Scenario: Turkey's Lightening Shield Operation

[shahadi]

Turkey’s Lightening Shield Operation

PLEASE READ POST #22 for final gameplay notes, hints, and maps. The scenario files are located on post #23 in the zip file titled: Lightening Shield Operation Full Battle. The scenario loads to slot 274. Please check full thread for battle results from other players! Enjoy.

Abdullah and his family are Syrian Turkmen as are nearly three quarters of Syria’s 22 million people. The Syrian Turkmen families are Syrian citizens of Turkish descent whose forefathers settled in Syrian provinces bordering Turkey, the former Ottoman Empire centuries ago.

"Their tanks surround the Sunni villages and fire on them, and then the soldiers come into the villages, harass the people and beat the men and sexually assault the women," he said. "They take any man over the age of 12 with them." Abdullah broken and in tears told his story to aid workers in a camp just across the border, not 5km from his farming village of Kafar Houm.

Upon hearing this report and other similar stories, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the prime minister of Turkey immediately ordered General Erdal Ceylanoglu, commander of the Turkish Army to dispatch sufficient forces to secure the welfare and evacuation of civilians in the village of Kafar Houm that sits on the Turkish border. General Ceylanglu turned to the 2nd Army headquartered in Malatya to execute “Lightening Shield.”

Following the experience gained in the Yildirim-2011 exercise, the 2nd Army tasked the mission to elements of VI Corps, namely: the 5th Armored Brigade, 39th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, and an Airborne Inf Co from the 2nd Airborne Battalion. The VI Corps planners put the Airborne Inf Co in a blocking position at the Eastern edge of the village along the rolling hills to delay Syrian units until the remaining elements enter the battle space. Once the remaining elements engage in the battle, trucks will follow to provide evac of civilians to safe camps in Turkey.

Although, for political reasons, Prime Minister Erdogan vetoed Army’s plan to use fighter planes and attack helicopters, the Army felt confident that VI Corp’s plan will meet the objectives of Lightening Shield while not provoking Syria to further escalate the issue in order to prosecute a wider engagement.

Gameplay:
A Turkish delay vs Syrian advance with force balance of 1:3 respectively.

Although victory flags are not important - they are used to aid the AI in the control of Syrian units - highlighted buildings must be protected as well as civilians. I have increased the costs of civilian units and certain marked buildings to 999 therefore it is paramount that civilian units are trucked out of harm’s way. In this scenario, the buildings are objectives by placing buildings on top of ordinance units and increasing the costs of each ordinance unit dramatically.

While we cannot design unit dismounts we mirrored real world tactics by placing dismounted units ahead of their vehicles and decreasing the speed of the vehicles below that of the infantry units. At some point in the game, follow-up Syrian armored vehicles and tanks will enter the fray with their speeds unthrottled.

The scenario should only be played from the Turkish side.
Marked buildings: The Agricultural College, the Administrative Courts, the Central Mosque, the Roman Catholic Church, and the District Hospital must not suffer damage, nor, should any of the civilians.

Failure to secure the welfare and evac of the civilians will result in a humiliating defeat.

*Scenario files are nearly complete. Action depicting the Airborne Inf Co is in active gameplay testing. The scenario map showing Kafar Houm village with victory flags, building objectives and location of civilians is included as part of this abstract.

Turkey is Northwest (left) on this map. Syrian units enter from the East (right).

Your comments are appreciated.

B-2Abn deployed at PL Big Poppa (image not showing on page 3 post #21)

[Oche]

The map looks great, try to keep the sides balanced enough so that the Syrians cannot just steamroll and rout the turks all over the map in a few turns once the Syrian tanks arrive. Good luck.

[shahadi]

In this post, I have included the complete formation of Charlie Co, 2nd Airbrn Inf Battalion. This unit is the first to arrive at Kafar Houm village along the Turkish/Syrian border. It is tasked to block Syrian interior security, police, and regular army units until relieved by the remaining elements of Turkey's 2nd Army, VI Corps, Rapid Response Team. I am currently testing and preparing the general gameplay using Syrian security forces supported by a medium tank company vs. the Airbrn Inf Co shown in the chart below.

