A Flank Strike: Flashpoint Campaigns Red Storm AAR
British Steel: Counterstroke near Pappeln
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| B Squadron, Queens' Own Hussars concentrates in its assembly area. |
"The Manoeuvrist Approach...aims to apply strength against vulnerabilities. Significant features are momentum, tempo, and agility, which in combination lead to shock and surprise." - UK Army Doctrine Publication AC 71940
Situation
D+3, 1100 hours. The Soviets are having trouble getting across the Weser in strength and the 1st UK Armoured Division is finally beginning to concentrate. The battle it wanted to fight has come and gone, swept away by the strategic surprise and the fight is already along, or west of, the Weser. The 7th and 12th Brigades have been been brutalizing Soviet attempts to probe up the Weser valley, but elsewhere the Soviets have gotten across, utilizing the full advantage of the strategic surprise.
With the Soviets halted for so long in the north, an opportunity has arisen to slip elements of the 1 British Corps south, and hit the forward most Soviet forces in the flank.
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| My interpretation of events: 7th Panzer Division clings to the upper Weser valley, but the Soviets have advanced well into the planned forward zone of NORTHAG. 3rd and 4th Armoured Divisions, belatedly mobilizing, are piecing together a defensive line. 2nd Infantry still concentrating in the rear communications zone. N.b.: Bielefeld was supposed to be 1 Br Corps HQ and this area was meant to be the rear communications zone. |
The intent had been to slam into a Soviet spearhead, but the real God of War: traffic (aided heavily by electronic warfare), has shown his hand. The 22nd Armoured Brigade is strung out, with no idea where 1st RTR has gone, and the hours waste away. Now, entirely by accident, the 22nd Armoured Brigade's lead elements find itself in a position to prove the re-emerging manouverist doctrine of the British army. Recce has identified the Bundesautobahn 4 as the centre line of a Soviet thrust. The lead elements have passed, but there appears to be a follow on force moving along it, in a formation that suggests they are not expecting contact.
The Brigade commander tries one more time in vain to hurry forward his strung out units. He receives a few garbled acknowledgements but more involved brevity is impossible even with a powerful brigade transmitter. The airwaves are filled with strange howls, competing transmissions, occasional foreign language broadcasts and, frequently and unnervingly, eerie musical strings.
He must strike now, with what he has to hand, and apply strength at the unexpected point against enemy weakness.
Mission
22nd Armoured Brigade (-) will attack NLT 1100 hours to interdict Bundesautobahn 4, securing key communication nodes in LANGENSELBOLD and VORDEBERG. Maximise losses on enemy encountered.
Enemy Forces
Recce reports what appears to be lead elements of a follow on tank division are in the area. They do not appear ready for a fight, but a recce patrol had a messy, inconclusive encounter with their enemy counterparts in the vicinity of Greene. The enemy is likely aware we're in the area now, but not in what strength.
Intel estimates the enemy forces, less miscellaneous elements, are:
20-30 Recce vehicles
80 + MBTs
40-50 PCs
40-50 Infantry
1-10 Anti-tank
1-10 Air Defence Artillery
10-20 Self Propelled Artillery
Friendly Forces
At my disposal, at least on paper, is most of the 22nd Armoured Brigade. This gives me the Queen's Own Hussars (QOH) with their Challenger 1s, and two armoured infantry battalions in the form of 1st Battalion Scots Guards (1 SCOTS) and 2 Royal Anglian Regiment (2 R ANGLIAN). All of this is backed up by one of the divisional battalions of artillery. A potent striking force. If fully concentrated, I should handily overmatch the enemy in my immediate vicinity.
I'm not fully concentrated. Traffic jams and confusion is loyal to no particular nation, and the Brigade will be leaking onto the battlefield over the course of the day. Yet Division wants me on objectives in only six hours,
That means, realistically, I can only count on the following forces to be at hand with time to contribute to the fight:
This gives me a total of 16 Scorpions/Scimitars, 28 Challenger 1s, 53 Warriors and 33 dismounted elements, 14 AT (self propelled and otherwise), 16 Self-Propelled Artillery, 6 helicopters and 2 Aircraft. So much for overmatch.
