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NBG Part I AAR(s)


Zipuli

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Here's Mark's AAR from another thread:

A Day in the life of PACKHORSE 2

"PACKHORSE 2" is the call sign allocated to the Engineer and Logistic elements of the Danish Company Group force assigned to support the Swedish Company (the right forward in the BG attack).

Orders issued and battle procedure is conducted in the Company hide / Equipment Collection Point 1 (ECP 1).

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The detachment commander's intent is clear "keep up with the combat elements, anticipate their needs in order to maximise the momentum of the advance".

H+16: Lead elements of the Swe Coy report a minefield obstructing Route 368.

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An implied task from the BG CO's orders is for Route 368 to be cleared and remain open to ensure the BG can be resupplied and quickly reinforced as required.

Accordingly, the Engineer "slice" of PACKHORSE 2 is dispatched to a holding location so that they are ready to be called forward once the Swe's secure the minefield site.

At H+20 they arrive:

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and establish an Engineer holding location:

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The rest of PACKHORSE 2 displaces forward to this new location. To be called "ECP #2":

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ECP#2 established, with some additional security provided by parts of the BG HQ:

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As expected the Engineers are called forward to clear the minefield.

The pre positioning means they take less time to be at the planned breach site and the clearance can start earlier than if they had remained at ECP #1:

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The M113 with MICLIC (MIne CLearing LIne Charge) attached moves into position (a Swe tank damaged in the minefield can be seen to the slight left of the M113):

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Concurrently the ambulance moves forward to establish a forward aid station. The ARV and an ammunition truck will soon join it to establish "ECP #3".

The ambulance has its first customer (note the MICLIC to the left of picture):

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The Engineer variant M113 arrives behind the MICLIC vehicle to mark the route once the breach has been made:

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ECP #3 established. Now that tank can receive additional ammunition, undergo mechanical repairs and its crew receive treatment:

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The MICLIC is fired:

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And detonates:

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The Leo 1 with mine plough attached then "proves" the route cleared by the MICLIC and detonates a mine that the line charge missed (hence why you prove the route. :)):

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Having repaired, rearmed and tended to the crew of the tank, the ambulance, ammunition truck and ARV displace forward again through the breach cleared by the Engineers.

The ARV is last as it has a job to do part way through the minefield:

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Namely to recover the damaged tank forward to ECP #4 established on the far side of the minefield:

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H+65. The echelon's new location (ECP #4), is beyond the minefield and close behind the Company now fighting its way through VALKEALA. Note its sister callsign "PACKHORSE 1" in a similar location behind the Finns:

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The damaged tank arrives:

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In addition to the Leo 1 on the forward side of the hide, this vehicle can also provide some security while being repaired.

Before long PACKHORSE 2 has to displace forward again this time to the planned ECP #5 to resupply the Swedish units who are now almost through the town and have consumed a lot of ammunition:

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To get there though the trucks need some of the obstacles reduced (that the combat units had been able to bypass):

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Just another day spent supporting the fighting elements as part of the combined arms team.

PACKHORSE 2 remains ready to support the Swedes in their next task.

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Finnish company commander's AAR:

My company composition for this mission was:

- CO vehicle, CV9030 (myself)

- A platoon, 4x CV9030 (induction, dr.thodt, TwilightMD)

- B platoon, 4x CV9030 (ronin, PincerDK)

- C platoon, 4x CV9030 (Hedgehog, Crusty, Tjay, OldRaven)

- D platoon, 4x Leopard 2A4 (Eisenschwein, Mirzayev (dropped), Ricopico, Panzer_leader)

The orders I received was to attack as the left company in the Battlegroup attack formation, clear area referred as "Valkeala north", a small residential area north of Valkeala centrum, clear route R and take OBJ15 east side. Swedish company would attack on my right, taking the centrum, I would need to take the bigger residential area and the sports center area along with the most of the high hill of "Harjunmäki" in OBJ15.

