PBEM Blackhorse AAR

PBEM Blackhorse AAR (Full Version)

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Ardi -> PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/9/2017 9:53:48 PM)
Another PBEM game I played, this time on Soviet side. Blackhorse was one of the few scenarios in the original FCRS I hadn't played before, so it was interesting experience for me. Since I was unsure where and what kind of forces opponent will emerge, I decided to take forward positions as fast as possible and wait for arrival of my main force. Intel screen showed me that currently American forces were at the north-west edge of the map, but I wasn’t sure I could trust that info completely. General plan was to advance with all forces along routes NES30 and NES31, capturing Fladungen and north-western VPs, with some forces advancing further off-map. According to that plan T-80BV Coys were to captured Willmars and later act as an advance guard for the main columns. MR Coy and AT sections would be guarding Nordheim. One BRM section* would observe my left flank in case American forces will appear there. Another one would drive through forests to the north of Nordheim and try to find enemy positions. I decided to abandon western half of the map completely, since: a) I have great respect for American artillery so I’ve decided to pierce through and get into the enemy’s rear, rather than fight out head to head. b) Why head to head? Because ground on the west, being quite open, provided the perfect kill zone for American tanks and ATGMs, and since I had basically no arty, I wouldn’t have anything to suppress them. So I expected at least some defenses prepared there. c) Also forested areas covered my advance better and due to that, they would allow me to drive closer with my tanks before getting spotted, so my tankers would get in the comfortable range within 1-1.5 kilometers from the enemy. Starting forces – 2 T-80BV Coys+HQ, MR Coy on BMP, 2 BRM sections, 2 AT-4 BRDM sections Reinforcements – T-80U Bat(3 Coys+HQ), 2 T-80B Coys+HQ, 2 MR Coys+HQ, 1 Mi-24P armed with AT-6 Spiral, Red Storm HQ (arriving within 2 turns) Another Mi-24 and 2 2S1 guns – within 4 turns Overall: 74 tanks, 30 BMP-2D, 24 Mech Rifle, 4 AT-4 BRDM, 4 BRM, 3 SPG-9, 2 Hinds and 2 2S1s with some MTLB, BTR and HQ units *BRM's are marked with red triangles [image]local://upfiles/51074/A486CDE58E9B4EF9A6F2C36B3BD4458F.jpg[/image]

MikeJ19 -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/10/2017 10:11:24 AM)
Ardi, It will be nice to see this battle from the Soviet side. Good luck, Mike

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/10/2017 6:40:36 PM)
Forces advancing. I should note that screens 2 and 3 were recreated in the game vs AI. [image]local://upfiles/51074/8823455C2E8041398D33657523A2EB73.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/10/2017 6:43:26 PM)
So here is the plan. Penetration force, comprised of T-80U battalion would drive along NES31 route, then turn to the west, taking positions on the edge of forest, to destroy any defenses placed on the north-western hills, then (or if no defenses would be there) drive to the west directly, sweeping rear areas, and turning south if necessary. Assault force (2 T-80B and 2 MR coys, with T-80BV coy as advance guard) would take positions to the east of Fladungen, and then commence the assault on the town, since it definitely would be the strongpoint of the American defence there. Remaining T-80BV coy would remain at Willmars, since Intel screen check showed me presence of the enemy forces over all northern edge of the map, so these tankers will act as my rear guard. I also sent helicopter to scout that area. [image]local://upfiles/51074/61F8071414B54D91AACF85ECDB4DE721.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/10/2017 6:48:56 PM)
Intel at the start of the game (top) and at 16:54 (bottom). [image]local://upfiles/51074/93CE3D3AD9604E71A24503D2C42DC207.jpg[/image]

MikeJ19 -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/10/2017 8:08:08 PM)
Ardi, I'm enjoying your descriptions and how you show the information. Good luck! Mike

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/11/2017 3:48:32 PM)
Thanks Mike, all inspiration goes from your AARs! I have to hold myself tightly not to read Origins AAR since I didn't play that scenario before and don't want to know the details until I play a PBEM game with it.

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/11/2017 3:50:11 PM)
Hind was fired upon and destroyed some HQ unit it return, but wasn’t able to spot any significant. But the enemy soon revealed himself as the first Abrams platoon appeared to the west of Willmars. I decided to correct my plans a little bit and ordered 1 T-80U Coy to take positions in Willmars to cover my advancing force. Advance guard company started to move. I’ve also sent western BRM platoon to the north due to the lack of the enemy activity there, as well as AT-4 platoons. [image]local://upfiles/51074/7C30818969EB44AEBF97B3A244D7BD56.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/11/2017 3:51:56 PM)
I forgot to do some screens, so there could be quite a gap between them. Quite a bunch of events happened. In the east M1 column (seems like a company sized force) was crushed, losing 9 tanks while destroying just one T-80BV, though they also managed to take down 3 or 4 BMPs passing by. T-80BV Coy starting to move west via NES30, while T-80U defending Coy is resupplying and defending Willmars from the remnants of the American north-eastern force. In the north Hind went on a good attack run, taking down 5 recce units (I’m assuming at least 2 of those were M3s) and 2 tanks until it was finally downed by AA. My advance guard and BRM section completed the task of finding enemy positions, but it cost them dearly. T-80BV Coy destroyed two tanks and was obliterated, as well as BRM and AT sections. In the meantime both armored columns were moving on designated positions, though weakened by the absence of 2 Tank Coys. It was due to the fact that 1 T-80B Coy was diverted to the Nordheim, since results of the recon confirmed lack of heavy resistance in Stetten area. I started to form the task force of 1 MR Coy and T-80B Coy to sweep the western bank of Streu and go to the American rear there. [image]local://upfiles/51074/40EBD5414E7246DFA14F4366D9841DA3.jpg[/image]

