AAR - Defense in the Bocage

[Bil Hardenberger]

Many have asked me after previous AARs to do an AAR with me on the defensive... what follows is the fulfillment of that request. I hope you enjoy it.

This AAR from a game I recently played against one of my PBEM partners highlights defense in the bocage. The scenario is Sacrifice for a New Religion, if you plan on playing it then I recommend not reading this AAR until after you play it through. I played the Germans who are on defense in this scenario.

This map shows the objectives and the line representing my forward deployment zone. Note that I expect my opponent to attack across the entire front so I need to plan accordingly.

Normally I do not like to have a firm plan this early in the game instead preferring to wait until I get some intelligence on the enemy force, its movements, and what I can predict about my opponent's intent. This scenario however requires me to commit to a plan early, but as I like to do I am keeping as much back in reserve as possible in case an opportunity presents itself to me.

The following map shows my initial plan. I have three companies, 9 FJ Co., 12 FJ Weapons Co. (-) - made up of 4 HMG teams and one off map mortar battery, and a Marine Co. that is poor quality. According to the scenario briefing I can expect the US player to field at least a full infantry battalion perhaps with some support.

Defending a bocage line can be tricky. If your opponent can breach one segment of the line, the neighboring field's defenders can then be engaged with enfilade fire and it would then only be a matter of time before your entire defense collapses. To combat this eventuality I planned to defend with my best company forward, but in subsequent lines that I could fall back on if it looked like the enemy was getting ready to capture one of my defending fields. My hope was to be able to extricate my forward defenders before they got swamped with the superior firepower my opponent could concentrate and then be ready with my next line as he crested the previous line's hedgerow.

My intent is to treat this scenario like a delay operation and attempt to bleed the attacker white. In a delay you do not defend to the last man, but try to time the withdrawal of your units before the enemy can flank them and overpower them doing as much damage as possible before pulling back to the next defense line. The hope is to make the advance too costly for the attacker to continue.

Deployments and Initial Plan:

9 FJ Co. will be forward but with minimal units in the Forward Security line.. my hope for those forward defenders was not necessarily survival, but I wanted information and time... information to identify any concentrations and time to allow me to assemble an answer to them.

12 Company's assets will support the 9th Co. but only in the second, third, and final defense lines.

The Marine Co. will be my ace in the hole, initially defending the objectives I eventually want to bring it up to the third defense line and ready for any contingencies.

The following image shows my initial movements, the Marines are moving forward from their setup zones and two teams from 3 Zug are moving to the first line from their setup zone.

Two squads from each of the 9th Co. Platoons are on the First Line (broken down into teams) with one squad in reserve for each along with the platoon's 81mm mortar.

[Cuirassier]

Nice to see you doing a defense AAR Bill. Any local counterattacks planned?

[sburke]

Nice, I've played this one once as the allies. They have their work cut out for them. Fun scenario

[Fizou]

Great! Looking forward to following this one

[Bil Hardenberger]

Nice to see you doing a defense AAR Bill. Any local counterattacks planned?

Not at this stage.

[Bil Hardenberger]

The First Minute

Make initial contact with the smallest force possible.

FM 3-90 Tactics

The action started off within seconds of the turn starting... it was concentrated on my extreme right with 1st Squad of 1 Zug/9 FJ Co. specifically Team B which was providing security over the long thin field on my right that sat on the map edge.

This image shows the deployment of 1 Squad/1 Zug:

The enemy they encountered were parts of a platoon, two or three squads worth actually. I will let this Video of the Action tell the story.

At turn end I had a few other contacts, an HMG team, another squad and UI contact on the left flank... my two teams from 3 Zug had pushed up and taken up overwatch positions over this sector of the AO. Here is an overview of the current situation:

[Cuirassier]

Your opponent clearly wasn't expecting contact that close to his front.

[sburke]

curious, I would likely have set that team with a covered arc maybe 3/4 of the way down the field to let the enemy move further into the kill zone and then dropped the arc on the next turn. It seemed from the video that these guys opened up immediately upon spotting the enemy. The damage was still severe what with the whole squad moving into the open. Do you tend to avoid allowing the enemy time to potentially set up or even spot your unit or was this just a matter of getting them into position and allowing for any possibility?

[Jack Ration]

As usual, very nice graphics and video accompaniment.

Was the video cropped or is that using the full screen option in game? - very well done.

