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CM:BN Market Garden BETA AAR #2 - Axis


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G’day all, and welcome to my AAR against Cpl Carrot, showing off the Market Garden module for CMBN. I will be doing my AAR a little bit different to the normal, mine will be a Video AAR with me posting the links in this thread as well as discussing anything you might like to talk about in relation to this AAR. Please feel free to ask or request anything and I will try to accommodate you and answer any questions you might have.

Below is the mission briefing sent to me by the scenario designer Bil Hardenberger

--You have 1 Ko./1 PzG Bn as well as 5 Ko./2 Bn (Marine Shutzen) at your disposal. Your PzG Company is not all present at start but will come into your Area of operations (AO) over the next 10-15 minutes. The Marine's have a STuG platoon at their disposal.

--We will pull together as much as we can and send it your way, we might even have a King Tiger kicking around back here for you. We will also push forward a Pioneer platoon to help with any obstacle clearing. Expect reinforcements to trickle in over the next 20-25 minutes.

--The enemy force is approximately a battalion of British Paras defending the exit of the bridge and the city, crush them between your two separated forces and do it quickly before any enemy armor can arrive to reinforce them!

I hope you enjoy and here is the link to the first episode.

http://youtu.be/l1AeSBgzBVI

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That fire-fight in the town was pretty brutal. If the UK troops are para's I imagine the larger number of SMG's to the German rifles would have been an advantage. That and troop quality. What's the experience level of the German marine troops?

Thanks for posting, is good to watch the AAR in moving pictures.

-F

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Hi Johnsy

Thanks for spending the time putting this (and the future episodes) together. I have a request for you, the same one I made to Cpl Carrot, and he suggested you were most likely to be able to oblige, given the force mixes of the two sides. I would love to see units move about under bridges. Both under the spans of the suspension bridge that pass over land, and if possible, under (one or more of) the smaller bridge(s).

Do you know if the 6lber under the bridge that your Stummel was engaging could see you or not? I'm a bit mystified as to why they wouldn't have turned your XO's little splinter group's rides (at least) into swiss cheese from the very first turn; there's evidently LOS, since your troops could see the gun...

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The video AAR approach for a preview release should be an interesting twist for a change. Thanks for taking the time to put it together Johnsy.

That was a tough start there in the town. Urban fighting is always the deadliest. I predicted high casualties for this one. Perhaps you could have avoided so many proceeding with a bit more caution, and probing in the town. Those moves looked a bit rushed IMO charging in with lots of men at once into the unknown. 2hr is a long battle so there is lots of time.

Good luck.

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Just some random thoughts/comments/questions.

-I like the aggressive flanking movement with 1 platoon even after 2 platoon got its nose bloodied hard.

-It appears you are going hard in with your Kreigsmarine troops. I applaud that decision (as does, I'm quite sure, Ken) as it doesn't seem like they will be able to do much with their bolt action rifles and (I imagine) low morale. A quick push into town before force dispositions are discerned on both sides might be a way to avoid a heavy slog through those packed streets once things settle in.

-I wonder what you will do with the half tracks at the bridge approach. You alluded to a wait for armored reinforcements, I feel like that might be the best way of going about it. Have you considered dismounting your half-tracks before you make any sort of reconnaissance in force with them?

I hope that last question doesn't sound condescending, I am not usually very good with mechanized forces (or urban battles for that matter.)

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That fire-fight in the town was pretty brutal. If the UK troops are para's I imagine the larger number of SMG's to the German rifles would have been an advantage. That and troop quality. What's the experience level of the German marine troops?

Thanks for posting, is good to watch the AAR in moving pictures.

-F

All the German Marine troops are GREEN with leadership in the negative. It's going to be hard to do much with them until the Stug platoon arrives, so I've ordered them to hold positions until then.

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Hi Johnsy

Thanks for spending the time putting this (and the future episodes) together. I have a request for you, the same one I made to Cpl Carrot, and he suggested you were most likely to be able to oblige, given the force mixes of the two sides. I would love to see units move about under bridges. Both under the spans of the suspension bridge that pass over land, and if possible, under (one or more of) the smaller bridge(s).

