1st Panzer Long Campaign - Battle 10

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: FNG
Right. It's 0039 Zulu and I have to work tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying the AAR, more tomorrow [;)]

Great to see your elite company taking on a random battle! I've been reading along and enjoying, I'm sure others are as well.

[Stridor]

FNG,

Great read!

Your IVs are legend! Don't ever lose one, the reinforcements will dilute all that great experience.

It is good to see that the RBG/RCG seems to be working well and providing some interesting battles.

I would like to hear you opinion of it as you have experienced it so far (eg too easy, too hard, too repetitive, illogical setups, nail biteing battles etc, etc)

Looking forward to more of your exploits in this campaign!

Cheers

S.

[Bil H]

Yep, a lot of fun.  Keep it up!
 
Bil

[FNG]

ORIGINAL: Stridor
I would like to hear you opinion of it as you have experienced it so far (eg too easy, too hard, too repetitive, illogical setups, nail biteing battles etc, etc)

The early battles were quite straightforward, but they felt right for a Panzer company in Barbarossa - the few T-34s and KV-1s made me work hard for victory. For the most part, a steady and considered approach to the enemy with plentiful use of overwatch and a callous disregard for the safety of one's infantry got good results. Once you have spotted Soviet infantry, they are entirely at the mercy of the Pz-IVs - the 75mm HE is far more destructive than the 50mm on the Pz-IIIg.

The AI has done well considering the units at its disposal, so I am quite concerned about what lies ahead. As durable armour becomes more frequent, it could get very difficult to score decent victories without taking heavy losses. The 'difficulty curve' of the campaign so far is a great introduction to all the command options available, as the early battles give you breathing space to practise fancy manoeuvres.

On the whole the set-ups have been OK, but I would like more flexibility. In the current battle, I would have preferred it if my infantry hadn't been hung out on the right flank and that I could have put the Sdkfz 251s closer to them. The AI seems to setup pretty well given the assets in hand.

As my units have become more 'personalised' with medals and decorations, I have started to care much more about them. I will be very sorry to see any of my Mark IVs get toasted, but it's only a matter of time... [;)]

[GShock]

Definitely a game worth playing. No sign of Aircrafts? Are they in the game too? 

[FNG]

They are indeed, though for this battle I think my two Stukas have stayed at home

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: FNG

ORIGINAL: Stridor
I would like to hear you opinion of it as you have experienced it so far (eg too easy, too hard, too repetitive, illogical setups, nail biteing battles etc, etc)

The early battles were quite straightforward, but they felt right for a Panzer company in Barbarossa - the few T-34s and KV-1s made me work hard for victory. For the most part, a steady and considered approach to the enemy with plentiful use of overwatch and a callous disregard for the safety of one's infantry got good results. Once you have spotted Soviet infantry, they are entirely at the mercy of the Pz-IVs - the 75mm HE is far more destructive than the 50mm on the Pz-IIIg.

The AI has done well considering the units at its disposal, so I am quite concerned about what lies ahead. As durable armour becomes more frequent, it could get very difficult to score decent victories without taking heavy losses. The 'difficulty curve' of the campaign so far is a great introduction to all the command options available, as the early battles give you breathing space to practise fancy manoeuvres.

On the whole the set-ups have been OK, but I would like more flexibility. In the current battle, I would have preferred it if my infantry hadn't been hung out on the right flank and that I could have put the Sdkfz 251s closer to them. The AI seems to setup pretty well given the assets in hand.

As my units have become more 'personalised' with medals and decorations, I have started to care much more about them. I will be very sorry to see any of my Mark IVs get toasted, but it's only a matter of time... [;)]

Thanks for that feedback, it sounds like you see more positives than negatives.

It also sounds like you have formed a bond with your digital troops, which is very gratifying.

FNG, would it be possible to keep us posted on your future battles in this campaign. No need to be so detailed as in this battle, just the gist of it? I think that many people would be very interested in that.

Cheers

S.

[FNG]

It's all positive, just in varying amounts [;)]

I'd be happy to keep a journal here of how I progress, though as you suggest not in such detail. I want to finish one 'complete' DAR/AAR to give any non-players or non-RCGers an insight into a random PCK fight, then will move to a briefer format. If nothing else, the game takes two or three times longer to play if you are reporting on it phase by phase [:)]

[FNG]

So, turn 11 Orders. The right flank is still involved in close-quarter fighting and there is a risk of the Soviet infantry pushing around the flank:

[FNG]

On the left, the reduced Pz-IVs continue to engage a Soviet counter-attack on the objective. The distant 45mm AT gun has re-surfaced - hopefully we can silence it before three become two.... In the centre, the Pz-IIIs keep up pressure on Soviet troops trying to reinforce the fight in the woods to my right.

[FNG]

A good phase: the woods are filled with the Soviet dead as three Rifle squads and a sniper are killed. On the left, two counter-attacking Rifle squads are killed and we have damaged the 45mm ATG. The Pz-IIIs in the centre have knocked out a Maxim that was harassing my grenadiers. There is still a threat on the right as one Sdkfz 251 is under close range fire from Soviet infantry.

[FNG]

Turn 11 Reaction phase. On the right, the Soviets have been stalled though are still firing on my grenadiers and half-tracks. Hopefully concentrated fire will remove the nearest threat.

[FNG]

On the left, the Pz-IIIs support the Mark IVs against the Soviet counter-attack.

[FNG]

The flanking threat on the right has been killed and the left flank, not to be outdone, also take out a Rifle squad. One of the Pz-IIIs has been engaged from close to where we last spotted the T-26s...
 
So far we are attriting Soviet infantry at a good rate, though there is the lurking armour threat that dampens my desire to assault the final objectives through the north-east woods without infantry support...

[FNG]

Turn 12 Orders. Things on the right are pretty much the same, though there is a particularly frustrating Maxim in cover that is giving my infantry a hard time and there is a danger of getting caught in cross-fire.

On the left, the Mark IVs manoeuvre into line, while the Pz-III under fire changes facing to present the front armour to its unseen assailant.

[FNG]

Many shots are exchanged in the woods with no result for either side. On the left, two Soviet Rifle squads are killed and my Pz-III survives another phase but still cannot see the T-26 that I know is out there...

[FNG]

In the woods a great shout of 'Urrah!' is heard as the Red Army, regardless of casualties, surges forward to swamp the small island of German troops:

[FNG]

On the left, Panzers engage anything that moves... a Pz-III fires blind at the area where we suspect the T-26 to be, while a Mark IV changes facing in preparation of an assault through the woods.

[FNG]

On the left, the Mark IV is fired on by the now visible T-26 but survives a front hull hit. On the right, a disaster! Our lead Panzer Grenadier platoon is killed outright by enemy fire - all three steps in one hit! [X(] Two Soviet Rifle squads are killed, but it seems an unreasonable trade...

[FNG]

On the right, a 76mm infantry gun has been spotted - perhaps it was this that killed our grenadiers? The firefight continues without pause.