Recon would move out ASAP and the main body would move out 15 minutes behind.

I made a following plan and gave orders to platoon leaders:

plan.jpg

- A platoon would be sent in first, as a scout element. They would see if our attack route was clear of enemies and after that they would swing around Valkeala north from the east to secure our left flank. They would continue south to cut highway 15 once our main attack to Valkeala town would begin.

- Main body would move out in march order D, CO, C, B, Packhorse 1 (Kingtiger's CSS element)

- D and C would attack Valkeala north, west side as a platoon team

- B would attack Valkeala north, east side and then be used as a reserve, with orders to prepare to support the other companies if needed.

- Our first objective was marked on the map as RED1. This chokepoint I thought needed to be taken to succesfully continue the attack to sports center. There we would consolidate, reorganize and reload before continuing the move. Attacking through urban terrain is very difficult and loosing the strings would mean casualties!

map_events.jpg

Here is a satellite image of the battle area, with areas of interest numbered and these numbers will be reference in the following AAR of the action itself.

Preparations:

Once the mission started, A platoon was on the move and the rest of the company deployed to move out and received the Packhorse element for support. We moved south-east to Line Of Departure. Here is an image taken by the CO in the deployment zone. D platoon is preparing to take point with vehicles of C platoon forming up behind my vehicle...

00_jump_off.bmp

Edited by Zipuli
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A platoon continued their recce all the way to AREA 1 (in the satellite image). Moving closer to the small field, I received information that they had spotted enemy ATGM launcher and a tank in this area. The platoon succesfully pulled back to safety before the enemy managed to react. I requested artillery strike on the ATGM team's location from GOBLIN (Falli), our BG forward observer.

1_A_contact.jpg

A platoon spots the enemy...

I also ordered D platoon to take out the tank before we would move out to begin the attack on Valkeala north. I ordered the rest of the company to hold until the threat was taken care of. Eisenschwein's platoon moved out and not long after the booming of the 120mm cannon was heard and the enemy tank was reported being killed!

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D platoon tanks hunt the T-72 spotted being in position behind the houses. Can you spot all the Leopards?

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Short range kill by Ricopico. There were no long range kills during this mission for our company!

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C platoon following me, stopping to wait for the tank being taken care of.

After the tank was killed, I started deploying the company for the attack. I ordered A to continue south east around the residential area. D and C platoons started moving up to the north side of the field and B was to take their left side. Unfortunately while deploying one Leopard and one CV were immobilized in the rough terrain and had to be left out of the attack. Packhorse moved in to assist, but the said vehicles did not manage to take part in the combat. Though they were succesfully repaired.

From my right I heard Swedish company being in contact with similar force than I had taken care of and they also had casualties in a minefield. My A platoon also reported enemy minefield near the destroyed T-72, but as it was not in the way of the actual attack, they just marked the area on my map and went around.

Edited by Zipuli
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Taking Valkeala north:

2_valkeala_north.jpg

This is the area of Valkeala north viewed from our direction, area 2 in the satellite image. A small residential area from where a main road leads to the town center.

While the company main body was deploying, A platoon reported another minefield east of us, in the area where we would need to set up an outpost after the objective was taken. They also ran into 2 BMD-2 IFVs and some troops and quickly took care of them. Some 30mm shots were received from the BMDs but the CV's add-on armour could take it with no damage.

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A platoon in contact east of Valkeala north (area 4).

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While deploying, more artillery was fired on Valkeala north to soften up any possible resistance.

The attack was soon ready to begin. Platoons had following tasks:

- C platoon would move in first through the field into Valkeala north, dismount and start clearing the houses with infantry. C platoon CVs would provide support behind D platoon's tanks.

- D platoon would move behind the infantry, supporting with direct fire. Each tank was to be followed by a CV. This "platoon team" attack was to continue all the way to OBJ R1 (clearing areas 2 and 5 in the satellite image).

