first raid) killed two of their BVR fighters (Fulcrums? Maybe) and forced one of the attacks to temporarily abort. Unfortunately our resources are too exhausted for continous CAP coverage of the FLOT. Just a few minutes ago one of our A-10s intercepted two of their ground-attack aircraft and traded IR missile shots with them. At least one of the enemy aircraft was destroyed, but so was our Hog.
The current (10:00) battlefield picture
is shown on the screen below. The enemy aircraft departing the FLOT is
the one our Hog didn't catch. Our remaining air assets are:
- One F-15C about to take off for FLOT CAP. The pilot is already an ace
(6 confirmed kills).
- One A-10A being repaired. It should be ready to take off in 4 and a
half hours.
- One F-4E being repaired. It will be available for operations probably
shortly after the A-10.
All assets are currently at Hahn.
Ground operations are currently underway. Friendly units proceed as planned.
Air Orders
<VCDH> ok I have some orders
<VCDH> nothing major
<VCDH> call off HQ attack....
<VCDH> and remaining non-A-10 aircraft load up for ATA
<Dimitris> ok
<Dimitris> the A-10?
<VCDH> the A-10s are to continue with their attacks on Pact units as
before
<VCDH> remaining other AC are to go strictly CAP
<Dimitris> rgr that
<VCDH> but they are to stay clear of the SA-10 site....and if that means
flying lower then they fly lower
<Dimitris> they already do
<Dimitris> none of the A-10s was lost to SA-10s
<VCDH> fair enough then
<Dimitris> it was the high flyers that suffered to them
<Dimitris> the A-10s got hurt by enemy aircraft
<VCDH> yeah I know
<VCDH> so we'll use the F-4 and F-15 to protect them....but the A-10s
keep working
<Dimitris> ok
<Dimitris> only one A-10 now
<VCDH> yeah I know
<Dimitris> one F-15, one F-15 and one A-10
<Dimitris> i didn't really expect so rapid attrition
<Dimitris> for both sides
<Dimitris> and that's without OCA missions at all
<VCDH> I figured the SEAD mission would do better
<Dimitris> Yes. Well, it was a lost gamble.
<VCDH> had to do something about it tho....wasn't any other way around
it
<VCDH> oh...one more thing....Artillery to shoot and scoot still
<Dimitris> Yes, that order still holds
SITREP Day 1, 13:00 (Air Ops)
Not much to report since the last SITREP. As ordered, our fighters now fly exclusively CAP above our troops. At 12:26 our sole F-4E detected, chased and shot down with an AIM-7F an unidentified low-flying aircraft, heading straight for our artillery positions. Enemy aircraft strength must be getting pretty close to the exhaustion point by now, unless reinforcements take their place.
We will soon have the report from the ground operations. We expect an enemy attack of unknown strength on B Troop's position off Hunfeld. Hopefully the BAI work done by our A-10s will soften the blow.
SITREP Day 1 07:00-13:00 (Ground Ops)
Orders
A Troop to press the attack against the HQ units.
D Troop to take up position just east of A Troop and provide cover in case the Russians decide to come back east.
C Troop to move to the Northern side of Fulda and take up positions to cover the town.
Artillery unit is to fall back SW of Fulda and provide support for C Troop.
HQ Unit to move SE of Laulerbach to remain in contact with C Troop.
Air units to follow previous orders.
(supplementary orders)
<Dimitris> your A-10 is keeping up
the tempo
<VCDH> that's good
<VCDH> has Ivan counter-attacked?
<Dimitris> first attack on one of the two tank battalions close to A
Troop
<Dimitris> 2 tanks and two Tunguska's smoked
<Dimitris> not bad at all
<VCDH> what's the story on the HQ attack?
<Dimitris> nothing other than what you know
<Dimitris> if Troop A (the one close to the HQ) is attacked, what
then?
