CMPzC Normandy '44 Caen Operation - Allied HQ

[kensal]

Turn 3 completed cont....

A Coy scouts continue towards West Buron:

[kensal]

Turn 3 completed, Turn 4 orders, situation map.

The smokescreen has done its job well enough. There doesn't seem to be an enemy on the other side of the hedge line but a couple of mgs could have caused D Coy casualties without the smokescreen. D Coy will continue south, avoiding the temptation of swinging into Buron. D Coy's job is to swing west after bypassing Buron, to scout out the area beyond, where enemy panzers are moving north, and to cut off Buron's garrison's line of retreat.

C Coy will protect D Coy's flank and swing west into Buron.

B Coy will stay in reserve.

A Coy are will send scouts into West Buron and then when the moment is right, push south and try to encircle the garrison.

That's the plan anyway.

Note that A Coy has spotted enemy movement right in the centre of Buron. If they try to defend that they will be encircled and destroyed.

The question is, will the enemy forces to the south of Buron be able to enter this battle at turn 30? I feel that I need to guard against that possibility.

[noob]

The question is, will the enemy forces to the south of Buron be able to enter this battle at turn 30? I feel that I need to guard against that possibility.

The defender cannot have reinforcements, they have to defend with what they have on the hex, when the assault is declared. Therefore, you can be confident there will be no enemy armour making an appearance, until possibly the next CM battle.

Basically, at the end of the battle, if the turns run out, and some Axis forces still occupy the CM battlefield, the Axis CO will have the option of leaving the PzC representatives of those defending axis forces on the hex they were occupying, and assaulting the contested hex with PzC reinforcements (if they have the points). Then, after the Axis PzC turn has been completed, an assault can be declared against the Allied units contesting the CM map. Then, the map will be recreated, with all the remaining units placed where they finished, and modified to reflect the combat effects they sustained previously, and all damage to terrain applied.

The axis reinforcement units will be able to arrive on the map on turn 5 at the earliest.

This is why it's essential that the axis forces are eliminated, or forced to exit all their troops.

[kensal]

Ok thanks for clarifying that.

[Rocky Balboa]

The defender cannot have reinforcements, they have to defend with what they have on the hex, when the assault is declared. Therefore, you can be confident there will be no enemy armour making an appearance, until possibly the next CM battle.

I understand your reason for this but IMO when the attacking player knows there will be no re-enforcements for the defender, it removes an element of drama from the battle which could make it more enjoyable. Here's a suggestion that would allow the defender to possibly receive re-enforcements but limit what he can get.

If the defending hex is already at the max stack limit then no re-enforcements are available. If the defending hex < the stack limit and there are qualifying friendly forces in adjacent hexes, allow the defender to select a small amount of variable re-enforcements. The number of re-enforcements needs to be kept small so as not to disrupt the attackers numerical advantage but large enough to give the attacker an increased challenge. A simple formula could be used (ex ... A re-enforcement group consisting of say 3% - 5% of the current defending force these numbers can be adjusted as play testing dictates) to determine the size of the re-enforcement group.

The defender selects from his qualifying support units the re-enforcements that could arrive anytime between s+30 to s+60 turns (use the editor to control the variable arrival time of these units). Re-enforcements are never guaranteed to arrive but the possibility will add an unknown element of drama to the battle as neither the attacker or defender knows for sure if they will arrive in time to impact the battle.

You could also give the attacker the option of using some of his indirect fire support or air support to interdict possible re-enforcements. If the Attacker chooses to do this and meets the necessary requirements then he can guarantee that the defender will not be able to receive re-enforcements during the battle. This interdiction attack will not cause any actual casualties but merely delays the re-enforcements from arriving.

[Fizou]

I understand your reason for this but IMO when the attacking player knows there will be no re-enforcements for the defender, it removes an element of drama from the battle which could make it more enjoyable. Here's a suggestion that would allow the defender to possibly receive re-enforcements but limit what he can get.

If the defending hex is already at the max stack limit then no re-enforcements are available. If the defending hex < the stack limit and there are qualifying friendly forces in adjacent hexes, allow the defender to select a small amount of variable re-enforcements. The number of re-enforcements needs to be kept small so as not to disrupt the attackers numerical advantage but large enough to give the attacker an increased challenge. A simple formula could be used (ex ... A re-enforcement group consisting of say 3% - 5% of the current defending force these numbers can be adjusted as play testing dictates) to determine the size of the re-enforcement group.

The defender selects from his qualifying support units the re-enforcements that could arrive anytime between s+30 to s+60 turns (use the editor to control the variable arrival time of these units). Re-enforcements are never guaranteed to arrive but the possibility will add an unknown element of drama to the battle as neither the attacker or defender knows for sure if they will arrive in time to impact the battle.

You could also give the attacker the option of using some of his indirect fire support or air support to interdict possible re-enforcements. If the Attacker chooses to do this and meets the necessary requirements then he can guarantee that the defender will not be able to receive re-enforcements during the battle. This interdiction attack will not cause any actual casualties but merely delays the re-enforcements from arriving.

+1

Knowing that a defender never can have reinforcements takeas away a lot of the intrigue of the CM battle IMO.

[noob]

it removes an element of drama from the battle which could make it more enjoyable.