Good luck with it.

[Bil Hardenberger]

As usual, very nice graphics and video accompaniment.

Was the video cropped or is that using the full screen option in game? - very well done.

Good luck with it.

Jack, Yep cropped and edited in Premiere. Thanks!

[Bil Hardenberger]

Your opponent clearly wasn't expecting contact that close to his front.

Clearly.. its funny as we were setting this up he sent me an email wondering how close I could set up.

[Bil Hardenberger]

curious, I would likely have set that team with a covered arc maybe 3/4 of the way down the field to let the enemy move further into the kill zone and then dropped the arc on the next turn. It seemed from the video that these guys opened up immediately upon spotting the enemy. The damage was still severe what with the whole squad moving into the open.

They opened up prior to the enemy squad even moving through the hedgerow.

Do you tend to avoid allowing the enemy time to potentially set up or even spot your unit or was this just a matter of getting them into position and allowing for any possibility?

In this battle I used no covered arcs and except for a few special instances I let my troops choose their own targets. I didn't want to restrict their action in any way.

Bil

[db_zero]

I'm playing Green Hell as the Americans against an opponent. I had to give my medium and heavy MGs covered arc commands to stop them from shooting at distant tanks and exposing their positions from return fire. Just make sure you don't forget about it when you need them to open up.

I also put most of my units in hide mode as they could be spotted at distance. When my opponent closed in I wondered why they weren't returning fire. I then realized they were hiding and turned off the hide command.

They caught a bunch of advancing German paras and cut them down. Seems like using hide carefully you can spring some nasty ambushes.

[Bil Hardenberger]

The Second Minute

At the beginning of this turn I was able to do some BDA from last turn's action... as can be seen one squad took six casualties while what I think was an HQ team (Platoon most likely) took two. Now these are only the casualties I can see there could be more.

These images show the map at the start of turn 2 and at the end. Note the two enemy troops concentrations one of either flank.

On my right it looks like at least two platoons, and probably a full company is trying to overwhelm 1 Zug. Currently the enemy is in contact with only one three man team. That team was taken under enemy fire this turn and was pinned at turn end. This will make extricating them problematic, so I am going to bring an HQ team on line next to them to provide a little assistance and hopefully get them to a point where they can move back to the next line.

On my left I have activity from what appears to be another Rifle Platoon. One of these enemy squads runs across one of the fields on the left and falls within the kill zone of 3 Zug.

Watch the action in this Video

OBSERVATION: My opponent does not appear to be splitting his squads and this is making it easy to identify the size of enemy troop concentrations. Nor does he appear to be doing any scouting prior to any major movement. In this type of battle, you need to find out where the enemy is before you commit to a movement. If you know where he must be, like in this battle, you at least have to discover in what strength. Send a two or three man scout team forward to ascertain enemy strength, but not before having a base of fire that can pour fire into an obstacle like the hedgerows on this map if the recon team comes under fire. The US Squads in particular will have an advantage over the German teams in short range combat, especially if the US player is able to mass more than one squad against a hedgerow at a time.

Here is another angle of the map, clearly showing the enemy troop concentrations. By the way all of the unit symbols are platoons, or suspected enemy platoons. Watching contacts through time, either during one turn or over several can help you determine enemy intentions.

[sfhand]

Bil, thanks for yet another excellent AAR (and for your Battle Drill blog). Is there any chance you can delve into a terrain assessment of this map? I know you're a busy guy and so I was/am somewhat reluctant to ask, perhaps you could comment on terrain features using your deployment images rather than new content (I'm hoping there is a way you can do this that wouldn't require a ton of effort on your part). Or maybe there are specific things an attacker or defender looks for that are unique to bocage? Regardless of where you come down on this request thank you for your seemingly tireless efforts to help us all better understand the complexities of the game.

[Kilroy Lurking]

Interesting.

By chance I am playing this at the moment, but from the Allied side against the AI. I have got to the stage where I have just about cleared the the middle defence line (The rear of your Zug 1,2&3) and am planning (wondering) where to make the next push.

SPOILER ALERT!

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My Initial plan was to push on both flanks and probe in the centre holding two Companies in reserve. The push on the left was problematic as I failed to get good LoS with mortars on the troops in the small angled boccage and took around 40% casualties storming these little fields. The Right Flank was fairly simple ,once my two man scout team had identified the enemy and a supporting Platoon got pounded by RPG? fire, and withdrew, a mortar was sneaked in and on the third "Turn" of fire three Platoons assaulted the line, and then cleared out the lane up to the junction in the centre.

