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Allied AAR: A Route to Ribera or "A Bridge Too Far" (CMPzC)


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@Erwin, Thanks!

@sburk, yeah what a rookie mistake!

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As we are approaching 40 minutes a new smoke screen is deployed. I suspect a lot of it is by hand held smoke grenades.

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Another thick smoke screen. A few 75 mm shells are still falling and exploding around the bridge.

My plan of a fighting withdrawal. It will be conducted in three stages.

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My first action is to withdraw all heavy weapons from the rear to the exit as they are moving slow and are already out of ammo. Second is to start the withdrawal of the units in the blue areas toward the orange and or purple areas. I will try to use smoke, both mine and the Germans to conceal this movement. The enemy HMG are making any movement really difficult.

A few men might keep hiding to ambush the Germans once more as they try to catch up with my escaping force.

When the units in the blue areas have reached their destination the same procedure will be repeated for the orange areas and finally for the units in the purple areas. I will try to move in the direction of the purple arrows. Using defilade whenever possible and the vegetation in the area.

I will never move all units at once, there will always be a rear guard that face the German advance.

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Once more the Germans make for the bridge.

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The Germans are not facing much long range opposition at this time but the crossing is not without peril.

Rangers and Paras making their way towards safety.

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Making their way to safety, hopefully fighting again later this day.

Overview after 40 minutes:

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Things are going as planed in the opening stages but the Germans are dangerously close to my forward left. This will complicate the extraction of the troops there and a few brave souls might have to make the ultimate sacrifice as their buddies make it to safety.

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The Germans throw reinforcement over the bridge and know we are on the run. I try to slow them down with the few MGs I still have operational.

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Grille SPA as well as Grenadiers both on foot and in vehicles race over the bridge.

Piece by piece my forward line is dismantled by the advancing Germans.

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Brave paras of 2nd Platoon A Coy fight until the end.

The forward positions on my left was long supported by 2nd Platoons MG team but now its taken out by a combination of light artillery and HMG fire.

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A important asset neutralized.

With the MG gone a few men are all that covers my far left flank. They do what the can to give covering fire to the forward line trying to pull back.

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The platoon sharpshooter gives the most effective covering fire. No confirmed kills but on several occasion he forces the krauts to hug the ground for cover.

Overview after 43 minutes:

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Blue arrows indicates my planed routes of withdrawal.

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A small team with a bazooka are hiding close to the bridge. They have been biding their time, waiting for a Grille to move in to close. They let lose a rocket at 120 meters out.

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A moving target 120 meters away is a hard shot even for a veteran.

Earlier this day the Rangers of 3rd Bn had a very close miss as a bazooka round hit a bush in front of a Grille. There wont be any celebrations this time either as the rockets falls short.

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A hit will make quick work of the Grilles thin 15 mm side armor. The Bazooka being able to penetrate 119 mm under optimal conditions.

Some good results at least as a MG shreds a kubel as it drives on to the bridge. Its soon rendered useless and its occupants throw them selves out to cover. This will make a nice obstacle on the bridge and will make it harder for other vehicles to pass. Im sure my bazooka team will get a second shot..

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In the front seat an officer with top hat.. is this the Bn commander or even Gen-Maj Kuderian leading from the front!? Reacting just a second later would have him taking a .30 cal to the head.

Further from the bridge the Grenadiers keep their advance going, until the run into my second line. With short arcs they have been waiting for the advancing enemy.

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A small reverse slope defense awaits the advancing Germans and they soon take casualties. This Germans final resting place, a crater from a Grille HE round.

Another German goes down in quick succession.

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Accurate Garand fire ends his life and the round impacts the bushes behind him after it pass through his body.

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@Frankster65, That would have been something, but Id make due with a couple trucks or even jeeps!

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I made a slight miscalculation. The high crops that hide the Bazooka team in combination with the stone wall one the side of the bridge make it impossible for them to fire from a prone position. A minute pass and the Grille struggle to move past the destroyed kubelwagen.

I have to order the men to stand so they can get a shot off, at the same time exposing them to enemy small arms.

3rd Platoon A Coys Bazooka team gets a second chance. Third times the charm counting the round that missed in the Rangers engagement a couple hours earlier.

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A 100 meters out now and a slow moving target. An easier shot but still a challenge.

The second rocket falls short as well and before my men can reload the Grille is able to move off the bridge and out of their LOS. Damn!

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Hiding closer to the bridge might have been an option but that would have increased the chance of being spotted before taking a shot and also limited the possibility to shell the bridge with artillery and mortars.

