C-rations and Lrrp's explained

 Great video by Eric Hollenbeck.  He goes in depth on the Ration issued during Vietnam. My experience was all C-rations.  No LRRP's for my unit.  Eric talks about using C4 to cook with.   We how take the claymore's part because of the C4.   Hard to believe that was over 50 yrs ago.

Here is what Fat Dragon dungoen looks like.

 Fat Dragon sells 3d print files to build the ultimate dungeon. I will up their prints file. My intent was to print the files for D&D.  But the group faded way.  Many reason but the Covid scare stabbed the group in the heart and Soul.

Enjoy the  photos. 

Interesting Ukrainian sniper

 Interesting on how one can adapt to urban warfare.

Perry May release Allied Cavalry

 These new figure should make a lot of people happy.  Now one can fill out there Cavalry units at a reasonable price. 

Happy Saint Patrick Day.

 

Chain of Command army list = German Partizan Hunters

 Here is the list for the German Hunter Squad.

Chain of Command army list= Eastern Front Partisan's 1942-45

 This list is perfect for your Partisan groups

Perry Brothers latest release AWI British infantry

 The brothers was released more AWI miniatures.   They are again perfectly done.

Summary on what is going on it the Ukranie

 What a mess.   Found this on Face book  it is a very good summery of what is happening.

OK, here we go, a review for the last 24 hours, i.e. 5 Mar 22, 10th Day since the Russian aggression.

CAA - Combined Arms Army (Russia)

BTG - Battalion Tactical Group (Russia)

GTA - Guards Tank Army (Russia)

GTD - Guards Tank Division (Russia)

MRB - Motorized Rifle Brigade (throw a G in the front if Guards)

MRD - Motorized Rifle Division (ditto for the G for Guards). Majority of the Russian Ground Forces are Motorized Rifle (i.e. Mechanized Infantry with supporting tanks)

NW – north-west

RFA – Russian Federation Army/Russian Armed Forces

RF-9xxxx - Russian military aviation registration

UCAV – unmanned combat aerial vehicle

VDV - Vozdushno-desantnye voyska (Russian Airborne forces)

VKS - Vozdushno-kosmicheskiye sily (Air-Space Force, Russia)

West OSK – Western Military District, RFA

STRATEGIC

Thanks to new info, by now it’s clear that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is completely botched up: indeed, falling apart. No doubt, the Russians are going to press on, and the war is going to go on. But, Putin’s original intention has failed. Russians might have the means to conquer most of the country, but no means to hold it.

Putin had only one plan: capture or kill Zelensky, force him to sign a capitulation, then replace him. And this in a matter of 1-3 days after commencing hostilities. That was the reason for massive deployment of VDV troops at the start of the war. This didn’t work. Ukrainian resistance was much more fierce than expected, Zelensky survived, the VDV were cut to pieces, the opening blow missed all of its aims. Worse yet, the West reacted in a way Putin never expected: with sanctions that caught Putin entirely unprepared, and are debilitating all of Russia, in turn destabilising Putin’s rule. Having no ‘Plan B’, Putin is now reduced to blame and threat.

The Russian ground forces were then rushed in without having a clear idea about what were they supposed to do. No surprise their advance parties run out of fuel and food in the process, got ambushed etc. Of course, Putin is not going to give up: through the last few days, his army has brought in everything it had arrayed around Ukraine, and is now trying to do the best out of the situation. Indeed, it’s hauling in even completely obsolete equipment from the Far East. However, this should not mean the Russians can't go on like the last 7-8 days: they still have enough troops, they still have enough ammo, and they are hauling in all the supplies they can get.

Ukrainians were caught by surprise: Putin’s decision to invade was irrational to the degree neither his own FSB, nor ‘even’ Zelensky expected it, regardless of all the warnings. But, the army was in position and the mass of the air force evaded the opening Russian blow. This ‘sheer survival’ early on, and Putin’s irrational planning, bought the time for the Ukrainians to mobilise and put up ferocious resistance. With help of the Western intel, their commanders managed to avoid destruction of their major units so far, while causing massive losses to the invader.

