ALLIED : Gustav Line BETA AAR Round Two - Eye of the Elefant

[GreenAsJade]

It costs a bomb.

The Rangers have High Motivation, but regular leadership and experience. As does pretty much everything else I purchased.

GaJ

[GreenAsJade]

I've sent the first turn to Bil.

So I can share some of the details with you now.

It all starts with The Tits, of course(*).

The thing about these is that they are such an obvious observation point for "what forces does Bil have, and how is he deploying them, that I have to take a peek from them. But the silly thing is that he knows this, so the first thing he is going to do is blow anything on them to smithereens, probably revealing only the minimum of units it takes to do this.

Which means that there's no point in defending them as such. So they get a token defense, just so that Bil has to go consume some time going through the motions.

The token consists of some wire across the top of each, so that any exploring guys coming looking for dead bodies have to go around the sides ... where I have MMGs watching. Plus an empty foxhole on each, in case Bil wants to blow stuff up. Plus a sniper for the initial eyes

(*) doesn't it always??

[GreenAsJade]

View from Right Tit (which is on my left!)

These guys can see heaps of the uber-critical Hill 130, and somewhat into the previously described "approach valley".

View from Left Tit (which is on my right):

These guys aren't staying in the VL, as you can see - they are going to sneak a bit further around and down, basically in an attempt to prolong their longevity and increase the chance of seeing something in the back right.

(I didn't do this on Right Tit, because the snipers there are already well back, in the field of fire of the covering MMG, and have a perfectly good view already).

[GreenAsJade]

On the right hand side, I have an MMG and 81mm mortar ready to be just a bit of a nuisance as Bil takes Left Tit.

The MMG can also see just a little into Bil's centre approach path, at least if Bil veers west (IE on my right side of the centre-line).

The grass appears as if it should be providing good concealment - I had to wait for the wind to blow it out the way briefly to photograph those guys!

[GreenAsJade]

The mortar is set back slightly form the MMG in its foxhole. The MMG likely will die in return fire from the Left Tit and further back along the centreline, in the place where it can see (above).

The Mortar can't see or be seen from back there, it just has a view to the Tit, and further back in my territory:

I'm hoping that it can open fire on enemy forces as they take the Tit, then bug out, or maybe stay there and shell the further advance along the main road, if that's what Bil does.

[GreenAsJade]

On the left side, there is a single MMG planning to be a nuisance to the take-over of Right Tit:

You can also see in this shot that I have extra eyes on the left approaches - a sniper in mid-field can see right up the left approach valley, and also has a hope (albeit slim) of seeing and maybe pinging a tank commander, if Bil sends tanks to shell the Tits.

Similarly, on the right there is a mid-field scout, who will sneak out on the right of the main ridge to take over looking there when the Right Tit guy is removed.

[GreenAsJade]

The Right Tit covering MMG guy is sitting on the lip of Sunken Road, in which he has a fallback foxhole:

He may or may not make it back to that ... if he does, then it should give a brief pause in to any inf force coming up that hill - they have to get over the lip of Sunken Road and dig him out.

He will hopefully be joined there by the "Left Centre Eyes" scout, who has 2 tommy guns, and is shown in the next picture:

... as you can see, there is an "invisible zone" that Bil has, which is just left of centre (from my perspective) and leads most of the way to the Tits. I've tried to get eyes on there as best I can (without peaking over the top of the Tits, which would be a waste of life).

Once the Left Centre Eyes scout has done his spotting job, he will try to sneak into Sunken Road.

In the above picture, you can also see the final elements of my first layer of defense (indeed, this picture shows the whole first layer). I have another sniper and an ATG watching Hill 130.

I decided to put these here late in the setup. This was after finding out just how awesome of an overwatch spot Hill 130 is. I already identified it for you as a piece of key ground for Bill, and showed you a screenshot of what my back-territory looks like from there. But what that screenshot did not show, and what I didn't appreciate fully from that initial scan of the map, is just how controlling that view is. It can see almost everywhere up both sides of the key VL Hill 153, making controlling that VL, and defending the run up to Santa Maria from there rather difficult!

