The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

[berto]

TURN #20

Recall that I am receiving major reinforcements, now, and over the next several turns:



Unless he somehow knows about my reinforcements (how could he?), Crossroads might be starting to feel a bit confident. He has significant strength east and northeast of Hill 402, and for all he knows, he just sees lightly armed MG jeeps and armoured cars confronting him.

But unless Crossroads too is being heavily reinforced, with the arrival of the 40th Armoured Brigade right wing, I should have more than enough on my right to blunt his attacks. Sufficient strength to stop his taking either of the Qabitiya crossroads.

And despite his efforts, Crossroads continues to fall behind in Victory Points. The current VP total: 96 -- far, far short of a Minor Defeat (300 VPs, for him) even.

What will I do with the 40th Armoured Brigade left wing, due to begin arriving (at the turquoise entry point) from the southwest beginning next turn? For now, I am thinking I might direct them to assemble around Hill 294, then surprise attack the Israelis west and northwest of Jenin. Go for their rear area HQs and artillery. Maybe cut off the main force, encircle it, destroy it. Maybe retake Jenin. Maybe.

[berto]

TURN #20

Consider again the current situation:



I face serious threats at my center (top large yellow circle), and on my far right (two smaller yellow circles).

Should I countermand my earlier order, divert the forward elements of the 40th Armoured Brigade (green ellipse) to address the newly developing threats on my far right, or have the Brigade proceed towards the center as originally intended?

The Reinforce > Schedule Dialog provides me an answer.

This turn, Turn 20, at the nearby entry hex 38,55 (turquoise box, south map edge), I am about to receive the units displaying in the Unit List Dialog. (If you double click on any line item in the Schedule Dialog, the Unit List Dialog pops up displaying greater detail for that line.) As you can see, I have two tank squadrons due to arrive this turn, not to mention many more support elements.

Next turn, it gets even better:



No, I have plenty reinforcements, more than enough even, showing up to meet any challenges on my far right. The 40th Armoured Brigade forward echelons will proceed to the center as originally ordered.

[berto]

TURN #20

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 20:



South of Jenin, I decided to reinforce the two BunKers (yellow circles) rather than give them up. They risk encirclement; indeed my entire Jenin sector risks encirclement; but it's a chance I will take. I have no fortified positions to speak of farther south. If the Israelis catch my infantry out in the open, they are likely to falter. My hope is that Crossroads will commit to taking out the BunKers instead of pressing his advantage beyond. My hope is that he will bog himself down there, giving my armoured reinforcements sufficient time to arrive.

In several sharp firefights, I inflict some damage. Crossroads' VP total falls to 78.

On my right, I withdraw my reconnaissance MG Jeeps and FV701 Ferrets a respectably safe distance.

The 40th Brigade right wing advances up the road to Qabitiya.

Recall that I am due to receive five more Patton squadrons next turn at the turquoise box, map's southeast edge. (See the second Schedule Dialog > Unit List Dialog in the previous post.)

Likewise, next turn, I am due to receive another five Patton squadrons at the green box, map's southwest edge, with still more Pattons and other support elements to follow in subsequent turns. They show up far from the action, but the road (and railroad) up the Donan Valley will speed their way forward. (Note: Vehicle movement rate is halved during night turns. Daytime doesn't begin again until Turn 26.)

Expect to see lots more Jordanian armour over the next several turns. [8D]

[berto]

TURN #21

As Turn 21 opens, Israeli artillery gets lucky.

Two artillery strikes at hex 33,35 (green square) score kills, disruptions, and retreats (to the adjoining magenta circles):



An earlier artillery strike at hex 27,34 (turquoise square) scored another kill, and forced another retreat (to the leftmost magenta circle).

(The crosshairs you see are my artillery plots, for Jordanian artillery counterfire to take place after the Israeli move, at the beginning of the subsequent Jordanian movement phase.)

[berto]

TURN #21

After some softening up direct fire, Israeli rifle & engineer battalions spring from their trenches to assault BunKer hex 34,34 (turquoise circle), forcing all three Jordanian defending units to retreat (to the adjacent magenta circled hex), and scoring some disruptions and one kill:



An earlier Israeli assault (from the green circled hex) failed to dislodge the Jordanian defenders at BunKer hex 31,34 (yellow circle), however.

Still, losing that one rightmost BunKer hurts, badly. More crumbling.