So much for the first 10 days of this war.

Over the last few days, this conflict entered a new, dirty phase. Having failed to overrun any of major cities of Ukraine but Kherson, the Russians have re-directed their intentions. Having proven unable to destroy the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they’re rushing to surround major cities in the East, to capture nuclear power plants, and to establish a land corridor to Transnistria. This might be an indication of intention to create a new ‘Plan B’, along which they would secure Ukraine east of Dnepr, cut off the country from the sea, and cut it off from its primary sources of energy. That would grant them very favourable conditions in the case of any kind of serious negotiations – which, no doubt, are already underway (via intermediaries, of course).

Meanwhile, Putin’s armed forces are going to search for the most cynical of all solutions: that of driving as much of the Ukrainian civilians out of the country. They’re going to savage eastern Ukraine in the process: no population = no guerrilla/partisans behind their frontline. That's free along what we've seen in Syria of 2015-2017 (not to talk about Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Mozambique of the 1980s, or Chechnya of the 1990s): ‘Putin or we burn the country’, and ‘you want democracy? Go West and have it’

Considering this, and ironically, almost every involved party is now actually interested in extending this conflict: Ukrainians in hope of getting the West involved; the West in hope the Ukrainians are going to maul the entire Russian armed forces (and they’re on the best way of achieving exactly that), and Putin in hope of causing maximal damage – to Ukraine and to the EU – so to keep his actual enemy (EU) preoccupied with ‘something else but Putin’: destabilised by reactions of populists, xenophobes and Neo-Nazis (many of them linked to Putin for decades already) through the influx of millions of Ukrainian refugees, therough rapidly increasing energy prices etc.

AIR

They Keystone Cops in Moscow claim the VKS fought a major air battle over Zhitomir yesterday, and shot down four Ukrainian Su-27 interceptors. While there is no evidence in support of this claim, at least some sort of an aerial clash is very likely, then immediately after several formations of Su-34s have completely demolished the Armour Works of Zhitomyr.

In turn, the VKS suffered a number of confirmed losses: these are going to be discussed depending on the frontline, bellow.

Additionally, this morning the VKS lost one jet over Kharkiv (where there are 6-7 Russian aircraft circling above, all the time), and - reportedly (this is not confirmed yet) - in the Odessa area.

NORTH

The 36th CAA returned to the battlefield yesterday, with a major attack on Irpin from the west. The Ukrainians claim to have repelled this advance, but much of Irpin and surrounding towns were savaged by artillery barrages.

For reasons explained in my review yesterday, and – even more so: above - the RFA currently cannot launch any kind of major operations into Ukraine further west. Most likely, Putin has no interest in doing so: quite on the contrary, I’m assessing him as ‘keen’ to keep western Ukraine ‘open’ for the flow of refugees in western direction, even if this means it’s also open for NATO’s (foremost US) efforts to keep the Ukrainians resupplied.

NORTH EAST

On the eastern side of Dnepr, the 36th CAA has managed to outflank the Ukrainian brigade facing it, but the BTG 200th Motor Rifle Brigade was first checked (on Friday) and then mauled (yesterday) in attempt to reach the eastern outskirts of Kyiv.

Chernihiv was exposed to several air strikes yesterday, but the local garrison is holding out and keeping the 41st CAA at bay. Its SA-8s have shot down a VKS Su-34 over the city yesterday: both crewmembers ejected, but one was killed and the other wounded when descending under parachutes atop of roofs of local buildings.

The Ukrainian 1st Tank Brigade is keeping the corridor from south – via Nizhnyn – into Chernihiv open, but that’s a close call. Wouldn’t be surprised if Chernihiv gets completely cut off today.

