Mission was played 092000Ajan14 with 7 players on the blue side.Eny was AI controlled.

Scenario was designed by Eisenschwein from PzBtl911. Very well scripted with several possible tasks for the blue side
and very "flexible" RED scripting. Definitively one of the best mission I've played so far! Great replay potential as the enemy has many variations for his attacks.





Background: Warsaw-pact forces attack western germany.
PanzergrenadierBtl 12 is tasked with a deliberate defence west of HÜNFELD along the line HÜNHAN-RÜCKERS.
The battalion is currently on the on the march into their AOR(area of responsibility). 2nd company(+) reeinforced by the tankhunter platoon, 2 tankplts from armoured recon BN 7 and a platoon from armoured engineer BN 7 is moving as the vanguard.

I was playing as commander of "ALPHA2", the 2IC (deputy plt leader) of the 1st platoon, 2nd company. My boss is callsign "APLHA".

Starting situation:


starting situation


Right after the company has reached their position, enemy combat recon had to be expelled from the crossings toward HÜNFELD. The attackt south of HÜNFELD by an enemy tank-BN was repulsed.

After this initial victory the CO 2nd company (as we would say "Chef zwote") assessed the situation:

Enemy forces probably in Regiment(Rgt) strength have broken through own delaying units. Probable intent is to take the ridgelines west of HÜNFELD before own units can deploy for defence, IOT(in order to) enable RED forces to attack along B-27 and towards FULDA.



Own forces are at 85% combat ready. ALPHA has one IFV damaged, BRAVO(IFV) is at 100%, CHARLY has one Tank with light damages, DELTA platoon has one tank mobility kill. Tankhunters lost 3 vehicles.
Right neighbor(light infantry company) is in position. Left neighbor, 3rd company PanzerGrenBtl 12, is slowed by enemy artillery fire and still 1 hour away.

He decides that the most likely and most dangerous COA(course of action) by RED would be to continue to attack on our left wing/left flank. But he currently has no info about the enemies main body. To give him a bit flexibility, he pulls out the platoons currently not engaged and uses them as a local reserve. While the rest of the vanguard and arty support keep pounding the remains of the enemy tank Bn and their new combat recon teams.


our arty gives them hell


the local reserve


tankhunters in position to protect our beautiful flowers against the communist hordes

Well, as Steelbeasts still includes no german IFV's :-( , we had to run a "lend & lease program" with the Austrian Bundesheer ;-). So for this mission we used the ASCOD ULAN as our IFV.

May I introduce: APLHA-2, my callsign for this battle



After we had some time for reload and repair in the reserve assembly area, the CO's fears came true: enemy recon teams where spotted in the area north-weast of HÜNFELD. If the enemy takes hold in HÜNHAN the mission of the battalion is in danger!

ALPHA is put in charge of the reserve, and is tasked to move into blocking positions a the old brick factory and to destroy all enemies attacking there. Then hold the ground till the 3rd company arrives.
Time for a last coffee and a quick run with the shovel, we start moving 5 minutes later.


the reserve on the move to the blocking positions

As we reach our AOR the grenadiers go into a 360° defensive position, and engineer team has joined as and will help to block the bridges into the brick factory. The tanks take position 500m behind to support us with fire.


GrenPlt in position, I'm in the upper left part of the pic. In front of the brick house


tanks in position


map view of our blocking position

I now had some precious time to get to know my BP:

The view to the east. Better get cover from that, tanks can put long range fire from there. SO I stay behind the brick buildings.


The view to the north, this is my main-direction. I've been tasked to defends the brick-factory against everything that comes from HÜNHAN. I have a good view along the valley. But ranges are limited to about 500m


I have only narrow fields of fire, so I'll have to change BP often.


My dissmount team will take cover behind and right of the building here.(As one SAS member said after they gave the Argentinian commandos a good shoeing: "Never in a house!" ) They are a the north western edge of the brick-factory about 70m way from my IFV. This way they can watch into the valley and inform me about targets. They can get flanking shots at enemy trying to break in...and they are close enough to remount, just in case 8-).

The "fun" starts before I'm fully prepped for defence.


Enemy troops, stranded by the previous attack against the positions of the 2nd company, get new motivation by the closing of a new enemy BN. Obviously they don't know we are there(or they are suicidal).They try to attack the Brick factory from the south in platoon strength. I see them by chance: "Gunner, 6-o-clock, troops...fire at will"=> 120 rounds of 7.62 get fired in seconds...




They immediately get crossing fires from me and ALPHA-1.


To their credit: They didn't run...they stood and died bravely.
No cover and no where to run...that assault was beaten back bloodily.

At the same time enemy tanks make a probing attack from the east, trough HÜNFELD's industrial area:


1st tank engagement map view

The position deep behind our own pays off! DELTA's tanks score 3:0 within less then a minute.



Got to say: The 105mm/L7 rifled canon is the one piece of British engineering I really like.

This went well. But one things is for sure: The enemy now knows where we are, and that he can not approach us from the east directly. He will do something to get to us.

And that he did:


enemy strike force is moving in, without us spotting them

As one tank platoon engages in a fire fight with DELTA, a whole company moves trough low ground and gets within striking distance.

DELTA knocks out one tank, but the other remain covered. ALPHA calls the FO: "...eny tanks at grid 5260 3561, can not engage, request neutralize...".


T-72 platoon in cover
5 minutes later: These small puffs of smoke above the tanks seem insignificant, but they spell doom for this T-72 platoon. The break up charges rip open the 155mm shells, and dozens of ICM-bombletts rain down.


After the dust cleared, that whats left of that tank unit.

While we are still rejoicing about that success, the enemy strike force moves closer.



