Reinforced Company Tactical Group in a Meeting Engagement AAR

[Aurelius]

Interesting thing happens in the final turn. T 90A gets hit on the side armor by an RPG 7 PVL round. It looks like the round detonated on a tree and the cumulative stream hit the side of the armor, causing minor damage and wounding the mechanic-driver. The crew bailed the tank, but the tank survived.

Meanwhile, Kulaks were busy destroying spotted BTRs.

This one was worked on by an NSV, then it was finished by canon fire.

The final end state.

Tank killers. (Interesting how tanks scored 2 kill each)

Kulak 1-1. (Tank was engaged by BTR 4 30 mm canon)

Kulaks 2-1.

Kulak's pair.

Kornet.

Heroic Tugnuska.

AAR screen.

The only word that comes to mind to describe the end state is a Russian one - разгром/razgrom.

From the numbers, it looks like I defeated a Battalion Tactical Group (either complete or somewhat reduced) reinforced by a reduced tank company.

I lost half a company worth of infantry. Zemun 4 ceased to exist (2 survivors). Zemun 1 was badly mauled (7 survivors). Zvezda was halved (9 survivors). From the surviving elements, a company of 3 rifle platoons can be organized, with at least 2 Metis launchers and 3 extra PKMs.

After processing the wounded and the prisoners, my company marches on exploiting the created gap (both the physical one (captured space) and the one in the capabilities of the Ukrainian forces as a system (destruction of an BTG and tank company)), each man walking in silence, exhausted by the battle and witnessed scenes of destruction and carnage.

AAR is now concluded. Comments are welcome.

 

[Lethaface]

Nice AAR and well fought!

The flanking move with the tanks worked out quite well. I thought it might be risky due to ATGMs. Seems that combined with your bonegruppa push it interdicted any movement between his lines and around the Wiktorow objective. Also, nice use of smoke; combining mortar smoke with vehicle smoke.

How many times the T90 A can pop smoke? IIRC two times?
Also sure shows the Tunguska is a powerful tool for various applications

 

[Aurelius]

As promised, explanation of the callsigns.

KomBat= Командир Батальона (Russian)/ Командант Батаљона (Serbian)/Commander of the Battalion (English)

Kulak= Some of you know the meaning of the term Kulak, but in this AAR it does not have it's historic meaning. Simply, I heard in one of the radio intercepts from one of the assaults on Grozny during First Chechen War that tanks were referred to as Kulaks. The name got stuck in my mind and I will probably use it in future as a callsign for tanks (where appropriate). Maybe the video is located somewhere in Alexander Sladkov's video archive (dude seemed omnipresent in Chechnya).

Zvezda= It's a name of the short story and two movies about Soviet recce troops on the eve of and during Operation Bagration. Seemed appropriate (for multiple reasons which I won't disclose, some of you may decide to watch the 2002 version )

Zemun= it was a callsign of a Lieutenant Colonel that was in charge of parts of my infantry training, mainly tactics. Larger than life character. He would surely appreciate the firepower at disposal of BTR company!

I'll post my thoughts on the battle at a later date. Who knows, maybe others decide to comment too.

 

[nektoman]

Recently I have found name "Zemun" somewher near the Belgrade, or maybe it's even one of its districts.

I can't say that I was watching this AAR very carefully (I mean mostly the tactical issues - though I even couldn't understand that it's not a DAR, lol) - as well as my own CM games. It seems that I'm always lacking something for exellent preparations for a battle or just for reading an AAR... Explanation of callsigns helps to manage with movements (sometimes it's difficult to remember the names of heroes or units). Of course I've seen "Zvezda" (although I can't say that I really like it), now it will be hard to forget that "Zvezda" is a recon callsign. Of course everything is clear with "Kombat" and "Kulaks" (for me).

What do you think about the score? Is it your skill or inexperienceness of your opponent? Or the reason is in disbalance between Russian and Ukrainian army?

 

[Aurelius]

In my opinion, single most decisive point of the battle was the destruction of Wiktorow and subsequent destruction of a BTR platoon+. I believe that action threw my opponent off balance. By that point, he was in a better position. He was shelling my units pretty badly. After that, it went downhill for him.

Another important step was the destruction of tanks. It was no easy feat. A lot of preparation went into it and still, the outcome wasn't certain.

In the end, I believe my charge with tanks was also unexpected. A lot of units were simply surprised, destroyed in open. That leads me to the conclusion that that move wasn't expected.

With that move I avoided a large concentration of veteran troops in the woods next to Wiktorow. That would have been a pain to dislodge/eradicate.

With my bronegruppa/assault unit I broke through the line of couple of squads, once again avoiding a larger concentration of troops.

Also, nice use of smoke; combining mortar smoke with vehicle smoke.

I used mortar smoke to degrade the spotting capabilities of opponents units and vehicle smoke to deny him spotting on my flanks/weaker areas. With tanks I was a bit more creative, essentially using smoke to get to better firing positions.

How many times the T90 A can pop smoke? IIRC two times?

Correct.

Also sure shows the Tunguska is a powerful tool for various applications

Once again, doctrinal inspiration.

Recently I have found name "Zemun" somewher near the Belgrade, or maybe it's even one of its districts.

It is part of Belgrade, but it is also a municipality. It is also on the right flank of Danube and is in Srem, like my town!

can't say that I was watching this AAR very carefully (I mean mostly the tactical issues - though I even couldn't understand that it's not a DAR, lol) - as well as my own CM games.