My misfortune is the enemies luck. The Grille can soon take up position on my side of the river and start to shell my positions from close range, greatly increasing its accuracy and effectiveness.

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A 150 mm shell explodes among the trees. No kills this time but a few wounded and massive suppression. On the right, a flanking attack.

In the center the enemy is starting to pinpoint my second defensive line.

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Quick reflexes. A Grenadier takes aim with this scoped Kar98 and kills a para with a well placed round before the american can get a shot off.

Overview after 48 minutes:

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My left side is taking the blunt of the enemy advance. I will have to try and hold them for as long as possible so that the troops on my right can get out.

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@Chudacabra and @Frankster65, Thanks! Glad you enjoy it!

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The withdrawal is continuing according to plan on my right side, where the majority of my force is located. It is also here that my men has the best cover and concealment moving back.

On my left things are not going as well as I had hoped. The Germans have been able to close and my decisions about moving back has not been timed very well. Combined with German suppression fire a portion of my force is all but locked in place. Where to draw the line and start to pull out.. what units to forsake and which to try and save. Though decisions.

The units closest to the Germans are moving in bounds, short distances between cover and/or concealment before turning to the enemy to try and slow their attack.

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A Para with his Garand at work.

The Germans are attacking up the main road, with a small flanking attack on my far left. Moving behind and over the hill there, that the Paras used as a good vantage point in the first part of the battle.

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The lead man is shot down as the Grenadiers continue their relentless assault.

The brave Paras take fire from several locations and casualties are mounting quickly. The efforts to save them (remnants of my first screen and second line) are looking grim. I have kept my third line in place in an attempt to cover and save these units. This might be a mistake and could also lead to the third line being lost. The Germans are close now and the third line have to move up a hill to safety (and under enemy fire this will be very difficult to say the least).

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Heavy fire drowns the last men of 2nd Platoon. A Para drops dead after a shot to the head.

In the center by the main road, the Germans push up a Kubel to recon and draw fire. They stop mere meters from my third defensive line as they start to receive fire from all kinds of small arms carried by the Paras.

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A particularity bold Germans starts to return fire with his Luger. He is killed seconds later and the Kubel reverses back to safety, a miracle that its still rolling after all the bullets it catches before LOS is broken.

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The Kubel reversing to safety on the right has served its purpose and the sharpshooter in the building by the main road is discovered. A Grille dispatches him seconds later.

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The troops held up around this house (my third line) seems to be caught in a fight to the death.

The German advance is speeding up and they are now all over my old positions where my second line was held up.

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The Grenadiers make good use of a Grille crater as they move up to assault my third line.

A man from the second line decides he has had enough. He is soon captured by the Germans.

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The first POW for the Allies in this campaign.

Overview after 56 minutes:

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My third line, as well as the remnant of second line and first screen are trapped between the German main effort (big red bulge) and the blue bulge of my forth defensive line. The forth line is on a hill.

On my right the forces are moving in an orderly fashion towards safety. In the bottom right a lone survivor from the Bazooka team that tried to brew up a Grille earlier is trapped.

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The attack is relentless. The Germans know we are withdrawing and will do all they can to inflict as serious casualties as possible. I still feel confident that they wont be able to block my escape even though they are motorized and my force is on foot.

Once more they push up a Kubelwagen to the house anchoring my third line of defense. It quickly draws fire and is forced to reverse out of harms way.

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Another occupant taken out by SMG fire.

The attack comes straight on, both by the main road to the bridge..

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Grenadiers supported by Grille SPA closing in on my third line.

And over the field running up along the road.

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The Germans are bound to run into my ambush in the field, but they have the numerical superiority.

Lieutenant Blum, now alone in the stone house, is taking massive fire from small arms as well as Grille and Inf guns.

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A MG34 team in position to put suppressive fire on the stone house occupied by Lt Blum. A 75 mm shell impacts the upper floor.

Overview after 58 minutes:

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The Grenadiers are charging my third line, they also seem to flank the position form their right. Red arrows indicating their advance.

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@Erwin & Frankster65, Thanks guys! Im not sure why FRAPS gives me the bluish tone to the screens.

----

The Germans are soon upon my men. A bloody battle ensues.

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Finding and killing the enemy.

In most cases its the hidden paras that get of the first shots. With deadly effect.

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Rapid fire by Thompsons and Garands.

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Note the red crosses in the grass. The first German wave is destroyed.

