Turn 16:
Artillery is done. My forces move in to capture and secure the factory.
Militia platoon is discovered from the southern route and dealt with accordingly. Additional rifle platoon seems to be covering the north. For now I have lost 1 man during disembarkment procedute, but all enemy teams are routed.
Moments later another man is down, but enemy pays entire platoon for it. My numbers are sheer advantage here and Moldavian remnants are unable to take up a proper fight.
My ATROMs begin to group up for advance. They must be quick, there is no time to loose!
Enemy turn is painful though. One of the mortars is still active and may threat the artillery. But one of my Bizonuls ends its turn right in front of undiscovered rifle squad...
Friendly losses: 2 men, 1 Bizonul
Enemy losses: circa 2 platoons
Turn 17:
Remaining rifle squad is neutralized within a minute. ATROMs carry on with advance under protection with no noticable complications.
Friendly losses: none
Enemy losses: Rifle squad
Turn 18:
Enemy mortart takes out 2 of my soldiers. I dispatch a squad to find it and kill it.
And I find it nearly immediately, as it is in nearby woods, like 200m away from the factory. My tank kills RPG-7 team that tried to sneak up upon me.
ATROMs carry on...
Friendly losses: 2 men
Enemy losses: 2x81mm mortars, RPG team
Turn 19 onwards till 24:
A single ATROM gets under fire from remainder non discovered by my troops and burns down. Remaining units carry on.
One of my tanks nearby find out the remainder and wipes it out.
There is a major engagement in turn 21, when ATROM security elements run into ambush of several RPG teams and a rifle squad. Reinforecements are rushed in to help. The outcome is: rifle squad down together with 3 RPG-7VR teams. 4 dead on my side, one ATROM slightly damaged. ATROM crews engaged the targets with own rifles this turn. Moments later additional rifle squad tried to run my back, but they are destroyed to a single man.
By the turn 24 all ATROMs are ready, one more border guards squad is destroyed in the meantime.
Friendly losses: ATROM, ATROM slightly damaged, 4 men
Enemy losses: 2 Border Guards squadS, 2 rifle squads, 3 RPG teams
TURN 24 - END OF BATTLE 1!
Romanian Casualties were as listed: 130 men hit, 10 APCs knowcked out, 8 heavy vehicles knocked out, 1 UAV shot down
Moldavian Casualties were as listed: 803 men hit, 12 static weapons destroyed, 6 armoured vehicles knocked out
Score: 7942:2868 what gives of course a marginal victory.
Here are the details:
Casualties sustained by unit:
Brigade Command - 0 losses
284th Tank Battalion - 7 vehicles total, 28 men total (yes, no crew survivors at all)
1st Company - 3 Bizonul tanks down, 77% of combat effectiveness maintained, UNDER expectations (90%)
2nd Company - 3 Bizonul tanks down, 77% of combat effectiveness maintained, UNDER expectations (90%)
3nd Company - 1 Bizonul tank down, 92% of combat effectiveness maintained, MET expectations
Overall combat capacity at 82%, UNDER expectations (90%)
Several tanks immobilized, will be back in service within 1 hour.
1st Coy - 1 tank, 2nd Coy - 2 tanks, 3rd Coy - 2 tanks (they shall enter late during the next battle)
280th Mechanized Battalion - 37 men down (19 KIA, 9 LWIA, 7 HWIA), 2 vehicles knocked out.
1st Company - 25 men, 1 MLI-84 lost, circa 80% of combat capacity left, UNDER expectations (90%)
2nd Company - 5 men, 1 MLI-84 lost, circa 92% of combat capacity left, MET expectations
3rd Company - 7 men, circa 92% of combat capacity left, MET expectations
Besides, 4 MLIs immobilized due to driving errors, they shall come in delayed.
Overall combat capacity at 88%, SLIGHTLY BELOW expectations (90%)
300th Mechanized Battalion - 4 men in total, 2 KIA, 1 LWIA, 1 HWIA. Combat efficiency of course maintained
Artillery Battalion: 1 ATROM lost (slightly damaged goes off list), with 8 men crew, all KIA
94% of capacity is UNDER expectations (100%)
Logistics Battalion: no losses, full efficiency
In total, my core force suffered: 77 men casualties (including 57 KIA!), 7 Bizonul tanks and 2 MLI-84 IFVs. This gives me 94,5% of fighting force, still capable of offensive combat operations.
Now, units that are NOT my core:
Recon Company from Recon Battalion "Vlad Tepes" - 35 casualties (18 KIA, 10 HWIA, 27 LWIA), 8 TABC-79 lost, 1 TABC-79 slightly damaged. This gives circa 20-23% of combat efficiency for this unit. That is a huge waste that divisional HQ shall blame on me... for a reason. Company will be taken away from me, what means I do not dispose a recon element anymore for the next mission.
MOLDAVIANS:
Moldavian defence consisted of:
1x Infantry Battalion (3 Companies with some support)
1x Reserve Infantry Company, acting as Border Guards
2x Militia Companies, acting as paramilitaries mobilized already
They have suffered 99% of their fighting strenght in the area (8 men are alive, HQ and FO) out of more than 800 defenders.
Additionally, 1x ZPU-2 and 2x DShKM were captured untouched and are available in my reserves.
Enemy losses are 250 KIA, 192 HWIA, 306 LWIA, 55 POW
CIVILIANS:
Due to heavy shelling and generally very bloody and dramatic fighting, civilian casualties are heavy, not without blame on Moldavians. We counted 1189 civilian losses, that include 86 dead, 956 seriously wounded needing instant hospitalization and 147 just scratched.
Circa 6% of the city buildings were destroyed, collateral damage is no greater than 4 milion USD.
Hospitals are completely overcrouded, pitty and poverty flood the damaged streets. Sadly, division does not dispose CIMIC battalion as does the 1st ID covering Serbian border. No actual support is granted except medical supplies. No doctors, no immediate follow up forces. More civilian casualties shall occur.
Political situation is really bad for now, government blames the incident on Moldavian defence based on heavily populated area. ICRC, UN and AI ask why more than 500 100mm shells were used in the city. Bodies are found everywhere, videos leak on YouTube, LiveLeak, Funker530 channel comdemns the invasion. Ukraine, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria does the same. Hungary and Poland does not comment by now. US expresses regret over Romania's actions and urge both sides to restrain, what means "go ahead but quickly".
Romania's 1 day of war is still going on. Roads must be secured, advance shall be provided...
OK, from technical side:
- Next mission gives me no reinforcements
- Recon Company is taken away
- New support will be dice rolled, possibly stay as it is, except the UAV
I dispose these reservers: when I go over them, no more reinforcements will be available:
200 men (excluding the crews), then I shall recruit conscript squads
13x TR-85M2 Bizonul (lucky dice roll)
10x TR-85 (slightly upgraded T-55)
5x TR-580 (in fact, locally produced T-54, slightly upgraded)
10x MLI-84M
5x MLI-84M- (without Spike ATGM)
15x MLI-84 (Romanian built BMP-1)
10x TAB-71 (Romanian BTR-60, as last resort)
6x M81 FGs (Romanian D-20, replacement for ATROM)
Infinite amount of trucks (too much to calculate really)
Captured equipment:
1x ZPU-2
2x DShKM
OK, some feedback would be welcome, some suggestions maybe as well. Next battle to come within 2 weeks, my deploying-guy must be back from Christmas and New Year.
In the evening of day 1, Romanian military shall carry on towards NE, though the national highway along Ukrainian border.