Battle Plan
I have played a variance of this scenario before. I was able to score a decisive victory but I was far from happy with how the battle played out. My plan had been conservative and based around securing key terrain and waiting (too long) for combat power to amass. The process spread my units out with dangerous gaps between them and put me on the defensive as the Soviets woke up to the gravity of their situation. We won a defensive victory, and losses in some places were extremely high.
This time, my intention is to dictate events. I want to be aggressive, abusing the pre-battle intel that the enemy is marching along the A4. My first instinct in that previous battle was to smash forward in a concentrated thrust and then exploit the following confusion. This time, I'm going with that instinct.
The plan, therefore, in detail above. Strike towards Langenselbold from the northeast, with FASCAM on the river bridges along the A4 to the town's east. Destroy the lead enemy units marching towards that objective, leaving behind sufficient forces to hold Langenselbold Then, wheel right and exploit, sweeping the A4 towards Vordeberg and Verl. An economy of force unit will hold our flank and rear, where the Soviets have encountered us earlier in the morning.
So, taskings:
The onus of the initial fight will fall on the 1 SCOTS headquarters, with the QOH basically on the bench in a convenient spot (much, I am sure, to the chagrin of its CO) ready to collect the next forces and carry on the offensive.
SITREP 1118:
Bridges are blown in the northern extremity of the AO to assist the economy of force unit with its mission, and the simultaneous dropping of bridges signals H-hour.
The FASCAM is fired as planned at H+5 and lays down three minefields, two cutting off the A4 and a likely bypass from Langenselbold and and a third being laid down along the A4-Greene route, a 'secondary' mission seeking to buy the economy of force a bit more time.
The Soviets are now aware that something greater than deep recce patrols is occurring and their own arty falls, belatedly, at 1116 hours. It's almost 2000 metres behind the tail end of the B Squadron QOH team. A reassuring indication we're not under direct observation and moving faster than they anticipate.
B QOH at this point can see a few tell tale wisps of smoke from the FASCAM fields on the opposite side of a hill that seem to confirm enemy elements are jammed up. At 1118 and with contact imminent, ICM fire missions are organized on these areas, while the mortar battery of the 1 SCOTS halts to organize smoke missions for the advancing Challengers.
SITREP 1136
"[H]e had lost a regiment of tanks in two hours, in a swirling British counterattack that had ruined both the Soviet force and its antagonist..." - excerpt, 'Red Army' by Ralph Peters
B Squadron QOH have the opportunity to delay their movement onto the ridge due to the order cycle, and that provides time for the battlegroup's mortars to develop a smoke screen for them to deploy behind. It also allows the ICM barrages to work their magic first. Then, with a terse word, the Squadron motors onto the heights and into action.
The brawl begins with the Squadron Headquarters flaming three BRM-1s that appear to have taken the high ground as flank guard. The constituent troops soon spot the hazy pictures of T80Us stuck on the scatterable mine fields at the foot of the ridge. A point-blank firefight erupts and the troops jockey for hull down firing positions.
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| The weigh in. |
Naturally, having been caught unaware in the rear, the initial volleys from the Challengers are fairly catastrophic for the Soviets. A hapless motor rifle company attached to the tank battalion finds itself the focus of a disproportionate amount of fire, and is virtually wiped out. By 1126 both the BMP-2s and a company's worth of T80Us are bright, burning images on B Squadron's TOGs. Gaps in the smoke and muzzle flashes draw return fire, however, and manage to brew up a CR.1 from the No. 2 Troop.
The No. 4 Troop, cross attached to A Company of the 1 SCOTS also adds its fire to the melee, firing from high ground 2000 meters away and creating an alarming cross fire.
Soviet losses per minute decrease as the T80Us begin extricating themselves and manoeuvring in position, jockeying despite the risk of mines. They are also aided by their own artillery at 1131, though the Soviet artillery fire does not disable or damage any of my own tanks. With the Soviets having collected themselves, my own losses mount. By 1136 we're down 5 CR.1s, with No. 1 and 2 Troops losing a callsign each, and No. 3 Troop having another disabled. The overmatch is telling however, and as Soviet losses increase their ability to put out massed fires naturally decreases, as do my risk of losses. Repeat smoke missions help keep the enemy's situational awareness low.
In all, I'm satisfied with the opening developments. The loss of 5 Challengers is just going to have to be accepted as the by-product of a point blank fight with a premier Soviet unit; but we're well on our way to the wholesale slaughter of a tank battalion tactical group.
