Jump to content

CMFI Rome To Victory Beta AAR - Indian Infantry / South African Armour


Recommended Posts

Initial situation

This AAR is being played using a custom scenario borrowing a map from one of the scenarios that will be in the final game. Bud and I replaced the forces with some specific choices to show off new formations and gear.

It is now March 1945 the Germans have been pushed far to the North in Italy. The area is defended by some low experience Luftwaffe ground forces and very tough Gebirgsjaegers. The forces available to push the Germans back in this area are South African and Indian. A force of a squadron plus of tanks from 1 Battalion Pretoria Regiment of the 6th South African armour division and two companies of the 24th Battalion Sikh Regiment supported by the elements of 2nd Independent Field Squadron of Indian Engineers.

The weather is clear but with the snow having recently melted the ground is wet.

Comandant Litson climbed back into his tank reflecting on his first meeting with the CO of the infantry he was tasked with supporting. The whole thing went better than expected. Lt. Col Ram Singh spoke better English that he did. Turns out the Indian officer had spent years in England before the war. His concerns about communications problems were curtailed. While there might still be problems, he now felt that he and is 2IC could contact Lt. Col Ram Singh and his staff and they would be able to straightening things out. In fact, since they were not under a time crunch, they had spent a little time over tea. The Indians seemed genuinely pleased to be working with he and his men. He got the feeling that they had similar uncomfortable experiences in the past working with British officers.

Comandant Litson, like everyone else, knew the war was in its final days but until hostilities actually ended his men were not out of danger. The best way to protect his men and those of his allies was to prevent the Germans from regrouping and causing havoc on their terms. This was the time for his men to take the fight into their control.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Planning

METT-T: Mission

The real mission is to show off the Rome to Victory Beta and give you guys something to drool over;-)

The mission of the SA and Indian armies is the keep up the pressure on the German forces in the area and take away the high ground in the area to prevent any possible German counter attacks into the valley below.

Objectives:

The main objective is the high ground with its multi story building that has an excellent view of a wide area. To succeed in capturing that objective we need to cross a small river and capture a bridge as well as the town below the high point and another small village near by.

Bridge – There is a single bridge and three fords over the river. Given the wet ground conditions using the fords will be risky. We will need to capture this bridge.

Hamlet – This is probably the least important objective but it is on the route from the fords and attacking the down without nutralizing forces in this village will be foolish.

Lower Town, Mid Town, Upper Town – With three separate equally important objectives in the down for the scenario this is the most important area of the map.

Hill Top – The true objective of the scenario. All other objectives service taking the observation post on this hill top.

Tasks:

The Germans have been fortifying the area and are likely to have AT guns in the area along with some armour elements as well. The first task will be to get observation on the ridge line and village near our jumping off point.

After which we will need to capture a river crossing and gain a view onto the plateau and the hill beyond.

Cross the river – We will need to cross the river at KT1 (fords) and or KT2 (bridge)

Gain the ridge line – In order to assault the town and the hill above we will next need to take the ridge line between KT3 and KT4.

Neutralize forces in the Hamlet – assaulting the town will be difficult if my forces are taking fire across the plateau KT5.

Assault the town KT6 – To make it to the hill top we will not be able to ignore the town

Take the hill top KT7 – With the above tasks accomplished this will be the last step to Victory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

METT-T: Terrain

The map is about a km squared. There are some flat plateaus but also a lot of hill and valleys as well. My forces start off in the South East corner near KT1. The path to the hill top KT7 will be over the river at KT1 and KT2 adn then over the ridge line between KT3 and KT4. There is a road from the bridge KT2 leading to town KT6 and a trail leading from KT1 to KT5 just East of KT3.

20190829074523-1883c7b4.png

 

Some views of the terrain follow as indicated by the green triangles.

20190829074524-18580a4a.jpg

 

Map View #1

20190829074528-a59d9abd.png

 

Map View #2

20190829074532-24d57815.png

 

Map View #3

20190829074538-984c6286.png

 

Map View #4

20190829074541-fa45242d.png

 

Map View #5

20190829074546-4fe13870.png

 

Map View #6

20190829074552-3459a4f2.png

 

Map View #7

20190829074555-e5c848da.png

 

Edited by IanL
Fix pictures
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following with interest. 

12 hours ago, Warts 'n' all said:

That isn't a surprise. Have you heard the way the Soud Efrikans mangle our language? 

There's a certain Spitting Image song I have in mind regarding Afrikaaners that I shall keep to myself. 

The map is beautiful, I'm curious to see what scheme you develop. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Rinaldi said:

Following with interest. 

There's a certain Spitting Image song I have in mind regarding Afrikaaners that I shall keep to myself. 

The map is beautiful, I'm curious to see what scheme you develop. 

Churchill found Smuts to be a rather nice Afrikaaner.

 

and us English 'soutpiel' South Africans speak perfectly good English thank you very much. Unlike most Brits.....