For this reason, Bil surely has to set up overwatch there - either FOs or great big lumbering guns, or both.

This being the case, I figured I can't let him have it all his way - at the very least I have to make it a nuisance to set up there. Hence I have a couple of stingers ready. The ATG is reasonably keyholed by trees, the sniper has a better view (and is hopefully better hidden). Indeed, the ATG is hiding, while the Sniper is not...

[GreenAsJade]

The next part of the description of the defense setup is the mid-field layer. This is where I better slow him down a lot, because there's not much left over for back field/last ditch defense.

It's coming up midnight here, so I will leave you with an initial photo of the right midfield and get on with describing the setup tomorrow, unless a turn has come in from Bil already when I get up, in which case maybe I should get on with action instead of describing

GaJ

[newlife]

Nice job describing your setup. I'm getting a good picture of what you're doing.

[Hister]

Thank you for very nice representation GaJ!

[GreenAsJade]

The foundation of the right middle defence is the HMG bunker and ATG looking over from the centre left.

In an "infantry first" scenario, the HMG bunker denies access to the west ridge. It is keyholed by trees, and in any case has it's slit facing so that it can't be shot from further back in Bil's approach path.

The thinking is that to deal with this Bil ultimately needs to bring a tank in to bear on it. The ATG is placed to interdict that response, being keyholed by trees from Bil's back line, with lines of sight into the tank approach route.

Obviously, if he is doing recon-by-tank on the far right, some sort of heavy push, then the ATG is positioned to trip that up.

[GreenAsJade]

One of the many challenges in trying to setup this defence has been the total lack of intel about Bil's force makeup. Whether to defend against mass tanks or mass infantry or combined arms.

While pondering this, I realised there is an enemy approach route that I didn't consider before: the "Veer right approach", which would suit an infantry attack well.

The reason this stood out is that a defence against the right flank tank attack route is completely vulnerable to infantry swarming through the centre right trees, as shown above - probably covered with overwatch from the far right - maybe feinting a tank attack on the far right, but actually stopping short of the my ATG coverage of that area but with overwatch LOS onto that ridge slope.

So, the next thing I did was put in place guards against that...

[GreenAsJade]

First, a HMG behind Hill 126 can make life hard for any infantry trying to move through those trees.

The concealment in the grass is excellent, which is tough for me, but the cover is poor, so once I spot them, they are in bad shape until that HMG is silenced.

[GreenAsJade]

Of course, these potential infantry may be accompanied by armour.

Further, if there is the previously considered tank centre thrust up the middle to take the road, and it runs into trouble from my back line (yet to be described), it may also decide to veer right, just to take cover.

So I placed another ATG to cover this.

This has the added benefit of actually having some spots of LOS right up to the road, where tanks may be proceeding in any case.

I placed an HQ down there to help with spotting and of course give that gun the best chance by being in command. This guy is also commanding two ATG ammo bearers, who are the best infantry I could muster down there to make it a bit of a nuisance to take Hill 126 if an infantry force is coming up the back there. They can scurry around and put eyes in other nearby places if needbe.

[GreenAsJade]

Then we turn to the left mid-field layer of defense. A fair bit more of my forces are here, because (as I said) I feel that the overwatch from Hill 130 is so powerful that it's got to be attractive for Bil to push up this side, possibly with a pincer from the centre.

I couldn't leave the right flank undefended, but if I have to bet, I'm betting that it's the left, not the right, where I will get attacked in force first.

The foundation of the left midfield defense is an ATG and HMG bunker.

The ATG commands the centre approach, while sitting in one of the very few locations on the North East ridge that is not visible from Hill 130.

The HMG bunker is shielded from tanks coming in the centre approach, and can fire on any troops coming over the Spur, and also has Hill 152 covered, plus the "Main Valley" in between. To take this thing out, tanks have to show up somewhere in that arc.