[berto]

TURN #21

The situation at the beginning of Turn 21, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, at the center, around Jenin (with my disrupted units highlighted):



BunKer hex 31,34 (yellow circle) is in imminent danger of encirclement. If -- no, when -- that BunKer falls, I have few if any fortified positions southward to block an Israeli advance. Many of my units to the south are disrupted. As for the rest, disrupted or not, out in the open, they are no match for the Israelis. I can't hope to repel a vigorous Israeli forward push.

Is my center about to collapse?

[berto]

TURN #21

The situation to the southeast:



The Israeli left continues the attack. Direct fire and opportunity counterfire. Losses on both sides. More WRecks litter the landscape.

In the nighttime darkness, with Visibility 2, Crossroads can only see enemy units two hexes distant from his own. He should be totally oblivious to the Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade right wing (turquoise ellipses) off in the distance.

Maybe right about now Crossroads is feeling optimistic?

This very next Jordanian movement phase, the 40th Armoured Brigade rear echelon is about to arrive at hex 38,55 (turquoise square). Those five Patton squads should be more than enough to deal with the Israeli halftracks moving confidently forward on Crossroads' far left. Crossroads is due for a very rude and unexpected surprise.

Note, too, that on the other side of the map (Schedule Dialog, second line, at hex 6,55), the 40th Armoured Brigade left wing is making its debut.

Despite his advances, Crossroads' victory point total falls again, now down to 74. Jordanian losses here, Israeli losses there. An eye for an eye!

My center may be imperiled, but overall, not to worry? Crossroads is running out of eyes, while I am sprouting new ones. [;)]

[berto]

TURN #21

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 21:



Very little action this phase. Moving up reinforcements, and cautious pullbacks mainly.

In the center, I did in fact abandon the BunKer at hex 31,34 (yellow circle). I decided that the forces there were too valuable to throw away in a hopeless suicide defense.

On my left, shifting forces southeastward, towards the center.

I have a squad of RCLR jeeps in the center that are boxed in by the Rough terrain. The only way out is to the northwest, away from the action; or to the east, then south. I took the risk of scooting them around the center front eastward. Bad move. Hidden Israeli units opfired, disrupting the jeeps and stopping them in their tracks (magenta circle). The Israelis are likely to finish them off next turn. Oh well.

On my far right, rather than rushing forward, instead stationing the just arrived Pattons in ambush positions. I want to maintain the surprise as long as possible. Let the Israelis walk into my trap!

Apart from the Pattons I have assigned to deal with the Israeli attack on my far right, what to do with the 40th Armoured Brigade, right wing, main force (turquoise circle)? I could send them up the path northwest towards the Qabitiya Crossroads. But the 40th Brigade left wing (green circle; more to follow) is moving much faster up the finished road in the Donan Valley. Even though farther away, they are sure to reach the Qabitiya Crossroads first. Traffic jam! So, no, I have decided instead to move the right wing (turquoise circle) more or less due north. Slower going, yes. But if the center can hold, maybe that gives me the option of veering rightward north of Hill 361.

I am advantaged having a much better lateral road network than does Crossroads. He will be hard pressed to parry my counterattacks.

I speak of surprising Crossroads. It haunts me: Am I too due for a surprise?

[berto]

TURN #22

Following my last turn withdrawals, as Turn 22 opens, Israeli artillery fire falls mainly on empty hexes.

As fully expected, Israeli infantry occupy the center BunKer hex 31,34.

Lots of Israeli direct fire up and down the line, scoring several hits. Jordanian counter fire is mainly directed at the BunKers. Of course with little effect.

Jordanian artillery counter fire likewise falls on empty hexes in the between the lines No Man's Land.

The situation at the beginning of Turn 22, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, at the center, around Jenin (with my disrupted units highlighted):



That Jordanian squad of RCLR jeeps I had foolishly exposed last phase? Israeli opfire drove it to retreat back up the ridge, but without point loss. The RCLR jeeps (magenta circle) were lucky to survive!

Israelis occupy BunKer and Trench hexes at the green circles. By contrast, the Jordanians hold the yellow circled BunKer hexes. I can withstand a fire fight west of the Station, but southwest of Hill 273 and Jenin I am at a disadvantage. The Israelis are entrenched; the Jordanians are out in the open. I will need to pull the line back one more hex everywhere. To stay within Visibility range, Crossroads will then have to move forward out of the safety of his BunKers. Then we both will be out in the open. He will still be at an advantage, because the Israeli infantry outclasses the Jordanian. But his advantage will be reduced.