Jagger2002 -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/11/2017 4:10:42 PM)
Very nice. Black Horse is getting a lot of attention lately. And since I am almost exclusively playing Reds right now, nice to see a Red AAR. The Reds are a lot of fun to play.

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/12/2017 5:52:17 AM)
2 Jagger2002: sure they are! Forgot to make screenshot again. A lot of stuff happened. In the north, Penetration Force started their advance. First Coy moved directly along the road to the north-west, killing some Bradleys on the route, while second one was ordered to assault position just to the north-west of Fladungen, which was defended by some unit with tanks. But it was quickly evaporated with destruction of only 1 tank even before tanks closed in. My guess was that it had been an HQ. In the middle, near Heufurt, my second Hind and AT section destroyed a HMMWV unit, but both were downed by M1A1s. Good shooting from 50 cal. I would say, taking down Hind from 2 km. All was going well enough until my tanks stopped just above Fladungen on the open ground. It appeared that there was M1A1 tank platoon in the village, and despite T-80Us went on hold position, whole company was wrecked in 5 minutes from point blank range, scoring just 1 Abrams. Motorized riflemen suffered losses as well. 1 Coy was poorly placed and spotted by Yankee recon, and then pummeled by arty. Lost lot of IFVs, and thus turned into completely ground force. Still, both MR Coys started their advance on Fladungen, though with much less chance of success since T-80U’s support was lost. But still, there was almost full T-80BV Coy, climbing on the forested hill, where their comrades had been slaughtered before. But now Americans were tired and low on ammo, which gave my tankers an advantage. Such turn of events made me to use my T-80U Coy in Willmars to support the advance on Fladungen. I noticed that southern Abrams platoon was not in position to spot my advancing tanks, and I knew he had no eyes in the valley, since they were destroyed by Hind. So I ordered Hasty move to rush through Heufurt as fast as possible, to get into point-blank range with M1s. In the west my task force successfully went through Stetten, destroying some M3s on the hill and started to advance north, [image]local://upfiles/51074/D60C9486C1AF4E41BBE2DECB08F9D6DE.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/12/2017 5:58:38 AM)
And NATO resistance was crushed! My motorized riflemen done nearly impossible. Reaching Fladungen with barely a platoon of soldiers, they destroyed all American tanks there. Some recon forces advancing to the north of Fladungen were destroyed by tanks on the hill and command tank of T-80B battalion, T-80U Coy advancing north-west destroyed almost helpless HQ and infantry units. Tanks on the hills to the south of Fladungen were destroyed too, though they managed (with arty support) to take down whole MR Coy with them. [image]local://upfiles/51074/75D823D03811437296679FA1DF3D2A0F.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/12/2017 8:12:45 PM)
And that was the end of actual combat. In the next two hours my forces were sweeping the area in search of the remaining American units. Since I didn’t know what kind of force captured Willmars (only saw my MTLB platoon that had been sent there, demolished), I decided not to push in. Southern T-80U Coy took hold in Nordheim, andother T-80U and T-80BV Coys were ordered to move off-map. T-80B Coy was searching for the remnants of the American recce, while motorized riflemen and HQ forces secured Fladungen and route to north-west from it. [image]local://upfiles/51074/73A06976F0EC4512885E1EFC408F00DE.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/12/2017 8:13:45 PM)
And that was it. T-80B Coy took hold further than I expected them to be since they started firing on some recce squad, which managed to advance to the Stetten VP and capture it. So at the final result it was passed to NATO since my tanks were 1 hex away from the VP’s zone of control, and thus I got just a marginal victory. [image]local://upfiles/51074/AD16D2070F72472A8ABE02964B73F3D1.jpg[/image]

Ardi -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/12/2017 8:14:30 PM)
Final results: [image]local://upfiles/51074/835F7DACF6DB4767AB7641C28FD094E8.jpg[/image]

MikeJ19 -> RE: PBEM Blackhorse AAR (2/16/2017 10:28:14 AM)
Ardi, Well done. I really enjoyed your descriptions and seeing the battle from the other side! Thanks for sharing, Mike

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