Scenario: BRIGADE NORD: Opening Moves 1 (Bardufoss)

[Grant1pa]

The scenario attached is the first of a group I am working on for a hypothetical invasion of Northern Norway by Russian forces, set in April 2015. It’s group title (Brigade Nord), is the current designation of the only full time brigade of the Norwegian Army.

The background setting is this: Russia is eyeing to expand its national security by securing it’s northern flank. In 2014, Russia increased its security of its southern flank by annexing the Crimea and threatening the Ukraine. The Baltic States security was imperiled and NATO responded with a limited support of those countries. Russia has moved forces to the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian borders, causing not only NATO but the Scandinavian nations concern of an expansion of Russia into the Baltic Sea (allowing unshackled access to naval ports). As a response, Norway has moved air and Naval assets south for maneuvers and to provide security on its southern border. Its northern border was alerted but mobilization of reserves was not made so as to provoke Russian forces.

Not seen was a military buildup on the Karelian Peninsula. In the early morning hours of 22 April, 2015, Soviet forces crossed the Norwegian border. A series of coordinated assaults took place at strategic locations in Finnmark and Troms counties. Russian forces moved through northern Finland to outflank Norwegian units now in the defense.

One critical location was the air port (with Air Force Lufthavn) at Bardufoss, Troms. Although the F-16’s stationed there are now in southern Norway, the air base would be critical to both Norway/NATO in reinforcing Bridade Nord as well as to the Russians blocking reinforcements and isolating Norwegian forces in Finnmark and Troms.

As the Norwegian Commander, you were awakened at 0500 with sporadic reports from border posts of an incursion. You have alerted your limited forces at the Air Station, barracks in Heggelia, and associated personnel (including Home Guard) off base. Just as your forces were equipping, the air raid sirens start……….

Notes:
1. be alert for the unexpected. Russian (Soviet era) plans were always inventive. They are here.
2. Your forces are mostly still in barracks. Your man-portable SAM units ranges are therefore set to zero. If you move them from barracks to act in air defense, reset their ranges.
3. Home Guard are billeted in Bardufoss Village.
4. An army communications station was established at the Bardufoss Airport Beacon complex west of the airport. This installation is critical to regional communications as well as securing the beacon.
5. No time has been available to create fighting or defensive positions. The incursion to the north has taken Norway by surprise. Fight from the best terrain you can find.
6. The aircraft revetments south of the airport are empty other than with equipment, parts and munitions.
7. Three helicopters are on the tarmac at the airport. They are grounded and not usable. However, they are to be protected.
This is a hard scenario, but if it actually took place, it would be a difficult defense at best.

Good luck!
Grant1

[Suhiir]

While I'm certainly not finished with the scenario (on about turn 5) I found myself curious about a couple things, and that's NOT to say I think they're incorrect, but they are curious. So I used the editor to take a look at the scenario.

1) The total lack of artillery/mortars on the Norwegian side.
2) The total lack of mortars on the Russian side.
3) LOTS of Spetsnaz scouts but not a single section/squad in sight.
4) Bardufoss is primarily a military air station as I understand it, and while it also serves as the local civil airport I noticed the NASAM launchers were just parked on the grass. One might assume that Area SAMs, even semi-portable ones, defending a vital military base would be fortified or at least sandbagged even if nothing else is.

Overall tho it's looking great, I have no clue how I'm going to deal with the Russian paratroops once they start attacking

[wulfir]

Very ambitious. I'm greatly impressed with the map and the scenario plays out just fine so far - I'm on turn 20, HV in the north have seemingly defeated the VDV coming down, while at the eastern end of the airport the bulk of the Norwegian forces are heavily engaged with the Russians - I assembled the spread out formations to keep them near their leader unit and motorised them with the avaliable transport. One Spetsnaz scout team knocked out a CV90 and immobilised another in the same turn! Just ran out of ammo with the other CV90s...

I noted that there are a few "invisiable" height 5 slopes on the airfield - sometimes when removing hills the slopes on the edges of the former hill remains on the map and interferes with LOS...

[Grant1pa]

[quote=Suhiir;825200]While I'm certainly not finished with the scenario (on about turn 5) I found myself curious about a couple things, and that's NOT to say I think they're incorrect, but they are curious. So I used the editor to take a look at the scenario.

1) The total lack of artillery/mortars on the Norwegian side.
2) The total lack of mortars on the Russian side.
3) LOTS of Spetsnaz scouts but not a single section/squad in sight.
4) Bardufoss is primarily a military air station as I understand it, and while it also serves as the local civil airport I noticed the NASAM launchers were just parked on the grass. One might assume that Area SAMs, even semi-portable ones, defending a vital military base would be fortified or at least sandbagged even if nothing else is.QUOTE]

Thanks Suhiir!