Don't be greedy, isn't it enough that there is now a way of playing a H2H umpireless CM operation

If the defending hex is already at the max stack limit then no re-enforcements are available. If the defending hex < the stack limit and there are qualifying friendly forces in adjacent hexes, allow the defender to select a small amount of variable re-enforcements.

Sorry, but the defender must be punished for not maxing out a hex.

I'm also against the idea of defender reinforcements on principle, as it allows the defender a PzC move that they should not have.

[noob]

Knowing that a defender never can have reinforcements takeas away a lot of the intrigue of the CM battle IMO.

I'm quite happy with sacrificing some intrigue for simplicity, and I have confidence that the CM battles will be intriguing enough without defender reinforcement. In fact, if you allowed the defender reinforcements, it would make it easier for the defender to hold the hex, and given that it is easier defending in CM than attacking, I feel the defender has enough of an advantage just defending.

[kensal]

I understand the reasoning for not reinforcing a defender from the PzC perspective as it does not fit with the turns on PzC.

However it does demonstrate a degree of disconnect between the two games if, for example, in real life you can have a tripwire defence within a forward area, with a mobile counterattack reserve located 1 or 2 km back and not be able to use that reserve to reinforce the forward area once it is attacked. Being able to reinforce after say 1 hour would neatly represent a defender's ability to call up and mobilise a mobile reserve into the battle area.

Having said that, I don't know how you can represent that within the constraints of the PzC system without fudging it.

I suppose the only way you could represent it is by limiting the CM battles to 1 hour, say, and if one side or other are still battling it out, then you go through the next PzC turn to generate another CM battle, in which the original forces are still engaged but additional units can be brought in.

Anyway my next turn is posted and I will be filing some further action shots to show how the Glens are getting on

[kensal]

Turn 4 completed: Stuarts hose down the trench system beyond the hedge line in preparation for D Coy's advance. They know its empty but D Coy doesn't and they are grateful for the softening up exercise

[kensal]

Turn 4 completed:

D Coy advances into the smoke. They are shortly due to go through the other side.

[kensal]

Turn 4 completed:

A Coy scouts moving into the relative safety of a cornfield, West Buron ahead of them. These guys are now tiring and may need to hold up for a while. D Coy interestingly have not registered any tiring units despite moving forward relatively quickly. Good fitness there!

[kensal]

Turn 4 completed:

More A Coy scouts moving towards the central north-south road into Buron. Not a particularly pleasant entrance route for them, very open and they have already spotted enemy movement ahead. The question is whether to risk pushing them much further ahead on this axis - they could easily get caught without cover and killed if they do go much further.

[noob]

I suppose the only way you could represent it is by limiting the CM battles to 1 hour, say, and if one side or other are still battling it out, then you go through the next PzC turn to generate another CM battle, in which the original forces are still engaged but additional units can be brought in.

I already said the very same thing a few posts back.

[kensal]

Turn 4 completed:

And there he is - a real life German scurrying out from cover in the centre of Buron and spotted by B Coy scouts. He is heading west. Has he seen the entire battalion of the Glens advancing and decided that discretion is the better part of valour? Is he looking for an Ecuadorian embassy?

[noob]

It's nice of your opponent not to use those nasty MG 42's while you are crossing that open terrain

[kensal]

It's nice of your opponent not to use those nasty MG 42's while you are crossing that open terrain

Yes - looking at the video, the battalion advance did look at times rather like what I imagine the Somme would have looked like.

[noob]

Yes - looking at the video, the battalion advance did look at times rather like what I imagine the Somme would have looked like.

Indeed, a missed opportunity, fortunately for us.

[kensal]

Turn 5 completed:

The enemy is reacting to our flanking move. Unfortunately one of the southernmost stuarts is hit by an AT round from inside Buron

All four crew are casualties

[kensal]

Turn 5 completed:

You remember the A Coy scouts I was thinking were too exposed? Incoming!

Phew, but that's a heavy calibre weapon! 150mm SiG?

They move past the shell burst, only to see another shot...

Smaller calibre, 50mm?, and more accurate

[kensal]

A Coy scouts continue towards west Buron

[kensal]

Turn 5 completed:

D Coy continues unopposed (for the moment) towards the orchards in East Buron

[kensal]

Turn 5 completed:

6 casualties this turn - 4 Stuart crew and 2 A Coy infantry. The result of being less cautious in the approach than is desirable but I am working under instructions to prevent the enemy escaping and I have limited time to achieve that and, furthermore, the approach to Buron over flat open ground is long.

I think therefore the scout casualties were unavoidable. The stuart loss however was simply careless - the AT gun sited at the end of the road was in a likely position for such a piece and I did not need to test whether one was there at this stage. Sorry crew!

The defenders of Buron clearly have more heavy weapons than stated by Division intelligence. I have taken fire from perhaps two 50mm pieces and something heavier - an infantry gun of either 75mm or 150mm. In addition one of the southernmost Stuarts, now to the south of Buron, has attracted what looks like a light mortar round - but smaller than 81mm so that cannot be. Possibly a rifle grenade.

[kensal]

Turn 6 completed:

Stuarts to the south of Buron begin attacking suspected enemy positions along hedgerows

[kensal]

Turn 6 completed:

D Coy's forward platoons edge forwards towards the orchards