Of course I've seen "Zvezda" (although I can't say that I really like it), now it will be hard to forget that "Zvezda" is a recon callsign.

I view it as one of the last (if not the last) Soviet movies about WW2. An epic about VOV...

What do you think about the score? Is it your skill or inexperienceness of your opponent?

My opponent definitely isn't inexperienced. It's just that he gave me a bloody nose in the previous battle (he won as Ukrainians) - I simply wasn't playing well, and I thought that T 72B3 were enough. It was a wake up call and then this happened!

Or the reason is in disbalance between Russian and Ukrainian army?

After this battle, I don't think there is a disbalance. With all the new toys, Ukrainians get a nice boost to their C2 capabilities and that is essential.

What won this battle was veteran status of my units. They simply responded better to threats. Ukrainians saw every APFSDS shell coming, yet their reaction time was bad, while my guys were simply I see you - I destroy you.

That is why I set up those limitations for our Slag Heap battle. I like having only radios and simple maps for C2, instead of advanced C2 capabilities. In my opinion, it distinguishes good commanders from others.

 

[nektoman]

I like having only radios and simple maps for C2, instead of advanced C2 capabilities. In my opinion, it distinguishes good commanders from others.

One of the comrades on the Russian CM forum has said once that he mostly likes Ukrainian army just because it doesn't have all these "toys". Now I start to understand him. It has much more fun to play "Ukr vs Ukr" than something like "Us vs Us".

 

[Aurelius]

I've seen some of the stuff from Russian CM forum/s and all I can say - that's some next level stuff. If I had better knowledge of Russian I would definitely join!

With advanced C2 capabilities, by the end of the turn, pretty much the whole formation has knowledge of enemy units and units outside the formation will have them in the next turn.

With radios, it's a different story. You have to place units carefully so they can establish and maintain a radio link. Several times I had situations where there was no radio link, even though everyone had radios. That's when I realized buildings, hills, forests - all of them broke that link, which is pretty cool. I remember, when I was in the Army, we were having problems with those small handheld radio sets (not with every type) when on broken terrain, often getting interference, while those radio sets that were carried like a ruck, with a bigger antenna - they had no problems at all. In radio world, bigger is better.

 

[Lethaface]

While I also think the high tech challenges are interesting (like how to fight against opponent with advanced FLIR, drones, precision artillery and MBT with APS, etc ;-), or how to use it effective), it is indeed quite a different challenge compared to 'limited C2 capabilities'.
CMSF2 has quite some more variety on that front. Same with Javelins, it's interesting to fight against them but in a casual somewhat competitive H2H fight it's not a very fun tool to have around.

 

[Lethaface]

Correct.

With regard to the T-90A and popping smoke: I usually refrain from popping smoke with tanks too much, because it comes in real handy if they get lazed or need to get out of dodge. I'd be extra careful with the T-90A due to it's Shtora system (which works better with with smoke available). Although it's true that many times not all tanks will need their smokes so might as well use it for offensive purposes.
Edit: and in this battle you showed the advantage of using it freely. So I might reconsider my doctrine a little bit.

 

[Aurelius]

While I also think the high tech challenges are interesting (like how to fight against opponent with advanced FLIR, drones, precision artillery and MBT with APS, etc ;-), or how to use it effective), it is indeed quite a different challenge compared to 'limited C2 capabilities'.
CMSF2 has quite some more variety on that front. Same with Javelins, it's interesting to fight against them but in a casual somewhat competitive H2H fight it's not a very fun tool to have around.

If one can play competently with 'limited C2 capabilities', than the advanced C2 system is a breeze. But, advanced C2 is good for learning the game.

As far as SF 2 goes, it has a really obtuse C2 system for Syrians. Different formations won't share data. In the same formation, a lower HQ won't share data with higher HQ for quite some time, you have to wait an unknown number of turns, only for the platoon HQ to decide to info dump on company HQ, usually with outdated data.

With regard to the T-90A and popping smoke: I usually refrain from popping smoke with tanks too much, because it comes in real handy if they get lazed or need to get out of dodge. I'd be extra careful with the T-90A due to it's Shtora system (which works better with with smoke available). Although it's true that many times not all tanks will need their smokes so might as well use it for offensive purposes.
Edit: and in this battle you showed the advantage of using it freely. So I might reconsider my doctrine a little bit.

My guidelines are capabilities of the enemy, capability of my troops and terrain. Nothing is fixed.

 

[Lethaface]

If one can play competently with 'limited C2 capabilities', than the advanced C2 system is a breeze. But, advanced C2 is good for learning the game.

As far as SF 2 goes, it has a really obtuse C2 system for Syrians. Different formations won't share data. In the same formation, a lower HQ won't share data with higher HQ for quite some time, you have to wait an unknown number of turns, only for the platoon HQ to decide to info dump on company HQ, usually with outdated data.

Indeed advanced c2 offer more flexibility. But radio's already is much more than for example the capabilities Italians in CMFI have
Another interesting option is to play with EW setting, this denies everyone advanced c2 capabilities.

After basic learning it is perhaps best to master the game on Iron and limited c2 / WW2 and green/regular troops. Because with those it is very clear the situational awareness individual units actually have and the difference it means to have units in c2 or out (info sharing, morale).
But I think also with the very advanced US toys in CMBS, there is challenge to make as effective use of the toys as possible (or fight against such a force).

Also agree the c2 / sharing of info between Syrians is weird at times.