Please carry over here.

Before I reply to Per, who thinks we have time to sweep the compound for intel?

Should we take the time or push on?

I think we should push on and maintain pressure. Stopping could allow resistance to orgainise. I'll go with whatever people want though.

100% we should stop and sweep the farmhouse. I think we should have the main body link up with the scouts at the farmhouse if possible so we can search more thoroughly.

I’m not sure who we would push on against at this stage? We don’t have an objective as such and sending a team into the woods to try and hunt down any runners could end up with more people hurt / missing.

It might be obvious, since I suggested it IC, but I think we should at least give the compound a once-over to look for intel, even if it's just a five minute search.

Linking up in the dark, if we don't have a landmark to use for a rendezvous, is going to be difficult. The farmhouse is as close to a landmark as we've seen.

Even if the recon team conducts a search, and the vehicle group does press on, we'll need to link up eventually. I kind of need to see what happens next for the vehicle group before I develop an opinion on what it should do next.

Regardless of whether we choose to link up or stay separated for a while longer, what do you guys think about my idea of one or the other groups sending up another parachute flare so that we can figure out distance and direction between the two parties?

-

In reply to Per Kolstrup (msg # 4):

Does anyone have another parachute flare? It's a good idea but Jan just used his last one.

Fuse,

Am I correct that you can't fire aimed shots while wearing NVGs?

Ta,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 5):

Varis does.

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 7):

Superb. Does he have many? We need to get some more eventually I think.

Kessler has a flare pistol (Heckler & Koch P2A1) and seven flares. There's also 1 x Comet (Hand Held Single Shot Parachute Flare) stowed aboard the BTR.

Neither Kessler nor Walsh have any 40mm ILLUM rounds.

Varis has 2 illum rounds. If we're just signaling, I suggest we use Kessler's flare pistol.

-

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 6):

Correct. You can't aim properly so all shots are just worked out game mechanics-wise as "quick shots".

The advantage is that the shots are done at the actual range band it should be, as opposed to one range band further if you were firing in the dark without assistance.

One could "aim" with, for example, the use of an IR laser like a PAC-4. It's a little laser invisible to the naked eye that you fit to your rifle. You can "aim" even if firing from the hip with that thing because you just gotta line up the beam with the target. Or use a night-scope like Kolstrup has.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:34, Fri 21 Feb 2020.

Regardless of the question should search now or later Ferro needs a couple minutes to deal with a stab wound. So for that reason alone I think we (not Ferro though) may as well search.

By pushing through, I meant moving toward the monastery. That's supposed to be the stronghold/fallback position of the group we're dealing with.

However, three votes for searching, none for pushing on so it's not a debate. We search the farmhouse and consolidate on that position.

I think that linking up the two groups ASAP sounds like a good idea to me. That said the vehicle group aren't going anywhere fast as we have casualties to deal with as well as enemy so there is probably time for searching.

---

Fuse,

From his position in the Krok's left air guard hatch am I correct that Jan can cover the ground to the south of Kessler?

Ta,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 14):

Mostly. The turret is in part of the way though.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 15):

Thanks.

Is the Krok moving this turn?

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 17):

Probably up to Mark and Andy to make the final decision (they're the ones with PC's aboard) but personally I think it should roll forward (i.e. south east) until they get to a position where they can engage the red box on the map that's known to have four to six enemy in it with sustained machine gun fire (not sure what the max we can fire in one turn is but we brought a thousand rounds of 7.62mm for the PK with us so if we can put fifty rounds into that box that sounds good to me)

EDIT. I think that tallies with Andy's last IC post.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:02, Tue 25 Feb 2020.

I'll get on that now.

Before I post anything, what do you all want to do?

The way I see it we have two options.

1. We can try and finish off the group that's attacked us. In that case my initial thought is that Kessler and Krysia provide covering fire while Babicevs at al close on the trenches and try and clear them, possibly with grenades (I'm aware that Fuse has mentioned that part of the trench has overhead protection to try and safeguard against grenades but that same protection also means that if we can manage to toss a few frags into any openings that might concentrate the explosions)

However, I'm quite open to alternative suggestions (at the risk of stating the obvious my character's knowledge of how to deal with situations like this far exceeds mine)

2. We can try and break contact, withdraw back to our vehicles in leaps and bounds, and try and link up with Kolstrup's group (which means that any survivors in the trenches have a chance to get away).

I'm open to either option, although I'm thinking that

A. If we can break contact and link up with Kolstrup one large group is stronger than two smaller ones

B. We were warned that WA leadership would throw their cannon fodder at us to try and slow us down while they (the leadership) fled the scene so trying to finish this bunch off might be playing into that

C. I'm concerned that if we try and finish them off Grant and Aleksandr (and potentially Rodriguez) might end up isolated and vulnerable

D. We may take further casualties clearing the trenches

Taking all of that into account I'm inclined to think the tactically astute option is to try and break contact but if the majority want to try and finish them off - or do something totally different - I'll happily go with the flow.

I would say to ignore this group. It seems like a diversion or just meant to wear us down. The objective was the core leadership not killing everyone.

I'm going to propose an Option C, based on something that you mentioned. I'd kind of assumed that the recon group unwittingly took out the WA leadership cadre but this may be nothing more than wishful thinking.

If we didn't, then our intel says that they are going to make a break for it, most likely heading for the monastery. For that reason, I think we should...

Move the vehicle group to the crossroads and hold it until the recon team has determined who they killed at the farmhouse. We need to keep the WA leadership from escaping to their redoubt.

If the search of the farmhouse determines that we did kill the leadership group (fingers crossed), then we can abandon the crossroads and link up somewhere. We don't need to kill every WA foot soldier to destroy the group.

If it isn't the leadership cadre that we killed at the farmhouse, then we hold the crossroads and either postpone the linkup or try to move the recon team to crossroads.

-

In reply to Per Kolstrup (msg # 22):

One question on that, I'm not sure where you mean when you mention the crossroads. Can you put a marker on the map to confirm?

Done. IIRC, the monastery is to the east. If we seal off the coastal road, we make a quick getaway much more difficult. I'd rather fight off another human wave attack than have to storm a fortified compound.

-

In reply to Per Kolstrup (msg # 24):

I'm fine with that and I think it ties in with what Jinny said. It's too late for me to post anything IC tonight though so I'll follow up tomorrow provided there are no objections (given not everyone has had a chance to chip in yet)

I think that the vehicle group needs to break contact ASAP and focus on the WA leadership so Rae's suggestion makes sense.

One complication, that Dave mentioned, is that Reggie needs to tend to Aleksandr's wounds. That is both going to require light and take time so that may delay things significantly. The vehicle group may therefore take some time to break contact.

I think it would probably be best to kick everybody out of the Krok except crew and use that for any medical use. There you can use light, be in cover, and not be in the rain/mud.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:30, Wed 26 Feb 2020.

I think we can get Alex into the BTR in under three minutes. IMHO, Voight and Jan should stay nearby though, to provide close-in security to the vehicle.

-

In reply to Ferro (msg # 27):

I agree completely. Reggie is concerned that Aleksandar won't last that long however so he's trying to do some immediate triage first before trying to turn the Krok into a mobile aid post.

Well it's your call, but I meant immediate triage done in the vehicle since it's next to you.

Um, no it isn't. According to the map it's about 20 to 25 meters away.

Shouldn't be too hard to move the BTR to Grant's position.

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 32):

Sure. That makes sense to me. At present I think that the BTR is gradually moving southwards, continuing to engage.

We're in a bind for sure. We have known enemies both east and west of us. South is unknown. North is what we believe might be a likely escape route for our objective.

While I'm certainly in favor of moving north to get our backs against a wall and cut off potential WA leadership escape, I think Jose at least has some more immediate concerns. Grant is currently treating Alex, and Jose only has the launcher at the moment, having dropped his AK. That means the 3 of us have our asses hanging in the wind, with at least one known hostile not far behind us, and we're basically just out in the open without cover.

A couple of thoughts -

1. I think it might be helpful to have the Krok back up a bit to put itself between us and the heckler, and potentially get Alex and Reggie inside to safety (probably worth the risk to move him at the moment, as stopping bleeding immediately won't do much good if we get shot next turn). If it re-orients north along the road but has the turret face west, the Krok could potentially cover the escape route, or at least have eyes on it, while keeping the trenches to our west covered at least somewhat (I'm unsure of the barrel depression capabilities on a BTR-80, so maybe not? But at least Jan would be there).

2. Jose needs a rifle or other weapon of some kind. That means either he goes back to the trench to secure a weapon that may no longer work, being full of mud, and also leaving Reggie/Alex exposed, or he asks Reggie for his rifle and some ammo. Not sure how you'd feel about leaving Reggie weapon-less though, Andy. Let me know if you have any thoughts on that?

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 34):

Reggie has a pistol as well as his AK and as he fires his AK-74 like he's in a Hollywood movie (i.e. spray & pray) so it's probably more use in Jose's hands. You'll need ammo from Reggie as well though as Jose originally had an AK-47 didn't he? He has some mags so I suggest that you post picking up Reggie's rifle (it's discarded beside him as he starts working on his patient) and we'll sort out the ammo IC.

Ta,

Andy
This message was last edited by the player at 09:49, Fri 28 Feb 2020.

I'd suggest those who want to do something with the BTR post IC addressing McCarthy (as vehicle commander). I'm fine with what Kessler's already said to McCarthy being ignored (Kessler's post reflects his IC knowledge only. He doesn't know the extent of Aleksandr's injuries and I'm presuming that he doesn't know that Babicevs is attacking the trench)

Sorry, had a busy weekend. All posts will be up tomorrow.

In reply to Reggie Grant (msg # 35):

Thanks Andy! Been having a crazy weekend myself so was only able to get up the IC post. Agreed that we can work out ammo IC on the next turn if we need to.

I didn't go into detail on the withdraw since it went without issue, namely the Krok was positioning to shield those with Aleksandar from the Heckler, and Varis found nothing in that part of the trench.

In regards to the Krok you'll need to decide on the issue mentioned in the narrative.

I'll have the other part of the turn, as well as those back in Gdansk, covered later today.

Fuse,

Were Jose and Aleksandar's rifles recovered? Just to check whether Jose has given Reggie his back.

Ta,

Andy

To piggy back on that, I'm presuming the GPMG was recovered as that was a specific IC tasking.

No, rifles were not recovered.
Yes, GPMG was recovered (Krysia).
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:05, Mon 02 Mar 2020.

Looking at the BTR: What about closing one air hatch and have Marta sit by Aleksander to hold him if needed. Also, any objections to her checking Price's body to see if there's a gun she can use?

That would leave the other side for the boys I think.

In reply to John Jameson McCarthy (msg # 43):

The other side hatch can still only fit one person though.

Your options basically are:
1 person with Alex and 1 in the hatch
2 people in the hatches and 0 with Alex
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:32, Mon 02 Mar 2020.

I don't think Marta should have a weapon. I still don't trust her and she has not had a pressing need for one, so far.

-

I have no objection to her being given a weapon at this stage. She was given the chance to go free on the other side of the river so is still with us of her own accord.

Alternatively, when I can post IC Kessler will probably tell Rodriguez to take over as machine gunner (we don't have a machine gunner, Rodriguez doesn't have a rifle, so that's a little round peg waiting to fit into a little round hole as far as I can tell). Maybe we can see if Marta would like to volunteer to be an ammo carrier (i.e. unarmed asst machine gunner). Just a thought.