<Dimitris> (also D Troop)
<VCDH> they fall back to their respective towns
<Dimitris> ok
<VCDH> hopefully Ivan will come chasing and get involved in urban
warfare
<Dimitris> I doubt he will
<VCDH> well I'm not holding out much hope for my forces....I'm going
to have my units shoot and scoot when they can....
<VCDH> and if the HQ attack works out then I'm going after their
artillery next
SITREP Day 1, 13:00-19:00
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn3_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn3_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Current situation map:
Air Ops:
Our sole surviving F-4E was shot down 5 minutes ago. Voice tapes
indicate a hit by a SA-10. Other than that, enemy air activity over
the FLOT has been zero. Our F-15 is on patrol as ordered. Our
surviving A-10 continues to pound the identified Soviet tank
columns. The last six hours we shifted attention to the two
identified tank battalions closest to the positions of A Troop. We
killed at least 5 tanks and two mobile triple-As.
Ground Ops:
A Troop came under heavy attack just after 17:00. (Interestingly,
the brunt of the offensive was brought by a previously undetected
Mech-Inf battalion rather than the two tank units closest to A
Troop. We don't know the reason for this). After 3 successive
assaults, A Troop was broken up into 3 platoons and was forced to
scatter. All three sub-units are in very bad shape, and still remain
in close proximity and/or surrounded by Soviet forces.
C Troop came in contact with advance recon elements, pushed them back and established a new defensive position in the northern part of Fulda. The artillery battery and our HQ have moved to support the defensive line as ordered.
D Troop was unable to effectively assault the Soviet positions in order to facilitate a breakout for the remnants of A Troop. Instead it retreated and joined up with C Troop at Fulda.
A Troop aside, the other units remain in good fighting shape.
Awaiting further orders.
Orders
Ok...we are switching over to pure defence...
Air Orders to remain unchanged.
A Troop (what's left of it) is to disengage and make their way Laulerbach by any means necessary. Run like hell if you have to....it's ok to be chicken this time.
C Troop is to hold for now.
D Troop is to advance up thru Fulda and take up a position in the trees SW of Hunfeld.
Artillery has no change of orders.
(orders revision)
Ok...D Troop is to meet up with C Troop and provide defence. If they go another road I'm screwed.
Artillery and HQ units are to move South of Fulda, all units are to withdraw to the SW if necessary. But I want the artillery and HQ units behind C and D Troops.
SITREP Day 1, 19:00-01:00
It is now D+24H.
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn4_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn4_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current
situation map:
Our A-10 made another run at one of the Soviet tank battalions. This time it was in open terrain, and AA fire was everywhere. It killed 3 unidentified vehicles before taking some damage and retreating.
A Troop is no more. The remaining sub-units were crushed by savage attacks from all directions. Survivors have fled to Fulda to join with C & D Troops.
Furthermore, our artillery battery fell victim to attack by recon elements and has evaporated. Reconstitution time is unknown.
> D Troop is to meet up with C Troop and provide defence. If they go another road I'm screwed.
As ordered. C & D Troops are fortifying their position in Fulda. They shall not pass.
> Artillery and HQ units are to move South of Fulda, all units are to withdraw to the SW if necessary. But I want the artillery and HQ units behind C and D Troops.
The HQ platoon fled south bound to avoid the fate of the artillery battery. They will maneuver northeast towards Fulda in the following hours, trying to evade the Soviet recon elements.
SITREP Day 2, 01:00-07:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn5_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn5_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
Our sole A-10A has been repaired and is back into action. F-15C patrols as usual. No enemy air activity over the FLOT in the last 6 hrs.
Enemy forces appear to be converging on Fulda. We have visual contact with a tank battalion, they seem to be pretty beat-up. Other forces must not be very far behind. We don't yet know if they intend to push through the town or bypass it. Either way they will come under fire.
