Fictional Scenario - The Crossing of the Iwadra

[StuccoFresco]

Hi all, this is an AAR of a fictional scenario of mine, set in an entirely made-up world populated with a dozen big rival nations separated by smaller protectorates and buffer states for which the big nations fight over.

In this scenario, the forces of the Indian Raj battles those of the Union of Vietnamese Socialist Republics. It's a simple scenario designed more to test the various variables (hex scale, time scale, equipment, command structure) than anything: a frontal assault on a river front. There is also some very light scripting in form of reinforcements later in the game.

To test the scenario I've played it in hotseat mode.


CROSSING OF THE IWADRA
7th June 1940
Indian Raj vs Union of Vietnamese Socialist Republics
Hotseat/PBEM Only

Following the Khmer Revolution in the Irrawadi Republic, the Irrawadi has severed their ties with the Indian Raj and announced their affiliation to the UVSR. The Raj did not appreciate this, and has sent an Assault Corps to overthrow the communist government and take back the Irrawadi Republic under its influence sphere.


INDIAN RAJ
Greetings, General. The treacherous Khmer have sold their people's freedom to the UVSR, cutting the historical ties between them and the benevolent Raj. We must overthrow the tyrants in Mandalay and restore democracy in the country.

Your mission is pretty straightforward: force the crossing of the Iwadra River, push aside the Vietnamese troops and take Mandalay. You will command the VI Assault Corps, an elite formation with two full Artillery Divisions at your service; use them to shatter the enemy fortifications and support the Assault Brigades.


UVSR
Take a seat, Comrade. Mandalay is in danger, as is our position in Irrawadi: the Indian Raj has launched an offensive to take back the country in their sphere of influence by force; their feared Assault Divisions have amassed on the southern side of the Iwadra, and our Cavalry Corps are equipping themselves with their new light tanks.

To defend Mandalay you will have only the Irrawadi Corps, with four of our own Infantry Divisions and two local Irrawadi Divisions. Your task is to defend the city at all costs, not the river line. If you think your best option is to evacuate the river line and fight near the city, so be it.

The Khmer are organizing a militia in Mandalay, but it will take several days to assemble, and it probably won't tip the scales of the battle. Still better than nothing, I guess.

[StuccoFresco]

RAJ TURNS 1-4
The initial assault manages to drive enemy troops out of Lashio and Ktun'ga, allowing our Assault Regiments to occupy the river crossings. Our artillery pounds enemy positions outside our bridgeheads, where enemy infantry is establishing an MLR.

On turn 4 we could concentrate enough engineer battalions SE of Lashio to allow two more crossings, but a third one fails when the 5th Assault Division goes into reorganizing after enemy shelling of its positions.

The 12th Assault Division has crossed the river SE of the swamps and is approaching Tajjak.


VIETNAM TURNS 1-4
Unfortunately, enemy troops managed to drive ours out of Lashio and Ktun'ga before we could blow up the bridges. We tried shelling the bridgeheads, but to no avail, and more enemy Assault Regiments tried to cross the river via temporary bridges. Counterattacks against those new bridgeheads are commencing.




RAJ TURNS 5-6
Several new bridges are laid out by our engineers, and more Assault Regiments establish bridgeheads and fortifying them. Our heavy artillery shells enemy positions, whittling down their numbers; their counterattacks are vicious and drive back several units, that are however relieved by reinforcements. Despite 6th Division going into reorganize, we will be ready to make the first serious attempt to cross the river in numbers the next turn.


VIETNAM TURNS 5-6
Situation is not good: enemy artillery pounds our positions mercilessly inflicting dire losses, and our counterattacks, while vicious, fails to destroy the bridgeheads. One counterattack at Ktun'ga almost succesfully drives back the enemy from the town, but ultimately fails despite inflicting serious losses and forcing the remnants of an enemy Assault Regiment to fall back.

The Irrawadi troops are building entrenchments around Mandalay.

[StuccoFresco]

RAJ TURNS 7
More and more troops cross the river, and our artillery is hitting hard. Several assaults start driving back enemy regiments from the river banks, and one of them is completely annihilated in the fighting.




VIETNAM TURN 7
Enemy artillery is too strong, and with so many Assault Regiments already crossing the river, we can't hope to stop then any longer. A retreat toward Mandalay is ordered, and a thin line of engineers and recon elements is left behind to cover the retreat.




RAJ TURN 8
The enemy has begun retreating inland; the light troops left behind are assaulted and driven back, albeit with significant losses on our part. Both Lashio and Ktun'ga are fully occupied and our troops start expanding the bridgeheads. 12Th Assault Division reaches Asada.




