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

[berto]

Objective Jenin!



With Visibility in the early dawn still only 3, I am not quite certain yet. But at the moment, my thoughts are...

To go over to the strategic offensive, to retake Jenin!

Rather than approach Jenin head on, I am planning to flank it. I could approach from the west, along the Hill 294 to Station corridor (left yellow ellipse). But on the way to the Objective hexes (yellow highlighted), that passes through a line of fortified positions. No advantage there.

Better, I think, to approach Jenin along the corridor from the south and southeast (right yellow ellipse). Few if any enemy held fortified positions there. And the southeast is the easier pathway into the heart of Jenin.

I'd very much like to flank even more widely, breaking into the Israeli rear, and wreaking havoc on the enemy's artillery, HQs, and other support elements farther behind the enemy lines. Attacking up and over Hill 361 (magenta ellipse) holds no promise. Slow going there (steep inclines/declines, rough ground, no roadways). And after passing through the elevations, let's not forget the minefields in the valley just beyond (see screenshots of early turns in this DAR).

Instead, I am directing the tank company and armoured infantry company west of the Qabitiya Crossroads (turquoise ellipse) to head northward, up to Yamun (off map northeast of Barid), and from there swing around to raid from the northwest. If I can pull that off, what a surprise that will be! [8D]

[berto]

TURN #26

Pattons at hex 34,38 (turquoise circle) direct fire at Israeli mechanized infantry across the way (near magenta circle), scoring 1 SP hit, and forcing a retreat.

The other three Pattons at hex 34,38 direct fire at that same retreated Israeli unit (now at the far magenta circle), again scoring 1 SP hit, and a disruption.



Not to get greedy, saving their APs for possible opfire next phase, the two Patton squads move into ambush position in the valley below, one hex to the north. The trailing company HQ squad moves up to join them in that hex.

[berto]

TURN #26

To the south, near Qabitiya, Pattons at hex 31,44 (turquoise circle) direct fire at Israeli mech infantry (magenta circle), scoring 1 SP hit, and a retreat.

[berto]

TURN #26

Another squad of Pattons, this one at Qabitiya (turquoise circle, not showing, because farther down the stack), direct fire at the same Israeli mech infantry platoon, this time in the retreat hex (magenta circle), scoring 1 SP hit, and again forcing that platoon to do a second retreat.



The Israeli mech infantry platoon in the original hex (one hex to the NW of the magenta circled hex) is disrupted. I direct fire at it with my armoured infantry, but miss.

The other displayed Israeli units are safely up slope, out of my LOS.

Off screenshot to the southeast, two Jordanian Patton squads direct fire at enemy mech infantry. No hits, no disruptions, no retreats.

All in all, a good phase, combat-wise. My opponent's Victory TPs have slid back down to 49.

[berto]

TURN #26

It now being daytime (rather, dawn becoming day), I reset the global opfires, some of them, to a bit longer range:



For the tank units on my right flank, one by one, I was also careful to undo their individual unit opfire settings. They too will now fire a bit farther into the daylight.

[berto]

TURN #26

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 26 (with my disrupted units yellow highlighted):



Moving into attack positions south of Jenin.

The green circle highlights the tank and armoured infantry companies I am sending on the wide flanking maneuver around the Israeli far right.

The turquoise circle highlights tank and armoured infantry companies I am holding in reserve.

The large yellow circles highlight the big unknown: What is out there? Yes, HQs, artillery, and transports. But anything else of consequence?

Until I get a better sense of my opponent's strength -- increasing Visibility will help -- I am reluctant to weaken my right flank. I'd like to start shifting forces northward in support of the main thrust south and southeast of Jenin. But still a bit early for that, I think.

[berto]

TURN #27

Israeli artillery again hit hard, focusing on the area south of Jenin (large magenta ellipse, screenshot following), also the Station (magenta circle to the west of Jenin).

Israeli armour showed itself at hex 32,33 (blue circle), took several shots, then retreated out of visible range.

Crucially, this forced a Jordanian retreat from the IP hex 33,36 (green circle). Israeli infantry entered that hex unopposed, also the vacant village hex 32,35 immediately to the west (turquoise circle). Crossroads fired smoke into those two hexes to confuse the inevitable counterfire.

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire (little impact), a close-in view of the center at the beginning of Turn 27, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, with Jordanian disruptions highlighted in yellow:



The good news is that the Israeli artillery spared the Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade, massing for the attack just to the southwest. The bad news is that with the Israeli occupation of those two village & IP hexes, the attack route back to Jenin is now that much more difficult.

