Not Another AAR?! Tux Vs Mylgas 2: Double Or Quits

[Tux]

Hi all, it's me again.

*Cuts to the chase*

August 1944. I'm playing Soviets and Mylgas is in charge of the Filthy Hun. All the other settings are the same as before, except that rarity is variable and I've given us a 'Huge' map this time to shake things up a bit.

During setup my sense of style gets the better of me and I find myself casually perusing the equipment available to a Soviet Naval unit. When you see their uniforms you just know they mean business! After a little careful thought, I come up with the following selection (all units are regular unless otherwise stated):

1 x Naval Pioneer Company

1 x 82mm Mortar

2 x PTRD teams (conscript)

1 x DP LMG (green)

1 x ZIS-2 57mm ATG

1 x MG Carrier

1 x Truck

1 x M4A3 Sherman platoon

1 x IS-2 (late)

As you can tell, I am generally more comfortable in command of AFVs rather than infantry, and so I usually max out my armour allowance. Having said that, I only do so if I have a specific use for every unit:

Pioneers: No explanation needed.

Mortar: Likewise; Death to guns!

ATRs: Conscripts because they will scout ahead of the infantry main body. Also, ATRs have good accuracy and stealth, and a Conscript ATR round hurts just as much as a regular one. I never bother with anything other than Conscript ATRs nowadays.

LMG: Bought for chump change at the end of the force selection process. I'll use it to scout about a bit I suppose.

ZIS-2: Available at a knock-down price thanks to the Variable Rarity Fairies, careful siting of this tidy piece of kit will give a nasty surprise to any german heavy armour that may show up.

MG Carrier: I love the Universal Carrier and all its variants in this game. Their 12mm all-round armour makes them completely MG-proof, which is more than you can say for most other light armour in-game. I will use it to drag the ZIS.

Truck: Backup for the Carrier (in case the 10% Casualty Demons pinch either of them). Also able to carry a full mortar crew if needed.

M4A3 platoon: I had a choice between these or late '43 T-34s for a negligible difference in price. I chose the Shermen for two reasons. First, they have a three-man turret and so can engage the enemy without buttoning. Second, their 75mm AP rounds are perfectly capable of penetrating german 80mm glacis plate at normal combat ranges, unlike Soviet 76mm.

IS-2: Bought for two reasons, again. First off it's a backup cat-killer if my ZIS fails and flank shots for my Shermen are impossible to achieve. Secondly it has 122mm HE with which to uproot infantry. It was cheaper than any of the Soviets' heavy SUs.

My basic plan of action is to scout about and make first contact with my infantry. I will then bring my Shermen forward to engage the enemy, destroy his armour and lure out any thick-fronted AFVs Mylgas may have bought. These will be dealt with, if possible, by my Shermen and 57mm ATG. My IS-2 is going to hang right back and will only show itself if it is desparately needed for AT purposes. Other than that it will wait until Mylgas' AT assets are blunted before emerging to break the back of his infantry.

We await the map...

[Heinrich505]

Tux,

Yeah baby, more action. I was wondering how long you'd remain dormant. Nice to see you two back at the action. Looking forward to it.

Heinrich505

[General Jack Ripper]

Huzzah! More reading to enjoy!

[Der Alte Fritz]

Great Stuff! Cannot wait for the first episode.

Where did you get the great 'splash screen'?

[Tux]

I made it. I filched the picture from the Aviation Arthouse (http://www.oilontheboil.com/index.php) and added the textured frame and the text to it using Paintshop Pro X. The original artwork is by Gareth Hector and is called 'Bad Omen'.

[Flying Column]

I enjoyed reading the last one so much I've signed up to say so

[Sergei]

Don't tell me that you're going to insist on using 'Shermen' as the plural for Sherman, or I will have to beat you with a heavy, blunt object!

I might have gone for all medium tanks, as on a huge map there should be more room for maneuvring and secondly the IS-2 has deplorable ROF, turret speed and doesn't have too much HE either. But it's a good way to scare off the German player.

[Tux]

Lol, I think it's far smoother than 'Shermans', but we'll see.

I took the IS-2 because it wasn't too much more expensive than any other AFV with useful HE, including a single extra Sherman or T-34. It does also give me the option of a bit of extra hardiness versus the lethal AT guns Mylgas is sure to wield.

