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

[berto]

In the screenshot, my plan has been to send two companies (blue circle), one tank, the other armoured infantry, on a very wide flanking maneuver to the northwest, up and over Hill 473, on to Yamun, then to the road junction beyond (turquoise circle), thence to turn sharply southeast, advance up the road to the east of Kafr Dan, and attack whatever I can attack -- lots of rear area HQs, artillery pieces, and transports presumably. Run up my VPs with some easy kills, disrupt his artillery -- which has been causing me much grief -- and threaten his Jenin position from the rear. Thereby maybe get him to call off his attack on his far left.

Sending those two companies on such a wide flanking maneuver is way too time consuming, however. I need to strike Crossroads hard, and do it ASAP.

I have selected one of the tank squads in that flanking force, and highlighted its ReacHable hexes (yellow hex outlines). It, and its companions, can move just as fast apparently over the trackless terrain as over the unpaved road going northwestward and heading on towards Yamun.

A new plan: From their current position, direct that force to the northeast, in the general direction of the green circle. If you look carefully at the elevations, I think you will see where I can get that force to the vicinity of the green circle undetected. I can then burst on the scene many turns earlier than if I were to follow my original plan of detouring way, way around the Israeli far right. Another advantage: I can have all of the Jordanian infantry in that sector join in the attack.

I suspect, with his right so quiet for so long, that Crossroads has stripped his right of defenders. I intend to find out!

I have taken a beating since daybreak over the past several turns. But not to despair. When I inspect the enemy forces, I see lots of weakness. The enemy units (yellow circles) in the path of my main counterattack -- they are all 1 or 2 SPs, 1 SP mostly. By now I would think that Crossroads would be on to me, that I am attacking him in the center, south and southeast of Jenin. But I see no signs of enemy reinforcement there. No reinforcing because he has nothing to spare, no reserves is my guess.

As I will show in the next post, I have reason to fear an unexpectedly strong Israeli push newly developing, aimed at the Qabitiya Crossroads. I could call off my attack south/southeast of Jenin to meet this unexpected challenge. But no! Boldness is required here. The main attack will continue!

[berto]

To the south:



The enemy force circled in yellow -- that is what I now fear. There is little to stop them from hitting my main attack on the right flank, worse, running amok destroying my rear area HQs, artillery, and transports.

My strategic reserve, the tank and armoured infantry companies at the Qabitiya Crossroads -- now is the time to commit them. I have selected a tank squadron in that force and highlighted its ReacHable hexes (yellow hex highlights). The reserve should plug the hole fast enough, although I do need to be careful to save APs for opfiring as much as possible.

Down here in the south I also see signs of enemy weakness. The four Israeli mechanized infantry platoons just outside that yellow circle -- they are all Disrupted. Weakness, but also relative strength. From what I can see, Crossroads has committed his strongest infantry forces to the attack on his left.

Farther beyond, I do have an overwhelming advantage in tanks. Here too boldness may be called for. "May be", because that Israeli mechanized infantry sure is fearsome! I wish I had more infantry in this sector. And the rough and uneven terrain around Hill 402 is not ideal for tank ops.

Still, no more hesitation, no more over cautiousness, right?

Charge!?

[berto]

TURN #28

The fight to retake Jenin. And so it begins.

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 28, the center (with my disrupted units yellow highlighted):



I have sent a column of tanks to knife through the weak spot in the enemy lines southeast of Jenin. Mindful of the Israeli armour (and RCLR) in the vicinity (yellow circles), rather than lunge deeply, I have stopped the Jordanian Pattons short, preserving APs for opfire where possible. Am I being too cautious?

I wish I had more and better infantry to join in this attack. But so much of it (the units highlighted in yellow) are disrupted.

Because of this dire need for more infantry, I countermanded an earlier order: The infantry company that was to join in the attack on the enemy center right between Kafr Dan and Jenin have instead reversed course, are racing back to join the fight for Jenin (blue circles).

Worried about the strong Israeli forces on my left flank, I have targeted the Jordanian big guns to shield my left flank as shown.

I have also ordered smoke to be fired at the hilltop positions at hexes 31,34 & 34,34 (white circles). Safe in their bunkers, the Israeli units there have been firing on my units all around with total impunity. If I can't take those positions out, at least I might neutralize them by means of smoke.

[berto]

TURN #28

The situation to the south:



Hard to see because split between this screenshot and the one preceding, but I have plugged the gap east of Ash Shuhada and the Qabitiya Crossroads. If my opponent pushes his attack in that direction, he will have a very tough time of it.

Otherwise, I remain concerned about the Israeli armour in this sector (yellow circles). Yes, I outnumber him my opponent in tanks here, but remember last turn, where I lost 7 SPs of armour to his none? Here too I must be careful.