- B platoon was to attack on the left side, clearing the smaller residential area (area 3 in the satellite image). After clearing it, the platoon would be reserve.

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This is the view from the company border. Swedish company is in the foreground, and they ran into enemy abatis. Finnish vehicles can be seen in the background, right after crossing the open field.

2_FI_deploying_2.jpg

D and C platoons deploying just before dismounting.

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2_coy_deploying.bmp

This is view from my command vehicle after crossing the field under cover of barrage. The Leopards took positions and supported the dismounting and then the attack began.

2_attack.bmp

Attack in progress!

When C platoon dismounted and started moving up, I stayed just behind the tanks to oversee the whole operation. The infantry screen advanced, taking some fire from enemy infantry but the vehicles supporting took care of any opposition very quickly. Textbook stuff. Now that we were attacking on foot, clearing a bunch of houses, the swedish company attack proceeded past us a bit. They were running into more opposition than us I figured from the comms, but they managed. Until they ran into bigger minefields.

I estimate we cleared few infantry teams from Valkeala north... It seemed like a screening force and they had managed to lay quite large minefields, though on top of the ground. There was no time for them to dig the mines, so they were easy to spot! My C and B platoons both reported minefields up ahead and the attack stopped. Both platoons sent infantry to search for any holes in the minefields we could exploit. C found one in front of us, probably left open for the enemies to withdraw through, and B managed to go around the minefield from east.

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Situation after taking Valkeala north, according to my BMS. You can see my attack formation has taken Valkeala north and A has started moving around the enemy minefield in the east. They moved along the power lines, that ran from Valkeala north to east and then south all the way to Highway 15. Swedish company spearhead is some 500m in front of our attack. Both companies have plenty of minefields spotted...

After the hole in the minefield was discovered, I ordered the platoon team to move through and take OBJ R1 (area 5 in the satellite image). The attack continued through, with the CVs and Leopards neutralizing enemy infantry that were trying to take shots at our infantry and then pull back. My gunner also spotted some AT men and opened up with coax. The attack continued nicely, though at one point the formation was getting too staggered with one CV being in front of the advancing infantry, so I ordered a quick straightening of the attack formation and then we moved again.

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Moving thorugh Valkeala north, the road ran through OBJ R1 from where our attack would continue south east (top left in this image).

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Platoon team vehicles taking positions at OBJ R1, after the infantry had cleared the area. BTW the building on the foreground, with the brick wall belongs to Hairysteed from ARRC. I put some 30mm inside just in case he was home ;)

Once we reached OBJ R1, the attack was stopped. The attacking units started to reload and reorganize. While doing so we received enemy fire from the top floors of the school building and Eisenschwein's tanks opened up with HEAT rounds on my command, silencing the AGL.

While our attack was flowing through the minefield, B platoon leader reported he had an opening ahead and could flank the OBJ R1 from north east if allowed to continue. I gave the green light and the platoon moved south from Valkeala north. In front was a small opening before OBJ R1 (area 6 in satellite image)...

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B platoon advanced dismounted on our left. It looked like they had no enemies to slow them down, so it looked like they would reach OBJ R1 before the main body. I informed C and D about the flanking move so they would be sure to identify targets before firing.

Unfortunately the enemy had a small unit overwatching the open terrain, and once the CVs from B platoon rolled into view, they detonated their IED and pulled out. The IED damaged 2 of the CVs, making them immobile and also two teams of infantry were wiped out. This reduced B platoon to only 1 operational CV and two-three squads of infantry. Because of the ambush B platoon's momentum was lost and they were forced to mop up the area with infantry before moving out again. This single incident rendered B so weak that I ordered it to form up with the rest of the main body. This meant I had no reserve at the moment, but the attack was flowing otherwise well and A had reached Highway 15 intact, so I thought we will continue according to plan. Packhorse moved in to assist the CV crews in the damaged vehicles.

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B platoon ambushed! Area 6 in the satellite image...

