Cantonments in T2k

[Abbott Shaull]

Yeah, I think that was suppose to be the focus of the game, the shooting war was sub-plot...lol

For the group to find a place to help rebuild.

[Littlearmies]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Agreed. I like local reconstruction campaigns where not all of the focus is on combat. Unfortunately, in my PbP experience, other players start dropping out once the shooting stops for too long.

Well actually there weren't many times when the shooting stopped for that long - after their initial takedown of the marauders there was a period where the players had to persuade the locals that they weren't going to simply take the place of the men they had killed, then persuade them to buy into the general plan.

Then the first real test was to take care of a large group of marauders drifting towards Krakow which involved sneaking upto and destroying a tank and a big battle. There were several adventures which related to finding pieces of equipment or cattle (they had decided they were going to build up a dairy herd and sell the excess milk to Krakow - this required dairy cows, milking equipment, generator etc - finding milk bottles was an issue as I recall). Some of these resulted in combat but mostly it was scavenging or trade.

I remember the big moment for them was buying a large still from Krakow and then persuading other villages to send their excess materiel for distillation (the players gave the people bringing in material a bigger return in fuel than they could get from small or medium stills and kept a percentage of the fuel for themselves) once they had this happening they had enough materiel to keep feeding the large still. The fuel from this enabled them to bring more processes back online.

It was good fun - before the advent of the net I had to go and search the library for books on all kinds of odd things which I rather enjoyed. i'm sure there were vast holes in our logic for doing thngs but we enjoyed it.

[WallShadow]

Satellite/colony towns/outposts would also form an excellent trip-wire/potential flanking source for Krakow or other "civilized" population centers.
My enlargement of Krakow's operational footprint extends from the City's payment in ration chits. Volunteers for duty in one of the outlying bastions would be offered a bonus in chits; the ORMO "pioneers" would be fed from the military mess (no charge) and extra ration chits paid to provide for the volunteer's family or for purchasing local goods--a locally-made bicycle perhaps--and therefore stimulating the internal economy. The cost of the extra ration bonuses could be offset by a "donation" from the benefitting town to Krakow in payment for the services. By providing ORMO strengthening of the militia of the outlying towns, said local militia would gain experience (other than the experience of being trounced and massacred). The town would become more stable and secure, and (as mentioned above) lure more people to settle there to farm or start some form of business or industry.
Also, local militia members could be rotated through a stint in the Krakow ORMO, for similar purposes.

[Apache6]

I've posted this before, reposted with minor upgrades.

Fort Cooper: Fort Cooper is named after SgtMaj Cooper, who was killed during the offensive that seized the area around the base. The base is built on a farm and is the cantonment of the Bde troops. It's home to Headquarters and Service Bn, an Engineer Co, and one firing battery of an Arty Battalion are based here. The Military Population averages 309. Non-Combat population is also about 300, though numbers are not as precise. The unit has been stationed here for over a year and is reasonably well liked by the locals. Several hundred other civilians are ‘employed’ aboard the base, mostly supporting food, fuel and laundry requirements of the forces.

-The outer perimeter is defined by a three strand barbed wire fence, inside of which a herd of goats are grazed (keeping fields of fire clear and providing milk and meat), a limited amount of concertina wire is used to block 2 covered avenues of approach. These approaches are also marked with mine signs and barbed wire fences (each has a 50-meter-deep marked minefield containing a mix of US M16 AP mines and Soviet POMZ-2 mines on trip wires and PMN-2 ‘toe poppers’ rigged for pressure detonation). The outer perimeter is roughly 1300m x 1100m.

-400 meters inside that is a 2 M deep x 2 M wide ditch, backed by a 1.5 M high earthen berm ~ 1 M thick at top, the enemy side of the ditch is protected by concertina wire.