I've just been thinking, by the way, that if I were Mylgas and had just lost the previous fight in the way I did, I might well have bought a good number of potent AT guns for this game. I think he identified my Panzers as the key to my strategy and could well balance his force towards their destruction this time. Perhaps I should have invested in more than a solitary on-map mortar?...

[Sergei]

Don't over-analyze it. Purchasing units is not a science, it's more "fun" if you find yourself ill-equipped for the task...

[Tux]

Right, the first thing to note about the way casualties have hit my forces is that the losses have been taken almost entirely by my Pioneers. One section has been reduced to a mere 3 Mosin-Nagant riflemen (as well as having been bumped down to green). This isn’t good on such a big map, and means I really am going to have to work hard to use my tanks as ‘isolators’. What I mean by this is that I want my armour to eventually form a perimeter of fire around my infantry Main Force, ensuring that Mylgas can’t overwhelm the latter from multiple directions. In all honesty, this is down to the fact that I selected such an AFV-heavy force in the first place; my tanks are effectively having to stand in for infantry platoons that I didn’t buy.

So here’s the map:

Interesting, eh? The single flag on the far left flank immediately brings up a single question in my mind: How far to the right do I need to go? I don’t have the manpower to secure the entire map… I will certainly feel more comfortable attacking from the hilltop in the centre of the map rather than frontally up my left flank. With this in mind my Company HQ has ‘stolen’ a weakened green section from one platoon and a weakened regular section from the other. Both of these sections have been split into teams of about three men each. Adding a conscript ATR team and a green LMG to this formation will hopefully make it appear very much like a full-strength platoon, and I am going to advance it carefully in a frontal approach on the flag. It is taking along a single subordinate Sherman as heavy support, and the whole getup comprise Task Force B. In fact, the Sherman is the major force in TFB, so it would be more accurate to say that the accompanying infantry are intended to support the tank in a general nuisance and distraction role. I will explain the Sherman’s role in more detail next turn, when it has moved and it is easier to describe.

My two proper Pioneer Platoons (each weakened by a single small section), are going to move up towards the hillcrest, and then hook to the left to attack the flag area from the centre of the map, with their base of fire falling at Position 1. They are supported by three Maxim MMGs divided between Positions 1 and 2, an 82mm mortar and an ATR team which the game ‘promoted’ to green for me. These forces comprise Task Force A.

My MG Carrier-mounted ZIS-2 is hanging back pending information on where best to set it up.

My final two Shermen and my IS-2 are staying well back pending information on where Mylgas’ infantry are and how best to hit them, hard, with HE.

The lesser of the two platoons in A is going to hang back in Position 3 when its counterpart hooks towards the flag. It will thus be able to double check that Mylgas isn’t mounting an effort from the far side of the map, before (hopefully), moving to support the better platoon's assault on the flag. If Mylgas does attack from my right though, I am in trouble. My infantry forces are small enough, and the terrain well-covered enough, that an infantry-heavy force taking the longest possible approach to the flag, from my far right flank, could easily ‘corral’ them into a small ‘kessel’ type area and then crush them with fire superiority. My strategy if an attempt of this sort is spotted will be to use my two backup Shermen and, if necessary, my IS-2 to help blunt Mylgas’ advance with concentrated HE and MG fire, and hope no sharp-ended panzers are on the prowl.

Overall strategy:

1. Gain as much information on Mylgas’ forces and axis of advance as possible, as quickly as possible and on the way to the flag via my pre-determined route.

2. React to this information once, aggressively if possible, and seek to seize and maintain the initiative from that point onwards.

3. Hope my tanks carry enough HE weight to destroy at least a platoon of infantry, thus evening out the odds a little bit.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Tux

Your photos have been delete?

[Tux]

Right, the first thing to note about the way casualties have hit my forces is that the losses have been taken almost entirely by my Pioneers. One section has been reduced to a mere 3 Mosin-Nagant riflemen (as well as having been bumped down to green). This isn’t good on such a big map, and means I really am going to have to work hard to use my tanks as ‘isolators’. What I mean by this is that I want my armour to eventually form a perimeter of fire around my infantry Main Force, ensuring that Mylgas can’t overwhelm the latter from multiple directions. In all honesty, this is down to the fact that I selected such an AFV-heavy force in the first place; my tanks are effectively having to stand in for infantry platoons that I didn’t buy.

