Jess' Beyond the Beachhead PBEM scenario

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 9:43 pm

Originally posted by CPT Shoe
Beware those Boccage openings!

Yeah, no kidding! I saw that nice little Stug you have laying in wait for me in the east near that opening in the bocage. You may want to have it run along home before I flank it.:p

I'm not blundering through those gaps any more!

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 5:29 am

Shoe didn't leave that thing in ambush.

He drove right up and blasted away a one of my squads. Oh, well, same result, 1 dead Stug. You probably want to be careful where you park those things. I had 2 units right on the other side of the bocage from where you parked.

Lesson to me: Keep track of where those MG42s are hiding. I lost 5 men in one burst by taking one step too many in that field with the dead Stug.

All is quiet everywhere else except for a minor skirmish in the fields near the middle village choke point.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 6:10 am

That danged American commander was dropping mortars on my '88 keeping it supressed, and getting ready to jump it with a Sherman he has lurking behind his troops. I thought I would get cute, and sneak my Stug up to the boccage and jump the Sherman...too many infantry in the way. It was also in a Nortrheast corner and he had troops on the eastern side who jumped my Stug. Now who is the cute one?

You would think that with only two mortars left they would know enough to stay in contact:mad:

At least the turns are going by, and Isigny is still a ways away!:D

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 11:59 am

I got that 88 and the MG42 in the east. I got 5 crewmen with one shot from the trusty M1 rifle.

I also got a **** sniper that I hadn't been able to spot that had been sitting right in my (stalled) line of advance through the bottleneck down the middle of the map. I also got a bead on a 50mm Pak and an MG34 around there.

I'm also closing the pincer maneuver around that village in the middle.

I'm afraid to enter the village on the coast after surveying the wreckage caused outside the village: 5 tanks killed or disabled.

And there is still a PzIIIn and a JPz IV in there. I've only gotten a few infantry, an 88 and 2 HTs over there.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 11:31 pm

I am making it too easy on the American. Once he spots a unit, 60mm mortars rain down to supress, and then he moves in for the kill. I guess I will have to shift to a more mobile defense, at least once he gets by the two town choke points...I am making him spend a lot of time there, instead of pulling out and letting him have it. Eventually that ammo has to end doesn't it???

Free beers at the pub, come on in and have one (your last)!

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 12:42 am

Don't count on the 60mm ammo running out unless you can find my resupply locations.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:01 am

How can I possibly find your resupply locations? I can't even find my *** and I'm reaching with both hands!

I will just have to suffer along then...How about that beer?

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:16 am

I'll be along shortly, you guys just keep drinking that wine you've stolen from the basements of those wonderful, heroic, loyal to their friends, Frenchmen you've been the guests of for the last couple years.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 12:01 pm

I made a move on all three fronts:

In the east, I immediately get stopped by a squad in a house in the middle of a field, but I am getting closer to linking my eastern and central units.

In the center bottleneck I discover a previously unknown 75mm AT gun and blast it to bits with infantry fire. The pincer is closing there.

Along the coast, I move up, and get pushed right out by a very tough 1/2 strength Grenadier squad and a 20mm AA gun. But I do spot the Pz IIIn and the JPz IV.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 6:19 pm

In Grandcamp along the coast, I continue to play the shell game with my Pz-III and JPz-IV (got to avoid those d@mn 60mm mortars!), and push the Americans back out. Feel that I can hold here for quite a while.

On the central road I still hold the eastern half of the choke point at La Cambe, but the US Infantry has secured the western side of the road, and an infantry column marches down from the north parallelling the road. Under pressure and intense mortar fire I begin to withdraw to my next fall back position on the road to Isigny.

Turn 39 of 52...and Isigny is still a long way off.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 6:30 am

I dislodged 2 zugtrups and 2 Genadieres from La Cambe. The are still more soldiers holding the village, but I am getting closer and I now have my own buildings to hide in instead of having to walk down the middle of the street.

Units in Center (La Cambe) and east will be linked next turn.