- The corner of each outer berm has a strongpoint bastion, consisting of low machine gun bunkers which can place grazing fire down the enemy side of the berms, as well as a 3 – 4 M observation towers (The 2 at ECPs are bunkers built on ISOs, other 2 are concrete sewer pipes stood upright with firing slits cut). Each bunker has one HMG (a mix of .50 cal and Soviet 14.5 KPVs), and one MMG (mostly M-60s), a SVD ‘sniper rifle,’ a AK-74 with a 40mm grenade launcher (3d12+2 rounds), and a RPG-16 with 1d4+2 rockets. The MMG’s are positioned for grazing fire putting a Final Protective Fire on the enemy side of the berms (which is properly supported by the concertina fence). The HMGs are used to engage on principle directions of fire. Each of the strongpoints have 2 improvised claymore mines. The unit has one functional ground surveillance radar system, they sometimes use it for mobile operations, but more routinely place it on one of the corner strongpoints.

-The outer perimeter has 2 Entry Control Points (gates) integrated with the strongpoints on NE and SW corners. Both ECPs have obstacles that make approaching vehicles slow and turn while approaching. They also have buried fougasse charges that can be detonated from either the strongpoint or the main COC, creating a 4 m x 2 m deep Anti vehicle ditch and showering the approaches with literally tons of dirt/rocks/gravel. The charges are pre-buried, but the blasting caps are only installed during buried of high alert. There is a concealed tunnel that leads outside the fence line entered by the SE strongpoint (there are booby-trapped on EN side and half way in).

- 100m inside that is a second ditch and berm, which is slightly higher then the first. The natural hillock the Fort is built on causes the inner berm to be about 2 – 4 M above the outer berm. Inner perimeter is roughly rectangular, 300M x 100M. The second berm is heavily reveted and integrates a firing trench which allows the majority of the Forts personnel to “stand too” and fire out. Fireplan sketches are well developed and illustrated by fireplan sketches.

-Inside the outer berm is; the Ammo Supply Point (3 ISO containers dug into the ground) fuel farm (3 x bermed 20,000 gallon fuel bladders, 3 other spaces are just burned out remains). An HLZ (used as a sports field) and a ‘field gym.’ 6 gun positions (unit currently man: 2 155mm How, 2 D-30 122 mm, a BM-21 MRL, and a Soviet 120mm Mortar), vehicle parking, vehicle maintenance area (including a Machine Shop Trailer and 8 ISO containers of parts/POL), Antenna Farm, the main generator pit (4 60KW generators, 2 of which reliably work), There are several latrines (the human waste is spread on the fields) and a shower tent (the grey water is pumped into the fields). A burn pit, and a marketplace (including a laundry/tailor shop, barber shop, Tattoo parlor, a couple of loot/trinket/pawn shops, a Coffee/Tea/cigar shop…) a corral for the goats, a pigsty and chicken coops.

- The inner perimeter/berm is roughly 125M by x 300M and has a single vehicle gate (at NW corner) and an additional personnel gates (SE corner). Inner perimeter is normally open but can be closed and secured. Again, there are hardened positions at each corner, but they are not equipped with dedicated heavy weapons.

-Inside the inner perimeter is the Command Post (the old brick farm house where the day to day admin is done. The Combat Operations Center is adjacent and consists of a buried/sandbagged bunker) with 2 5KW backup generators). There is a high quality remote control day/night camera mounted on a 22m mast that feeds into the COC, this camera has good line of sight and can spot vehicles about 10km away, personnel up to 3km (roughly half as far at night).

-Also inside the inner perimeter is, the aid station, the galley and mess hall, armory, heads and showers. The Fort’s water point is feed by a well. There is a smaller supply area for food located inside the inner perimeter. There are billeting tents and shanties. There were originally 24 neatly laid out billeting tents, protected to 1.3 M with sandbags, and equipped with 20 cots @, 5 have since burned or been destroyed by enemy fire. Many of the troops sleep in bunkers or around their work areas.

- The inner vehicle ECP at the NW corner of the inner perimeter is topped by a bunker that sits about 10 m above the plain and has good line of sight. This position is armed with a .50 barret sniper rifle, a AGS-17 AGL, and an AT-5 ATGM with 4 missiles.

