Air Landing Assault AAR - Novice Player

[Kozure]

Hello Everyone,

I’m a recent purchaser of HttR – I picked it up a week ago. I played through the tutorials and despite a few missteps, I got the general idea. I’ve played Combat Mission and a number of other tactical and operational level wargames (both computer and board), so I figured that adjusting to this game would be relatively easy, but it is turning out to be a very entertaining challenge. I have to say that this game takes wargames to a whole new level, while still maintaining a playable interface. Having played the V for Victory Market Garden game quite frequently, I thought I would also be familiar with the equipment, capabilities and objectives. How wrong I was!

After the tutorials, I tried the Advance on Loenen scenario and was thoroughly trounced the first time, marginally beaten the second and only won decisively on the third try. It was around this time that I realized that this wasn’t any ordinary wargame (well, and for a good part of the tutorials). I apologize for the lack of screenshots – I’ve yet to get into the habit of remembering to take photos at key points.

Feeling confident at having beaten what seemed like a pretty tough starter scenario in Loenen, I decided to try the next scenario, Air Landing Assault. Three times I tried (and failed). I noticed that almost every time I was landing in a different drop zone, so my tactics had to change each time. I was quickly discovering the strengths and weaknesses of this little Red Bereted force.

Day One - Landing at Arnhem

On the fourth try, I landed in what I believe to be the historical drop zone just northwest of Arnhem. From previous, difficult experience, I had found that it was unwise to rush pell-mell into the city, so I dispatched the 1 Recce and 1 Independent Company as reconnaissance around the north side and into the west side of town respectively with probe orders. Meanwhile, 1 Airlanding Bde HQ and the 7.KSOB formed up. I deployed the 1AL Bde base and the 1 and 3 AL Artillery batteries nearby the drop zone to create a small firebase, and sent the various AT platoons to set up blocking positions on the roads leading into the city on the northwest side.

As the 1. Borders and 2. South Staffords came down, the 1 AL Bde HQ with its small infantry companies and the 7.KSOBs were on their way to the city. As the 1 Ind. Para Coy came into contact, the line companies of the Borders were coming up behind, with some support from one of the AT platoons. They pushed aside the first line of resistance and gained a fair toehold in Arnhem, holding most of the northwest side by dusk.

A Risky Plan

Meanwhile, I had decided to try out a new strategy and send the majority of the force (two battalions) to the rail bridge first, with the idea of having the successful battalion stay on as defence at the bridge and a second push through and around to attack the Arnhem road bridge from the south side, remembering the old maxim that the best way to take a bridge is from both ends. The 1.BORs took the lead, with the 2.SSH following behind. The 1.BOR managed to take the bridge just after nightfall and the 2.SSH pushed through and across, to reach a small grove a kilometre or two east of the bridge at around 0000h or so. After the 2.SSH had gone through, the 1.BOR set up in defensive positions, where they would be entrenched come the following morning.

Throughout the day, the Germans had probed the defensive line created by the 1 AL Bde HQ units and the 7.KSOB, with little result. The mortar platoons of the KSOB and the two artillery batteries kept their heads down and inflicted casualties every time the enemy formed up to attack. At the same time, the 1 Recce flew about in their jeeps on the north and north east side, probing, then withdrawing on the flanks and rear of the German line. At approx. 2030h they fell back to the industrial areas just north of the factory complex on the east side of the city.

Although most things went well during the day, one of the 7.KSOBs companies had dropped poorly and was understrength. I had assigned it as a rear-guard, but it retreated the wrong direction when attacked in force and was cut off. It surrendered just before dusk.

I rested my units most of the night, (fending off occasional probes by the rapidly tiring Wehrmacht and SS units in Arnhem) knowing that the big push would be in the morning.

Day Two - Coming at the Problem from a Different Angle

At 0400 I issued orders to the 2.SSH to secure the south side of the Arnhem road bridge. With two kilometres to cover and a small command delay, I figured it would take them two hours to get into position. With the rest of the force in Arnhem less than a kilometre from the bridge, I thought that I could afford to wait until 0500 to give them an order to move. Mistake. I ordered two of KSOB’s remaining companies, its HQ, plus the 9 Engineer company to secure the north side, with aggro and casualties set to max and high. I assigned both of the KSOB’s mortar platoons as direct arty support only. I left the last KSOB company (D) plus two AT platoons and the 1 AL bde HQ units to protect the perimeter.