In the meantime my probing Company in the centre was effectively neutralised as an attacking force by enemy mortar fire. I had a scout team support by its Platoon, area firing on the boccage line to the left of the junction of the boccage lanes. The rest of that Company were lined up behind the boccage line in hide mode ready to assault (Except for the Mortar unit that somehow failed to start and was catching up). The first barrage of mortar fire was spot on and the rest was history.

At this stage, as I had suspected, an attack up the right flank looked to be not a good idea owing to lack of cover and sweeping enemy fields of fire, so my two reserve Companies are going, one to the left flank and the other up the centre lane as the junction area is now cleared.

Worth noting in this Battle the AI set up the enemy in strength along the centre line lane and in the small fields on my left flank, but with no units forward of these defences.

David

[PhilM]

Interesting.

By chance I am playing this at the moment, but from the Allied side against the AI. I have got to the stage where I have just about cleared the the middle defence line (The rear of your Zug 1,2&3) and am planning (wondering) where to make the next push.

SPOILER ALERT!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

My Initial plan was to push on both flanks and probe in the centre holding two Companies in reserve. The push on the left was problematic as I failed to get good LoS with mortars on the troops in the small angled boccage and took around 40% casualties storming these little fields. The Right Flank was fairly simple ,once my two man scout team had identified the enemy and a supporting Platoon got pounded by RPG? fire, and withdrew, a mortar was sneaked in and on the third "Turn" of fire three Platoons assaulted the line, and then cleared out the lane up to the junction in the centre.

In the meantime my probing Company in the centre was effectively neutralised as an attacking force by enemy mortar fire. I had a scout team support by its Platoon, area firing on the boccage line to the left of the junction of the boccage lanes. The rest of that Company were lined up behind the boccage line in hide mode ready to assault (Except for the Mortar unit that somehow failed to start and was catching up). The first barrage of mortar fire was spot on and the rest was history.

At this stage, as I had suspected, an attack up the right flank looked to be not a good idea owing to lack of cover and sweeping enemy fields of fire, so my two reserve Companies are going, one to the left flank and the other up the centre lane as the junction area is now cleared.

Worth noting in this Battle the AI set up the enemy in strength along the centre line lane and in the small fields on my left flank, but with no units forward of these defences.

David

I don't know how everyone else feels about this - and I don't want to sound rude - but I hope this is the last of posts "from the other side" in this thread.

I know you did helpfully make a prominent "spoiler alert" warning, but I want to see how Bill copes (masterfully, I expect!) with the game's developments and surprises, if he gets any, as it goes along.

Can we keep this thread for Bill's posts and our questions and comments on them, rather than adding stuff that neither Bill nor we (I) want to know just now?

[para]

I'm playing Green Hell as the Americans against an opponent. I had to give my medium and heavy MGs covered arc commands to stop them from shooting at distant tanks and exposing their positions from return fire. Just make sure you don't forget about it when you need them to open up.

I also put most of my units in hide mode as they could be spotted at distance. When my opponent closed in I wondered why they weren't returning fire. I then realized they were hiding and turned off the hide command.

They caught a bunch of advancing German paras and cut them down. Seems like using hide carefully you can spring some nasty ambushes.

You shall pay for that bit of skullduggery Mr db_zero

[ASL Veteran]

I know you did helpfully make a prominent "spoiler alert" warning, but I want to see how Bill copes (masterfully, I expect!) with the game's developments and surprises, if he gets any, as it goes along.

I think Bil indicated that the battle was already complete.

[Bil Hardenberger]

Yeah this game has been completed, no spoilers for me.. might be if others, like Phil don't want to know yet.

[Bil Hardenberger]

Bil, thanks for yet another excellent AAR (and for your Battle Drill blog). Is there any chance you can delve into a terrain assessment of this map? I know you're a busy guy and so I was/am somewhat reluctant to ask, perhaps you could comment on terrain features using your deployment images rather than new content (I'm hoping there is a way you can do this that wouldn't require a ton of effort on your part). Or maybe there are specific things an attacker or defender looks for that are unique to bocage? Regardless of where you come down on this request thank you for your seemingly tireless efforts to help us all better understand the complexities of the game.

sf, mind if I call you sf?