Edited by AlanSA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Michael Emrys said:

So much so that Smuts was invited to sit in the War Cabinet when he was in town.

Michael

That is a nice way of putting it.

Although I prefer Ed Murrow's story of being invited in to partake of "several whiskies" when he went to collect his wife from dinner with Clementine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

METT-T: Enemy

Enemy Intentions

The enemy wants to maintain position of the high ground in this area so they can continue to conduct counter attacks into the valley. They are likely to defend this territory to the last man.

Enemy Force Capabilities

They have infantry with anti tank support with the possibility of armour too.

Possible Order of Battle

A possible combination of Luftwaffe ground forces and Gebirgsjaegers supported by some kind of armour.

Enemy Strengths

German AT resources are extensive. This force has had ample time to setup their defences so mines, trenches and bunkers are to be expected. During the mission setup Bud let me know that the Allies have a 3:1 armour advantage and a 2.5:1 infantry advantage.

Enemy Weakness

The enemy is low on fuel and will have mobility problems. I am not totally sure what that will mean in game terms but it is part of the back story Bud put together.

Enemy Equipment

Expect both mobile and towed AT guns. Also expect to see mines other fortifications used in the area too.

Enemy Course of Action

The enemy will be defending the area. If I leave my flanks exposed I may find a surprise counter attack.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

METT-T: Troops

Order of battle

1 Battalion Pretoria Regiment, 6th Armoured Division: Comandant Litson

2IC: Major Hooker

A Squadron: Major Fry

3 Troop: Lieutenant Smit

4 Troop: Lieutenant Rassau

5 Troop: Lieutenant Liebenberg

6 Troop: Lieutenant Black

Headquarters Squadron: Major Erasmus

Recon Troop: Lieutenant White

2 Troop (Assault gun): Lieutenant Long

 

20190829074609-94e60903.png

 

24th Battalion Sikh Regiment: Lt. Col Ram Singh

2IC: Thakur Singh

FO: Capt. Shabeg Singh

Support Company: Major Chanda Singh

Mortar Platoon: Lt. Balak Singh

Carrier Platoon: Lt. Sahib Singh

Pioneer Platoon: Lt. Ultar Singh

A Company:

1 Platoon: Lt. Bhola Singh

2 Platoon: Lt. Bal Singh

3 Platoon: Lt. Gurmucky Singh

B Company:

4 Platoon: Lt. Shagwan Singh

5 Platoon: Lt. Buta Singh

6 Platoon: Lt. Nand Singh

 

 

2nd Independent Field Squadron: Major Ghafoor

2IC: Capt. Kahn

Flamethrower Section: Lance Corporal Jamil

1 Platoon: Lt. Jabbar

20190829074601-444421f2.png

 

 

 

METT-T: Time

That battle is 1 hour long. I am sure we will end the battle before that due to casualties.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Minute 1:00: Orders

Most of my troops are not moving right away. Here is a shot of the force in their jump off positions.

20190830044258-2016714a.png


 

Armoured recon moving towards the bridge. The recon units will take up positions in the forest along the rise and the tanks will stay on the road ready to react as needed.

20190830044336-e671381a.png


 

Infantry recon moving towards the ford. A troop of tanks are attached to provide support as needed.

20190830044415-8e96ce09.png


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second picture, bottom right. What is that canvas covered bus looking do-hickey carrying about 24 guys in it? Never seen that vehicle before, anywhere.

Got any pics of the Sikhs in their head wraps?

 

Mord.

Edited by Mord
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Mord said:

Second picture, bottom right. What is that canvas covered bus looking do-hickey carrying about 24 guys in it? Never seen that vehicle before, anywhere.

Well, it looks a lot like the good old Bedford, but still different. So perhaps it is a later version of the Bedford?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, umlaut said:

Well, it looks a lot like the good old Bedford, but still different. So perhaps it is a later version of the Bedford?

Bedford never even crossed my mind, it's that weird looking. Unless it's just the angle the screenie was taken from.

 

Mord.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Mord said:

Second picture, bottom right. What is that canvas covered bus looking do-hickey carrying about 24 guys in it? Never seen that vehicle before, anywhere.

I'm away from my gaming computer so I cannot check the exact details. I will when I'm back from Montreal and Kingston after the long weekend.

3 hours ago, Mord said:

Got any pics of the Sikhs in their head wraps?

One day soon...

Possibly very soon. I am avoiding showing them up close right now since theeia a bug. The model and the texture do not match so they look kinda silly in this build.

As soon as I get a fix that's all you will see :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, IanL said:

Possibly very soon. I am avoiding showing them up close right now since theeia a bug. The model and the texture do not match so they look kinda silly in this build.

As soon as I get a fix that's all you will see :D

Cool. I was worried they got cancelled when I noticed it was actually a Sikh regiment and all I saw were helmets.

 

Mord.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...