Combat Mission Shock Force: The Fight For Compound 14

I have recently discovered the NatGeo show Battleground Afghanistan.  The show is pretty compelling and I've enjoyed following Golf company and their missions inside Helmand province. I wanted to simulate one of the shows I watched so the post below is my attempt to do so.

I am still learning how to use the Combat Mission Shock Force Editor so the scenario is rough.

I don't have the Marines expansion for Shock Force so I used 2 platoons of Stryker Infantry in this Compund 14 mission.

Mission:  A reinforced battalion of US infantry has been inserted into the Zamindawar region of Helmand province to take the fight to the Taliban.  Zamindawar also has numerous poppy fields that  
the Taliban are using to fund their war against ISAF so destroying the Taliban's hold on the valley has a financial impact on their prosecution of the war against ISAF.

After one week on the ground, Charlie company has pushed the Taliban back and identified Compound 14 as the location of the Taliban command and control.

Mission Objectives:  Seize Compound 14.  Secure a nearby landing zone in case of a medical evacuation and seize the secondary objective Compound 12.

US Reinforcements:  One platoon of M1A1 Abrams tanks.

US Starting Deployment:  2 Infantry platoons with Apache ground attack helicopter support.

Terrain: Poppy farms, bordered by trees and bushes.  A series of irrigation ditches that the Taliban is using to move around the battlefield.

The US attack pushes off just before dawn.  Compound 14 is located east of the US position.  By 6:00AM the sun will be in the attackers eyes.

My first playtest put the AI for the Taliban on defense only.  I didn't give the AI a plan and was more interested in the sight lines on the map and whether or not the Taliban Fighters could withstand two platoons of advancing US Infantry supported by Apache gunships for 30+ minutes.  After 30 minutes US tank reinforcements arrive which should tip the scales decidedly towards the Americans.  The Taliban receive 3 small waves of reinforcements as local combatants move towards the sounds of fighting.


US Infantry advance on Compound 14.

3rd squad reaches the shelter of a roadside embankment. Compound 14 is in the distance.

A firefight erupts at Compound 12.  US forces suffered 2 KIA here.

Compound 13 captured, US forces use the irrigation ditches bordering the poppy fields to reach Compound 14 while an M1 moves into a supporting position.

M1 tanks pound Taliban positions along the main road into Compound 14.



The battlefield.  There is a Taliban spy observer near the roadside in the distance.  Compound 14 remains in Taliban control despite the US forces winning a total victory. 

I never made it to Compound 14 but did seize the two other objectives (LZ and compound 13).

Conclusion:  My forces moved methodically across the map using coordinated fire to suppress known Taliban positions.  Capturing the irrigation ditches also allowed my forces to outflank several stubborn Taliban positions.  Seizing Compound 12 proved difficult.  I knew where the troops were but couldn't get LOS without exposing my men.

Will work on some Taliban AI plans next and increase their toughness in the editor.


Comments

Doug Miller said…
Looks really interesting! I hope you release it so I can get a chance to play it...
Chris said…
Hi Doug. I will! Though I need to figure out how to do it.

I will play test it a few more times and them release it. It's a small firefight and a pretty straight shot to compound 14. I have been thinking about widening the battlefield to give blue force some room to maneuver.

The mission also starts with blue machine gunners opening fire on Taliban fighters near the elevated road. I need to push them back somewhere and make it more of an open question as to where the
Taliban are setup.

Chris

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