womble Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 I don't know about "pretty quickly"... Order of a few minutes for the best bombardier to sight on a couple of salient landmarks and the rest of the battery to get a relative position off the "first gun". Happily within the timescale of a CM game, but fairly rough in terms of precision of knowing where they were. At least to start with. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 The Twentieth Minute The hunt for the Right Tit Sniper continues... at least one member of the team falls to my suppression fire this turn. My teams are slowly closing in. I'll feel a lot more secure once those two teams have been dealt with. Even though the smoke screen did not develop as I had planned (the Brummbar failed to fire at all, and the mortar screen was way off target) 2d Platoon continues to push towards the objective. They should be masked from the M10 in Tame and they are definitely masked from the ATG (or whatever it was) that fired on the Elefant last turn. GaJ has repositioned his M10 in order to get a better view of the happenings in the left side valley and Hill 109 in particular.. this might be a bad move for him... we shall discover in the next turn or so. Here is the turn 20 SITMAP... progress is slow but steady. I am uncovering a new enemy contact at least once per turn.. this turn I received two.. a sniper near where my halftracks bought the farm and a UI infantry unit obviously hunting for my left side recon... he is moving right into the teeth of my 2d Platoon's advance. Note how far my right side recon has moved. he is maneuvering around the hill to try and get a peek on the backside. I am starting to really see the rear of the map defense that GaJ has set up... he has a passive interdicting type of defense going on.. it appears like the approaches are lightly guarded and his real combat power is set to deny me the approaches and to defend the high value objectives of Tame and S. Maria Infante. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 Hey guys, I'll be away from this afternoon until Sunday evening... I'm taking a little (much needed) vacation and will not have my computer and likely will not have cell service for the majority off that time. So no further updates until after that I'm afraid. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seedorf81 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Hey guys, I'll be away from this afternoon until Sunday evening... I'm taking a little (much needed) vacation and will not have my computer and likely will not have cell service for the majority off that time. So no further updates until after that I'm afraid. Enjoy yourself and have fun :cool: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hister Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Enjoy being virtually non-existent Bil! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 5, 2013 Author Share Posted May 5, 2013 Well I am almost home. Hope to have the next turn report up tonight. So what did I miss? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumrox Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 War's over. Have your troops stack arms and head homes to their families. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 The Twenty-First Minute GaJ is getting clairvoyant or I am telegraphing my intentions too clearly... he moved his Tame M10 back from its forward exposed position to a position a back close to his bunker. From here he should have a position that is masked from my armor but able to clearly overwatch my 2d platoon as they approach Hill 109. I will not be going over the top until I get some obscuration on the Tame M10.. which should go in next turn. The two 2d Platoon halftracks will be dropping off their cargo next turn now that they are very close to the reverse slope of the ridge leading to Hill 109. I lose my right side recon this turn to I think what must have been sniper fire. Possibly from the little spur where I have my sniper hunt going on? I know one of these enemy teams had been firing on this lone soldier for a while.. perhaps the UI infantry contact is a sniper as well and finally got his aim right? I don't think it was the team that I know was a sniper as the soldier with the scope is lying dead or mortally wounded beneath a tree. Anyway, this is what I know for the right side as seen from Hill 130: --MMG Team in the sunken road foxholes --Sniper near my destroyed halftracks --Sniper close to the Right Tit objective - marksman dead or mortally wounded --UI Team close to the Right Tit.. not yet spotted clearly. Possibly another sniper team. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Bil, Tame M10? GreenAsJade has been libeled! And if he won't sue, General MacNair should. Why, it's an insult to American manhood, an insult to the Tank Destroyer branch, an insult to the Army and an insult to America! Welcome back! The new turn is a bonus. It's clear GAJ didn't recruit his snipers from the backwoods of Kentucky. Not only can't they shoot the eye out of a squirrel, but they don't really seem to be much of a threat to the tree, either. Not only do they achieve precious little, but they seem to make excellent targets! Best not to press GAJ too hard, lest he despair. "Never allow your enemy to despair. For in despair he grows strong." Sun Tzu Some players, when in a jam, fight like cornered badgers. Believe you'd agree GAJ has some sharp teeth at his disposal and would dearly love to use them. War movie mode is beginning to grow on me. Certainly, it seems rather appropriate for the blazing heat of the sun in Italy, with sunlight so intense it seems to bleach everything, including the photoreceptors of the viewer! Are you impressed with the Brummbar as an assault AFV away from the city? Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepercell Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Bill you're a tactical monster; love your style. However, i have to wonder if you feel a bit of an advantage because you made the map? ...Kinda like, want to come swim in this new shark tank i built. ...Anyhow, i was trying to express such in the peanut gallery but got admonished and reprimanded by c3k so here it is. ...As a result I take the opportunity to challenge c3k in an AAR duel just for the leftover clickers... Come on Ken, it's time to k-k-k-kill me.... Just for the hell of it I challenge Emry's to an AAR battle too. If i lose you can add me to your sig list. Won't publish till after 15 turns completed tho; keep the intelligence old.... ....Damn good AAR Bill, keep it coming! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Just for the hell of it I challenge Emry's to an AAR battle too. Dreamer. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 Bil,Some players, when in a jam, fight like cornered badgers. Believe you'd agree GAJ has some sharp teeth at his disposal and would dearly love to use them. He does indeed... plus with the positioning of his tanks he could easily reinforce one side or the other as required. I am especially aware of that fact as I maneuver. Are you impressed with the Brummbar as an assault AFV away from the city To this point I am not really impressed with the Brummbar.. its accuracy seems poor, the damned thing keeps refusing to fire smoke... it does not have a bow mounted MG. I need clear targets before these weapons will come into their own. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 ...i have to wonder if you feel a bit of an advantage because you made the map? ...Kinda like, want to come swim in this new shark tank i built. ...Anyhow, i was trying to express such in the peanut gallery but got admonished and reprimanded by c3k so here it is. ... Why would I? This is real world terrain built from a topo map, not a map I created out of my head with secrets embedded behind every hill. Because I created the map (which is not really completed at this stage, no terraces, the buildings are not all in place, no fences, walls, etc., the foliage needs thinning out in some areas and there is one area where the elevation is slightly off) does not give me more control over how to read the terrain features, other than to say that I lived with it longer and probably examined the topo map more because I had to in order to create it. But if GaJ did a thorough terrain analysis, which it seems like he probably did, then he would know as much about this map as I. Bil 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 I viewed the next turn before I left for work.. sorry not enough time to make a proper report this morning. I will get to that as soon as I get home tonight. GaJ is pulling his M10 out of Tame completely, it moves back towards S.Maria Infante in this next turn... why? Is he expecting a push up the center? Getting worried that I have eyes on that area with my mortars and tanks (I do)? Regardless this gives me an opportunity and I am going to push hard to capture the S-Ridge in the next several turns... and will be doing some major reorienting of my force. That M10 has made me kind of skittish, but with it out of the way for now I can hopefully make a grab for Hill 109 and the S Ridge. If it decides to come back in to overwatch this area I plan on having my Panzer Platoon in position to interdict it. This move is going to get a lot of support, both the Brummbar that is in the center and the Elefant will be moving into support by fire positions. Should be exciting, so stay tuned! This bears repeating:p The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead! George S. Patton 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepercell Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Why would I? This is real world terrain built from a topo map, not a map I created out of my head with secrets embedded behind every hill. Just elefants!! ...I concede your point though. ...: I've noticed that there is quite alot of information online about this particular battle, found a couple topos, & battle diagrams. However, there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of info online about small arms operations, (company/platoon) sized engagements of WW2; rather just broad stroke info about large operations. Are there any sources that you can recommend for this? Would be interested in recreating some real world scenarios. Thanks, avanti.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepercell Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Dreamer. Michael Wouldn't want to shake any internet pedestals, er... pillars of the community. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Wouldn't want to shake any internet pedestals, er... pillars of the community. Yeah, well, come on over to the Peng Challenge Thread and let me introduce you to some pederasts...er, I mean pedestals. They'll just love you to death, heh heh. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Bil, The late model Brummbar did sport an MG. Better yet, it was mounted up high so it could be used even when the main gun couldn't. It was practically on the roof. http://www.achtungpanzer.com/sturmpanzer-iv-brummbar-sd-kfz-166.htm sleepercell, Please see Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo and Schmidt in the U.S. Army Green series. Online version here. That's the only volume I know of in the series which is explicitly small unit action oriented. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-SS-Three/ Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 By all rights mid Brumbar should have a mg. The loader's hatch swung forward and locked vertically and had a sliding opening in hatch face for a mg34. Much like a half-track MG mount. But utilizing that would put your loader at tremendous risk. If you're in a position to fire a mg at the enemy the enemy is also in a position to fire a mg at you! I can understand why they wouldn't want to model that, its as problematic during a firefight as those rear-facing M10 TD machineguns. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 The Twenty-Second Minute 2d Platoon's two halftracks unload on the rear slope leading to Hill 109. Coming over the top of that same ridge is a US team... I find it very interesting that this is an ATG ammo bearer team. Must have had a huge ass round strapped to their backs. But this confirms an ATG is indeed in this area.. whether its the same ATG that put several rounds into my Elefant I cannot say. This team appears to be hunting my left side scout, GaJ has been shelling the Right Tit for a few turns now. I have received no casualties from this fire and am happy to let him expend that precious ammo. Its interesting to me that the Left Tit has received no incoming fire at all. The Right Tit Sniper is finally hunted down and executed. The second UI infantry icon disappeared with this team's death. Interesting. The enemy sniper team was pinned by one team and hunted down by the other. Finally the M10 in Tame backs up even further into what looks like a good hull down position with a good view of the heights leading to Hill 109. Well I have a lot of smoke hopefully coming in next turn... fingers crossed that it actually develops. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umlaut Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Hi Bil. Love what you did with the M10 in this pic. Very clever. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baneman Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Yes, far better than my own feeble timelapse shots. Clearly Bil has mad Photoshop skills 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 The Twenty-Third Minute GaJ's ATG ammo bearers run over the top of the ridge only to be intercepted by the fire from several of my overwatching units. I have no doubt he will probably get some important intelligence from them but they will not last long now I'm afraid. Note my left side recon team on the left side of this image behind a bush. He is within 30 meters at the turn's end and the survivors of this enemy team are suppressed and in trouble. 2d Platoon's lead recon team has an important sighting this turn... interesting. GaJ has placed him in one of the areas of key terrain I had identified at the beginning of the game. So that makes at least one ATG for sure and a second (the owner of the ATG ammo team) across the valley floor on my left. They are on opposite sides of the valley and as such I should be able to isolate and eliminate them one at a time. GaJ does seem to have the approaches to the S Ridge well covered. But is it enough? Time will tell. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 Turn 23 SITMAP Here is the SITMAP for turn 23. Note the new ATG spotting highlighted near Tame. Note that I have pulled the Brummbar off of Hill 130 and am repositioning it so it can support the assault on Hill 109 and the S Ridge. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hister Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 What a suspence - this is so cool to watch. I'll link this AAR to my friend who always cheers for the axis side. 8-) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.