VIETNAM TURN 8
Retreat is in full effect; rear elements are trying to slow down the Indian approach to Mandalay, with some success. Fortifications are almost completed in a strong pattern SW of the capital, while additional entrenchments are completed on the eastern appreach following reports of enemy activity SE of the city.

[rhinobones]

Good to read about your project to create scenarios based on tactical military problems rather than simulation of historical events. It’s refreshing and I encourage you to continue.

Do you intent to use events to inject randomness so that each game is a bit different than the last? Not only does this keep the scenario new and interesting but it also prevents players from designing “killer” first moves.

Regards, RhinoBones

[StuccoFresco]

I'm still new with event modding but surely I'll introduce more of them as soon as I get confident with it. The whole puppet nation-big nations opens this kind of scenario to "escalation" events similar to the famous "NEXT WAR". Won't be easy but it's one of my goals.

[StuccoFresco]

RAJ TURN 9-12
Pushing aside the enemy's rearguard, the IV Assault Corps approaches Mandalay and makes contact with its defences. The city is strongly fortified and it won't be easy to take.

VIETNAM TURNS 9-12
The enemy destroys the rearguard, then approaches the MLR around Mandalay. Scout elements are pushed back with a quick counterattack.





RAJ TURN 13
Most of our troops have made contact with the enemy defenses. Our artillery starts shelling enemy positions with 400 guns at the time, ravaging them. 12th Assault Division makes contact with local Irrawady infantry regiments defending Mandalay's SE approaches.

VIETNAM TURN 13
Indian troops starts engaging our defenses in the SW and SE. Our artillery tries to whittle down their numbers. 98Th Infantry Division tries a flanking attack following a recon mission showing what could be a weak point in enemy's right flank.




RAJ 14
Enemy heavy bombardments have forced 5th Assault into reorganizing, damn it.

VIETNAM 14
The flanking attack is stalled by enemy heavy shelling and repositioning, but recon elements are sent in a double pincer to harass enemy artillery, Hqs and supplies.

[StuccoFresco]

RAJ TURN 15-16
Vietnamese recon elements roam in the rearguard, but our own troops chase them. Meanwhile, our Assault Regiments assault the main enemy lines, pushing them back with losses, supported by our heavy artillery. 12Th Assault Div fails every assault against the eastern defenses of the city.

VIETNAM TURN 15-16
The enemy slowly but surely pushes our units back, but we manage to inflict losses on them. We must however try to stop them because at this rate they will take the city. Three Khmer Militia Regiments spawn in Mandalay; they are light troops with no combat experience, but it's better than nothing, so I push them in the fray.

FINAL TURNS
The Indian troops slowly push the defenders back into the city itself, paving their way with heavy artillery. Vietnam light troops harass their backfield disrupting supplies and communication, causing much trouble but ultimately failing to delay the advance. In the end, the city is surrounded and part of it it's taken by Indian troops.

[StuccoFresco]

CONCLUSIONS

Test has been positive: map scale is satisfying, event spawning militia fired as expected, the battle went more or less as expected. My test ended in a draw, either side could have won.

Raj heavy artillery is its main asset: Raj side must protect them, exploit their 3-hex range (normal artillery only has range 2) and concentrate their fire to create weak points in Vietnam's MLR. Assault Regiments are strong in attack, but can't take many counterattacks, expecially while still crossing the river. Be sure to use your engineers to make multiple crossings at once: better lose a turn waiting for one more regiment than facing a devastating counterattack. Supplies should be good throughout the battle except for the 12th Assault Division. Once you cross the river, head for the city and throw any caution away; better deal with stragglers with light units rather than using your Assault Regiments for it: I wasted several turns chasing small units while I could be pounding the enemy around the main objective.

Vietnam side can try to hold the river line but should also build a well fortified area around Mandalay, because sooner or later Raj units are gonna cross the Iwadra. Vietnam hasn't many ways to deal with enemy heavy artillery except retreating to Mandalay to decrease his time under fire: Heavy Artillery Brigades move slowly, so retreating will mean they have to move for 2-3 turns instead of firing on static targets. If you manage to preserve your recon elements you can try to outflank Raj units, that will probably concentrate themselves to break your MLR. As you could see in the AAR, you can even try a coup de main and retake Lashio and/or Ktun'ga. Beware of Raj's own recon units, of course: two can play this game and if the enemy manages to surround Mandalay your units will be doomed. Don't be shy to fight in the city itself, keep the enemy out of the victory hexes by any mean necessary.