BigDork Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 SETUP The Americans continue to expand from their bridgehead at Normandy and must be stopped. A group of Yanks has taken refuge in and around a farmhouse surrounded by bogace. It's my task to counterattack the Americans and push them back towards the sea. I have the following forces at my disposal: - 1st Battalion Panzergrenadier -A Company Panzergrenadier -- XO -- 1x panzerschreck team* -- 1x forward observer w/ 120mm mortar battery* -- 3x rifle platoon -- 1x heavy weapons platoon --- 2x MG42 team w/ ammo bearer --- 2x 81mm mortar team w/ ammo bearer & truck --- 2x 81mm mortar team* --- 2x MG42 team - B Company Panzergrenadier -- 1x rifle platoon -- 1x LMG42 team* - 1x Panzer IV * Indicates attached unit On my left flank I have set up my mortars in the back of the map out of sight of the enemy. 1st platoon of B company along with the attached LMG will support my far left with 1st platoon of A company along with two MG42s will take the left center. The Panzer IV is going to sit tight until I can locate the Americans and find a safe place to set the tank up. These bocages are a horribly dangerous place for armored vehicles. 2nd and 3rd platoon of A company along with the rest of the support units are on my right flank. This is going to be a nasty fight. It is going to be very difficult to drive the Americans from behind the hedgerows. My plan is to move forward slowly and as I am engaged I will call in mortars to blast apart Penry's forces. I'm going to use the 81s unless I'm sure I found his main defenses. When that happens I'll call in the big stuff. My main push is going to be up the right which I'm sure Penry will be expecting. It's the better of the approaches. To hopefully relieve some pressure I will feign left at first and make him think that's where I'm committing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 TURN 1 - 3 Contact is made seconds into the battle. As 1st squad of 1st platoon, A company rushes forward around a hedgerow to the next field they spot a M5 Stuart sitting on the main road. I had a hunch Penry would have something waiting for me on the road and because of that not only had I not positioned my tank on the road but I had only ordered the lone squad to initially make the dash. Thankfully the Stuart does not fire on my men and the arrive safely in the next field. On my right flank 2nd and 3rd platoon rush forward across the cross road into the field. From there they will split up and start their push forward towards contact. 2nd platoon takes the lead and moves forward to take up position behind a bocage. I have ordered the two MG42s to move forward and take up position as well. The blue lines indicate where I anticipate American forces to be at. I have ordered my XO unit to scout right and a scout team from 3rd platoon to scout left. I want to find the Americans so I can start blasting away at them. 1st platoon, B company is pushing forward as well to an initial observation position. I have dispatched 1st squad to move left scouting. The blue line indicates where I think Penry has put his forces. The big red dot is the M5 Stuart. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sburke Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 LOL couldn't wait for Tiresias to get back? Whatever the reason, glad to see another AAR. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Partially it was the absence I felt with Tiresias gallivanting around Scandinavia. I've been wanting to start up a game with Penry for a while now and had enough free time to balance a second game. I always enjoy doing AARs of my game so everyone gets to enjoy or ignore my story. Due to some feedback I'm gonna start lightening up my screenshots a bit. The dawn light is a bit on the dark side. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Very cool, two AARs at once. Is Penry going to start a thread form his side of this one? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Unfortunately no. He's busy right now so it'll be one-sided. Hopefully at the end of the battle he can pop in and say a bit about it though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinrich505 Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 BD, Always enjoy these. Thanks for starting up yet another. Heinrich505 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 TURN 4-8 8 turns down and I've still only seen the Stuart at the beginning of the battle. I'm slowly moving forward but things are painfully quiet. I think I'd rather prefer some shooting to this tension. