Combat Operations Update for 9/12/23:**
Last night at 0200 local, FIA forces began a coordinated attempt to take the resource site north of our HQ, where previous fighting has taken place several times in the last two weeks of conflict.
The decision to take the resource site was based upon the need for an additional source of funding, and an attempt by leadership to turn away from petty crimes such as bank robbery and cash truck ambushes to having a functional economy.
My brother wanted to play on the server again, and twisted my arm to get on, despite my being in a hotel with internet from 2002 and a ping of 173. Surprisingly it worked and communications were actually clear, unlike my previous attempts in another hotel. We began planning to take the resource site due to the dire state of our treasury, which has had to make due with siphoning meager taxes from the towns we control, and occasionally ambushing individual outpost’s payroll trucks since the beginning of the campaign.
The plan was simple and already put together since I’d made an abortive attempt at this the night before:
The blocking forces were actually still in place as well, probably wondering why they’d been posted at the same idle curves in the road for the past 24 hours.
The infantry platoon that had bravely taken the Negades outpost the night before was no longer combat effective due to the loss of it’s HQ section and one rifle squad, and having two of the remaining squads detached to provide a garrison force for the hilltop OP. The remaining rifle squad, mortar team and two AT teams were therefore rolled into a new replacement platoon stood up specifically for this operation.
Four rifle squads and their attachments road marched up the gravel road to the edge of the forest west of the N-S road, their jumping off point for a cross-country movement through the night fog under cloudy skies and occasional light drizzle, while the command section rode comfortably in the back of a civilian Zamak truck to their insertion point (typical) on the opposite side of the dump. The mortar set up in the saddle of a ridgeline 800m due south of the objective, where they could move freely along the ridge to escape counter-battery fire.
The command section quietly split into two fireteams, Alpha and Bravo, led by the human players. Bravo consisted of a gun team with an MG, and would set up on the hill overlooking the dump from the north, while I set up Alpha to provide overwatch from the hill to the west. Once set, the rifle squads would move into their respective tree lines, with the 1 & 2 squads moving into and sweeping the site from the south and southeast. IFF would be critical to avoid friendly fire casualties, and would prove difficult in the dark with everyone wearing similar camo and equipment.
We agreed that we would keep our (human) heads down, provide overwatch and situational awareness to our (AI) squad leaders as they worked their way into the site and did the dirty work, and most of all would not repeat my mistake the night before of leading from the front and getting killed in the opening moments. Another mistake I’d learned from was not making use of the fire support available early on: this time I would pre-saturate the target with a mortar bombardment that would thin the enemy numbers from the onset. One reason I’d decided to attack at night was that the civilian workers would not be present at the time and we could be assured of not causing collateral damage.
As the rifle squads finished moving into position, we peered through the darkness and spotted targets for the mortar to engage upon commencement. Once the last of the squads reported ready, the mortar began an eight round fire mission to decimate the guards posted at the front gate and various buildings on the southwest side of the facility. The rounds were on-target, and proved greatly effective. Rifle squads moved in as soon as the last round splashed, and we carried the entire site without a single casualty, AI or human. I think I only fired my weapon three times, although Bravo’s MG proved indispensable at rooting out the last of the pockets of resistance.
The enemy made a weak attempt at a counter-attack, sending in two chalks of airborne infantry despite the horrible weather. Both choppers managed to insert their troops, although one was brought down by gunfire as it took off, crashing on top of and enveloping its disgorged troops in a jet-fueled inferno. The second squad of troops was outnumbered, outgunned, and landed in a poor position between my two rifle squads on the southeast side of the objective, and an AT team in the opposite treeline, which hit them from behind once they were pinned down. A mortar fire mission of four rounds finished them off quickly, once again with no casualties for our side.
At the realization that we had taken the site and fended off a counter attack, our attention immediately turned to the small outpost on the ridgeline north of our position. It seemed likely that we could turn the momentum of our success toward it and carry it as well, with the resources we had on hand. Detaching one rifle squad to hold the first objective at the resource site, we road marched north until we reached a ridgeline south of the outpost, where we could shoot at the outpost atop the opposite ridge, across a small valley. Bravo team once again set up their MG, and I spotted for him and directed mortar fire missions once the mortar team had completed their relocation. The skillful use of the MG at a range of about 250m managed to clear out most of the occupants, taking special care to lay a large amount of fire into the suspicious corrugated metal shack where a number of AAF officers have been known to congregate with several lower enlisted men, for ‘morale enhancement’. Before our infantry squads crossed the road and began up the hill, I put an RPG into this shack, just to be sure.
No sooner had we left our ridgeline and reached the valley floor, we heard the whine of a rapidly approach jet engine, followed by shockwaves of a massive number of small explosions.
The Greenbacks had cluster-bombed us! Or tried to- they’d missed us by mere moments. Whew! The fighter jet climbed out, its empty pylons devoid of any more weapons to drop on us.
By the time the command section arrived atop the hill, the fighting was over and the outpost secured. At that moment we received a contact report that an AAF armored column was attacking the small FIA garrison at Oreokastro, just northeast of us and within visual range. From atop the hill we could see tracers flashing and small explosions. The leader of Bravo team climbed up the adjacent radio tower and set up his MG, but at a range of 1400m tracer burnout occurred prior to rounds impacting, preventing him from employing from there. I’d already sent two of the remaining three rifle squads up there, and left the third to hold the OP. The command element requisitioned our one captured Strider armored recon car, and began cautiously making our way to assess the situation.
As we approached Oreokastro it became apparent that at least two armored vehicles were burning on the opposite side of the town, and our troops inside were receiving fire from the enemy outpost occupying the historic castle north of the town. Infuriated that our cultural and historical heritage was being used by occupiers in this way, we resolved to attack and drive the AAF out of the area for good.
Using the powerful optics provided to the commander position of the Strider, I directed fire from the .50 machinegun on the RCWS, and after a few mortar fires from our (again repositioned) mortar, our rifle squads enter and clear the OP. A counter attack never happens because the enemy has run out of steam, and so after waiting and watching for a while we begin looting. Unfortunately in the middle of this, I managed to drive the Strider over a previously-undiscovered AT mine in the middle of the road up to the fort, and my brother steps on an AP mine on his way down to help, further confirming our theory that there just might be a minefield in front of the castle.
Approaching Oreokastro, replacement commander BattleBacon (FIA, Rspwn’d) readies the .50 to repel a counter-attack that never came.
So we lost the Strider, but gained two arsenal crates, a resource site, and two outposts in the time between 0200 and first dawn, with surprisingly minimal AI casualties. Lots of new gadgets and gizmos unlocked now, and now our economy awards us drops of about $500 every thirty minutes (IIRC). So a pretty good nights work, and great fun.
We’ve established a stable front, and have operational momentum. Hope to see you guys on soon.
