The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

[berto]

TURN #24

To say the least! Here is the current Victory Dialog:



Just one phase ago, he was down to a mere 3 Total Points. Now look: A dramatic jump back upward, to 65. Note too the dramatic jump in my Side B SP Losses (compare with a turn ago here).

We again have a real fight on our hands!

[berto]

TURN #24

I have a couple of tank squads (northwestmost green circle) at hot spot (yellow square highlight) hex 31,46 within the illuminated area (white circle) of the northernmost Israeli flare. The orange hex highlights show Visibility from that hex. There are Israeli infantry targets downslope nearby, but I prefer to go tank hunting. So I move 3rd Troop one hex to the southeast (to the second green circle), this to give it a shot at the Israeli tank formation atop Hill 402 at hex 36,48 (the far turquoise circle).

Israeli halftracks unexpectedly fire from the darkness of hex 34,47 (near turquoise circle) at the approaching Pattons. They miss. A heretofore hidden Israeli tank squad upslope to the northeast (lavender circle) fire at the Pattons. They miss also.

The forward Pattons (the SE green circle) fire at the Israeli Shermans atop Hill 402 (far turquoise circle). They miss too!

[berto]

TURN #24

I move 2nd Troop one hex to the southeast also. Israeli Shermans opfire, forcing the Pattons back to where they started from (turquoise circle), which expends their remaining APs. Forward, then backward, wasted moves, nothing gained for their efforts. [:(]

What now to do with 3rd Troop (green circle)? Fire again at the Shermans up Hill 402, or maybe the Shermans to the northeast? I decide to go for the nearby halftracks instead. BAM! Strike two halftracks (red circle).

[berto]

TURN #24

A bit to the north, I had retreated one disrupted Patton squad away from the illuminated area. The other (undisrupted) squad fired at the Israeli engineers to the southeast, but missed. The Pattons then moved away from the illuminated area (and also their gun flash hex), into the relative safety of the darkness one hex to the northeast (lavender circle).

To the west, I reinforced the position around Qabitiya.

To the south, on the west slope of Hill 402, the forward Pattons at hex 33,50 (turquoise circle) had nothing to target. I knew this from the Visibility orange hex highlights (you toggle this ON/OFF using the 'v' hot key). I moved one squad one hex to the northwest (green circle), from where they fired on the Israeli mechanized infantry platoon downslope (magenta circle). Inflicting a 1 SP reduction, and a disruption. That one Israeli platoon, also the Israeli platoon at the flare hex, are now both disrupted.



I tried the same with the second Patton squad: advance on the Israeli mechanized infantry, then fire from close range. This time, no luck, a miss.

Avoiding the illuminated area, both Patton squads then withdrew one hex to the southwest, away from their gunflash hex, and back into the cover of darkness.

[berto]

TURN #24

Several kilometers to the north, south of Jenin, what to do with the advance elements of the 2nd Tank Regiment, 40th Armoured Brigade (green circle)?

I directed one squad to fire at the Israeli tanks across the way to the northeast (magenta circle). No kill, but a retreat (look closely and you will see the green retreat arrow), and quite possibly also a disruption.

[berto]

TURN #24

Hey, that went rather well. Let's try that again. A second squad of Pattons (green circle) fire at the remaining Israeli Sherman (magenta circle), forcing it to retreat also (and possibly also disrupting it):



That Israeli threat now dealt with, the Jordanian Pattons then move away from their gunflash hex and into the covering darkness a couple hexes to the northwest.

[berto]

TURN #24

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 24, southern half of the game map:



East of Qabitiya, things are going well enough, though it could be better. Southeast of Qabitiya, a company of Pattons hold the line on the road to Nablus. Let's not forget the five platoons of Israeli mechanized infantry (and also?) in that sector (somewhere within that large yellow circle).

Looking out at the big picture, by now, the Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade (yellow highlighted units) is entirely on map. That's it. No more reinforcements for me.

By the looks of it, I have more than enough force to deny my opponent the two remaining Qabitiya Objective hexes. By the looks of it, I might even have enough force to retake Jenin.

But looks can be deceiving, maybe?

[berto]

TURN #24

Long time no see, the northern half of the game map in its (near) fullness:



I maintain a picket line defense stretching from Hill 294 to the northwest up to Yamun and beyond. I can't be entirely certain that, reinforced, Crossroads won't launch a surprise attack from the north.

North of Hill 294, I continue to shift forces laterally southeastward, closer to where the action is, or has been.

South of Jenin, I abandoned the village hex 32,35 (yellow circle). It was within the flare illuminated area, and within range of the fortified Israeli positions just across the way. It's unfortunate to abandon that village, but no sense being hammered there either.

Crossroads' Total Points have dropped back down a bit, to 53 TPs. I didn't even the score this phase; the kill count was a bit disappointing; but I did force some retreats, and one or more disruptions. Good enough.

[berto]

TURN #25

Israeli artillery fire gets lucky, disables Pattons at both yellow circled hexes.

