In reply to Alan Little (msg # 942):

It looked to be, yes.

XP updated for Rybina firefight.

OK, as you've likely gathered, intention when we go back to the bridge is to put a foot patrol across to check out conditions on the other side. As always, focus is on trying to give as many active pc’s as possible the chance to get involved, so we’re provisionally looking at the following:

Kessler
Benucci
Ferro
Babicevs
Riedel
Ortega (I think Andy is busy with rl at the minute but it seems logical ic for Ortega to come on patrol)

McCarthy will stay behind and lead the efforts to repair the bridge. If anyone would prefer working on the bridge to going on the patrol just shout.

@Cymon, not sure if you want Little and O’Brien on patrol or working on the bridge so if you can shout out here and let me know what your preference is we can sort that out (obviously if you want you can have one pc on each assignment).

I’m leaning towards using the Zodiac to cross the river as opposed to fashioning a foot crossing over the bridge as there is probably less chance of anyone falling in the river that way but I’m open to suggestions on this. If space is limited on the boat we can look at two lifts to get everyone across or I can leave Riedel behind to free up an extra seat (but bear in mind that means we’d have no medic on the other side).

Let me know what you think.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:16, Thu 10 Sept 2015.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 945):

Frank's in and taking the Zodiac across would be the best idea.  Maybe we leave the medic behind since it's a recon and depending on how long we plan on going out on the patreol.

Main idea of the patrol is to secure a bridgehead on the other side.

What I'd thought we could do is break camp now and bring the whole convoy back to the bridge under cover of darkness. Patrol would then cross just before dawn (so maximise cover of darkness) and  set up 2 OP's on the eastern bank where we can provide security for the people working on the bridge while they complete the repairs, so we'll stay in sight of the bridge and in a position where the heavy machine guns mounted on our vehicles can support us if things do kick off. Once the repairs are done we'll send out a proper scouting patrol to probe further afield

Does that make sense? (All of that is dependent on what we find on the other side of course)

One thing that crossed my mind afterwards which Fuse may need to rule on is that we could use the BTR 80 to cross - it has a leaky door so its amphib capability is compromised but it may be possible if we want to do it. If we do that space should no longer be an issue, but again it's just a suggestion.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 947):

I don't think we should try to cross it just yet, especially with a leaky door, unless there's an emergency where we have to extract the OP team(s) quickly or needing cover.

[2] OP's sound good across the river.

BTR-80 swim attempt is possible, but there is no guarantee. For a river that wide it'll go to the dice. You could lose it...

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 945):

I think it makes sense to have them both on the bridge work as this is their thing.

I just remembered something after I wrote my post and looked at the map.

The cavalry guys we tangled with at the ferry. He said his men saw a large camp (somewhere / not sure where) near the mouth of a river. There's really only 2 places that can be. The first is up by the museum we went to check out. The river is only 2km from there so we would have seen something. That leaves the mouth of the nogat.

Lucky for us thats about 9km away in a straight line but still something to be concern with I think.

He also said the camp wasn't occupied by regulars but he could be wrong or lying. There is a recently arrived Soviet group in our area... probably them.

I guess what I am saying is (further to my IC post) maybe we should do more than set up OPs and wait. Maybe scouting further north (or south) for early warning?

@Fuse, thanks for that, don't think we'll risk it!

@Cymon, thanks

@Ferro, I'm happy to go scouting, but until the bridge gets repaired we'd have to either go on foot or use the Zodiac. If we use the Zodiac we're going to be pretty exposed if we're on the river in daylight. If we go on foot we'll be limited on how far we can go (and could be vulnerable if we come up against Russians, especially if they have horses).

That said, I'm happy to do it. Out of the two options I'd prefer foot.

If people really want to patrol north, would it be possible to do so on the west bank rather than the east? I'd prefer staying relatively close though and giving ourselves warning if there are patrols rather than seeking out the enemy. Usually when we find people, we kill them and they chase us.

Closer to home though, I'm thinking that we stay here for the night an don't risk the bridge until first light. That will also give us time to interview the thief.

What do people think?