I hope this suffices:

Basically when I am the German player on defense in bocage or even close terrain (urban, woods, etc.) I am looking for long engagement ranges, I want to keep the US player at arms length as his close in firepower can be overwhelming. With almost every German team fielding an LMG it will not take many units to provide an effective defense, and I planned on being flexible and giving ground as required.

In this map you can see that I have every opening in the hedgerow covered by long range fire, sometimes by multiple teams. The teams on my left do not have LMGs, but I wasn't planning on them holding out so much as being an early warning asset.

Team Y in the center is the hinge pin.. if he falls then Field 1 (F1), F3, F2, and probably F4 will have to be abandoned and those units will have to pull back.. the reason? Because then the US player can use the hedgerows in F1 to attack my units on the F4 hedge (teams C and A) with concentrated short range fire. He doesn't need to kill them, just pin them and follow that up with an assault. Also if Y team falls then the teams covering F2 will be in trouble as he can engage them with enfilade fire. That path through the trees that team Y is covering is a dangerous approach as it allows the US player to avoid those long range exchanges of fire.. I have an answer for that approach but I don't want to share it yet.

If I was the US player I would look for the angles that give me the closest approach to a potentially defended hedgerow so the long range firepower of the MG-42s is nullified.

[PhilM]

Yeah this game has been completed, no spoilers for me.. might be if others, like Phil don't want to know yet.

Yeah, sorry I didn't clarify my thoughts before I wrote (not a good idea!), and hence conflated two aspects:

- wishing to maintain my ignorance of the other side's position;

- despite it being an AAR (i.e. after action), and so no "actual" spoiler for you Bill, advance presentation of some opposition aspects might compromise how developments which arose at the time are presented in the AAR.

But anyway, I would just prefer the thread to stick to the view from one side, with any views from the other side being in a separate thread which I can catch up with afterwards.

Though, as it's not my thread, I'll butt out now ...

[SpeakEasy]

I am interested to see what your additional defensive measure is that protects the covered avenue guarded by team Y.

As always, great AAR Bill. I very much enjoy the breakdown in tactics. It is very helpful to the common CMBN player.

[sfhand]

sf, mind if I call you sf?

I hope this suffices:

Basically when I am the German player on defense in bocage or even close terrain (urban, woods, etc.) I am looking for long engagement ranges, I want to keep the US player at arms length as his close in firepower can be overwhelming. With almost every German team fielding an LMG it will not take many units to provide an effective defense, and I planned on being flexible and giving ground as required.

In this map you can see that I have every opening in the hedgerow covered by long range fire, sometimes by multiple teams. The teams on my left do not have LMGs, but I wasn't planning on them holding out so much as being an early warning asset.

Team Y in the center is the hinge pin.. if he falls then Field 1 (F1), F3, F2, and probably F4 will have to be abandoned and those units will have to pull back.. the reason? Because then the US player can use the hedgerows in F1 to attack my units on the F4 hedge (teams C and A) with concentrated short range fire. He doesn't need to kill them, just pin them and follow that up with an assault. Also if Y team falls then the teams covering F2 will be in trouble as he can engage them with enfilade fire. That path through the trees that team Y is covering is a dangerous approach as it allows the US player to avoid those long range exchanges of fire.. I have an answer for that approach but I don't want to share it yet.

If I was the US player I would look for the angles that give me the closest approach to a potentially defended hedgerow so the long range firepower of the MG-42s is nullified.

Bil, thank you so much! This is exactly what I was hoping for when I made the request. I am fine with being called sf, but you good sir, can call me anything you want. If you keep this up you may even find me openly rooting for you in your next AAR against c3k

[db_zero]

You shall pay for that bit of skullduggery Mr db_zero

I wish I could say it was intentional and skullduggery, but it was sheer dumb blind luck. Its one of those things you discover by accident. There are a lot of things you just "find out" along the way.

I think it also helps if you have what they call in the NFL " A cornerback mentality" You often get burned no matter how good you you cover a wide receiver, but you have to have a short memory and forget about it and move on.

I just lost a very close game-one of many I've lost and I just pretty much wiped it out of my memory-although I'll remember some of the salient points I learned along the way.

As for our game-me thinks you're a bit short on infantry (paras) than you'd like , but what's left is still dangerous.

As for my pixeltroops they are now going about their new found sport of "tank plinking"