SITREP 1154
Soviet artillery redoubles its efforts to try and prevent that slaughter from coming to fruition. B Squadron QOH naturally gets plastered. This time, it has some success: Nos. 1 and 2 Troops have a CR1 each disabled - likely mobility or firepower killed. The fact the artillery is failing to produce hard/catastrophic kills makes me think the calibre is no greater than 122mm. B Squadron's misery ends there, and suddenly Soviet resistance appears to just melt away...by 1149 they have ruined the remaining two Soviet TCs, and the survivors scurry on west through gaps apparently found in the FASCAM.
The B CG of 1 SCOTS is waiting for them, having entered Langenselbold and taken up defensive positions at 1140.
The infantry are not able to fully dig in and so even these remaining Soviet 'leakers' are able to do some disproportionate damage, but they are eventually seen off by close range LAT, Milan fire and artillery. This Company Group have accomplished their objectives for the battle.
The economy of force task group is continuing to frustrate Soviet attempts to attack in the north. The Soviets appear to be trying for an amphibious movement across the water obstacles near Greene, and the forward engineer troop is able to account for some more T80Us with long range LAW-80 fire. This particular units' losses though begin to sky rocket from enemy direct fire. I realize belatedly they should have been ordered to screen and give ground after the initial shock of them opening fire. Their FV432s are inexorably removed from combat, two catastrophically smashed and two more knocked out. By the end of the turn cycle, only two of the troop's dismount callsigns are still capable of resistance, the rest are too shaken or suppressed to carry on the fight.
We're roughly an hour into the battle, and things are so far going to plan, certainly better than the last two scenarios I've blogged about.
B Squadron QOH looks like it will still remain combat effective for at least one more task, which is excellent. Their reserve, the attached 3rd Platoon, B Company 1 SCOTS (long-delayed by the roaring tank battle on the height) will now be ordered to pass through the reorganizing tanks and take up position to sever the A4. This will both screen the Squadron's reorganization and block the most direct attack route to Langenselbold.
The A Company 1 SCOTS company group is in the process of mopping up the 'leakers' that escaped destruction at B Squadron's hands, and then will have their survivors go firm on objective.
The economy of force grouping are doing their jobs: bleeding what appears to be another tank battalion tactical group while concealing as many of their callsigns as possible. Without artillery support though, they won't be able to resist a determined attempt at an assault crossing, I think, even with the cross fire that could be provided by the assigned helicopters and ATGMs.
What I need now is info. A Squadron QOH's march route has been adjusted to head towards Pappeln instead, while regimental recce is ordered to begin probing towards Vordeberg.
So far, seven friendly units have fallen out, eight more have been killed or destroyed. In exchange, 11 recce, 27 tanks, 15 infantry, two SPAT, four artillery and five utility vehicles have been destroyed. We're in good shape.
SITREP 1211, 1227
A relatively uneventful pair of turn cycles, as the dust settles from the first hammer blow against the Soviets.
A Coy 1 SCOTS ambush and destroy the remaining T80Us in a confused and costly firefight for both sides, ending the drama around Langenselbold.
Most of the action is now to the north, as the Soviet armour appears in ever-growing weight of numbers in front of the economy of force group. The forward deployed engineer troop has bowed out of the fight, breaking contact on foot to the north east.
Most of my actions in this time is administrative in nature. B Squadron QOH is retasked back to its parent organization, though it retains its current cross attachments. This is in anticipation of further actions towards Vordeberg. Otherwise, most of my staff and runners are tasked with helping organize fire missions by artillery and getting idle recce moving. B Squadron's supporting Scimitar section, for example, is ordered to head 2500 meters south, then dogleg back northwest towards Lesterberg, seeking a bypass into what I believe is the enemy rear area.
By 1227 every report seems to indicate the Soviets are preparing for a deliberate assault crossing of the Sommerbach in the north. They also appear to have swam some of their own recce across the Saugraben, as they have a bloodless run-in with the QOH's recce platoon. The A Battery of the 40th RA is now beginning to run low on special munitions, and that may pose a problem when the enemy crossing operation begins in earnest.
