Fulda Gap '85, Modern Campaigns for Android - Latest Release from John Tiller Software

Now available for Android and soon for the iPad/iPhone.

Fulda Gap '85 Modern Campaigns at the Google Play Store
$2.99
by John Tiller Software

A Couple of Changes to the Blog

After some thought, I have decided to remove the "reactions" to each individual blog entry.

As a device to keep tabs on what people likes or not, It served its purpose. I know I am on track with the blog's content and I really appreciate the pats in the back which came in the form of "give me more like this".

I also appreciate the well intended "please stop this nonsense". Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about those because the majority of readers didn't agree on those negative reactions. Some of those "unlikes" were not so nice, like the ones on a blog entry with a video of my son playing airsoft. But hey, a father can be biased watching his kiddo grow an appetite on all things military.

That's change number one.

Change number two is that given my current day job obligations, the content of the blog entries is being trimmed or divided in several parts. You already have seen that: AARs with just captioned screenshots, debriefs delivered in pieces, etc. Shorter entries are already in. Unless is a game review, like the upcoming review of Scourge of War Waterloo.

I hope you still stick around. And if not, it was really great to have you on the other side of screen.

Cheers,

Block Busting in Bobriusk - Combat Mission Red Thunder - AAR, Briefing

Not a single HE or AP round left. So down to the wire it was for the Stug IIIG to defend against the Soviets in a small sector of this shitty place named Bobruisk.

Yet it allegedly saved the day, causing 27 enemy casualties, 1 enemy tank destroyer, one enemy heavy tank. And shaking the crew of another heavy tank out of their armored vehicle, if all of the above was not enough.

DCS Black Shark - Supporting a Raid at the Inguri Dam

In this single player scenario,  I am commanding a flight of two Russian Ka-50s. The storyline is simple: Russia is supporting Abkhazian irregulars in the frontier with Georgia. After a lackluster performance by the irregulars, Russia has launched a raid into the Inguri Dam. Surprisingly, during their exfiltration, the Russian raiders found themselves outgunned against the Georgians, who quietly have been building up an outpost near the dam. From the heights of the dam, the Russian raiders can see the Georgian forces, which include one tank, two BMPs and infantry. One hell of a Georgian reaction force is teaming up at the foothill of the dam ... A flight of Russian Su-25Ts and a flight of Ka-50s is called in support. The mission is to clear the exfiltration route of the raiders.

Takeoff from FARP Torba .

Steel Beasts ProPE - Moving to a Subsequent Battle Position

After I could get a Kindle copy of it, I am re-reading Team Yankee. After all the years I honestly forgot how good it is.

Team Yankee's first battle and my previous Combat Mission blog post about vehicle emplacements made me realize how un-prepared I am for defensive engagements.

The thing I struggle the most is moving my platoon of tanks to a new battle position. When it hits the fan, it's very difficult to plan, transmit and execute orders.

Falcon BMS - This War Never Ends

One of my favorite "fun facts" is that Falcon 4, in one way or another, has been always installed in my computers since 1998. That by itself is not remarkable. What is absolutely great is that I never lost interest in this flight simulator. I have ended campaigns more than I dare to count. But I immediately re-launch another one.

The airport facilities and the lighting looks like as in one of those early flights I have to take in my day job. If I could only fly a Viper to this business trips! :p

Combat Mission Black Sea - An Odd Vehicle Fighting Position

It was a bad place to fight against Russian tanks. Plenty of open fields and very little real cover. With just 4 BMP-2s against a platoon of Russian T-72s and two BMP-3s, this whole thing had retreat written all over it. This setup is from an scenario that I was editing a while back.

A panoramic view of the ongoing battle. The red icons are Russian, the blue ones my own Ukrainian Army troops and vehicles.

Steel Beasts ProPE - Two Bridges Too Many - AAR

This is the AAR for the debrief I presented earlier this week.

Although it was a treat to shoot from above, the crew of this tank didn't appreciate the stress of being potentially targeted from seemingly everywhere. Let's see how they got there.

Steel Beasts ProPE - Two Bridges Too Many - AAR: Briefing

A pretty intense Cold War scenario about a rear area/flank security operation.

Crossing a bridge in a tank, with the danger of being under enemy fire is a perilous proposition. It turns out that in some conditions, fighting from bridges can be quite effective. It's all about timing and maximizing the use of the tiny amounts of cover and concealment.

Scourge of War: Waterloo - Preview

I move my Army cautiously, with multiple Cavalry units on front and flanks of the main body. In good order, I enter my Army in Brussels a few hours into daylight. At midmorning, a Prussian infantry brigade has dared to push back one of my reconnaissance patrols near the town of Hal. At 13:20 I make the fateful decision to move out my Army from Brussels towards the latest contact. A full enemy Corps is moving our way, I heard. I am Napoleon, and I am about to claim the day.

Scenes of extreme carnage south of Brussels. Wherever you look at there is a regiment either engaged or about to be engaged in battle.