* big map, 30km to be traversed.
* One main highway.
* Lots of wooded areas around the roads for potential
ambush/sighting difficulties
* 3 bridges on the approach to Middletown
* 34 hours available to complete objectives
Known info;
* Enemy Recce units expected
* East flank secure
* West flank vunerable - counterattack expected from this direction
Assumptions/Further thoughts;
* If a counterattack comes my battalion won't be able to stop it,
but rather report situation to divisonal HQ and possibly engage in
a delaying action while division responds.
* As enemy recce units are the expected opposition, it's possible
they will enter from West if they are recc'ing for the coming
counterattack.
Summation of objectives;
* Recce and clear route to Northtown
* Do not allow enemy units to establish defensive positions around
the approach
* Check general terrain for divisional advance
* Watch west flanks for counterattack
Final thoughts;
* Yikes!
Initial orders;
* The whole battalion will advance under standard move order to
South Town. Any enemy units in this town will have to be dealt
with quickly by the full force of the battalion. Hopefully it
will be empty. This will be the initial operating area for the HQ.
* 1st AC and Mot AT Plat will advance, mostly off road, to the high
ground south east of Hammerville
* 2nd AC will advance up the main road to the junction at Three
Sisters Orchards
* 3rd Krad, the weakest of the 3 units will advance north east to
Plierville. Hopefully there is less chance of finding enemy units
along this route if the enemy recce units are coming from the West.
* These order locs are considered phase lines (if I understand them
correctly!) where units will stop and report to HQ regardless of
contact.
2nd stage orders;
* AT Plat to remain on the hill overlooking Hammerville.
* 1st AC to advance up the road, past Three Sisters to the junction
where 2nd AC's inital orders took it.
* 2nd AC to advance up the main road to the high ground South of
bridge over yellow river.
* 3rd Krad to advance up the road to the high ground south of Green
River.
* Again these are phase line positions.
3rd stage orders;
* 2nd AC to advance to 1st AC position.
* 1st AC to cross bridge. Covering fire provided by 2nd AC if
enemy units present. 1st AC to continue advance until high ground
south of bridge 2
* Depending on reports from 3rd Krad.. if all clear to continue on
to road junction East of Middletown.
* Phase line positions
4th stage orders;
* Using bounding overwatch 2nd AC to advance over 2nd bridge while
covered by 1st AC. To halt at 3rd bridge.
* Covering action only for 1st AC
* 3rd Krad, if all clear to advance along the Westerly road to
approx 1km outside of Middletown.
At this stage I should have good info on whether Middletown is
occupied. If so it will have to be taken. Depending on what's in
Middletown I may have to move up the Hvy Wpns company, or even the AT
Plat. The town will have to be taken as it sits right on the approach
to Northtown. 1st and 2nd AC will continue their bounding overwatch
over the final bridge into the town.
Once town is taken,
5th stage orders;
* Battalion HQ and Hvy Wpns company to move up and set up positions
in Middletown. Hvy Wpns company to be set up on the Westerly side
of the town as this is the most likely approach of enemy recce
and/or full counterattack.
* 2nd AC to exit Middletown northwest, cross the bridge and follow
the road checking for enemy recce activity, eventually looping
back to the bridge over the Yellow river which it will guard,
setting up position facing West.
* 3rd Krad to exit North and then follow the road East at the
junction.. entering and securing Eastown.
* 1st AC to follow main highway North to Northtown, reporting on
enemy activity and numbers in the town.
6th stage orders;
* 3rd Krad to travel north along road to Northtown. Harass enemy
forces there. If these are light/none 1st AC can be released to
take the road exiting Northtown to the South West and occupy
Sawville, where it will set up defensive positions.
* If significant enemy forces occupy Northtown the Hvy Wpns company
will be brought up from Middletown which when arriving will
hopefully free up 1st AC to occupy Sawville or, at least, will add
a 3rd element to keep enemy units from establishing a defensive
line in Northtown.
If all goes well (fat chance of that!
) at the end of the scenario the battalion will be well positioned to report enemy movements and delay a
counterattack while keeping the main route to Northtown free. Their
final positions would be as follows;
HQ - Middletown
1st AC - Sawville
2nd AC - Yellow River Bridge
3rd Krad - Northtown outskirts
4th Hvy Wpns - Middletown
AT Plat - High Ground overlooking Hammerville.
Well, they say the first casualtly of war is the plan. I can't see this
plan working surviving long.. but I don't think that's because it's a
bad plan, but rather there are too many variables that I can't foresee
until the exercise begins. Hopefully I will have covered enough of the
map to route out any enemy units, or at least detect them. The biggest
worry is that a unit encounters a force it cannot defeat and that the
reserves (primarily the Hvy Wpns company) also wouldn't be deployed fast
enough or be strong enough either. In this case - per the notes on US
Recce.. the other units would have to re-deploy in support which will
obviously put the plan right off it's intended course.. but such is
war!
Obviously there is the time factor in both scenario's too. I can just
about get my head around the orders delay in COTA to know very roughly
how long a force will take to move, but I can't possibly calculate times
for orders right down the line. In hindsight I may have given too many
orders here (6 stages!) and the orders delay might kill me for doing
that. Maybe more simple orders of advance along the west, central and
eastern sides would be more sensible. But if the orders are kept too
simple you are giving up control. An interesting dilemma!
With 34 hours available and 6 orders for each unit - allowing 2 hours
for each order to filter through means I will be losing 12 hours in
orders delay alone.. however if I can issue the orders before the
previous objectives are reached I should be able to minimise downtime.
I will take a lot of concentration to get the timing of the orders correct.