Do you know if the 6lber under the bridge that your Stummel was engaging could see you or not? I'm a bit mystified as to why they wouldn't have turned your XO's little splinter group's rides (at least) into swiss cheese from the very first turn; there's evidently LOS, since your troops could see the gun...

Thanks mate, I'm glad that you're enjoying it. As to your request I have one unit parked under the big bridge and I'll try to remember to show you that.

As to the 6pdr AT gun, it was facing towards the Marine troops so if I understand spotting correctly it would have been looking in the wrong direction and wouldn't have seen the XO's group. It wouldn't have had time to turn around once the stummel turned up, and just for you info it doesn't survive much longer.

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The video AAR approach for a preview release should be an interesting twist for a change. Thanks for taking the time to put it together Johnsy.

That was a tough start there in the town. Urban fighting is always the deadliest. I predicted high casualties for this one. Perhaps you could have avoided so many proceeding with a bit more caution, and probing in the town. Those moves looked a bit rushed IMO charging in with lots of men at once into the unknown. 2hr is a long battle so there is lots of time.

Good luck.

Thanks mate, the urban fighting has been halted until reinforcements arrive.

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Good job Johnsy! The video is interesting and fun to follow, good presentation! Looking forward to additional installments.

FYI, I put in a request to sticky this thread, so that'll be taken care of when it reaches the top of Moon's inbox. ;)

Bil

Thanks Bil, I'm glad you like it, and thanks for the sticky request.

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Just some random thoughts/comments/questions.

-I like the aggressive flanking movement with 1 platoon even after 2 platoon got its nose bloodied hard.

-It appears you are going hard in with your Kreigsmarine troops. I applaud that decision (as does, I'm quite sure, Ken) as it doesn't seem like they will be able to do much with their bolt action rifles and (I imagine) low morale. A quick push into town before force dispositions are discerned on both sides might be a way to avoid a heavy slog through those packed streets once things settle in.

-I wonder what you will do with the half tracks at the bridge approach. You alluded to a wait for armored reinforcements, I feel like that might be the best way of going about it. Have you considered dismounting your half-tracks before you make any sort of reconnaissance in force with them?

I hope that last question doesn't sound condescending, I am not usually very good with mechanized forces (or urban battles for that matter.)

Thanks for that mate,

I have been thinking about dismounting and crossing the bridge on foot but I have about 15-20 minutes to think about it, whilst waiting for the Arty to arrive as well as the other reinforcements. I'm sending a kubel across in the next few turns just to stir the pot and see what the path finding across these big bridges are like.

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As to your request I have one unit parked under the big bridge and I'll try to remember to show you that.

Splendid! Ta.

As to the 6pdr AT gun, it was facing towards the Marine troops so if I understand spotting correctly it would have been looking in the wrong direction and wouldn't have seen the XO's group. It wouldn't have had time to turn around once the stummel turned up, and just for you info it doesn't survive much longer.

AIUI, ATGs don't have "tunnel vision", so it not pointing in the right direction should, at worst, have delayed their reaction. They don't even seem to start slewing the gun around, which I'd expect given the range to the Marines and the clear and present danger of the Stummel... I guess I'll just bug Cpl Carrot about it when he catches up with you :) I'm sure he won't miss the shelling (and eventual loss) of his asset :)

I'm sending a kubel across in the next few turns just to stir the pot and see what the path finding across these big bridges are like.

I'm sure your troops will applaud your didactic and exploratory attitude... ;)

A question has arisen in another thread: the smoke that popped when your Marines paniced; was that done by your order or the TacAI? Or was it from CC's side?

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All the German Marine troops are GREEN with leadership in the negative. It's going to be hard to do much with them until the Stug platoon arrives, so I've ordered them to hold positions until then.

With the quality of your troops, their weapons ( I thought I heard mostly rifles), and this environment you certainly have your work cut out for you. Tough mission for anyone.

In regard to the bridge, what are your smoke assets? Is wind direction favorable?

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