The unit has many more vehicles then they can operate/fuel, several of them have been stripped for parts. A non-functional T-72 tank is set in a dominant position. It's highly visible and the 14.5mm AAMG and the coax works, but the engine and main gun were sabotaged by the crew when they abandoned it. The BMP-2 is made to look non-functional.

The absolute minimum manpower that will be left to protect the cantonment is 32: organized into 4 fire teams assigned to the 4 outer strongpoints (manning two MGs each), 5 people on the Howitzers, 3 pax at the COC, 4 in the bunker in the inner perimeter, and 8 man react squad (mounted in a BMP-2 w 2 AT-5 missiles).

Bde Commander: Col Suntar: Is the brigade commander, he’s a decent man and a good tactician, extremely demanding of his subordinates. Not loved, but respected as he’s provided security and guidance. SgtMaj Hicks is a tired veteran who is trying to get as many of his people home as possible. Personnel Security Detachment: Led by Lt Costello (his Adjacent/aide), consists of 7 men, normally ride in 2 'armored' HMMWVs reinforced with 'hillbilly armor cut from knocked out BTR-70s, equipped with 1 .50 cal and 1 Mk19. Each vehicle is well equipped with radios, NVGs and cammo nets. Four men will normally stay with vehicles, while Lt Costello and two hulking NCOs dismount with the CO, and SgtMaj Hicks.

Chaos Battery: Capt Nung, commands the Artillery Detachment, which currently musters 32 men. They have 4 functional M-198 towed 155mm How but are short on rounds (21 HE rd, 14 HE DP, 2 FASCAM ADAM, 8 WP, 4 beehive/canister), 1 BM-21 truck mounted rocket launcher (129 HE rockets, 28 scatterable mine rounds), 3 122mm D-30 howitzers (388 HE rounds, 104 Smoke rd), and 4 120 Soviet Mortars (with 800 HE and 100 Illum rounds). The crews are very well trained on M198. Preference is to employ the D-30s if in range, since they have captured plenty of ammo. The BM-21 is reserved for area targets. The 155mm DP rounds particularly will be reserved for armored targets only. They have a scout survey hardback HMMWV w Mk19 (5 men), a FDC carried in a HMMWV van (5 men). 2 5tons (each with a .50 on ring mount) haul the M198 howitzers and seven man crews, one will always man the .50). The BM-21 has 3-man crew. 2 additional 5 tons, one with .50 cal on ring mount haul D-30s and their ammo.

Digger Co (Engineers): The Co musters 40 effectives organized into a 4 man HQ, two Engineer ‘Plts’ (1st Plt has 16, and 2d Plt has 11 men) and a 9 man equipment ‘Platoon’ who operates heavy equipment, generators, water pumps and showers. Each of the squads has a couple of men who can work a dozer. The EOD SSgt has proven his worth at recovering explosives from dud ordnance and making improvised mines and explosives.

If encountered on the road, they will be led by the M113, followed by HMMWV, M-88, dump truck towing machine shop trailer, the tractor trailer (carrying armored bulldozer). The trail vehicle will be 1st plt in the Dump Truck with mounted M60. All vehicles are heavily worn and loaded. Packs and dufflebags hang from the sides. The unit will appear on the ball with every weapon manned by alert gunners and watchful eyes all around.

-2nd Plt (11 men) is mounted in a M113 with a Mk19 w gunshield, it is towing a line charge trailer with a line charge and rocket. A SSgt is the Plt Cmdr. He has vehicle crew (driver and gunner) and 2 4 man squads. In addition to small arms, they are equipped with a RPG-16 and 6 rockets, 4 men including a rocket man will normally be up and out the back hatches.

