BFCElvis

I believe it's gone and been replaced by surrendering units, don't quote me on that though. I haven't seen it in a long time. Either way, in this case the 3 represent the surrendered units. I'll double check the routing for you.

The missing men are the surrendered men.

1541 hrs End game Well, here you have it. At first I was surprised by the score because I had assumed that I had the game completely sealed up. Taking the very valuable Villa and both exit locations would allow a clear passage for all troops following this battle. You can see in this screen shot that we both took heavy casualties. I had 59% casualty rate and Jon had 62%. That should give you a pretty good idea of how beat up we were by the time the battle was over. Also, take a peek at the MIA men. 3 per side. While playing it probably seemed like I has a lot more than 3 men completely surrendered but I did manage to prevent most of them from dropping their guns. Two of the three men surrendered along the cart path and the third was from a tank crew on Hill 154. All surrendering men on Hill 144 were rescued. (larger image) All of my major objectives were taken (although there was a glitch that we are aware of that didn’t award me the 150 points for the rear exit zones). (larger image) But, here is where the meat of the true strategic value of the battlefield can be seen. It was critical that the Germans hold the high ground. This would make any advances of follow through forces very difficult and would really need for there to be a whole new fight for the hills . (larger image) Here you can see that I inflicted acceptable damage to key German forces but not enough to really boost the point total. (larger image) Jon on the other hand was much more successful in eliminating the key forces. I should probably go back and check but I think some of the units he got points for here were in my final probing on Hill 144. If I hadn’t made that move perhaps it would have a nicked a few points off his score. I haven’t had the heart to go back and double check it. (larger image) Jon played a fantastic game. He set up a defense with depth and flexibility. Without his quick action to intercept my forces on Hill 154 this may have gone very differently. On both major hills he constantly harassed my men resulting in poor morale of the in game soldiers and fear of a larger force on my part. Great game, Jon. Well played. Thank you!

Past the 100,00 view mark! Wow. Thanks guys for staying with us while we did this. Wow.

Did you forget this shots already?

Yes, I do have some kill stat screen shots on the way. The condition of the units has a lot to do with the surrendering. The only ones that really surprised me were the ones on Hill 144. Then I went and looked at their condition and they were a mess. If I remember correctly they had only lost 1 man but their physical condition was exhausted, they were out of C2 and their morale was paniced. That is a recipe for arms up when a unit finds itself point blank with the enemy. When I post the final AAR screen you may be surprised at the number of men who actually did surrender.

I was more thinking Q from Star Trek but that's just the geek in me

Tube Guy is everywhere and no where at the same time.

Yeah, I figure I have 2 more "official" posts for mine.

I'm not sure how to turn it off. Perhaps someone will make a mod of a blank space up there. I actually like the compass a lot. I had some problems using the CMSF and was really happy when I started to use this one.

Yes,it does. The next posting will be the AAR screenshot(s) for the battle with all the results.

No, there are not an optional different compass alignments.

Oh Hill 144 I am briefly attacked by 2 Germans. I begin to think that maybe Jon doesn’t have as many men in those woods as I had thought he did. I decide to commit my healthier troops to probe the woods. Maybe I’ll get lucky and meet light resistance and steal the victory location I had previously written off. Wrong 'em boyo. It turns out to be just another chance to send perfectly healthy men into a meat grinder. I think I lose 8 men. 8 more men joining the choir invisible. Enough. There will be no more advances on either hill. Full size More infantry and a Sherman heading South to take that victory location. The Sherman patrolling the woods in the Villa spot a kubelwagon and knock it out. That is the last sign on any Germans on the way to the final victory location. Full size The units moving West arrive. The Sherman exits while the foot soldiers arrive. Full size To the South the Sherman arrives and begins its exit. Full size Here is an overhead shot of the final disposition of my troops. After the initial setback on Hill 154 I have made the greatest comeback since Lazurus. Pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. If want to make an omelet you’ve got to break some eggs. (I am running out of clichés so I’ll stop) Full size

1533 hrs As I finish completely wrapping up the main building complex of the Villa my Poineers breach another wall. After this I have no doubt that the Villa is secure. Full size I order one of the 3 mobile Shermans, along with some infantry, to head West to the exit location at the end of the road. Full size I also send some men to accompany a Sherman South to the victory location at the end of the road there. Full size Here is a view from the location where I set up for my initial assault on Hill 154. It seems like a lifetime ago. You can see the surviving units clinging to the edge of the woods. I’m holding onto as much of the victory location as I can. Full size The trip West is almost completely uneventful. I had no idea what type of resistance I would run into while going to these final objectives. So far it appears he has committed no forces to defending these rear areas. From somewhere a single shot is fired and down goes another soldier. Just when I thought the bloodshed might be over. Full size

I advance troops deeper in to the Villa, easily taking every building on the Western side. Feeling the path is secure I bring a M4A3(75)W to support the attack on the center complex. Full size It looks like the Sherman is the one who can make short work of the situation there. As it enter it fires at the guys who killed my Pioneer. As they as silenced a MG crew appears in a building connecting the other 2. Two more dead Germans and another throwing up his arms. The center complex is now completely under my control. Full size Full size The last part of the Villa complex is a patch of heavy woods in the rear. My infantry along with The Miracle Sherman begin searching the area for any threats. The woods are very think and some of my units will devote the remainder of the battle making sure there is no one hiding. Full size It looks as though the entire Villa has been secured. All Germans have been eliminated. Because of the condition of my infantry on Hills 144 and 154 I plan to have them remain in place….Neither controlling or allowing German control of the hills. I begin my advance to the rear road victory locations. I have seen Germans running to the rear but, as I said before, I don’t know if they were fleeing or taking up positions to protect the road. Without taking either hill I have to take those 2 locations as insurance to seal the victory. Full size