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OBJ R1, with Hairysteed's house and a destroyed T-72 behind it. At this point even the CO vehicle needed to load more MP ammunition and change a fresh box of coax ammunition.

At the objective C platoon reloaded the longest. During our pause, swedish company rolled forwards and BG CO was eager to get us moving again. I gave the order to continue once reloaded. We would move with B platoon joining the attack formation's left side and C taking the sports center with D supporting both platoons. A was consolidating at Highway 15 after the well conducted flanking move. Now that the road was cut we would have no surprises from that direction! And soon swedish company would cut the highway from our west so the enemy in the town would be cut off!

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A platoon turning south towards Highway 15 moments earlier. The powerline can be seen in the satellite image, leading to area 9 that was A's objective.

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During our pause, the enemy quick reaction reserve was moved in the town as well. We didn't know of this at the time, but they moved in the hill of Harjunmäki (area 10 in the satellite image) with 1 tank platoon, 1 BMD platoon, 1 infantry platoon in trucks and 1 Tunguska. 1 BMD platoon and 1 tank moved near the town center and ran into the swedes, but the main body of the reserve was to be confronted by the Finns...

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Taking the sports center:

After reloading was done, C platoon moved out again with the infantry screening and the CVs and Leopards following. Our next objective was the sports center just north of the hill of Harjunmäki. Moving in more abatis was discovered, and going around C platoon lost 1 CV immobilized.

Moving closer to the sports center (area 8 in the satellite image) an enemy T-72 was spotted near the ice rink. I ordered D platoon to move in for the kill. Some shots were exchanged and the T-72 was left burning, though Ricopico's Leopard suffered damage when they took 2x 125mm rounds. Their turret was jammed, but the vehicle continued supporting the attack, Sturmgeschütz -style.

8_Deploying.jpg

C platoon and tanks of D platoon deploying to support the taking of the sports center. The destroyed T-72 can be seen in the middle of the open.

After the threat was removed, I ordered C platoon and D platoon to deploy at the north side of the sports center open and prepare to cross the open to Harjunmäki. While they were deploying, B platoon infantry spotted an enemy tank closing in from the east along the main road leading to us. I ordered Eisenschwein to kill it, and after a cheerful "roger!" and few cannon roars, another T-72 was burning and the Leopards returned in the attack formation, shooting one Tunguska in the process.

8_sports.bmp

C platoon infantry crossing the open with CVs and Leos supporting. To the right is the sports center main building, that have gyms and swimming pools and such in it.

The attack to our final objective began in good order. The swedish company was again ahead of us and they were already clearing the cemetary west of the hill, cutting Highway 15. The hill was up for the taking and after the infantry had passed the open, CVs and Leopards stormed past the open ground to climb the hill. I followed close by...

After I got to the other side I took position behind the ice rink building. At this point the firing began on top of the hill, just a hundred meters from me. The firing was infernal in intensity and more CVs moved in with autocannons firing. I tried to contact D platoon, but all I got back was "In contact, wait!". I knew they were busy staying alive, so I moved up myself to take a look what was happening. I arrived in the fight just in time to see what was going on...

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D platoon Leopard finds itself inside the enemy platoon's defences. A knifefight begins! Makes you miss the AK strapped on the turret roof ;)

10_knifefight.jpg

View from the AAR. The Leopards, CVs, infantry and BMDs are mixed on top of the hill, where the ski tracks run.

I quickly realized that this close quarter engagement needed to be sorted out before the main body could do anything else. So the mopping up started. The enemy was all around so artillery could not be used, and pulling back was impossible. The fight was in control though, so I was confident. At the same time B platoon that was moving towards A platoon ran into more enemies on the hill's east side. The enemy had some trucks and infantry with AT weapons and B platoon was ordered to pull out his last CV. I contacted Goblin and he fired artillery on the trucks and infantry, a few hundred meters away from the knifefight...