On the coast I'm still stuck.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 10:40 pm

Started to pull back from the village of La Cambe. My positions there cannot be held since you have taken their left flank. Pulling out assets, my StuG spotted a Truck moving some of your infantry around, and it was just too good of a target!

All seems quite along the coast in Grandcamp.

I make it still 2.5 KM of road for you to travel in order to reach Isigny, and there are but 12 turns remaining...

As the terrain narrows and funnels forces together in the south, it begins to look like I have a pretty good, sizeable, force assembled to welcome you!

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sat Mar 22, 2003 6:25 am

I say, "One step at a time." and La Cambe is almost mine. Hahahahaha

That Stug that hit my truck may just be immobilized and facing the wrong way to do any good. I heard a big KaChunk! and say "engine damage" flash on the screen before some Grenadieres popped smoke to block my LOS to the Stug. We shall see once I get through to the other side of this village. My 60mm mortars are really tearing up the Germans since there response time is so fast. I have enough to pound them on delay 0.1 and 0.3. It's almost too easy, almost...

The Germans have a very, very good FO. They are getting the same 0.1 delay on their one last 81mm mortar as I'm getting on my 60mms. It's a shame that almost all of my 105mm tubes have malfunctioned.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sat Mar 22, 2003 7:03 am

I think you will be baby stepping from here to Isigny.

You can have La Cambe, we are tired of the women there and the wine and beer is all gone!!:D

Not much action except for my valiant mortar crew firing as fast as they can load.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Mar 27, 2003 6:30 am

I've driven off some more Grenadiers from La Cambe. There are 3 AFVs that are taking shots at me as I move to the south of the village however. I also caught a squad trying to hide on the other side of the bocage near the village and drove it off too.

Everywhere else is pretty quiet.

Isigny is looking very far away at this point.

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

Fired the mortar again.

Shot at a vehicle crew that ventured into the dismal swamps of the east...definately a bad move, as I have A TON of weapon systems sitting idly by with nothing to do over there.

Completely pulled out of La Cambe now.

Follow the yellow brick ROAD GI!! A suprise awaits you:D

Need to hold for 9 more turns.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:52 pm

Originally posted by CPT Shoe
Shot at a vehicle crew that ventured into the dismal swamps of the east...definately a bad move, as I have A TON of weapon systems sitting idly by with nothing to do over there.

Well that was their punishment for spiking their own 105mm Arty tube. "Off to the Eastern Front with you lot!" I thought I'd see how they liked it where the action is.

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 1:36 am

One of the stragglers out of La Cambe won't be reporting in. I nailed a PzIIIn from 450 yards with a bazooka. As tough as that one PzIIIn is on the coast, this one cracked like an egg from one lucky hit.

I also re-spotted the 88 in the swamps to the east, so I got one crewman of mine killed for one crewman of the 88. I'll take that trade.

The coast is quiet... for now.

CPT Shoe · Post by **CPT Shoe** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 2:51 am

That was not very nice of you, you cursed American!

Did you think I was just going to roll over and let you move freely to Isigny.

I have built up enough combat power to launch a little surprise of my own.

Caused two squads south of La Cambe to surrender, put a hurtin on the lucky Bazooka dude and injured a few others starting to move South of La Cambe along the road as well.

Not waiting for the American attack along the coast as well. Killed a squad on the north side of Grandcamp...was suprised to see that the two tanks that were immobilized have been repaired. The Engineer tank is missing, the other CS tank seems to be fixed as well, but has not moved. Lets see what you do with a threat to your supply lines:mad:

8 turns left to hold out:D

rbrunsman · Post by **rbrunsman** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 4:05 am

****!! You weren't supposed to find out that those guys fixed their tracks until I wanted you to.

(I think) that squad on the coast you killed (haven't seen the turn yet) has been spending the last few turns popping in and popping out of the village each turn to see what you were up to. You weren't supposed to come out of the village!

I guess that's what I get for letting up on the mortar fire these last two turns.