Heavy Syrian follow-up units will be met by a Turkish combat team composed of a Mech Inf Co and a MBT Plt around turn 25.

Please comment.

[duff]

How far forward are the Turks starting?

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by duff

How far forward are the Turks starting?

The Turks are forward of the village at the nearest point only 400m to the edge of the foothills. However, at the start of gameplay, the Airbrn Co are passengers in their helos. It is the player's responsibility to position this force to delay the Syrians until the arrival of the Turk's Rapid Response Team. Also, the player must establish casevac and 82mm mortar placements.

[shahadi]

OPORD 2012 - 347
TF 1-39 BCT

1. SITUATION:

A. ENEMY FORCES:

1. The Syrian Internal Security Forces (SISF) has completed reconstitution and has begun offensive operations in sector. He is currently near 95 percent combat effectiveness with support of regular Syrian army units to follow.

2. His most likely course of action is to attack in zone using highway N15 to destroy the village Kafar Houm thereby precipitating the, murder, rape, and debasement of the residents. He will attack down the length of the highway N15 and North along the foothills east of PL Big Poppa using armor cars and BMPs as his first echelon with direct support by mortars and SAMs. He will follow up his initial attack with companies of infantry and armor from regular army units as his second echelon of attack. He will hear B Co, 2nd Abn, 1st Cdo helos, and will thereupon dismount and aggressive press his attack to the North along the foothills down to highway N15.

2. MISSION:

B Co, 2nd Abn, 1 Cdo Bde defends in sector to destroy the 1st echelon of the Syrian Interior Security Forces at PL Big Poppa [L/D]. B/2-1 Cdo Bde passes 1st Inf Bn, 39th Mech Inf Bde through to allow them to complete the destruction of the 1st echelon and all Syrian follow up units while L/138th Trans Bn, 319th SB transports civilians to the Casualty Collection Point also noted as the Civilian Collection Point (CCP). The 3rd Ar Bn, 5th Ar Bde conducts a counter attack in sector at PL Big Poppa with B/2-1 Cdo Bde striking deep into the Syrian rear to complete the destruction of the Syrian forces. We will defend the village Kafar Houm without damage to life or property.

3. Execution:
A. COMMANDER'S INTENT. It is my intent to destroy the 1st echelon of the SISF, then withdraw B/2-1 Cdo Bde and pass through 1st Inf Bn, 39th Mech Inf Bde and 3rd Ar Bn, 5th Ar Bde to complete the destruction of the follow on echelons of the regular Syrian army units with B/2-1 Cdo Bde flanking deep in the Syrian rear from the Southwest along the zone.

B. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION.

1. Maneuver. B/2-1 Cdo Bde will block the SISF along PL Big Poppa. D Co, 1st Inf Bn, 39th Mech Inf Bde will pass through B/2-1 Cdo Bde destroying all Syrian forces in sector greater than platoon size at OBJ Chili Pepper. B/2-1 Cdo Bde will mount up for a deep strike in the Syrian rear flying along the Southern edge of the sector to the far Eastern edge of OBJ Chili Pepper.

2. Fires. B Co, 3rd FA Bn, 106 FA Bde will mass counter fires on Syrian mortars. Second phase, B/3-106 FA Bde will mass fires on Syrian dismounted units along the foothills North of N15. Third phase, B/3-106 FA Bde with 1-39 BCT mortars will destroy Syrian SAM units.

4. Friendly Forces:
TF 1-39 BCT
Alpha Co, 3rd Ar Bn, 5th Ar Bde
Delta Co, 1st Inf Bn, 39th Mech Inf Bde
Bravo Co, 2nd Abn Bn, 1st Cdo Bde
Bravo Co, 3rd FA Bn, 106 FA Bde
Lima Co, 138th Trans Bn, 319th Sustainment Bde

Please help development with your comments.
Area of Operations map (AOO) included:

[shahadi]

TURKEYS’ LIGHTENING SHIELD OPERATION – 1ST ECHELON BATTLE.
LSO Phase 1.

