PBEM Running AAR (NATO) Fulda Frontoer

[bootlegger267]

JohnObs and I will be conducting a PBEM of the Fulda Scenario. We will be posting in separate threads with the agreement not to “peek” at the others posts until after the game is completed.

It’s interestinting to note that both John and I are retired Army. I’m a retired Armor 1SG and M1/M1A1 Master Gunner who did 14 of 20 years in Germany. My GDP (General Defense Plan) AO was Alsfeld, as part of the 3AD.

The most difficult decision to make as the NATO player in this scenario is where, and how to defend the assigned frontage. I have tried various strategies against the AI, but this time, playing against John, will be different.
John has stated he will utilize the Soviet attack doctrine of the period so that gives me some idea what to expect and where.
Here is my METT-T breakdown:

Mission….Delay and Attrite enemy forces attempting to penetrate the Squadron Area of Operation along the line formed by the Haune River (Steinhaus, Traisbach, Neiderbeiber, Langenbeiber, Kleinsassen).

Enemy (HISTORICAL OOB)…. 79th Guards Tank Division - Jena, GDR consisting of:
•17th Guards Tank Regiment - Saalfeld, GDR: 94 T-80, 43 BMP-2, 4 2S6, 4 SA-13, 18 2S1
•65th Guards Tank Regiment - Weimer-Nohra, GDR: 94 T-80, 43 BMP-2, 4 2S6, 4 SA-13, 18 2S1
•211th Guards Tank Regiment - Jena, GDR: 94 T-80, 43 BMP-2, 4 2S6, 4 SA-13, 18 2S1
•66th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment - Weimer, GDR: 142 BMP-2, 40 T-80, 4 2S6, 4 SA-13, 18 2S1, 9 BRDM-3
•172nd Artillery Regiment - Rudelstadt, GDR: 48 2S3, 18 BM-21
•79th Air Defense Regiment - Jena, GDR: 20 SA-15, 21 SA-7/14/16
•79th SS-21 Battalion - Jena, GDR: 4 SS-21
•113th Recon Battalion - Rudelstadt, GDR: 6 T-80, 13 BRDM-2, 12 BMP-2, and 3 BRM
•79th Engineer Battalion - Jena, GDR: 8 TMM, 6 GSP, 18 PMP, 12 K-61, 4 BTM, 2 MTK, 3 GMZ
•79th Helicopter Squadron - Jena, GDR: 6 MI-24, 6 MI-8, 6 MI-2
Assesment…The enemy will normally lead with the Regimental Recon Element (yellow highlight) in order to identify the location of our obstacles, Troop locations/size, and to act as forward spotters for his Artillery. Once he has established our locations, he will deploy his 3 Tank Regiments and either attack along the 3 main axis of approach into our defensive area and reinforce success with his MRR, or attack down 2 axis followed by 2 trail Regt’s. We can expect the use of non-persistant chemical weapons (MOPP2 in effect)

Troops… 1/11 ACR:
Alpha Troop: Will detach 2 Scout Sections to Bravo Troop.
Bravo Troop: Will detach 2 Tank Plt’s to Alpha.
Charlie and Delta Troops: No Change

1/68Ar:
Alpha Company: will be attached to 1/11 ACR
Bravo and Charlie Company: No change

Weather: Fog and Calm during the morning. Becoming partly cloudy with moderate wind from the southwest. there is a 40 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Current visability is approx. 1500m

Terrain: (See Avenues of Approach and Obstacle Overlays)

The first phase of the battle will be the “Counter Recon Fight”. My opponent should be sending out the Regt Recon Element of his force in an attempt to identify my defensive positions and force makeup.
Here is where I have deviated from my other strategies:

Figuring that the Soviets have gained excellent knowledge of my obstacle plan and fortified position locations, I have decided to place only OP’s at the leading edge of the battlefield to over watch the obstacles and to destroy the bridges on the Haune.

I have made Alpha Troop “Armor Heavy” by cross-attaching Bravo Troops Tank Plt’s to them, and in return, have cross-attached 2 Scout Sections to Bravo, who are defending in the wooded high ground.

As you can see by my deployments, my Armor assets are dedicated to the “High Speed Avenues of Approach” (The Traisbach/Neiderbeiber corridor and the Beiberstein/Kleinsassen corridor)

The K29 fighting positions on the far right flank that over watches the K29 highway are DIP (Die in Place) positions as there are no easy egress routes to disengage from.

