Semi-Interactive AAR: Return Road to Kharkov

[Erik Rutins]

Ok, time for another installment!

Here are the plots for Turn 26. I order two of the lead squads to use their smoke grenades to obscure the line of fire for the T-34s. I'm confident that without their firepower, our Panzergrenadiers can get into those buildings and take control of them.

I intended to Rush 1st Platoon forward to that building ahead of them (which can hold two squads), but they're tired again, so they rest instead. I should note that they've been hiking through some deep snow in the woods, which does make them more fatigued, but ultimately this is just a beta issue that is already fixed, but which we have to work around for this AAR.

I order the closest Panzer to put Area HE fire on the building with the ATR team.

I order three of the other four Panzers to move towards the village, trying to make sure they keep some buildings between them and the T-34s.

[Tophat1815]

This will work out better with the delay anyway.Remember you had said takes the smoke a turn to billow and form a reasonable cover.Also you get to bring more tank support closer as well as bring up the other infantry.And you might actually suppress those smg and atr boys.

[Erik Rutins]

We made some progress... we managed to suppress and cause casualties to the ATR team and the SMG squad (which is in fact pinned). The Area Fire from the nearby Panzer helped, though it's starting to run low on HE ammo.

One smoke grenade went off and is building up a smoke screen (the other one was not tossed as that squad was pinned).

I'll run another turn and see how things go.

[Erik Rutins]

We're moving in! The smoke has built up enough and we've had some good results from our suppression fire. The Soviet troops in the nearby buildings are in bad shape and the T-34s have no direct shot to prevent us getting in there. I give 3rd Platoon Rush orders. 2nd Platoon is stationary to provide supporting fire if possible and 1st Platoon and the MG are suppressing the Soviet infantry on the other road into town.

The Panzers are in position much closer to the village and are raking the road with their MGs and HE shells. The Soviet troops on the road have taken serious casualties, with some teams and squads wiped out.

[Erik Rutins]

Due to suppression and pinning, the 3rd Platoon HQ squad was the closest to the first building and they do indeed make it in! Most of a phase of close quarters combat ensues, but is not yet decisive. We should hopefully have this building cleared next turn, but it's great that we made it in. The smoke is dissipating a bit near the building, though I tossed a few more smoke grenades last turn. I'll need to toss a few more before 2nd Platoon moves in.

The Soviets used some smoke of their own, blocking the LOS of my very effective MG-42 fire down that second road (also some fire from 1st Platoon and some Halftracks). The AI will use smoke defensively and offensively when it feels the situation is right.

There's no good news for the Soviets on the other road though. The Panzers we moved up have just about finished off that column, with just one depleted and pinned SMG squad remaining in sight. The loss of that reinforcing column will definitely make it harder for them to push me out once I'm in the village. If we can keep the other column (now obscured by smoke) suppressed and somehow take out one of the T-34s, we may well be able to close this out.

[Erik Rutins]

Sorry to leave you in suspense, but I will have to pause there and continue this tomorrow. Stay tuned!

[Tophat1815]

Good work! That delay in the attack indeed worked out to advantage.Love the ability shown to use smoke and happy to see the AI doing so as well.Also its nice to see you can split a tank platoon and still have the component tanks work effectively,so CM:BB players take note.

[Erik Rutins]

Success! We wiped out the ATR team over the course of the next phase. All of 3rd Platoon is now in those two buildings and we've got the Soviet SMG Squad in the next building under fire.

The dissipating smoke has allowed the T-34s to see our Panzer IIIL that's in support of the infantry. One infantry squad in 3rd Platoon had smoke grenades left and I ordered them to use them to try to keep those T-34s out of the battle until the other Panzer IIILs can move up.

Note that we now own one of the two objectives in the village.

[Erik Rutins]

Our lone Panzer IIIL in support of the infantry exchanges fire with two T-34s and manages to destroy one at 420 meters in one phase. This, in combination with our recent securing of the objective, puts us over the top victory-wise. We did not lose a single squad or tank, though we did suffer some casualties and damage. The Soviet forces took severe casualties, with just one T-34 left as far as armor support and about half their infantry gone.

The had more infantry coming and the T-34 we destroyed had started moving towards the objective as we sent a round through its turret. If we had been a bit less lucky in that exchange, I think a counter-attack was on the way as the smoke and terrain was obscuring more Soviet reinforcements on both roads.

But we did what we had to do and the Soviet infantry that was approaching would have run into our flanking Panzers and our three platoons of Panzergrenadiers in good fortified positions in the western half of the village.

So, Victory!

And here is where the Iron Crosses grow...

[Erik Rutins]

Here's a look at the village at the end of the battle with fog of war off as far as unit positions.

[Erik Rutins]

Thanks to all of you for your advice and participation! I hope you had as much fun as I did. Incidentally, this is the best result I've had in the various beta versions of this scenario, so your advice was pretty darn good!

Let me know if you have any questions and whether you'd like me to try something like this again.

Regards,

- Erik

[spellir74]

Hi Erik.

Your PM storage box is full.

[Tophat1815]

Certainly set up another one!

[Stridor]

Yeah!

Multiplayer?

Something with flame throwers?

[Plodder]

Maybe with the orders by committee it's apt we try a soviet scenario? [:D]

[FNG]

Thanks for the AAR Erik. I've been away from PC for a while, waiting for news, and it seems that the wait was more than worth it. Looks like PC is going from strength to strength. Where can I pre-order?

Cheers,

FNG

[Tophat1815]

ORIGINAL: The Plodder

Maybe with the orders by committee it's apt we try a soviet scenario? [:D]

Ahh,comrade you have come up with a wonderful plan,a switch in perspective.And in keeping with a Russian theme quantity is a quality all its own a larger scenario?

[heinrich55]

Erik,
This was a really nice portrayal of game mechanics, mixed up in an enjoyable battle action. It whets our appetites for things the game can do, while giving us insight on tactical applications. I applaud your posting here and hope there will be more like it.

Heinrich55

[british exil]

What about an Semi-Interactive AAR: Return Road to Kharkov from the Soviet side? See if we can stop the Germans?

Mat

[RocketMan]

Thank you for taking the time to do this AAR Erik. It was very well done and made for enjoyable reading.