SITREP 1243
At this stage I was starting to get suspicious that the Soviets had already thrown a floating bridge across the River Nahe, in the vicinity of Luthorst, because the recce seen off last turn cycle is followed up by various air defence units. A Tunguska platoon immediately spoils one of my planned helicopter ambushes, blowing three of them out of the sky at extended range.
The balance of QOH's recce platoon has begun moving, debouching off the ridge into the valley leading towards Vordeberg. As they move cautiously through the open terrain they gain contact at 1242 hours with what is at least a company of enemy tanks advancing along the N248.
It's impossible to determine what their long term intent may be, there's no shortage of good routes they could take to attack different elements of the brigade. I doubt, however, that they're alone. The CVRTs wisely break contact on their own recognizance and all I have to do is give permission to break contact even further by adjusting the waypoint during the order phase.
The QOH has a brilliant opportunity here to get stuck in with a hasty attack; A Squadron is still moving and can have their orders adjusted once again. They're moving in very tight formation so this is a huge risk, but they can potentially deploy from the march to overwhelm this group of enemy tanks. A hurried radio conversation between CO QOH and Brigade to organize priority of fires for A Squadron. Then, a risky broadcast in the clear..."Ah, hullo One, Sunray calling...another change in orders for you..."
SITREP 1259
The no doubt much-harassed Major leading A Squadron QOH watches as a smoke screen builds to his front and he issues terse orders for his units to proceed with all haste into Eimen and the heights behind it to attack by fire the enemy. To his further consternation, the boss brings his own tank up along with the very conspicuous, very vulnerable staff vehicles.
By 1259 he has three troops jockeying for space in the town, and has a final troop heading for a firing position on the high ground alongside himself and the CO. The enemy - two tank companies and an HQ element, it turns out - knock out a CR.1 before the smoke fully builds but enjoys no further success. Before the Soviets can deploy from columns of companies to line, they are largely brewed up. Seven T80Us are hit in the initial troop volleys, and things only get worse as the Soviets confusedly press in. The QOH CO himself accounts for four T80Us by the end of the firefight, though several of his Sultan staff vehicles are shot up, and some of the headquarters staff discomfited. The priority of fires from the artillery battery allows for the final salvos of ICM to finish off many of the surviving tanks.
In Greene the enemy begin their assault. By 1259 a MRC has swam the river and climbed onto the forested heights. They are caught dismounting at the edge of the wooded hill by the battle position of 1st Platoon, B Company 1 SCOTS. The initial shock of GPMG, light mortar, anti-tank and auto cannon fire rubbishes most of the enemy's PCs and a platoon's worth of dismounts. ATGM fire from a depth position adds to the tally. Disorganized return fire disables a Warrior. Only two very disordered platoons' worth of enemy infantry are able to struggle onto the objective, pressing through the fire and firing whilst moving in the Soviet fashion.
SITREP 1316
The first serious reverses of the battle happen now. The remaining Soviet dismounts hold on grimly but are shot to ribbons; going to ground and never returning to the fight or dying as they desperately seek to dig in. They nevertheless have purchased time. A pair of floating bridges have now been tossed across the Saugraben and Soviet armour moves in.
With the intention of not needlessly exposing infantry to the firepower of the hardy T80Us permission is given to the infantry to trade space for time and screen. It's a mistake. As the infantry try to scoot away the enemy tank company crashes forward and promptly scatters the dismounts, destroying and disabling their now-exposed Warriors. The enemy is now on the objective, and in some force. Not good.
Somewhat better, is the attempt to run a separate tank company through Dransfeld and a flank comes to grief, the other ATGM section aiding the economy of force managed to knock out half of a company. The T80Us pull back onto high ground, content to interdict the potential route for reinforcement, and begin lazily picking off any Milan team or Warrior foolish enough to expose itself in Dransfeld for too long.
Best of all, is the enemy ADA is destroyed in a barrage worthy of praise for its accuracy, catching what appears to have been gun and missile ADA preparing to cross into the bridgehead. This allows the remaining Lynx flight to stage a belated, and most welcome, intervention.