Only for a short moment, one BMP platoon is spotted by DELTA, and they manage to shot one out:


They are coming for us, we just don't know it yet...and 3rd company is still 5km away!

We sit in our vehicles and wait. The snorring sound of the TIS cooling system is only interrupted by more or less distant artillery fire. What the f*** is going on??

Our Boss smells that there is something fishy in HÜNHAN and orders DELTA's tanks to get into position against the north. He moves up the hill to take a peak.


ALPHA(actual) moving forward

And he finds more then he hoped for:


The uttered "#%&*$#" over the radio net, and the angry barking of his Maschine cannon 200m to my left, caused me some concern. The enemy was already in HÜNHAN, and he was so in force.

Suddenly my gunner yells, "PC front" "FIRE!!"




He squeezes the trigger and the 30mm Mauser MK-30-2 starts speaking. APDS round fly into the flank of the BMP...slicing trough armour, components, ammunition and flesh.


He keeps firing and firing, somehow in panic...I had to yell 3 times "Target, stop.."



18 souls gone in a flash.

Left of my position the enemy presses south too...DELTA has all hands full with work. Countless 105 round get rammed into the breach. Meanwhile I change position, my BP has surely been spotted and I don't want to wait till I receive fire.


you can see the Leopards on top of the ridgeline

But the tanks get soon hindered by enemy artillery("blind") which lowers their effectiveness.


Just at that moment, 3rd company arrives and engages. Hurra!! ;-)




The enemy company is now outnumbered and gets fire from 2 positions...but they haven't given up yet! (kudos to their political commissar)

2 BMP's are sneaking south unnoticed.(Yes, that was mainly my mistake!!)


I try to get a good view from my turret hatch and listen. Did I hear approaching tracks? ..A loud *thud* rocks my IFV: Artillery fire!! I drop myself into the turret and pull the hatch with me as shrapnel buzzes overhead and strikes against the vehicle..."Driver, change position, go go go". My gunner closes the ballistic covers for the optics as we still get hit by shrapnel.

After we get out of the impacts I open the hatch to look for my dismounts as I see them:


I can only see their roofs and the antennas, but there are BMPs...50m away from me!! "Gunner, battle sight PC" As reply I only get hectic movements and "I can't, its stuck!!". Some of the impacts must have damaged the ballistic cover, and now they won't open!
That was the moment I got a bit panicy and yelly on the radio. "ALPHA here ALPHA-2, break-in from the north, BMP...need support now"..meanwhile I popped smoke..."Driver, reverse 200..and quick!"

The ensuing knife fight was a mess! With ALPHA-1 and ALPHA rushing in to safe my butt:



And own troops getting hit in the crossfire:


My dismounts a had good one though:


The rushing BMP overlooked them and had 'em at their 5-o-clock position, and as the doors of the BMP opened the MG-3 fired right in...none of the solders ever got to raise his gun.

In the end, we managed to hold firm.





The enemy vanguard was beaten, but APLHA had 8 casualties.
All vehicled remained combat ready except for minor repairs...medics and ARVs where rushing to us.



Time to get back to the Reserve area...cookies and medals for everyone 8-)
We have beaten one BN and an other company so far, and now 2 companies of PzGren12 where in position.


End state, job jobbed...for now



But the ´bulk of the enemy Rgt was still to arrive...and they will be here sooner rather then later

Waiting for those reinforcements ... always a nail-biter.

Good AAR Grenny.

But I have a question, what vehicle does the Ulan represent a Marder or a Puma.

We have disabled the Stabilization...so more Marder'ish

No tea and medals for you slackers - back into the line.

Good write up and using that map to advantage.

Lovely detailed AAR.

Very nice reading,thanks for sharing,
Mick.

Servus Ronin,

very good AAR. I think it was not only for me as the ALPHA leader an interesting and nice evening.
Everybody had something to do and for the leader it was never boring.
One thing Ronin not wrote, everyboy has to make a plan, before start.
After the mission will start, there will be a radio message and determine the leader.
So everybody can be in charge.

@Gibsonm: It`s the second part of Carpe Diem, i think we played the first part during a BG ANZAC Thursday.

Eisenschwein works still on part 3.

The new map is awesome, so the last thing we need, is a crewable Marder.

cheers

Duke

Very nice AAR Ronin, really enjoyed it, thanks.

nicely done AAR! Good eye for camera work and the storytelling was spot on! The bar stays raised.

Superb AAR! Really love it when a writer incorporates all the planning info, screen and map shots. Much more immersive.

Nils, haven't visited your forum in a bit, but will there ever be a Marder that makes itself into your fine simulation?

Barring and unexpected and premature death of eSim Games, the world as we know it, or the Sun going nova, the likelihood is noticeably above zero.

Roger wilco! I can always hope.

Addendum...a few Steelbeasts related links for those who got interested by Gibsonm's excellent AAR and my scribbling:

http://www.steelbeasts.org/content.php
The makers of the "carpe diem" scenario and the excellent Fulda-Gap maps (German)

http://www.steelbeasts.com/
The official SB fan site (english)

http://www.ukarmour.eu/
The British SB-community (english)

http://www.sb-target.de/forum
Another German community (german)

http://507rcc.leforum.eu/index.php
SB-Fans in France (french)

http://www.tanksim.pl/fire/index.php?PHPSESSID=a3c364cc5776b394c2d02cd145a0a1d2&
Simulation community in Poland (polish)

That Knife fight:

BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! CLAK!

"Schiesse! Faher Ruckzug, Schnell!"
"Jawohl"

VROOOOOOM!!

Improve your German

...
-"Scheiße! Fahrer, Ausweichen, Rückwärts marsch marsch!!"
-"Ausweichen 200, verstanden..."

Thats how it goes :P