06-20-2016, 05:18 PM
Castle Black
Let's not talk about Castle Black.
Downtown Train (FQH)
(TL - Alpha)
This time my team was held in reserve and Variable (command) sent Bravo and Charlie to the fray to push through the beach boulevard. This was a good call by Variable, and as a result we got further than ever before in this mission.
I held my team back ,and pushed on left side of the beach boulevard. When action turned heavy near the bus stop we rapidly lost Etzu, Sputnik. Evans had also taken the slot of AI by now (heehee) . I traded shots with hostiles from both east and north and Evans took a shot at the Mi-8. We had lost 50% of my men, Variable ordered us to RV with other team. At this point I was killed and only Evans was left.
From sky we saw the remnants pushing close to objective, almost making it. Well done people, great leading and good plan.
Punitive Expedition
(Command)
From now on, only the veterans of punitive expedition have right to say 'night is dark and full of terrors'. No shit.
Well, it was still dusk when we set up to our recce mission. 3 teams, Manuel and Etzu commanding B and C respectively. First we had to observe target area by windmills and report to command. We spread around on the ridge and quickly located primary and secondary camps, multiple civilians, and structures.
My TLs also spotted a Black Helicopter (scary) doing a touch down landing to the base. Its purpose was unknown, but at this point we decided that recon mission ends here and raid begins now. We approached objective in wide line. Etzu on left, Manuel on right.
Opposition was relatively light and my machine gunner (Evans) was able to put accurate fire and suppression from the wind turbine overwatch. Short firefight, Varanons flares, and camp was ours.
It attracted nearby rabble and I decided to stay in our foxholes and deal with what ever is coming at us. Few short firefights in darkness and we got a new task.
We had to secure small harbor to north. Etzu took lead, and we cleared the pier. After consulting with HQ we received orders to investigate the island to the north. By now it was a complete darkness. I mean pitch black. The illumination from artillery was not to be relied on and I had to assume we are now depending on TL/grenadiers flares.
Journey with boats in complete darkness was quite nerve wrecking experience. Charlie and Bravo went ahead, and found landing spots and I saw Bravos chemlight / smoke as a landing beacon. As we all know, we are more prone to sustain casualties when exiting boats than under enemy fire, but this time we made it. After a while all teams RV'd at pitch black rocky shore. HQ updated us with several task markers. Red question marks on a pitch black island looked like map drawn as a prop to 'Lost'. Another downside was that radio transmissions (which were great!) were very silent while inside boats, and due kbTell issue, it all blurted on my screen at once. I.e what ever intel I might have had in that transmission, was lost.
I called my TLs to beach to have a chat. We discussed of various options. At first I considered splitting up teams to two, but then I was reminded we have UAV. I had forgotten the damn thing, and now was time to use it. UAV Operator (Variable) set it up and started scouting.
Downside of my decision was that there was lot of waiting. That was and is a valid concern. Here is how I saw it from leaders perspective:
- I had no idea what to expect. I couldn't rely on illumination and our flares were limited.
- Pitch black conditions and split up teams = potential for blue on blue
- Rocky island = plenty of potential for backtracking, getting stuck, etc.
- We had made it this far. Bum rushing us to machine gun nests would be just wrong.
- I could send teams to do recon, but at a risk, splitting us up and UAV does it better.Â
- UAV op is a mission specialist. Utilizing his specialty gives the man something to do, a sense of purpose. In this case the UAV also saved our asses.
A short break and letting UAV operator do his job, won hands down even if there was some audible feedback from the crowd. Besides, when the men have energy to bitch, they have energy to fight 8)
UAV sweep soon revealed a hefty opposition on island. Closest camp, Sierra-3 was defended by several men and a technical truck. Variable's work was most valuable here. He was able to provide us attack notes, directions, how to approach and how not to.
Sierra - 3 would have been too tough target for one team and to maintain some kind of sanity and control, I kept all teams on tight leash. We pushed west by coast, flanked the camp, and got to striking distance. One nerve wrecking, brutal but perfectly executed firefight with lots of 40mms = win. At the camp we located the leader, a dead one, but also came under decent fire from nearby hills (that have eyes). We traded shots with opposition for a while but under those light conditions we had a disadvantage and besides, our mission was done. I called us to disengage and we backtracked to boats.
I assumed, at this point, that mission was over.
It was not.
It turned out that we had to take a radio tower to east. UAV recce revealed MG nests guarding the approach. I considered going by the coast on foot but UAV operator informed me the MGs have good enfilade of fire.
I decided to push around with boats. I knew mission had been long, and I was aware of the more waiting. But running into MG nests would have been very demoralizing end to otherwise good mission. I decided it is better to live and bitch in darkness than to spectate with NVGs.
Another boat insertion with divine assistance with boats. Variable was able to talk us to good landing spot, and we gathered up at visual of radio tower. Due Variables excellent real-time recce, we hit the radio tower, and demolished opposition in few seconds. It took us 20 minutes to set it up and 20 second to execute. Dust settled, no friendly casualties, objective seized.
Radio tower was soon hit by artillery, and we ran back to boats. One panicked extraction, and mission win.
From my perspective everyone did top notch job in one of the toughest missions I have been to. Not a single casualty. I am especially proud of us avoiding blue on blue in conditions that were asking for it. Weather, mood, everything. Every man kept his wits and professionalism despite a long (1h 50m ) mission.
My special thanks to my great Team Leaders, and Variable for driving the UAV.
Gods work
(Ammo bearer-Bravo (Manuel))
Mission ended relatively shortly for me near the chapel of Dagon. That said, until then I enjoyed the sneak, quite..exotic mood, and sneaking in the town. One particular tough encounter was with squad deployed from truck enroute to objective.
I was killed near the chapel and I had no spectator so I don't know how the mission ended.