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 TURN 9 Contact is finally made and our first encounter ends very poorly for me. I lose all but the LMG gunner from 3rd squad on my left flank. They were moving up, hiding along the hedgerow but unfortunately the Americans were in front of them and they had zero cover. It was a massacre. Terrible and unforgivable on my part. I should never have sent the full squad up like that. Here you can see the Americans and just how easily I set them up to annihilate 3rd squad. The rest of the platoon is back behind the next line of bocage and they do start to return fire but there is little that can be done now to save my fallen infantrymen. Now it's time for revenge. Here is a view of where my men are at the end of 9 minutes of battle. On the left flank you can see where the Americans are. 2nd squad is moving further left to join 1st squad and the LMG team in firing on the Americans. I have ordered my HQ unit to call in some 81mm mortars on the hedgerow where Penry has his men but it is 6 minutes out. On my right flank, the big yellow dot is an American infantry team I spotted and have begun to fire on. Thankfully I spotted them before they had a chance to fire on me. Even more luckily, they have a bazooka so taking out this team will mean one less anti-tank asset at Penry's disposal. My plan is to use 2nd platoon as overwatch on the bocage in front of them while 3rd platoon hooks around right to apply some pressure. The purple arrow in the center is a scout team I'm moving forward to take a look across the big field towards the farm house. I'm hoping to spot some sort of activity though I'm doubtful I will. I'm debating moving the FO over and calling in the 120mm mortars on the house. I would say it is a safe bet that Penry has some guys in and around the objective. I think I'm going to hold off for now though since I'd rather time the big barrage to an attack. Right now I'm still just trying to feel out where the Americans are so I can start calling in the mortars. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 If anyone is interested, Penry is posting his side of the AAR here - BigDork vs Penry - Allied Resistance 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 TURN 10-12 My left flank is in a stalemate which is actually okay by me. I wanted to have Penry at least question if I am committing an attack there. So my initial push there (even if it cost me a squad) and the continued trading of gunfire between the two sides should help convince him. To further convince him I've ordered my Panzer IV over to provide some assistance. In order to get to the left flank my tank had to cross the road which had the Stuart providing overwatch last time I saw it. I figured rushing across the road as only a slight risk. I don't know for sure but I suspect that the 37mm gun of the Stuart would be able to pierce the side armor of my Panzer IV. However my tank would only be exposed for 2 or 3 seconds, barely any time for the American tankers to react. In the end there was no problems crossing the road and my tank was free to continue on to support 1st platoon on the left. With the tank present to provide some heavy support I've called off the 81mm mortar barrage that was still 4 minutes out. I have a feeling Penry will be temporarily pulling his guys out or at least sending them to ground while the HE is flying. On my right flank I'm actually having some success at spotting Americans before they shoot my men up. In the center my scout team spots an American infantry team observing a field next to the crossroads. A few bursts of gunfire takes one American out and has the other spotted infantryman hitting the ground. These Yanks have no easy means of escape and should be neutralized in another minute or two. I'm slowly pushing forward on the right but I am cautious to reveal too soon that is where I'm actually focusing my forces. For now I've got most of the hidden from observation behind hedgerows. I managed to spot a MMG near the farm house and have called in a mortar strike on their position. It is 5 minutes out so I'm hoping that they will still be there when the 81mm HE starts dropping. There's still a long way to go in this battle and I have to fight my natural inclination to rush forward. I need to be patient and let things play out. Otherwise I'll end up with another squad wiped out in a matter of moments for little gain. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 huh - I recognise that map 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 TURN 13 As soon as my Panzer comes to a halt a small explosion goes off just behind my tank. I didn't hear the sound of a bazooka being fired and if it was from a 'zook it was a pretty long range shot. There is the possibility it could also have been a spotting round from an incoming American barrage. For the time being my men and my tank are sitting tight but I'm ready to order everyone to safety if necessary. As 2nd squad, 1st platoon, A Co. engage the Americans at the crossroads they begin to spot more and more opposing infantry. It looks like I'm facing at least 2 squads and possibly an entire platoon. 2nd squad takes a single casualty while trading fire with the Americans and is pinned down but is getting off some bursts of gunfire when it can. I've ordered the rest of 1st platoon to start moving onto the road and will start to push forward. With the two MG42s and the entire platoon I should be able to overwhelm the Americans. 1st platoon, B Co. on my left flank should also be able to provide some fire from their position across the field. 