Well, those **** SturmTigers really blasted the two center VH clusters. Everyone in the area had to be rallied, so my infantry didn't get into this turn too much. But fortunately my Jacksons got into the action and took out one of the SturmTigers and that last Uhu. So, I believe the Germans are just as blind as I am in all this smoke.
I did discover a nice tactic against SturmTigers though: I moved a jeep in LOS of the SturmTiger and also next to a squad or two of SS -- That jeep got the STiger to blast his own men two or three times. That really has to be disheartening, when the 370mm maw of your own superweapon is staring straight at you.
Three more turns and this is all over. I still hold all the middle "per turn" VHs.
Everyone is a potential [PBEM] enemy, every place a potential [PBEM] battlefield. --Zensunni Wisdom
Bloody fighting continues just two or three hexes away from the northern and central VH´s (which are only 4 hexes apart). We refuse to give in and renew our attack, destroying a M36 Jackson, a M18 Hellcat and a 60mm mortar jeep. A deadly barrage of mortar shells rains upon the american defenders, causing further casualities. The fighting is very intense and bloody, with no side giving any quarter.
A crescent of burning vehicles of all types and from both sides is belching smoke at this focus of the conflict. The nearby woods are all ablaze, adding to the haze as do the numerous smike shells the americans have fired to force the Sturmtigers to roll in for a shot. Wait until I post a screenshot after this is finished... with and without those rolling clouds!
The suppression from the relentless arty and SturmTigers is taking a toll. My infantry couldn't do much this turn except take out an SS squad that was out in the open. We'll see if that Tiger can move through the woods and take a VH from me.
My gamble to grab the German backfield VHs was shot down before it could really start because on Scharfschutze's turn he figured out what I was up to and took out my jeep and Hellcat that were moving up to try to sneak in.
Two more turns to go. Will the Germans regain any of the VHs?
Everyone is a potential [PBEM] enemy, every place a potential [PBEM] battlefield. --Zensunni Wisdom
Another M3 Stuart joins the scrap pile, while a recon patrol is exterminated. Everyone is gearing up for the endgame. The points-per-turn-VH´s will have prevented me from winning here (especially by regaining them in the final move or such) but the price was very high. I am virtually assured that the losses will be in my favour (in the infantry department, that is), the Sturmtigers have seen to that. Still, the slaughter won´t have been in vain for the yankees, since they managed to prevent me from retaking the VH´s soon enough.
Turn 19 of 20:
More rallying and hiding. I managed to take out a mobile AAA. That's all. But I still have all the VHs. I'll be curious to see if the Germans have one more push in them to try and take a VH or two. It's been since turn 7 that they held even two VHs. All my feeble attempts to push on the German starting VHs have been crushed, either by a Panther or a lowly sniper (which happened this turn).
Everyone is a potential [PBEM] enemy, every place a potential [PBEM] battlefield. --Zensunni Wisdom
We have one more punch to deliver: Lead by the infantry, we breach the american defences of the northern VH´s, retaking two of them and scattering suppressed Rangers. Add some mopping up in the rear of the spear , a superlatively accurate mortar barrage with some 80+% landing in hexes with confirmed enemies, none dropping on our own depite the close combat, and we have a relatively successfull turn.
I just hope that the Americans can´t rally anything, especially that M18 Hellcat I lost an Opel Blitz truck to.
I rallied enough to push the German infantry out of the VHs they had captured. So I ended up holding all VHs at the end. Scharfschutze did predict accurately however that it cost me dearly in the casualties. I lost many more men than the Germans did.
However, in the end, this wasn't about not spilling digital blood, it was about taking and holding the per turn VHs. The result, Marginal Victory.
US = ~13,000 points
Germany = ~6000 points
Most of the last quarter of the battle was very close, even with our tanks getting right next to each other. I'll let Lars post pictures if he wants to. I don't know how to do that.
It was a very close battle. I think my choice of an overwhelming number of foot soldiers made it very difficult for the German tanks since we were fighting over lightly wooded hexes for the most part. I think this easily could have turned out differently. And I must say I was nervous about my position most of the time, having to rally all my troops most of the time before I could even move.
Everyone is a potential [PBEM] enemy, every place a potential [PBEM] battlefield. --Zensunni Wisdom
Try as I might, I didn´t break the american stranglehold on the VH´s, which has resulted in the americans winning with quite a margin.
