The Road to Nijmegen Mission 2 (SPOILERS)

[owenjones]

I recently lost this battle and was wondering if I could get some advice as to what worked for you guys.

The battle went as follows:

• Sent 1st 2nd and 3rd platoons to take Stuwwal farm https://www.dropbox.com/s/8c75c4ei6bcs1lh/CM%20Normandy%202013-11-04%2020-44-55-42.bmp
  
• This goes well, take it with light casualties from 1st and 2nd, 3rd platoon in reserve
  
• During this battle a mobile AA is scene retreating towards Breedweg Farm
  
• After Stuwwal is mine, my FO in the tallest building in the farm can spot the mobile AA as well as a German armored car in Breedweg
  
• This is where I think the battle starts coming apart for me
  
• I use my mortar squads to destroy the AA and call in smoke to start moving 1st 2nd and 3rd through this orchard: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uypypqqlgzemuaz/CM%20Normandy%202013-11-04%2020-45-20-99.bmp. I can't really get any LOS for covering fire at all so I've called in smoke and artillery fire from battalion mortars on Breedweg
  
• 1st 2nd and 3rd cross the open fields in bounds and the artillery has suppressed the Germans a little but I take some casualties and the process takes a very long time(50 meters quick move with 30 second waits as per Bil's esteemed advice)
  
• Finally Typhoons are called in on Breedweg and I move 1st and 2nd down this field in the back of the farm with 3rd in support: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lloianrl46wbxmq/CM%20Normandy%202013-11-04%2020-45-34-07.bmp
  
• There are multiple German MG emplacements as well as fortified troops and this process takes an excruciatingly long time with a lot of casualties
  
• Finally with the Germans routing, the mission ends, out of time with basically my forces intake and the Germans routed (as per the Review Map screen) but in possession of none of the Breedweg victory points.
  

I'm not sure how I could've crossed the fields quicker with an acceptable number of casualties than I did. Once my company was in Breedweg and recovered from the long slog, I didn't have time to really scout any avenues of attack and had to choose between the long narrow road (hard to mass fire for me and high possibility of MGs in keyhole positions) and the field (easy for me to mass fire probable MG positions)

How were you guys able to tackle this one? Thanks for any advice!

[Pete Wenman]

I won this with a major victory if I recall correctly.

One platoon was sent to Stuwwal farm to cautiously clear it, while the other two platoons started to slowly move towards Breedweg, but going to ground upon taking a casualty or two.

I reinforced the Stuwwal platoon with an additional squad, but in the end was able to release it back to it's platoon. Once the Stuwwal farm was secure I left the platoon there to occupy it, but set both the MG and mortar up so that they had good LOS into Breedweg.

The other two platoons then moved down to Breedweg to the NW of the bocage/hedgerow moving into the line of buildings, which were then used as a jump off point for attacks on north then south Breedweg farms. (One platoon each in that order).

Once this was complete the Germans were losing cohesion and a sweep through the remaining objective saw that cleared and the armoured car taken out by a bazooka shot.

The Germans then surrendered.

P

[owenjones]

I considered splitting the company but it seemed so risky, especially in hindsight!

The platoon taking Stuwwel could've been undermanned to take the farm

The AA could've stuck around Stuwwell and really out the hurt in them

Conversely it could've caught the other two platoons in the open as they crossed!

Also then pretty much any engagement would be full without reserves!

If you won then I guess it was the right choice though

Was this sort of thing done for real in the field and at such great distances?

[Pete Wenman]

I use a couple of rules of thumb to create my battle plans.

1. A platoon is generally good for one set piece attack

2. Understand what you face before committing all forces

3. Look to rotate attacking units and create a local reserve.

As such one platoon moved to Stuwwel, as a cautious probe. The remaining two platoons as such being their local reserve.

Manoeuvre allowed the platoon to gain fire superiority and clear the farm without too much difficulty, but it took a while.

Given the orders where to deny Stuwwel to the enemy it seemed sensible to leave the platoon at the farm to ensure the enemy did not re-occupy it.

This has the added advantage that this platoon become the local reserve for the other two platoons now starting to move on Breedweg.

These moved with one squad up (and split) and two providing overwatch and then leapfroging forward. Again rotating the lead squad until contact was made.

The distance from Stuwwel to Breedweg is about 800m, which allowed the MG and mortars to fire in support without issue, and had it been needed would have been only a couple of minutes run should additional troops have been needed.

In this instance the plan worked, but it doesn't always !

P

[Lets_All_Fight]

I found this a hard battle. I got a total Victory, but it came at a cost. I whacked the farm with the full company at the beginning in order to neutralize it quickly, which I did with very light causalities (1 dead, 4 wounded IIRC,) but the move across the fields was much more fraught. Although I took out the mobile AA with a single, very lucky burst from a MG, the armoured car proved a much harder opponent until a bazooka finally did for him. My move into the village once the AC was killed was fairly bloody and I lost a lot of men, but once I had a foothold I slaughtered the defenders. They just crumbled at the end. It was a turkey shoot.