At Hill 402, several platoons of Jordanian tanks and armoured infantry are advancing upslope to the southeast (green circle). If my opponent wants to have at it, come and get me! Otherwise, I am poised to go and get him. Note the VF701 Ferrets I have assembled there to act as opfire bait.

Far to my right, I have directed an assortment of Ferrets, MG jeeps, and one lone tank to probe the enemy rear area for HQs, artillery pieces, and APCs.

[berto]

TURN #28

The situation to the north:



Per my earlier commentary, that Jordanian armoured company (green circles) has taken a sharp turn northeastward and is descending the slopes north of Hills 473 & 303. The visibility (just 6 hexes) and the terrain are such that these armoured formations should be unspotted, hidden from enemy view.

It occurred to me: I have a good deal of fairly fresh, unbattered infantry in this sector (turquoise circles) to join the tanks in the attack. Hence my decision to send that other armoured infantry company (blue circle, and others off map) back to Jenin and vicinity.

I am quite eager to press this here attack!

[berto]

TURN #29

Israeli artillery fire was not quite so effective this turn, falling largely within the turquoise circle but other places besides.

To my surprise, Crossroads ignored my armoured attack southeast of Jenin and instead pressed his assault east of Ash Shuhada (green circle), and renewed his push due south of Jenin (turquoise circle). I have sufficient units on hand to blunt either effort.

To my regret, in the center, he did not expose his armour to my opfire. The Israeli tanks are not my intended targets here; his rear area units are. It is the latter I will try to hunt down and kill. If Crossroads advances his tanks to contest that, I'll take my chances.

The big mystery is: What lies within the white circle and beyond? I intend to find out!

A minor mystery: Where, if anywhere, did his armoured stack east of Qabitiya go (yellow circle)? Maybe nowhere; maybe it's still there, atop Hill 402. Earlier in the Israeli phase, Israeli Shermans atop Hill 402 fired into Qabitiya, destroying APCs there (red circle). With the destruction of those APCs, I lost my spotters to those tanks. My guess is that the Shermans expended all of their APs in killing those APCs and have otherwise not moved, are still in the same hex. Caution is still advised.

As directed, Jordanian guns fired smoke into the BunKered hilltop hexes south of Jenin (blue circles). The smoke you see covering the Israeli engineers within the turquoise circle -- that's Crossroads' doing.

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire -- ineffectual again, because Crossroads had vacated the targeted hexes, again! -- a view of the center and right at the beginning of Turn 29, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, with Jordanian disruptions highlighted in yellow:



In the immediate next phase, the Side B (Jordanian) phase, I intend to break out into that white encircled area and see, and fire at, what I shall see.

Meanwhile, to the northwest (off screenshot), I'll work on that other surprise attack. Should be fun.

Crossroads' Victory TPs are now up to 236. Still within Major Defeat range, he's inching closer to Minor Defeat. I'll try my best to knock him back down again.

[berto]

TURN #29

Did you ever have one of those turns you wish you could replay over?

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 29, the center (with my disrupted units yellow highlighted):



In a moment of absent-mindedness, I moved a squad of Pattons to hex 37,37 (red circle), where Crossroads' waiting Shermans (magenta circle) opfired, blasting two tanks and disrupting the other.

Ah, well at least I relocated the enemy Shermans. I moved up, one, two, three, four squads of Pattons to the adjoining hexes. Five (or more?) direct fires, and but one hit. That one remaining Sherman was disrupted four times over. But no kill!

With luck, the Sherman doesn't undisrupt, slinks away, and leaves me alone for a while. But I still have those RCLR jeeps at hex 38,38 (yellow circle) to worry about. If Crossroads advances them to shoot at my tanks, I have two Patton squads in those adjoining hexes with sufficient leftover APs to opfire twice. Wanna bet I fail to kill the RCLRs too?

It gets worse. The lead tank squadron (turquoise circle) veered around and attempted to enter Jenin from the northeast. Where it ran into hidden armoured trucks at hex 36,30 (green circle), which opfired, forcing the Jordanian Pattons to retreat. With insufficient saved APs for opfiring next phase, I then retired the Pattons to hex 39,32 (blue circle), where hidden Israeli armoured bulldozers opfired, whipsawing the Pattons back. There sit the Pattons, with no APs left for opfire next phase. Sitting ducks.

Bad execution, Berto. Bad, bad.

A ways back, despite the rough, uneven terrain, and the ever present danger of enemy opfire, I am trying my best to move up infantry assets to defend the corridor from counterattack. But oh, so many disrupted units! (Not just due to their higher morale values but also the Adaptive A/I, Israeli units generally undisrupt faster than Jordanian.)

[berto]

TURN #29

Here is the Unit Viewer report on those enemy bulldozers:



Fortunately, the CAT D9 Dozers' armament -- a 7.62mm machine gun -- is next to useless against enemy armour. Or should be. With my luck, wanna bet some lucky shots take out one or two of my Pattons, or if not, at least disrupt them?