Also, Mark, can you get McCarthy on the case with Anna? In the absence of Ferro I'm not sure there's anyone else she responds to and we're pretty much carrying her as a passenger right now. If Marta will lug MG ammo maybe Anna can make sure Alex doesn't fall off the bench? Or vice versa?
This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Mon 02 Mar 2020.

Fuse,

Maybe I'm misunderstanding here, but if we're just up the road a few meters, couldn't we just grab the rifles left behind, especially if things have calmed down? I can't imagine we'd want to leave them where WA can grab them.

Also Dave, as much as I'd love to have Jose truck the GPMG, his skill with Autogun is pretty miserable, and even if it wasn't, he's still carrying around the SM-2. He won't be able to carry both.

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 47):

No worries. I'm not going to have time to post tonight anyway so I'll see what Fuse says about the weapons left behind.

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 47):

No and yes.

No, they weren't collected this turn/at this time. But yes, you only moved about 125m away so they can be potentially recovered.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:06, Tue 03 Mar 2020.

Second part up.

@Heffe, I haven't mentioned recovering weapons as I'm not sure if anyone has flagged up IC that they've lost their weapon but if Rodriguez wants to retrieve the lost weapons Kessler will OK it provided two people go (I'm guessing it would probably have to be Rodriguez and Babicevs, in which case Kessler will backfill on picket duty with Krysia).

@Andy, if Czerny is in a position to serve as a back up machine gunner we'll need Fuse to advise the status of ammo. We packed 1200 rnds of 7.62N Link (per OOC thread 18, Msg 665). If Czerny (or Voight) can't handle the GPMG we'll need to reasses if / when we link up with the scouts (I am presuming O'Brien will have the required skillset so we can maybe do some juggling there).

Fuse,

Am I correct that both Jan and Hank still have mobility issues so are problematic to deploy on foot?

Ta,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 52):

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear on that. I meant operate the MG from the BTR, without dismounting.

Well it's the still the same day so there isn't any real change from before.

Pen flare might not be visible due to the weather at this range. The group may need to move closer first. Multiple flares may be needed for the linkup.

There's still like 800+ rounds, most of it is in the vehicle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:53, Tue 03 Mar 2020.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 53):

Ah. I understand now.

Fuse - thanks for clarifying.

Good to know. I don't know if I've ever seen one deployed. Time to check Youtube.

I imagine a 40mm Illum round would be visible, though. Once we have a reference, it should be easy to shoot an azimuth from point A to B. By following that compass heading, we should be able to find each other, no? This is all theoretical, though- i.e. I've read about stuff like this, but never done it myself. Like many of you, I reckon, my PC knows more about his trade than I do.

If anyone has another idea of how we can facilitate a linkup, besides playing Marco Polo on the radio, I'm all ears.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 00:34, Wed 04 Mar 2020.

40mm ILLUM would be way brighter and more practical than the pen flare. If it weren't misty/raining right now then the pen flare would be fine. The ILLUM still won't be visible directly (the water droplets refract the light and spread it all around) but basically enough to get a good/general bearing. Maybe two will be needed... I'll put that to a roll.

Just so we're on the same page with the linkup though. If you are doing this by shooting a bearing on the flare and moving on that bearing, then that means you're going cross country.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:11, Wed 04 Mar 2020.

Varis has a couple of 40mm Illum rounds. I think he started the game/campaign with three and he's only fired one in all these years [IRT] (trying to set something on fire, IIRC).

If Varis fires one and Per gives Kessler the reverse azimuth, that'll give the vehicle group a general heading. They can look for roads leading in that general direction and once they get closer, may Per can guide them the rest of the way with pen flares?

-

That's doable, yeah.

I thought we’d agreed to use Kessler’s flare pistol? Or does that have the same limitations as a pen flare?

Also as far as arming Marta I think only three people expressed an opinion. I’m presuming Mark was in favour (he brought it up) and so was I so that’s a majority in favour at the moment.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 60):

Sure. But Jan isn't going to arm her himself without being ordered to. I'll add a question in my last IC post to that effect though.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 60):

No, no similar limitations as the pen flare.

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 61):

Yeah, wasn’t expecting Jan to take it on himself to make the decision, my point was more of an ooc one. I’m taking the fact you raised it ic to mean you also have no objections.

Also, can you clarify whether you (player) want Jan to have the GPMG or not? (If you don’t have an opinion one way or the other I’ll take that as a no)

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 63):

Re arming Marta I'm undecided so am happy to go with the majority.

Re the GPMG I'm happy either way. Jan is a grenadier so if he's deploying from the Krok then that's his best set up. While he's static on the vehicle though it's fine for him to take over the GPMG.

I'd forgotten about that. I'd rather save Varis' illum flares for their intended purpose, so if you are still OK with using Kessler's flare pistol, let's do that instead.

-

Fuse - did Price have a sidearm? According to his entry on The Cast thread he has a PM-84 but that's from his original entry by Spartan in 2016 so I'm not sure if it's correct or not.

Ta,

Andy

Beretta M9 with 15 rounds.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 67):

Ta.

Regarding the options outlined in message 44 can we confirm that Voight will be the man in the hatch and the only one?
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:41, Wed 04 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 69):

I think that the intention is for Jan to stay in the single air guard hatch while Marta keeps Aleksandar safe on the bench.

If that happens then is there space for Hank and Anna to also fit inside the BTR without standing on Price's body?

Ta,

Andy

Ok, Jan is in the hatch. Thanks.

I NPC'd reactions regarding the stragglers as it kinda felt unnecessary to split and stretch out the turn for what it was worth. Hopefully you're all ok with just a couple rounds fired.

I'm not going to be able to get the map updated (any more than I have) until some time later so it's understandable if you want to hold off posting until then. That probably shouldn't affect the scouts though.

Also regarding scouts, you can hear the vehicles. They are quite close, meaning you are also pretty much next to the bandit camp too.

Lastly, prior to stepping off, Jose recovered his and Alex's rifles without incident.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:54, Fri 06 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 72):

Awesome. Good to know about the rifles - thanks Fuse.

Assuming that we follow through with the assault on the camp, I think the riders should dismount from the vehicles. They're big targets that ricochet bullets.

-

Sorry with the map. On top of the usual stuff, yesterday was my birthday and today my son has his first public boxing match. I don't think I'll be able to get it done until tomorrow.

Happy birthday and best of luck to your son!

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 74):

Works for me.

And happy birthday Fuse!

I'll just leave this here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc71KZG87X4

Happy belated birthday, Fuse, and good luck to your son. I reckon it's not easy to watch him get punched; I hope he does most of the punching.

-

Happy birthday Fuse and I hope that your son does well. Let us know how he gets on.

I'm hoping to post IC tomorrow - I have my in-laws staying at present.....

Ta,

Andy
This message was last edited by the player at 22:40, Sat 07 Mar 2020.

I find it difficult enough watching my boys play football (soccer) or rugby. Particularly if they're only narrowly winning.

Bizarrely I find watching them play cricket much more relaxing!

It's not rough. He's only fifteen and it's conducted through the school, so there's a lot of protective equipment involved. It's more about technique than anything else.

Happy belated, Fuse!

LAYOUT:

This will be updated as you get closer and more detail is unveiled.

A) "Kremlin" - a large ruined house which has been rebuilt haphazardly with all manner of re-purposed materials. It looks as if a tiny shanty town crashed straight down from the sky on top of a house and has left only the bottom level recognizable.

B C & D) Bunkers - three large earthen bunkers facing inwards and forming a hollow square layout. They are rectangular and each is about the size of a bus (or two), although they're only 1-2m above ground. These are probably administrative bunkers. The gaps between B/C and C/D are filled in partially by E and F respectively (see below).

E) Containers - three standard commercial/military shipping containers. They are side by side with the opening facing inwards towards the center of the hollow square. Something bulky is up on one of the containers.

F) Trucks - an East German URAL 375 fuel truck and a URAL 375 cargo truck. They are side by side. Cluttered around them is bulk items that has yet to be identified.

G H I & J) Vehicle Hides - four positions, or bays, that have been cut into the treeline to conceal parked vehicles. G and H are occupied by bandit tents and wagons. I appears to be empty. J contains a BTR model vehicle.

K) Ruin - a heavily damaged house. The upper portion has largely collapsed down into that of the ground level.

L) Lone House - a small and structurally intact house.

Other...

Note: Ignore treelines except for the one indicated. The field is much more open than the map/satellite image indicates.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:18, Sun 08 Mar 2020.

Fuse, what range does the Koncerz have?

Its max range is only about 60m. It's a defensive weapon, meant for close range ambushes, like in urban terrain or at night.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 85):

So even the shipping containers are probably too far away right now?

Yeah too far.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 86):

Yeah, looks like they are about 100m away from where the BTR is on the map. We should probably advance at a walking pace, until we get in range.

-

If Varis fires his 40mm GHE this round, I'll have him fire an illum round next, if y'all still think we need it.

I reckon it'll help those Mad Dogs who don't have NVGs, but it'll also help the WA see us. If we do employ illum, I'll have Varis fire it so that it ignites over the far/east side of the camp, back-lighting it for us and hopefully keeping us in shadow (by contrast).

-
This message was last edited by the player at 20:56, Sun 08 Mar 2020.

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 89):

Remember that with NVGs you can't fire aimed shots, only quick shots.

Ta,

Andy

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 83):

Having been able to study the map now I've added a post about Jan alerting everyone to the two stragglers. I had thought that they were further away than they appear to be.

Ta,

Andy

Right now the vehicles are heading southeast, marked on the map. I put up two markers to indicate options for you new axis of advance (assuming I didn't misunderstand). Can someone pick one, thanks.

Note, these aren't end points, they're just headings.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:56, Mon 09 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 92):

I'm inclined to say 1. That way it looks like we can flank them rather than go head on.

I think our current axis of advance is good. It will give us quicker LOS to "the Kremlin" which sure looks like an HQ to me. That axis does mean advancing across the enemy putting them on our left flank, but once we pass the bunkers, we can execute a sharp left turn (bearing north) and hit them in the flank (and HQ).

Also, the vehicles can provide cover for the dismounts until we make the turn. While we pass by the containers and bunker, the vehicle's can "Cross the T", effectively raking the length of the camp with their MGs.

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 94):

Fine by me.

Fuse are you able to put up the approximate location/direction/distance (any of those) of the scouts on the map? That might help us make a more informed decision on which approach to make.

I ask because our current axis of advance is presumably taking us directly toward the scouts, which carries both some pros and cons with it.

-If we link up with them on the way in shortly after, it would allow us to consolidate our forces. But, it may also give the enemies a larger front along which to escape.

-If the scouts are on the other side of Kremlin, choosing Axis 1 may allow us to pincer the bulk of the camp and push the escapees into the scouts.

You aren't headed "directly" for them at the moment. You can't/couldn't go in a straight line due to terrain obstacles. They are east or northeast of you. Distance is unknown, but say less than 1km due to sighting the flare in the rain, maybe even less than 500m.

Thank you. In that case, I’d opt for Axis 1. It puts us a bit further from the supposed hq, but i think it keeps our tactical options a bit more open.

Follow up question...

