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Task Force Thunder is the name of the main campaign in Combat Mission: Shock Force. This entry is based on the Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 version of the campaign which differs in flow from the original version.

The campaign follows the Task Force Thunder in their advance from Iraq-Syria border to Hims. It has 19 unique scenarios in total, some scenarios have an alternate version depending on how you perform.

You will not get refitted during this campaign, meaning that force preservation is essential. Vehicle repairs also happen very rarely. You will get resupplied with ammo in between most campaign missions, so use that ammo!

TFT

The operational map of Task Force Thunder

Forces present[]

US Army:

  • Battalion Command
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) (x1 M1134 ATGM Stryker Platoon attached)
  • A Company (Stryker Rifle) (x1 M1132-mounted Combat Engineer Squad attached)
  • B Company (Armored) (M1A2 SEP Abrams)
  • C Company (Stryker Rifle) (x1 M1132-mounted Combat Engineer Squad attached)
  • D Company (Mech Rifle) (Bradley)
  • E Company (Mech Engineer) (Bradley)

Syrian Forces

  • Reserves
  • Regular Army
  • Republican Guard
  • Special Forces
  • Unconventionals

Campaign briefing[]

The briefing here is like it is in Shock Force 2, the upgraded version of the original game.

Situation

JUNE 19, 2008

IRAQ-SYRIA BORDER

After months of deployment and build-up, the invasion of Syria is about to begin. The world has waited breathlessly as three days of intense airstrikes have hit Syrian Army defenses throughout the country, but the order has been given to cross the border in the pre-dawn dark. American forces are moving from their jump-off points along the Syria-Iraq border, while British forces are attacking along the northern Turkey-Syria border and near Damascus. Other NATO forces are attacking towards Aleppo in the north. To complete the envelopment, the United States Marine Corps is landing on the Mediterranean coast.

You command a battalion-sized task force as a part of Task Force Thunder, a Stryker Brigade reinforced by armor and mechanized infantry, and backed by generous amounts of artillery and air support. The combination of speed, agility and firepower makes your task force one of the most powerful forces on the planet. You will be required to employ these advantages to accomplish an important mission: Task Force Thunder has been ordered to strike quickly into the heart of Syria.

Mission

Task Force Thunder is entrusted with the important task of splitting Syria's territory in half and ultimately seizing the vital urban area of Hims. The highways to be followed in pursuit of this mission have been designated Route Lightning. Route Lightning neatly bisects Syria and separates the industrial resources of the north from the population centers of the south and west. A successful drive through the center will cause maximum disruption to the coherent defense of the country. In the event of a prolonged siege of the capitol, Syrian forces will be unable to resupply and to re-equip.

You will need to balance the competing priorities of speed and force protection. As important as it is to secure Route Lightning quickly, if we arrive at Hims combat ineffective we will not be able to effect a coup de main on the city. That would complicate other operations, including at best a more difficult fight for our forces to the south, and at worst a stalemate.

Friendly Forces

Task Force Thunder is composed from both Stryker and Heavy brigade combat teams, backed by plenty of artillery and air support. Our Strykers are fast and versatile, being able to put many boots on the ground quickly and with full combined arms support. Our heavy forces are the most powerful in the world, capable of besting any opposition they face.

Your battalion-sized command withing Task Force Thunder is organized as follows. Various elements from a Stryker Battalion, a Combined Arms Battalion, and various brigade-level formations have been combined to form an independent and versatile combat unit.

  • Battalion Command
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) (x1 M1134 ATGM Stryker Platoon attached)
  • A Company (Stryker Rifle) (x1 M1132-mounted Combat Engineer Squad attached)
  • B Company (Armored (M1A2 SEP Abrams)
  • C Company (Stryker Rifle) (x1 M1132-mounted Combat Engineer Squad attached)
  • D Company (Mech Rifle) (Bradley)
  • E Company (Mech Engineer) (Bradley)

Enemy Forces

Intelligence believes that there are three to four Syrian divisions lying in our path to Hims, although this may change due to last minute shuffles on the Damascus-Hims-Aleppo axis. Initial enemy forces defending the border will consist mostly of poorly trained reserve and militia infantry units baked by obsolete tanks held over from the 1960s. The interior of the country is defended by substantial number of regular armor, mech, and infantry units. The quality of the equipment is still inferior to our own, however it does pose a significant threat. Around the Hims area are the best of the regular Syrian forces, including at least one regiment of the Republican Guard Division. The quality of the latter should not be underestimated.

Peppered throughout the country are cells of unconventional paramilitary fighter groups, some of which have received decent training and are equipped with modern firearms and heavy weapons. There will also inevitably be a number of combatant forces consisting basically of untrained civilians who have picked up a rifle. Many of these forces will be advised and reinforced by Syrian Special Forces, who tend to be equipped with some of the best night vision and anti-tank weapons in the Syrian military. By their nature, these organizations are unpredictable and may be encountered anywhere along Route Lightning.

Approach every situation with caution until you know what you're dealing with. The Syrians are not the backwards, militarily inept pushovers the blowhards rant about. They are motivated, adequately trained and armed, and quick studies of our tactics. The unconventional forces arrayed against us are, perhaps, even more formidable. Many are veterans of fighting against our forces and they have no fear of dying for their cause. While they might not have a chance at the strategic level, at the tactical level every Syrian unit is perfectly capable of bloodying the nose of your task force.

Plan

Task Force Thunder is to proceed as quickly as possible down Route Lightning towards Hims, destroying any enemy opposition encountered. As the vanguard of a rapid advance, the task force must avoid large deviations from the route or becoming bogged down in protracted fighting. Following units will secure the route behind Task Force Thunder and deal with any remaining Syrian units. Task Force Thunder must also minimize friendly casualties along Route Lightning, in order to remain at high strength for the assault on Hims.

Notes

BONUS POINTS: Most campaign missions will award bonus victory points for achieving certain goals, such as limiting friendly casualties or inflicting heavy enemy casualties. These points are over and beyond the points listed in your mission briefing materials, and are not required to successfully complete any mission.

CORE UNITS: Almost all friendly units encountered in this campaign (other than howitzers and air support) are core units, and their losses will carry forward through the rest of the campaign.

REPLACEMANTS (sic), REPAIR AND RESUPPLY: Due to the projected rapid speed of our advance and the resulting lack of security for major logistical support, you will not receive any replacements for casualties or disabled vehicles for the duration of this operation. Maneuver your troops with extreme caution: you will not be able to replace them. The Task Force's maintenance units will attempt to repair vehicles when the opportunity presents itself, but windows for repair work will be brief and far between. You will, however, be fully resupplied with ammunition between most missions.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE: Many missions that take place in inhabited areas will carry with them the risk of collateral damage to innocent civilians. The Notes section of every mission briefing will include an assessment of collateral damage risks in the AO. If the risk is deemed to be present, then you should avoid using high explosive weapons (such as bombs, missiles, tank shells or Javelins) on civilian buildings. Causing damage to these buildings may award the enemy bonus victory points, potentially huge amounts of points in the case of extensive damage. Small arms fire from rifles, machineguns and coaxial weapons will not cause collateral damage.

Scenarios[]

The flow and structure here is presented like it is in Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 (the remade version for the new engine). Some missions are missing from this version, and others are encountered without regards to performance where as in the original version some missions were only encountered if you lost the preceding mission.

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