So here’s the map:

Interesting, eh? The single flag on the far left flank immediately brings up a single question in my mind: How far to the right do I need to go? I don’t have the manpower to secure the entire map… I will certainly feel more comfortable attacking from the hilltop in the centre of the map rather than frontally up my left flank. With this in mind my Company HQ has ‘stolen’ a weakened green section from one platoon and a weakened regular section from the other. Both of these sections have been split into teams of about three men each. Adding a conscript ATR team and a green LMG to this formation will hopefully make it appear very much like a full-strength platoon, and I am going to advance it carefully in a frontal approach on the flag. It is taking along a single subordinate Sherman as heavy support, and the whole getup comprise Task Force A. In fact, the Sherman is the major force in TFA, so it would be more accurate to say that the accompanying infantry are intended to support the tank in a general nuisance and distraction role. I will explain the Sherman’s role in more detail next turn, when it has moved and it is easier to describe.

My two proper Pioneer Platoons (each weakened by a single small section), are going to move up towards the hillcrest, and then hook to the left to attack the flag area from the centre of the map, with their base of fire falling at Position 1. They are supported by three Maxim MMGs divided between Positions 1 and 2, an 82mm mortar and an ATR team which the game ‘promoted’ to green for me. These forces comprise Task Force B.

My MG Carrier-mounted ZIS-2 is hanging back pending information on where best to set it up.

My final two Shermen and my IS-2 are staying well back pending information on where Mylgas’ infantry are and how best to hit them, hard, with HE.

The lesser of the two platoons in B is going to hang back in Position 3 when its counterpart hooks towards the flag. It will thus be able to double check that Mylgas isn’t mounting an effort from the far side of the map, before (hopefully), moving to support the better platoon's assault on the flag. If Mylgas does attack from my right though, I am in trouble. My infantry forces are small enough, and the terrain well-covered enough, that an infantry-heavy force taking the longest possible approach to the flag, from my far right flank, could easily ‘corral’ them into a small ‘kessel’ type area and then crush them with fire superiority. My strategy if an attempt of this sort is spotted will be to use my two backup Shermen and, if necessary, my IS-2 to help blunt Mylgas’ advance with concentrated HE and MG fire, and hope no sharp-ended panzers are on the prowl.

Overall strategy:

1. Gain as much information on Mylgas’ forces and axis of advance as possible, as quickly as possible and on the way to the flag via my pre-determined route.

2. React to this information once, aggressively if possible, and seek to seize and maintain the initiative from that point onwards.

3. Hope my tanks carry enough HE weight to destroy at least a platoon of infantry, thus evening out the odds a little bit.

Could a moderator perhaps remove my previous post, please? I can't any more.

[Tux]

Turn 1

Right, well absolutely sod all to note at the moment I'm afeared. At least it gives me a chance to mention something which I inexplicably neglected last time; the weather!

Above we see Task Forces A and B respectively setting out into the heart of the map. As you can see, it is foggy, rainy and wet. This punished me slightly for not having bought T-34s rather than Shermen, and was a factor in persuading me to limit my vehicles to paved surfaces only wherever possible.

[Sergei]

Rain and fog... ah, the atmosphere! For some reason winter battles don't feel cold, but when it's raining then I immediately feel cold and wet and will need either tea or whiskey to survive. The latter option is more enjoyable, but may have an adverse effect on tactics...

It's a bit of a waste that the big map has only one flag, and so close to south edge. But at least it will keep the fight together... maybe.

[Flying Column]

Quick Question if you don't mind!

With all the buildings, are you slightly worried about being outflanked and not knowing about it till its far too late?

[Tux]

Fire away mate - the more questions the merrier!

I am worried about it, yes. That's why a platoon of men are going to 'hover' near Position 3 in the map above for a few turns - I want them to notice anything that might be going on on my far right. Also, my AFVs are all being held back as a reserve force at the moment, so I'm not quite throwing all of my eggs into one basket.

Basically, I decided that I didn't have enough infantry to properly sweep the entire map and secure my flank. That means I have to do what I can by keeping a good lookout and maintaining a mobile reserve to help fend off attacks from awkward directions.

