BigDork vs Echo - Buying the Farm

[BigDork]

Echo put out the call for an opponent and I answered. We're fighting a medium sized attack/defend where I am playing the role of the defending Germans. I've been tasked to defend three farm complexes from the advancing Americans.

SETUP

Here is an overhead view of the battlefield. The red arrows are where I expect his main advances to come from. The yellow are a less likely avenues of approach, especially the one on my right flank. As you will see later on, that is uphill and his men would not have a lot of cover as they approach.

My forces consist of...

4x Infantry platoons

1x Heavy Weapon platoon (2x MG42, 2x 81mm mortar) with 2x MG42 and 2x 81mm mortar attached

2x Pak40 ATG with 1x LMG

1x Panzer IVH

Casa Mazzarro is the closest farm to the Americans and also the middle farm. I expect Echo to move his men forward along the road using the other buildings for cover and hit Cassa Mazzaro with at least a platoon and support weapons and armor. My plan for the center is to put up some resistance at first and make him bleed a bit before pulling my men out. I don't think this farm is well suited for a solid defense. Instead I want to create a bit of a bulge in the American advance and then hit them from both of my flanks. To defend this farm I have a single platoon of infantry.

Casa Guardice is on my left flank and I expect this to be the other farm where a lot of heavy fighting will occur. I expect the Americans to come through the woods and a possibility of armor to swing around from behind it as well. That is why I have placed my Panzer IV here. Also defending this farm is a platoon of infantry supported by a MG42.

The Pak40 in the lower right corner is hidden from the woods on the other side of a hill and is providing cover fro Casa Mazzaro. My ATG should have some great flank shots on any armor that Echo may bring into the center. In the top center I have a squad of infantry along with my battalion XO who will be moving into the woods to act as scouts and a forward element to engage the approaching Americans. I have a TRP there and when I know the Americans are close I will be calling in some mortars.

Masseria Albasina is the rear most farm and on my right flank. There isn't a very good approach that provides a lot of protection so I don't expect Echo's main advance to threaten this farm at first. I have a platoon of infantry along with a couple MG42s to provide defense of this flank. The Pak40 is able in a position to fire on the center farm as well as the right flank if Echo does move this way.

The mortar unit on the right is on the very top of a hill and while somewhat exposed will also be able to provide some excellent direct LOS fire on advancing Americans.

There is a fourth farm, located between Casa Mazzarro and Casa Guardice where I have positioned a couple MG42s, the LMG, and an 81mm mortar (just off picture to the right). These units are given covered arcs and for now are just observing and waiting for a good chance to shoot up the Americans. In the top left of this picture are my units that are going to advance into the woods to engage the Americans. I have a tank hunter team hidden behind the bridge and just to the left of them I have an infantry squad that will move towards Casa Mazzarro as my defenders there pull back in order to flank the Americans. There is also a TRP in the gully so that if Echo tries to move men up that way I can quickly and accurately take them out.

[BigDork]

TURN 1

Things get off to a bad start when almost instantly my units in the fourth farm spot several Shermans positioned in the back of the battlefield. They are not moving and look to be placed in an overwatch position. Unfortunately due to their position one of my MG42s is basically useless since as soon as it would start firing they would be destroyed by a barrage of HE shells. 3 American tanks against my lone German one and 2 anti-tank guns doesn't seem like good odds to me but at least I'll hopefully get the drop on his armor. It's the only advantage I have.

As the minute progresses things continue to go bad for me. Due to some miscalculations and general stupidity on my part I had ordered one of my scout units to run along the ridge line near the woods fully exposed to the Americans. Not only did this tip off Echo that I was moving men into the woods but my infantry provided juicy targets for his Shermans.

From the American tanker's point of view. The turn ends before the Americans can start firing on my Germans but in the next minute several shells fly high and one impacts but falls short and by then my men had ran to safety. A small bit of luck. I'm going to need a lot more of it to succeed here.

Not wanting my Pak40 on the left flank to reveal itself prematurely by firing on American infantry I order it to only fire on armor if it comes into their sights. I figure I have two, maybe three shots before Echo starts trying to eliminate my gun. On the plus side he'll be hard pressed to get a spotter into a good position to call in accurate fire on my gun. But I'm still thinking I have only a few chances to do some real damage.

TURN 2

Generally I am pretty optimistic about my battles, even when things seem to be going poorly for me. Not so with this battle. I'm pretty sure I'm screwed. It would appear that I am facing at least 7 American tanks. I have no clue how I am going to take out 7 tanks with one PzIV and two ATGs. I'm going to need my tank commander to do his best Michael Wittmann impression if I hope to survive this encounter.

I am pleased to note that Echo is moving his infantry forward right where I expected them to come. At least I am somewhat prepared for that bit. I have called in a mortar strike on his FO that I have spotted. I really hope he keeps that unit there for about another 5 minutes.

