My First PBEM - mike etc vs. mine_field

[mine_field]

original title stated that it was a first for both of us. I was wrong.

We are currently in the fourth turn, and while I could give a minutiae report with humor thrown in, I'll just give the interesting and the flow for now. Mike may be up here to elaborate and taunt me.
Setup: Nancy, France. 3900 points, 600 max artillery. Visibility 9. US (mike etc) vs. Germany (mine_field)
I should’ve done a mock buy / deploy, but I think I managed ok. It would’ve helped to know the line of deployment was, but I’ll catch on to how these engagements work later. Rarity is on so buying was a bit ludicrous. No MG34’s unless someone wrote ‘heavy’ on them with a magic marker. No basic run of the mill engineers. Can buy a StormTiger though. In France [&:]. Deployment went smoothly. Lucky ass artillery hit at the end of his first turn [:'(]. A M2 halftrack burning in the field gave the untested German commander a good omen.
Up till now there has been no real commitment of forces into fighting. Recon has clashed and been eaten away on both sides. The south is very hot at this moment and the air is thick with smoke from retreats and artillery. At one point both our 81mm mortars were landing in virtually the same spot.
My first real mistake came in pursuing those recons a bit aggressively in the south. As I pulled up a halftrack to dispense of a pesky scout patrol, a bazooka screams out from one of the trees and tears the halftrack to bits. The men inside stumble out dazed. That and the ensuing mortars force several squads back.
Currently the Germans (me) control all the central VH’s. I attribute this to an early aggressive movement.
Perhaps we are too hesitant. I met an unwelcome ATG on the crest of a hill and he met one of my tanks the crest of a hill parallel to the middle ground. So far the map is mainly littered with my Kuebelwagens and a few of his 30 cal jeeps.

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[h_h_lightcap]

Mine-------

I too am playing mike. We just started turn 1. We have slaughtered each others recon forces. Fun!!! I am also playing VIKING----I HAVE A FEELING I am about to learn a thing or two----GULP.

H_H_

[mine_field]

If you want to try me out, let me know.
7.1, 8.1, H2Hfr

[minefield]

H_H, I recommend that for your next game vs. Viking, you purchase the maximum number of bicycles you can and just swarm him. I heard he likes that kind of play.
I'm just messing with you Viking, oh masterful beater-of-new-players-with-German-troops-none-the-less.

As far as Mike and my game goes, it is turning out to be interesting. Right now I would consider the play in my hand, since I still retain the VH's. Mike is playing very defensively, as noted by a ATG set up out of range of the VH's. I fear I am going to receive a surprise soon though. I haven't seen 3900 points of units yet, and I know he has to have more than one M36 Jackson.
I just sent back the files after my turn 5. An interesting chase has begun in the extreme north. A kuebelwagen snuck relatively deep to the west along the top of the map. It made the mistake of being spotted as it crossed a road though. In the replay I saw two halftracks bum rush the poor guy. I told him to head for the woods and to run for his life. Maybe I'll abandon the crew just to confuse Mike hehe. His Jackson took out two if my halftracks hanging out in some trees on a hill in the south. The lone surviving crewman is running as far away from conspicuous clumps of trees as possible. Recon continues to be nailed. Some real infantry fighting has begun in the south, and his AAMG continue to pursue kuebelwagens everywhere. 81 mm M1 mortars fall regularly from the sky now. I still say my 150 make a much more satisfying boom. He has deployed some howitzers against me though. Counter battery fire has started. Smoke was dropped in my backfield last round to make the map pretty. Maybe I'll write a message out of smoke on the front line...

[minefield]

Just found a way to stop Mike in his tracks-- forget to attach the zip and his forces won't advance.

[Mynok]

I'm just messing with you Viking, oh masterful beater-of-new-players-with-German-troops-none-the-less.