I can also hope that Mylgas has little more than a Company of men to command. If he attacks my right flank with a single platoon, my rear guard and AFVs should be sufficient to blunt it. If he attacks from my right with a much heavier force, I will know that he can't have many units on the flag, and so I will be able to try and stage a fighting 'withdrawal' from the centre of the map towards the flag, which I can them camp on and defend.

Of course, none of these plans will hold up long once I encounter the enemy - first rule of warfare don't you know?

[Heinrich505]

Tux,

Is this battle being fought in the Pacific Northwest? I thought you said it was Russia somewhere, but with all the rain and fog, it must be somewhere near to Seattle, Washington, or maybe near the Oregon coast. Say what you will, but I know better. On the close-up of one of the Sherman tanks I saw....MOSS! That is a sure sign that it is in the area west of the Cascades. The little town on your map kind of looks like....Enumclaw, just east of Tacoma. This has to be Washington State. Watch out in the forest areas, as rumor has it the SS have been experimenting with squads of Big Foot Sasquatch creatures, that have been bred to feed on Russians.......muhahaha....sorry, all this rain is rotting my brain out here in the Pacific Northwest.

Yeah, I'd flank out to the right just for overwatch too. Just be careful you don't bog your armor, as they sink fast in moss....er, soggy ground. For this weather, I agree; T-34s would have been a better choice.

Heinrich505

[Tux]

Hi all. Turns 2 and 3 have been played, but nothing has happened yet. It's a huge map, and so my units are all about 3/4 of the way towards the tips of the arrows you see on the maps above. No contact has been made, my Sherman hasn't bogged, nothing!

One thing I could mention: If you look at the map with all the blue arrows on it, there is a large church below and to the right of Position 1. Just below that church is a small patch of scattered trees. Over the last turn or two I have reversed my carrier/ ATG combo to a point nearby this patch of trees. The gun is ready to unhitch and push into cover should any of Mylgas' armour turn up on the far left of the map. It will be pushed the final stretch of the way to avoid blowing its cover by using a vehicle.

As soon as anything else develops I'll get back to you - hopefully this evening.

[John Kettler]

Tux,

The M4A3 has a 76.2mmm gun, not a 75mm. And yes, it does outperform the the T-34's ZIS-3, thanks, ISTR, to better quality ammunition. Such tanks were found only in Guards units. HSU Dmitry Loza commanded such a guards tank unit and wrote COMMANDING THE RED ARMY's SHERMAN TANKs. Here's a link to an overview of his experiences.

http://www.library.by/portalus/modules/warcraft/special/remember.ru/tankers/loza/loza1.html

Regards,

John Kettler

[Tux]

You’re right, John. MY Shermans are, in fact, M4A2s. My mistake.

Turn 5

Contact is made! My advancing feint on the left flank spies a lone German infantryman sauntering through the fog towards the flag. Even as Task Force B's Sherman spits MG-fire in his direction another Landser is spotted... and another... and another! What looks like at least a full platoon, with supporting units to the rear, is a few metres away from occupying the flag and setting up to defend the dense nearby trees:

None of this surprises or disturbs me - ideally Mylgas will have his entire force on this flank for me to try and crush. It does mean that I might have to hurry up a bit though. In a few minutes he could have LOS to my rear left flank, the emptiness of which might convince him that I'm trying something ridiculous like a flanking attack from the central hilltop...

With this in mind, my orders for Turn 6 involve ushering TFA along and preparing to launch my flank attack within the next five or so minutes. It is all about balancing haste with maintaining secrecy: Take too long and Mylgas will guess what is happening. Take an ill-advised shortcut and his men will spot my Task Force moving into position and have time to reposition to face the threat.

I also decide to scoot the infantry component of TFB as far around to the left as they will go. Not only will this maximise the angular difference between their 'axis of attack' and TFA's, but it will help maintain the physical separation between forces which is probably the only thing preventing Mylgas from figuring out the size and composition of TFB up to this point.

[Tux]

Turn 6

Thirty seconds in and swirling fog is preventing my Sherman from effectively engaging Mylgas’ infantry. This is bad – he now knows where and what my tank is without it having hurt him. I don’t like giving out free info like that. This thought has barely entered my head before a burst of MG fire rings out and my central MMG team throw themselves to the dirt.

Now he has had his awareness drawn, if not all the way around to the direction of TFA, then far enough away from TFB to make him think more than I want him to. I now have to assume that it is only a matter of time before Mylgas becomes fully aware of my plans and moves to counter them.