[berto]

TURN #29

The situation to the south:



Worries big and small (yellow circles). I should have plenty on hand to stop my opponent's push towards Ash Shuhada, and beyond that the Qabitiya Crossroads. But here too my shots are missing, my luck is bad. Around Hill 402, I wait for the opposing Shermans to move. If they do.

To my far right, I am sending a passel of Ferrets, MG jeeps, and the one Patton on a probe of the enemy's flank.

[berto]

TURN #29

The situation to the north:



Poised for the attack (green circles).

Do I have the element of surprise? Maybe not. Maybe I tipped my hand. I carelessly exposed a platoon of infantry, whereupon some Israeli MGs (turquoise circle) opfired, scoring 1 SP hit, forcing a disruption and a retreat (magenta circle).

I have assumed that my opponent stripped his right to man and equip his attack at the center and on his left. I could very well be mistaken.

My opponent's Total VPs: 246. Am I tossing away my chances at Major Victory?

Is my waning confidence not palpable? [:(] [:'(]

[berto]

TURN #30

Israeli artillery continues to enjoy success, scoring not a few hits, disruptions, and retreats. I need to press my counterattack if for no other reason than to disrupt and hopefully destroy the Israeli big guns.

I don't quite understand why, but my opponent continues to attack toward Ash Shuhada. I mean to say, I understand that he hopes to take the Qabitiya Crossroads just beyond. (So confusing to have an opponent named Crossroads!) I just don't understand how he thinks he has the forces to do it.

Around Jenin, no Israeli advances. They don't need to. From the many improved positions around Jenin, the Israelis can fire with near impunity at my unprotected Jordanians. Between the Israelis massed around Jenin and the Israeli artillery, my Jordanians are getting slaughtered.

Case in point: In the screenshot following, I lost a three-tank Patton squad (red circle, among my cluster of units in the center), and other units besides. My opponent's Total VPs are now up to 299 -- just one VP away from escaping Major Defeat.

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire -- [:(] need I say more? -- a view of the center at the beginning of Turn 30, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, with Jordanian disruptions highlighted in yellow:



Down south, by sheer luck, my tanks at hex 31,50 (turquoise circle) opfired across the way and destroyed a unit of enemy Shermans at hex 31,44 (lower red circle).

The Israeli Shermans atop Hill 402 (lower yellow circle) darted out into the open, got in their shots at my tanks north of Qabitiya, then darted right back to their hiding place. I need to find a way to root them out!

I have a squad of Pattons at hex 28,46 (lower blue circle) with a clear shot at the Shermans at hex 32,44 (magenta circle, next to the red circle). I need to take them out also!

Even more so, to the north, I need to take out the one Sherman and the one RCLR jeep (upper magenta circle) north of Hill 361. I have plenty of tanks nearby -- blue circle, the hot spot hex -- and a clear field of fire to do so. (The yellow hex highlights show the visible hexes from the hot spot.) If I can eliminate that menace on my flank, I will have a much freer hand to slap the enemy east of Jenin.

That northernmost Jordanian tank squadron, the "sitting ducks" at hex 38,31 -- they somehow managed to survive, intact, and undisrupted. A bit of good fortune!

In my opponent's phase, to my surprise, I saw more tank units right at Jenin than I expected. Israeli tanks on the prowl (large yellow circle around Jenin). I must be ever so careful with my own tanks. No hunting down artillery or HQs etc. just yet. I need to confront those enemy tanks first.

I am thinking I will bide my time, proceed with the utmost caution, until the northwestern prong of my two-pronged attack makes its move. Which won't be long now.

[berto]

TURN #30

Jordanian Pattons at hex 27,46 (turquoise circle) fire at Israeli Shermans (red circle), destroying a 1 SP squad:

[berto]

TURN #30

A single disrupted Jordanian tank at hex 37,37 (turquoise circle) fires at Israelis up ridge (magenta circle), forcing the one tank there to retreat:



That same Jordanian tank (turquoise circle) again fires, this time destroying the RCLR jeep (red circle)!



After a job well done, the Jordanian tank retires to a safer, less exposed position one hex to the southwest.

[berto]

TURN #30

That squad of Pattons east of Jenin (turquoise circle). They bagged the dozers (red circle)!

[berto]

TURN #30

Let's see if I can eliminate that pesky Israeli tank southeast of Jenin. A two-tank squad of Pattons (turquoise circle) fires at the Israeli tank (magenta circle):



Nope. Another retreat only.

[berto]

TURN #30

Overall, compared to the last turn, this turn went much better for me.