Let's not talk about Castle Black.
Downtown Train (FQH)
(TL - Alpha)
This time my team was held in reserve and Variable (command) sent Bravo and Charlie to the fray to push through the beach boulevard. This was a good call by Variable, and as a result we got further than ever before in this mission.
I held my team back ,and pushed on left side of the beach boulevard. When action turned heavy near the bus stop we rapidly lost Etzu, Sputnik. Evans had also taken the slot of AI by now (heehee) . I traded shots with hostiles from both east and north and Evans took a shot at the Mi-8. We had lost 50% of my men, Variable ordered us to RV with other team. At this point I was killed and only Evans was left.
From sky we saw the remnants pushing close to objective, almost making it. Well done people, great leading and good plan.
Punitive Expedition
(Command)
From now on, only the veterans of punitive expedition have right to say 'night is dark and full of terrors'. No shit.
Well, it was still dusk when we set up to our recce mission. 3 teams, Manuel and Etzu commanding B and C respectively. First we had to observe target area by windmills and report to command. We spread around on the ridge and quickly located primary and secondary camps, multiple civilians, and structures.
My TLs also spotted a Black Helicopter (scary) doing a touch down landing to the base. Its purpose was unknown, but at this point we decided that recon mission ends here and raid begins now. We approached objective in wide line. Etzu on left, Manuel on right.
Opposition was relatively light and my machine gunner (Evans) was able to put accurate fire and suppression from the wind turbine overwatch. Short firefight, Varanons flares, and camp was ours.
It attracted nearby rabble and I decided to stay in our foxholes and deal with what ever is coming at us. Few short firefights in darkness and we got a new task.
We had to secure small harbor to north. Etzu took lead, and we cleared the pier. After consulting with HQ we received orders to investigate the island to the north. By now it was a complete darkness. I mean pitch black. The illumination from artillery was not to be relied on and I had to assume we are now depending on TL/grenadiers flares.
Journey with boats in complete darkness was quite nerve wrecking experience. Charlie and Bravo went ahead, and found landing spots and I saw Bravos chemlight / smoke as a landing beacon. As we all know, we are more prone to sustain casualties when exiting boats than under enemy fire, but this time we made it. After a while all teams RV'd at pitch black rocky shore. HQ updated us with several task markers. Red question marks on a pitch black island looked like map drawn as a prop to 'Lost'. Another downside was that radio transmissions (which were great!) were very silent while inside boats, and due kbTell issue, it all blurted on my screen at once. I.e what ever intel I might have had in that transmission, was lost.
I called my TLs to beach to have a chat. We discussed of various options. At first I considered splitting up teams to two, but then I was reminded we have UAV. I had forgotten the damn thing, and now was time to use it. UAV Operator (Variable) set it up and started scouting.
Downside of my decision was that there was lot of waiting. That was and is a valid concern. Here is how I saw it from leaders perspective:
- I had no idea what to expect. I couldn't rely on illumination and our flares were limited.
- Pitch black conditions and split up teams = potential for blue on blue
- Rocky island = plenty of potential for backtracking, getting stuck, etc.
- We had made it this far. Bum rushing us to machine gun nests would be just wrong.
- I could send teams to do recon, but at a risk, splitting us up and UAV does it better.Â
- UAV op is a mission specialist. Utilizing his specialty gives the man something to do, a sense of purpose. In this case the UAV also saved our asses.
A short break and letting UAV operator do his job, won hands down even if there was some audible feedback from the crowd. Besides, when the men have energy to bitch, they have energy to fight 8)
UAV sweep soon revealed a hefty opposition on island. Closest camp, Sierra-3 was defended by several men and a technical truck. Variable's work was most valuable here. He was able to provide us attack notes, directions, how to approach and how not to.
Sierra - 3 would have been too tough target for one team and to maintain some kind of sanity and control, I kept all teams on tight leash. We pushed west by coast, flanked the camp, and got to striking distance. One nerve wrecking, brutal but perfectly executed firefight with lots of 40mms = win. At the camp we located the leader, a dead one, but also came under decent fire from nearby hills (that have eyes). We traded shots with opposition for a while but under those light conditions we had a disadvantage and besides, our mission was done. I called us to disengage and we backtracked to boats.
I assumed, at this point, that mission was over.
It was not.
It turned out that we had to take a radio tower to east. UAV recce revealed MG nests guarding the approach. I considered going by the coast on foot but UAV operator informed me the MGs have good enfilade of fire.
I decided to push around with boats. I knew mission had been long, and I was aware of the more waiting. But running into MG nests would have been very demoralizing end to otherwise good mission. I decided it is better to live and bitch in darkness than to spectate with NVGs.
Another boat insertion with divine assistance with boats. Variable was able to talk us to good landing spot, and we gathered up at visual of radio tower. Due Variables excellent real-time recce, we hit the radio tower, and demolished opposition in few seconds. It took us 20 minutes to set it up and 20 second to execute. Dust settled, no friendly casualties, objective seized.
Radio tower was soon hit by artillery, and we ran back to boats. One panicked extraction, and mission win.
From my perspective everyone did top notch job in one of the toughest missions I have been to. Not a single casualty. I am especially proud of us avoiding blue on blue in conditions that were asking for it. Weather, mood, everything. Every man kept his wits and professionalism despite a long (1h 50m ) mission.
My special thanks to my great Team Leaders, and Variable for driving the UAV.
Gods work
(Ammo bearer-Bravo (Manuel))
Mission ended relatively shortly for me near the chapel of Dagon. That said, until then I enjoyed the sneak, quite..exotic mood, and sneaking in the town. One particular tough encounter was with squad deployed from truck enroute to objective.
I was killed near the chapel and I had no spectator so I don't know how the mission ended.