The first wave have been dispatched but more Grenadiers are moving up and they are starting to flank my position from their right (my left). They are also moving up their SPA. I have a team with a bazooka hidden in the field. Waiting for the opportunity to strike.

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Grille SPA traversing a shell hole from a 150 mm round.

Just left of the road (Axis perspective) their advance is progressing better. They are taking casualties but they don't run the same risk of ambushes. Possible they will be able to move round the house to envelop the remaining men of my third defensive line.

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Heavy suppression fire.

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The ambush sprung, soon a lot of incoming starts to hit the teams still occupying the field.

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Several paras go down as the Germans respond to their initial ambush.

The success of neutralizing the teams in the field closest to the house prompts the Grenadiers to assault the building itself.

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Lt Blum dispatches of a Grenadier that moves up to the house. Lt Blum, alone, but hell bent on holding the Germans back so his friends and fellow soldiers can make their escape.

Lt Blum draws attention and fire from two Grille. Massive explosions rock the foundation of the house.

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Firing at point blank range.

With the closest Grille focused on the house, the Bazooka team in the field decides they wont get a better chance than this. Firing prone from some 70 meters out..

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Note the rocket flying high over the Grille. The suppression and fear making it unlikely that the Bazooka team will get off another shot.

Overview after an hour. The third line is about to fall..

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The bazooka team breaks and runs for cover as the Germans are close assaulting their position.

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Cut down from behind.

Defiant, and in the face of death and heavy bombardment Lt Blum continues the fight.

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Another Grenadier dispatched by Lt Blums carbine.

On my left the encirclement is completed. A few men break and run for cover.

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A Grenadier prepares a potato masher to greet the retreating paras.

Grenade away!

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It explodes behind the para, killing him outright. No one will be allowed to escape.

Overview after 61 minutes:

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The hill with the blue bulge will probably have to be a fourth defensive line. I will have to hasten the withdrawal.

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@Frankster65, The first post explains in greater detail. In short, we use John Tillers "Panzer Campaigns" (in this case Sicily 43) as a strategic layer. The strategic layer decides what forces interact and where. All maps have been crafted from a QB or scenario map as a base but have been heavily modified and expanded to fit the terrain and size etc for the given battle.

@kohlenklau, they will soon drop their, "no charge if delivered cold", business plan. Btw, there is a new battle for you if your interested. Check mail or PM.

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Enemy HMG 42 has set up in a crater caused earlier by a Grille as it annihilated the US MG team that is seen as well.

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Rapid fire to suppress and kill the last occupants of defensive line 3.

In the field the deadly fighting continues..

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Many Grenadiers are cut down as they try to make it to the other side.

Both sides are taking heavy casualties.

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Grenadier takes revenge as he spots a para hiding in the high crops.

Many Grenadiers are taken out but my remaining men in defensive line 3 are all but spent.

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Many Germans go down but they are to many to hold off. Precious time is bought for the main body of the US force.

A grenade finish off some of the last defenders.

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Lt Blum goes down fighting and with him, the end of defensive line 3 is reached.

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Lt Blum, recommended for the medal of honor posthumously.

Defensive line 3 has been destroyed. The withdrawal has to speed up. The enemy will soon be on the last hill where I will set up another ambush.

Overview after 63 minutes:

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The enemy is slowed down some what by sporadic fire before my men withdraw deeper into the trees. Several are ordered to turn and run for new cover.

I decide to leave no more than three men in the trees on the hill. They will slow down the Grenadiers while the rest make for the exit.

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The Grenadiers on the outskirts of the hill that anchors defensive line 4 (made up of two small ambush teams).

As they go deeper they soon run into ambushes, costing yet more casualties.

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Close range fire neutralize the Grenadiers first attempt to take the hill.

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The ambushes on the hill inflict a few more casualties before they are finally overcome by the Grenadiers.

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A Kubelwagen taking casualties before reversing to safety.

Overview after 73 minutes:

My men are withdrawing as fast as possible now. A few teams with BARs are covering their exit and scares of a couple of Kubelwagens drawing to close.

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Overview after 80 minutes:

The Germans make a last attempt to an all out assault trying to catch up with my withdrawing force.

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The Paras and Rangers deploy a smoke screen with hand held smoke grenades to cover their last rush towards safety.

Overview after 84 minutes, battle ends:

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End screen:

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I'm pretty content, even though I was not able to stop the German force I was able to hurt it. My force will move to safety and await reinforcements before a counterattack can be mounted.

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