Now that the battle is over, it is time for a little analysis. The first phase of the battle saw a vicious clash of advance troops over the northern and central VH´s, which laid in close proximity (as you will see when I post the screenshots). Since the M16 SPAA halftracks were proving to be too much for my infantry, I had to withdraw them, loosing a platoon of SS, several HT´s and a couple of Kübelwagen in the process. I retreated to a nearby ridge, teamed up with a two Sturmtigers, two Tigers and four Panthers and began a delaying battle against the Americans securing the VH´s. When the AUX Panther Uhu´s had joined, I began a cautious adavance towards the enemy-held objectives again, and was caught in a vicious counterattack by the Americans, which cost me two Panthers and heavily damaged a Panther Uhu, who lost its main gun and hence was reduced to a night-vision MG mount. The second Panther conveniently ruined its 75L70 while op-firing a Jeep, leaving me without the advantage of IR-equipped tank-killers all too soon. Undaunted, I resumed my assault, and despite further losses reached and even occupied two VH´s, after advancing some 6-8 hexes under constant attacks and counterattacks in dense smoke. The screeshot will speak for themselves, I think...
Alas, it was in vain and rbrunsman won due to his excellent choice of troops and his daring and skillful counterattacks. When the Americans reeled under my barrage and sat in the defense, I could advance, when they counterattacked, again and again, I was stalled and finally thwarted.
What would it have taken for me to win?
I am a little unhappy with my choice of artillery. The SP mortar HT´s were chosen with a specific role in mind, which I didn´t use them for since I critically needed every tube I had to clear a way towards the VH´s. I would have gotten quite a lot of ordinary 81mm mortars for that purpose.
Generally the arty mix I purchased against Cpt. Pixel proved much more flexible and effective. I think the heavier firepower of 8 120mm mortars and a battery of 150mm offboard would have cleared the enemy troops holding the VH´s, and would have enabled me to attack more decisively. Instead, a fight of attrition broke out in front of the VH´s, with both sides feeding troops to the fire.
The Battle report: 24 american AFVs are listed as destroyed, I think a lot of M16´s went into that number, since I didn´t destroy more than half a dozen "real tanks". Infanty losses are as expected, though must say I lost maybe three quarters of my infantry force, of my SS company the first platoon was mauled in the opening fight, while the remaining two lost half their numbers in the second attack and endfights. The first platoon was basically overrun, while the remaining two fought very well in the defence of the ridge and the following advance. One of the platoon HMG´s basically broke up the northern shoulder of the american attack, destroying two enemy squads and badly maiming another. Too bad it ran out of ammo in the final turn.:rolleyes:
I will add that I only had 4 Hellcats, 4 M4 105mm CS Shermans and 1 M4A1(76)W Sherman (which got killed after firing maybe 2 shots ). As reinforcements, I called in 2 Wolverines. That was the total of my "tank" force. Most of my points went to infantry, with a couple Airborne squads, a couple Rangers and a couple engineers. My men had to walk into the battle since I since I didn't buy any HTs until I called reinforcements. I figured that with the superior German armor, I would offer as few hard targets as I could. As it ended, I had very few hard vehicles left and if the game was a little longer and didn't have "per turn" VHs, I would have been swept from the field by the never ending supply of tanks Scharfschutze seemed to have.
Everyone is a potential [PBEM] enemy, every place a potential [PBEM] battlefield. --Zensunni Wisdom
Originally posted by Rokondo What are your preferences?
5k points meeting engagement, all on, C&C off, max. 20% arty, two airstrikes per side, 8/45
This is copy&pasted from our WWIII thread. Since we are doing a rematch, let´s stick to it. Will you set it up? Of course, it will be US vs SU again...
Sound good to me
Send me the files .
This time I will put different password
Originally posted by Scharfschütze
5k points meeting engagement, all on, C&C off, max. 20% arty, two airstrikes per side, 8/45
This is copy&pasted from our WWIII thread. Since we are doing a rematch, let´s stick to it. Will you set it up? Of course, it will be US vs SU again...
Thanks Curieus, but I was only receiving the arty. I wasn't able to deliver very much. I only had a few 82mms and a bunch of 60mm jeeps that all ran out of ammo since I didn't buy an ammo dump.
Everyone is a potential [PBEM] enemy, every place a potential [PBEM] battlefield. --Zensunni Wisdom
, a superlatively accurate mortar barrage with some 80+% landing in hexes with confirmed enemies, none dropping on our own depite the close combat, and we have a relatively successfull turn.
