Jess' Beyond the Beachhead PBEM scenario

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 8:27 am

**** Navy still playing that same old song "whistle, BANG!"

Wish I could say that I have a lot of other surprises.

I am doing no more than holding on where I can, and falling back and harrassing where the american is achieving success.

Somebody please conjure me up some armor, even a company of Infantry applied at the right place may save the day here. The Western axis of advance off the beach is fully in American hands, but we are still giving them hell in the East.

M4Jess · Post by **M4Jess** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 8:37 am

as it should be CPT Shoe...dig in!!!!!!
and remember... this is only scen 1!

the Americans are in trouble!

now stop..dig in and look forwrd to your Panzers!

Jess

a Jess told him~

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 11:09 am

I hope those Panzers arrive in scen 2, not now. If they show up at the end of the gullies they will roll me right back into the sea!

However, seeing as how there aren't any panzers to see yet, we keep moving forward, ever forward into the, now less continuous, MG fire. I really laid a hurting on a couple bunkers (didn't knock them out yet, but I'm now right behind them) and those two 88s are now manned by 1 or 2 men each (it made it easier since I dropped small and medium naval guns right on top of them). There is also a nice ammo dump ready to have someone light the fuse and watch the fireworks. Those are cool when they go up!
Are ammo dumps politically neutral (i.e. can anyone drop by for a fill-up?)?

I also got another FT squad up to an entrenched grenadiere squad. Not a good situation for the germans. 6 killed in one blast. The rest decided they were done fighting for the day.

I have reached the woods beyond the cliffs in a couple spots and there are just a few grenadier squads trying to resist whole companies charging forward.

I'm still not sure I'll win this on points because of the heavy losses I have to take to reach the objectives before the end of the game.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sun Feb 02, 2003 12:11 pm

Rolling forward with little opposition now. Except there are a few very stubborn bunkers that just shrug off FTs and Satchel Charges. I am facing almost no resistance in the west, but Grenadiere squads keep popping up in the east and I am getting bogged down a little.

I did learn what the silver bullet is for an ammo dump. FTs light those things up with one shot! I'm used to having to pound them forever with regular infantry and tanks, but just one shot with the FT and I got to watch the fireworks display.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sun Feb 02, 2003 10:16 pm

Buying time...every little bit helps.

Despair has started to creep into my fine German soldiers. The continuous pounding from the sea and ever-rising tide of American flesh has started to cause effects that are disconcerting, but understandable.

German forces who have not been in contact up till this point are breaking, popping smoke, and leaving their positions. While a stuborn few who have been in continuous contact remain strong. The commendable crew of one bunker in particular, have weathered numerous assaults by satchel charge, flame thrower and direct fire, but remain in the fight. Sadly for them they are unsuportable as they have been enveloped by the enemy. They can fire to their front, where the foolhardy venture, but resistance is heavy to their sides and rear where they (and we), are unable to place fire. If only my entire force were made up of these fine sons of the Fatherland!!

We do our best, and will not surrender while we still have the means to resist, but even the bravest are writing that last letter to home. Hoping that we can make our father's proud in what may be the last moments of our lives, I leave my foxhole to try to rally what remains.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Tue Feb 04, 2003 5:39 pm

I keep hearing "resistance is futile" running in the back of my mind.

We hold on in a few tiny pockets of resistance, hoping (so far in vain) that we might see some reinforcements. The Americans have pushed far beyond the sea wall now. Shortly they will have captured the key road networks leading off the beach, and the Fatherland will truely have a fight on it's hand.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 10:42 am

Resistance is so light now that I'm getting sloppy and it cost me a tank.

I had just blown a bunker deep behind the beaches and so I figured I was safe from infantry since none had fired on me the turn before that. So, being extra careful of the road being mined, I drove along the edge of the woods next to the road and just as I reach the dead bunker BOOM, there goes my tank to a severely reduced infantry squad. One burst from an MG and the squad disperses. Not a good trade of assets.

Another example, my FO is strolling the beaches where there had been no action in some time and BOOM, there goes both men, blown to pieces by a mine.

Other than that, it is just mop up time (unless Panzers arrive).