The infantry and vehicles are moving together (same speed), but in what formation? Are the infantry in front, behind, or side by side with them? It seems like side by side from the posts but I want to be accurate.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:53, Tue 10 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 99):

I presumed side by side

Ditto here

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 99):

At present, yes. This is not a gripe, because this is mostly on me, but I probably should have waited until at least the map was updated before posting IC. The details that have come to light since the last GM turn was posted have changed the calculus a bit. We don't even know yet if the there's going to be any resistance from the camp and we're already discussing follow-up tactics. I think we need a little more info- like what the WA reaction to our appearance is- before we move beyond the dismount/open fire phase.

In other words, we can't really gameplan Round 2 until we know what happened in Round 1.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 22:51, Tue 10 Mar 2020.

Fuse, since, AFAIK, are/were not mechanized infantry officers IRL, is it ok if we discuss tactics here?

-

Yeah it's ok.

Thanks.

I think priority #1 is to unmask the Grizzly so that it can employ its MG. It makes sense to move the PCs up front and leave the NPCs in trail. After that, I'm far less certain.

I also think that Kessler, Grant, and Krysia should move into the lee of Der Krok, at least until we start advancing towards an enemy position.

At some point, we'll want to advance towards an enemy position, either the camp or the "Kremlin". In either case, I think we should use the Grizzly as a pivot and then advance line abreast so that both vehicle's weapons are supporting the advance.

Do we still want to put up an illum round? As the narrative states, it's still pretty difficult to spot targets with NVGs but it sounds like the enemy is having a significantly harder time zeroing in on us. I'm inclined to hold off a bit longer and try to take advantage of our edge in NODs (possessed by a few dismounts and the vehicle gunners).

Lastly, I think that groups should concentrate fire on the same target to assure it is eliminated quickly, as opposed to everyone picking a different target. If we put 2-3 Mad Dogs and/or Canadians on each target, we can still engage 3-4 targets per round.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 04:28, Thu 12 Mar 2020.

That was mostly for the beginning of the turn. Now that you have moved closer the poor visibility is less of an issue, at least for the nearest enemy. That goes for spotting you as well.

Also, as a heads up for coordinating fire control, be mindful of extended verbal action. I kinda let it go back when the group was getting rushed. Enemy action isn't going to wait, know what I mean?
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:26, Thu 12 Mar 2020.

Things are a bit crazy at work right now. I’ll post when I can but I have no clue when that will be, both IC and OOC (for planning etc).

What if we pivot our line a bit so that it is facing north/northeast? (Toward the enemy)

1) Kessler et al stay where they are and suppress
2) The Krok moves to be to Kessler's right where the gun can support wherever they're firing
3) The Middle unit cones to the Krok's right
4) The Grizzly comes to that group's right and is our far right flank.

That allows us to bring our two advantages to bear, NVGs and firepower.

I'd suggest that we focus fire even more than at 3/4 targets, instead we focus on one target at a time and shoot the fuck out of it. If necessary we use the Konkerz too. The aim being we take out one target either by hitting it or scaring the shit out of it to dissuade it form firing again if they survived.
Once we suppress the shooters on the left we can look at moving to the Kremlin.

JJ has image intensifiers and I'm willing for him to stand behind the turret on the Krok's deck to guide Fischer. Everyone else sees where the Krok fires and saturates that area. It's crude and probably not very tactical but it is violent and might me morale-sapping.

I'm probably missing the reason why we're moving away from the attackers so this might all be rubbish.

Sorry for my lack of posting - my company is moving buildings next Friday but the management started panicking yesterday afternoon and decided that we had to pack everything up ASAP in case we got told to WFH before we move due to Coronavirus. It's all been rather manic and I hope to be able to post IC tomorrow morning. If you need to move on though then please NPC my characters.

Apologies for this.

Ta,

Andy

In reply to John Jameson McCarthy (msg # 108):

I'm cool with that maneuver/formation. I worry about McCarthy exposing himself to spot targets, though, and I still think 3-4 targets is a better split. Here's why.

If we all shoot at one target, we'll probably obliterate it pretty quickly but, in the meantime, every other enemy will be free to return fire. If we concentrate on 3-4 targets, we'll probably have enough firepower to at least suppress said until we neutralize them. That means less incoming from the get-go.

The following split makes sense to me and doesn't require a lot of IC coordination.

• The Canadians will engage whatever target they want.
  
  
• The BTR and the folks on it- Voight & Czerny- will engage another target.
  
  
• The MD dismounts will engage a third.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 16:11, Sat 14 Mar 2020.

Right, sorry, trying to catch up. This is literally the first chance that I’ve had to read the IC thread (at least once all the planes are grounded I’ll probably have plenty of time on my hands). I don’t want to dive right in and post IC given that there’s been some discussion taken place and I’m not 100% clear what decision(s) has / have been made.

For my tuppence worth I’d suggest the Krok brings its PK to bear on the 2 x enemy in cover around the trucks and tries to rip them up. If there’s anything flammable in the 1,000 liter tank we might be able to set that alight as a bonus. Kessler and Krysia can also add to that.

If he can bring the GPMG to bear I’d suggest Czerny fires at the target that’s prone on top of the bunker.

If the Canadians can push on fifty metres or so on their current axis that should clear them up to put fire into the area around the Kremlin on a speculative basis (there’s movement and gunfire in that area so there must be targets there). IIRC the Canadians have an M79 as well as their vehicle mounted weapons.

Factoring in Rodriguez and Babicevs’ already posted actions that targets four points

The container
Bunker C
The enemy around the trucks
The Kremlin

Thinking ahead if we do that then that knocks out their defensive positions along one side so we (Mad Dogs) can then advance while the Canadians put suppressive fire into the Kremlin.

Also, I should be about the rest of the weekend, but I have no clue what the start of the week will be like.

I was thinking the same. I presume that the Krok is currently pointing South East?

Ta,

Andy.

Just as a heads-up for everybody, I'll be away for several days starting on Monday. Return is anticipated on Friday evening. I'll be able to reply to PMs and ooc questions, but I won't be able to get any turn post done.

OK, I posted while I had a chance so hopefully that works.

---

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 112):

I included Voight in the message to Czerny as I figure that Kessler can't really know whether Voight is in a position to fire on anyone or not right now.

Fuse,

I'm not really sure which targets Reggie can see to fire at as he doesn't have NVGs and there is no Illum round deployed at present? I'm guessing that the man on top of Bunker C is probably visible but what about the man running south?

Ta,

Andy

No, too far and blending in with the backdrop of the treeline.

It's the targets by C & F and both and counted as obscured to him due to darkness plus they're in cover.

---

@All

I'm back home again. I'll either have the turn up late tonight or sometime tomorrow evening. After that we'll take it comes.

Thanks for the info re target.

How are people getting on with self isolation? Is everyone having to do it? My boys have just had what could well be their last day in school for the next 3 months.....

Ta,

Andy

My boys were out of school anyway, it's our spring break, which is why I was away these last few days, but the schools are now shutting for an extra 2 weeks.

It's not bad where I live though. Some things besides schools are closed, but daily life hasn't changed too much. My government is doing a good job, I think.

This was our spring break week, but school's going to be closed for at least another week, probably longer, possibly until the new school year in the fall.

As a teacher, I'm going to have to transition to distance learning instruction, which will be interesting. The College Board, which runs the Advanced Placement program, basically ended the curriculum for this year in March, so I'm essentially done with new material 7 weeks early. That was unexpected.

My kids are handling this pretty well so far. We have to be extra careful since my elderly mom lives with us. Thankfully, the weather's been really great here, so I've been able to spend time outdoors with friends. I even won our disc golf tournament, setting a new record of -28 cumulative for nine rounds!

Stay well, everyone!

-

We’re doing okay as well. Kids have been out of school since Monday, and schools are expected to stay closed until April 13th at least. I honestly have a feeling they’ll be closed the rest of the year, but I suppose we’ll see.

Otherwise, wife and I have completely quarantined. Kids are going to grandmas who’s also in quarantine during the day (we’re really lucky to have her nearby), while we are trying to work from home. We work for a pretty large US internet retailer (shoes and apparel mainly), so it’ll be interesting to see if we’ll still have jobs in a few months.

I'm doing OK. Working from home, probably for the foreseeable future, with contact restricted to close family.

Long term's uncertain. As some of you already know I work in the travel industry, which is suffering quite a bit. However I learned long ago not to worry about things that I cannot control, just have to roll with it for now.

Best of luck guys. Lots of hard times coming I think. My company cancelled all contractor's contracts last Thursday - I'm permanent so I'm fine.

My wife is a key worker (she's a higher level teaching assistant at a primary school) so she's on a rota to provide supervision for those children who have to go to school. Because of her key worker status we could send both of our boys into school as well but we're going to keep them at home for the foreseeable future instead as I've been working from home since Monday and will be here regardless. I anticipate some battles with them over how much time they spend on the XBox in the near future!

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 122):

Yeah, company I worked for until this time last year has put their entire payroll on 50% hours and 50% pay.

A guy I know that used to work for Thomas Cook until they went down the tubes was due to start with a new job with a high street travel agency on 01 April. He's been told that they have no option but to put his start date on hold until things are back to normal (whenever that might be) so he's still out of work. Another agency has put all of its staff on zero hours contracts.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 123):

There is a rumour going round my department that our US parent operation has cancelled the contracts of several new starters who were due to start in the next few weeks, some of whom had already left their previous jobs and all of whom had resigned from their previous jobs. It's a really bad way to treat people and I'm really disappointed that my company has acted in that way as I'm pretty certain that the rumour is true.

You know things in the real world must be looking pretty dire when you're eager to hang out in nuclear war-torn Poland!

-

We're doing the whole Shelter in Place thing as of 5pm today in Illinois, which is less scary than it sounds.  The loopholes are pretty big, just trying to keep people of the streets as much as possible.  The kiddos are also home until April 13th, although I'm expecting that to roll through the rest of the year, really.  I mean, I hope not for them, but...  The good news is my wife isn't working so we didn't get hit there and she can run the whole distance learning thing with me subbing in now and then.  We figure our spring break trip has pretty much been canceled, but since that was just camping we'll live with it.

As a captain/paramedic in our fire department, I'm still heading into work for my usual shifts.  We haven't had much direct exposure (yet) although we know there are sure there are 21+ cases in our city.  That's what happens when it gets into an assisted living community.  The flip side of that is one of our local hospitals is a success story in the number of tests they are performing, at least for the United States.  And we figure the next several weeks are going to produce a massive uptick in the cases we see.  At least, that's what we're planning on.

Glad to hear most of you ok... if that's the right word to use.

As you see the turn is up, but with people busy or away, I'm not sure when we'll have the next one ready.

I'm at home, underlying health conditions have meant that my Head told me I wasn't to come in and teach. Trying to sort stuff out at home. YouTube may be seeing some lessons soon.

The fact that they've cancelled GCSEs takes the pressure off a bit but it also means there's a danger that Upper School kids will do bugger all. I'm going to try and get kids reading, might be harder than bringing peace to war-torn Poland.

I've updated the map to show the scouts, figured you are close enough now to know where you are in relation to the main group/action.

The cluster of buildings due south are not there. Only the farmstead (what's marked and described in-game) is in the field.

Of the two people moving on the road, no weapons are seen by Per (or anyone with a NOD), but at that range the drizzle masks a lot detail. So don't take it as 100%.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Sun 22 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 129):

Thanks. In that case, Per will wait for the next group to emerge from the forest and engage any obviously armed targets with aimed 3-round bursts.