Enemy recon elements are all around us, but not a threat to our main force. They seem to be carefully moving southwest. [Recon elements in Frankfurt do not count as a Soviet victory; only heavy forces can take and effectively hold/defend ground]
Our two Troops are fortifying in Fulda. [In TOAW, if you fortify repeatedly in the same position, you get very significant defensive bonuses]. Our HQ platoon made a run through the forest west of Neuhof, and is rushing to catch up with our heavy forces. We don't know if it has been observed, although the forest does provide some good cover.
Our remaining forces are in near-prime condition, with full inventory, very good supply & readiness and in good defensive positions. (If only we still had arty...). We are ready. If they come through Fulda, they'll pay.
SITREP Day 2, 07:00-13:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn6_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn6_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
No enemy air activity over the FLOT in the last 6 hrs. Our A-10A is pounding Soviet positions as usual, but enemy ADA is getting pretty effective by now.
The Soviets finally assaulted our positions in Fulda, just as our HQ caught up with our armor forces. We took severe losses, but thankfully neither of our Troops had to fall back. We completely chewed up at least one, possibly two armor battalion-level groups. It's a good thing the HQ's support squads were nearby or else our shooters would quite likely run out of TOWs and APFSDS rounds.
Soviet forces are still in the outskirts of the town, all around us. We do not know whether they will re-assualt or try to bypass our obstacle. The recon forces in our rear have vanished as well.
Both our Troops are substantially under-strength but adequately supplied. Pending new orders, they are reinforcing their defensive entrenchments in expectation of further attacks.
SITREP Day 2, 13:00-19:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn7_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn7_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
No enemy air activity over the FLOT in the last 6 hrs, again. We attempted to shift the focus of our CAS effort to the identified motor-rifle battalion, but with little success. Their grunts and their BMPs create a hailstorm of AA fire, and their portable SAMs are just as bad. Purely tank forces are much easier targets, and we'll shift fire to them again once the A-10 gets repaired (again).
We received repeated artillery barrages without any losses. Once the storm cleared, we made a move in attacking the Soviet lines outside Fulda with direct fire, but without advancing on their positions (vacating our entrenched positions would reduce the level of fortification, so....). We had a few losses as they fired back, and we didn't kill too many of them, but we did force them to pull back a few clicks, if only to stay outside our weapons' reach.
Enemy recon units are probing well behind our lines, trying to pick out any hidden aces from our part (which we don't have). Their main force, however, seems to remain anchored northeast of our positions, at least for the time being. This may indicate they plan to assault our positions again.
Our HQ has joined our main line in the trenches, sharing the defensive bonus. This should also maximize our supply rate; we may indeed need every last gun round.
SITREP Day 2, 19:00-01:00
It's now D+48H.
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn8_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn8_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
No enemy air activity over the FLOT in the last 6 hrs, again. CAP and CAS sorties continue as before.
The expected second round of assaults on our positions in Fulda did not materialise. Instead, an AD unit was detected moving southbound east of the town. D Troop made a dash out of our trenches to have a closer look, and stumbled upon a reduced-strength tank battalion. After a brief exchange of fire they withdrew. C Troop repositioned itself east of the town to cover our HQ, just in case the Soviets try to mimic our HQ-raid yesterday.
The presence of Soviet units east of Fulda with a southbound direction indicates a bypass from our stand towards Frankfurt. However we'll need to detect more of their core units before we can positively confirm this. Their recon forces are fast approaching Hannau, but there's not much we can do about that.
Shall we stand fast at Fulda, or come out and try poking eastwards to see what exactly they're up to?
Orders
Ok...took them long enough....
All units fall back to Neuhof and take up defensive positions there. If there's no contact for this turn then we will fall back to Schluctern and take up positions there.
Air orders to continue.
SITREP Day 3, 01:00-07:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn9_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn9_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
No enemy air activity over the FLOT in the last 6 hrs, again. CAP and CAS sorties continue as before. Our A-10A turned a good kill tally this time; at least ten armored vehicles and two SAM launchers were destroyed in three attacks in the last six hours.
