Scenario: Russian Invasion of the Baltic States

[IronDuke99]

Since British film makers only tend to like gallant British defeats, if that ever kicks off I see a British film about the military at last...

[DRG]

"for fun" I just tried 42 and 42 for coordinates then flood filled it with red earth

It would take HOURS to get that far by hand

[Grant1pa]

Originally Posted by DRG

"for fun" I just tried 42 and 42 for coordinates then flood filled it with red earth

It would take HOURS to get that far by hand

That's a great base map. I don't care where it is in the world, but I may have to use that for a scenario!

Love this program.

Tom

[Mobhack]

The valley in the middle looks like a good place for a river, with a town and bridge in the middle of it.

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by DRG

"for fun" I just tried 42 and 42 for coordinates then flood filled it with red earth

It would take HOURS to get that far by hand

Yeah, it would take me days (not hours), and still not get it as detailed as it is now. Close enough to represent the Fort Irwin National Training Center in the Mojave Desert, I'd say.

Ya never know where a thread will take you...from Ruskies invading to a great map tool, just remain calm, patient, and civil.

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[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

The valley in the middle looks like a good place for a river, with a town and bridge in the middle of it.

Or, a perfect spot for an ambush!

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[DRG]

Originally Posted by Grant1pa

That's a great base map. I don't care where it is in the world, but I may have to use that for a scenario!

Love this program.

Tom

I will include it as is in the next patch but in the meantime...

[wulfir]

Originally Posted by Grant1pa

Additionally, as provided previously by other posts, I use google maps and go to the roadway view to show me trees and other obstacles which I try to emulate in the map.

I download the height map and send myself the mnap link. Then I open the map link on my spare computer so I won't have to move between the map program and the game - saves time, I guess it would be possible to solve with two screens as well.

I too like to compare with google earth for trees and fields.

For some countries there are other maps avaliable that will give you additional information not least on place names, like;

For Norway:

http://www.norgeskart.no/

National Land Survey of Finland:

https://asiointi.maanmittauslaitos.f...aikka/?lang=en

They will pretty much give you the name of every stream and little hill.

[wulfir]

Originally Posted by Aeraaa

How are the Baltics in terms of terrain? I thought that in addition to all other problems they have, their terrain is not very defensible as well. Is anyone more familiar with this topic?

The Germans gave the Soviets a few black eyes at Narwa and later the Blue Mountains (hills really) in 1944. There were still sizable German forces in Kurland on May 8, 1945.

I think a Russian invasion of the Baltic states would be difficult against even modest NATO resistance. The current Russian leadership can probably plan ahead and move at a quicker pace than most democratic countries but against a unified Europe they can't IMHO win a conventional conflict that drags out. The European economy is larger.

I'm not convinced of the overall quality of Russian brigades vs western opponents. IIRC conscription was reduced significantly in order to try and combat the bulling of new troops.

IIRC Russia also used to have a hard time finding recruits to fill up all their numerous "elite" units (incl Ministry of Interior competing for bodies) as the health situation in Russia is not that great.

Assuming that Russia can probably not field everything they have against the Baltic states but need to keep their guard up in the north, the far east, the Caucasus etc I'm far from convinced that a defence of the Baltics is hopeless...

[IronDuke99]

Originally Posted by wulfir

The Germans gave the Soviets a few black eyes at Narwa and later the Blue Mountains (hills really) in 1944. There were still sizable German forces in Kurland on May 8, 1945.

I think a Russian invasion of the Baltic states would be difficult against even modest NATO resistance. The current Russian leadership can probably plan ahead and move at a quicker pace than most democratic countries but against a unified Europe they can't IMHO win a conventional conflict that drags out. The European economy is larger.

I'm not convinced of the overall quality of Russian brigades vs western opponents. IIRC conscription was reduced significantly in order to try and combat the bulling of new troops.

IIRC Russia also used to have a hard time finding recruits to fill up all their numerous "elite" units (incl Ministry of Interior competing for bodies) as the health situation in Russia is not that great.

Assuming that Russia can probably not field everything they have against the Baltic states but need to keep their guard up in the north, the far east, the Caucasus etc I'm far from convinced that a defence of the Baltics is hopeless...

The thing that worries military professionals at the moment is the great strength of Russian artillery, it can call down a lot of very heavy and destructive fire, relatively quickly. If advanced Russian SAM systems work and protect that artillery from Allied aircraft, NATO would have a big problem. Artillery has, of course, long been the best arm of the Russian Army.

Some NATO forces, Especially the US and UK, have a lot of recent experience of COIN, but very little of conventional warfare. How useful some of the smaller NATO forces would be, and how good their troops might be, also very much remains to be seen.

My own view is that even the best multi national force (especially if that force includes several different languages) will have disadvantages against a peer/near peer unified enemy.

Also I don't see how a modern first world Armoured conflict in a geographically limited area lasts long enough for the economy to matter much once it kicks off...