-

Fuse,

Is there enough room inside the Krok for Reggie to continue treating Krysia in safer/lit conditions? Or are there too many people aboard?

Thanks,

Andy

Fuse,

I know that you're tracking ammo for the MAG-58 but I need to do it as well in case Jan gets towards the end of a belt.

Further to Kessler's orders, can Jan see any targets? I'm thinking not so, if that's correct, then is it possible for him to fire on the Kremlin or is the turret of the Krok in the way?

Ta,

Andy

I've marked a position on the map I'd like to move the Krok to. We could align the vehicle so that the M58 has a good like of sight on the Kremlin. Doe the position look OK?

Bet you guys miss that old BMP ambulance now, yeah? No, there's no room considering the seating and hatches currently in use. Kaczmarek also won't be willing to go anyway.

The GPMG curently has 35 rounds loaded. Price broke down all the 200x round belts that he was carrying into 50x segments to make them more manageable. There's no ammo box fitted, so anything longer than 50 is going to be impracticable to have loaded for an attack role.

Aleksandar carried an NPC bag with the remainder of the ammo (unbroken). The combined assistant + bag made longer belts manageable. It's just Czerny now though.

No enemy targets are seen at this very moment. They're sheltering or in good cammo or too far away. He can fire on the Kremlin or other such location-targets.

Thanks Mark. Very helpful.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:54, Wed 25 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 134):

Thanks for this. Can I say that the bag with the spare ammo in is inside the Krok? If that's OK then Jan will get Gustek to get a belt ready for him.

Thanks,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 135):

You can try, yeah.

Since it's full to capacity, I suggest moving Krysia behind the BTR, wherever it ends up. It should provide decent cover and concealment, even if Grant needs to use his flashlight.

Whatever happened to that BMP ambulance? Is that the APC that got blown up by a Mi-24 Hind?

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 137):

Traded to the IB, part of a deal for the Humvee if I recall.

It got toasted by an RPG-7 on the run back from getting the diesel. Couple people died.

Didn't we have another turretless BMP then? That's what I remember Jagelis getting blown up in by a Hind.

-

M113. One of the starter vehicles to the campaign. That was with the Hind.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:06, Wed 25 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 140):

Ah, thanks. I guess I was so happy to see Jagelis blown up that I didn't pay attention to his ride.

-

For clarity, I've assumed for this past turn that the assault group has remained below the bunker, as in they didn't look over the top. They can see the containers and trucks though, as those are off to the sides.

I think we can fairly safely say who's working from home and doesn't actually have any work to do :)

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 143):

Sush!

I do! :)

Hello. I'm back. Sorry for my absence. Fuse knew about it but I hope it didn't interfere any in game with my scouting group.

In reply to Ferro (msg # 145):

Glad you're back. I was starting to worry about you (but Fuse let me know this was a planned AFAIK).

-

Welcome back, Ferro.

Fun fact, I think the M113 was lost on the way to Nowe Ogrody when it threw a track (it was never mentioned again I don't think - maybe the IB took ownership?). Jagelis WAS killed in a BMP however. If memory serves, it was one that Kaminski had been working on at his hotel for a while, and it was called up to replace the M113. The group later outfitted that BMP with some kind of machinegun I think before it, and Jagelis, got blasted by the Hind.

The hospital BMP came later, on the run back from Silesia.

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 147):

I knew I should have consulted with the archivist first. Thanks LOL

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 148):

Lol happy to help. :P

Hey fellas, I know you haven't all had a chance to post yet, and we aren't due for a turn tonight, but I wanted get this up as it is. It felt like there wasn't much happening in the lead up to this turn, so I moved things on a little with what I had.

Turn edited regarding scout team.

How is everyone doing with all the social distancing and lock downs that are going on?

Ta,

Andy

Fuse,

Can Jan fire on the Kremlin without any risk to JJM? Or anyone else?

I think so but I wanted to double check.

Thanks,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 153):

The governor of AZ just announced that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the term. Distance/virtual learning is supposed to kick off today in our district. My home WiFi is already causing problems. Apparently, it can't handle several simultaneous Zoom video chats (my wife for meetings, me for teaching, my two kids for learning). I can feel a headache coming on...

On the bright side, it's better than COVID-19, though.

-

It occurred to me that the contents of the bunker might be significant (and might warrant a second look later) but I had no idea what they might actually be.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 156):

Me neither, but Varis is interpreting the canisters and NBC suit as evidence of NBC contaminents. I hope he's wrong!

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 155):

My work is using MS Teams a load and that seems to be much better on the Wifi. We also just turn off web cams if it's struggling.

I have a feeling we'll want to search this entire area pretty thoroughly once we get done here, assuming we get the opportunity. While some type of chemical weapons bunker might explain the mysterious sickness going around, it's also possible that the bunker's completely benign. Jose's going to assume the latter, but it definitely makes me wonder what's in those other bunkers.

As for the lockdown, the wife and I are working from home at the moment. Our daughter is in Kindergarten, and the teacher did a video session for the first time with the students last week. If you can imagine 15-20 five-year olds on a video conference together, it went about as well as you would think. :)

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 154):

It's a risk to the Canadians. Especially if the Krocodile is going to be moving and you're using the bipod, since the weapon will be at the mercy of the vehicle's unpredictable bumps and dips, things like that.

Rae, for clarity, Fraser doesn't have a radio, but he will still arrive as in your turn (called up by word of mouth).
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:13, Mon 30 Mar 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 161):

Thanks. Will amend for continuity's sake.

-

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 161):

Thanks for the info. Are the three people next to point H still there? (presuming that Jan has LOS to there)

Ta,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 163):

Unknown, refer to the turn post about them.

Fuse, has Krysia managed to rejoin Kessler's group?

Thanks,

Andy

In reply to Reggie Grant (msg # 165):

Krysia is with Kessler.

Now that you are closer I will update some of the map location descriptions. "N" is also new.

A) "Kremlin". Think Wizard of Oz meets Fallout (the game). This misshapen and multi-level structure looks as if a tiny but compact shantytown came down from the sky and gently crashed on top of a large (but already damaged) house. It's built without any clear manner of planning, mainly of salvaged wood, sandbags, stacked tires, sheets of corrugated iron, and even a garden shed. The iron sheets are the type used in trenches. And of course the remnants of the original house is there as well. Outside, a wide staircase constructed entirely out of dozens of tightly packed ammunition crates, rises up to meet an elevated entrance. Two stick-men fashioned out of bundled twigs and straw are fixed to the sides of the entrance. Lastly, several large urns or rounded flower pots are positioned at the base and throughout. They, along with the grand stairs, also make the place vaguely resemble the temples at Siem Riep, Cambodia. It's utterly bizarre and nothing about it is practical.

G) Vehicle hide. A cleared patch of forest at the edge of the treeline, which is large enough to keep a vehicle from being easily seen. This one contains at least two tents and a small covered box-wagon. Movement was seen here although all that's been identified so far is a chicken running loose.

H) Vehicle hide. A cleared patch a forest at the edge of the treeline, which is large enough to keep a vehicle from being easily seen. This one contains at least one tent and a couple improvised shelters. Also, as seen elsewhere, a green parachute has been strung up from the trees to provide the entire hide with a canopy.

I) Vehicle hide. A cleared patch of forest at the edge of the treeline, which is large enough to keep a vehicle from being easily seen. This one looks vacant.

J) Vehicle hide. A clear patch of forest at the edge of the treeline, which is large enough to keep a vehicle from being easily seen. This one contains an unknown model BTR.

K) Ruin. A heavily damaged house. The upper portion has largely collapsed down into that of the ground level. Large parts of the ruin appear to be missing, likely carried off as salvage material.

N) "Convertible". This is another Lada sedan. The windows and roof have been cut off so that it now resembles a convertible with the top down. It's parked in the driveway of the Kremlin but the motor is not running. A motionless figure, human or artificial, is sitting up behind the wheel.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:54, Wed 01 Apr 2020.

I despise the "special" colour schemes.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 168):

"I second that emotion."

Smokey Robinson

-

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 168):

It's hard on the eyes. Gives me a headache.

Work is a bit manic at present - should hopefully be able to post IC tomorrow (Friday).

Apologies for the delays.

Andy

I was planning on getting the turn up today but I got in late and I'm beat, too tired to concentrate enough.

I'll have it done tomorrow night.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 172):

No worries.

Dave, the SMG has a sling. It's homemade (but well done) using a slightly padded shoulder strap taken from a school backpack, and tied at the ends with a short length of braided cord.

The sling isn't long enough to throw over your head and shoulders though. You and what you're wearing is too big (and the sling isn't long to begin with). You'll have to find a different way to carry it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:51, Sun 05 Apr 2020.

Looking ahead a bit, I think we should consider conserving ammo since we may have to fight our way back to Gdansk.

It's my own darn fault, but Varis is down to less than 100 rounds for his AK (he started this mission with 240 rounds).

In terms of unit assets, I am a bit worried that we won't have enough auto-cannon and MG ammo if we need it down the road.

As for how to approach the seemingly quiescent Kremlin.

Option A: Burn it down.

Option B: Clear it.

Option C: Other (please specify)

I favor A because I reckon its booby-trapped like the two other cult buildings we've recently cleared, and full of hidey holes concealing some crazed, knife-wielding cultist. At this point, do we really need more intel on Warmia? Also, seeing their HQ/temple (assumptions made here) turned into a big ol' bonfire will also be a big morale killer to those who've survived our onslaught.

What do you think we should do?

Regardless of how we decide to approach the Kremlin, I think we should seriously consider sending either the Canadians, or Der Krok and the Mad Dogs, to assault and clear House M and capture the mortar before too long (i.e. before dealing the Kremlin). We know that there are armed WA fighters in that cottage (whereas no fire is currently coming from the Kremlin), and the mortar is not only a potential threat, it's a pretty big prize (especially if we can also snag some ammo; since they only managed to get off one round, chances are good we'll be able to get some bombs for it too).

-
This message was last edited by the player at 04:24, Mon 06 Apr 2020.

First off, with regards ammo, just a reminder to all that we have additional supplies with us (Msg 501 of OOC thread 20 is the most relevant). We didn’t cover off IC transferring supplies from the Hummers to the BTR (which in hindsight was a mistake) but as a worst case scenario we have approx 840 rnds of 5.45B and 600 rnds of 7.62S if we go solely with what’s in the BTR so we should have an option to reload when the shooting stops without having to scavenge from the dead.

We also started with 500 rnds of 14.5 for the BTR’s primary and 1000 rounds of 7.62L for the coax. Granted, we’ve been making heavy use of the primary but the coax has hardly been used.

The only thing I’m not clear on is how much ammo for the MAG, primarily because if you check the Msg I referenced one of the Australians was supposed to cover that and (unsurprisingly) didn’t. I do have a figure of 1200 rounds in my head from somewhere but I’m not sure where I got that from.

So I’m not immediately concerned about running out of ammo (although I do wish we’d transhipped more stuff from the Humvees).

Re the current assault, while I’m fine with trying to burn down the Kremlin (although I’m not sure how - we did pack 10 x bottles of diesel into each vehicle to either trade or use as Molotov cocktails so we could do the latter but we’re presumably going to have to get in closer).

