[Lt. Ketch]

I got to play a bit two night ago, but wasn't able to post. I got in about 6 turns with a slight change to the overall plan, but no unpleasent suprises.

Since my last post, my force has established a re-supply area and split into two groups. Having cleared the area due west of the southern objectives, I brought in my Chinooks with their ammo supply, rifle squad escorts, and two of the SPMs to set up a re-supply area. 1st Ranger moved on through the area and began advanceing north, to take up position on the west side of a the clearing north of the hill I landed my airborne troops. 2nd Ranger moved up to the road that ran through the clearing and then doubled back towards the objective, intending to take the objective from behind. The company HQ is following 2nd Ranger as they are likely to need rallying and additional support, moreso than 1st. Battalion HQ is staying near the resupply area out of sight.

Combat has been fairly straight forward. The area I've now converted into my resupply was crawling in crews from all the vehicels that I destroyed east of the objectives. I can't wait until I get the CD version of MBT so I can use the Opp Fire filter. The enemy got a good veiew of all the different units I had when their crews started drawing all their fire. Waste.

2nd Ranger encoutered a few squads of infantry as they began working their way in towards the objectives. Mortar bombardment suppressed a few squads and consentrated fire from the MMG squad and APCs proved useful. I've also got a Sheridan accompanying them for close support.

While I have one section of SPMs and ammo carriers east of the stream still, they did come in handy spotting a large number of APC (BTP-40s, and 80s) moving through the north east part of the map. After moving the SPMs towards the rest of my troops, I dispatched newly re-armed Apaches to deal with them. They were not only able to severally disrupt their opperations by blowing the large majority of them sky high, but were also able to kill all MANPAD teams that they may have been carrying. Not bad for trying to hit two guys at 1000+ meters on a moving waepons platform. They also took out two more tanks moving down the N-S road towards the southern objectives.

I didn't want my 2 SPMs too close to my resupply in case the enemy would try to target them for counter bombardment, so I moved them into a group of trees northwest of the resupply area. After they moved there, the enemy did target them with counter battery fire, but rather than firing indirectly, a lone 152mm howitzer was sighting down the barrel at them. While I didn't take any damage, I decided that I had better take care of that pesky gun and the other puffs of smoke in that area. I returned direct fire with my mortars to keep that one quite, than moved my Chinooks in to check it out and remove any other "problems." The first chopper was able to make it overthere without any problems, using cover to hide it from any MANPADs that may be around, and was able to find and destroy two guns, while suppressing two others. I moved the other one over and while he did have a MANPAD shot at him, but he was able to evade and then destroyed two more guns. I'll move them back until 1st Ranger can find that manpad and any friends that might be with him. 1st Ranger was also able to help remove some of the artillary threat by destroying an 82mm mortar they came across.

The plan at this point is to continue in taking southern objective with 2nd Ranger and then have them move up the road toward the central area while 1st Ranger applies pressure (and hunts for LAD) from the west. The SPMs in the east will join with the rest of the group while their western counterparts provide fire with the company 60mm mortar. The Apaches are resupplying again after their APC raid and the Chinooks will retreat back to friendly skies. One Blackhawk is supporting 1st Ranger while the second is comeing back to resupply the Javilen team.

It's about turn 15 of 29, which still gives me some time to aim for two of the three objectives. The enemy has lost a section of its heavy artillary and a large part of it's mobile force has be reduced to burning wrecks. LAD still seems in place in the North, so my choppers will have to move carefully there. Overall, I think I might pull a decisive from this one as the only units I've lost to date are a Stinger team and a 40mm AGL team that was attached to 2nd Ranger. I was upset about the AGL as it was core and veteran with 7 shots and good aim. his counterpart in 1st Ranger isn't as good yet.