User blog:HKurban/Battle Report - Central Poland - Oct 3rd, 2015 "Operation Priority Mail"

Background

It's early October, 2015 and the Eastern CSTO powers are sweeping across Europe with Russia at their forefront. Poland is divided in half, and NATO must desperately make a stand against the Russians. NATO forces plan to make a stand in two cities in central Poland, Lodz, and Wloclawek, however the forces in Wloclawek are woefully under strength for the impending siege. While Russian anti-air assets have been neutralized, there is not enough time to organize an airlift, so a ragtag logistical convoy in Lodz has been assembled to carry supplies of all kinds up to the troops in Wloclawek. Russian forces will soon encircle Wloclawek, and it is likely that part of the encircling force will run into the NATO convoy before they can reach Wloclawek. Although resources are limited, all available assets are tasked to protect the Wloclawek-bound convoy.

For more information, visit The Battle of Wloclawek

Organization

US Army Forces:

1st Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Armored Division (under strength)

-- A Co - Armor

* 4 M1A2 Abrams

-- C Co - Mech Infantry

* 5 M2A2 Bradley

* 5 Squads of Dismounts

56th SBCT, PA National Guard

-- 2nd Plt, B Co - Mech Infantry

* 4 Stryker ICV

* 1 Stryker ESV (Route Clearance)

290th MP Company, MD National Guard

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 1st Platoon - Light Infantry

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 1 HQ HMMWV

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 4 M2 HMMWV

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 2 Mk19 HMMWV

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Ad Hoc Logistics Convoy

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- ~50 Vehicles

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Papa Flight, 81st Fighter Squadron, Callsign "Warthog"

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 2 A-10 Thunderbolt

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Alpha Battery, 2nd Artillery Battalion, 3rd Armored Division, Callsign "Firestorm"

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 4 M109A6 Russian Federation Forces:

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">5th Armored Company, 3rd Guards Brigade

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 1 T-90 HQ

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 1st Platoon

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 5 T-90

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 2nd Platoon

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 3 T-90

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 1 ZSU-23-4

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 3rd Platoon

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 3 T-90

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 1 ZSU-23-4

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- Scout Platoon

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 4 BRDM-2

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 2 AT BRDM

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">1st Motor Rifle Company, 3rd Guards Brigade

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 2nd Platoon

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 7 BMP-3

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 7 Infantry Squads

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">-- 4th Platoon (support)

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 4 BMP-3

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">* 4 Heavy Weapon Sections



<h2 style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Initial Deployment

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 4.8pt 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline">The US began the battle with a remnant force from the 3rd Armor dug in at a small garrison between two villages. The Convoy is to approach from the south and move northward along the main road. The Russians do not begin the game on the battlefield, but will be approaching from the East.

<p style="line-height: 18.6pt; margin: 4.8pt 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline">

Turn 1:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The First Russians to enter the battle are the BMPs and motor rifle troops from 2nd Platoon. They immediately exchanged fire with the dug in US forces, knocking out a Bradley and crippling an Abrams with a volley of ATGM fire. One of the Bradleys speeds north to try and dig into the village, but is ultimately destroyed before it can offload its troops. All inside are killed. The US returns fire and misses the incoming Russians. The first vehicles of the convoy make their way onto the board.

Turn 2:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Both sides take heavy losses. The US manages to destroy or damage three of the Russian tanks that enter the battle, but at the cost of another Abrams and Bradley. The convoy continues forward, so far unchallenged. The US Commander orders a danger-close artillery strike on the Russian forces using the 155mm Howitzers off board. He also orders the A-10s scrambled out of Spangdahelm Airbase in Germany.

Turn 3:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The convoy continues forward, with the route clearance Stryker pushing abandoned civilian cars off of the road so that the convoy can proceed two deep. The US loses another tank, but some of the crewmen bail out. The BMP platoon moves into the North Village, digging in and blocking the main road.

Turn 4:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The artillery finally rained in, but missed all targets. Luckily no friendly fire incidents occured given the danger close range. Another volley was called in with adjusted coordinates.

<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">An infantry team dug in behind HESCO barriers survived machine gun fire from two T-90s only to be cut down by a third. US armored elements do not reload quickly enough to get any shots off. Russian Tanks in the woods continue firing and manage to do minor damage to one of the two surviving Abrams. A lone Bradley charges headlong into the north village recently occupied by BMPs. Two of the BMPs fire their main guns and miss the Bradley rushing towards them.

Turn 5:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Infantry pile out of the Bradley with the hope of reaching a nearby building. The troops are fairly exposed though, and the attached medic team is lost. The surviving US infantry show their mastery of urban warfare by wiping out several teams of Russian infantry in buildings with the help of infantry from the encampment. The A-10s arrive from the airbase and await targeting orders. Russians begin firing at the lead vehicles in the convoy as they come into range, knocking out the Engineer Stryker necessary to push the increasing number of vehicle wrecks out of the road. Half of the crew and engineers inside survive and take cover behind the wreck. Russian MG fire starts drilling into the convoy's Humvees and infantry, inflicting minor damage.

Turn 6:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> The second volley of artillery fire did not hit much, but did manage to obliterate a ZSU, which was just in time, as the A-10s appeared on the board beginning their attack run. A heavy firefight continued in the north village. US troops fired down on Russians in the streets and in nearby buildings with rifle fire and 40mm grenades. One of the last two Abrams tanks goes down. The other tank, survived, but not for lack of the Russians trying. Five separate BMPs fired ATGMs at the Abrams on the move, and all but one missed. The one that hit only did minor damage. The Russians also sustained their fire on the convoy, knocking out several of the trucks and adding clutter to the main road.

Turn 7:
<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The A-10s drop a pair of Paveways and succeed in taking out a T-90 and a BMP-3. A ZSU and two tanks take passing shots at the A-10s and miss. Fighting in the north village intensifies as a Russian squad breaches a US held building. The firefight results in an equal number of casualties on both sides and control of the building still up in the air, although only one US soldier remains. A few more teams of US infantry, including an Abrams tank crew, make progress on wearing down the other Russian infantry in the buildings.

<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The last US tank takes a gun hit and is out of the fight, but not before doing some damage of its own against a T90. As the convoy limps forward along the MSR, a pair of Signal Humvees try to bum rush and squeeze past a line of BMPs, only to be cut down.

<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The main road is looking reminiscent of Desert Storm's highway of death, but this time the Americans are on the receiving end as the Russian tankers use the unprotected logistics vehicles as target practice. Smoldering vehicles and bodies litter the main road. Medics run over to wounded troops trying to help but to no avail. A section of the convoy breaks off down a dirt road into a small farm yard. The lead escort Humvees try to break through the open ground to flank the town, but BMPs are waiting for them and cut them down with accurate 30mm fire.

<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Turn 8:

<p style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Accurate Artillery fire destroys a pair of T90s and a BRDM. The A-10s egress from the battle zone as the remaining ZSU takes parting shots. Fighting starts to wane across the battlefield as the US runs out of heavy hitters to contend with the overwhelming Russian tanks and BMPs. The US does not seem able to break through to the North, and the convoy has suffered significant losses. It appears no supplies will reach Wloclawek, and Camp Gibraltar will have to hold off the Russians with what little they already have.

<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Gallery http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v283/UrbanLT/April%203rd%20Game/