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 30, the center (with my disrupted units yellow highlighted):



South of Jenin (large yellow ellipse), I pulled back my units two or more hexes away from the enemy. His forces are all in bunkers (BK), Improved Positions (IP), trenches (TR), and village hexes (green circles). My forces are just about all out in the open. The Jordanians are still within the enemy's line of sight, but at least they are distant. No sense drawing near, keeping close, where he can hit me, but I can barely hit back.

Most of the positions you see in the above screenshot were carefully selected so as to stay out of the enemy LOS as much as possible.

Tired of the Israeli artillery firing on my forces with impunity (and equally tired of my own artillery's fecklessness), I have directed my big guns to target his concentration of mortars at hex 31,31 (magenta circle). Yes, that is a BunKer hex, but maybe I'll get lucky. I can't get any unluckier than mainly targeting empty hexes like heretofore.

That sole (?) surviving enemy tank (yellow circle to the southeast), and the several units of enemy armour known to be lurking somewhere within Jenin (larger yellow circle) -- I must be very careful of these. My armoured stack at hot spot hex 38,34 (turquoise circle) is hidden from enemy view (see the Visible yellow hex highlights surrounding that spot), and they all have APs saved for opfiring (as does the unit of Jordanian tanks in that village due east of Jenin). Here I will bide my time, waiting for the attack northwest of Jenin to develop (see later post).

[berto]

TURN #30

The situation to the south:



I am blanketing his forces here with artillery fire. Odds are I will hit a few, right? Right? <cough cough>

I managed to kill 2 SPs of Israeli mechanized infantry (top magenta circle) and force a second mech infantry unit to retreat (bottom magenta circle).

I have pulled away my tanks from just northeast of Qabitiya, where they were easy targets for that Israeli armoured stack lurking about Hill 402. My killer stack (dark blue circle) waits patiently, hoping the Israelis make one false move.

I have beefed up the stack at hot spot hex 31,50 (turquoise circle). From there, they have a clear field of fire due northward, and importantly -- see the yellow hex Visible highlights from that hex -- they are out of LOS from the Israeli stack at Hill 402.

Far to the east, I have sent that passel of Ferrets and the one Patton (green ellipse) to scout behind the enemy's lines. With luck, I will run into an artillery piece or HQ or something.

[berto]

TURN #30

The situation to the northwest:



For the planned surprise attack northwest of Jenin, belatedly I realize that I lack recce units. Rather than rush pell mell into possible disaster, I stall the attack while Ferrets and MG Jeeps (green circles) race to the front.

See the hot spot hex (turquoise circle), and observe the yellow highlight Visible hexes from that position. The forces at that hex, together with the forces to the left and to the right, should all be hidden from enemy view. If I read the elevations and terrain contours right.

I can barely wait, but wait I will in order to give this attack the best possible chances for success.

Oh, and my foe's Total VPs? Back down to 265.

[berto]

TURN #31

Curse my opponent's artillery! They continue to pound me mercilessly.

After the Israeli first phase moves, and following the Jordanian artillery fire -- [:(] -- an overview of everything at the beginning of Turn 31, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, with Jordanian disruptions highlighted in yellow:



Last phase, I directed much of my artillery to pound Israeli mortars at BunKer hex 31,31 (yellow circle). Naturally, Crossroads anticipated that, and moved the mortars away to safety. [:@]

Firefights at the two green circles. He got the better of me to the north, forcing my infantry out of the IP hex 31,39. And I got the better of him to the south, scoring an SP hit and forcing his mechanized infantry there to retreat.

A lucky break. Crossroads sent a Bofors 40mm L/60 AAA battery against my flank. A waiting Patton (turquoise circle) blasted the Bofors, eliminating them (red circle).

Some valuable intelligence: During the replay, an Israeli brigade HQ revealed itself at hex 45,31 (upper magenta circle), as did an enemy artillery battery at hex 45,33 (lower magenta circle), since then gone back into hiding. Shall I go after them now, or -- pending the attack from the northwest -- wait to preserve the element of surprise everywhere for as long as possible?

Come on, Berto, show some boldness for a change?!

[berto]

TURN #31

You have your bad turns, you have your good turns. This was a good turn.

Pattons at hex 40,32 (turquoise circle) direct fire at the Israeli brigade HQ across the way (yellow circle), but miss. I would move closer, but I fear what may lie ahead in that intervening BunKer hex.

I attempt to move more Pattons forward. Along the way, that pesky Israeli Sherman (green circle) comes out of hiding and opfires at the advancing Pattons, scoring 1 SP hit and forcing a retreat (magenta circle).

I would go after that Sherman with my Pattons at hex 39,36 (blue circle), but as luck would have it, they are both weakened (1 or 2 SP) HQ squads. Better not to risk them.

(In the screenshot, and all that follow, the yellow hex highlights show the Visible hexes from the selected hot spot hex.)



Not so good? Wait. It gets better.