Hasty defense.

Salutations.

For a while now I've been tackling the "Hasty Defense" classic scenario provided with SB Pro PE, and I would love to hear any tips or tactics you have used to overcome this scenario.

As it is, in my last run I did manage to mostly complete it (I devastated both of the OPFOR's main thrusts, but a recce platoon made it through), and it seems to me that the key to success is the proper employment of your infantry and Bradleys to support your two tank platoons (which by themselves can't quite hold back the tide).

So far my plan consists of keeping the M3s on their starting position long enough to identify the likely enemy approaches while deploying their troops in woods near possible chokepoints (roads and saddles), and then pulling them back to rejoin the main defense force once they are spotted and start facing real opposition (leaving the infantry as spotters and ambushers).

Generally my tank platoons are positioned in the center and south of the map, with the CO and XO employed as a reserve (I am aware they could come down the valley to the north of the map, but anything I pre-deploy there can't easily be brought back south in case the enemy avoids the valley).

My main challenge then is to figure out how to properly employ my Bradleys to support the tank platoons without being quickly taken out of the fight. I try to have the tanks "fix" the enemy then have the Brads come out of cover to engage (or flank them), but that's easier said than done.

Any assistance on how to properly employ the IFVs would be appreciated. Also, I'd be interested to know what positions you think are best to blunt any assault down the northern valley (I've found a couple of good firing positions, but they are north of the valley and dangerously close to the penalty zone).

Thank you.

Itkovian

Not saying I was successful in any way shape or form... but this is the tactic I used and it worked for me, either through luck or skill.... I am voting on luck.

I placed my M3 CFVs foward with the HMMWVs set the M3s to Gaurd/Retreat, and the Hummers to scout retreat.

I then placed my Mech inf, behind my main force in a reserve capacity. The rest was set back and ready to move to where I decided was the Red main thrust. Set by information set by the cav scouts. After all thats their job.

That's mostly what I've been doing, though I'm finding it difficult to find good battle positions that cover the valley to the north should the enemy choose to come down it.

There's some good spots for hiding some infantry in the wooded area, but the best positions I've found for the tanks are near the penalty zone, or otherwise are on the southern "lip" of the valley, in which case the drop is so sharp that my tanks end up exposing their hulls in order to get a shot at tanks below.

That said, properly employing my M2s and M3s remains my main challenge, especially since my tanks can't remain engaged too long before the arti forces them to switch position (in which case I immediately need to get the brads under cover, as they suddenly become primary targets and get destroyed with ease).

Itkovian

Well, yesterday I managed my first complete success on this mission, it was quite a challenge. I've been working on this scenario for so long now I had to write an AAR:

The enemy attacked all across the front (two tank platoons down the northern valley, three down the center, and two to the south), so I had to spread up my defenses.

By default I position a tank platoon in the center and another to the south (each supported by a CAV platoon), and when the scouts reported approaching tanks to the north I sent in my reserve (the CO and XO tanks) to plug the hole (I also dropped the M113s in the middle of the woods in the northern valley).

The mech platoon was positioned on the reverse side of a hill, in a small "dell" or some such, basically in ambush position waiting for the forces moving down the middle.

At first there was no sign of the enemy to the south and I was preparing to maneuver my southern platoons to become a reserve when the southern advance was revealed, so I ended up with no real reserve unfortunately.

However, the main positions absolutely excelled, and the supporting CAV platoons assisted as well (they racked up 5 tank kills, taking no losses).

I think what helped is I carefully husbanded my tank platoons, especially the one in the center (who bore the brunt of the enemy advance). I would put them in position, let them fight it off a bit and then quickly retreat them behind their positions to avoid incoming artillery, where I'd have them sit a while reloading ammo (so I always had plenty of ready ammo). The enemy would advance from cover in the meantime, and when the platoons would move foward again (in a slightly different location to avoid more arti) they'd have several exposed targets. Then it was just rince and repeat.

Basically, I just avoided long slug fests, exposing my tanks for maybe a minute at a time before backing off to reload and moving foward again (doing the same for the CAV platoons so they wouldn't become fodder), and eventually moving further back to other positions so as not to be overrun.

The southern platoon basically decimated its contacts, and the center one was doing very well, but unfortunately I deferred their retreat too long and as I had them move back to their battle position they basically blundered into two T-72 platoons and a real knife-fight developed.

It wasn't pretty. In no time the platoon was down to a single tank, but as luck would have it the lead tank (the one I was commanding) was in a hollow between two "hills" when contact was made, and I remained mostly undetected until I started unloading Sabot rounds into their flanks as they raced by me. That was the end of the center attack, but I had only 1 tank left from that platoon, and that tank had its engine destroyed early in the fight (which might have contributed to it remaining undetected later on).

