CMPzC Normandy '44 Caen Operation - Axis HQ

[A Canadian Cat]

I track you as losing 4 guys. 1plt 1sqd 1 guy, 1plt 2sqd 1 guy, 1 plt 3 sqd 2 guys.

Maybe 3 sqd was the rifle grenadier, find his body and recover the grenades?

But hey, you are kicking ass.

Hornung could seriously score on some Stuart next turn.

Hey, are you using the trenches at all? Do you have a trench utilization plan?

Those things cost big reichsmarks you know!

Correct, I think my guys are doing great. In spite of my throwing Kraft into a dangerous situation. Going against that company coming from the West all alone so far away and when I knew they were too close I let him attack anyway. In hind sight I think I should have kept him one field closer. Then he could have caught the lead elements at the cross roads.

I really hope I can take out some more Stuarts. The fire they are throwing down is impressive and totally messing my teams that are under it. Thank goodness it is only 37mm.

Trenches: The problem with trenches is they suck in bocage. Fox holes work behind the bocage a little but trenches do not. If your guys are in the trenches they cannot see through the bocage. So my trench plan is three fold:

1. The outlying trenches are artillery bait. I was hoping the Canadians would see my scouts and the trenches and throw some artillery their way. I do not think that has worked out.
   
2. Inner trenches outside of the final two bocage fields provide a place to hide from artillery. Most of my men can pull back from the bocage and find a trench to hide in if the big stuff starts falling.
   
3. The final two bocage fields have trenches in them for the last stand. They are positioned so once my men cannot hold the bocage any longer they can pull back to the trench and fight the enemy at the bocage line.
   

[kohlenklau]

You are doing great! That blue on blue mortar round was sad but hooray for our side...

[A Canadian Cat]

Speaking of trenches... I would have preferred half the trenches and the rest in fox holes and two sand bag walls (one for each AT gun). We should negotiate the ability to choose trenches, fox holes, sand bag walls for the op layer - CM rules.

[A Canadian Cat]

I take back what I said about Kraft leading his squad better than I could. Sure I made a mistake getting him into that mess but he should have go his guys to just go though the gap and into the next field. Just 2m more and there could have been survivors.

Kraft's 3 squad is down to only two men - the scout team that was not with him on his mission to the West. All of Kraft's team are wounded, killed or have surrendered. That is the bad news.

The good news is more Blue on Blue artillery. My opponent must be thinking I have artillery aimed at him.

Those Stuarts are keeping my men pinned pretty well. At the end of the turn Hornung's team managed to pop their heads up long enough to miss - their shot hit a tree part way there.

The fire from those Stuarts did let up a little and that has allowed schafer to get some of his men to safety.

2nd Platoon is almost setup and ready for the attack from the East.

The Flanking Stuarts continued to pound the bocage where Altner was located and the platoon and their support in the East continued to pound Schmidt's last location. Excellent blast away.

[A Canadian Cat]

A really tough turn. Lots of men go down some to tank fire some to mortar fire.

OMG my shrek teams are all going to be sent back for remedial training. Hornung misses again. Long this time. Really really long.

My opponent has indeed sent a Stuart down the North road along with his infantry. My guys take out a bunch of them but the tank just ignores it all drives right past on team and right up to another and starts taking my guys out. Hartenstien looses two men but does manage to get some grenades on target.

Sadly the Stuart seems unaffected and keeps firing. This is the kind of thing that drive me nuts. Whenever I have a tank that gets ahead of its infantry it winds up destroyed. But when ever my opponent does it he takes out a bunch of my men. Grrr.

The only bright spot in the turn is Haberfellner who manages to pretty much wipe out the enemy team coming down the street.

Much of the rest of 2nd Platoon is setup to ambush the enemy on the South road. Schmit has successfully rejoined his team and is now part of Kohl's team B. Notice what Kohl is doing. I like it when my men are thinking on their own. Keep and eye on Kohl he might be platoon leader some day.

[A Canadian Cat]

Sorry for the delay in writing up the last turn. I forgot to copy the images to the right directory and I do not have access to it from my current location. Full write up will have to follow. Here is the summary - bad.