Files attached: LSO_1stEchelon_Battle_485.zip
Slot: 485.

Abdullah and his family are Syrian Turkmen as are nearly three quarters of Syria’s 22 million people. The Syrian Turkmen families are Syrian citizens of Turkish descent whose ancestors settled in Syrian provinces bordering Turkey, the former Ottoman Empire centuries ago.

"Their tanks surround the Sunni villages and fire on them, and then the soldiers come into the villages, harass the people and beat the men and sexually assault the women," he said. "They take any man over the age of 12 with them." Abdullah broken and in tears told his story to aid workers in a camp just across the border, not 5km from his farming village of Kafar Houm.

Upon hearing this report and other similar stories, Recep Tayyip Erdogan the prime minister of Turkey immediately ordered General Erdal Ceylanoglu, commander of the Turkish Army to dispatch sufficient forces to secure the welfare and evacuation of civilians in the village of Kafar Houm that sits on the Turkish border. General Ceylanglu turned to the 2nd Army headquartered in Malatya to execute Lightening Shield.

The 2nd Army picked Captain Yuzbas “Batman” Baturaip Bravo Co 2nd Abn Bn commander as leader to block Syrian forces from entering the village of Kafar Houm. He is regarded as a fast rising “young Turk.” His father, a Turkish national is a physician teaching at the University of San Francisco Medical Center, while his mother, an American by birth lectures public policy down the Bay Shore freeway at Stanford. Batman spent a semester at his mother’s school auditing a management course before completing a rigorous field course with honors at the US Army Combined Arms Center at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. There, while enrolled in the International program, he met an Oklahoman cowboy commanding an airborne company by the name of Percy. Batman and Percy hit it off from the “get go.” As their friendship grew, Percy introduced Batman to country music while Batman showed Percy how to brew strong black Turkish coffee. As Batman mounted his helo, he gave a “thumps up” to his pilot. The pilot smiled, in acknowledgement , flipped on the radio, dialed up all the helos in the company and played Batman’s favorite, now the company’s motto: “That’s the only way I know, don’t stop till everything’s gone straight ahead never turn round don’t back up, don’t back down full throttle wide open!”

Now in the air, while everyone was “pumped up,” Batman jokingly reminded the platoon leaders of the importance of killing all Syrian mortars within in the first ten minutes (five turns) before Syrian scouts communicate 2nd Abn positions to their mortars. As he calmly tasked his mortar PLs with destroying Syrian fires immediately, he flashed a smile at his FOO as he said a third time, “ID those damn mortars as soon as possible.” Batman knew that the lives of his men depended on “shutting up” Syrian mortars.

As the helos maintained “full throttle” speed at minimum altitude, his mind raced through NATO, American, and Turkish doctrine. He recalled numerous conversations at CAC, Ft Leavenworth with Percy and others. Suddenly, slapping his thigh he quipped, “Bingo!” He smiled as the ‘lights came on.” Taking his command com in hand, he dialed up his childhood buddy riding “shot” in the Rangers platoon, relaxing finally as 2nd Abn crossed the LD, resolved knowing he had the answer brought an eerie calmness that only battle commanders and good soldiers display before combat. Batman realized that the Syrians will hear the whirl of 2nd Abn rotors, they will undoutedly dismount, fire smoke along the rideline, and advance aggressive with infantry rather than motor in along the road. The smoke fires will give 2nd Abn a good fix on the Syrian mortars.

“Hell.” He thought aloud, the attrition rate at NTC was 47% for commanders in the first hour of the fight. “This will be over in thirty, we ain’t backing down, no way, no how.” His FOO was still nodding his head and patting his foot to the beat of “The Only Way I know” as they sped to the fight willingly, taking the odds, and the cards dealt to them as warriors.

