As we explore this scenario it has made me realize just how tactically inept or perhaps conceptually inept I am at the tank on tank level.
In the span for 4 turns 7 MBT’s and a recon unit are wiped out!
Please refer to prior post for force mix and game play notes:
Part of me thinks it was great lines of fire for the German/NATO force. Command span rules are soft in this game and the spread out nature of the German defense played havoc. Perhaps, forcing some closer clustering of units is in order?
Then again looking at how we played the Warsaw Pact..iiiieeeee….. with 9 Czech T-55’s, and 3 loaded BMP-1’s and a few bridging units plus a recon vehicle they should be a formidable force.
Their approved plan was to go straight up the middle [we diced for that option.]. But I could not bring myself to ‘just march out’. So we attempted to recon the flanks of the hill the Soviets entered behind.
The Soviets entered on the right, using the hill as cover. What might have been better was entering L or R side of the map and then driving to the center.
By the end of turn one we had a brew up and a damaged tank.
The end of turn 2 [below] had more units dead than you could poke a stick at, with only 15 turns to make the exit requirements the Soviets have to hustle….The BMPS were reluctant to enter given the devastating fire so far!
A sprint across the open to the side road, results in another loss.
Loss continue to mount. with units now spread out, as the futile charge up the middle pops tanks left right and center. 90% of the kills were by ATGM. the Leo 1’s were very ineffective. All this happens with a full platoon of Leo’s in reserve in the rear. and one on the hill.
At this point with no losses for the Germans the Czech force would be suicidal to attempt to cross or even change plans and go around.
Pausing for a moment lets look back at Soviet Doctrine to see if this would help any?
I think the time constraint here and a lack of arty were two mitigating factors. The Soviets should have deployed, once they had good intel, them, dropped arty and or smoke and made a dash for the center hill.
An example of a larger formation deploying.
I need to work on my A game.
U. S. Army doctrine from the early 80s- “What can be seen can be hit. What can be hit can be killed.” Yeah you needed smoke if you were for ed to cross open terrain.
🙂