The 2nd GTA managed a major breakthrough of the Ukrainian defence between Nizhnyn and Priluky, and is currently attacking eastern outskirts of Kyiv.

The 1st GTA is following in fashion along the southern flank of 2nd GTA’s advance: I found no indications of it trying to move in direction of Cherkasy or Poltava.

Ukrainian garrison of Sumy is holding out: the town is subjected to intensive artillery barrages.

North-east of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian 92nd Mechanised has mauled the BTG of the 144th MRD, and reached the border to Russia. There’s a complete ‘EMCON’ on all reports from that area, though, and right now I’m not sure if the Ukrainians have a clear idea what to do with this success. At least they’ve bought plenty of time, then now it’s going to take the 6th CAA some 2-3 days to reorganise, bring in additional troops and get back to attacking Kharkiv. Of course, the city remains subjected to severe artillery barrages and air strikes.

Further south, the 6th CA linked-up with the 2nd AC advancing from Luhansk. Apparently, the Ukrainian 53rd Mechanised Brigade managed to avoid an encirclement north-east of Izlum.

EAST

The Ukrainians seem to have managed to establish a new frontline west of Donetsk. In the south, their 56th Motor Rifle Brigade and parts of the 54th Mechanised have held off Russian assaults for four days, while keeping a narrow corridor into Mariupol open. This enabled extraction of most of the Azov Battalion out of the surrounded port – despite vicious efforts of the Sparta Battalion (Separatists) to prevent this - but greatly weakened the local defences. This battle was a savage one - for both sides. The VKS lost at least 3 Su-25s and a Mi-8, the 54th Mechanised most of its tanks and artillery (including at least two BM-30 Uragan MRLS).

Mariupol is constantly subjected to artillery barrages, and the ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ announced by the Keystone Cops in Moscow yesterday was just a scam. The mayor and his deputy fell for the ploy, and organised 30 buses to evacuate about 5000 civilians and the wounded, but the Russians subjected the convoy to artillery fire, and destroyed 21 buses. A new attempt was announced for today, but, sorry: I consider this pointless. It’s all over the same game like in Aleppo of 2016-2017 again: you cease, we fire.

SOUTH

There are next to no reports from Konotop, so I guess the 58th CAA has surrounded it. That said, Zusko seems not to be keen to advance on Zaporozhye - yet: most likely, he’s both preoccupied with his western flank, and lacking troops and supplies for more. Moreover, I wouldn’t recommend any Russians to press for the City of Zaporozhye right now: RUMINT has it, the local defences are well-prepared and consisting of people both furious and extremely eager to fight the Russians.

In the West, Zusko’s 58th CAA has failed to breach the defences of Mikolayiv in two days of sustained infantry attacks and artillery barrages. At least as important is the fact that his forward party failed to secure Voznesensk. Zusko thus launched a heliborne attack on this town. This is what resulted in the ‘turkey shot’ we’ve followed ‘almost live’ on the internet. The helicopter formation was cut to pieces already while approaching its target: a Mi-24, two Mi-34s, a Su-30SM, and two Mi-8s were confirmed as shot down using Polish-made Piorun MANPADs. Whatever VDV-troops survived this slaughter, were then cut to pieces on the ground. Voznesensk is firmly in Ukrainian hands, clearly illustrating the fact that the Ukrainian defences of ‘even’ such places well behind the frontline are nowadays up and ready. The 247th Guards ‘Cossack’ Regiment VDV was annihilated in the course of this attack: even its CO, Colonel Zizevsky, was KIA. Seems, the 58th CAA will have to find a different way to Odessa and Transnistria.

Talking about Transnistria: alerted by the approach of the 58th CAA, the government of Moldova has announced general mobilisation. EU citizens are advised to leave the country. The Russian mafia in charge of the Transnisrtia has mobilised its ‘armed forces’, too (these consist of something like two small brigades).

978978

130 Comments

767 Shares

Like

Share