That was, incidentally, one of the most exhilerating fights I've had so far. The combination of the engine whirring down in combat and the addition of obscuration, while hearing more tanks rolling nearby, was amazing. The obscuration definitely adds a lot of tension to combat. In one case, I found out the target was dead by glimpsing the turret flying up above the obscuring smoke. Great job on the new version.

Anyway, at this point all that was left was the northern offensive down the valley, but with the center platoon gone (or immobilized) the CO and XO would have to fend for themselves for a bit while the southern tank platoon made its way north.

I pulled both tanks back from their original position on the southern bank of the valley to a position further west and on the northern bank, that would afford them a shot right down the entire length of the valley. The upshot is that the action to the south was over by the time they made contact with enemy tanks.

When they finally came, the CO and XO tanks remained undetected until they opened fire, which gave them an early advantage. Also, from their angle the tanks on the southern slopes were exposing their top armour a bit while the M1s remained hull down. After a quick fight I had them retreat up the slope in the trees and find another position further west.

At about this point the enemy tanks drove through the M113's position in the woods at the bottom of the valley, where the AAR actually says a T-72 was taken out by an M113's .50 cal. How this was possible is beyond me, though the AAR does show a dismount firing an RPG at the exact same moment, so perhaps the attributions was a bug or some such. Also, at this point one of the CAV platoons made it to a position on the southern "lip" of the valley at its western end, and shot up a recce unit making its way westward.

Finally, the CO and XO took up their position, and ended up duking it out with the last enemy platoon. Mostly it was the CO, as I had moved him foward a bit to get a better look (not expecting remaining tanks, quite frankly). Two of the remaining three T-72s were destroyed, while the other moved over the southern bank of the valley and out of range.

At this point the enemy retreat was called, which saved the last T-72 as my southern M1 platoon had reached its position and would have greeted it warmly had it continued westwards.

Anyway, sorry for the lengthy rambling, but I thouroughly enjoyed this playthrough, and wanted to share.

Thank you.

Itkovian

A very thourough AAR Itkovian. Nicely done.

Thank you, it was a great fight.

Incidentally, the AAR revealed that the shot that took out my tank's turbine actually hit it from below. It passed right beneath the front of the tank at a slight angle and only hit near the rear.

Hearing the turbine wind down while frantically fighting enemies less than 200 meters away was very immersive.

I wonder what would have been the recovery procedure in RL, mind you. Would the crew have abandoned the tank, or waited for backup in the hope that no enemy was coming?

Also, here's another question: are there any impacts to taking out an OPFOR CO? I seem to recall that losing your own CO causes radio failiure for all subordinate unit, but is that the case for the AI as well? If so, is the AI behavior affected in any way?

Itkovian

Allright, I'll get on it as soon as I figure out how to handle the images and host them (imageshack, I imagine?).

That said, never heard of "Death Before Dismount" before. Given the accounts we find of prior wars, something tells me it's not quite universal.

Mind you, in this case the tank was still a functional weapon. It just couldn't move, but all other systems were fully operational. Though at that point the driver is rather superfluous, I would have sent him up the hill to see if anything else was coming (never mind rescuing wounded from the rest of the platoon).

There's another question: how long can the batteries power a tank with its turbine shut down? Is there an APU that can be used to charge the batteries?

Itkovian

Thanks for writing the AAR Itkovian. I absolutely love this sim but keep getting utterly smoked by the enemy AI, reading about the tactics that you employ and the reasons you chose those particular tactics is very helpful to a noob like myself.

Some M1A1 tanks have APUs some do not. I think all the M1A2s have them though. You can operate off of battery power for a good while, maybe several hours or more if I remember correctly and then you have to start up tank to charge them up.

Correct all A2s have them... and most of the A1s now.

I have written my AAR, and published it at:

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2716187.html#Post2716187

Enjoy.

Itkovian

Nicely done!

I have written my AAR, and published it at:

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2716187.html#Post2716187

Enjoy.

Itkovian

Great work man, thanks for taking the time to post these AAR's.

Thank you, I enjoyed playing photographer.

I love how the AARs catch more of the action now, such as the smoke when firing, and sometimes the airborne turrets.

Itkovian

Hi,

I'm wondering who of you gentleman that goes by the name 'Edward Williams' and has created the Hasty Defense scenarios, since I would like to try the mission with German equipment instead of US. I must confess that I'm really not comfortable with US gunnery.

The mission is locked, so I can't change tanks myself.... So would it be possible to get the blue password or an updated mission?

Thanks in advance.

/Mark

That'd be Volcano. His secret identity for scenario design is revealed!

Well, I don't really feel comfortable revealing my password since I use it in all scenarios that I make. However, one day when I am bored I might make a Leo 2A4 variant.

I truly respect that and I would do the same, protect my work. But maybe a lot faster, for you, would be an updated misson w/o blue password but still the red. Not sure how much logic you have on blue though...

Cheers

Mark