OP2407-5-6 After Action Report

OP2407-5-6
Transcript:

OP2407-5-6
Intelligence staff for 1st Battalion, Chernarus 9th Separate Light Rifle Brigade, received information from burner phones and reports from local agents, that the separatists were planning an attack on the village of Budetice in Sumava.

Local agents in Budetice encountered several enemy agents who were meeting with some villagers, and who were demanding tribute, food, water, and recruits, and that their forces would be entering the village in a matter of a few hours. Tapped phone conversations revealed that a separatist force of approximately reinforced company size would attack the village from the march.

Operations staff for 1st Battalion issued a warning order and assembled a task force consisting of two tank mounted recon squads, three light rifle squads, two BRDM scout cars, and one BRDM antitank vehicle. The road march to Budetice took nearly 45 minutes.

The tactical plan for the defense of the village was for four rifle squads to deploy on a straight line running east to west just north of the village. 4th Squad would stay in the southern section of the village as a tactical reserve.

Initial attacks by Spanish militia hit the deployment points of 1st Recon Squad and 2nd Squad hard in the west. In addition, the separatists sent several technicals to attack those positions, to cut off the task force from retreat.

On the eastern section of the line, attacks were initiated by Wagner operators and by Russian militia, hitting the deployment point of 2nd Recon Squad particularly hard. During both attacks task Force commander fired numerous artillery missions north of the fire safety line. The effect these attacks had were unknown.

Enemy infantry and vehicle attacks continued, with one enemy squad infiltratig to the position of 4th Squad. Meantime, 2nd Squad, having suffered heavy losses, was ordered to pull back. At the same time, Spanish militia had mounted an attack on the position of 2nd Recon Squad.

Commander mounted a counterattack against the Spanish militia, driving them back, while ordering the remainder of the task force to withdraw south.

Commander ordered an artillery strike on positions of Spanish militia. Not realizing that his second in command had taken the squad directly adjacent to the fire safety line. One stray 122mm round hit, killing Command Squad, except for the commander.

2nd Recon Squad had suffered heavy casualties, so the commander took over command, then proceeded to go through the village wrecking as many enemy technicals as possible.

The remnants of the task force withdrew in good order well south of Budetice.

While on the way back to the forward Zone, the newly formed Command Squad encountered an enemy BMP. In their efforts to eliminate the BMP, half the squad was eliminated.

Casualties were nearly catastrophic. 1st Recon Squad with wiped out. 2nd Squad lost three, 3rd Squad lost four, 4th Squad lost three, and Command Squad was wiped out by friendly artillery. One BRDM and 2nd Recon Squad T-34 were destroyed.

Field counts of enemy losses included five technicals, two UAVs, two BRDMs, and one BMP.

Heavy losses were inflicted on separatist forces, both Battalion and Brigade intelligence staffs agree, but losses in the task force were unacceptable, many of them due to mistakes by the command element. Both intelligence staffs agreed a new operation must be mounted within a week, expecting that the separatist will be launching a new operation as well.