Oh, he'll do it with Brits and Americans too.. [:@]

[minefield]

I have a feeling Viking will have be out for blood when I play him for all I've said.
>>>>>>>For Sale: One slightly abused FlammPanzer
As is, no warrenty. Somewhere in the trees in France. Was holding its own against infantry until a Sherman knocked it out of service. The Sherman actually was within flame range but the crew decided machinegun fire was more appropriate against a tank.
I should've backed that baby up with more infantry. By the rumbling in the sothern grove, I would say there is armor about. I have quit watching the birds to see if they take flight in the area because THEY ARE ALL DEAD from the artillery. I whipped out my hidden weapon last turn: 120mm captured howitzers. Run Jerry Run. Go find Ben and ice you some cream.
I did spot a bazooka team trying to sneak up to my tank ridge. The MG42 is on him.
Strangely enough, my preferences are haywire. I have installed several versions of the game, and between fiddling with AI games and the email, I have no clue what the pref's will be.
Just wanted to add: I now have about 6 units immobilized in the terrain (not even mud). The MG42 that I thought had been hit actually malfunctioned on the first turn. Next time we are going to have a handyman platoon to fix all this junk.

[VikingNo2]

I always let the other player chose who he would like to play first , my good man[;)]




[:'(]

[mike etc]

For the record this is my third game. [:)]

Nice write up too.

[minefield]

Well, I certainly don't get everything right. Sometimes I throw in false information just to mislead me and everyone else. I'm sure stating this game as your first had some tactical advantage that I won't divulge here for security reasons.

I just received turn 9. Things are heating up. I have immobolized one of his Shermans and tanks are really getting into the fray. Infantry losses are occuring at a greater and greater rate. I'm going to go open the files and find out what my losses are *crosses fingers*

[mike etc]

I think the tide may be starting to turn in my favor....or at least I hope.

[minefield]

I didn't post about last turn because I knew the proverbial shit was going to hit the fan and literal shit would be found in soldiers' pants. Unfortunately for me, the fan slung most of the dung onto me.
The kill list is too depressing. I thought the two stugs guarding the valley would be able to thwart anything that might charge them. However, despite being still and prepared and what not, Mike manages to clear both out one after another. And then he managed to drop an arty shell on a tank he didn't even know was hiding in some wooded area. *sigh* In my attempt to suppress aproaching armor, I ended up with several dead soft targets and causualties sufficient to destroy at least one of my squads.
I can see where I have gone wrong in a few places, and hopefully I will learn from it. However, I am still a bit perplexed as to how to prepare for a defense, since I thought those tanks would have a chance to hold the ridge. Seems it is best just to hide everything in the middle of trees or something so that it has no los of the approaching enemy whatsoever.

[minefield]

I'm buying that Lorraine a kuebelwagen to go joy riding. They just blew up a M10 Wolverine with a wild shot. And during the replay I heard the clink of armor. Mike says he only lost one tank that round but I think we are both fibbing about what's going on. He either mistook his M10 Wolverine as a Jackson or he was trying to make me more afraid than I should be at what blew up the two stugs a couple of rounds ago. I think that was the same tank that I just plopped a 150mm arty round into. I'm taking some significant losses, but I must say that my biggest gripe right now is every one of my units seems to be getting immobilized. I may have to bail everyone out and have a massive crewman rush. I shouldn't play when I'm tired too; couldn't get much sleep last night (nothing to do with SPWAW unfortunately).
Strategically, the map is getting much more interesting. The front is bowing in under the pressure. I'm having to set up my defenses in a quick fashion and hold what ground I can. Range is pretty much working to Mike's advantage. Max is 9 to start with, and the south is a constant smoke cloud with wreckages forming stepping stones every 3 hexes from the bottom of the map up to 1/3 north of bottom. My rangefinding and fire control advantages are nil now. And he has actually outgunned me in certain cases. Of course it doesn't help that I can't seem to bring my guns on anything juicier than a halftrack.

[mike etc]

I really hate flame panthers!

I don't know if i'm gonna pull this one out.

and yeah I mistook the m10 for a jackson, sorry.

[Mynok]

Seems it is best just to hide everything in the middle of trees or something so that it has no los of the approaching enemy whatsoever.

Three games with Viking have taught me this lesson in bloody fashion. If you leave a tank unhidden at the fron, it will get killed against a human. Use AT guns for defense. Hit-and-run with tanks

[minefield]

Weather Report: Hot Hot Hot
Low visibility with a lot of smoke and FIRE FIRE FIRE muhahaha

Mynok, ah that's the trick then! Thanks. I have had some success with stacking units with tanks for low vis ambushes, but if they can get the supression in, the stack becomes one big harmless target. Thanks for the advice.

