Talk:AFOH/@comment-14850713-20151018170726/@comment-27015223-20151021000401

2nd and 3rd Battalions are caught by surprise, but their reaction is undelayed thanks to the initiative of lower level unit commanders and a pre-planned defense. Return fire is initially light as the scale of the enemy attack is not yet apparent to the MEB troopers, but unit leaders quickly realize that their baptism of fire has come. Several vehicles are destroyed in the initial exchange of fire.

The battalion commanders overestimate the intensity of the enemy attack and order everything they have to engage, but maintain fire discipline to conserve ammo. Dug-in Griffins and Pegasi open up with their guns all along the line, and 150mm mortars begin pounding pre-set fire zones. The infantry fire from their foxholes.

The two battalions each have one infantry company and a tank company forming the main line, with an infantry company guarding a flank and the last tank company in each battalion acting as a reserve in the rear. The massive weight of firepower pouring into the two enemy companies attacking their front grinds their advance to a halt, but the companies attacking the flanks create the illusion that the MEB units are in danger of being overrun. The four companies holding the line begin a leap-frogging retreat, while the reserve tank companies do the same with the flank infantry companies.

Meanwhile Brigade HQ receives the contact report, and Colonel Bennings purses his lips in annoyance. The enemy attacked sooner than he thought, and right when he was ready to begin launching his spoiling attacks and anchor Mission Adder into their proper defensive positions. Nevertheless, this kind of situation was where he excelled. He orders the artillery to fire a salvo of airburst HE-frag across the front (pre-zeroed) of the initial defense line, then orders a salvo of artillery-launched mines (30 per shell. 16 shells fired. Total 480 anti-personnel mines deployed) as 2nd and 3rd Battalion begin their elastic defense. Diables and Griffons begin to stack overhead in preparation for a massive air strike operation as Diables on CAP attempt to secure air superiority.

Back on the front the four Millineum companies that launched the intial attack find themselves unable to pursue the retreating AFOH units as the artillery barrage, then the mines deny them access to advance. The main attack hesitates and contact is broken. Meanwhile 2nd and 3rd Battalions continue to fall back towards Wabag on orders from Bennings to take up their main defensive positions in prepared entrenchments that are currently partially manned by 1st Battalion. They run headlong into the Millineum ambush by two companies waiting in their rear. For the second time in as many hours, 2nd and 3rd Battalions take casualties from an initial barrage of heavy weapons fire. 3rd Battalion's CO keeps his cool and immediately begins counter-ambush procedures despite the casualties they are taking, but 2nd Battalion's CO is killed and his XO immediately panics and screams over the radio for all available support.

Back at Brigade HQ Colonel Bennings clenches his teeth in frustration and immediately decides to send in his trusted 1st Battalion to sort out the fiasco. The Diables and Griffons from TF Defiant, meanwhile, are unleashed onto the four companies that made the initial attack to keep them stunned and immobile. The howitzers have ceased fire since they launched the spread of mines.

Separated from the main fight, the 4 troops of the Recon Squadron had been stealthily setting up 40 loud speakers, 4 at each of the 10 Millineum strongholds, in hidden locations. They are set to blare a cacophony of opera and heavy metal at full blast every night from 2am to 4am to further demoralize the already strained enemy while minimizing the likelyhood of discovery. Once this task is done the entire Squadron reruns to Wabag to replace 1st Battalion in manning the entrenchments.