Flashpoint Germany Meeting of Titans Final Turns

This post is the concluding entry in the after-action report I began back in June 2013 for the “Meeting of Titans” scenario in the hypothetical World War III game Flashpoint Germany. It will also be incorporated at the bottom of the original post to complete that entry. FLG is an excellent game that deserves more attention; however the problem is that it is one of many great games that I own. Finding the time to enjoy these games as games and not blog material is a challenge at times.

I will be playing as the Warsaw Pact Force Commander, leading the 68th Guards Motorized Regiment (BMP) of the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division. I will be facing off against 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry of the US Army representing NATO forces. In the previous action (now consolidated into one massive post) I was able to successfully employ my battle plan of a three pronged approach, with the 3/68^th in the west, the 2/68^th in the north and the 1/68^th in the center.

Turn 21 Orders: Artillery units that are within range of 3,1 (the upper left hand corner of the map where the main road begins) are ordered to lay down Neutralizing Fire (3X) at that coordinate as that is where I suspect some command and other units may be massing on the road to move south (this has been substantiated by previous sighting intelligence). Those artillery units not within range of that target are ordered to continue fire missions against grids 6,8 and 8,8 (those that currently have smoke plumes on the screen shot below).

My single remaining Mi-24F Hind has been replenished with ammunition and is ordered to move back toward the center of the vice where the 1/68^th is at.

Turn 21 Results: The artillery fire missions have had the desired effect and have actually increased the Victory Point Balance meter for the Soviets from 80% to 81%. During the turn I received a pop-up message that the enemy HQ was located in grid 1,1 and fire missions were adjusted by the computer to attack that target as well during the turn resolution phase.

Turn 21 Kills and Claims: I did not lose a single unit during this engagement, while taking seven of the enemy’s vehicles to bring the current total to 28 losses for NATO.

Turn 21 Staff Overview: Those seven losses increase my VP total to 179 versus 41 for NATO and are the reason for the 1% increase in the VP Balance mentioned earlier. One of the two goals for the enemy is to occupy Sector 12 (bottom right quadrant of the map), but my having them pinned on the river in the upper left of the map means almost certain victory for the Soviets at this late stage of the game.

Turn 22 Orders: Artillery units are given the same orders as in Turn 20 with the exception of the mortar unit assigned to the 3/68^th: it will directly support a movement north of the 1^st & 2^nd  Coys  3/68^th Guards MRR tank units (3^rd Coy is held back in reserve as it is down to 14 total vehicles at this point). Mi-24F Team 1 is almost at its destination and hopefully will be able to detect enemy concentrations along the river from there. 2^nd Coy 2/68^th Guards MRR is brought forward to the edge of the forest line.

Turn 22 Results: The movement of the tanks units was a disaster as I lost six vehicles to enemy fire. During the turn resolution phase the VP Balance meter went up to 82%, but as the turn wound down and the Soviets were taking losses in the armored columns it dropped back down to 80%.

Turn 22 Kills and Claims: The six vehicles destroyed are confirmed by the raw data provided by the game. I started out with 247 total vehicles and am now down to only 200, roughly 81% of my original ORBAT. NATO is not faring well, actually worse during this turn as they lose an additional ten vehicles to bring the total to 38.

Turn 22 Staff Overview: The VP count stands at 191-47, and as mentioned earlier NATO will not be able to break out of my vice and make it to Sector 12 and the 10 VP’s it offers that side before the end of the scenario.

Turn 23 Orders: During the turn a concentration of enemy forces was revealed at grid 8,6 in Sector 1, so I will break those units that can strike at grid 3,1 and assign have of that artillery capability against this new sighting. 1^st and 2^nd Coys of the 3/68^th are pulled back to their original positions as I do not intend to lose any additional vehicles before the end of the game.

Turn 23 Results: No vehicles were lost but none were destroyed on the NATO side either.

Turn 23 Kills and Claims: Check that, one vehicle on the NATO side was destroyed during the turn but it was not enough to alter the VP Balance which remains at 80%.

Turn 23 Staff Overview: The enemy losses are almost equal (47 for NATO, 42 for the Soviets). With the Russians in firm control of Sector 6 and NATO not being able to reach Sector 12, victory is at hand.

Turn 24 Orders: Artillery barrages are ordered at grids 3,1/6,8/8,8 with the hope of attaining some additional kills. All other units are left in place in an attempt to avoid potential loss to the enemy.

After-action Report

The scenario ends and I achieved a “Tactical WARSAW Pact Victory” against the NATO forces J

Turn 24 Staff Overview: The total VP points were 194-47 for an 80% VP Balance favoring the Soviets and awarding the tactical victory result. The vast majority of the Victory Points accumulated for the USSR was in occupying Sector 6 for the majority of the scenario.

Review Final Situation

The battlefield reveals the enemy location and the value in targeting grid 3,1 most of the late game once a sighting of units was made there. NATO had a huge stack there and continued to let it get beat up with artillery strikes for several turns. The vanguard of their force was mired in stagnation along the river with the M1A1 MBT’s not being able to break out and cause any significant damage to the Soviets.

Post Mortem

I started this scenario back in June 2013 and for some reason I was distracted with other games (and mostly real life stuff) so it kind of fell off my radar. This is why I truly like being able to save a game and come back to it in its proper condition: not as a cheat, but as a way of being able to enjoy a game properly and being able to put it aside for more important things (that real life thing I mentioned) and still come back to it when able without losing all sorts of progress.