I see one challenge at the moment though, namely that we cannot confirm that we have killed any of the WA leadership and the way I see it if we don’t achieve that then the whole mission is effectively a failure - if the leadership escape unscathed there’s precious little to stop them rebuilding and posing a renewed threat further down the road (granted, that could be months away in game terms, so years in real life). That said, how we identify them given we don’t know what they look like is going to be a challenge. The only thing I can think of is getting Marta and Gustek to look at the bodies at some point.

So while I agree we don’t necessarily need more intel, I think our job here is far from done. For example, I think once (if?) the site is secure we should check it out thoroughly to see if we find anything useful materially. The BTR also warrants a look. I can’t imagine it’s roadworthy in its own right (because presumably if it was the enemy would be using it) but we may be able to recover it / cannibalise it. The bunkers also warrant further investigation. And then there’s whatever’s underneath the farmhouse. And what’s in the ruin (K). That’s before we consider House M.

Re House M, I’m fine with attempting to clear it but I’m unsure easing up on the current attack on the Kremlin at this stage is prudent.  And the Canadians have already expressed concerns about their ammo situation (note even if we wanted to it will be difficult for us to resupply them as they seem to be using primarily NATO weapons and we have no 5.56 with us). Looking at the map the Krok could probably fire on M from its current position (if we warn the Canadians not to reverse) so I don’t know if that’s an option?

In short, I think we’re in a target rich environment at the moment, so much so that we have more targets than we can reasonably take on at once.

My intention wasn't to slow down the game by starting a debate- I just wanted to put some ideas out there and see what everyone thinks we should do next. I know that I haven't given people long enough to reply but I don't want to hold things up on my end, so here's my answer regarding the points Dave raised in his reply.

Thanks for the reassurance re small arms ammo. I will have Varis top off after the current battle is over. As for BTR ammo, I'm not really worried about this current fight, but if we have to fight our way back into Gdansk, a lack of heavy ammo could be an issue.

I'm all for concentrating our efforts on one target at a time. If that means the Kremlin, I'm fine with that. With more of us engaged in clearing it, it should mitigate risk and speed up the process (fingers crossed).

I feel kind of useless as Per right now, covering an unmanned target (the mortar), but I got him into that situation and I can handle it, so this isn't a gripe. I know Fraser offered to accompany him to go fetch the mortar, but I don't want to split up the 5-person recon team any more than it already is (we're covering two areas right now). There are still approx. a half-dozen WA fighters near the mortar and my fear is that if someone gets wounded whilst away from the farmstead, it'll mean sending others into harms way to fetch the injured.

And yes, there's the tunnel leading underneath the farm buildings. I figured we could come back to that when the area is more or less deemed pacified/secured.

I'm still interested in what the rest of you have to say about what you think our very next move should be.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 16:45, Mon 06 Apr 2020.

IMO, this whole mission is about capturing/killing the WA leadership cadre and doing as much damage to their fighting force as possible, effectively disbanding the movement if at all possible. With that said, identifying the bodies of their leadership group is of highest priority, so I would vote in favor of clearing the Kremlin rather than burning it down (blackened corpses are going to make identification substantially more difficult.)

Obviously the fear here is that the leaders already managed to bug out through the forest, or that they weren't in the area in the first place. If we're unable to confirm that we "got 'em", I'd be in favor of pushing on to the east to see if we can catch up to them. First though, is the Kremlin, and resolving the mortar situation to the south. In terms of scavenging the area, as much as Jose and I would prefer to do that sooner, I think the mission needs to come first.

Finally, I'm still a bit concerned about Marta and who she actually is, but that might just be me.

Jan could be well placed to fire on House M from the back of the Krok. It's about 200m but he has NVGs on so he could just about make it out, though it won't be very accurate fire. He'd need directing at the target though as I don't believe he's aware that the mortar is there (please correct me if I'm wrong).

---

With regards to how to proceed I think that it's highly likely that the WA leadership have already made a run for it - based on the motivations we understand for them I'd have run if I was them. If they were in the Kremlin then they've gone out of the back into the woods already. Likewise if they were in House M then it's the same situation. Therefore I think that we have to pursue our secondary objective and just inflict as much damage as possible on the WA. Once it's daylight we can then inspect the bodies and get Marta to ID any leaders. Because we need to do that I don't think that setting the Kremlin on fire is a good idea. Additionally a fire will just cause the occupants to flee out of the back into the woods.

The best option for the immediate future might be to cease fire on the Kremlin and move the recon team up to cover the woods at the back of the Kremlin (with the Canadians covering the front) while the Krok re-positions to fire on house M. Once that has been blasted a bit we can then reconsider our options.

That's my thoughts on the situation.

I think that's a solid compromise, Andy. I'd like to propose a couple of adjustments. I think the Canadians should be turned loose on M and the Mad Dogs focus on the Kremlin. That way, we bypass difficulties in close coordination between the two units. Also, the Grizzly is about 120 meters from M, whereas the BTR is about 210 meters away).

How about this:

Per & Fraser continue to cover the mortar and House M until the Canadians can be instructed to assault the position. As soon as the Canadians are on it, then Per can stop over-watch/area denial re the mortar and lead the whole recon team into the woods behind the Kremlin.

In the meantime, dismounts advance towards the Kremlin behind the moving cover of Der Krok.

If the Canadians move quickly on M, then both Mad Dog teams (recon and assault) should be in position at roughly the same time. The assault team can assault and clear the Kremlin (the BTR can provide exterior security) while the recon team lies in wait to ambush anyone who tries to make a run for it out the back way.

How does that sound? I have two concerns. One is easily dealt with. One is that carry-throughs from the KPV will endanger the recon team. We've already seen that this is possible from the round that buzzed Walsh. For this reason, and to conserve ammo, I propose that we only use the coax during execution of this plan. My second concern is that the Canadians will claim the mortar. Having captured out, they'll have a strong case to keep it. Perhaps we'll capture something that they'll want more (and we don't) and we can arrange a swap, but we may have to accept losing out.

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This message was last edited by the player at 22:34, Mon 06 Apr 2020.

I tend to think we should put some effort into pursuing the group that Walsh heard in the last turn. They may be the leadership group already making their exit as Andy alluded to.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 181):

It could be, and I don't like the idea of letting them go either, but I fancy the idea of pursuing hostiles through a forest in the dark even less. The chances of walking into an ambush or getting lost are pretty good. Either way, it'll be that much harder for the other elements to come to the rescue, especially given that they'll likely still be engaged themselves. Also, applying the Tracking skill in the dark will likely be handled at a higher difficulty level, rules-wise.

ATM, we have 3 groups. IMHO, I don't think we should attempt anymore than three tasks simultaneously, and I especially don't think we should subdivide any further.

-

Good point.

Unfortunately we have too many targets so we need to pick the best options. Personally I agree with Rae regarding the risk of pursuing enemy combatants through the woods in the dark but assuming that we decided on that option then how about this for a plan:

 - The recon team try following those fleeing through the woods

 - The Canadians switch targets and focus on House M

 - The BTR's dismounts (really Kessler, Varis, Jose and Krysia) loop round anti clockwise to cover the rear of the Kremlin.

 - The BTR continues to shoot up the Kremlin

Also we should remember that smoke already seems to be coming from the Kremlin, so it could already be on fire or they could have set off a smoke grenade for some reason or some chemical cloud might be being released......

I agree that we need to pursue the fleeing group. If they are the Leadership we lose them. If they aren't, that's the risk we're taking.

I also agree with  the other target priorities, if the Canadians lay claim to the mortar it's no biggie, we'd abandoned one once.

Burning the Kremlin might force whoever is in there out, although there will be problems about IDing the bodies. It might still be a better idea than trying to go room to room with the numbers we have.

I've spent about an hour looking at maps and trying to come up with options and I realised that what I came up with was basically the same as the above. We know that Warmia tactics are likely to include the cannon fodder being sacrificed to allow the leaders time to get away. While we can’t be sure that’s consistent with the group that have just passed by the scouts and if we're going to go after them II don’t see any alternative to a foot pursuit (other than letting them go, but as has been said, if the leaders get away the entire mission is effectively a failure).

WRT the Kremlin, it’s possible some foot soldiers may have been left there to try and slow us up while the leaders make their getaway. That being the case, I’m happy to downgrade the Kremlin to the status of secondary target. Maybe just have the BTR keep up suppressive fire with its coax while Kessler's group interdict any runners?

Just suppressing the Kremlin would be a good idea. That way we sweep up the other targets and then can come back and finish it off mob-handed if we have to.

In reply to John Jameson McCarthy (msg # 186):

We have the coax and the MAG-58 for this if needed.

We could probably position the BTR so that we can deploy the co-ax and the MAG.

I'm still undecided about the best use of the dismount squad. If they circle round to the back of the Kremlin they can interdict any runners. However on a meta level that may be tantamount to sidelining the characters unless anyone does make a run for it (and there's the risk of friendly fire casualties if any rounds go right through). It also leaves the BTR without any dismounted support if the occupants of the Kremlin try a human wave attack. But if the dismount squad stay with the BTR that also runs the risk of sidelining the characters.

Another option is for the dismount squad to push on through and join the pursuit but that means putting all of our eggs in one basket - on a plausibility level I can't see where we can have everyone charging off and leave our APC with minimal support. And there's still the risk of friendly fire if rounds go right through.

Purely in terms of player engagement I think the best option would be to have the Canadians suppress the Kremlin while the BTR and dismounts assault House M but again that's probably not the most plausible scenario in terms of the tactical situation.

I don't want to hold things up. Since a slim majority wants to pursue the unknown group through the woods at night, then I will have to figure out a way for my PC to get on board with that.

Since her PC will likely be running point (again) for a chase, I think we should wait until Ferro weighs in before making a final decision. I don't think anyone should be compelled to take serious risks with their own PC unless they're a willing participant.

I just want to state my case again, because I am still very much opposed to the idea of a nighttime foot pursuit through a hostile forest.

I know we came for the WA leadership, but we've probably killed upwards of 75% of the WA fighters. We've kicked them out of their camp. We're depriving them of shelter and supplies (in winter). I can't imagine them recovering from such a blow, for a few months at best (from their POV), if ever. It's going to be hard for the gypsy to recruit after this, assuming she's not dead already. The smaller local communities like KR should be able to stand up to whatever stragglers escaped this series of battles. I am in favor of tracking down and eliminating the WA leadership, but I don't think now (game time) is the time to do it. Besides the point above, here are a few reasons why:

• Following anyone through the woods at night is going to be very difficult, tracking them especially so. Per's Tracking skill is only 2/8.
• The unknown party will have at least a 5 minute head start and they know the area well. Tracking in the dark is going to be very difficult. Assuming a TRA check at night is a formidable task, our chances of pickup up and not losing a trail are not going to be very good.
• SOP for patrols being pursued is to double back and conduct an ambush on the back-trail, discouraging further pursuit.
• The recce team essentially got lost on the way to Suchacz. There's a good chance they'll get lost again in the woods. We kind of lucked out on linking up with the vehicle group as the battle really kicked off, but we had to use illum rounds/flares and dead-reckoning to do so, and that was with landmarks like the town.
• If someone on the pursuit team gets wounded/injured, the last point is going to delay evac.
• By the same token, if the pursuit team does run into an ambush, it's going to be difficult for a reaction force to find them in timely fashion. Plus, darkness increases the likelihood of blue-on-blue.
• If the pursuit team makes contact, and reinforcements are necessary, that means abandoning the WA complex we just captured; WA fighters could move back in and then we'll have to clear it again.
• Once we leave the farmhouse, it could be reoccupied. We spent 3-4 frags clearing it the first time and Ferro got stabbed in the process. Assuming we want to investigate the tunnel (I do), then we'll have no choice but to clear it again.
  EDIT
• We already have a solid lead on where the WA leadership will likely retreat to (the monastery).

