Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
It never ceases to amaze me how WinSPMBT can create such freewheeling war adventures within its modest programming. Here’s a good example:
I was playing the Blackhorse! Scenario (#33) whereby the American player has to delay a Soviet advance. Well, during the course of this battle, I had two amusing incidents.
The first involved my B Troop HQ. Placed in the town of Kirchassel, I thought my HQ was sufficiently south of the frontlines to avoid being quickly over-run and destroyed. Truth be told, I should have expected trouble when Soviet 152mm artillery started falling on the east end of the city, turning that once nice part of town in a burning conflagration! Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
While the Soviets did launch a heavy attack from the distant northeast, one that was largely blunted by some well-placed M3 Bradleys, it was a surprise attack to the northwest that proved a great danger to over-running my HQ. Fortunately, not being satisfied with the initial scenario placement of a platoon of M1 tanks, I moved them much closer to Kirchassel. It was from their new location, along with the serendipitous arrival of two Cobra gunships, that they were able to intercept a BMP-heavy, south-rushing force in something that resembled a “L”-shaped ambush! We decimated them!
But therein lies the problem.
For many of these disabled BMPs disgorged their infantry cargo that promptly headed for the safety of Kirchassel…and my HQ (which was only guarded by an attached Stinger squad)! ‘Oh shoot’ was my initial [edited] reaction. What the heck to do? I started to fall back to the east when I had to stop because of the arrival of two BMPs into town. That way was blocked. Now what? I looked around the map for help with the only reinforcements being a squad of MPs along with their Hummer.
This unit has its own interesting story….
I had the MPs posted at a wooded checkpoint at the intercession of two roads, guarding a VP hex. Just to the other side of the road was the Hummer with its .50 cal machinegun, ready to act as reinforcements if the MPs met any of those sabotaging Spetsnaz “farmers” or “civilians.” Well, up this road, a nasty armor battle had broken out with M1s, M3s and arty dueling with T-72s, BMPs, BTRs and arty. It was an epic fight, with many Soviet vehicles being obliterated. Unfortunately, so were most of my M1s and M3s when an armored company to their east flanked them (only one M1 and about 3 M3s survived). Before my MPs and Hummer crew knew it, they found themselves behind enemy lines as the enemy tanks came rushing down the highway from the north (despite some excellent use of ICM arty on my behalf, if I may say so). What to do? Stay quiet! I had both hunker down in their separated patches of woods as the tanks drove past. When I saw a break in enemy traffic, I held my breath and told my Hummer to speed across the road to meet up with the MPs. No doubt putting the pedal to the metal, my Hummer dashed across the road…and survived undetected!
Whew!
Now, how to relieve HQ? As I was preparing a dash to Kirchassel, more enemy tanks started flowing south. Fortunately, my Hummer held quiet and acted like a tree. Unfortunately, my MPs got brave and took a rear shot with a LAW at a T-72 that had passed just outside its neck of the woods! And missed! Needless to say, this didn’t make the T-72 happy. It stopped and blasted the MPs out of the knoll. Their morale broke and they made a pretty good run for Kirchassel…right up to the moment when a BMP gunned them down in a field.
This was a downer for my Hummer crew.
The enemy tanks resumed their march south. When another moment of quiet appeared, I resolved to speed the Hummer to the rescue of my HQ. My driver held his breath, put the vehicle in drive, and dashed out of the woods, heading west. Soon after leaving the woods, an undetected BMP took a shot…and missed! The Hummer turned south to avoid. Another BMP took a shot…and missed! My Hummer turned west to avoid…and stumbled upon a squad of Soviet recon troops who opened fire…and missed!
What to do?!?
Doing what he does best, my driver shouted “Make haste for the woods!” and drove into the nearest patch of trees he could find, just outside the burning ruins of east Kirschassel. The enemy recon troops wouldn’t give up and followed my Hummer, firing as they went (including those damnable airburst RPGs). Forced into a corner, the .50 cal HB fired back, forcing the enemy troops to go to ground. And it was there that I was forced to leave them for the time.