[newlife]

If he spent it all on Shermans, take out his infantry to leave the tanks blind. Uh, good luck with that. (you probably knew this anyway but you did ask)

[sburke]

BigDork you seem to be a one man entertainment shop. Excellent!

[BigDork]

TURN 3 - 4

The third minute of battle sees Echo ordering three of his Shermans to open fire on several buildings bordering the woods my infantry has moved into. I'm sure he is hoping that I have positioned men in there to ambush his advancing forces. Lucky for me that isn't the case and all Echo is doing is wasting HE and also removing potential cover for his men.

It takes just a little more than a minute for some poor Italian family's house to be reduced to rubble.

Echo also has one of his Shermans fire on the middle farm where I had placed one of my MG42s. My machine gun had not opened fire due to a very short covered arc so my guess is he was just taking shots and hoping to get lucky. In this case he did and with one shell he managed to take out all but one man in the team. I blame their deaths on my poor decision making. When I saw on the first turn that they machine gun had direct LOS on the tank I should have ordered them to pull out. I'll not make that mistake again if I can help it.

My mortar strike I had called in on the American forward observer was still 4 minutes out when I discovered that one of my 81mm mortar units had direct line of sight on the FO's position. Losing his FO should set Echo back a bit, at least I hope so. Especially if he has some artillery that is dependent on a forward observer to be called in.

I figure I have one turn to take out the FO team before I'll need to order my mortar team to vacate their position and move somewhere else. As soon as Echo figures out where those mortars are coming from I'm sure he'll reposition a Sherman to deal with my men.

[BigDork]

If he spent it all on Shermans, take out his infantry to leave the tanks blind. Uh, good luck with that. (you probably knew this anyway but you did ask)

Him having so many tanks at least gives me some slight hope because it means he really can't have much infantry. The big problem I see is that this is Sicily and I don't have 'fausts and 'schrecks to deal with all that armor. I have zero clue how I'm going to pull this off but I'm sure gonna try.

BigDork you seem to be a one man entertainment shop. Excellent!

I find a PBEM game more enjoyable when I'm doing an accompanying AAR. Also I figure there are a ton of people out there who like me really enjoy the things and I'm glad I can provide for everyone interested. I just hope they don't mind watching me lose horribly this game.

[Heinrich505]

BD,

Win or lose, these are great. Your screen shots are always welcome. Bring 'em on. I always learn something during these AARs, and I never tire of reading them. Thanks for posting.

Heinrich505

[A Canadian Cat]

<snip>

My mortar strike I had called in on the American forward observer was still 4 minutes out when I discovered that one of my 81mm mortar units had direct line of sight on the FO's position. Losing his FO should set Echo back a bit, at least I hope so. Especially if he has some artillery that is dependent on a forward observer to be called in.

I figure I have one turn to take out the FO team before I'll need to order my mortar team to vacate their position and move somewhere else. As soon as Echo figures out where those mortars are coming from I'm sure he'll reposition a Sherman to deal with my men.

Direct fire from 81mm mortars - nice. He may not see where those shells are coming from. At 500m away if they have any concealment they may well stay hidden. I often come under mortar fire and never know where the origin is.

[BigDork]

TURN 5

With the destruction of the other buildings Echo turns the focus of several of his Shermans to the 4th farm. The last man in my MG42 team is killed seconds into the turn and 2nd platoon's HQ takes two casualties but thankfully not the commander. However the survivors are taking their sweet time crawling out of the building and I'm afraid the roof will come crashing in before they can get away.

Even though I'm trying to do a direct LOS barrage with my one mortar unit they are taking their time with their fire mission. In the whole minute I only saw them fire off one mortar which went long off the back of the map. As the minute comes to a close a spotting round lands just in front of my mortar team. That's worrisome. I had hoped to spend at least a minute trying to take out Echo's FO before I bugged out my team. I decide to risk it and will leave my mortar in place for one minute more but have ordered the ammo bearers to retreat out of the area. No sense in them getting blown up too.

My men spot American infantry moving right where I expected them to be, moving forward towards the woods. As a scouting team pokes their head out from cover they are fired upon at long range from some of my men at Casa Mazzarro in the center. While the gunfire didn't take out any Americans it did cause them to slow down and even return fire a bit.

Here's a look at the advance of Echo's infantry on my left flank. I'm assuming he's sending a company of infantry my way. I have two platoons in ambush position in the woods to greet them and also a TRP I plan on using to call in mortars. He's going to bleed some long before he's able to attack Casa Guardice.

[BigDork]

Direct fire from 81mm mortars - nice. He may not see where those shells are coming from. At 500m away if they have any concealment they may well stay hidden. I often come under mortar fire and never know where the origin is.

I'm hoping that his FO will be too busy hugging the ground for safety that they won't be able to see where the mortars are coming from. That spotting round is very troubling. I'm hoping he is just guessing I have men there or maybe saw my foxholes and is just sending in a barrage.

Either way, I'm gonna have to pull my mortar team out of there at the end of next turn.