AAR: Libya 2011 Noob AAR Campaign

[lawrie5]

Hi! I'm completely new to this game, so im a noob, but i love it, its awesome and this is my first AAR.

- Campaign 2011 August - October - Libya 2011

Background: In our imagined scenario Libya is not currently in the midst of revolution or NATO bombardment. Instead we explore an alternative scenario.

August 2011 and emboldened by his rapprochement with the West and faced with growing domestic political crisis, Colonel Gadaffi takes a gamble.

The Aozou Strip, a territory with a long history of dispute between Libya and Chad is suddenly and unexpectedly annexed. Chad protests to the United Nations (UN) while bordering nations Algeria and Nigeria man their borders against the possible influx of refugees.

While the UN debates over what course of action to take, Libya responds in kind by reinforcing its own borders against Algeria and Nigeria.

Gadaffi hopes that sweeping nationalist sentiment at his successful annexation will buy time to thwart domestic political enemies – after all Chad can always be given back the Aozou Strip.

But...

One night, when a group of Libyan paramilitaries get themselves lost into Algerian territory, pride and ancient tribal loyalties threaten to escalate the conflict beyond imagination.

Battle 01 will follow

[lawrie5]

Battle 01

Libyan Captain Fatah positions his company on the Libyan side of the border in a valley overlooking a strategic road leading from Algeria.

The forces are under strict orders not to provoke the Algerian side... However the capture of Fatah's son by Algerian troops prompts him to undertake a rash course of action.

With confirmation that the prisoners are still awaiting transportation for interrogation, Fatah seizes the moment and disobeying his instruction leads his units forward to liberate them.

Fatah commands :

1x Mech Infantry Company (13x BMPS)
2x T62 Tank Platoons
2x Scout Platoons
2x Mortar Squads
6x Field Guns (120mm D30)
+ various snipers, observers etc.

Through this forbidding landscape, Fatah decides to split his mobile forces in two, with the Southern Wing to ordered to fortify itself upon a large central hill. There troops entrench themselves against Algerian attack. It is hoped that elevated positions will allow for our Armor to bombard approaching units.

Meanwhile a Northern wing should circumvent the hills and attempt to flank the Algerian lines, either to destroy its rear units or to engage Algerian units that may attempt to attack the Southern wing on the hill.

To liberate the prisoners, the Algerian HQ unit must be captured or destroyed.

The Plan

[lawrie5]

Turn 1 – 4

Soldiers of the Southern attack wing bounce about in BMP's as they race towards the hill codenamed 'The Fort'. Their forces comprise of 7x BMPS, 3x T62 battle tanks and a variety of light troops and trucks.

The Northern wing meanwhile trundles onwards through the desert, with 6x BMPS and 3x T62 battle tanks. To the distant rear the artillery are deployed under cover of HMG units, on two plateaus.

Many light units, scouts, and several HMG including Fatah himself are forced to run after the advancing units on foot, some of them hitching rides on trucks and jeeps whizzing forward.

As the first units of the Southern Wing reach 'The Fort' the soldiers rush from their APC's to man positions along the ascent facing the Algerian lines. Other's drag out shovels and sandbags to help fortify their position, producing sand banks for several of the APC's as they attempt to dig in.

The Northern Wing too continues its adance with several objectives seized. The sound if distant machine gun chatter does little to reveal the enemies position, which seems strangely quiet.

Many of the stragglers behind the advancing wings are collected by trucks moving in from the rear. As they race to deliver reinforcements to The Fort, the forces already there consolidate there entrenched positions.

Fatah, still some distance behind the lines is pleased to hear the confident radio chatter of his lieutenants. “The Algerians don't have a chance against our fortifications.”

[lawrie5]

Turn 5 - 8

There is a calm for sometime, and a concern spreads among some of the troops, that they may well have to leave these excellent positions to engage the Algerian. Distant mortar fire is heard, but the shots land no where near the lines.

Radio reports fly back and forth from the Northern wing as smoke is sighted. The source of the mortar fire? The T-62's of the Northern wing cautiously approach... the range is far but no enemy is sighted? Are they there?

Excited, the tank crews decide to fire towards the suspected enemy. HE shells fire into the distance, there explosions echoing across the valley.

Fatah decides to leave a small cottage to the rear of his lines and picks up a ride, heading at full speed towards The Fort. Swinging the truck door open, he shouts to his radio man to order a bombardment of the suspected positions radioed from the Northern Wing.