I just think the cons (see above) outweigh the pros by a wide margin.

I'm not one to slag a plan without offering an alternative, so here it is (thanks to Andy for the basic outline): I think we should clear the Kremlin (Mad Dogs) and building M* (Canadians), secure the area, eliminate all other opposition, conduct a search of the captured buildings, and wait for daylight. When the sun rises, the recon team (reinforced, perhaps) sets off to track the fugitives. Doing so in daylight will be easier and safer than doing so at night.

*If the mortar isn't captured by the time the recon team leaves, then the WA will be able to mortar the vehicle group again.

Now that I've said my piece (again), I will acquiesce if the majority still wants to conduct a nighttime foot pursuit through a hostile forest.

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This message was last edited by the player at 15:33, Tue 07 Apr 2020.

That's exactly what I was meaning.


I wasn't suggesting putting them at the back. I was suggesting having them flank off to the side, probably somewhere NE of point N at the edge of the wood, where they can observe the back of the Kremlin. If the BTR then moves to somewhere slightly west of where the Grizzly is currently located then the BTR can fire on the Kremlin with no risk to the people covering the rear and still has a decent view to the NW of the building. The best route for anyone trying to escape the Kremlin would then be directly north but we don't have sufficient people to cover every angle.

---

In reply to Per Kolstrup (msg # 189):

Having thought about it further I've changed my mind and I'm in agreement with Rae. I think that we need to consolidate on our successes so far and then go and check out the monastery.

I therefore suggest a revised plan of the following for the immediate future:

 - Recon team move up to N (the convertible) and cover the gap between the Kremlin and the forest.

 - The Canadians continue firing on the Kremlin from their current position.

 - The BTR and its dismounts move over to engage the stragglers at House M. They should also have a look at House L at some point eventually as well.

Once it's daylight we can then figure out what to do next regarding stragglers who fled and how to approach the monastery.

Sorry, you said "cover the rear of the Kremlin." I equated rear with back.


If we're not initiating a pursuit I don't see any value in the recon team moving. As stated in Rae's list of cons, it gives the enemy a chance to reoccupy it. So if we're not pursuing I strongly suggest the recon team stay put.


This, I think, is essentially the same as one of the options I put forward as being the optimum one for player engagement, but as I also said at the time I think it's implausible for two reasons - the Canadians have already made it clear they're running short on ammo so may not be able to keep up the required level of suppressive fire and they're closer to House M.


That's probably going to mean holding the position (and defending against any counter attack) for approx eight hours.

IF we go with the above, I put a marker on the map where I think the BTR should set up. From this position, it can cover the side of the Kremlin that faces the woods (the likeliest egress point) while the dismounts assault/clear the building.

Once the Canadians begin assaulting Building M, eliminating the threat of more mortar fire, the recon team could move to the corner of the wood-line (already marked on map). From there, they can cover a chunk the woods a bit better and still keep an eye on the farmstead to make sure the compound isn't reoccupied.



I'm fine with that. If any surviving WA want to come to us, let them come. Plus, we've been going nonstop for a while now and fatigue is no doubt starting to creep in. While we hold the area, we can get some rest in shifts. Again, it'll be easier to track fugitives in the daylight and we already have a good idea of where the leadership- if they escaped*- will be holed up come sunrise.

*We'll know for sure once we can inspect all of the dead (and there are quite a few)- a task which will be easier and safer (no need for lights) in the daytime.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 16:28, Tue 07 Apr 2020.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 191):

FYI, when I say "cover the rear" I mean "set yourself up somewhere where you can see and shoot at the rear" not "go and stand at the rear in the line of fire of heavy weapons".

---

I'm a little unclear of the importance of the farmhouse and why we need to leave the recon team there to prevent it being reoccupied. I was under the impression that all enemy combatants are fleeing as rapidly as they can but if you believe that we need to secure the farmhouse then fair enough.

From that position though the recon team won't be able to see rear of the Kremlin and so anyone still in there will be able to flee.

Re the Grizzly and ammo issues, what is its armament? Is it a 7.62mmN machine gun? Would it be a good idea for us to give them a couple of hundred rounds so that they can keep engaging? We're back to the issue of how much ammo we brought with us (as the person tasked with doing it left the game) but I have a memory of us deciding to bring it all.

Fuse - please can you confirm how much 7.62mmN link ammo we have with us at present. The only machine gun that fires it is the MAG-58 I believe so logically it should all be on the BTR. I don't know if that's ok or not though. Thanks for your help with this.

---

Those are similar positions to where I suggested so this works for me.

I'm also happy with holding the position for a while. I'd be surprised if the WA leadership can mount a counter attack but if they do then that makes it easier to find and eliminate more WA troops.

Fine, I'll consider myself informed. I'll leave it to you and Rae to sort out. Someone give me a shout if / when they need Kessler to post anything. Alternatively if you want to get McCarthy to organise it that's fine by me too.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Tue 07 Apr 2020.

Dave,

Just to be clear, this started with you choosing to interpret my suggestion incorrectly and then make a patronising comment about my plan:


I at no point said to go to the rear as that would be dumb for the reason you highlight here, yet you chose to suggest that I was proposing it.

Just to be clear my suggestion was:


Cover, as I clarified above, is the key word here.

---

Additionally, you ask for input but when it doesn't agree with your plan/ideas then you get cross:


That's hardly fair. If you want our feedback then you have to be prepared to incorporate it.

Thanks,

Andy

Hang on just a minute here, I think you need to look at what you're saying here and then decide who's the one being patronising.

I can't choose to interpret something incorrectly. That implies that I have a choice of whether to interpret something correctly or incorrectly and purposely chose to do so incorrectly. That makes zero sense. I interpreted what you said literally. I didn't choose that interpretation over another one. And my comment was not intended to be patronising. I just pointed out what I interpreted as a flaw based on what you had said in what I thought was a reasonable and polite way. Trust me, that wasn't me being patronising. If you want to look art an example of being patronising, starting a sentence with FYI as though you're talking to an idiot that needs everything explained to him is pretty patronising.

---

Errr, no, I get cross when someone starts a post to me with FYI as though I'm an idiot that needs everything explained to him in simple terms.

Thanks

Dave

Hey guys, I don't think either of you intended to be patronizing, but honest misunderstandings can boil over into rancor if we let them. We're all friends here. Please give one another the benefit of the doubt and cut each other some slack.

-

Well I know I didn't.

I am everyone here to give everyone else the benefit of the doubt as the default. If you think that someone is coming across as patronizing or grumpy or passive aggressive or whatever, don't assume that's the case. Ask them if/why they're upset, if not publicly, then via PM. 9 times out of 10, I think this will be enough to defuse the situation and get everyone back on the path to friendly collaboration.

Back to the IG situation, how does this sound? The recon team stays in place until...
1) the Canadians assault House M and capture the mortar.
2) the BTR moves into the position indicated by the marker on the map (just SE of the Kremlin).
3) the Mad Dog dismounts clear the Kremlin and move to the farmstead.

1 and 2 would happen concurrently; 3 would begin as soon as the dismount are close to the target building*.

After that, even though it will still be dark for several hours, the recon team (perhaps reinforced a bit with a volunteer or two) sets off after the fugitives**. Then, if the recon team runs into trouble, the others won't be actively engaged (hopefully) and should be able to come to its aid. I'd still prefer to wait for daylight, but I think this is a decent compromise.

*I estimate that these tasks would end up taking about a half-an-hour (total) to complete.

**I suspect that if these folks are the leaders of WA, they'll head for the monastery, so if we don't pick up the trail, or lose it, we head there as a unit to finish the job.

Is this acceptable to all?

-
This message was last edited by the player at 21:09, Tue 07 Apr 2020.

Fine by me.

I'm also fine with waiting until daylight to launch any pursuit (there may or may not be a misconception that I was insisting on an immediate pursuit. That was never the case and I never said that at any point).

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 199):

This makes sense to me but I would also prefer to wait until daylight for any pursuit.

Additionally, as you've pointed out previously, our characters have been on the go for a while now and could do with some rest/food.

---

Fuse - at some point Voight and/or Jan will become foot mobile again. Please can you clarify when that will be in game mechanics terms?

Ta,

Andy

This is probably just reiterating what's already been said, but I like the idea of consolidating wins as much as possible and then waiting until daylight for any pursuit. In short:

1. Mad Dogs lock down Kremlin and surrounding camp areas.
2. Canadians clear house M (and perhaps L as well if they still have the operational capacity to do so). Afterward, they cover the southern and western approaches as best as possible.
3. Recon team stays put at the farmhouse. They can act as a tripwire on our east side that we can quickly reinforce if needed. This also keeps the farmhouse in our control.
4. Once the camp area and Kremlin have been cleared (and looted?), the Mad Dogs main force consolidates with the Recon team at the farmhouse. Perhaps the BTR can hang back closer to the Canadians to stay away from the forest line. In any case, this puts the Mad Dogs covering the northern and eastern approaches.
5. We clear the tunnel under the farmhouse.
6. Rest up as best we can.
7. When morning comes, we pursue the fleeing elements of WA.

Sounds like there's consensus regarding immediate next steps- the Canadians assault House M and capture the mortar while the Mad Dogs assault & clear the Kremlin.

After that, we can make a final decision on whether to begin the pursuit of the escapees sooner or later.

Thanks to everyone who shared their input.

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 203):

I'm not 100% clear where the dismounts were meant to go so I left them with the BTR (the spot indicated for the BTR is relatively close to the Kremlin so I wanted to make sure there was some protection against attack with anti armour weapons or IED's / Molotov cocktails). If the intention was for them to go somewhere else you can let me know and I'll edit.

Dave, do you want the BTR just "west" or just east of the Kremlin? I suggest east (the spot I indicated on the map) so any WA in the other uncleared compound structures can't hit it from behind.

-

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 205):

Sorry, typo. Have amended to east.

Let me know about the dismounts.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 206):

I was imagining that the dismounts will use the BTR as rolling cover until they either reach a point just south of the Kremlin, at which they part ways, or until the BTR arrives at its final position just east of the building. The BTR can pepper the building with coax as we get into position.

As I type this, I think the dismounts should stick with the BTR until it arrives at its covering position. I reckon that the building's front entrance will be the most heavily guarded and/or booby trapped so if we can enter via a side/back door that would be better.

Is that OK?

-

Yeah, that's cool - that's pretty much what I thought as well.

Do we want to have McCarthy use the bullhorn to make another call for them to surrender?

On the plus side they might genuinely surrender if they are cannon fodder that have been left behind (and can now see that they're not bulletproof).

On the downside they'd then have to be searched / secured / guarded. And there's the risk of them trying to blow us up.

This might sound terrible, but I think I'd prefer that we not present an offer to surrender. Logistically speaking, our last experience with prisoners was a bit of a shitshow - we're just not properly equipped to be able to handle prisoners, especially not any serious number of them. Plus, we know that if we turn any of these people over to either the Poles or any locals (Burant maybe?), they'll likely just be executed regardless.