The three stuarts are still pounding that corner and even though the squad pulled back OK the two Shrek Teams are sill suppressed and shaken and not firing. Those tanks are getting closer and so are the infantry. If they don't get their heads up and KO those tanks they are going to die once the infantry get there.

The Stuart that drove write up to my squad in the bocage killed the rest of the squad out right. The remainder of the team directly and when the other team pulled back from the infantry fire (a good thing) they ran into the field covered by the tank (a bad thing) all are dead.

Given my inability to deal with those three Stuarts there is no way that 2 Platoon is going to be able to cross the road to get to their planned final fighting positions. So they will just dig in to the farm and surrounding fields.

[noob]

Kensal will be AFK until the 29th of August. I was intending to substitute absent players, but because his absence will only be temporary, and to maintain consistency, I will allow him to carry on this battle where he left off, when he returns.

[A Canadian Cat]

Super thanks. I have company visiting over the next week too so I would have been a bit slower responding anyway.

[kohlenklau]

[A Canadian Cat]

Sorry for the delay in writing up the last turn. I forgot to copy the images to the right directory and I do not have access to it from my current location. Full write up will have to follow. Here is the summary - bad.

The three stuarts are still pounding that corner and even though the squad pulled back OK the two Shrek Teams are sill suppressed and shaken and not firing. Those tanks are getting closer and so are the infantry. If they don't get their heads up and KO those tanks they are going to die once the infantry get there.

The Stuart that drove write up to my squad in the bocage killed the rest of the squad out right. The remainder of the team directly and when the other team pulled back from the infantry fire (a good thing) they ran into the field covered by the tank (a bad thing) all are dead.

Given my inability to deal with those three Stuarts there is no way that 2 Platoon is going to be able to cross the road to get to their planned final fighting positions. So they will just dig in to the farm and surrounding fields.

I added the missing pictures...

[A Canadian Cat]

One of the Shrek teams gets their act together. No results. Back to hiding.

I said Haberfellner's quad was all dead last turn. I was wrong one survived. Then the tank made me right again.

2 Platoon's position at the farm is already under attack.

Here is Altner watching for any tanks that come down the roard.

A slight tweak to the orders to occupy the trench.

[Baneman]

Good to see you're still at it and holding strong.

Mostly because I'm next into the breach ( breech ? Ah, they both work with minor mental adjustments ), so the longer you can hold out, the better for the reinforcements

Make them pay ! We're with you ! ( in spirit )

[A Canadian Cat]

Good to see you're still at it and holding strong.

Thanks, things are starting to go sideways though. I really want to cause some serious damage but so far any fire fights have gone the enemy's way. Only the opening moments were successful for my men. I hope that the infantry attacking 2 Platoon's position will find it difficult.

[Aragorn2002]

Great battle, guys, keep them coming please.

[A Canadian Cat]

I cannot believe those three Stuarts are still operating with impunity. Hornung misses his shot and then hits the dirt again.

Then Ober recovers and misses his.

Those three juicy targets are so close but my men just cannot finish them off.

An enemy barrage falls on the area that Penzel's 3 Squad used to be.

They make it to the trench safely.

Dietzel's team escapes - just barely. They do not make it to the trench though just away from the north road.

[A Canadian Cat]

Zimmermann's squad does some damage as the enemy infantry start advancing on their flank.

The AT gun will put some shells on the road to make it uncomfortable to the enemy infantry to surround 2 Platoon.

I also move a fire team into the farm house to cover the street as well.

[A Canadian Cat]

Another very poor turn for my Shrek teams. Ober misses not once, not twice but three times.

Members of 2 Platoon are able to cause some casualties from their trench works.

One of the flanking Stuarts has begun to creep along the road - Altner misses his shot as well.

2 Platoon hold up in the farm take casualties and one fire team runs for it.

2 Platoon is not taking fire from three sides in the farm. From the South road, from the fields and buildings to the North and from a Stuart to the South. I am pretty worried about their position but they don't really have a safe place to go. Going West is not very safe now because the enemy are at the North road and can cover the open ground the the West of the farm.

