Steel Beasts ProPE 3.0 - Mortar Section Supporting a US Cavalry Troop

Back in July, I posted this:

Thanks to the magic of desktop simulation, it is possible to experience or just try out stuff your read in your military books. This weekend, after going half way through Warrior's Rage by Douglas McGregor, I wanted to go to the desert and command a US Cavalry troop. 

The particular topic that interested me is the use of a mortar section (two tubes mounted in M113 vehicles) in support of the troop. In page 26 of the printed version of Warrior's Rage, there is a mention of the use of this mortars to mark the enemy's position for the other platoons and to suppress the enemy while the troop maneuvers into a firing position.

This mission is in the desert, against the Iraqi Army. The original map is El Alamein (by manteuffel at the downloads section of SteelBeasts.com) slightly modified with some shrubs. Kilometers of open terrain, ideal for an armor battle.

I was about to play this custom-made, solo play mission in Steel Beasts ProPE version 2.654, but was reminded by blogger reader Koen about the imminent release of version 3.0. This newer version of Steel Beasts ProPE has proper M113s with functional mortars, and now is prime time to try this mortar support thing.

Command Modern Air/Naval Operations - Report of Action for May 25, 1982 (Malvinas/Falklands War)

In this Command Modern Air/Naval Operations (CMANO) scenario (Sea of Fire) the Argentine Air Force (two flights of three A4 Skyhawks each) and the Argentine Navy (one flight of two Super Etendards) attack the HMS Coventry (type 42 destroyer) and the HMS Broadsword (type 22 frigate). Both British warships are on radar picket near the north mouth of the San Carlos Bay.

Right click and open in a new tab/window for an expanded view. The initial situation. It's 14:00 local time and the weather is clear. The blue icons are Argentine flights and the yellow squares are radar contacts. The two Super Etendards are armed with one Exocet missile each. The two flights of A4 Skyhawks (to the left of the screenshot) are armed with free-fall bombs.

I played this scenario with the v1.01 beta version of the game. The screenshots are from the game's recording tool. Spoilers ahead.

ArmA 3 - The Slammer Tank and the Ultimate Mechanized Infantry

According to ArmA 3 manual's the fictional M2A1 "Slammer" is a licensed version of an Israeli tank (a Merkava I suppose, based on the looks) that is all the rage in the western world.

Boasting a nasty 120 mm main gun plus a coaxial gun, the amenities of the Slammer include seating for 6 infantry men (?!). That and some sort of super-duper engineering/design technology that allows it to pack all of the above in a frame almost as nimble as a WWII Stuart tank. Today I took my infantry squad, mounted it in a Slammer and we went against an enemy strongpoint. This is a custom-made scenario that I played solo.

Flashpoint Campaigns Red Storm - Preview

Flahspoint Campaigns Red Storm is slated for release on October 8th. This sequel to Flashpoint Germany will put players in command of tactical combat during an hypothetical World War III, at any time between 1979 and 1989.

Right click and open in a new tab or window for a complete view.

All images and commentary in this preview are based in a beta/preview build. The contents, artwork and game mechanics in this build are subject to change.

Steel Beasts 3.0: One Week Since Release and Already Ruining Productivity at the Office!

So many new goodies in the new 3.0 version of Steel Beasts ProPE that my real life has been downgraded to the "stuff-I-do-between-scenarios" status.

Command: Modern Air Naval Operations - Preview

I’m staring at a modern naval clash of a magnitude and intensity that could change the world's order, completely oblivious to the fact that I am in front of a cheap computer monitor, interacting with the good old standard Windows interface. In a matter of minutes, I’ve established a rapport with a US Navy task force consisting of one carrier, one guided missile cruiser, one destroyer, two destroyer escorts, two guided missile destroyers, one fast combat support ship, ten helicopters, and seventy fixed wing aircraft.

Right click and open in a new tab/window for a better view.

Bil Hardenberger's Battle Drill - A Combat Mission's Tactical Bible

Bil is very well known for his work with Panther Games' Command Ops (and all it previous incarnations), Combat Mission (all of the way back to Combat Mission Beyond Overlord), Strategic Command and the upcoming Command Ops Legends of the Blitzkrieg. Ex US Army and Air Force, he quickly earned the CRO (chief realism officer) title among the beta testers of Panther Games.

The Troubled Shores of a Soviet "Island of Resistance" - Part 2 - Iron Front Liberation 44

Anti tank warfare in the Eastern Front was brutally demanding for both sides. At the so-called Soviet "islands of resistance", right after the identification of the enemy's axis of attack, combat engineers would carry 5 anti-tank mines onto the enemy's path and deploy them to slow the armored advance. In this scenario I'm playing as the commander of a group of 3 combat engineers assigned to an anti-tank strong point. The readers are urged to take the outcome of this scenario with a big grain of salt, as the outcome of the anti-tank gun vs. tank duel turned out to be questionable.

This is part two of a previous blog entry. 

The Second Georgian War - Dawn Lightning at Zugdidi - DCS UH-1H Huey Beta

The Second Georgian War officially starts when Abkhazian mortars fire across the Inguri river. It's 0546 of a morning in August. This is the start of the war from the point of view of a Georgian transport helicopter pilot assigned to a tactical command post located a dozen miles from the border city of Zugdidi.

This blog entry is a continuation of a previous story, but it can be read as a standalone feature. The screenshots may appear dark, but I felt that brightening them up would destroy the ambiance.

Touch Panzer Campaigns - A Mobile Version of the PC War Game for Android Devices

Now available at the Google Play Store, the first and free release of the Panzer Campaigns series for the Android operating system is out since yesterday.