The lack of artillery/mortars on the Norwegian side was intentional. I couldn't find any listed on units TO&E stationed there, and due to the sudden attack scenario, I didn't list them as reserves.

As to the Russian side, you're right. I should (and will) add that to their TO@E. I simply used the standard configuration in the game for those units. After play-testing, I'll repost an updated game.

The use of Spetznaz scouts instead of squads was also intentional. I wanted fireteams instead of squads to provide for multiple missions from small, portable teams as well as allow for their means of egress (not to give that away to those who haven't played the game).

I understand the issue on the NASAM launchers. This is an artifact of me setting the other units first (who by game design weren't to be fighting from fixed/prepared positions) and then not being able to "entrench" the NASAM. If you know how I can do that other than starting over again (Please! NO!), I'd appreciate you sharing it.

Thanks for your comments and I'll address them in the update.

Grant1

[Grant1pa]

Originally Posted by wulfir

I noted that there are a few "invisiable" height 5 slopes on the airfield - sometimes when removing hills the slopes on the edges of the former hill remains on the map and interferes with LOS...

Thanks Wulfir. I'll check the landing strip to see where they are and try to eliminate them before I repost an update.

Grant1

[Suhiir]

The "easy" way to entrench only part of one sides units is to set every unit EXCEPT the ones you want entrenched as reinforcements then set the scenario to an assault one and hit the "entrench" button. Reset the scenario back to defense and go back and set the units back to reinforce turn 0.

You can also use the editor to change the number of men and name of a unit.
I frequently do this when I need units that will fit in vehicles/helos or just want a unit armed the way a default unit is but want it to have a certain number of men.

[Grant1pa]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

The "easy" way to entrench only part of one sides units is to set every unit EXCEPT the ones you want entrenched as reinforcements then set the scenario to an assault one and hit the "entrench" button. Reset the scenario back to defense and go back and set the units back to reinforce turn 0.

You can also use the editor to change the number of men and name of a unit.

Thanks! I have that on the list for improvements. I wasn't aware you could change the number of men, but did use the weapon and name changes for the game. I'll work on that concept too.

I appreciate the help.

Grant1

[Suhiir]

While there probably aren't any actual mortar/artillery units per say in the Bardufoss area it's pretty common for an infantry company to have 2-3 60-81mm mortars as part of it's normal TO&E.

You can do pretty much what you want with the editors.
For instance I dramatically increased the amount of ammo all the entrenched units in my scenario have because any positional defense is almost undoubtedly going to have extra ammo supplies on hand. I also tweaked weapons and number of men a bit to make Norwegian infantry units fit into USMC helicopters while maintaining the over-all number of men/units that comprise a Norwegian infantry Co in Oct 1962.

[Imp]

On entrenching units the other way to do it is set to assault & buy & deploy the units you want entrenched then switch back to meeting.

To sort of fix once its to late as a suggestion I do this for guns armour.
Use the modify unit button.
Reduce the unit size
Adjust the hull armour.
This does depend a bit on the unit & what is likely to attack it.
For a soft unit like this you could give it a low armour rating so RPGs etc could take it down.
Could give it say 2-3 ERA so has a small chance they "miss" anything important.
Tanks you could add say 30+ to the hull armour rating & boost HEAT to invulnerable.
Any unit you do this to needs its speed set to zero if it wasn't already.

[shahadi]

Grant1pa,

I played the first couple of turns and made several notes I would like to share with you as the preceding posts have done thus far:

1) I would lead my fighter bombers with a SEAD section, I choose the SU-34 SEAD section to replace the MIG-29 section as I want to make sure the skies are clear of area SAMs.

2) I changed U1 unit to a Art Obs. GSR. Dismounted the Spetsnaz platoon and placed the U1 as a spotter for the air strike at hex 63,86. I felt uncomfortable with my strike spotter as passenger, I wanted "eyes on target."

3) Pls consider dismounting Spetsnaz scouts at critical points to support dz and ingress of Para units to their objectives. With the Spetsnaz units dismounted you can set way points to objectives.

4) I wondered if this base would not at least have a main gate.

5) The issue I'm trying to resolve, with this scenario and one I am developing as well, is how to "direct" AI mounted units. There is not a way as I understand to dismount AI units at a specific hex, nor can we set way points of dropped para units. I'm playing a scenario, then after the para drops, save the scenario, rename, renumber, and save the files to the scenario folder. Now, using the Editor make way points to objectives for the para units.

Thanks for the thread.