More enemy units have been detected in a hook-bypass manouver east of Fulda & Neuhof. Prior to our advance southbound, an enemy motor-rifle battalion raided our positions in Fulda and destroyed our HQ. This, together with the presence of a recon platoon south of the town, forced us to withdraw south-southeast instead of moving towards Neuhof. We will soon leave the highway and make a cross-country dash towards Schluctern, hopefully without any other obstacles in between. If our air support keeps up the tempo, we may yet have a chance.
SITREP Day 3, 07:00-13:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn10_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn10_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
No enemy air activity over the FLOT in the last 6 hrs, again. CAP and CAS sorties continue as before. Our A-10A crews have done some good chops at the MR battalion (over 10 BMPs destroyed). We'll definitely need such performance.
Enemy movement east of Fulda, Neuhof & Schluctern continues. We briefly clashed with an AD unit without casualties. We don't know at which point they will evntually turn west towards Frankfurt.
Our forces retreated towards Schluctern. We are now back on the highway and can take advantage of it. The enemy must now either do a cross-country march (slow!) or take the southern route close to the river, which is a significant diversion. In either case we have enough time to position ourselves. We can either fortify at Schluctern or continue on a mobile status, retreating towards Bad Orb.
Awaiting further orders.
Orders
Ok... I wanna take up defensive positions at that cross roads just SW of Bad Orb. No matter where they try and loop around they have to go there eventually. We'll make a stand there.
Air operations continue as normal.
SITREP Day 3, 13:00-19:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn11_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn11_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
Our air support is
reducing in intensity. We need to combine our air attacks with some
ground-based attrition.
Enemy recon elements have met with our forces north of Schluctern
but withdrew before engagement was feasible. Heavy enemy movement
has been detected east of our positions, heading southwest. Most
elements detected seem to be running across country rather than
sticking to roads.
As instructed, we are moving towards Bad Orb to establish another
blockade there. Hopefully.
SITREP Day 3, 19:00-07:00
[Note 1: I've slightly changed the presentation
order of sitreps. From now on, you're getting this turn's report
_before_ your forces act for this turn, instead of getting it after
both forces act. This gives you an equal chance with Mike to plan
your action based on the current situation, instead of the one
expected after Mike moves his forces]
[Note 2: As a reminder, from now on turns are in 12 hr cycles and
you have no more reinforcements]
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn12_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
The good news: our A-10A crews must be high on Red
Bull or something. They've really blasted the enemy MR battalion
over the last 12 hours. In fact, they destroyed so many APCs and
IFVs that we anticipate the unit's mobility to be seriously
hampered. If they can repeat a performance like that on the other
units, we may only need to mop up the command & auxiliary Reds
afterwards. (Should they keep their focus on the MR battalion or
switch to another unit?)
The not-so-good news: The enemy is continuing the cross-country dash
southwest. It is unclear whether they will enter Bad Orb or bypass
it as well. What is less ambigous is that we now have recon units
both in front and behind us. For some reason (reduced mobility?),
the MR battalion has been separated from the rest of the enemy
formation and is moving down the road towards Schluctern.
Our forces are north of Bad Orb, on mobile status.
Awaiting orders.
Orders
Ok....I think we've stayed in one place long
enough...time to move again. Let's head down the road south past Bad
Orb and hold the intersection between Bad Orb and Glenhausen. If
that recon unit gets in the way, roll it over and be done with it.
Air orders continue as before. Focus is to stay on Soviet MR and
Tank units whatever comes first.
SITREP Day 4, 07:00-19:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn12_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn13_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
Our A-10 boys are keeping up the tempo. In the last
few hours they switched to a tank battalion as their main focus. At
least 10 tanks were blasted, along with some infantry.