Back to the HQ….
Okay, it was clear no reinforcements were going to get Kirchassel anytime soon. Time to stand and fight! Aligning my HQ and Stinger team, we awaited the first Soviet troops to enter range.
They soon did.
My Stinger team put down their missiles, picked up their M-16s and opened fire, dropping a enemy trooper or two. This made the Soviets mad for some reason and they returned fire. Back and forth the gunfire zipped. Ultimately, my Stinger team was wiped out by the superior fire of the enemy squad. They purchased time with their lives for the HQ to fall back .
It is here I would like to have a moment of silence for Private Casamento and his brave team, lest we forget….:salute:
Okay, my HQ, inspired by their sacrifice, opened fire and killed a few enemies, forcing them to go to ground. Unfortunately, another, and then another(!), squad of Soviet troops got into the fight. My HQ started giving ground, one building at a time. A Cobra gunship arrived and briefly gunned down some members of one of the enemy squads but then had to depart for bigger fish to the east. I also used one of my mortar carriers to land a few well-placed shells, forcing a squad or two to go low and slow (unfortunately, my heavy SP arty was busying displacing to avoid some inopportune counter-battery fire). But still I was forced to fire a few shots and fallback to the next building.
I was running out of buildings, preparing to go down in a blaze of glory, when a most remarkable thing happened. The Soviets, either annoyed by the firefight, or detecting the radio transmissions of my HQ. started dropping 152mm shells all over west Kirchassel, collapsing buildings all around us! Even more amazing was the fact that two shell hit my HQ’s building, not doing any damage or inflicting any casualties! But what did happen is that the 152s landed amongst the Soviets, wounding many and thoroughly demoralizing the lot of them! They started fleeing south instead, away from the city and right into the gunfire of my M1s!
We were saved by Soviet artillery!
True story!
As for my Hummer, well, those poor guys are still hiding out in their trees. This battle isn’t over yet, but I think they did all that was required of them at this point.
WinSPMBT – you’ve gotta love it!
I was playing the Blackhorse! Scenario (#33) whereby the American player has to delay a Soviet advance. Well, during the course of this battle, I had two amusing incidents.
The first involved my B Troop HQ. Placed in the town of Kirchassel, I thought my HQ was sufficiently south of the frontlines to avoid being quickly over-run and destroyed. Truth be told, I should have expected trouble when Soviet 152mm artillery started falling on the east end of the city, turning that once nice part of town in a burning conflagration! Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
While the Soviets did launch a heavy attack from the distant northeast, one that was largely blunted by some well-placed M3 Bradleys, it was a surprise attack to the northwest that proved a great danger to over-running my HQ. Fortunately, not being satisfied with the initial scenario placement of a platoon of M1 tanks, I moved them much closer to Kirchassel. It was from their new location, along with the serendipitous arrival of two Cobra gunships, that they were able to intercept a BMP-heavy, south-rushing force in something that resembled a “L”-shaped ambush! We decimated them!
But therein lies the problem.
For many of these disabled BMPs disgorged their infantry cargo that promptly headed for the safety of Kirchassel…and my HQ (which was only guarded by an attached Stinger squad)! ‘Oh shoot’ was my initial [edited] reaction. What the heck to do? I started to fall back to the east when I had to stop because of the arrival of two BMPs into town. That way was blocked. Now what? I looked around the map for help with the only reinforcements being a squad of MPs along with their Hummer.
This unit has its own interesting story….
