Module 1: Tactical Reconnaissance

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Officers,

PWC’s first article-scenario module, entitled “Tactical Reconnaissance” is ready.

A preview of the module, plus the supporting files can be found in PWC’s website.

There is an article on the subject at PWC’s website. Once you are done reading this article, it would be great if we could discuss it in this sub-forum. There some discussion questions embedded in the article, but feel free to make and post questions of your own.

We have two tactical reconnaissance scenarios for you to play. For the time being, we will just present you with the two starting situations so you can develop plans to solve them. See next posts for further details.

Julio

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Officers,

Find below the starting situations for two tactical reconnaissance missions in which you will apply what you have learnt in the article.
I encourage you to develop a plan for each. To stimulate creativity, don’t let the other fellow gamers to peek into your plans. So, please don’t post them in the forum and rather e-mail them to me (julio at panthergames dot com). Acceptable plans are in plain text format in the e-mail’s body. You can also use the jpeg files to draw your plan and attach them into your e-mail.
After a short time, I will post all the plans in the forums and we will release the scenarios for you to play.
We will then share our experiences playing these scenarios.

Julio

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Here is your order of battle (OOB) for both missions.

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Your assigned sector for scenario 1 is shown in the image below.

EDIT: Exercise duration from D1 6:00 to D1 15:00

Your verbal orders follow.

You are in charge of the 9th Reconnaissance Battalion, 9th Panzer Division.

Our division's mission is to dash west via Bridgeville and to take an objective 55 km west of the edge of the map, no later than D1, 22:00. We have to keep our momentum! Speed, speed, speed ...!
The advance guard of the division is 10 km east of your position. It is entangled in extremely close terrain and is expected to arrive at the east edge of the map approximately on D1, 15:00.
Your battalion is to clear enemy defensive positions in Bridgeville in order to facilitate our Division's advance.

Enemy forces: There is not fresh intelligence on the enemy strength at Bridgeville. Air reconnaissance assets are being used elsewhere to fake a point of main effort. Defensive positions around Bridgeville are likely.

Friendly forces: other divisions of our Panzer Corps have routes parallel to your axis of advance. The sectors of these divisions do not overlap with your map.

Good luck!

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Your assigned sector for scenario 2 is shown in the image below.

Note: I've reduced the size of this image in order to save space in this post. As a result of this, you will not be able to read the place names. I suggest you to download a bigger version of the map at PWC's website.

EDIT: Exercise duration from D1 5:00 to D2 15:00


You are in charge of the 9th Reconnaissance Battalion, 9th Panzer Division, X Corps

Your orders are below:

1. X Corps continues to advance northbound. The enemy has been caught off balance but a counter attack is expected in our west flank. Our division's mission is to advance north via Middletown and to take Northtown no later than D3, 12:00. The main body of the division is expected to arrive at the south edge of the map approximately on D2, 12:00. The 3rd Panzer Division is advancing on a parallel axis on your east flank. The sector assigned to 3rd Panzer Division is not shown in your map.

2. On D1, 5:00, 9th Reconnaissance Battalion reconnoiters routes of approach to Northtown.
Objectives: (a) Middletown, (b) southern edge of Northtown

3. Organization and zones for the reconnaissance mission. Your boundaries are shown in the map. You are given freedom to organize your Battalion as you wish.

4. Conduct of reconnaissance. (a) General. Expect opposition, most likely the reconnaissance elements of a mechanized brigade. Clear routes of approach to Middletown and Northtown and don’t let the enemy assemble defensive positions in these towns. Observe particularly for routes the enemy will be using for his counterattack. (b) Coordination of time. Omitted.

5. The Division’s command post will be on the move with the main body of the Division.

Good luck!

[Helpless]

Great job, Julio! [&o]

Just finished the reading.

Do have several questions:

1. In pdf you covered US/German doctrines on reconnaissance. What about other Allied powers present in COTA, ex. British/CW? Any good links on them?

2. As German recon doctrine use to be aggressive, don't the formations like "1st Bicycle Geb Sqn Recon Bn" too weak to fit that approach. Usually any use of them in the aggressive recon role ends up in red down arrows [:D].

3. Does the CP-Rec Bn HQ placement have any real impact on actual recon data in COTA?

Thanks again! Can't wait for the PWC scenarios..

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Hi Helpless,

Glad you liked it.

You make good points.

1) I tried hard to find out material about British/CW doctrine but I couldn't. There are some very good books on the subject, like "This Band of Brothers" by J. Taylor and "Only the enemy in front (every other beggar behind).." by Rich Doherty. Both are out of print and pricey righ now. Rich Doherty has one book to be published in March this year. "The British Reconnaissance Corps in WWII" (Osprey Elite series).

If you or anybody have good pointers on British doctrine source material in general I will be grateful.

2) Indeed, those buggers don't last too much! I focused on armored recon Bns. I guess those non-motorized reconnaissance formations were better suited for battle reconnaissance rather than tactical reconnaissance. But that's just a guess.

3) Not in the data about the enemy itself. COTA does't feature friendly FOW, and information flows instantaneously and flawlessly.

However, you can improve the reconnaissance Bn's performance if you place the HQ unit in a suitable place. The command range of the reconnaissance Bn is relatively small, 3 and 4 Km (effective and maximum respectively). If the assigned sector for the mission is big, you can easily pay the price of increased orders delay. Depending on your style of command/deployment of troops, it is possible you will see something regarding this in scenario 2.

Besides the placement of the HQ unit itself, I think that an interesting point in FM 17-22 is the placement of the reserve (which tended to be close to the HQ unit) relative to the road network. The terrain in COTA is very restrictive, and if you are facing mobile forces there is almost no room for mistakes while deploying the reserve.


Julio

[Plodder]

1. In pdf you covered US/German doctrines on reconnaissance. What about other Allied powers present in COTA, ex. British/CW? Any good links on them?

You might find some information on doctrine in here but it's more of a unit history, NZ Divisional Cavalry:

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2DiCa.html

[Real and Simulated Wars]

@ The Plodder: Thanks! Lots of info there.
 
 

[Real and Simulated Wars]

I acknowledge receiving a plan for scenario 1 by fellow gamer Leonidas.
 
Great job Leonidas, your plan is great. BTW, at the risk of giving away some info about Leo's plan, I'm impressed on the fact that he uses phase lines.
 
I am storing Leonidas' plan and wait for more plans to arrive.
 
 
Julio.
 
 
 
 

[Arjuna]

Well done Leonidas.[&o]

[Real and Simulated Wars]

I acknowledge receipt of a plan for scenario 2 by Leonidas.
Man, outstanding plans. Looking forward to see how you put them in action.
 
Julio
 
 
 

[Banquet]

Chelco,

Could you clarify something re.scenario 2. Your point 3 states;

'Organization and zones for the reconnaissance mission. Your boundaries are shown in the map'

I can't see any boundaries. Am I missing something?

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Hi Banquet,

Thanks for bringing it up. Consider the map itself your sector, with its boundaries being the boundaries of the map.

Julio

[Banquet]

Sounds good, thanks [:)]