Israeli mechanized infantry at hex 33,45 (turquoise circle) assault Jordanian Pattons at the hot spot hex 33,44 (yellow highlighted hex), but are repulsed.

[berto]

TURN #25

A kilometer and a half to the southeast, Israeli mechanized infantry advance along the ridge. Waiting Jordanian Pattons (green circle) opfire from below, scoring 1 SP hit (magenta circle), and forcing the Israelis back in retreat.

[berto]

TURN #25

Even further to the southeast, more Israeli mechanized infantry advance across the valley floor, coming within Visibility range of some Pattons. The Pattons (green circle) opfire, scoring 1 SP hit and disrupting the Israelis (magenta circle).



Things are going well.

[berto]

TURN #25

All's well that ends well? No. How about: All good things must come to an end.

East of Qabitiya, Israeli mech infantry (turquoise circle) direct fire at Jordanian Pattons, bagging an entire tank squadron (red circle)!

[berto]

TURN #25

It gets worse. Israeli mech infantry (turquoise circle) again direct fire at the other Jordanian tank squad (then at the yellow highlighted hot spot hex), scoring 1 SP hit and forcing a retreat (to the magenta circle).

[berto]

TURN #25

But it's not all bad. Way to the north, Jordanian armoured infantry (green circle), opfire at advancing Israelis (magenta circle). Despite the Jordanians being disrupted, they manage to score 1 SP hit, and force a retreat.

[berto]

TURN #25

Jordanian artillery fire rains down here and there, but without effect.

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire, an overview of the south at the beginning of Turn 25, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, showing all of my disrupted units highlighted:



(Note that, for this turn's screenshots, I had toggled Options > Counter Style from Alternate to Standard.)

Crossroads had a good phase. By destroying ~4 Pattons, and despite his own losses in infantry, his Victory TPs have nudged back upward, to 77.

It is now Turn 25, second phase. Day breaks next turn. Anticipating an imminent jump up in Visibility, I had better execute my moves this pre-dawn phase carefully.

[berto]

TURN #25

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 25, southern half of the game map (with my disrupted units yellow highlighted):



Action southeast of Jenin, and east of Qabitiya. I inflicted several hits, retreats, and disruptions (Israeli disruptions magenta circled).

More adjusting the line. More moving up reinforcements.

Undecided where to commit them, I left a tank company at the Qabitiya Crossroads (turquoise circle) idling this phase.

Not going over to the strategic offensive just yet. I want to wait and see what the coming daylight reveals.

I have two companies of the 4th Tank Regiment -- one armoured, the other armoured infantry -- west of the Crossroads (green ellipse) and directed to head northward. I have a notion I might try to send them up to Yamun, and from there swing around to attack the deep Israeli rear from the northwest.

My opponent's Side A Victory TPs: 41.

Next turn, Turn 26 -- at long last, daybreak!

[berto]

TURN #26

Normally, artillery phases are boring affairs, with shells mostly falling harmlessly, especially at night.

Not this time!



(With the brightened map image, note that night has turned over to day.)

Look at those losses (at the yellow highlighted hot spot hex)!

Followed immediately by (same target hex):



7 Reduces (SP hits) and 3 Disrupteds in two lucky artillery strikes? WTF?!

[berto]

TURN #26

It continues.

Another powerful artillery strike:



Then another:



And another:



And still one more:



For me, awfully bad luck this phase! [:(]

[berto]

TURN #26

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire (which compared to the devastating Israeli strikes had little or no impact), a close-in view of the south at the beginning of Turn 26, second Side B (Jordanian) phase:



In the Info Box, note that Visibility is only 3.

A squad of Israeli halftracks wandered into dawn's early light ... only to be ambushed, and destroyed (red circle), by Jordanian Pattons hiding downslope.

Israeli mechanized infantry at hex 31,46 (turquoise circle) direct fired at Jordanian Pattons, sending both squads reeling backwards (magenta circles).

More sporadic action to the southeast.

Israeli Shermans made a brief appearance up Hill 402, then seeing the many Pattons arrayed against them, quickly retired to safety back down Hill 402's opposite slope. They, and more Israeli infantry, lurk somewhere hidden within the yellow circle.

From the looks of it, the Israeli southeastern push has spent itself. Qabitiya appears to be in no danger.

[berto]

TURN #26

The view south and west of Jenin (with all disrupted Jordanians yellow highlighted):



Look at the forces at the (magenta circled) hot spot hex. Disrupted almost all, and nearly all down to their last men (1 SP roughly equals 5 men). All due to the devastating Israeli artillery strikes from the phase just before.

Despite that, to the southeast, a half-hearted Israeli probing attack only, easily rebuffed.

Around Jenin too, I appear to be facing a spent force. No signs of opposing strength. Quite the opposite. Signs of weakness everywhere.

Cautionary note: The Visibility is only 3. Let's wait and see what later full daylight reveals.

My opponent's Victory TPs: 73.