Gameplay: A Turkish defend Vs Syrian advance with force balance of 1:3 respectively.

Although victory flags are not important point wise in this scenario -as they are primarily used to aid the AI in the control of Syrian units- designated buildings must be protected as well as civilians. To simulate mission objectives, civilian units and designated buildings carry a cost of 999; therefore, it is paramount that civilian units are trucked out of harm’s way. We made the buildings objectives in this scenario by placing buildings on top of ordinance units and increasing the costs of each ordinance unit dramatically. While we cannot design unit dismounts we mirrored real world tactics by placing dismounted units ahead of their vehicles and decreasing the speed of the vehicles below that of the infantry units. At some point in the game, follow-up Syrian armored vehicles and tanks will enter the fray with their speeds unthrottled. The scenario should only be played from the Turkish side.

Designated buildings: The College Admin and Aggie Labs, the Administrative Courts, the Central Mosque, the Roman Catholic Church, and the District Hospital must not suffer damage; nor, should any of the civilians. Failure to secure the welfare and evac of the civilians will result in a humiliating defeat. Additionally, to mirror the Turks drive to evolve a modern, mobile, combined arms land power force, and to simulate the objectives of the 2nd Arbn in this scenario, platoons and helo unit costs are increased 350 to 550 respectively. "Everybody comes home," therefore, do not loose these units, as they are needed to complete Phase Two of LSO.

This scenario “Turkey Lightening Shield Operation (LSO) 1st Echelon Battle” depicts a blocking maneuver by a light infantry force to inflict maximum degradation upon enemy forces in sector. Bravo Co, 2nd Abn represents the light infantry force. The 2nd Echelon Battle is Phase Two of LSO where a heavy tank BCT arrives to destroy remaining Syrian 1st Echelon forces and kill the Syrian 2nd Echelon units composed of the 3rd Army Corp’s 19th Mech Infantry Brigade out of Aleppo, Syria. The 2nd Echelon battle is in active gameplay testing.

Formations

TF 1-39 BCT
1x Headquarters
1x FOO
1x AB-412
Note: In the 2nd Echelon Battle, TF 1-39 BCT rides in an APC begining in turn 15

Bravo Co, 2nd Abn:
1x Airmobile section
1x FOO
1x AB-412 helo
INF Platoon (3):
3x Airmobile section
3x AB-412 helo
1x HMG
1x ATGM
1x AGL
1x AB-412 helo
Wpn Sqd (1):
1x INF SAM Team
2x Sniper Team
1x ATGM
1x Ab-412 helo
Mrtr Platoon (1)
6x 81mm Mortars
1x AS532UL Cougar

Ranger Abn 1st/Zulu Co - 2nd Abn (Independent)
1x Airmobile section
1x Sniper Team
1x AB-412 helo
1x Airmobile section
1x AGL
1x AB-412
1x Airmobile section
1x ATGM
1x AB-412

Spotter Plane:
1x UAV

[Mustang]

Very nice map. Well balanced. My only suggestion is that you add some priority fire hexes on the eastern hills.

I took out the mortars early with my helicopters but lost two to the tank ATGMs. I lost two more to Kornets as I tried to use them as gunships as the enemy approached the town; after that I realized they cost 500 points each and withdrew them out of sight.

The Milans have a feast available to them and it was hard to keep them stocked with enough ammo. Overall I held all the objectives but my high value unit losses made up for it. Casualties were 27 to 296, five helos lost. I used the college as an ammo dump, although I'm not sure if I was supposed to do that. I couldn't have kept my snipers and ATGMs restocked without it.

Overall I got a 4819 to 2884. Draw. If I had been more cautious with my helos I think I could have done a lot better.

Again, fun scenario, although it would perhaps be on the easy side the second time around if I didn't throw my helos away. Interesting and a tough fight.