[berto]

TURN #27

To the south, the Israeli left wing, what remains of it, put up a brave front at and around Hill 402. A weak push towards Ash Shuhada. Direct fire and return opfire. A few SP losses both sides, and an outright kill, of a Jordanian FV701 Ferret troop, at hex 30,42 (red circle).

At the end of the Israeli phase, the situation (with Jordanian disruptions highlighted in yellow):



This is all they've got? It's time to move over to the counter offensive here too. Prime targets will be the Israeli armour at hex 34,49 (left yellow circle) and mortars at hexes 41,53 & 42,52 (right yellow ellipse).

[berto]

TURN #27

Gathering for the counter offensive:

[berto]

In the just concluded Israeli phase, Crossroads' Victory TPs jumped upward from ~40 to 102.

He's doing fairly well in large part due to one factor: the Israeli artillery. Which seems to be much more effective than the Jordanian. (I couldn't say why.)

I got to this point, I got to being well within Jordanian Major Victory by playing cautious, careful defense. But as the early fighting around Kafr Dan showed (see early posts in this DAR), careful defense is not everything. In infantry vs. infantry fights especially, it's Israeli advantage. Also, it's maybe to be expected that the attacker will lose more SPs than the defender. (Since the defender gets in more shots, not expending as many movement APs as the attacker.)

I could continue to play cautious defense, only to be attritioned away by that devastatingly effective Israeli artillery. So, I need to take them out.

Also, it's in the spirit of the situation: In the Real Game, I imagine that King Hussein's orders would be clear and forcefully stated: Retake Jenin!

So, I switch over to the counter offensive. I will suffer more than my share of SP losses; the landscape will be littered with more and more Jordanian WRecks. But politics is politics, the King says "Do it!", so do it I will.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: berto

He's doing fairly well in large part due to one factor: the Israeli artillery. Which seems to be much more effective than the Jordanian...

Mindful of this, I will try to ensure that my forces are spread out, and with fewer units per stack. At the moment, the Jordanians are clustered too closely together.

[berto]

TURN #27

On my far right, I decide to go after those Israeli mortars.

A FV701 Ferret squadron advances east across the valley floor, stopping at hex 41,55 (blue circle). It fires at the easternmost enemy mortars, but misses.

A sole Jordanian tank moves to hex 39,55 (turquoise circle), fires at the same mortar unit, and forces a retreat (to magenta circle).

4th Troop (green circle) fires at the other mortar unit, eliminating it (red circle).



A good beginning, then ...

[berto]

TURN #27

... disaster!

Further to the north, on the western slop of Hill 361, a Patton troop enters the orchard hex 36,39 (red circle), then an Israeli RCLR Jeep squad reveals itself (green circle), opfires point blank at the approaching Pattons, and bags them both:



Drat! I must get that RCLR!

I advance a lone Patton along the ridge. The RCLR opfires again, forcing the Patton to retreat (to the yellow circle).

Ah, the RCLR has shot its wad. It's now safe for the second Patton squad to move in for the kill. Or so I think. It too advances along the ridge, and ... BAM! Strike two more Pattons (red circle)! [:(]



Well played, Crossroads!

I now have a good look at the enemy:



Oh my! Not just the supposed single RCLR but rather three of them. Worse still, three Shermans besides. And in the best of ambush positions.

How do I root that out?

[berto]

TURN #27

From hex 33,37 (blue circle), I send forth an infantry squad (1 SP platoon), one hex to the northeast, then one hex to the southeast. As expected, and hoped for, it elicits enemy opfire every hex along the way. One of those opfires forces it to retreat back (to the yellow circle).

I send forth a second infantry squad (another 1 SP platoon). It too draws enemy opfire, most importantly from my intended target, the 3 SP Israeli infantry platoon in the orchard hex 36,36.

One Patton squadron, then another, then one more still ascend the ridge (green circles). Two direct fires at that Israeli infantry platoon, resulting in two SP hits, a disruption, and a retreat (magenta circle). Team work!



Note that the rightward Patton squad (lowest green circle) still has leftover APs to opfire at those Israeli tanks if they are bold enough perhaps to leave their ambush position and try to strike me on the flank.

[berto]

TURN #27

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 27, the center (with my disrupted units yellow highlighted):



Marshalling my forces for a push in the general direction of the white circle. From there I will pivot to attack Jenin from the southeast and east.

Praying all the while that Israeli artillery fire will scatter and miss.

