1st Panzer Long Campaign AAR

[Chackal]

Great job with this AAR, very enjoyable

I was thinking that for some reason screenshots don't do justice to this game. It looks so much better in movement, not sure why.

[FNG]

Our infantry push up behind the tanks to occupy some buildings. The furthest squad is pinned after taking casualties earlier.

[FNG]

It looks far better when it's all happening Hopefully the screens catch the essence of the action. Thanks for the encouragement!

[FNG]

The Soviet infantry in hard cover is proving extremely hard to kill, and forces the lead Pz III to retreat out of assault range again.

[FNG]

Our Pz IIs on the left can now see the main assault force in the village and provide flanking fire.

[FNG]

After a bloody engagement, the Soviets have had enough and leave the field to 1st Panzer.

[FNG]

The final reckoning flatters me - early in the game the Pz IV platoon got hammered by artillery after I left it static for too long. I was lucky not to lose any of them. I walked my HQ platoon in to a keyhole where they were hit several times by 45mm rounds from T-26s; again it was pure luck that I didn't take any casualties. Only after the game was I aware that one of the Stukas had airstruck and killed two 45mm ATGs. I think this was the key factor in my panzers' survival.

If my experience from PCK is anything to go by, things will start getting a lot tougher very soon. T-34s and KV-1s will only really be vulnerable to 75mm HEAT rounds and if a KV-2 turns up, I really don't fancy the chances of my infantry. The best result for me will be to get my Pz IVs Elite with a load of medals to maximise their chance of taking down the big Soviet armour quickly. One other thing to bear in mind is that in two battles I have only seen 76mm ATGs rarely and they have not managed to hit anything. I don't think this run of luck is likely to hold

[ComradeP]

Congratulations on the legendary victory, nice screenshots as well.

I don't know if the 1st Panzer campaign is more difficult because you have a better core to start with, but in my 7th Panzer campaign 76.2mm AT guns/F-22's have been rare.

Also good to hear that your Stuka's targeted and hit enemy AT guns, mine only seem to target enemy infantry or my own tanks.

[FNG]

Thanks ComradeP. I think both campaigns are helped by some early luck to keep your core alive and gaining experience. I've not really played the 7th campaign much though. In either one, a 76mm Pakfront will really spoil our day

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: FNG

I really like this map - the village allows you to deploy and advance your infantry in cover, but can also hide some unpleasant surprises as the next set of screenshots will show! The variety of woods and open ground in other areas of the map is challenging because you frequently lose contact with enemy units, but certainly keeps things exciting.

This map was done using an ASL texture. It's much 'softer' than some of my other maps.

You're fighting hard! As you say, you've had some luck. Patton said, "I'd rather be lucky than good. Good will only take you so far. Luck will take you the whole way."

So, keep being lucky AND good! [;)]


Good Hunting.

MR

[junk2drive]

I like that map for random battles. Lots of choices for both sides and 1500m of room.

[FNG]

On to the third battle. In addition to the core forces, we have 105mm artillery support, two MG34 teams, two 50mm mortar teams, two Pz Kpfw IIBs and one Pz Kpfw IIIG. We are attacking downhill towards two objectives. A number of BT-5s have been spotted already.

[FNG]

The BT-5 platoon...

[FNG]

The plan is to feint on the right with the Pz III platoon, while the bulk of our forces attack on the left, with an infantry screen dug in covering the centre. The left:

[FNG]

The centre:

[FNG]

And the feint on the right:

[FNG]

The initial orders push our left flank forwards while the Pz IIIs on the right engage the BT-5s, which race towards us.

[FNG]

An incoming round stuns one of the panzers, but the BTs are cut to pieces.

[FNG]

With the left as yet unopposed, the panzers on the right push forward to locate the source of incoming fire, most likely AT guns.

[FNG]

A game of hide and seek ensues with two 45mm AT guns - one is destroyed but not before damaging the track of one panzer. Then disaster strikes!