As if in answer to their attack, light mortar shells sprinkle over The Fort. Soldiers dive for cover under their APC's and embankments.

Still languishing in a slow game of catch up, scout units and HMG's trundle on foot through the desert and Southern road. A few BMPS's are ordered to collect them.

FIRST ENEMY SPOTTED.

To the road before The Fort, approximately some 20 Algerian infantry are spotted skulking in cover. Their distant shapes making them difficult targets even for the blistering array of artillery and machine gun fire that opens up against them. Almost all of the vehicles positioned on 'The Fort' blast towards the troops.

They vanish under a column of smoke fleeing for their lives.

A second wave of bombardment, more intense than the first opens up over the Libyan positions on the hill. Still there are no casualties... the Algerian response seems so futile that a laughter erupts among the forward units in The Fort.

It is short lived however. From that same almost suicidal road pass before the hill, yet more Algerian troops emerge.

Meanwhile Libyan scouts to the far South, jostling aboard a truck spot an enemy T72 battle tank. The frantic sighting is reported as T62 gunners turn there turrets towards the superior foe. Distant shots are exchanged, a shell crashes next to a T62... a near miss... the tank fires back – a hit! That ricochets!

Squinting his eyes, the T62 gunner fires one more shot... this time striking home. A huge cheer erupts among the soldiers as flames and smoke bellows from the enemy tank. It is a slow death for the steel beast as its crew bails and flees for cover.

[lawrie5]

Turn 9 - 10

Amidst the cheering, a second T72 emerges. Shouts and calls to action ensue, Libyan tanks are pushed from their entrenchments on The Fort, to aid the the sole tank engaging the T72. A second duel erupts as tank shells whittle across the desert. Unexpected AA 30mm cannon tears across the hill sending Libyan soldiers diving for cover.

Under bombardment from two T62's the T72 releases smoke. Libyan soldiers duck and weave, as tension mounts within them.

In the meantime the Northern Wing streaks ahead, seizing objectives and finding zero opposition.

South of the the fort, a flash of light bursts from the clouds of smoke and dust. A high speed Anti Tank missile obliterates a T62. Fragments of hot steel spilling over panicking troops. Before they can recover two more flashes are seen, as missilse streak towards The Fort slamming into the second reinforcing T62. The second missile almost tears a BMP in half, its innards exploding in a ball of fire.

With three of their armour vehicles burning aflame, a concentrated barrage crashes among the Libyan soldiers, several of them collapsing, their limbs blown off, others screaming in agony.

Fatah now embedded among his men shouts for the vehicles to be pulled back from the ridge onto the other side of the hill. Plumes of exhause smoke burst forth as the vehicles retreat into cover, leaving the Libyan soldiers alone before the advancing Algerian infantry.

As they do the lurking T72 fires a distant round, striking a retreating BMP. The vehicle bursts into flames, its crew fleeing for their lives.

A lack of artillery observers at the front line leaves much of the Libyan artillery useless, only the D30 guns can be ordered to fire towards the encroaching Algerian infantry.

Meanwhile the Northern Wing, it's formations stretched between fast APC's and troops in foot finally encounter some of the enemy. Pockets of Algerian mortar crews, who abandon their guns surrender immediately.

[lawrie5]

Turn 11 - 14

With the remaining Libyan armour on The hill in cover including their sole T62, Fatah hopes they might be utilised in a counter attack once Algerian troops scramble into close combat with his infantry.

Sporadic gunfire is exchanged, men keeping their heads ducked under cover. Trucks race to collect HMG teams and snipers safe guarding the artillery. Every man is needed now in The Fort.

In the far South the scouts in the truck observe to their horror, a mass of Algerian troops (some seventy) bypassing The Fort altogether – what if they press their attack towards the artillery to our rear?

The northern wing captures a few more disorganised groups of Algerian light infantry and mortar. Most of them dropping their weapons before the sight of BMPS and armour.

Algerian fire-power intensifies against the Libyan infantry deployed along The Fort, in the face of enemy HMG fire, several of the men break.

A trick forms as a mass as Libyan men scramble towards the cover of the retreated armour vehicles. It appears that defences of The Fort are on the verge of crumbling.

To the rear vehicles scramble to collect men to reinforce The Fort.