How do I root out that concentration of Israeli tanks and RCLRs (yellow circle)? How about with the big guns? I have directed almost all of my available artillery to pound that hex hard. Wanna bet Crossroads anticipates that, and moves his forces there away to safety?

In the rear, at the Qabitiya Crossroads, my reserve companies (turquoise circle) stand ready.

[berto]

TURN #27

The situation to the south:



Note the concentration of Israeli Shermans and RCLRs atop Hill 402 (yellow circle). Much like the ambuscade Crossroads has set up to the north. Except rather than being in a depression, here he has the high ground. If you study the terrain, you will see where the LOS is blocked in both directions. He makes a move, and gets smashed. Or I make a move, and get smashed. How long will this standoff last?

With the loss of those four Pattons earlier, this has not been a good turn for me. Crossroads Total VPs are inching back up, now at 117, albeit he is still deep in the hole.

[berto]

TURN #28

Israeli artillery, firing mainly into the area marked by the yellow circle (screenshot below), again took its toll. Not devastating, but pretty bad. Fortunately, the Jordanian armour was totally spared (perhaps because my opponent can't see it?).

Sharp firefights around the northeast edge of the yellow circle, by the village and IP hexes. My opponent drove me back some, but I managed to retreat some of his units too.

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire -- again, little to no impact! -- a view of the center at the beginning of Turn 28, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, with Jordanian disruptions highlighted in yellow:



That tank/RCLR pack at hex 37,40 (magenta circle), the one that ambushed me so effectively last phase? One of the RCLRs ventured southwestward, and was popped by one of my tank units to the north. The rest of the pack withdrew to the northeast, then northward (to the yellow boxed hot spot hex 38,38), blasting one of my RCLRs (red circle) in their withdrawal.

And the Jordanian artillery targeting the former ambuscade hex (magenta circle)?

ORIGINAL: berto

How do I root out that concentration of Israeli tanks and RCLRs (yellow circle)? How about with the big guns? I have directed almost all of my available artillery to pound that hex hard. Wanna bet Crossroads anticipates that, and moves his forces there away to safety?

Why of course he did! [:(]

Jordanian shells scatter here, scatter there, and in no cases hit their intended targets. How well my opponent is managing his artillery fire vs. how poorly I am directing my own -- the difference is striking (pun intended).

[berto]

TURN #28

The situation to the south:



By means of artillery fire and direct fire from Hill 402, my opponent scored some SP hits and retreats in and around Qabitiya (yellow circle).

Worse, in a combined arms attack, he destroyed an entire 3 SP Patton squad at and around hex 30,42 (red circle). Ouch!

On my far right, on his far left, around Hill 402 and eastward, little if any action.

I am somewhat surprised by how strong the Israeli force is arrayed against me to the south. On the other hand, he seems to be woefully short of tanks. Observe the stack at the (yellow boxed) hot spot hex 33,44. Three squads, down to just one tank each. That is typical. In very few cases am I seeing full-strength Israeli tank squads. Encouraging, that. But discouraging to see still how strong his infantry force is otherwise.

I was wise not to have weakened my far right. I still have a real fight on my hands! Is it here, northeast of Qabitiya, where I commit my reserves?

[berto]

My opponent had a good first phase, Turn 28. How good?



Now up to 205 Victory Total Points. Oh my, and to think he was down at 20 or so TPs not too very long ago.

A good deal of that gain is from his crack shot artillery fire.

Not too very long ago, Crossroads seemed destined to lose this fight in a Major Defeat. But at the rate he's recovering, he might achieve a Minor Defeat, a Draw even. Victory would seem to be out of his reach, but you never know!

[berto]

If I may be so bold to critique my worthy opponent:

I think Crossroads' fundamental mistake in this scenario was a strategic one. If he had attacked, and attacked hard, in the center, he would have been unstoppable. Instead, he attacked to his left.

Worse, he attacked piecemeal. He had overwhelming advantage initially, overall but certainly on the flank. Look at some of the early posts in this DAR. If Crossroads had rushed me, no holding back, he could have crushed me.

Instead, he advanced cautiously, allowing my much inferior force to ambush him here and there time and time again. And in the center, around Jenin, he attacked to my strength, not to my areas of weakness.

Now the tables are turned. I fear that I might be making the very same mistakes, but from the opposite perspective. I now have the advantage, I suspect, but I risk frittering it away by hesitation, over cautiousness, and needlessly fancy footwork.

Time for some rethinking...