Mike, at least I bought a few useful units when I deployed. Bought all the flame tanks I could. I feel guilty, so I'll admit to one deception I have passed. Two, not one, of those kuebelwagens snuck into your backfield. But don't worry, the damn thing broke down. That is my nickname for this game: immobolized! The tag line is: see if you can win a war with unmobile armor. Well, I won't whine too much because this turn seems to have been mine. Your push cost you much this time, and I was able to strike back a bit. However, I am dismally disappointed in my tank crew's ability to shoot. They have been missing from 3 hexes, and sometimes as little as 1 hex. I would think they would be able to pull off a shot at 1 hex. Don't count on it. Of course when I moved that stug two hexes to fire at your Jackson (after drawing fire with a halftrack), he missed completely twice (range of 3-4 hexes, moving 3-4 mph, target moving 4-5 mph) and woke up the Jackson from his retreat. I would move in with infantry but the elite squads I have have forgot everything they learned about rallying. And I don't even understand why those special op guys refused to use their mine at one hex to kill the tank, even with the shot available and suppresion down. Well they all died for it, so we don't expect it to happen again.

On a strategic level, some of the per turn VH's turned colors for the first time last round. We aren't giving them up easily though. The front is not only giving way, I have developed at least one pocket for sure. I might as well aim the artillery into my men because it will do the suppresion I want on Mike's men anyway. Uh... well maybe I won't do that. I do envy his ability to direct his artillery quickly though. I think my counterbattery fire is working though. He may have gotten sight of mine though when he tried to race a halftrack down the center west-east road. It paid for it with its life of course. If anything, I'm going to protect my A0 butt (assuming I don't have him in Mike's backfield for some devious purpose muhahaha). The next few turns are going to depend on luck for me. Frustratingly, many of my resources are IMMOBILIZED. If I get them back, I will have weapons in good places. If not, well, they will suffer the fate of my two HT's immobilized in 'the pocket'.

[mike etc]

eh, don't worry about your flame tanks. I think I got them all![:)]

[minefield]

What's that? You're breaking up. Tanks all around you? That's impossible. Hello? .........

The south is all but gone. Will it rise again? AVF ratio is horrible. 7 of my guys are out of action for his 2.
Intelligence failure in the north.
Middle being pressed.

Possibility of breach in front. Ammo trucks ordered to retreat. Mobility impaired as most soft vehicles are out of service. No help with immobility issues.

The good news is that we are on turn 12 out of 15.
Did try to ambush a halftrack with a crew member. That was kind of fun.

[minefield]

One of the ammo trucks didn't get the retreat order. Thankfully the SPA took care of the two pesky halftracks for me. Heavy action in the middle. Held on with some loss of life. American armor loss significant. 4-5 tanks approaching middle from south. Uncertain if the middle will remain in German hands during these last couple of rounds. South is gone. Just trying to keep men alive. The ammo truck mentioned above was part of my southern artillery group. It is now exposed and is in defensive posture. Will retreat if something heavier is spotted. North is holding. First line of defense hasn't been bothered. Have probed the enemy and they are there, but I believe it is a skeleton crew meant to hold me back. That's all for now. And he found out for himself he DIDN'T finish off all the flame tanks.

[minefield]

It's turn 14 out of 15, and the battle is coming to a close. However the bloodiest fighting of this engagement has been in the past couple of rounds. Tanks are moving without infantry support and getting knocked out. Infantry are isolated and are getting cut down. During the last replay, not a single German dared to fire back to defend themselves. These elites have no more fight left in them. A lone panther is holding the contested center VH's with much bravery. His flametank partner is no more. One StuG renewed my faith in the gunning abilities of my armor; they took out a jackson with one shot as he turned his broadside to pursue my panther. The 75 mm guns on those shermans were having a hard time with the panther. No doubt the loss of the jackson will hurt the middle assualt's efforts. My thoughts that the north was left unguarded proved partly true. It is less a halftrack and several squads of infantry.
As an interesting note, I have taken to using my PzA Lorraines as tanks in the south. We'll see how that goes. They are lightly armored. I don't think Mike can bring in real armor to contest their position. Seems in the middle game he realized he needed to push, and push hard. He choose the place of attack and concentrated his efforts. The results were to his favor with the south being taken completely and the middle under contest. His losses have been significant since his hand is rushed by time. I still have immobilized units all over the map. Maybe we should stick to the roads next time. Or buy Yag-6 trucks! LOL