Giving Gaddafi His Due - CS: Middle East - Crisis in Sirte'85 (Libya Hypoth.)

[Crossroads]

Let us continue then. I actually watched the Libyan Turn #6 replay again to see what happened there next to my Scimitars. Well, sh*t happened, if you ask the Libyans. They actually arrived from the north, deployed right next to my recces lying low there on a defilade, and made an about-turn towards west and towards my lurking Tank Coy.

Sometimes when it rains it pours.

[spoiler=Units OFF map view][/spoiler]

So, let us engage the sudden opportunity then. A neat way to study the terrain is to turn the Units OFF, for a better look of map without any chits (or 3D Unit Images if you're playing 3D) on them. The plateau is clear, all I need to do is order my tankers to engage the T-72s before they come any closer. Seems no BMP-1 support, just the T-72s there.

[Crossroads]

Refusing the Flank

Assessing the situation, let us engage them one by one. One of the troops only has two tracks, they started the hostilities by knocking out the recce section nearest to them, firing from where they stood. Then, the accompanying troop with three tracks leap frogs them to meet'n greet the three T-72s behind them.

[spoiler=First in first out][/spoiler]

That done, the next three tracks leap frog again, engaging the next three T-72s, at 2000 meters. Only now the HQ sections react by Op Firing back, and from that distance, to no avail.

[spoiler=the carnage continues][/spoiler]

I would have the Action Points to fire again, but since the plan is to play the long game (it is only turn 7 now!), I have them retreating to their next firing positions. That is the last reverse slope I have before the Sirte city gates.

[spoiler=move and fire. fire and move][/spoiler]

Situation deemed to be under control, my HQ section of two tracks speeds off to assist the lone Chieftain troop in the middle section.

[spoiler=ready for the next round][/spoiler]

The modern battlefield. Swift and Brutal. All gone quiet again.

[Crossroads]

A Day in the Life of a Scimitar Section

So what now for the Scimitars, lying on a defilade under camo nets. As far as I can tell the Libyan tankers all exhausted their Op Fire. Only one way to find out. SCOOT!

[spoiler=from fire to frying pan ][/spoiler]

Holding my breath, i have them jump off a click towards east. No firing, they're safe! Better leave a further click or two between them and the peeved Libyan tankers. This should see them safe...

[spoiler=and they pulled it off. wheew!][/spoiler]

Maybe, they can even sneak back to friendly lines. Maybe.

[Crossroads]

EOP British Turn #7

With all action over in minutes, time to continue to play the long game. Lynx One and Two are told to fall back a bit to ensure they're out of harms way, and to wait for their final mission. Only one ATGM load left for each of them.

[spoiler=f-f-f-falling][/spoiler]

It's all gone quiet again... I hope. No one here but us tumbleweed... Mi-2 section hovering in the distance can only observe the dust clouds in the direction the Brits went, with the red ellipse depicting the current Visibility of 9 hexes (2 250 meters).

Apart the lone Chieftain troop that did not have the AP to move behind the reverse slope. If I observed right, Libyan Hinds moved quite far off, so maybe they don't have the Action Points to get back in. We'll find out.

[spoiler=Its oh so quiet][/spoiler]

That done, time to send the turn back to Berto.

The Libyans been a bit stirred and shaken here before any of their infantry has had a chance to even engage yet. It is only turn 7 now, but I am feeling the worst sting of the Libyan attack must be wearing off. Good news no doubt, as I have pretty much used the little room for maneuvering I had. Soon, the Mi-2 should be able to report on my units to the remaining Libyan task force, be they behind slopes or not.

Visibility settings in this scenario depict a Dawn attack, soon the visibility will be up to 12 hexes or three clicks, no hiding from the sun after that.

[spoiler=one sided love affair][/spoiler]

[JasonPratt]

Coming in late, but 

[Crossroads]

Thank you Sir. I only do Platoons and Operational. Must be because I grew up with Panzer Leader and 3rd Reich 

[Crossroads]

Let us hear it for the next 450!

While waiting for Berto's next turn, let us hear it for our NATO military symbols library, which just passed the 450 mark! Our very own @Warhorse who does all the 3D Unit Images for vehicles, also holds the master copy of those. Playing a Platoon scaled game, and often with Extreme Fog Of War ON, it's good to have as much information about those hostile chits as possible.

During this DAR I spotted the Libyan BMP-1s were on a "wrong" symbol, which indicated a tracked armored infantry fighting vehicle only, instead of being amphibious, and at worst armed with ATGMs as well. See those BMP-1s on the hill slope. Missile mark in the symbol, better steer clear of them    Compare to my FVT 432 APCs, which don't swim nor shoot missiles when aggrivated.

[spoiler=500 here we come][/spoiler]

Also, Mike delivered the recentered British Unit Images that are used on top of the chits, vive la small differences. Chieftains were a bit off for instance, so much better now. Some of the Infantry types got a one, two px nudge as well.

[spoiler=Brits, recentered][/spoiler]

[Crossroads]

Next Stop Ghardabiya Airbase

Ping, said the email, with a message the eerie, empty battlefield has thus rattled the Libyan commanders they decided to retreat to fight another day.

A bummer, in a way, as the Brits were just getting their tank engines revved up. But as I had observed during the previous turns, Libyans enjoyed the worst of luck during the few key moments so far. When it rains, it pours.

So here's the situation from British QRF point of view at the end of the hostilities. There's the forward defense at the reverse slope by the southern most Objective location, with the final stand a click further towards Sirte, that was not tested here.

The losses table together with the Victory status paint a grim story. I had designed this one to allow Libyans a 200VP deficit from battles to capture all the objectives for a Minor Win. Major Win, and Loss, I hope to include something to truly have gone wrong or right, so there's an extra level to get there.

But maybe, for the scenario releases in CS:ME2.0, I shave off some 50VP from those Victory levels, and provide Libyans with a couple support troops more, like a couple of more MPAD sections to protect them from the air. We'll see.

[spoiler=Situation at the (almost) end of play Sirte: 3. Riptide][/spoiler]

(PS: Not the quite last situation, but my last save available before sending over to Berto, which turns the encryption ON from me opening the file at that stage anymore)

I have now looked at Berto's DAR entries, I will next (maybe tomorrow) write an After Action Report covering the my side of events. Here's some first thoughts:

Seems the decision to employ the Lynx One and Two fully from the beginning made a difference, they certainly managed to rattle the Libyans. They tend to do that.

At the same time, playing the long game and using the limited maneuvering space from the beginning, falling back before forced to do so, was a good tactic. Libyans continuously had nothing to shoot back, which unnerved them too.

Winner of the day? Recce.

Medals to everyone at the brave forward outpost "Cumbria", who stood the ground and delivered spot-on intel on the middle sector events opening up in front of their eyes. The Scimitar section saved outpost "Devonshire" from a well played flanking move that I was totally unprepared for.

The decision to keep my Tank Coy together seemed to have worked too, as they were able to wipe out a Libyan TC the minute they were spotted.

Special thanks to Berto who was outside his comfort zone here, in a modern hypothetical set up. I on the other hand am a fool for the era (among many other eras I am a fool for  ), so it was not an even battle in that aspect either, given this was a scenario I had done and was thus familiar with too.