It's possible to take the west bank but the river starts swinging back left so it's going to take us away from the direction we want to go in. And as we witnessed at the bridge when we did see something on the other side we didn't really learn much from it, only that there were armed, uniformed men on the other side (and that was using the NODLR). We may see more in daylight but our own risk of being spotted increases in return - it seems like minimal reward when weighed against the risk.

If we do send out a scouting patrol we could do that and still man OP's close to the bridge. Kessler, Ferro, Frank, and Varis could do the recce (this will likely be a bit more risky if we that what was originally suggested do it so if anyone would rather not have their pc do it that's cool - IC Kessler would make clear it was volunteers only).

That way we could still set up an OP with Ortega, Lines, Mulcahy, and Riedel and leave Fox's section in reserve.

Re staying overnight, IC Kessler would push to keep moving - he's getting near his objective so he's eager to press on - but if the Engineers say the bridge shouldn't be risked until daybreak he'll accept that (in other words, his recommendation is to push on but ultimately he'll defer to McCarthy). Which is a long winded way of saying I'm happy to stay overnight.

I'm not hung up on expanding the patrol. I'm fine either way.

I guess I was just more or less reminding everyone of the situation... we have large groups of enemy both up and down the river.

We're going to focus more on camp security!

I'm down for whatever, but I'm finding it difficult to post when I'm not quite sure what the officers/NCOs expect of Varis.

-

I'll post something soon now that I have an idea what people want. Basically I'm thinking:

1) Stay the rest of the night to facilitate a safe river crossing
2) Set up better in camp security
3) Interview the prisoner and react to anything we get out of him
4) Send out a clearing patrol of the perimeter

After that turn we'll move to the Nogat, set up an OP across the river and push out OPs north and south to guard against any enemy patrols and then we'll evaluate the crossing and what we'll do about it.

Does that sound OK?

In reply to John Jameson McCarthy (msg # 958):

No issues with that.

Frank will gladly take Varis with him!

I've edited the turn and added in some more description of the local area. The map is also updated.

Kessler, Bennucci, and Ferro, for this one, I'd like to have you specify your two OP positions. Thanks.

OK, this is just a suggestion, but what do you think of

1. The cluster of houses at O2 / O3 between the road and the river. There's a few houses that can provide cover if we're discovered, it's close to the river if we need to bug out and covers the road and sectors to the north and east?

2. The trees at G4. It covers sectors to the north and west and it's got a view of the road coming from the west (but is going to be a bit more awkward if we have to bug out).

Let me know what you think - I don't mind putting Kessler in #2 (noblesse oblige and all that...)

Re the Zodiac, I think all of the active PC's are already fully tasked, but If there's an NPC qualified in small boat handling (Wilson maybe?) we could swap him for Lines.

Also, Fuse, I’m at work and diving in and out so can’t really double check Kessler’s gear at the minute, so I’ll confirm later what specifically he’s taking over the river in addition to his normal carried load

I've looked around and the group is rather weak in that department. Ferro, being the amateur canoeist that she is, is actually (I think) the best skilled. O'Brien has a "zero" skill but very high constitution, which bucks up the asset nicely. So either of those two...
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:52, Mon 14 Sept 2015.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 964):

OK, we've already got Ferro on the team so up to Cymon if he wants to change plan and send O'Brien across. It would let him have a look at the far side of the bridge but we couldn't then send him back - we need the boat on the far side in case the shtf.

I'd suggest 3 options dependent on what Cymon wants to do with O'Brien

#1 No change

#2 - Kessler, Benucci, Ferro, O'Brien. O'Brien can have a look at the bridge and then joins Kessler on OP duty. We'll allocate Lines to a tasking on the same side as the camp.

#3 - Kessler, Benucci, Ferro, Lines and O'Brien. OP Team remains Kessler and Lines and O'Brien is able to do bridge work on the far side but he'll be on his own

Either way we'll all pitch in with paddling duty.

So @Cymon, let us know what you want to do.

---

Kessler will take his spotting scope, the RPK and several mags of 7.62. Fischer was keeping track of the RPK's ammo so I've asked Spartan to confirm exactly how many mags are available, but I think 4 (plus the 1 in the weapon) should be a feasible number both in terms of what's available and what Kessler can carry.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 965):

Option three would probably play to O'Brien's skills and cover the tasks that need to be done.

Cymon.

Let's do #3 then if Billy's up for the task