While waiting for the rounds to land I ordered B platoon to hold position and support, while A platoon would turn west with half of the platoon and flank the enemy infantry. A quickly moved up and after the artillery strike hit home, the troops of A started moving up the hill.

10_A_flank.jpg

A platoon storming the infantry positions from their flank. These were the closing shots of the intense battle for Harjunmäki. After the hill was ours, the mission was over and the remaining enemies surrendered.

The fighting on the hill continued with the enemy managing to take out 2 CVs from close range, using RPG-29 Vampir. The other CV was the last operational vehicle from B platoon and the other one was from C platoon. After Alpha's attack the enemy turned tail and ran or surrendered. The hill was secured.

I gave the sitrep to BG CO: "OBJ taken, 2 vehciles down, enemy company destroyed around the hill." Packhorse 1 reported to me that of the 5 damaged vehicles 1 Leopard was heavily damaged and couldn't be quickly repaired (turret jammed) and that one of the Bravo's ambushed CVs had engine down. The other 3 were soon good to go. So in total of the 17 vehicles in my company, 2 were KO and 2 heavily damaged. That leaves 13 fully functional vehicles, so we were strong enough to continue the attack after rearming.

And that was a good thing! Soon I heard the attack would continue towards Highway 6 and Utti airfield. The enemy attacking along Highway 15 was cut off and short on supplies, and the enemy was forced to react to our actions. Taking Utti airfield and cutting Road 6 would stop the enemy attack on its tracks! That would open up an opportunity to turn our attack west towards Kymijoki -river!

Edited by Zipuli
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  • 3 weeks later...

The Battle of Utti Airfield - Death of a Combat Team

Phase 1: The preliminaries

My part of the Danish Company Group arrived in VALKEALA close on the heels of our supported unit, the Swedish Combat Team (SCT).

After the usual "top off" round of replenishment, including our own company vehicles, we linked up with the other half of the Company Group and my boss, Kingtiger, (KT) and I sat down to start looking at supporting the likely next move of the NBG (Nordic Battle Group) - part of the skill of a logistic / supporting arms commander is to be prepared for whatever the war fighters throw at you.

Deep in our conversation the combat door on our command M113 opened (only the line guys got the CV90s) and the familiar face of Duke, our NBG Commanding Officer, appeared, with the knowing glint that both KT and I knew too well.

It meant "challenges" ahead.

Duke extended his hand and said "Mark, I need a Officer Commanding for the Swedish Combat Team and you're it!". I had finished shaking his hand before his words fully sunk in and the moment to protest or ask him to reconsider had passed.

Duke's parting words were "Come over to BG HQ and get an update on your CT from the Operations Officer. BG Orders in 3 hours."

KT congratulated me and said we'd catch up for a proper celebration at the end of the next phase. I hurriedly grabbed my gear off the Wisent ARV that I had been using as my command vehicle and grabbed a lift off one of my now "old" soldiers to dump it on the rear deck of the Strv 122 MBT that I'd now call home and then went to the BG HQ to get an update on my new command.

The SCT (Callsign "MOOSE" for the upcoming operation) looked impressive on paper:

CO SE (Strv 122)

XO SE (CV9040C, FO team)

A plt (2x Strv 122)

B plt (3x Strv 122)

C plt (3x CV9040C)

D plt (2x CV9040C)

(1x Strv 122 in repairs)

The plan also seemed straight forward:

Basically a big left hook around the large RAPOJARVI lake turning at TOIKKALA,

8328086890_699dc4abba_c.jpg

then South through KIPPARILA

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and finally to cut the all important Highway 6 and secure the UTTI AIRFIELD.

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SCT's role was to be second in the Order of March (behind the Norwegians with the slice of Danish support (my old friends in "PACKHORSE")) with a range of "be prepared to" tasks that would come into force if the situation changed.

Eventually though if all went well the SCT would attack with the Finns ("WALRUS") on their right and Norwegians ("HAGAR") on their left, seize the airport and end up astride highway 6, in a blocking position orientated to the West.

