TO: ALL RANKS 16AA
FROM: EMMET, MAJ, OC (RET’D) & MILLAR, CAPT, OC (RET’D)
SUBJECT: OPERATION CORPORATE - The Battle of Goose Green (FRIDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2022)
DTG: 1200Z09SEP22
The Apple never falls far from the tree. Whilst we both had to step back from 16AA due to real life commitments and, let’s be honest, a degree of burnout from running such a large and high quality MilSim community, neither of us lost our passion for delivering truly immersive MilSim experiences using the ArmA platform.
Ironically, time spent away from the punishing twice weekly schedule of operations and training, and the lack of a large scale player base, allowed us to slowly develop even greater expertise in mission design and development. That in turn has enabled us to really push the platform to its limits. Our Op CORPORATE mission is probably the very best example of that. Taking the Battle of Goose Green during the 1982 Falklands War as inspiration the mission started life as an attempt to provide a Section of players with the most immersive experience of a full-on land battle which we could, and some of you may have seen early versions on the Steam Workshop.
Those early versions proved so popular and re playable that we spent more than a year tweaking and improving the core mission so that it flows smoothly but also conveys a sense of the chaos, confusion and blind terror of a night-attack over unfamiliar ground against a dug-in numerically superior enemy. For our money it’s probably the closest you’ll come without grabbing a rifle and heading somewhere dangerous.
Which is why we’re both here. Emphatically not ‘back’ in the traditional sense (that real life stuff really fills the gaps…), but wanting very much to share with all of you this thing we have made, and the experience of taking part in a truly realistic battle, with the right forces, weapons, positions and challenges that presents….
So, we’ve updated the original mission to be optimised for large-scale MilSim like only 16AA can really do, and on Friday 14th October 2022 we would like to invite all of you to join others in the UK Milsim community to take the role of A Coy, 2PARA on the morning of 28 May 1982, advancing in the cold and dark to engage Argentine positions defending Goose Green. 29 Bty is firing in support, and it is going to be a long night. [url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vVl6ZjFsF6nie2HKyK7bvKLOKUR7kzTgou_V5R67NEA/edit?usp=sharing]Follow this link[/url] to chose a slot and find the communications instructions for the night.
[b]The Technical Stuff[/b]
We’ll use a bespoke Modpack for the Op. you can find and subscribe to it via the Steam Workshop here: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2815964911]https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2815964911[/url] please don’t try and join with any other Mods running, including any client side. We’ll run the Op itself and preceding HR on the Casual MilSim game server, just filter by [CMS] and look for ‘Op CORPORATE’. TS details will follow. [b]For those without the GM DLC please pay particular attention to the instructions to download the data files to allow you to join. The link for this is in the modpack's description on the Steam workshop. [/b]
<b>The Details</b>
In many ways the Battle of Goose Green is an ideal candidate for simulation via the ArmA engine. It’s a well understood action, with forces on both sides totalling less than 1600 men, and at the really sharp end the infantry companies doing the fighting were frequently under strength. Indeed, A Coy’s ORBAT at the start of the battle was only some 79 Officers and Other Ranks, raising the tantalising possibility of running an Op with numbers and Task Org very close to those deployed on the day. And although the battle is certainly well understood it has not been documented to such a level of detail as to rule out some speculation or artistic licence. The Weapons available to 2 Para and their Argentine opponents were certainly fearsome enough, but heavy sea-fog limited the role of artillery and prevented any meaningful use of air-support save for during the final stages. And the ground, a narrow isthmus with the sea to both sides and many natural defensive features despite its barren appearance, constrained both sides room for manoeuvre - ensuring a close fought direct engagement would be needed in order to force a decision.
The Plan
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2 Para’s OC, Lt Col Jones (who was killed at Goose Green and awarded a posthumous VC), had planned a complex staged operation. for A Coy this focused on the eastern side of the isthmus. A Coy would conduct a quiet initial attack on outlying positions at BURNTSIDE HOUSE followed by a series of noisy deliberate attacks on enemy strong points assumed to be in position on CORONATION RIDGE and DARWIN HILL. B Coy would advance almost in parallel down the western side of the isthmus and once A Coy had secured DARWIN HILL then C Coy would pass through their positions to continue the advance.
The Mission we have put together mimics that structure closely, focusing on A Coy’s action and taking place strictly within A Coy’s operational boundaries, which are clearly marked on the in-game map. Supporting fires are pre-scripted to identified targets (as they were during the opening stages of the battle) and elements of 2 Para support Company, including sustained fire GPMGs and MILAN ATGM teams are represented by carefully managed AI assets as well as some playable slots.
The enemy is numerous, well dug in and well motivated. Some positions are known, having been identified by SAS patrols operating prior to the battle, others are suspected and still more are unknown. They can be beaten, but it takes co-ordinated, violent action to do so.
<b>Casualties </b>
2 Para sustained 18 killed, 64 wounded and one helicopter shot down. Argentine losses are estimated at 44-55 killed and 112-145 wounded.
The Op we have put together operates a series of rolling CCP’s, activating as A Coy advance, which double as respawn points, ensuring that medical staff can effectively recover and treat casualties in a semi-realistic casualty chain, and that re-inserts can be fed back into the action via the closest CCP in a structured way. We think this is the right balance of realism and playability for a mission of this type.
<b>The Challenge</b>
Your aim is to try and defeat the defenders with as few casualties as possible. Indeed, to defeat them at all. This is a mission which it is possible to fail if you cannot bring sufficient force to bear at type right post to unlock the enemy’s defences. It will challenge you.
It is not a mission designed to require human OPFOR, although the option is there, and there is no Zeus capability at all on either side. If you want it you carry it in. No exceptions.
And did I mention that it’s dark, I mean properly dark, and foggy, and cold. I recommend playing with the lights out and minimal distractions.
In short, it’s a proper, hardcore, MilSim. We hope you enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed making it.
ENDS