[SaS TrooP]

I enjoyed story-like intro and approached it the way you wanted, so focused on tactics and cautious NATO approach. Here is how I done it:

Task Force HQ deployed on hill just north of town, with highest point of 71 I think
Company HQ deployed near Roman Catholic Church, not to risk the chain of command
Weapons Unit was first to combat enemy troops, that in a moment, deployed in a northern part of the ridge line
Mortar platoon deployed northwest of town
Platoon 1 deployed circa 400m south of Agricultural Labs, in the small treeline
Platoon 2 deployed in hedgerows around Agricultural Labs
Platoon 3 split in line over first three crossroads in town
Platoon 3 Weapons Squad exclusively deployed with TF HQ
Ranger element maintained full mobility

Now, After Action Report:
All units were deployed as above: my concept was to fight Syrians off with typical delaying action and deployment so units could cover each other. AirCav element was to delay, while Ranger attachment was to search for enemy mortars that yes, were discovered quickly.
Weapons Platoon was first to tackle the enemy. I have deployed them on the ridge yet when smoke was up to provide great protection for my Milan troops. Milans fired all 8 missiles, out of which 7 were accurate. I have managed to eliminate most of heavy armour at this point. They have received only limited mortar fire, but only one salvo and luckily, no one was even wounded. I have then evacuated Milans and left snipers on the ridge to annoy and delay enemy even more.
In so called meantime, Ranger platoon too a strong flanking to the south and landed on a farm, around 500 metres away from mortar positions. I was cautious at first (what delayed me and endangered Weapons Platoon), but then I decided to rush, especially seeing no proper protection for then and took all of the mortars in 3 turns, AA defence and their vehicles and - surprisingly! - enemy HQ unit I was absolutely not expecting there. I have departed shortly after.
Later on, enemy started to climb on the ridge. Infantry was picked one by one by friendly snipers, then my mortars started to fire as well. Enemy vehicles had to be destroyed: I was first reluctant to use Milans as BTRs were to come and I was most worried about these, but when Shortlands engaged my choppers I had no other way. I took out several vehicles on that ridge with circa 90% efficiency and kept enemy units away by using only my M2s and AGLs for fire. Around turn 10, Rangers landed on the southern part of the ridge to cover the road and I had majority of my troops targeting open field and cooperating closely with mortars and choppers, hovering and helping with their board weapons (snipers took care of ATGM teams, there was only 1 Kornet launch that luckily failed).
My troops were nearly not shot at, there was only one stressful situation. I avoided any engagement in range below 400 metres to keep my advantage.
By that, I mean by turn 20, Syrians still had like 10 BTRs operable but still climbing on the ridge, my AT ammunition was done (Milans only), majority of enemy unit was in retreat.
Syrian echelon was destroyed in at least 75%, having only around 100 troops and around 10 BTRs alive. Exact Syrian losses were: 342 men, 12 mortar tubes, 6 Ural trucks, 15 APCs (Shortland, BTR-152, BTR-60), 9 tanks (6x T-55AMV, 3x T-62MV)

On the Turkish side, for entire battle only 2 helicopters got damaged and had to evacuate, however they were not in grave danger. No wounded of fatalities occurred so entire casualty rate is 0 (zero). In points, it was 5917:5

Nice and interesting scenario, could have been a bit longer so Syrians would try to enter this town anyway. This would be more dramatic and I would have to go low-tech and engage with M72s. I am also surprised this element did not dispose air support as F-4/16s, AirCav should be usually protected.
However I did not enjoy Highway A01 Ambush, this scenario was absolutely nice and I would await continuation.

[Kenny]

Thanks for the scenario,Shahadi.

I got a marginal victory from the Turkish side,5200+ to 1200+ for the Syrians. IMO the helicopters were the star of this show. I was careful in their defensive usage(losing only to two them to the Koronet weapon late in the scenario)and they took a heavy toll on the Syrian infantry. Almost a turkey shoot for the Milan III against the Syrian armor. The MK19 GL is also a game changer in modern warfare against ground troops.