Note the Israeli tanks at the hot spot hex 38,38. Squads of 1, 1 & 2 Shermans only. Similarly understrength the stacks of Shermans just to the south and up a ways to the north. From what I can see, albeit in the pre-dawn dark of early morning, the Israelis don't appear to be too strong in the center. Especially with massive Jordanian reinforcements coming up from the south and southwest, I think I can handle it.

Not to worry?

[berto]

TURN #22

The situation to the southeast:



The Israelis pushed aggressively forward. I lost a few MG jeeps. And opfiring Jordanian Pattons scored a few Israeli halftrack kills.

I am a bit surprised by the strength of this push. But here too not overly concerned. The tanks I have on hand (turquoise circles) should be more than enough to repel the attack. Just to be sure, I have the option to reverse course some entrucked Jordanian infantry (green circles) back eastward. A combined arms defense is better than an armoured only defense, no doubt.

In the course of the Israeli phase, several of my Pattons opfired at the approaching Israelis. Did I overlook setting (in the Opportunity Fire Dialog) their opfire to No fire? It seems to be so. (I had set them to Short range fire only.) My bad. That, and with Israelis at several places just two hexes away, hence within Visibility range (2 hexes), Crossroads can now see my armour (turquoise circles) in this sector. I have lost the element of surprise, I believe.

Time to hunt me some halftracks!

[berto]

TURN #22

Halftrack Havoc!

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 22:



Israeli halftracks obliterated at every one of the red circled hexes.

Except for the hotspot hex 38,38 (red circled yellow box), where direct fire from Pattons at hex 35,39 (turquoise circle) destroyed squads, one each, of Israeli Shermans and RCLR Jeeps instead.

WRecks and more WRecks everywhere! [X(]

Crossroads' Total Points dropped precipitously, down to just 33.

From the northwest, I am shifting forces southeastward, in the general direction of Jenin.

The yellow highlighted units comprise the Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade. The brigade left wing racing up the Donan Valley from the southwest -- that ain't the half of it. There's still more due to arrive at the (green highlight) arrival hex 6,55 over the next couple of turns.

Will the Israelis now finally abandon the attack?

[berto]

TURN #23

Israeli artillery fire concentrates south of Jenin, scoring hits, disruptions, and retreats among Jordanian transport units especially.

Then ... surprisingly, no push southward. Rather, westward:



The Israelis pounded the BunKer at hex 28,30 (magenta circle), followed up by a weakling ground assault. Gaining nothing for their efforts.

I'm not sure what Crossroads means to achieve by attacking westward, away from the Qabitiya objectives (off map to the south and southwest), worse uphill, and towards the rough ground and my minefields and entrenchments (green ellipse). Better I think to push due south, where it's all open terrain and not uphill (yellow ellipse).

[berto]

TURN #23

After the Israeli first phase moves, the situation at the beginning of Turn 23, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, at the center, around Jenin (with my disrupted units highlighted):



West of the Station, we see an Israeli flare (white circle), with the illuminated hexes (yellow circle) beyond. This is the first time flares have been used in this scenario, I believe. I have no flares. How many Crossroads has at his disposal I cannot say, because FOW hides that info from me.

South of Jenin, the magenta circle highlights where earlier Israeli artillery fire did some serious damage to the support units -- mortars, HQs, transports -- in my rear area. The yellow unit highlights indicate Disrupted units.

Southeast of Jenin, Israeli Sherman direct fire had some success forcing back my defending Pattons. No kills, however.

[berto]

TURN #23

The situation to the far southeast:



Crossroads presses the attack.

No sign of any halftracks. After last turn's mayhem, any forward halftracks have receded back into the darkness.

Two more Israeli flares. Hmm, I would have fired them a bit further back. Flares illuminate the target hex (white circles) and the six adjoining hexes (yellow circles). With Visibility currently 2 (see the Unit List), the Israeli forward units would have seen most of those hexes anyway. I'm not sure what additional intelligence Crossroads gained by his use of flares here.

With the way forward somewhat clearer, the Israeli infantry advances.

Note the stack of Israeli tanks at the hot spot hex 36,45. Understrength squadrons all. Still more signs of weakness.