Unexpected Delays

For whatever reason, the 7.KSOB took over three hours to even start moving. By that point, the 2.SSHs were arriving on objective and were getting plastered by artillery. I sent the 1 Recce in to distract some forces (they managed to destroy some rear-area mortar platoons) while the 7KSOB got its act together. When they finally did start to move, the 9 Eng unit took an odd path along the river road and got raked by fire from across the river. In frustration, I ordered the companies individually to the attack, which got things moving.

By noon, the battle was pretty fierce. To add to the carnage, other units were starting to press into Arnhem on the northwest side. Fortunately, I had set up a line consisting of one of the AL Bde companies, an AT platoon and the KSOB D coy on that side, so with a series of delay waypoints, the perimeter collapsed slowly and with a minimum of casualties.

In mid-morning, other enemy units arrived to attack the defensive positions set up by the 1.BOR at the rail bridge. Fortunately by that time, two companies were dug in protecting the north side with a third in reserve. This, combined with artillery fire from the 1 and 3 Bty firebase, drove off a fairly determined attack by mechanized infantry with minimal casualties to the defenders and moderate casualties to the attackers.

The Pressure Mounts

Throughout the afternoon, the northwest perimeter in Arnhem collapsed slowly, while the attack on the north side of the bridge progressed by meters at a time. I thought the northwest was going to collapse when suddenly the enemy units withdrew to regroup. Their fatigue, suppression and cohesion problems, compounded by attacking throughout the night, forced them to fall back around 1600h. Taking a risk, I pulled D Coy out of the northwest and threw it into the fight for the bridge. I had my tail hanging in the breeze, but there was little time left for me to take the road bridge.

The zooming 1 Recce company had harassed the German lines throughout the day, and finally they assembled a force to push them back completely. Since they were on probe orders, the unit fell back when pressed, but a battalion-sized attack inflicted even more casualties than I had expected, and I ordered a withdraw to the factories. Fortunately, the little jeeps had done their work by drawing a 3-4 companies or more out of the defensive line round the road bridge.

With the artillery batteries running out of ammo and me running out of time, I coordinated one last assault on both ends of the bridge around 1800h. The 2.SSHs had taken a lot of casualties getting to the small built up area south of the bridge, but they were now in cover in the buildings. While the ragged remnants of the KSOBs and the 9 Eng attacked the north end, I had the 2.SSHs push on the south. While most enemy units stood their ground, it was funny to see some of the Wehrmacht garrison units rush back and forth across the bridge, as if in a panic. I inflicted casualties, but gained hardly any ground. Fortunately a few units withdrew across the highway.

A Game of Millimetres

By 2000h, the KSOBs were out of steam. I knew that I could press the attack, but they’d be completely tuckered in the morning. Fortunately, they hadn’t been too badly beaten up. I issued defend orders within the objective radius of the north bridge and hunkered down. Similarly, the 2.SSHs couldn’t do anything more than to squeeze just inside the objective ring on the south side. 2200h came quietly, with fighting pretty much stopped in all sectors.

Final result was decisive victory, which surprised me a little. The Germans has scored 9 points worth of casualties, while I had scored 15. Neither of us held either Arnhem bridge objective, so only I scored 50 points for the rail bridge. 65 to 9 = decisive victory.

Lessons Learned

In terms of lessons learned, I recognized, as I had in all previous games played with realistic orders delay, that attacks take much longer to form up than even my most conservative estimates. For whatever reason, it took more than three hours for the KSOBs to start moving on the morning of the second day. The only reason I can think of is that I had ordered “successive lines” formation, which I suppose takes longer to work out. I guess I should only use the successive line formation when there is a complex attack using both armour and infantry.

The second lesson I learned was the effectiveness of diversionary attacks. The 1 Recce Coy was instrumental in drawing at least a whole enemy battalion out of the fight for the bridge.

The third lesson I learned was the danger of leaving movement paths as “unspecified” when in close proximity to the enemy. On three occasions, advancing or withdrawing units came under fire from across the river when the AI decided to move them along the riverside road. From reading other posts in this forum, “shortest path” can be important in this regard.

A great fight, with a good deal of tension and uncertainty, combined with the thrill of seeing some plans work perfectly.

[Arjuna]

Kozure,

A great read. Thanks.

[Rooster]

HI Kozure - I enjoyed your AAR, and smiled as I read the lessons section at the end. I've learned some of those too... the hard way! [:D]

But I also learned something new - giving more focus to divisionary attacks. I hope to work more of that kind of play into my battles.

Thanks!

P.S.
Someone from Panther: Does successive line movement really take more time when forming up?