Bud Backer

I find your own force analysis very interesting, Combatintman. I don't recall every considering before a battle starts the experience and other factors of my individual units. Sure I'll buy a few individual units with higher experience because I intent to use them for some particular task, but you've gone and looked a each unit in detail and used that information to make choices. That makes perfect sense. How easy it is to look at what we do as "it's just a game" but in reality a real commander would need to consider all the things you mentioned. Of course I consider what forces to purchase and how I want to use them before I even buy them or deploy them, but you've taken it a level beyond that and it's something I will want to try to consider in the future.

I was thinking the same thing...he might have a field day dropping a load of arty on those woods. The smoke you mentioned didn't even last the full minute in which they landed. I was surprised by that. Another thing that concerns me is if in the trees behind the place where I saw that contact (what you suggest could be a spotter) there may be enemy ATG or worse, armour.

Minute 40-39 Part Three: The last things I want to point out before the "real" fight begins and I start advancing into KT 1: At the end of the turn, the remaining BA-64B once again shows it has eyes like a hawk wearing a laser rangefinder and thermal vision goggles.... RU067 As we follow the road toward the row of buildings behind KT 1, we see...a dude with a rifle running from west to east. Reinforcements for KT 1? Is my enemy moving units because of the loss of his squad in the woods? I wonder... RU068 I just wish I had that armoured car's crew in CMBS when playing the Russians. All my spotting problems would be solved! Anyway... The Soviets chose the 122mm gun for the IS-2 over the better-performing 100mm they had (and later used on the SU-100) because of the considerable HE capability of the 122. The 100 had better ballistic performance, but the 122 was judged to be adequate to defeat the German heavy tanks yet it was also a potent piece of field artillery - and fairly mobile at that. The slow loading (I'll be happy if I get off three and more likely two shots a minute) is one disadvantage, the other is the low ammo loadout (18 HE, 10 AP). You can see what the Soviets prioritized by the proportions of the two. I'm counting on the fact that what I hit will be seriously hurt, and plan to keep these beasties at a distance, so they can take their time. So aside from the questions in my opponent's head I hope the IS-2 on AOA 1 in the west raises, I think it will be handy in blasting enemy targets on KT 1 from a safe distance. The soonest I can land the second half of my Rocket artillery is 9 minutes, so I am counting on my tanks for HE support in a big way. Here you can see the IS-2 has reached the western end of the deploy area and will now climb the ridge to join 3/3 squad and the all-seeing armoured car. RU069

Minute 40-39 Part Two: The barrage takes about 20 seconds from start to finish. While it is generally concentrated on KT 1 as I wanted, some outliers are really far away from the target, reaching the ridge line that hides my deploy area, one landing perilously close to my FOO, some in the trees where 1st platoon is, and a fair bit of it just north of the woods where 2/1 and 3/1 squads are waiting. Luckily, the only thing that happens to my forces is 1 bar suppression for some units, and 1st platoon CO, as well as both elements of 1st squad, drop to the ground seeking cover. RU063 In terms of results on my enemy, the situation is a bit murky. As mentioned before, the houses look unscathed. I don't have eyes on the entire KT 1 area so I don't see bodies, if there are any. But 1A/1 section spots a running HMG gunner behind the houses. RU064 Before he disappears from view and just becomes a contact one can see him running away from the area that the HMG that my armoured car spotted earlier was in. RU065 Zooming in high magnification can have a distance-distorting effect, so here is a more overhead shot. RU066

Minute 40-39 Part One: The armoured car doesn’t have an exceptional crew. Sure, they’re fairly high-spirited but leadership seems below par with most of my force - which is to say, truly uninspired. However, one thing the crew of that little BA-64B have in spades is 20/20 vision! For the third time this battle, the armoured car spots something no one else can see: an infantry contact - perhaps the HMG that fired on 3/3 squad as it crossed the road? RU060 It’s forgivable that moments later, they are distracted by the sight of the massive rocket barrage landing on…er…near…well just about everywhere close to the designated linear target! Looking at it at ground level I admit it's a bit more impressive. Perhaps I should not judge the effectiveness purely on what I saw in a distant overhead view. RU061 Meanwhile, at the eastern edge of the map on AOA 2, I'm getting 1st platoon ready to move into KT 1. I'm splitting 1st and 2nd squads into their component sections for overwatch movement; 3rd squad, that took three casualties, I’m not going to split to avoid having one section of only two men. I’m also shifting my tanks to the edge of the woods to be able to provide cover fire for my infantry. It’s a bit tricky to maneuver them as the trees are quite dense, there is a gully running in the middle of the woods that makes LOS even more complicated. RU062

I didn't give it a long duration, Tux, so I didn't cancel it, I think it actually is over. The FOO is able to give new orders, and doesn't have to cancel existing ones so I guess it means it's really done. I'm impressed with one thing: that it fired 194 rockets in one salvo. Wow! That seems like an incredible amount! Good tip for future battles though; I will always pay attention to rocket artillery to see if they are reloading and continuing, or if they are actually done. Would hate to get plastered by my own rockets! Thanks for posting!

You know, when people were saying I needed to even pull back my FOO I was surprised, given that he is nowhere near KT 1. It seemed incredible that there would be that much scatter. But as I watched the rockets land, and saw them going all over the place I got a bit worried I'd lose 1st platoon, maybe a tank, and heaven knows what else! Thanks for commenting; I'm really glad you are enjoying the AAR!

After your stellar work showing radios & C2, Spotting & C2, XOs & C2, I would be flabbergasted if you didn't make C2 a priority.

Is there anywhere you can hide slightly behind the objective and maybe take out a tank or some infantry as the enter it? Near your #1 above there seems to be a hedgerow? I'll admit by this point I'd be as desperate as you...