-The Company HQ drives in MRC 145 radio vehicle that has been ‘up-armored.’ They tow a ½ ton trailer with EOD tools, a camp stove, water purifier, water pump and NBC decontamination senator (more often used to provide field showers). The HQ consists of the Commander (1stLt (a brilliant young Engineer Officer, who also happens to be a 24 year old cute/petite lady, M4/M9), the 1stSgt (wise and grizzled old SNCO, M14 & .45), an EOD SSgt (caustic sense of humor, annoying, but brave and effective tech, M4 & M9) and the Medic (SP4, Ak-74, 9mm, medic bag). They have one AT-4 rocket.

-1st Plt (16 men) is mounted in a dump truck whose cab has been armored. The dump body provides decent protection for soldiers riding inside. An M-60 with gun-shield is mounted behind the cab. The truck is pulling a 1 ton trailer cargo trailer, overloaded with a wide range of engineer tools and limited class IV. The platoon is led by a Staff Sergeant, he has 3 4 man squads, the vehicle has a dedicated driver (whose left leg was amputated by a mine) and gunner/mechanic. They also have a dog handler with a mine dog.

- The Equipment Plt has a 5 ton truck dump truck with improvised cab armor, which hauls a machine shop trailer with a 20 KW generator. It’s bed is crammed with spare parts, POLs, tools and materials. The Driver is an excellent mechanic (M-3 grease gun), his A-Driver is a MSgt Equipment Maintenance Chief who is responsible for fabricating the units up-armored vehicles (including his favorite; Godzilla) M203, .357 magnum revolver. The MSgt's "war wife" is a plain looking but friendly 31 yr old Polish woman, who rides in the vehicle and has a AKR SMG.

-M-88 ARV w .50 MG (2 man and one female crew). They are protecting/have 'adopted' a 7 year old refuge boy and his German shepherd who rides with them in the cab. One of the crew members is a very experienced welder.

-A “tractor rough terrain articulated medium (TRAM)" (a large rubber tired forklift capable of switching out the forks and replacing them with a ‘bulldozer and loader blade.”) with improvised armor which does double duty as both a fork lift and front end loader. The rubber tires have been filled with foam, two spare tires (also filled with foam are carried on roof). The operator is armed with SMG version of the Ak-74).

-Godzilla: A D-7 bulldozer that has been up-armored. It has armor plates and RPG cages around engine and driver compartment. The driver compartment has firing ports that allow the operator to employ his M3 SMG from inside. It has two smoke grenade launcher systems installed, one is used for screening smoke, the second is loaded with 12 “HE grenades” that will deploy in a 180’ arch 30m in front of the vehicle. A flame-thrower has been installed (50m range, 1d4+3 shots) mounted to engine cowling, the operator aims it by turning the vehicle. The back end has a ripper (which has proved very useful against fortifications). The blade has proven to be very effective ‘spaced armor’ and has taken 3 RPG hits creating only minor holes. They have a tactic of employing 55 gallon barrels full of improvised explosives which are fired by a 2 min time fuse after the vehicle places the charge.

-A single tractor trailer, with improvised armor on cab and a AGS-17 grenade launcher (but only 30 rounds) on ring mount and low boy trailer, remains operational to transport the HE. It will either be used to carry Godzilla to an Assault Position, or one or two of the other pieces of kit to work sites (it can carry one Dozer and one backhoe at a time or both backhoes, but not both dozers). It’s also been used to carry supplies and lumber. It's normally carries three men (driver, gunner/VC (female), and Godzilla operator).

-2 standard D-7s dozers (one is NATO three color camo, one Caterpillar yellow) and two backhoes are also available.

They have 2 M19 non-metallic mines, 13 M21 AT mines, 25 recovered Soviet TM-6 AT mines, 12 improvised claymores, 46 POMZ-2 (grenade on a stick) mines, and 36 improvised ‘toe popper’ mines (built in tuna fish cans). They have 5x82mm, 1x122 mm, 1x155mm HE, and 20 DPICM submunitions duds (for use in making IEDs). As well as a 40# shaped charge, 240# of various military explosives, 120# of HME. They have a reasonable amount of blasting caps and time fuse, though they are short on detonating cord.