My foolishness in the north aside, a good turn cycle. Two more companies of T80Us burn like candles in front of Vordeberg, and the QOH battlegroup is well on its way to being ready to assault Vordeberg. The enemy's insistence on assaulting towards Ummeln also creates a rare opportunity to trap them and destroy them utterly. While A Squadron resupplies, the still reinforced B Squadron intends to launch a small assault element into town: I am fairly convinced now that it is lightly guarded at best. Thereafter, a refreshed A Squadron can pass through to the heights, good tank terrain, and destroy by fire the enemy.
The Scorpion patrol sent to try and press towards Lesterberg and Verl has also enjoyed a coup: they spot gun flashes that firm up to be an enemy artillery battery. I suspect there's more there too. As the Scorpions pull back, they pass this key information on. I don't think I need to explain what my next orders to the artillery are. I bitterly wish I had a second battery on the field, so I could manage more fire missions, but C Btty is still 30 minutes away.
Another quiet turn cycle occupied mainly with counterbattery; which scores hits and kills but far from anything that would immediately remove a battery from play. Searching fires in the general area also appear to score some hits, however. The hard-pressed gunners of the A Btty desperately need rest, and ammo is running low as well. They've been operating the last hour on essentially willpower.
Reinforcements are starting to arrive, however. C Company of the 1 SCOTS is now in the AO, marching via the N80 two kilometres north of Rebbeke. This makes an assignment to the QOH battlegroup both convenient and wise. This company is also in an excellent position to attack the enemy bridgehead via Ummeln, relieving pressure on the hard pressed economy of force group and pinning the enemy from the front. First, however, we must deal with the surviving T80Us sitting on the high ground near Dransfeld. The No.3 Platoon and an attached MCT section are ordered on a wide flank march to try and take the T80Us from the left, naturally, with artillery support.
SITREP 1352
C Btty of the 40th RA has arrived, rejuvenating my ability to place indirect fires on the enemy, perfect timing!
Soviet artillery fire, by contrast, has slackened noticeably in frequency, likely due to having to displace from the observed counterbattery fire. The same Scimitar patrol that had earlier spotted them is ordered to try and press for Lesterberg and Verl again; both to do some damage assessment and see if the enemy has any other rear support troops worth a barrage.
The Soviets seem willing to go all in for the forested ridge between Greene and Ummeln. A fresh TC and MRC are reported moving towards the floating bridges. However, with C Battery now on station we can delay their entry into the bridgehead until C Company is in position and ready. FASCAM is fired on the known crossing sites, both northern and southern banks. It almost immediately frustrates the attempts of the enemy to cross, and they once again find themselves bogged down.
SITREP 1426
The Scorpion recce patrol once again risks their neck to probe towards Verl. A prowling 122mm from the earlier-hit Soviet artillery ambushes them with direct fire, and one of the little vehicles is all but gutted by a direct hit. In the confusion, the patrol leader slips away and presses on. By 1424 he is in Verl, shaken, but safe - and reporting no further enemy encountered between Lesterberg and Verl. The objective has been taken by a single Scimitar! For now, at least.
What this recce really confirms is that the enemy is all up front fighting for the Ummeln hill. It also confirms the Soviet artillery has foolishly stayed in the same broad area it was first encountered it. At this stage, the lead of the Tornado strike fighters are on station and ready to be vectored in. A "free hunt" is ordered in the last reported vicinity of the enemy artillery. The lead two ships expertly pick out the RAG HQ on an orientation pass then smoke it on an attack run. With weapons still on hardpoints and no MANPADs or ADA fire of any kind, a terse "repeat the attack" is given by the pair lead.
This intel removes any lingering doubts about assault Vordeberg. A Squadron QOH is fully replenished and once again ready to move, and so the B Squadron Group kicks off the attack. Most of the constituent troops hang back in overwatch while a single CR1 and the infantry platoon press on. Despite smoke and covering fire, what appears to be a Regimental HQ and it's defence company is able to disable the Challenger and knock out some of the Warriors at 1800m. Return fire from the march accounts for a pair of BMP-2s. Bad start to things...but the mortars redouble their suppressive fires and the remaining infantry press on.
This turn cycle ends with a pleasant surprise: the final battery of the 40th RA is on station. A bit earlier than expected, at least I think so. In any event, they are immediately tasked in neutralizing fires in the enemy bridgehead.