I believe you're misunderstanding him. He told me in another conversation that I really needed to keep my men in C2 to assist with the rallying. What I understood he was referring to in the quote you posted above was that units out of C2 and having superiors with bad leadership modifiers will make the rallying more difficult, and take longer.

Sounds like an exciting turn! I can hardly wait to see!

Good catch! Yes, the rockets plastered not just the line I gave them but to both sides of it quite extensively. Recommendations by people reading the AAR to keep well back was good advice!

This is great! Why? Because that is exactly what happens. Half the 394 rockets go this first round - and pummel a fairly large (actually larger than I intended) area of the farmhouses, the woods behind them, the open field, the field behind the woods behind the farmhouse, even going so far west as to hit the trees of KT 2. So I did what you suggest - I have half the arty left for more fun later.

Interesting. I guess we shall see just how much a mess they made as we go forward. Thanks for the advice about how to maneuver my units in over watch.

Ken, you just made my day!

I hope I cause some damage, but looking at the visuals my first impressions are that this can't have been all that bad for my enemy. I don't know if this is how it normally looks, because it's my first use of rocket artillery, but my thoughts observing this were: -not very big explosions. -tiny craters -wildly scattered (yes, you folks warned me!) -didn't knock down or even visibly damage wooden houses. Just how effective is this stuff? That was 192 rockets and I feel like I used birdshot for all I can see!

Ah, ok, now I get what you're both saying. Thanks for the clarification! I suppose by having a lateral offset I also increase the amount of territory scouted, which is an obvious benefit to this method as well. Thanks!

Well, there's something I have very limited experience with: mines and detecting them. I like how you did that, is that a common technique? I don't recall reading it in any other AARs. You've been very fortunate that your opponent didn't try to make your crossing more difficult. I wonder if he worried about artillery barrages at such an obviously location?

Minute 41-40: Part Three As the approaching rockets can be heard in the distance, that sole surviving armoured car in the west spots another HMG. Not the one that fired on 3/3 squad; this HMG is more east toward AOA 2 RU057 The IS-2 is speeding West, covered by the ridgeline. It will be another 2 min before it is revealed to the enemy. RU058 And then it begins… RU059

Minute 41-40: Part Two My squads at the north end of the woods get a contact in the gully that runs from the Eastern edge of the map toward the woods behind the farmhouses. For a moment I worry I made a big mistake going up this way. AOA 1 seems so….clear. Empty. RU054 Once the T34 and its riders dismount, I have all of 1st Platoon just on the edge of Key Terrain 1. The platoon’s leader is with them, and they are only short 3 men in 3rd squad. I will move them to the edge of the woods to await the bombardment. RU055 I’m pushing them forward in the woods quite far because even 20m inside, one can’t see a damned thing! RU056

Minute 41-40: Part One The point of this exercise was to see what is in KT2. The fact that there is nothing at all shooting at the men on AOA 1 leads me to believe there might be nothing holding the western woods. AOA 1 may be, as IanL suggested, the easier course. This means that my enemy is concentrating his defence heavily on AOA 2, which is, after all, the more obvious approach. It’s time to give him something to worry about. The trees that form the Western Wood and that are part of Key Terrain 2 form a natural flank cover to any vehicles moving along the road. They are not deep but it's difficult to shoot at anything from the German lines in the village through the the woods to the road. You can see that with trees removed this looks very exposed to flanking fire from the town, but it’s actually not. The screenshots below show the least covered area, and most places it’s even worse for the Germans trying to hit my units near the road. RU051 This means that if I bring armour to the road I can bring concentrated fire on the farmhouses and Key Terrain 1 from both Avenues of Approach. I have a masked approach where my opponent will only see my tanks when they are already on the road and in position. RU052 Seeing as nothing has fired on the scout car on the road at AOA 1 I am beginning to suspect that he has no AT long-range on KT1. This works to my advantage. One IS-2 is ordered West, and goes along behind ridge line to AOA 1 now that it's clear of panzerfausts to join the armoured car and 3/3 squad. I want my opponent to see the tank cross the road (at a distance where I know it will be untouchable with its heavy armour) and for him to worry what a heavy tank is doing there. Plus it lets me fire on the farmhouses without exposing myself on the ridge at the base of the Field of Death to unseen ATGs or panzers. If I can, I'll totally avoid the big field in the center anyway. At the same time I order a second T34/85, carrying 1/1 squad and 1 platoon HQ to go into the woods along AOA 2 to join the rest of the platoon and the other T34. RU053

I'm not quite sure I follow what you're meaning. I am advancing them in turns. One team is stopped, watching and ready to shoot, and the other team passes forward and stops. Then the watchers repeat that, each one alternating. What am I misunderstanding?

Ken, you flatter me. I'm nowhere near as ruthless with my men as you are with yours. You set the bar for friendly force expendability, par excellence! Great advice on the bounding overwatch procedures. I guess Quick is less tiring than Hunt; yet another thing I didn't know. Glad you agree with my analysis. I wonder if my opponent changed the weapon settings on the turn after his HMG fired on 3/3 squad. I'm going to let the rocket barrage land first, and see what that shakes loose. Given the pack-up time for the HMG, I also doubt he'll be pulling it away. And don't worry, I'm not worrying about your comments being critical. That's just the nature of an AAR - I know I'm doing tons of things that could be improved at best, or are downright crazy at worst!

I'm tempted to do what you say and roll a T34 within range of the houses, but I want to make a bit more certain that there isn't a horde of panzerfausts scattered about the area. In any event, with rocket artillery coming down I'm not going to advance just yet. I learned the same thing from Bil, the less I show the better. My friend/opponent has always been someone who liked to hide his intentions and surprise me, often to good effect. I'm curious what his ace in the hole would be in this battle.

Lovely screenshots, Rocketman! Interesting back story too.