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 2:57 am

Mop up operations are going to be more difficult than the American realizes. Many mines still exist, and there are still a few stalwort forces bunkered in on overwatch positions along the beach. Bunkers that have been by-passed as US forces race for road intersections will cause havoc as follow on forces try to offload. Managed to destroy some ammo stockpiles left behind on the beach, but other than the momentary joy of a careless commander loosing his AFV, the outlook of holding a static defensive line is bleak indeed.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 4:25 am

I haven't seen the turn yet, but if you've managed to hide some squads at the beaches/cliffs that just let my forces slide by, then I have 2 words: "Uh Oh!":eek:

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 9:08 am

No worries. Just a bunker that I had smoked and that has been suppressed for a long time woke up and is taking his frustrations out on those poor ammo boxes. I thought I had some German squads running rampant on the beaches.

Still light resistance in the forests beyond the beaches and a little resistance as my men move up to take the VHs in the Gulleys. Unfortunately for me, my delpleted squads are the ones bumping into the resistance and they are getting dispersed.

The battle is only half over and I am reaching the southern end of the map. So, I am setting up for the arrival of German reinforcements where I can. And, there are still a few annoying 81mm mortars to locate and dispatch.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 6:17 am

The American has just about reached the Southern-most edge of my defensive sector, and I am doing very little to slow him down. I have almost zero combat power, and have no recourse except to fire an occasional harrassing shot, and hope we kill or disperse some shaken troops. Those airborne forces in the rear must be causing some serious headaches, as we still have no contact with any reinforcing forces. We are determined to send as many americans to hell as we can before we fall for our country!

M4Jess · Post by **M4Jess** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 6:25 am

Hang in there Shoe!

Daddy is comming in the next scen!

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 7:17 am

The beachhead is ours. The only areas that need to be cleaned out are: 1 chateau (sp?), a smallish bocage area, and the extreme SE corner of the map where I suspect that last annoying pair of 81mm mortars are hiding. Other than that there are just 2 more bunkers I can circle back and take out from behind.

Time to surrender I think so we can get on to your revenge scenario. What do you think?

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 8:54 am

As painful as it may be, I still have the means to resist. Although I don't believe I will retain those meager means for more than a few more turns. Please indulge me with a couple more turns. My HQ has been pushed to the extreme southeast portion of the map. Don't you want to crush the final resistance? Don't you want to capture those last two v-hexes? Come on take them away. I DARE YOU

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 12:51 pm

There was no resistance in the bocage area and I took the chateau from a zugtrup protecting it. I also took out a zugtrup that had a beautiful view down the length of the eastern gully. Neither of them will be sending reports back to your cowering A0 unit.

I also located another bunker. This time it was with a full squad so I didn't lose the unit. That bunker has been heavily smoked and will be dealt with as soon as I can call up the demo teams.

I still want those annoying 81mm mortars. And I know exactly where they are.

Moving forward brashly.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 7:34 pm

"Well Hello there!"

It's about time you guys in the rear figured out something important was going on up here at the beach. Send a messenger back (lines of commo are still cut) and let them know that the Americans have landed in force. Give me some fresh Grenadiers and some supporting STUG's and we will see if we can at least re-take Vierville-Sur-Mer and hold until you re-inforce with some muscle!

"lets move out!", I have an axe to grind.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 11:13 pm

Uh Oh! I was afraid of that. There were just too many turns left in the game for me to be securely where I am.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 12:04 am

Well, one section of StuG IIIs is not going to slow me down that much. I immobilized one with a rifle grenade and finished it off with a Bazooka team. The platoon of Grenadieres in support of the StuGs didn't offer too much resistance. I'll finish them off next turn unless more help arrives. I'm too close to the Entry Hexes for them to spread out and make mischief.

I also found a lone MG squad trying to sneak up on one of the cliff-side VHs. He has been targeted with 50mm mortars to pin him down and will be dealt with too.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 12:33 am

The valiant Oberleutnant Benker rushes off with his platoon of Grenadiers and supporting STUG section.

"Once more into the breach my dear friend." Sadly I will miss him.

If I want to live to fight another day, I must make my preparations to depart.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 2:02 am

It may have been too late to dash off with your A0, I found him. It was only with a leading squad and after a brief firefight, having done some damage to the German Commander's staff, the valiant Germans actually shot back and chased off my squad!

It seems like my men are tiring of this battle and that they are not rallying as well as they had been even though most units have regrouped and are now in contact with their platoon leaders.

The German "reinforcements" lost 2 squads and I immobilized the other StuG. They will be finished off next turn...