If we do decide to take prisoners, we should probably let them go almost immediately once we've ascertained that they aren't a part of the leadership cadre. Happy to go along with whatever the group decides of course if you all disagree.

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 210):

I'm inclined to agree. I don't want to be bloody-minded, but the last time we had to deal with only a couple of prisoners it caused some IC and OOC turmoil/headaches. I figure, if the bad guys want to surrender, they are free to do so- without an invitation. Also, if they don't want to stand and fight, they can try to run (some apparently already have). Plus, WA fighters are typically duplicitous, like the guy that yelled to Kessler that he surrendered, but was wounded and and couldn't show himself, then tried to shoot or grenade (can't remember which) a Mad Dog. IMHO, WA's track record has made this a no quarter [offered] type fight to the finish.

That said, if someone actively tries to surrender, I don't think my PCs will shoot them (at least not Per). But they're not going to go looking for it, if that makes sense.

-

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 210):

I know what you mean but I'm mindful that every one that surrenders is one less we have to potentially deal with by other means. Also, it may be helpful in terms of identifying any leaders amongst the dead and / or getting intel on any potential bug out plans they had.

My reservations are more to do with the logistics of searching / guarding them and the fact that there's evidence that they're willing to kill themselves so one of them might pretend to surrender then let a frag grenade loose once they're in amongst us (although that's meta for the vehicle group). Also, any intel gained from interrogation has to be treated with a pinch of salt.

So I'm just not sure there's that much value in offering them the chance.

---

Also, Fuse, I forgot about this initially so I've added an edit


Kessler is wearing a Grad assault vest (https://images-na.ssl-images-a...3OPTOQTL._SX425_.jpg) so I'm thinking he can loop the sling round one of the straps.

OK, I think we're in broad agreement to park giving them another chance to give up.

---

Plan A - blow a hole in the wall with the Koncerz?

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 213):

I considered a makeshift entrance using the Koncerz, but decided against offering it IC. It's the last round Jose has on his person, and we don't know what real impact the last fired round had on the structure - it's possible using it might not even make a hole large enough for us to squeeze through.

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 214):

It's your call, but I think it might be worth a try. A HEAT round probably wouldn't make a hole large enough to crawl through, but it will start a hole that we could enlarge with our hands or hand tools*. Varis used to have a pry bar, but I don't see it on his char-sheet so I reckon he lost it. He could use the butt of his hatchet, I suppose.

I've read that the Marines used LAWs in Hue and Fallujah to mousehole masonry/cinderblock buildings so it's definitely possible.

*Fuse, is there a sledgehammer strapped to the exterior of the BTR?

-

No, no sledgehammer.

Penetrating rounds like HEAT aren't really going to be suitable for creating a hole big enough to go through. I'll put it to a roll though.

Do you want to follow up the attempt with a supplementary action in case it fails?

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 217):

It's up to Jeffe if he wants to try a HEAT round or not. He was leaning towards not. The natural alternative is to enter via a side/back door or window. Varis is plan is to shoot said with a 40mm HE round first in an attempt to pre-clear the room beyond. Then we go in hard. I'm not sure what the others are thinking, though.

-

I don’t think I can offer any opinion without knowing what the situation looks like up close - are there any obvious entrances, any opportunities for an out of the box solution, etc

Didn’t we drive the BTR into a house once? (Demolishing it (the house) in the process). I seem to remember there was a video on YouTube of the Russians doing something similar in Chechnya.

Or we could send for O’Brien and his demo kit.

The ground level is all sealed up. No windows or doors. Most of that level is of the original house but it's reinforced a bit, not so much for protection, but to help hold up the structure on top. You could try to breach this level with the BTR - again with a roll.

The second level (which the big staircase leads to) has the door and maybe some closed up windows. It's kind of hard to tell what is a shutter and what is just a wall though, since the materials for both are basically the same (scrap wood and whatnot).

3rd and up have exposed windows.

The higher you go the flimsier than material. The corrugated iron that I spoke to is mostly on the bottom and a little bit on the next level up, none on the third.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:15, Wed 08 Apr 2020.

I’m inclined to send for Billy to blow up the foundations. With luck the whole thing might collapse.

The Carl Gustav has a dual purpose round. I think it's carried in the BTR.

Hmmmm....thinking about it I'm not sure a mousehole is going to work. We might be able to create one and enter the ground* floor but I'm not sure that would help if the main structure has been built on top of that. I mean, we might just be entering a ruin and still need to ascend one level to clear the building.

Driving the BTR into the building might be a bit risky. We really can't afford to have the BTR end up disabled. It's a long walk / swim back.

I'm still in favour of calling in O'Brien and trying to do enough structural damage to make the whole thing come crashing down while we stay a safe distance back. Reduces the risks of trying to clear a confined - and potentially booby trapped - space. Let them come crashing down two stories and then deal with them (granted that presumes O'Brien has enough demo kit to do a decent job of blowing it up).

If demo's not an option mouseholing with the CG would be my second preference. Or taking off and nuking the whole site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

I'm also open to any other suggestions.

* All floor references are European, not American.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:14, Wed 08 Apr 2020.

I like Ferro's idea of using a CG DP round to blow an entry hole in the ground floor. If they're not using it as a habitation or work area, it's likely that they're using it as a cellar (or perhaps dungeon). I'm confident that the ground floor is somehow connected to the floors above by internal staircase or ladder.

I think knocking the whole building down- assuming it's possible to do so- is going to create a lot of the same issues as burning it down would. Namely, it's going to be very difficult and time-consuming, and potentially dangerous, to sort through rubble and debris (especially before daylight), and it increases the odds of us missing something.

I thought about maybe using the top deck of the BTR to access a second level opening like counter terror teams do, but I worry about Molotovs or whatever dropped from the third story windows.

I agree that using the BTR as a battering ram is too risky.

For those reasons, I think we should try Ferro's idea.

-

One of the things that's occurred to me is that the WA is known for being sneaky. Perhaps there's a tunnel or something that leads from the temple elsewhere. I mean, we don't have to clear the Kremlin before clearing other areas, do we? Just a thought.

Otherwise, Ferro's idea with the CG is solid as well.

Strictly speaking I'd say no, we don't. But the problem I see is that if we don't clear it we can't presume it's empty so we probably need to leave a fire team to keep it under observation (I don't think we should leave the BTR without supporting infantry). That ties up some people so they can't be deployed in any search ops and on a meta level might kind of sideline PC's.

Fuse,

Is the position of the Argo on the map correct? I've put a flag on the map for where I think that it should be based on Brownie's action above but am I correct?

Ta,

Andy

Perhaps we could ask the Canadians to keep an eye on it after they're able to clear house M?

Rae, Varis would know that Jan has 5.45mmB mags on him for his rifle that he isn't current using. If Varis needs some ammo then Jan can pass him some but he'll need to be asked as he isn't aware that Varis is running short.

---

If you're meaning to blow an entry hole in the ground floor then I think that there is a lot of merit in this idea. If you're talking about collapsing the building then I agree with the concerns that Rae raised about us having issues with identifying bodies (similar to the initial thoughts about burning it down).

---

Nice assault vest - is that East German issue? Or a custom job?

In reply to Reggie Grant (msg # 229):

No, I moved the Argo but it doesn't seem to have saved the edit. Your marker is pretty close to where I had it, just a little more south.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 232):

Thanks for confirming. I didn't think that he was lagging behind like the map suggested. He'd be crapping himself if he was! :)

Ta,

Andy

Thanks. When we get closer to the Kremlin, maybe if/when Jose switched out his Gdansk LAW for the Carl Gustav, Varis will ask after 5.45mm. Loaded mags will be much faster than loading mags!

-

Heads up that Alex should have some 5.45mm mags on him as well. I'm not sure he'll appreciate you taking his mags after shooting him, though. Hah! :P

I tend to agree. I'd like to clear it ASAP, and once it's cleared, intel gathered, and bodies ID'ed, I think we should set it on fire. Burning it down means it can't be reoccupied by hostiles (ever) and we don't have to worry about guarding it to prevent that. Second, I think seeing their HQ/temple go up in flames will be a further blow to any surviving WA's morale. And the illumination of the area might be helpful.

-

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 235):

Good point.

---

EDIT - I need to crash now but I'll be able to post IC as Jan tomorrow morning. Apologies for the delay.

Ta,

Andy
This message was last edited by the player at 23:38, Wed 08 Apr 2020.

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 231):


Thanks. It's Soviet issue. I've had a quick look and can't locate the original source that I looked at (I don't currently have access to the laptop I used when I created Kessler so can't check any notes but I'm pretty sure vests like that were in service by the time of the first Chechen War so I took that as the guide for whether they would exist in this timeline).

A couple of other things...


I'm in agreement with this, although I think it will probably have to wait until there's a lull in any fighting. I'd suggest we do a straight 50 / 50 split (it doesn't do any of us any good if the Canadians run out of ammo during a battle)

Beyond that, I'm good with using the CG to breach the ground floor and then taking it from there. I'm also good with torching the place once we're done.

Too soon! ;)

Re the Grizzly's armament, it should have a .50 cal. in its turret as well. Since, AFAIK, it hasn't been used at all, perhaps it's either out of ammo, damaged, or been removed. Fuse probably explained but I don't remember.

As for 7.62mm NATO, I'm fine with sharing some, but it's hard to replace (for us)- AFAIK, it's not produced in Gdansk, and Per's DMR/LSW relies on it. He could convert it to firing AK rounds, but then he loses that sniping capability. I want to make sure we keep plenty so that his primary weapon is rendered less effective.

When we get back to Gdansk, or whenever we can get our hands on one, I suggest we replace our FN MAG with a PKM. The latter's ammo should be more common in these parts (IIRC, it's produced in Gdansk). It's a tough, reliable weapon, and it's lighter than the FN MAG. Also, a 7.62mmR weapon would mean ammo commonality with the BTR's coax (and Ferro's SVD).

Just a thought: There's no ground floor entrance/exit to the Kremlin but we're assuming that WA have gotten out. Either we're wrong, or there's some sort of hidden entrance (a tunnel?) or they're climbing down from an upper story using ropes or some such. I don't think any of this should affect our short-term plans, but it's something to consider.

@Fuse: I think we're all set regarding next moves. The Canadians assault House M and capture the mortar (Per will mark it with tracer). The Mad Dog dismounts use the BTR as rolling cover until they reach the checkered flag. At that point, Jose swaps the Koncerz for the CG (and Varis grabs a couple of full AK-74 mags from Jan). Jose puts a DP round into the ground floor to create a mousehole. The dismounts enter and proceed to clear the building.

I don't think I should go on because things could evolve.

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This message was last edited by the player at 15:06, Thu 09 Apr 2020.

According to the stores thread we already have a PK (that does ring a bell with me). I'm not sure why we haven't already made the swap (maybe the fact that we had over 1000 rnds of 7.62N at the start of this mission).

As for a tunnel, it occurs to me that if there is a tunnel leading to the farmhouse then we effectively have them cornered - we've blocked the other end so they can't get out (although that might make clearing any tunnels a bit hazardous)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:25, Thu 09 Apr 2020.

Good news re the PKM. IMHO, we should trade away the GPMG as soon as we get back to Gdansk ("but save as much of the ammo for it as possible," says Per).