I had the MPs posted at a wooded checkpoint at the intercession of two roads, guarding a VP hex. Just to the other side of the road was the Hummer with its .50 cal machinegun, ready to act as reinforcements if the MPs met any of those sabotaging Spetsnaz “farmers” or “civilians.” Well, up this road, a nasty armor battle had broken out with M1s, M3s and arty dueling with T-72s, BMPs, BTRs and arty. It was an epic fight, with many Soviet vehicles being obliterated. Unfortunately, so were most of my M1s and M3s when an armored company to their east flanked them (only one M1 and about 3 M3s survived). Before my MPs and Hummer crew knew it, they found themselves behind enemy lines as the enemy tanks came rushing down the highway from the north (despite some excellent use of ICM arty on my behalf, if I may say so). What to do? Stay quiet! I had both hunker down in their separated patches of woods as the tanks drove past. When I saw a break in enemy traffic, I held my breath and told my Hummer to speed across the road to meet up with the MPs. No doubt putting the pedal to the metal, my Hummer dashed across the road…and survived undetected!
Whew!
Now, how to relieve HQ? As I was preparing a dash to Kirchassel, more enemy tanks started flowing south. Fortunately, my Hummer held quiet and acted like a tree. Unfortunately, my MPs got brave and took a rear shot with a LAW at a T-72 that had passed just outside its neck of the woods! And missed! Needless to say, this didn’t make the T-72 happy. It stopped and blasted the MPs out of the knoll. Their morale broke and they made a pretty good run for Kirchassel…right up to the moment when a BMP gunned them down in a field.
This was a downer for my Hummer crew.
The enemy tanks resumed their march south. When another moment of quiet appeared, I resolved to speed the Hummer to the rescue of my HQ. My driver held his breath, put the vehicle in drive, and dashed out of the woods, heading west. Soon after leaving the woods, an undetected BMP took a shot…and missed! The Hummer turned south to avoid. Another BMP took a shot…and missed! My Hummer turned west to avoid…and stumbled upon a squad of Soviet recon troops who opened fire…and missed!
What to do?!?
Doing what he does best, my driver shouted “Make haste for the woods!” and drove into the nearest patch of trees he could find, just outside the burning ruins of east Kirschassel. The enemy recon troops wouldn’t give up and followed my Hummer, firing as they went (including those damnable airburst RPGs). Forced into a corner, the .50 cal HB fired back, forcing the enemy troops to go to ground. And it was there that I was forced to leave them for the time.
Back to the HQ….
Okay, it was clear no reinforcements were going to get Kirchassel anytime soon. Time to stand and fight! Aligning my HQ and Stinger team, we awaited the first Soviet troops to enter range.
They soon did.
My Stinger team put down their missiles, picked up their M-16s and opened fire, dropping a enemy trooper or two. This made the Soviets mad for some reason and they returned fire. Back and forth the gunfire zipped. Ultimately, my Stinger team was wiped out by the superior fire of the enemy squad. They purchased time with their lives for the HQ to fall back .
It is here I would like to have a moment of silence for Private Casamento and his brave team, lest we forget….:salute:
Okay, my HQ, inspired by their sacrifice, opened fire and killed a few enemies, forcing them to go to ground. Unfortunately, another, and then another(!), squad of Soviet troops got into the fight. My HQ started giving ground, one building at a time. A Cobra gunship arrived and briefly gunned down some members of one of the enemy squads but then had to depart for bigger fish to the east. I also used one of my mortar carriers to land a few well-placed shells, forcing a squad or two to go low and slow (unfortunately, my heavy SP arty was busying displacing to avoid some inopportune counter-battery fire). But still I was forced to fire a few shots and fallback to the next building.
I was running out of buildings, preparing to go down in a blaze of glory, when a most remarkable thing happened. The Soviets, either annoyed by the firefight, or detecting the radio transmissions of my HQ. started dropping 152mm shells all over west Kirchassel, collapsing buildings all around us! Even more amazing was the fact that two shell hit my HQ’s building, not doing any damage or inflicting any casualties! But what did happen is that the 152s landed amongst the Soviets, wounding many and thoroughly demoralizing the lot of them! They started fleeing south instead, away from the city and right into the gunfire of my M1s!
We were saved by Soviet artillery!
True story!
As for my Hummer, well, those poor guys are still hiding out in their trees. This battle isn’t over yet, but I think they did all that was required of them at this point.
WinSPMBT – you’ve gotta love it!
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