I have two means of dealing with these. One is the M10 platoon. 2 of these are in the centre rear of the map, basically waiting to see where they might be needed. If a tank force is coming around up through the Main Valley on my left, these guys will need to manoeuvre to respond. Another is over the back of the North West ridge, with the same goal in mind: basically backing up the ATG that is there, providing fire from that direction into the valley. As I've said before, this is a bit fraught due to the overwatch from Bill 130.

In fact, it would be nice if there was a route around on my left flank to interdict an approaching tank force heading for the Main Valley - get them side on as they move in. However, that whole side of the map is covered from Hill 130, including the side western slope of the North West ridge"

Here is a view from behind (from my perspective) that ridge, showing how prominent Hill 130 is.

[GreenAsJade]

In the centre of midfield left are the Rangers and 81mm mortars. These are positioned with the intent of

1) mortars, MMGs, HMG preventing infantry coming in here

2) Bazookas available to try to get close to incoming tanks. Two are down in a side valley of the Main Valley, where they hope to lie low while infantry are coming over the Spur and only go into action when AFV support is called in.

The rest of the Rangers are in centre midfield, where they can basically go where they have to depending on what is coming.

Also stationed there is M51 Quad AA, which is the fast response to chase away infantry wherever they may be found. I don't have any experience with this unit (who does!?) to know if it might be useful against HTs that Bil might have... I guess I will find out: if it punches holes in planes, you'd think it would punch holes in HTs

[GreenAsJade]

Last of all, before we spring into action (Bil's first turn has arrived now), is the backstop last ditch defense.

This consists of a HMG bunker, a HMG & MMG in buildings, and some Rangers with close assault tank killer weapons.

[GreenAsJade]

No major surprises to report in the first turn.

Bil has commenced shelling the Tits. One large round landed on each.

At Right Tit it landed too far forward to do any harm. The snipers are just clinging the dirt and going no-where. To see what I need to see, they need to be there, and moving is as likely to get them killed as staying put. I presume the shells will fall more comprehensively on the whole area next turn.

The shell landed smack on top of Left Tit, but the snipers there have already started crawling away and look to have decent chance of getting below the danger zone.

My left sniper has spotted a truck of Pioneers stationary in Bil's backline:

And my left eyes scout has spotted two HTs of PZ Grenadiers heading across the almost-invisible zone towards the Tits. I'm pleasantly surprised about how deep I can see into there.

No sign of tanks so far.

I can't yet guess what Bil's HTs in the centre are going to do - are they going to drop-off at the Tits, for clearing those, or shoot their load on between them up the centre in a suprise attack before recon? It's possible, but would be surprising bluster, if they are going to push on into view of my middle field defense without scoping it first. Perhaps they would try to draw ATG fire, though that seems like a cruel mission to send a can full of men on! More likely the men will get out and go on foot supported by HT MGs. Time will telll.. I have to start thinking about what sort of greeting party they get...

GaJ

[Fizou]

or shoot their load on between them

GaJ

I love a dirty DAR. Nice pics GaJ!

[verulam]

Using the quad will be interesting!!

[Thomm]

I don't have any experience with this unit (who does!?) to know if it might be useful against HTs that Bil might have... I guess I will find out: if it punches holes in planes, you'd think it would punch holes in HTs

I think you will be pleasantly surprised, hehe!

Best regards,

Thomm

[GreenAsJade]

I love a dirty DAR. Nice pics GaJ!

I was just kinda checking if anyone was reading It all went quiet there for a while!

GaJ

[herr_oberst]

Since you have eyes on the truck chock full of Pioneers, any plans for sending them, oh, a box of choclates?

[costard]

Thanks for your work GaJ.

I'm looking forward to seeing the quads in action. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end and I'll be watching to see how Bil's troops react. HTs become armoured colanders, I reckon: Swiss cheese.

[GreenAsJade]

Since you have eyes on the truck chock full of Pioneers, any plans for sending them, oh, a box of choclates?

Yeah, I wish. I wasn't really expecting soft targets in the opening turns - especially stationary ones - so I didn't bring mortars to the front line. If that thing is reserves, and it sits there temptingly next turn, I may have to rush one forwards...

GaJ