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US Campaign, first scenario CA1 Hunting Bears

This discussion is about successfully defending the town of Holm-Seppensen. If this town is lost and the Soviet has significant combat power, great mischief in the Brigade rear area is the result. The first time I played this, the Soviets overran the town and continued down K72 to Sprotze as well as driving west to take the K75 and N75 bridges over the river. I defended that time with D/4-41 IN.

Looking at the terrain, the town is definitely defensible. There is good cover on high ground and a natural obstacle 1500 meters from the town, a bridge to act as a choke point, and fields of fire covedring the approach to river crossing sites.

Here's the bare map of the sector.

In this campaign, you defend with a Brigade, so you can expect a Regiment attacking along each axis of advance (defended by a US battalion). At 3 to 1 odds, ground combat power alone does not decide. It can go either way, depending on terrain, fire support (including aviation), engineering, and maneuver.

A tank regiment is going to attack along this axis. But, at start, the US commander has one infantry battalion and two companies of another. And this has to be done with extremely limited fire support (arty and mortars arrive as reinforcements) and no engineered obstacles. No minefields nor other obstacles and no time to get to the bridge and blow it before the attack. I elected this time to defend with C/4-41, D/4-41 IN, and a Cav Troop(-).

3-41 IN will blow bridges between Steinbeck and Bucholz and set up and engagement area west of Steinbeck. Reinforcements will be responsible for the two highways through the forest in the north.

For game setup, the only things enabled are staff fire support control and LOS checks.

Here's a blowup of the map in that area.

Below is the initial set up. This is an autosave before any movement or combat, so the spotted attacking elements are visible.

Disposition, from south to north:

Mech Plt, 2 x Tank Plt
Mech Plt
Mech Plt, M2A1 Plt with no infantry, Tank Plt
Cav Troop HQ, Cav Section

The Cav Troop(-) assaults to the northeast. That location gives them shots at forces approaching the river crossing. All other elements are in HOLD, with the infantry dug in.

After the first turn:

Soviet Losses in sector: 7 Recce, 70 tanks, 28 mech, 6 inf, 8 HQ
US losses: 2 x tank, 4 x Bradley, 2 x Inf

I am interested in how this turns out. In all my plays of this scenario I never once considered holding the town of Holm-Seppensen. If anything I used it as a speed bump. You are right that a concerted effort along this route can really cause headaches for the US forces later on. I normally defend on the ridge just 2 km east of the town in the forest until with scouts in the town to slow up the enemy. That usually buys me enough time unit reinforcements show up.

After turn 2:

Soviet losses: 7 Recce, 101 tankss, 35 mech, 9 Inf, 11 HQ
US Losses: 2 x tanks, 9 x Bradley, 2 x Inf

At this point, the combat power of the attacking tank regiment has been destroyed.

The second time I fought this one, I put the tanks on the south and east edge of town and the mech west of the town. The Soviets destroyed D/4-41 and mauled C/4-41, took the VP and ran out of steam. Putting enough guns forward makes it so the tanks never get to the town. I think (depending on dice rolling) maybe a plt of tanks can get to 500 meters out.

Now, after a 1 turn resupply, some of these guys can be cut to move north and help out in the center.

Well, there remains about a battalion size force. It might be from the neighboring regiment. If the guys in Holm-Seppensen even twitch, they come boiling out, attacking in two directions (southeast and northwest), like they should have from the start.

Don't you attract a lot of artillery?

Not as much as I'd expected. None for the first 30 min and very little for the next 30 min. No prep, so it must all be on-call. Or direct support of other regiment lead elements. There is a second attack later in the morning by an MRB. It came in from the north east side of town.

0554 hrs. An MRB from the 248 Gds MRR is trying to force a river crossing east of Holm-Seppensen. 1 MRC destroyed, 1 MRC at 70%, 1 MRC full strength. MRB HQs located. I repositioned some forces to meet this attack. I expect the full strength MRC to cross in the upcoming turn. Holm_Seppensen should hold out just fine.

ORIGINAL: Iron Mike Golf

Not as much as I'd expected. None for the first 30 min and very little for the next 30 min. No prep, so it must all be on-call. Or direct support of other regiment lead elements. There is a second attack later in the morning by an MRB. It came in from the north east side of town.

My experience also. I tend to avoid stacking due to past experience.

I was a lot more beat up than your guys on the second Soviet attack. I was able to retake the town by counter-attack and ended with a marginal victory for the first time.

Thank you for the report.

0650 hrs

1 MRC made it across and now it's down to plt strength. I think this one is about over.