Iraqi air force drops leaflets over Mosul, ground operation imminent

[Invadernouga]

[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;51230972]I will never understand the dynamics of fighting in the desert.

How the hell do you even hold a line with so much sand? I mean, I would think that the frontlines are defined mostly by roads. If you extend yourself too far away from a road, how can you resupply or advance with coordination?

Furthermore, if there is no height difference, how can they hold a position? It's just firepower vs firepower?

Oh crap, so the ISIS guys have built tunnels (CNN video)? Now that's nasty as fuck. Wouldn't like to advance some couple of hundred meters to have a lunatic pop up from behind and blow up the whole squad.[/QUOTE]

Mosul is more urban terrain, the main fight will be had in the city. Google Fallujah for a reference of recent urban combat.

[Shwoop]

I can only imagine that every member of ISIS inside of Mosul right now is going "[B]oh fuck[/B]"

[Strikerrr]

[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;51230972]I will never understand the dynamics of fighting in the desert.

How the hell do you even hold a line with so much sand? I mean, I would think that the frontlines are defined mostly by roads. If you extend yourself too far away from a road, how can you resupply or advance with coordination?

Furthermore, if there is no height difference, how can they hold a position? It's just firepower vs firepower?
[/QUOTE]

Usually by digging trenches. There is a reason why the Iran-Iraq war resembled WW1 but with modern weapons. Bulldozers and Excavators have become very important because they can dig up a trenchline/berm in a very short period of time. This has also made them into priority targets for ATGMs
[IMG]https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/qDEsoHkLz62gekZhYT1LNA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/be9d1b2eda7d484675f6735dfaccc6b1[/IMG]

[Croatsky]

Situation from yesterday. ISIS counter-attack managed to force ISF in northeast and Peshmerga in north to retreat. They also launched counter-attack on main offensive force( forgot to add arrows on that), but at best they only slowed down Coalition progress a little.
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/zPS2X7F.png[/IMG]

This morning though Peshmerga started a new attack from north and is making significant gains.

[ScumBunny]

[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51218233]
I don't remember when was the last time a massive pitch battle over a city with more then 1 million people living( 2 million actually in Mosul). I thought of Grozny, but that city has quarter of million of population. So, shit, did it happened last time in WW2 with battle of Berlin?

[/QUOTE]

Gaza?

[Croatsky]

[QUOTE=ScumBunny;51231909]Gaza?[/QUOTE]

Israel only shelled and bombed Gaza, did not send in more then a token military force to destroy tunnels in outskirts of Gaza. There was really a skirmish with Israel doing an overkill with shelling and bombing.