1531 hrs Tube Guy puts some distance between himself and the Pioneers by the wall. Full size The Pioneer squad successfully blows a whole through the wall into the building in a Villa complex. I doubt anyone inside saw this coming. Full size As the squad enters the building there is bedlam. A least 2 German units are in there in room. One man escapes, 3 other Germans become casualties and one drops his weapon. Gunfire erupts from a adjacent building and I lose one of the Pioneers. Full size On the Western edge of the Villa I begin to take MG fire from Hill 144. I had moved one of my Shermans forward and they are in perfect position to deal with the new threat. Full size This is why having unchecked armor was so critical to me. I never heard from that team again. Full size

Sorry for the delay. I hope to have something up today.

I'd love to have you. Especially such an obvious Eagles fan.

Steve is somewhere in Maine. Moon and Charles are also in New England. But I was joking about corporate HQ.

Enjoyed? It ain't over yet!

(I don't think I'm speaking out of school by saying this) The plan right now is that after the battle and final AARs are posted there will be a new thread dedicated to discussing what went on during the battle. A quick point about the comment you had regarding quartermaster units. All units in CM:BN are combat units. No rear echelon units are in the TO&E. You could make a case that tank crews and jeep/truck drivers are gamey to use as infantry (I never did mention that was back when I first got to Hill 144 I used a jeep driver for recon on the hill) in combat and I would probably agree. But MG teams and ammo bearers are combat units. The ammo bearer teams are made up of 4 men each with an M1 Garand. Certainly not front line troops and not what you really want to have lead your assaults but if the man has a rifle I'm going to use him if I have to.

Hi User38. I believe you are 100% correct. If this had been a real battle it would have been broken of after my initial failed attempt to take Hill 154. In real life I'd probably be pulled off the lines and court marshaled. The fact that you are rooting for side (even if it isn't mine) is fantastic. The feedback from these AARs has been great and it is cool to hear people are involved enough with what we are presenting that they are taking sides. I have never been particularly good at force preservation (from my old Squad Leader days through today...30+ years of wasting soldiers lives on virtual battlefields). Many of the CMSF battles have strict force preservation conditions and I struggle with them. I justify these things while playing by adding to the narrative this quote: "You must take these objectives at all cost". It helps me sleep at night.

I have been firing 75mm round from the Sherman on Hill 144 at any building in it’s LOS. The Sherman has become immobile from what appeared to be a grenade attack made by ghosts (I never saw them…just the explosion). It doesn’t worry me too much because he is starting to run out of HE and is in a great position. I don’t feel like I need to move him. In the Villa I do some German movement that is unmistakably taking up position in preparation of my arrival. I may also have flushed them out of buildings they had set up but they were no longer interested in my constant area fire. Full size Here is a long shot of the buildings they are running into. Since I have found no other traces of Germans in the Villa I figure this is where Jon is setting up his defense of the Villa. Full size With armor support I am now free to take up position around the patch of woods that is one of the components of the Villa complex victory location. I set the Sherman behind a wall along with 2 MG teams and begin to send GIs over the wall. Right now most of my attacking forces are made up of MGs, ammo bearers and HQ units. Most of these have been untouched by battle, are still in C2 and have guns. Full size The area I suspect Jon is making his last stance is a small complex of buildings behind a high wall. He is probably expecting me to come through the opening along the road but I have other plans. Among the group of banged up troops coming into the Villa from Hill 144 are what is left of 2 Pioneer squads and their HQ (7 men total). They take up position against the high wall along a building in the complex. There is more than one way into that complex….. Full size

1527 hrs So, as expected, my Sherman on Hill 154 got what they deserved making another effort to take out that AT gun. Or did they? Surely they were hit by a panzerfaust but my choice of the words at the end of my last update were intentional. “The crews quickly abandons the tank and hides in the tall grass……………” That’s right, the Sherman has not been knocked out but only abandoned by the crew. You can’t imagine my relief when I saw this. I am thankful that it happened in the tall wheat and am holding my breath that Jon will think it has been knocked out and won’t try too hard to go after the crew. After the way he eliminated the last crew to bail in that area I have decided on trying to get an insurance policy. Back by the knocked out Sherman patch there is a tank crew at the edge of the woods. I am going to send my 2 ½ tom truck over to grab them and bring them to the abandoned Sherman. I have never tried to mount an abandoned vehicle with a crew that wasn’t its own before. I don’t even know if it will work and I hope I won’t have to find out. Full size I get beyond lucky. Not only does the crew survive but when I order them back into the Sherman they immediately begin to climb back in. Plus when the first 3 guys get in, even before the last 2 men remount, the Shermans spots and then the TacAI fires at the foxhole. It’s then that I see they Sherman is only firing at the crew of what looks to be a knocked out AT. All this risk and the gun wasn’t even functional anymore!!! Mixed feelings. But happiness is the predominant feeling because now I know that my 4 Shermans give me mobile superiority on the map. Full size I bring my 4th Sherman up to the Villa to assist in supporting my advancing infantry. 3rd Squad/3rd Plt/ G Co is even back in action and advancing on the Villa. Full size On both hills hit and run exchanges continue. The Germans advance to contact and engage my units and then pull back. Sometimes I get some of them and sometimes they get some of mine. Full size I am starting to see Germans run to the rear of the map. I’m not able to tell if they are routing to taking up positions in the rear. But I am happy they aren’t in the Villa because that is where my focus is now. Full size

At that time I don’t either one of them had a song longer than 2 1/2 minutes long