[Draq]

I was thinking a truck stop/motel/diner in some rural area of a state. Perfect place to set up a HQ/cantonment, if you can win over the local farmers. Garage, kitchen, quarters, scavenge any nearby towns, Set up some training grounds and defenses, and start preparing for your next battle with mexican forces/new america/raiders/soviet-cuba, etc...

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by Draq

I was thinking a truck stop/motel/diner in some rural area of a state. Perfect place to set up a HQ/cantonment, if you can win over the local farmers. Garage, kitchen, quarters, scavenge any nearby towns, Set up some training grounds and defenses, and start preparing for your next battle with mexican forces/new america/raiders/soviet-cuba, etc...

While not quite T2K canon, CarWars in its "little black box" incarnation had a supplement named "Truck Stop" with quite a few matching points to your description.

[unkated]

To my mind, part of what makes this a cantonment area is the area part.

In addition to a service/support arms base like Ft Cooper above (excellent job, BTW), the surrounding area would have 4-6 Mech infantry or armored battalions (the rest of the brigade) set up with a similar base, spread out 2-10 km away. Each would be surrounded by farm areas, probably set up in conjunction with a village to provide civilian labor in exchange for security. Each would patrol a sector stretching further out. The area will have an organized commo net, radio or perhaps wire.

Each base, in addition to seeing to its own security, can send its on-call team/platoon to nearby bases if needed, fairly quickly.

Some units, like AT or AA battalions, may be detached to provide their functions spread among the bases.

Over the course of the growing season, each unit may rotate vehicles (or other large or sophisticated pieces of equipment) into the brigade center for better/more extensive maintenance or repair.

A division sector would have 2-4 of these brigade base rosettes, controlling an area 30-75 km in diameter.

This provides an area of security and spreads out the support requirements (food & fuel production) across a larger area to avoid stressing anywhere in particular.

This works fine against small threats - groups of marauders or enemy patrols, but for larger threats, the outer patrols should find large units in time to order a consolidation of the brigades into effective units.

Or at least, that's how I see it.

Uncle Ted

[Draq]

This deserves to be a PDF with images. Exactly the kind of cantonments that come to mind.

[rcaf_777]

Originally Posted by natehale1971

US Army Base Camp Purgatory (US Army Europe, UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND)

What do you think of these

Enclave Entrance
Camp Purgatory Tents
Camp Purgatory Front Gate
Camp Purgatory Front Gate Sign

[Draq]

Ooh yes thank you

[dragoon500ly]

Very nice, very nice indeed....

[unkated]

Originally Posted by Draq

This deserves to be a PDF with images. Exactly the kind of cantonments that come to mind.

I got as far as saving this into a doc file and formatting it. I'm working on a map of the layout as described, which I will drop into the document.

Uncle Ted

[Draq]

Originally Posted by unkated

I got as far as saving this into a doc file and formatting it. I'm working on a map of the layout as described, which I will drop into the document.

Uncle Ted

The example in the encounters book is good, but you guys always do such a good job. And I gobble it up.

[unkated]

Map in the attached PDF. The scale is 1-in = 100m (this was convenient to work with in Visio). In a PDF viewer, you can scale up & down to see big picture vs detail (and text).

I'd suppose if I were doing this a s sourcebook; I'd do a map in detail of the area within the inner berm as a second map, showing individual tents, but this will give you an idea.

The individual items between the berms can be re-arranged as needed.

Next step would be to drop the map and some of the posted pictures in to the .doc file and post that, but I figured I'd wait to hear comments....

Uncle Ted

[Draq]

Beautiful

[unkated]

Ft Cooper in docx, with pictures...

I wouldn't call it finished, but it's a template you can work form...

Uncle Ted

[Apache6]

That looks great. Thanks1

[Raellus]

The aerial photos of Russian fortifications in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine featured in this article might be helpful for those wondering what defenses for large unit cantonments in T2k might look like:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...fortifications

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