I returned from BG HQ to CT HQ and thought this should be pretty straight forward, but then I walked into the CP.

I had assumed the rest of the CT would be Swedish but a quick look at the "fashion parade" of uniforms revealed shoulder patches with Canadian, German, Russian, Spanish, United States of America as well as my own Australian flag. I was hard pressed to see a Swedish shoulder patch in the command group!

It turned out that most NATO countries while not directly involved had sent observers to the NBC and most of them had ended up in the SCT. The fact that the Swedes had a "mixed" sauna and some very attractive clerical staff apparently had nothing to do with it.

So the CT was actually comprised of:

Swedish Company:

CO SE (Strv 122) = Gibsonm (Australia)

XO SE (CV9040C, FO team) =

A plt (2x Strv 122) = 12Alfa, Tacbat (Canada / US)

B plt (3x Strv 122) = Regimentos (Spanish)

C plt (3x CV9040C) = Thonar (German)

D plt (2x CV9040C) = Max (Russian)

Then I found out that "Max" had very little English and the Spaniards who manned all of B Platoon needed an interepter! Luckily, their commander, Furia, was fluent in English but the comms plan had just become a major "consideration" (headache).

This resulted on my having to monitor three nets:

1. BG Comd - so I could work as part of the BG.

2. CT Comd - so I could communicate with most of the CT.

3. A dedicated Spanish frequency so I could talk to B Platoon.

The end result being that CT orders had to be given twice (once to B Platoon and once to everyone else) and unfortunately communications with D Platoon were basically non existant.

My XO / FO was "on leave" and I now began to appreciate why Duke had had that glint in his eye when he gave me the job.

I issued CT orders outlining the tasks:

- The Order of March (OoM) - B PL, C PL, The attached Biber, CT HQ, A PL and D PL as the rear guard.

- Spacing between Platoons of no more than three minutes.

- Various "Actions On".

The route (Route 15) was a given, although I wasn't entirely comfortable with the exposed right flank to the lake. However the CO had considered it and wanted the speed the "good" road would provide over the slower, but more covered, forest roads.

Phase 2: The Road to TOIKKALA

8328825680_cf53bd3f24_c.jpg

The lead Norwegian unit

As I watched HAGAR roll across the line of departure with its attached slice of PACKHORSE, it seemed we had things under control in MOOSE but this confidence was soon replaced with confusion, agnst and a concern that we'd get anything like a formed unit across the startline at the agreed time of 20 minutes behind the HAGAR / PACKHORSE combination.

8329146796_f78af8c1eb_c.jpg

SCT anything but "ready to go"

You'll note D PL way off to the NE of the rest of the SCT. Frenzied discussions over the CT comd net as to why they hadn't linked up with the rest of us (refer the blue oval) achieved little and it later turned out that communication issue flagged earlier had come home to roost at least in part.

As the 20 min timing approached, I got the HQ, A, B and C platoons moving and myself and Thonar tried to talk to Max. Thonar was especially interested as it appeared that during our broken communications with Max that not only had he retained control of D PL but he had also "acquired" one of C PL's CV90s too (the lone CV90 in the green box above).

So of the five CV90s in the two Mech PLs, only two were going the right way.

I crossed the line of departure with roughly 75% of the CT "under control" and hoping that the D PL (+) packet would keep up and eventually sort itself out.

Not a great start and no one had fired at us at all yet.

Layout of the BG at H+20 (when SCT crossed the LoD):

8328122181_890282fc59_c.jpg

Points to Note:

Green Box = HAGAR + PACKHORSE

Blue Box = Most of SCT (MOOSE)

Red Oval = D PL, SCT

Orange Box = WALRUS + rest of PACKHORSE

Whilst there is a gap between ourselves and the lead CT this was intentional.

Also note how much equipment had freely moved up Route 15 before us (it seemed that my concerns were unfounded).

Edited by Gibsonm
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