The Northern Wing begin to descend from the North of the Map southwards, and encounter a St. Pantsir, a sophisticated Anti Air system. Wary of this enemy vehicle the BMPS and T62's exchange fire at some distance striking several of the Algerian crewmen but leaving the vehicle unharmed.

Finally our artillery comes back into action as mortars and shells crash among the advancing Algerian infantry slowing their assault into a crawl. Sheepishly our retreating infantry fire back from the ruined husks of their burning tanks.

There is no doubt that if the Algerian infantry spotted South of the The Fort attack, the defences will collapse immediately. As it is with the battle for The Fort slowly slipping from victory, Fatah makes hasty plans to retreat the Southern Wing to a nearby smaller hill.

The St. Pantsir system finally bursts into a ball of flame as a T-62 shot finds its mark. As the BMP's race forward, troops disembark to spot hidden enemy units. The soldiers rush bak inside as unseen foes spray there positions with machine gun fire.

[lawrie5]

Turn 15 – 18

As Algerian troops begin to converge towards the crest of The Fort, a sole BMP rushes forward machine guns blazing. Its emergence lasts only a second before explodes into fragments courtesy of the predatory T72.

The surviving T62 creeps along the periphery of the hills northern crest, desperately seeking a safe position with which to bare down its fire onto the advancing infantry. It finally finds one while reinforcements arrive at the other side of the hill. HMG teams run to join there demoralised comrades.

The Northern Wing follows its plan, bringing its tanks and BMPS further South, the rear of the Algerians hill assault come into range. Distant shells land wide of the advancing troops, but enduring fire from sides... it is hoped may collapse their tenacious resolve.

The dreaded T72 slams another direct hit, this time onto a BMP of the Northern Wing. The Libyan officers are unsure what to do? If they engage closer they might encounter the deadly AGT missiles? A game of cat and mouse ensues between the armour of both sides.

Meanwhile Algerian and Libyan artillery crash into The Fort, killing many of both sides.

Then a shock event occurs as the Algerian HQ perhaps retreating from the hill assault run straight into the forces of the Northern Wing. Quite isolated, the officers surrender without a shot, and with them the liberation of the Libyan captors.

Slowly but surely the battle of The Fort tips in favour of the Libyans, as one by one BMPS and reinforcements find hidden positions with which to blast at the Algerian infantry.

The T72 continues along the Southern flank towards the Libyan artillery. The huge mass of detected enemy infantry are now undetected, by a few RPG's fly from their unseen ranks towards our vehicles, fortunately missing by a whisker.

Again artillery fire from both sides crash into The Fort, slowly but surely the Algerian troops appear to be withdrawing. Some of their units stumble along the road Eastwards on the map, taking them into the forces of the Northern Wing. Isolated these injured bands of men mostly surrender.

Perhaps overconfident, the crew of the T72 bring their formidable vehicle within range of a battery of D30 artillery poised on the South – East map. Direct fire slams into the tank, it crumples under the bombardment, amidst the flames there are no survivors.

Cheered by the news of the tanks destruction, Fatah orders his beaten infantry on The Fort to aid in the counter attack started by the tanks and APCs. Amidst a cheer the men emerge from cover, only to be torn down in a wave before a number of entrenched die hard Algerian troops. The Libyan soldiers scramble back in panic.

Fatah is mystified that only the intensifying firepower of the surviving Southern Wing vehicles and long distance bombardment of the Northern Wing armour appears to have any effect in breaking down these troops.

[lawrie5]

TURN 19+

While a number of Algerian troops in The Fort, reatreat, it requires a full flung assault by the surviving vehicles of the Northern Wing to finally dislodge them from the objective. At close range the enemy soldiers absorb a dizzying array of destructive before falling where they stood.

A number of hidden HMG and RPG teams harass the Northern Wing forces, making it risky for them to charge forward to regroup at The Fort. One by one these groups are engaged and destroyed but not without loss...

As guerilla style fighting immobilises one BMP and disables another T62.

By this point Fatah receives radio communications that all strategic objectives have been secured including the freedom of his son. The large mass of detected Algerian infantry South of The Fort, has reportedly slipped away (and perhaps just as well.)

The number of Libyan casualties is approximately 52, (some 30 dead) with the loss of 3x T62 battle tanks and 4x BMPs and a truck.

The Algerian losses were placed at 150 men, most of them prisoners. 2 artillery (mortars) 2x T72 battle tanks and a St. Pantsir system were among there losses.

To be continued

The battle is a decisive victory for the Libyans.