AAR: Hammer and Anvil

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Aeraaa

IDK to be honest. Maybe it's because I upload them to imgur first.

Is Imgur an all public site or can you post images only you can access unless you give someone the URL ?

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by DRG

Is Imgur an all public site or can you post images only you can access unless you give someone the URL ?

I just visited the site, checked the TOS, and found this:

"About images you upload

You can upload images anonymously and share them online with only the people you choose to share them with. If you make them publicly available, they may be featured in the gallery. If you share an image publicly with Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, etc., then it may end up in the gallery."

[DRG]

and I just tried uploading a test image and place it in a post and drew a blank


Trying again now

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Figured it out.. I needed to use the Share links BBCode(forums)

......this is part of a new T-55 series

Thanks for this Aeraaa ! ( sorry I had to hijack the thread )

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by DRG

and I just tried uploading an image and place it in a post and drew a blank


Trying again now

I just got a pic at Imgur following the link however, the 542kb file is too large to upload here.

[Aeraaa]

Sorry for the late reply but it was late here. Although I've seen that you found out your way around the site. It is very useful, since you can easily upload large images.


Anyway, back to the scenario. I've included every objective to the map in pink squares, so it will be easier to keep up with my plan.


Turns 11-21



I decided to play a few more turns, since resistance so far is not as great as I expected. To the south, the objective at Siret bridge (1) is secured by the southern combat team. Tanks, infantry and AA guns are slowly taking positions around the objective to defend it in case of a Ukrainian counterattack. The only resistance is sporadic sniper fire and dismounted counterattacks that are easily eliminated. However, at turn 21, one tank destroyer is knocked out by a Hind helicopter from the south at around (2). It seems Ukrainian reinforcements arrive and the first ones are attack helos. Just what I wanted to see less.
To the north, my entire artillery is relocating. Field artillery will go to (3), AT artillery will take positions inside the city and AA will also be close to field artillery.
The main body is moving inside the town, securing objectives along the way. The intersection at the train station is secured by two heavy MGs, while the city park at (4) becomes the base for the HQ of 3/151 company. The latter comes under a probing rattack by a Spetznaz squad, but repels it. Another Romanian platoon moves at the bank at (5), but comes under fire from a Para platoon, losing a BTR. Dismounts come forward and a fierce engagement begins. Ukrainian paras make a small counterattack, but they cannot dislodge the Romanian motorized infantry.
Another Romanian mechanized platoon moves towards the western factory, with the eventual objective being the bridge at (6). Near the factory they come under fire by a Ukrainian rifle squad and they quickly dispatch it. Ukrainians make a counterattack by a recon platoon, but they lose one vehicle from 14.5mm fire from one of the BTRs.
I receive reinforcements at around turn 14. The final mechanized battalion of the brigade that was in reserve away from the map, appears at (7). Some vehicles come under fire by ATGMs at (8) and two vehicles are lost. Nevertheless, I manage to move the entire battalion inside the safety of the town, and I push westwards. The first target is the bridge at (9), the main bridge connecting Roman with the western part of the country near the Moldova River. That makes it a vital objective. I attack with one platoon and soon come under fire from a Para squad from the eastern part of the bridge. The entire platoon, BTRs and dismounts replies and soon the enemy squad becomes combat ineffective. The advance can continue now, but I’m certain that there is more of the enemy on this objective.
The objectives that remain to be captured are the city hall at (10), the university and the main church at (11) (the church being located on the highest ground of the town) and the secondary bridge at (12). It seems that I will probably be able to capture the majority of my objectives, however I’m worried that I haven’t seen any reinforcements so far (and these can turn the tide easily) and I’m not sure from which direction they will come. I was expecting that they will come from the east, either from my previous assembly area or the eastern part of Siret bridge from the small town of Gadinti, but so far nothing has appeared apart from the Hinds I mentioned. In addition, since I’m relocating my artillery, I have to fight inside urban environment with zero artillery support. We’ll see…

[shahadi]

https://i.imgur.com/A9jguda.png

Yeah. Use the share IMG URL function right here in the forum.

Confirmed.

[Aeraaa]

After some problems logging in, here is the continuation of the battle:

Turns 22-25



These 4 turns prove to be quite intense, as the first elements of the Ukrainian reinforcements arrive from the east. At first a single recon company emerges, but afterwards elements of one T-64BV company and two motor rifle companies also appear. Their first victims are some truck drivers and scout teams at my first assembly point at (1). The first units that open fire at the Ukrainian force are the 35mm AA gunners at (2) and (3). They have little chance of causing any damage, but if they can distract the Ukrainians for long enough that is fine.
In addition to my AA gunners, my tanks and tank destroyers open fire as well, either from the city outskirts at (4), or Siret bridge at (5). One T-64BV is destroyed by an ATGM, while 3 more are hit but not destroyed thanks to their ERA armor. In addition to that, 3 BTR-4 IFVs are knocked out, which is great news since these have vision of 50 and hit penetration ATGMs and cost more than 200 points. Nevertheless, I lose one tank and one TD from return fire ATGMs.
To the center around the bank, Ukrainian paras make a counterattack. The bank itself is shelled by 82mm mortar fire, while dismounts attack from the south. Total strength looks like a company. However the Romanian defense is centered around a wooden building at the blue circle at (6). Here, a rifle squad led by locoten (lieutenant?) Sima, plus 4 heavy MGs put up a stiff resistance, preventing any paratrooper squad from coming closer than 200 meters from the bank. Sima’s House (inspired by the historical Pavlov’s House) is the anvil and sporadic BTR counterattack is the hammer. However there are many RPG squads in the area and after losing two BTRs I stop being so reckless with them. Romanian dismounts from the bank help the defenders of Sima’s House, and another dismounted platoon prepares to flank from the east at (7).
Finally, the last BTR battalion continues to push towards the main bridge at (8), capturing it and defending against fierce dismounted counterattacks from Ukrainian paras. The valiant defenders cannot be easily reinforced since the Hind flight at (9), prevents either dismounts or vehicles from crossing the bridge, using 30mm fire for the former and Ataka ATGMs for the later. Meanwhile, the platoon to the north captures the bridge at (10) after a brief exchange of fire and the scout platoon is wiped out.
My main body is around the pink square at (12). I want to keep most of them there, until I see where the Ukrainian mechanized force will go. I change plans regarding where my artillery will stop and I decide to disembark them wherever they are in the next 3 turns. While there is the danger of having the guns directly under enemy observation, I really need some artillery support and it is 12 turns now that I didn’t have any. Trucks are really slow when not on the road…

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Aeraaa

My main body is around the pink square at (12). I want to keep most of them there, until I see where the Ukrainian mechanized force will go.

You're thinking of an ambush, right?

[Aeraaa]

Originally Posted by shahadi

You're thinking of an ambush, right?

More or less. Inside the city, any ATGM superiority the Ukrainians might have will diminish. And the Hinds cannot easily find targets in an urban environment either.

Plus, my on paper obsolete TR-85s still have a 51 penetration Sabot round. At close range, the Ukrainian T-64BVs will be toast.

[Aeraaa]

Turns 26-30




In these turns, I identify the main axis of advance of the Ukrainian mechanized force: Siret bridge to the south. The bridge is only defended by a depleted motorized company and what is left of a tank company (4 tanks), therefore my chances of holding the bridge are slim at best. They’re only expected to give their best shot and die defending their objective. My tanks and TDs at (1) fire at any tank that reveals its side armor, but their performance is poor and soon I have to retreat inside the town since the Ukrainian fire, direct and indirect has become quite effective, costing me one tank and one TD. The Ukrainian APCs move towards the bridge and suffer casualties from tank fire at (2) and (3), as well as RPF fire from isolated RPG teams round (4). Nevertheless, BTR-4s with their thermal imaging and powerful ATGMs manage to knock out one more TR-85 tank and wipe out all dismounts that were encircled by the mechanized column. Ukrainian air force is still over the battlefield, but I manage to shoot down one more Su-25 thanks to a MANPAD.

In addition to the tanks and APCs, I see that the bulk of the Ukrainian forces is composed of two infantry battalions riding soft-skinned trucks. 130mm artillery is swiftly called to hit the assembled troops at (5), while the other assembly at (6) is ruthlessly attacked by 35mm fire, as well as 152mm guns firing over open sights from (7). Some of my tanks also attack the trucks with HE fire. The result of this terrible amount of firepower is around 200 Ukranians dead or wounded and more than 20 trucks destroyed. The Ukrainian infantry is either disabled, fleeing or pinned and is definitely combat ineffective for the time being.

While my artillery is having a glorious feast over the poor trucks and infantry, inside the city the battle intensifies. Ukrainian paras and Spetsnaz are attacking the park at (8). While the heavy weapons and the BTRs there manage to hold them for the time being, one BTR is lost from a portable RPG shot. Sima’s House at (9) attacked again but holds; another Romanian platoon flanks from the east, but stumbles onto a para squad and a sniper and they halt, suffering some losses. They do manage to eliminate the sniper at least.

To the northeast, the platoon there secures the bridge and takes position in the building (10) next to it. They come under occasional weak counterattacks that have no chance of achieving anything.

Finally, at (11), the battle between Ukrainian paras and Romanian infantry is raging on. Romanians are advancing on foot, braving 30mm fire from Hinds to the south. The fight is centered around a statue just to the east of the main bridge. Ukrainians make numerous fierce counterattacks and the Romanians defeat every one of them. However, advance using directly the main road is impossible, since a sniper is causing heavy losses (his probable location is at the red circle at 12). Thus, I decide to flank from the south and I send one platoon to do that. The platoon encounters an engineer squad also on the move at (13). After a brief firefight, the damaged engineer squad retreats. The fact that there are engineers though (with the dreaded RPOs, perfect for urban fighting) makes things hairy for sure.

So the plan is to find where to put units to ambush the Ukrainian heavy force. I send some infantry at (14), planning to send them even more south. In addition, I will try to sneak one platoon of the force defending Siret bridge towards (15). They will probably be able to delay the Ukrainians for long enough until I figure out where to counter them…