C/1/68Ar is the Task Force Reserve located in a hide position along the N 458 highway with multiple response missions.

[bootlegger267]

NATO Obstacle Plan:

[bootlegger267]

Avenues Of Approach and Setup:

[bootlegger267]

gotta remember to resize my graphics! Damn!

[bootlegger267]

0506z....Initial contact with the Regimental Recon as Bravo and Charlie Trp's 2 Sct Sections report engaging BRDM's and BMP's vic 328108. They are reporting 1 confirmed kill as they went after a command BMP. The enemy probe backed off as did my Scouts. I am expecting some indirect fires on the locations they occupied but now I have no "eyes" on the obstacles in that area. I am ordering 1/C/1-11 into a different location to reestablish visual on the obstacles.

Bravo is also reporting BRDM's in the minefield vic 320080 in Hoffbieber. Those Scouts also backed off but did report seeing 3 BRDM's damaged.

The OP on my right flank (4/C/1-11) that is observing the K29 reported explosions in the minefield but I have no visual, yet he's spotted and I need to displace that unit.... I'm debating whether to move another Tank Plt from Delta over to the fighting position in hex 4015 as the enemy made it clear he has forces coming down the K29.

My FSO had ordered B and C Troops Mortars along with a Battery from 2/18FA to fire missions at the enemy locations but I countermanded them. I don't need to waste ammo, or time in displacing those units as more important targets will be available shortly.

Alpha is reporting no contact at this time....

[bootlegger267]

0515z closeup

[bootlegger267]

0521z....As 6 minutes passed, visibility improved to 2500m exposing the Hq still in the open NE of Bieberstein. The bad here is my Scout Section that I ordered forward to over watch the obstacles decides to pull back...Damnit! It's a dismounted Hq's unit! Don't pull back!

I am surprised that I don't see any activity along the K4/L3174 corridor between TRaisbach, Neiderbeiber, and Allmus. Hmmmmm

[bootlegger267]

John and I both had brain farts with the PBEM files. We had valid setup files and just started from scratch. The results were basically the same, but I got a few extra minutes in due to the orders cycle. The previous posts are valid with the exception of the extra minutes...here are the results as my turn ended....

0515z-0521z continued...As the fog lifted, multiple spot reports come over the net. I've got BRDM's in the obstacles NE of Beiberstein. My Scouts engage the BRDM's but as soon as they receive return fire, both pull back.

T-80's and BRDM's appear south of Hofbeiber and get stuck in the minefield. Again the Scouts engage but also take fire and have to fall back in the face of the T-80's.

Then BMP's show up in the K4 Corridor. Thankfully, all the bridges over the Haune were destroyed on time by the OP's.....

I decide to hit the T-80's vic 288107 (Hofbeiber) and the BRDM's vic 324101 (Beiberstein) with one mission each of 155mm.

The first mission hits before my turn ends and a few secondary explosions are heard.

This is the Recon Battle. Although I got the first kills in, he now has 5-6 units spotted. He has time to plot/fire some artillery as it's 8 minutes before my next orders phase.

[bootlegger267]

0521z-0529z....John's artillery took out a Sct Section at hex 3212 as they tried to move. He also found the 1/11 ACR Hq's and damaged an M577A2 because I issued too many orders during the previous cycle. Dumb......

Bravo Trp's Scouts destroy 5 BRDM's by direct fire while they were hung up in the obstacles (hex 3109 SE of Hofbeiber).

Although he may have an idea where my defense is situated in Bravo's sector south of Hofbieber, he still has not spotted Alpha, Charlie's, and Delta's positions. Although no units are currently spotted, I fully expect the high ground that Bravo occupies to be hit by massive artillery.

The BMP's and BRDM's in the K4 corridor fall out of sight. I'm keeping my Sct Section in Wiesen (hex 2108) as I want to spot those units as they enter Traisbach.

The Counter Recon fight continues............

[bootlegger267]

0542z...My FSO fired counter-battery missions against John's SP Arty and scored some kills. I gave move orders to all the Arty units that fired, along with the Arty Hq's. B and C Trp's Mortar Plt's also had success in their missions.

4/C/1-11 do not occupy the Improved position in hex 4315 and I have no eyes on the K29. I order them forward and to dismount before reaching the hex. No reason to risk the M3's as I need to conserve armor killing weapons systems.