Despite that, Crossroads gamely pushes forward. That he does so suggests to me that, no, he will not be receiving any major reinforcements. For if he were, surely he would now be biding his time, awaiting the arrival of those reinforcements, only then renewing the attack, yes?

[berto]

TURN #23

The current Victory Dialog:



Crossroads' Total Points have dropped from 33 down to just 5.

Crossroads loses TPs during his phase when, if anything, he should be gaining.

Off-line, I had offered my opponent a chance to resign. But no, Crossroads still wants to pursue this. For a while longer anyway.

Okay, I'm still game! [:)]

[berto]

ORIGINAL: berto

Two more Israeli flares. Hmm, I would have fired them a bit further back. Flares illuminate the target hex (white circles) and the six adjoining hexes (yellow circles). With Visibility currently 2 (see the Unit List), the Israeli forward units would have seen most of those hexes anyway. I'm not sure what additional intelligence Crossroads gained by his use of flares here.

But maybe Israeli fire will be more effective firing into the lighted hexes. While the opposite will not be true. So maybe there is something to be gained by firing flares here.

[berto]

TURN #23

Patient defense. Let him come to me.

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 23, central sector:



At the hot spot hex 28,30, I reinforced the contested BunKer there with a platoon of Jordan engineers. With 20 SPs in that hex, it is likely impervious to assault.

South of Jenin, watching and waiting.

A bit further to the south, Jordanian Pattons at hex 34,41 (yellow circle) direct fired at Israeli Shermans at hexes 38,38 & 38,39 (magenta circles), scoring two retreats and quite possibly also SP loss. After firing, and with that hex now illuminated by gun flashes, the Pattons were careful to scoot into the covering darkness, one hex to the northeast (turquoise circle). With Visibility still just 2, all of the Jordanian Pattons in that general vicinity should be hidden from the Israeli foe.

[berto]

TURN #23

The southern half of the game map:



More patience, more let him come to me.

Where Crossroad fired flares, and with but one exception, I was careful to withdraw my forces from the illuminated hexes. Tanks can't do much damage to infantry, firing at two hexes distant, in the dark. And I would rather not lose any Pattons to direct fire or Israeli infantry assault. So, more pullbacks. Defending territory is not important here. Scoring Israeli SP loss, and avoiding Jordanian SP loss -- that's what matters most.

For all of my Patton squads, I was careful to doublecheck their OpFire settings, lifting the Never Fire setting vs. Other (Soft) Targets, setting it to Short Range opfire instead.

Those three Israeli infantry platoons east of Qabitiya (green ellipse) -- if they advance any more forward, they are in dire risk of encirclement.

The yellow unit highlights mark the 40th Armoured Brigade, which is still not entirely arrived. There's still more to come next turn!

Note the most forward elements of the 40th Brigade (yellow circles), now at hand to bolster the center sector.

The tide of battle is about to turn!

[berto]

TURN #24

My foe has plenty of fight left in him. He hits me back hard!

After the Israeli first phase moves, the situation at the beginning of Turn 24, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, at the center, around Jenin (with my disrupted units highlighted in yellow):



Israeli artillery pounded and pounded and pounded again at the BunKer hex 28,30 west of the Station (yellow circle), but without effect. There was even an airstrike on that hex, IIRC. Also without effect. No ground assault to follow up.

My opponent commented that it's been a long while since he has played a night scenario, and that he had only since last turn remembered "the importance of using Flares to illuminate targets, removing the Night penalty on combat results." Good for him, bad for me, as only he has flares at his disposal.

Which he is now using to devastating effect.

More Israeli fire, both artillery and direct, at the illuminated hot spot hex 32,35 (red circle), scoring hits, disruptions, and a retreat.

Also illuminated (in this screenshot and all following, the illuminated hexes surrounding the flare hex are marked by a larger white circle), a Jordanian engineer platoon was destroyed by Israeli direct fire at hex 35,38 (magenta circle).

It seems I will need the reinforcing 40th Armoured Brigade (turquoise circles, and much more off map) for sure.

[berto]

TURN #24

The situation to the far southeast:



Crossroads fired more flares as shown. Making the best of the illumination, also where not, he destroyed (and in a couple of instances forced to retreat) Patton squads at each of the red circled hexes, and disrupted a squad of Pattons at the magenta circled hex. (Some of the damage was due to Israeli artillery fire.) I managed to inflict damage on his attacking mechanized infantry east of Qabitiya, but overall he got the better of the exchange.