The rest of the minute passes quietly, until the final seconds of the turn. TFB’s green LMG scout is suddenly halted under a withering burst of vehicle-mounted MG fire. From the sound of it at least three mounted-MGs are firing, meaning at least two vehicles…

I haven’t yet reacted to the tank sound contact. It is too imperfect a contact to do anything about in the orders for Turn 7, and so I content myself with moving men from TFB forward to gain better LOS towards Mylgas’ advancing infantry and vehicles.

[Tux]

Turn 7

The relative quiet of the battle so far is interrupted conclusively within seconds of Turn 7 beginning, as a hefty crash assaults the eardrums of TFB’s foremost men and forces their scout LMG to hit the dirt. It doesn’t take long for the men to take their best guess at what fired the shell and, if I was ever tempted to dismiss it as typical Allied over-estimation of German armour, the tone of the gun shot had already convinced me that they were correct:

The dreaded name spreads through the ranks like wildfire, and no sooner has TFB’s Company HQ been informed of the presence of a Tiger ahead of his force than a succession of Area Fired HE shells rout his green LMG point unit and send them crawling for cover. To make things worse the panicked men have time to spot and call attention to a significant number of German infantrymen crossing the road towards the right of TFB’s position:

Things get worse before they get better, and in the final seconds of the Turn my men spy a second Tiger inching forwards towards the edge of the map on my left side:

TFB can thank their lucky stars that they suffer no casualties to Mylgas’ Tiger’s Area Firing, but he has effectively driven men to a position from which they will now quickly ascertain the composition and size of my feinting force. Added to that, even though it is under no immediate threat, my supporting Sherman is now in danger of being squeezed between a Tiger to his left, a Tiger to his front, and (potentially) Panzerschreck/ Faust-wielding infantry to his right!

Unfortunately, my tank cannot now be withdrawn without exposing it to Tiger fire. It’s do or die... My plans for Turn 8 are thus as follows:

I’m thinking that I have to make Mylgas work hard to neutralise Task Force B. That means, first off, keeping my Sherman alive as long as possible. To do that I am considering moving it along the red arrow in the picture above. That will mean that, if Mylgas wants to hunt the tank down with his Tigers, he will have to either come dangerously close to my satchel-laden pioneers near the left-hand edge of the map or drift out towards the centre of the map. In order to cover the latter I am going to hurriedly re-attach my ZiS-2 to its MG Carrier transport and zip it around, along with TFA’s infantry units, nearby the end of the light blue arrow above. From here the gun will be able to ‘close the door’ on the two Tigers’ movements much further inside the map than they already are. In theory I would like to force Mylgas to ‘discover’ both my ATG and my IS-2 in the same turn (in the process hopefully losing at least one Tiger), but I do not yet know how best to manufacture this.

For now, I want to do what I can to retain some initiative. I am therefore going to rush my second subordinate Sherman to the tip of the dark blue arrow above. This position has been carefully chosen because it will, hopefully, allow Mylgas to spot my tank whilst making it look like I intended to keep it hidden. I want to create the illusion of a significant force moving up in the general area of the MMG he has already taken a pot shot at. I might then be able to ‘reassure’ him that, even if TFB is a very light force, the remainder of my units are not too far away and will be attacking along the main road. Anything to prevent him from suspecting TFA’s position and intentions, basically…

[Heinrich505]

Very interesting developments. I had to work the past few days, and didn't have any free time until now, to check back on the battle. So, "Tiger Fright" is alive and well on the eastern front.

It looks like Mylgas has either a strong assault section working its way towards the flag, just to the right of the tigers, or maybe a center column of three, with a group covering that flank just beyond. If that is the case, then your flanking move with the blue line may take a hit in their flank, if Mylgas has deliberately lagged a screening column along what looks like a fair bit of cover and buildings. Use care as you swing your forces into his along that axis. Fun developments. Fog of war....and....really fog on the battlefield.

Heinrich505

[Flying Column]

Problem is that he's got (or going to get) the flag.

Why go tank hunting with his Tigers when he really doesn't have to?

[Tux]

His Tigers can't do much from where they are. Mylgas might be content with maintaining them as a threat just behind his lines and defending the flag with his infantry only. I hope to be able to bring enough HE to bear to change his mind...