Our forces have camped and dug-in at the crossroads between Bad Orb
and Glenhausen. We have enemy recon elements in visual contact but
seemingly passive. The bulk of the enemy regiment seems to be
bypassing Bad Orb altogether. It is yet unclear if they will
re-enter the road traffic (west, then southwest) once they hit the
asphalt or they will continue cross-country (southwest as
currently). If they stick to the road, they'll have to come through
us. If they continue off-road, their mobility will suffer so much
that our air attacks may well bleed them before they can reach
Frankfurt or even Hannau.
Pending a change in orders, both tank troops will fortify as much as
possible in their current positions and wait. Air Ops continue as
present unless instructed otherwise.
SITREP Day 4, 19:00-07:00
Own actions performed: Nothing worth showing on
video, we just dug in even
deeper on our current positions.
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn14_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
Our air attacks continue to bleed the enemy
formation. With a bit of luck, we may be able to nibble them to
death without direct combat (in which we're
still probably at a disadvantage).
We're still under watch by enemy recon units, and a motor-rifle
battalion right behind them. The rest of them are just about to
cross the road to our east, with an AD battalion apparently
spearheading the march. Depending on the direction this unit takes,
we'll know for sure what their intentions are.
The bulk of the formation, nevertheless, appears to be taking quite
a wide arc off Bad Orb, certainly farther than what is necessary to
simply bypass our positions without a fight. It is possible that
they could be heading south towards Lohr and then planning to take
the road west towards Aschffenburg. In this case they would manage
to bypass us without a serious mobility penalty. (However, the
bridges of the river Main in this area create some interesting
chokepoints that we could interdict, slowing them
down or even completely halting them).
Awaiting further orders. Shall we fortify further or move elsewhere?
Orders
About 4 turns ago I knew I was faced with a very
poor tactical situtation.
I lack the firepower to stop them. That much is without a doubt.
There are two possibilities.
1. They are heading to Lohr and then Auffenburg to Frankfurt
2. They are going to flank me on the road I am currently camped out
on.
Either way, there is simple no way....none. For me to win.
Therefore, with nothing else left to do, we will attack.
Air units will shift to the MR battalion currentled NW of Bad Orb.
My remaining units will attack that MR battalion shortly after,
hopefully blowing through the recon units. THey know where I am so
it doesn't matter anyway. There's no point in retreating, and I'm
not going to win.
Let's finish this.
SITREP Day 5, 07:00-19:00
Own actions performed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn14_NATO_OwnAction.ace
Enemy actions observed:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/E88_MB/MB1/Turn15_NATO_EnemyAction.ace
Current situation map:
With effective air support from our single A-10, we
broke through the recon line and clashed with the identified MR
battalion. They didn't budge, but we
hurt them plenty. The enemy forces in the immediate vicinity (all
around us, in fact) counter-attacked tried to push us back. We stood
our ground and
practically exterminated a large part of their units, with
relatively few losses to our side.
As a result of our worsening supply and readiness, our reconnaisance
and tactical EW ability have been significantly reduced. This led to
us losing track of the rest of the enemy regiment to the south-east
of our location. The only unit detected is an AD battalion that
seems to be heading towards the crossroads we previously occupied.
The whereabouts of the enemy HQ and its other supporting forces are
unknown.
Our two troops are roughly 75-80% full on men & hardware inventory,
but our supply has gone to hell. The roaming of enemy recon forces
in our rear has severed our logistics line (see image below for
supply-per-area coverage). We need to fall back towards Frankfurt if
we want to stock up on beans and bullets again. We still have
superior hardware and battle-hardened vets to run it, plus overhead
air. We can still do it, with a bit of luck.
Awaiting orders.
Orders
We'll withdrawl back towards the crossroads for resupply, however far it has to go to resupply anyway. Then we'll have another go at whatever is closest. The A-10 is to stay clear of that unit air defence unit and continue working over the unit my battalion just hit.
DAY 5, 19:00 - BATTLE TERMINATED