SITREP 1443
Despite atrocious, frustrating losses in the assault element, B Squadron breaks into Vordeberg, and its not long for the remaining armoured infantry to take their revenge. The enemy defence company is struggling in close quarters, and the follow-on movement by A QOH splits their attention. Between infantry fire from the south and tank fire from the west the enemy HQ begins to lose its fighting vehicles, and begins to egress to the north. Pressured by the pursuing A Squadron, they disappear into the woods just west of the A4.
More of the Brigade's combat power is belatedly arriving, with the 2 R ANGLIAN recce patrol making contact with the remnants of the economy of force group near Ummeln. They're ordered into a reverse slope position, both to secure C Company 1 SCOTS attack position and to assemble for a potential exploitation towards Verl.
Contemporaneously the enemy RAG continues to be victimized by friendly airpower. What appears to be the bulk of a battery is wiped out in a blazing low-level pass by the Tornadoes, using some of their remaining 1000 pound ordinance.
Events move swiftly now. The Soviet AI seems to be aware of the jaws closing around them, as the units that had been trying to pick their way through the FASCAM and enter the bridgehead suddenly reverse course and break contact. In hindsight, perhaps it would've been best to let them load into the objective then close their egress behind them with the scatterable mines. That would've put the equivalent of a battalion tactical group on the objective, however. In any event, it looks like A Squadron QOH is going to have another meeting engagement shortly.
At great cost, No. 3 platoon of C 1 SCOTS and the MCT section are able to dislodge the Soviet armour from a position where they could fire on the rest of the company. The initial assault shreds a platoon of T80Us but the remaining two expertly fall back 500m then methodically kill or put to ground the dismounts with coax and HE fire. C Company gets moving on schedule however, where they are joined in their crowded attack position by the lead rifle company of 2 R ANGLIANS and C Squadron QOH.
I had not envisioned being able to get any use out of these later arrivals, but now it appears I can use them to exploit towards Verl and pursue the retreating enemy, and orders are issued to that effect. In essence, C Company 1 SCOTS are ordered to sweep the Ummeln objective, and the following units are ordered to move deliberately to Verl 10 minutes after the estimated time of accomplishment for C Company.
ENDREP 1700
As anticipated, A Squadron QOH finds itself in a very fluid situation. Remnants of the HQ and Defence element from Vordeberg are fleeting contacts moving parallel to the Squadron in the woods and are engaged when spotted, while to the front a relatively intact enemy MRC appears, just south of Luthorst at 1509 hours. The Squadron leader requests artillery to suppress the enemy headquarters and focuses his efforts on the enemy infantry. There's little room to deploy, but the Squadron is able to fan out somewhat while its tail troop uses high ground for support by fire.
The remaining Lynx's have 'rebombed' at the Brigade FARP and are used to destroy the final remaining T80Us in the vicinity of Dransfeld by 1517 hours. The flight is ordered to join A Squadron in its battle position, flying nap of the earth along the open hillside the A4 runs through.
The only, and final, Soviet success during this pursuit occurs way to the south. The mortars of 1 SCOTS had been idling in their final firing position, where they had supported the attack on Vordeberg when a lone T80U (presumably a survivor of the TB destroyed so early on and blocked from entering Langenselbold) bombs down a bypass road and systematically shoots up every mortar carrier in the battery. The lone T80U then carries on its retreat eastwards, and is presumed to have been knocked out in the inferno of a later airstrike.
I think the most important lesson learned and applied was of allowing for some friction, a lot of follow on attacks were made with the rule of thumb of "estimated time of arrival of lead element, plus 15 minutes." This avoided dangerous pile ups, and often allowed following elements to help 'mop up' by marching fire what the assault element had accomplished. Vordeberg is a good example of that. Having caught the enemy on the move twice, which is naturally an ideal scenario for an attacking force, I think can be attributed to keeping up a cracking attacking pace.
Finally, best use of recce was made. When the battle did seem to be entering a lull, the recce patrols kept things moving, probing for gaps and ensuring the enemy wasn't allowed to try and seize the initiative unnoticed. I have often said before on this blog that recon never ends in any battle, and I'll let this serve as a good example.
A look at the final stats. BLUFOR Airpower is downright evil if its allowed to prosecute targets in an air-defence free environment. Lots of kills in the open to the Tornadoes name.
As always, thanks for reading. This one was a lot longer than anticipated but it was a complex battle, I think.
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