2nd squad is having a bit of bad luck. Not only did the run into what is probably an entire American platoon as they scouted forward but they are also taking friendly fire! A spotting round from one of my mortar teams lands one hedgerow too close and explodes right above 2nd squad. Thankfully there are no casualties but the squad leader does take some superficial injuries. I make it a point to call off this barrage because not only are the rounds falling short but on my right flank my men are moving closer to where the rounds are supposed to be landing. This is a problem with having to wait 6 minutes for the strike to occur and me being too impatient to wait for it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 TURN 14 Near the end of the last minute another random explosion occurs on my left flank. This time it is behind one of my squads hidden behind a hedgerow. There is no possible way this is a long range bazooka shot so it has to be a spotting round for an incoming mortar barrage. While it looks to be a lower yield HE I'm not taking any chances and order my men to pull back temporarily. Things really start to heat up on the right flank. I had been slowly moving a scout team forward along the bocage looking for an American infantry team I had spotted a couple minutes before. What I found instead was at least an entire platoon! Suddenly 2nd platoon back in a semi-overwatch position started opening up on the Yanks across the field. At the same time my scout team started firing on American infantry taking cover in the open. After a few bursts of an MP40 two were dead and I'm sure the rest were wondering where they could run off to. Here's an overhead view of the battlefield after 14 minutes. The Stuart has pulled forward and I believe is about to try and engage 1st platoon who is vulnerable on the road. As much as I would love to engage the Americans who are also vulnerable on the road the platoon has no easy way of dealing with even the light American tank. To give Penry something to think about though I had my FO call in two 81mm mortar barrages where the Americans are hunkered down against the hedgerow. Also, since there is possibly an imminent American barrage on my left flank and I had pulled my Panzer IVH back anyway, I order it to swing around to the center. I'm going to hunt it forward towards the road and hope that I catch the Stuart in its side as it tries to engage 1st platoon who is no longer there. I have a ton of contacts on my right flank which leads me to believe that I discovered the bulk of Penry's forces. Since I spotted several units out in the open I have a hunch I caught him as he was trying to reposition is men somehow. Possibly moving forward in a couter-attack or something along those lines. I need to keep pressure up on his men here. If I can disrupt or break his forces that I've spotted then this battle really open up for me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 TURN 15 Knowing that the Stuart was coming I had ordered 1st platoon off the road. By the time Penry's tank turned the corner only 2nd squad was left out in the open. Good for the rest of 1st platoon, bad for 2nd squad. Spotting easy targets the Stuart opened up with it's MG and 37mm gun. My men were running as fast as they could but it wasn't fast enough. In a rush to get off the road they bunched up and in a single shot 2nd squad was finished. There are two surviving members who are broken, shocked, and useless to me. On my right flank, my most forward infantry team got tired of trading gunfire with some Yanks a few feet away and ended things with a couple potato mashers. In general things are going really well on my right flank at the moment. We are trading fire back and forth from our respective hedgerows but I really feel I have the advantage in fire power. I've taken one or two casualties, I know Penry has taken around 10 at least. I've still got a long way to go in this battle but that's a start. The first spotting round for a mortar strike I had called in a few minutes back on an American MMG arrives with surprising accuracy. Judging by where I last saw some Americans and where the shell landed I have a hunch there was at least one casualty. Hopefully one of many. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 What happened to your plan for the PzIV to catch the Stuart when it went after your men on the road? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 What happened to your plan for the PzIV to catch the Stuart when it went after your men on the road? The PzIV didn't get there in time. It was just too far away to get on the road and engage the Stuart before it could shoot up my guys. In the next minute my Panzer will be on the main road and that should seriously limit the Stuarts movement. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 TURN 16 Things continue to not really be going my way. Just as I'm getting ready to push forward on my right flank I spot Penry moving approximately a platoon of men across the crossroads towards the positions I just vacated due to the Stuart. This poses several issues for me... - The biggest is that I'm about to have a platoon of Americans potentially in my rear. I have ordered 1st platoon to take up position on the other side of the hedgerow from the road. What I missed initially and is potentially going to bite me in the ass is a gap in the bocage that would allow the Americans an easy path to get to my mortars. It's going to be another minute until I can do anything about it but I'm going to have to re-position my left flank to protect and also get the Panzer in a location where it can take out the Americans without being in too much danger of a bazooka round. - My FO is trapped on the road. I had left them on the side of the road keeping their heads down due to a couple mortar strikes they were calling in. Well the Americans are running right at them and if I order them to make a run for it they will get all shot up. So for now all I can do is wait and hope that they aren't spotted. I did re-adjust one of the missions in a lot closer to where I hope to bog the Americans down. - I was about to start pushing forward on the right flank. I feel like things are going well on this side and I need to start moving forward so I don't get bogged down. My men have been sitting too long and it's only a matter of time before Penry starts dropping something explosive on their heads. Now I need to give up that momentum though and look at the bigger threat of the incoming American platoon. I'm not in full blown panic mode yet. If I can stop this without too many casualties I think I can do some real damage to Penry. I just need to pay better attention to things and slow down. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 TURN 17 Penry surprises me this turn by suddenly pulling back approximately a platoon of infantry away from the hedgerow they'd been firing from for several minutes and sending them towards the farm house. My first thought was there was an incoming artillery strike but why would he pull back from his own position if that was the case? I'm thinking Penry has decided that it's just time to set up a new line of defense. He might have erred here though. I am still somewhat stalled and while I've been working on moving my men forward on the right flank it's been slow going as I haven't seen a real chance to push forward. With his men suddenly all pulling back it's given me a chance to move up and hopefully find a break in his line. I have ordered one of my platoons to rush forward on the extreme right and if they can make it safely to the next line of hedges I think I can get in behind Penry. On my left flank a couple more spotting rounds impact. I had just recently moved my men back up to the bocage here but they weren't going to stay, even if there wasn't the threat of an incoming barrage. I have ordered all but the last surviving member of the destroyed platoon to shift to my center to counter Penry's movements down the side road. The one sentry I'm leaving behind is armed with a LMG and should be able to at least give me a slight heads up if Penry probes forward on my left. However I think that the battle has mostly shifted away from this side of the battlefield. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 TURN 18 To clear the way for my platoon to cross the main road from my right flank to the middle I order my Panzer IVH to fire on an American unit I had spotted laying low at the crossroads. I figured a few high explosive shells would keep them distracted while my men crossed the road. NO! This is proof why you need to be careful with how you set your waypoints or even better, set more than just one waypoint halfway across the map. Instead of what I expected, my men running safely on the other side of the bocage out of the sight of Penry's forces my men dash out in the wide open. Miraculously they clear the first field just fine and as the turn ends are halfway across the second field with no shots fired on them. Perhaps the Americans are just too shocked to react. On my right flank one of my platoons takes cover along a hedgerow after dashing forward. It's a dangerous position and they are taking fire from two directions but so far they are holding tight and doing their best to keep the Americans suppressed. I'm already planning on funneling more men forward and hoping to use this as my push to get in further to hopefully begin encircling the farm house. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 NO! This is proof why you need to be careful with how you set your waypoints or even better, set more than just one waypoint halfway across the map. Instead of what I expected, my men running safely on the other side of the bocage out of the sight of Penry's forces my men dash out in the wide open. Miraculously they clear the first field just fine and as the turn ends are halfway across the second field with no shots fired on them. Perhaps the Americans are just too shocked to react. Oh man those moments can be painful. I hope the American are too shocked and you get away with it. My SOP for bocage or other impassible obstacles is to place a way point right at the opening I wish them to use, on my side, and then another close by on the other side of the opening. Then continue as usual. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 TURN 19 As the 19th minute of battle begins my mortars start to arrive. My FO has done an excellent job of calling in very accurate strikes and I hope that Penry is taking some serious casualties as a result. The more dead Americans I can get the better. As I look over the battlefield I am glad to discover that Penry paid a price to try and engage my men from behind the one hedgerow. The mounting casualties may actually be the reason he opted to pull back. TURN 20 More bad luck for me. As I am moving one of my platoons forward on my right flank a sudden barrage of small caliber mortars starts to fall in the path of my men and the platoon commander is taken out in the first blast. Again, bad luck. This barrage is clearly off whatever target Penry was trying to call it in on and if I hadn't ordered my men forward when I did they would never have ran straight into the zone of the mortars right as they began to fall. Much like Penry I have my own mounting casualties behind a hedgerow. I made a huge blunder pushing my men forward virtually unsupported and into a crossfire. I had made an assumption that the Americans had pulled out fully from their initial position and that the area I was running to would be free of opposition. I was wrong and my men are paying the price. What's worse is that the relief platoon I had hoped to send to maybe tip the balance and add some extra firepower to the push was the one stopped by the bad luck barrage. At this point I'm thinking it's time to just pull back, start calling in all the mortars I have, clear the way for the Panzer IV and just methodically blast my way through this. I've been reckless and I'm unsure if I can recover and have enough of a force to take the farmhouse at the rate I'm going. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 TURN 22 Knowing that I have over-extended myself and do not have the resources in place to support my offensive I order what men I can to fall back to the relative safety of the bogaces I have already occupied. The withdrawal is unfortunately through open fields and not all my men make it back. The plan going forward is clear out the crossroads so I can bring my tank into the fight. I'm going to call in mortars on Penry's positions and I'm going to consolidate my forces and push through the hole I hope to blast into the American lines. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Hoping to provide some support and help turn the tides of the battle I move my Panzer forward. It's a risk but I'm getting desperate and need to change the pace of things. Unsurprisingly the Americans answer with a bazooka shot but thankfully it does no damage. Soon after Penry starts shifting his men from one side of the crossroads to the other. What should be an easy shooting gallery for my men and a blood bath for the Americans ends disappointingly for me with only one Joe taken out. Soon after my single squad comes under fire and quickly breaks... giving up on the battle. The fragile morale of my German troops is starting to pose a problem for my offensive. From what I witness it looks like Penry is shifting his men to my left flank. Not only did I spot several squads rushing across the crossroads but I saw others moving across fields to the left. Sensing an opportunity to push forward and a weakness in the defense I order a couple of my squads to rush forward. Unfortunately soon after I realize that I was wrong and my men are highly vulnerable. Safe from head one they are easily flanked by the Americans and quickly broken. All Penry had to do was shift his men back to the right and circle my men. Once again I fail to break through and find a gap in the defenses. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 On my right flank, I try to push forward at the same time I rushed my couple squads forward in the center. Unfortunately I don't have much to provide suppression to the American MGs and quickly my offensive is stopped as my men are cut down and broken. Here you can see many Germans hugging the ground... only some of those are doing it voluntarily. Not only am I failing to push forward with my infantry but my only armor is hit with another bazooka rocket and immobilized. While it is still in position to cover the crossroads it becomes a useless asset to assist me in pushing forward in an attempt to cease the farmhouse. With my infantry squads shot up and broken... many of their officers killed and my Panzer immobilized I realize that there is no possibility of me to win the day. My impatience early on coupled with my ineffective pushes that were not supported well by MGs and mortars/artillery have lead to a huge waste of life and my loss. Penry played an excellent defense and I a very poor offense. The numbers in the AAR screen are deceiving. Many of my surviving troops are support soldiers or men in broken squads. Penry fought an excellent game. It was a challenge the entire time and boy was it a lot of fun. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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