[A Canadian Cat]

OK the wheels are really off the cart now.

Things start much as they have been the last few turns. Hornung's Shrek aim is no truer that the last time he fired.

Artillery starts raining down on 1 Platoon. Horter squad takes a couple of causalities before they can make it to the trenches.

Even Ruppertz's AT gun is nearly hit.

2 Platoon fairs even worse. Penzel's squad takes a causality - the MG42 gunner - and they are doing the best out of 2 Platoon's teams.

Every single squad from 2 Platoon plus Alnter's Shrek team and the HQ team take at least one casualty. The teams at the farm house have lost cohesion and run for it.

[A Canadian Cat]

The platoon leader, Kraft, runs into the middle of enemy fire where he surrenders.

The volume of fire is too much for these guys and now their fall back positions are being shelled along with their current location. There is only four of five rounds of Shrek amo left and none of these guys can hit the broad side of a barn.

I think we are at the point where we have to consider throwing in the towel. During the order's phase there are very few fire teams that I can issue orders to - they are so messed up. We can wait a few turns to see if they recover their senses and / or the artillery fire lessens.

We are close to the end of this match-up. I am afraid I did not inflict significant casualties on the enemy.

[kohlenklau]

Ian,

Try and make it to the 30:00 to 29:00 turn and then surrender. All your guys go away so a few more minutes might pick off a few of them. But it is your call and if you are exhausted, then surrender now and KG Baneman gets to rev up its engines.

I am in a similar situation down in Sicily with US paratroops against the evil hordes.

But it is a 2 hour battle! So, I am not second guessing you about anything. We all can look back and see things we could have done differently. Like back in college when you met that 40 year-old Brazilian stripper and were gonna run off with her back to South America and grow papaya's...

Either way, rest up and maybe you get a later CMPzC Caen '44 battle with big toys and Hitler boys! <<....that didn't sound odd did it? >>

[A Canadian Cat]

Try and make it to the 30:00 to 29:00 turn and then surrender. All your guys go away so a few more minutes might pick off a few of them. But it is your call and if you are exhausted, then surrender now and KG Baneman gets to rev up its engines.

OK then I'll see what I can do. I still have a couple of squads in good order and a working AT gun so I'll hang in there longer.

Like back in college when you met that 40 year-old Brazilian stripper and were gonna run off with her back to South America and grow papaya's...

Clearly you had a more interesting college life than I did

[Kuderian]

Credit to you Ian for holding out so long.

Shoot off all your ammo first then you won't feel bad about surrender

Soon the shoe will be on the other foot....

[A Canadian Cat]

Credit to you Ian for holding out so long.

Shoot off all your ammo first then you won't feel bad about surrender

Soon the shoe will be on the other foot....

I am certainly looking forward to that. I suspect that they have a battalion of infantry but only Stuart tanks. If we are able to bring some of our armour to bear in the counter attack we can get some pay back for sure.

[A Canadian Cat]

The enemy artillery did its job this turn. My men barely did anything other than surrender or run for their lives.

There was no more shots fired at those tanks. Instead one of the loaders was lost to artillery and the Shrek holder is keeping a low profile.

Other members of 1 Platoon are being pounded as well.

2 Platoon's trench teams run for it and are cut down or just give up.

[A Canadian Cat]

Some good news. The lone survivor of 2 Platoon HQ picked up his rifle and continued the fight. After throwing a grenade the made a break for saftey - directly towards the enemy. Right now 2 Platoon is commanded by Bauer but he is currently trying to out run Bren gun bullets.

Here is why 2 Platoon HQ decided to stay in the fight. He got some strong support from one of the retreating fire teams. They were looking good until the tank showed up.

A couple of HE shells later and a ton of MG fire and they gave up the fight.

The artillery barrage continued for the first half of the turn. 1 Platoon is now commanded by Klapp

Due to the artillery and the pounding that 2 Platoon took, I only have three non-broken fire teams left. As you can see those tanks are still blasting away as well.