Mein Panzer Cold War - Skinning the Cat
Prologue
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld shook his head and growled with irritation. He had just finished the report of the action detailed in the "Collision" report and was most annoyed at what he had read. "My God!" thought Rumsfeld, "This was a disaster! What if Cronkite gets hold of this and puts it out on CBS News? Could this turn into another 'Vietnam is Lost' moment? This war is just getting started and we can't let something like this 'Collision' debacle run this war off the rails."
After a few moments of contemplation Rumsfeld nodded his head and set his jaw. "We need a Do-Over on this." With the decision made, Rumsfeld pulled the bottom drawer of his desk open and pulled out The Very Red Phone. He picked up the receiver and heard the click as the phone was picked up on the receiving end.
The familiar voice spoke. "Morden speaking. What do you want?"
"This is Rumsfeld and ..."
"I know who this is. What do you want?"
"We need a Do-Over. We had an incident in the current project that could be very damaging if it gets out. It could raise questions of competence in the public mind. We need to erase this event and do it again with a better plan of action." There was a long silence.
"It's not easy" said Morden. "Bending space and time like that. You're asking for a lot. This requires personal handling by the Boss."
"I appreciate the difficulty", said Rumsfeld, "but think of all those souls the Corporation loses if this project ends early? Can you afford that?" Another long silence.
"Let me check with His Darkness. Please hold." Lawrence Welk muzak began to play while Rumsfeld drummed his desk. Five minutes passed and Morden resumed the call.
"Okay, you've got the Do-Over. But make your new effort worth our time. It will cost you. We'll have your soul for this."
"Yes, of course", said Rumsfeld with relief. "This time things will be different. You won't regret this. How will I know when the Do-Over has been completed? How will I know when it's been done?"
"When you throw up in your waste basket. The vertigo of the space-time warping is severe." The connection broke as Morden hung up.
"They already have my soul", thought Rumsfeld. "What morons. Things will be different when I get down there. There will be a new boss." As Rumsfeld closed the lower desk drawer with the Very Red Phone he felt an overpowering sense of dizziness and a wave of nausea hit him.
A moment later he reached for his intercom. "Get General Blanchard on the line immediately! I've got new orders!" barked Rumsfeld.
Introduction
As the old saying goes about there being more than one way to skin a cat, so tactics allow for a variety of choices in how to accomplish a given mission. These choices may be more or less appropriate, more or less expensive, more or less successful. This scenario is a replay of the basic situation presented in "The Collision" with the US side being given an opportunity to use a more sophisticated approach in meeting advancing Soviet forces and to have a chance of acquitting themselves better.
U.S. Forces
Mission: Engage advancing Soviet forces to delay or halt their advance south through the Jossa valley.
Forces Available:
- 1 x M60A1 platoon (5 tanks)
- 1 x 155 mm artillery battery on call
Soviet Forces
Mission: Operating as part of the advance guard move south through Jossa to engage US forces and carry out the regiment's mission to cut off and destroy US forces withdrawing west.
Forces Available:
Combat Reconnaissance Patrol:
- 3 x T62 tanks (1 platoon)
- 2 x BRDM 2 (representing engineer and chemical warfare recon teams)
Forward Security Element:
- 7 x T62 tanks (2 platoons and company commander tank)
- 3 x BMP 1 (1 Motor Rifle platoon)
- 1 x BRDM 2 (artillery forward observer)
- 1 x 122mm artillery battery on call
Scenario Conditions
The US side is allowed to place their force anywhere on the western half of the table before the arrival of any Soviet forces.
The Soviets will be organized into two groups: a Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP) which will enter the table on Turn 1; and a Forward Security Element (FSE) which will enter the table on Turn 5. Both forces will be required to remain road bound on the paved highway and proceed at best speed until they make contact with the US force, at which time they are released from all restrictions. Should the US player engage the CRP before the FSE has entered the table, the Soviet FSE may enter anywhere on the Soviet side of the table. Once the FSE has been engaged then the game continues for another 7 turns. The turn limit is based on the presumed entry of the Soviet Advanced Guard (a battalion plus sized force) after the seventh turn.
If the Soviets are not engaged the Soviets win.
Arrival Schedule for Soviets:
- Turn 1 - Combat Recon Patrol
- Turn 5 - Forward Security Element
Game ends when Soviet Forward Security Element exits western edge of table OR 7 turns after FSE has been engaged.