When we get into position to begin the assault on the Kremlin, I think someone in/on the BTR should cover the building's exterior and someone should keep an eye to the forest to the north. The BTR will be parked close to the woods and I'm a bit worried about some WA stragglers trying to sneak up and knock it out.

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In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 241):

I guess we've got plenty of time to consider this but I'd prefer to see what options we have with the MAG rather than trading it away (same with the M60 we captured if we can get it back into decent condition). Both might be useful, either as part of the compound defences or possibly as donations to the LOSA to keep them on side. I suppose much will depend on the ammo situation.

Hah - Don Henley! I have that album on vinyl.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 243):

Yeah, it's a classic pop song and when I was a kid I heard, "Dead head stick around...", instead of "Deadhead sticker on...".

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This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 16:54, Sat 11 Apr 2020.

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 244):

LOL...I also misunderstood that lyric when it first came out. I heard it correctly but at the time I thought it just meant a sort of skull symbol (like the Punisher's symbol). Was ages before I realised what a Deadhead actually was.

I suggest that Varis, Kessler, and Rodriguez top off on frags too, as the Kremlin looks to contain quite a few rooms.

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In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 246):

That's a good idea but remember we only have six available for resupply (less any that have already been taken - Fuse would need to confirm if that applies).

Kessler currently has two (not including any resupply).

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 247):

Varis has three. That building looks like it's got a lot more than five rooms.

Jeffe, how many hand grenades does Rodriguez have right now?

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This message was last edited by the player at 17:51, Sat 11 Apr 2020.

In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 248):

Rae,

I'm assuming from your last IC post as Varis that he's giving Jan 4x empty 30rd 5.45mmB mags and Jan is giving him four full ones in return. And 2x frag grenades. I hope that is correct? That's what I'm writing up now but please let me know if I've misunderstood and I'll amend.

Ta,

Andy

I'm pretty certain that Reggie isn't going to know what a Carl Gustav is - apologies for his continued greenness when it comes to military matters.

Ta,

Andy

In reply to Jan Czerny (msg # 249):

That's perfect, thanks. Jan can tell by the heft of one of the four "empties" handed him by Varis that it is about half-ful (14 rounds).

Varis is also handing off his assault pack and LAW.

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In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 251):

Thanks - Jan will pass those down inside the BTR and I'll post IC to that effect.

"A momentary complication is encountered with the loading of the weapon as well."

If you aren't aware, the rounds for the 84mm are like big ass bullets. They're the same in that they have percussion caps, but unlike bullets, the cap isn't at the base of the casing. The caps are instead located on the side of the casing... meaning... you can't just slide the round into the breach anyway you want as the cap needs to line up with the firing pin (which is also on the side of the breach).

To make sure this happens the rim of the round has notch taken out of it and you need line this notch up with a small protrusion in the breach, so they fit together. Otherwise the rim of the round will bang into the protrusion and won't go into the breach all the way. So if a loader isn't familiar with this, or maybe forgotten, it'll impede loading.

Anyway, I just threw this (the hiccup) into the turn for a bit real life randomness and for some of the little inconvenient stuff that happens sometimes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:42, Wed 15 Apr 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 253):

Nice details.

Does firing the CG cause it to heat up at all? Reggie is going forward to retrieve it but will it be warm to the touch?

Only slightly with one round.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 255):

Thanks.

@Kessler & Rodriguez:



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Thanks Rae. Jose currently has one frag remaining, so he'll happily take the other. Do we know if it's Gdansk-manufactured or pre-war?

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 258):

Not sure. Since it's from the BTR's company stores, though, I'm guessing that it's a Gdansk special.

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I actually think it might just be a regular grenade. There's a couple in the stores. And unless it's labelled as local I think you can just assume it's not.

Good enough for me. Thanks guys.

They were both from Jan and I think that he's had them since he arrived in the campaign so it's a pre war grenade. In fact the only time he's thrown a grenade in this game was when we double grenaded a guy and the other grenade thrown flushed the target into Jan and he got shot as a result. He tends to shoot his grenade launcher rather than throwing them!

Fuse,

Please can I double check that I'm reading the current turn correctly. Am I correct that the WA members charging the Krok are now within melee range of Reggie? And following that logic that Jan is now within pistol range of the attackers?

Ta,

Andy

They's be on you in less than five or six seconds. So while there isn't physical contact right at this exact moment it will still be possible during this turn.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 264):

Thanks.

Grant is actually empty handed at this time.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 266):

Ah, apologies - I'll amend my post. Where is his AK? Slung over his shoulder?

That's more your decision I would say. My only point is that since he was handing off the 84mm he wouldn't have anything else in his hands.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:26, Sun 19 Apr 2020.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 268):

Fair enough - I'll sort it out.

In reply to Reggie Grant (msg # 269):

Done. Sorry for missing that.

Andy

When I was writing up the turn I though about sharing some disclosure. Getting jumped like you did was really just bad luck. At least how I see it. Most* of the enemy by the Krok are part of a rear guard who were covering the move from the Kremlin. So they were already there just inside the treeline when you pulled up. Bad luck really. They only had to shift slightly when the decision was made to break from their original plan (upon seeing another opportunity). A roll was made to spot them at that time but it failed. Then after that, well, there were only so many sets of eyes to keep things covered and other stuff had to get done too.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention it.

*a couple are survivors of the previous firefight (the one with the heckler).
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:48, Mon 20 Apr 2020.

Sorry, I may have screwed up here. I thought we were clearing the whole structure in one turn, so by extension I thought we'd done both levels.

If there's another level uncleared then I think we need to clear it before exiting.

Yeah, another level.

It's getting pretty smokey though.

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 273):

I was under the same impression. Thanks for clarifying.

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OK, it sounds like hanging around is going to entail increased risk, so I'll stick with my original IC post. It was phrased as a suggestion rather than an outright instruction though so if Rae and Heffe both want to stay and do the next level Kessler will agree (although judging by Rae's post I am presuming he's happy to leave).

If Krysia suggests that the stuff Kessler was asking about is worth grabbing I do want to get as much of that as we can before we leave though.

I'm not trying to do dissuade you further, but also just want to point out that if there's anybody else up there then they're going to be subject to the smoke.

And you don't hear anything either.

Varis wants to leave, but if Kessler wants to clear the next upper level, Varis will acquiesce.

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In reply to Varis Babicevs (msg # 277):

Kessler has already suggested vacating the premises so I'm sticking with that. I would only have stayed if there was a majority in favour, which there does not appear to be.

As I said though, I do want to grab what we can of the paintings, books, etc on the way out dependent on Krysia's response.

Fuse, is the WA lady's full, empty, or somewhere in between?

If it's either of the last two, I suggest we use it to carry the items Dave mentioned.

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Sorry Rae, I'm not sure what you're asking. I think a word is missing.

The lady's ??? (What)

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 280):

Whoops- "Pack."

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Halfway. The sleeping bag is removed (it's laid out on the mattress) and it's only carrying a few articles of clothing, spare boots, and things like that.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:14, Wed 22 Apr 2020.

Jose can help grab more of the items as well since he's already got the pack. He's also in favor of leaving - we might not learn if we missed one of the leaders on the third floor, but checking it to be sure isn't worth dying over.

Fuse, am I correct that Reggie can only see the legs of the hunter and Voight and no other targets? Also, are you meaning that Voight and the hunter's legs aren't moving like they might have shot each other or that they are rolling around fighting hand to hand? I'm reading it like they're not moving but I wanted to double check.

For Jan, am I correct that he can't see any targets at all? In fact the only person he can see outside of the Krok is Reggie? Is that right?

Ta,

Andy

Just to add that I love the description of the bandits assaulting the Krok. They really are crazy as fuck!

Yes

In reply to Fusilier (msg # 286):

Ta.

Marta! Marta! Marta!

Anyone?

Anyway, I freely admit did not want to bring Marta along on the mission. I really did not want to arm her.

I was wrong. Not only is she fighting against her former comrades, but it occurs to me now that she could prove invaluable in ID'ing the WA dead when the battle is over. If someone mentioned that pro during the debate, I do apologize.

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I went back through the IC and tried to count enemy casualties from the east side of the lagoon.

Plus or minus one or two that I might have missed or double counted, the Mad Dog-Canadian connection has racked up the following kills:

KIA: 38

Probable KIA or WIA: 6

This does not include any enemy downed by the Canadians that Mad Dogs did not witness first-hand (for example, the enemy in the mortar cottage). And the BTR's KPV/coax might have gotten a couple more.

Losses are a bit sobering.

KIA: 1 (Price)
WIA: 5
Slight: Kolstrup, Fraser, Babicevs
Slight-Serious: Ferro, Krysia
Serious-Critical: Aleks

And a couple of Mad Dogs have been saved by their body armor.

I know the fight's not over yet, but I though y'all might like to see the score so far.

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In reply to Per Kolstrup (msg # 289):

Interesting numbers, tough I think that you need to add Voight to the casualty list as well.....

And Jan too. I was focusing too much on the fighting east of the lagoon. I'll go back and count the WA we eliminated west of the lagoon later today.

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Fuse,

Am I correct that Reggie is yet to look at Per, Ferro and Fraser's injuries?

And what about Varis?

Ta,

Andy

To Dave and Rae, you guys agreed that we should exfil via the front door? Or shall we go out the way we came in?

Front door could be faster since it's on the second level with us. It's also the exit I imagine any remaining bad guys will come through on their way out - which might give us a chance to ID/capture folks should we so choose.

If we go out through our CG mousehole, it'll take a bit longer to get out, and we risk losing bad guys out the front door. On the plus side, it might allow us to help with what's going on at the Krok right now.

Third option is we split, and send two to each exit.

Thoughts?

In reply to Jose Rodriguez (msg # 293):

I'm inclined to go for the CG mousehole, if only because there's less risk of triggering a booby trap (I know any trap should be set up to target anyone coming in, not going out, but I'd rather avoid the risk of stepping on a rusty nail or such like).

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 294):

Good points, Jeffe. I agree with Dave. I think it's safer and probably about as fast going out the way we came in. The front door might not be any quicker, since we'll have to pause to look for booby traps. Also, as you pointed out, if we exit via the mousehole, we'll be well placed to help the team at the BTR (although we'll probably be too late).

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That is correct. All of those wounds occurred after the teams split up (so Grant can't check Ferro, Walsh, and Frasier), and there hasn't been time to look at Varis' slight facial wound.

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Just don’t inject them with bleach...

The front door is partially barricaded so it would take some time to clear that, making the CG hole a faster exit.

In reply to Michael Kessler (msg # 297):

No one would be stupid enough to seriously suggest that.

Oh wait.

I appear to be wrong.

Apparently injecting disinfectant is something to be considered. Or was it just sarcasm? Who knows as the clips have probably been faked anyway.......

Excellent. Mousehole it is in that case.

Fuck.

15:31, Today: Varis Babicevs rolled 15 using 1d20.  Agility check.

That's two failed checks in a row. I should not be allowed to roll for myself.

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Oof! Ditto here, Rae.

Dirty trick, Fuse. :)

I made sure to mention that the webbing pouches contained things to make it more appealing. LOL

I think that Reggie is about to be very, very busy.....

Presuming though that he doesn't get killed by the remaining bandits at the Krok!

I'd like to recommend that Der Krok be moved south of the Kremlin to avoid taking more AT rifle rounds from the forest.

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