OP2408-23-2 After Action Report

OP2408-23-2

Transcript:

OP2408-23-2
Chernarus 2nd Army Corps commander, upon receiving reports about last week's operation in Valbono in Leskovets, ordered 1st Battalion, Chernarus 17th Separate Mechanized Cavalry Regiment to launch a major attack on three settlements, which were taken over by the separatists in the wake of last week's operation.

The task force consisted of two T-72 tanks, two T-55 tanks, two T-34 tanks, and three desant rifle squads. Supporting were two BRDM scout cars and two MI-24 gunships.

In the first assault, corps intelligence staff discovered that the separatists had deployed an anti aircraft battery north of Berkovitsa. This unit posed a significant threat to operations in the region, and became a priority in the first assault.

The tactical plan for the attack on Berkovitsa was for 1st Squad, in combination with four tanks, to dismount and attack from the southwest into the village, as 2nd Squad dismounted, with support from Scout 1 BRDM, attacked from the West. This specific attack was chosen for the purpose of placing defenders in the village into a severe crossfire, which should have driven them north out of the village.

Instead, in his assault on the location where two civilian criminal command operatives were holed up, Command Squad encountered Russian naval infantry special forces defending. Commander was killed in his assault, and Command Squad, which doubled as the task force's assault element, lost its comms.

Overall command of the task force fell to 2nd Squad, which continued its assault on Berkovitsa. Despite having pushed occupying troops out of the village and to the north, enemy counterattacks arrived from the north and northwest. 2nd Squad fended off those attacks and held the front on the northern edge of the village.

Task Force commander ordered scout one BRDM to the northwest corner of the village to defend against any incoming enemy attacks, as 2nd Squad began its assault on the location of the anti-aircraft battery. In that attack, half of 2nd Squad was wiped out, forcing the new acting commander to order 2nd Squad's T-34 to overrun the anti aircraft battery, eliminating it.

The attack on Berkovitsa, was costly, and it forced the new task force commander to regroup his forces in preparation for a subsequent attack on the village of Slatina.

The tactical plan for the attack on Slatina was for 2nd Squad, 1st Squad, and 3rd Squad to attack from the west into the village, as Tank 1 and Tank 2, with support from the BRDM scout cars attacked from the southwest.

The tactical objective for the attack on Slatina was the crossroads to the north where our tanks could be positioned to fight off any inbound vehicle and infantry attacks coming from the north, northeast, and northwest.

It was at this point that operation staff for 1st Battalion deemed the operation in Slatina complete. The task force commander committed a blunder by withdrawing his forces in their entirety from the crossroads to the south of Slatina, enabling enemy counterattacks to close and inflict further casualties on the task force.

The task force commander called the operation and ordered the task force to return to base. The task force commander later reported that although the task force had sufficient infantry to complete the operation, the great damage done to the task force infantry was sufficient cause to cancel the remainder of the operation.

Casualties were heavy. The task force lost the equivalent of two rifle squads, two MI-24 gunships, and one T-55 tank.

Field accounts for enemy losses included two technicals and two BTR-80As.

1st Battalion intelligence staff reported that the data seized from eliminating the two civilian criminal command operatives were lost during the assault on the anti aircraft battery. Command Staff has ordered a review into the operation and has ordered that planning commence for a subsequent operation in Leskovets, due to commence sometime next week.

Intelligence staff also reported that there were hardly any enemy vehicle losses, commenting that the separatists had committed their own set of blunders.