Deployment
The areas of trees are not passable to the tanks of either side so the US tank platoon cannot take position in the woods. The US player decides to take up an ambush position on the north ridge as indicated by the blue marking open circle on the image below. The blue cross is the pre-registered artillery fire point. The red arrow indicates the entry direction for the Soviets, along the highway through the village.
The ridge will allow the US tanks to remain concealed either by hugging the edge of the tree line and camouflaging with brush and tree limbs or hiding below the ridgeline on the reverse slope, then moving up to hull defilade positions to engage the Soviets in the valley below.
The two tanks alongside the trees have views into the valley. The rightmost tank is tasked with covering this approach should Soviet forces come down along the north ridge.
The US plan is to ignore the Combat Reconnaissance Patrol and let it exit the table. The tank in the upper center (the platoon leader) will initiate the ambush when the Soviet Forward Security Element emerges from the village. The two tanks in defilade in the center will move up to hull down positions and engage. The artillery will fire on the target reference point to split the Soviet column and isolate the leading vehicles from the rest of the Soviet force. Kill as many Soviets as possible and leave before the Soviet Advanced Guard arrives.
The Game
Turn 1 and the Soviet Combat Reconnaissance Patrol enters.
The US player watches the CRP cross and exit the table. Someone further down the road will deal with them.
Game turn 5 and the US target, the Forward Security Element, arrives.
The US watches the FSE emerge from Jossa.
The US platoon leader decides the Soviets have moved down the road far enough and engages the lead Soviet T62, thereby initiating the ambush.
The lead tank, hit in the left side bursts into flames. The ambush sprung, the US M60s move up the to their hull defilade positions and engage.
Three more T62s are quickly destroyed before the Soviets can react.
Then the US artillery falls adding to the Soviet's plight. The sole undamaged Soviet tank in the lead group routs (visible at lower left of village). The remaining Soviets pull back to get buildings between themselves and the US fires.
To further complicate the Soviet situation, both Soviet tank platoon leaders have been killed as well as the FSE commander. Only the BMP platoon leader is left to attempt to lead the FSE.
The US adjusts its artillery fires closer to the village. The US tanks watch for targets to present themselves. The US platoon leader knows that the Soviet Advanced Guard is barreling down the road towards him and so will not risk getting caught in the open without a covered escape route.
The BMP platoon leader successfully gains command of the FSE. The Soviet artillery Forward Observer maneuvers to a position to view the area from which the ambush was sprung.
The Soviet BMP platoon leader, filled with the spirit of aktivnost*, decides to use the masking effect of the Soviet artillery and orders the BMP platoon to maneuver to the tree line on the north ridge.
As the Soviet barrage continues, the BMPs begin to move along the tree line. If they can get close enough the infantry may be able to close with the US tanks and drive them off. The surviving T62s take up over watch positions covering the location of the ambushing enemy.
The US platoon leader, having been watching the clock and sensing through his fingerspitzengefühl** that the Soviets are closing up to him, decides that now is the time to leave. The platoon begins a controlled withdrawl. The US artillery is lifted. There are other urgent requests for their services.
The Soviet artillery lifts and the BMPs dismount their infantry but their quarry has gone.
The infantry secure the area just as the Advanced Guard begins to enter the board. The US has gotten safely away to their next position.
Results
U.S.: No losses.
Soviets: 4 tanks killed. 1 tank routed off the table. Forward Security Element delayed.
Assessed: US victory.
Epilogue
The Pentagon - later that evening. Secretary Rumsfeld reviews the report on the day's action at Jossa.
"Better. Much better." thinks Rumsfeld. "Cronkite won't have anything to use against us; the Commies got a bloody nose; and, I look good. I think the platoon leader at Jossa has earned himself a medal. Life is good." Rumsfeld smiles.
Comments
As noted in the introduction, this was a redo to show a different tactical approach to dealing with the initial stages of a meeting engagement scenario.
The M60 is a tall tank which makes it a bit easier to see, but a compensating benefit is it can depress its main gun to a greater degree than a Soviet T62 ( −10° for the M60 versus −6° for the T62). This fact points to high ground defilade positions giving the Americans a tactical advantage. Hence the ridge line ambush position selected by the US in this scenario.
Was this a fun or balanced scenario? Fun for the ambushers, of course. Balanced? No. But then in real war you look for every advantage to make the situation as unbalanced in your favor as you can. An ambush is designed to be as unfair a situation as you manage.
Glossary
* Aktivnost: the Soviet military principle of energetic, forceful and active pursuit of military goals.
** Fingerspitzengefühl: a German word which literally means "finger tip feeling" and means possessing an intuitive flair or instinct for the dynamics and nuances of a situation.
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