I give the same orders to 1/B/1-11 and 3/B/1-11 Dismount and move forward so I can take a look at what's coming down the road leading out of Hofbeiber.

[bootlegger267]

0559z...Visibility degrades to 1500m.

John now an idea of the Charlie Troop positions as they fail to destroy all the BRDM's in the obstacles north of Kleinsassen. BRDM's make it to the bridge in Traisbach but the combined fires of Alpha's M1's and M3's destroy the Recon Plt of BRDM's.

I fully expect these positions to be targeted by his Artillery.....

[bootlegger267]

Notes....John had said, at the begining of this adventure, that he would conduct the fight according to the Soviet Doctrine of the time...and he has.

Regt Recon.. He sent in the Recon to find the obstacles and my positions. He achieved, IMHO, 50%. Alpha and Charlie revealed their positions.

I made an error in not positioning the bulk of the 1/11 ACR. Should have placed them in "Hide" positions where they could not see or engage enemy forces. Alpha and Charlie revealed their positions.

****If I had a wish list for "Southern Storm".. it would be the players ability to set the engagement range or set "Weapons Hold or Free" in an orders cycle.***

Artillery, even if the the options are set to "No FCS Control" will fire Counter-Battery missions. As the orders cycle go, if they pick up "Valuable Targets" they will shoot without intervention.

***I would like to be able to set the "Scoot" range"

Like the fact that units will not always follow your orders. My Scouts refuse to close the range on a single T-80

The indirect fight has not even begun, and its artillery that is the main killer.

[bootlegger267]

0618z... and the skies opened and behold!

It is rare that you get 6200m visibility and yet....

John has his forces poised to attack as he awaits the end of the recon fight. Unfortunately for him, I can see the bulk of his forces. I now have an opportunity to strike him hard with my artillery assets. It will be risky in regards to counter battery fires, and it also depends on what happens in his part of the orders cycle, but none of these forces have movement markers on them. If I can reduce his forces early on, its worth it.

[bootlegger267]

0621z...John's recon elements have taken a beating. The units he sent to Traisbach have been destroyed, he hasn't discovered my main defensive line, and I have eyes on the bulk of his forces.

I gave up my right flank intentionally and it is here that, if he exploits it, can have the most success.

Two enemy Bn's (1 Tank, 1 Mech along the L3228 Highway hexes 3103 and 3102) have their movement orders. Time to hit as much as I can with DPICM....

[bootlegger267]

0637z... My artillery laid waste to 3 of John's Bn's. I'm taking another risk and ordering my artillery to fire again at those targets that are still stationary.

I'm glad that I didn't target those that had move orders.

Hopefully I have enough time to close the breach in the obstacles he created south of Hofbeiber with a FASCAM strike....

[bootlegger267]

The "Fire Plan"

[bootlegger267]

Notes...Playing this scenario multiple times, in the face of overwhelming force, the Nato player has to take every opportunity to destroy large groups of WP units with his artillery. By getting in the major deep strike against the 2nd echelon forces of the WP, which was an important part of the Army's Air-Land Battle doctrine and what the MLRS system and DCIPM rounds were designed for, greatly levels out the playing field for the direct fire fight.

My biggest concern now is although I had identified John's 160mm Mortar elements, I have not seen his 122mm and 152mm SP Artillery. That is a BIG problem.

[bootlegger267]

0656z...My DPICM deep strikes have decimated John's second echelon and HQ's elements. What remains of his Recce units in the Hofbeiber defile are still active but I will reseal the breached obstacles with a FASCAM mission when the time is right. The continued 6250m visibility was a bad break for John as it has allowed me to track his lines of advance. My units are still in their hide positions and the only possible reposition I am considering is to move a Plt of tanks from Delta to strengthen my far right flank.

[bootlegger267]

0703z.... Jesus! Another indirect fire attack finds the 1/11ACR Hq's.

John's lead elements are coming right into Hofbieber. Again he will get tangled up in the obstacles and I resealed the minefield breach with a FASCAM mission. His artillery has taken out a few elements but for the most part it has been surprisingly light (Except for the damn Hq's!)

My decisions now are based around the contacts I get for his major armor advances. I know one is coming down into Hofbeiber. Do I commit C/1/68AR to the center? Do I use my artillery again to smash his attack forces?

[bootlegger267]

Game currently on hold due to work commitments ........

Bootlegger