War Stories

[Darstand]

First game: The Last Defense as US Minor Allied Victory. Most interesting parts; 60mm mortar immobilizes a Stug III with a near miss.

Second Game: Reisberg as Germans Total Axis victory. Most interesting part, HVY SMG squad kills 28 Allied troops! Give those guys a medal!

Third Game: The Last Defense as Germans Draw. Most interesting part, None. A bloody ugly fight.

Fourth Game: Reisberg as US Total Allied Victory. Most interesting part I manage to keep all my Shermans alive! One immobilized but in good battle field position continues to contribute to the rest of the game.

Fifth Game: the Last Defense as US Total Allied Victory. Most interesting parts, I shoot a Tiger in the rear with a Zoka! Two Half-tracks taken out with 60mm mortars.

Please try to keep your stories brief.

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"Armchair Generals never lose any men"-Darstand

[TangoYankee]

First game ever: The Last Defense as Ger.

Clicking on my overconfident Tiger sitting in scattered trees and wondering why all of a sudden it wouldn't respond. Oh, the Allies got tanks too. That sucks....

Next (revenge) game: Reisberg as Ger.

Flanking the Allies until they're a pocket a couple hundred meteres square and crushing them.

[kingtiger]

It was the "Last Defence" and everything would go as planned for me. Then machine gun fire and artillery shells pummeled my half-tracks on the main road and forced all my tank passengers to disembark. Eventually, when the M18's arrived they brewed-up (unbelieveable) all three of my tanks and every remaining Halftrack. I guess things didn't go as planned.

Richard Kalajian

[johnnymo]

First game ever, Last Defense:

Popped a 60mm mortar shell right into a German halftrack while trying to suppress infantry. I think this was my first kill, and it HOOKED me! I was watching CLOSELY when it happened since I was waiting for the halftrack to clear the woods so my Bazooka could open up. I even saw the shell coming down, then the explosion, then thought "NO WAY!!!", replayed again 2-3 times to be sure it wasn't something else, but sure enough "Top Penetration", and the angle of the shell, convinced me it was the mortar.

Second game, Last Defense:

Ambushed a halftrack on the right flank with my Bazooka (about 90m). Watched from the victim's view as it took the hit, then ground slowly to a halt, skewing to the side. Very satisfying, and my first successful Ambush.

Second game, later:

Had Bazooka ambush set up for Tiger. In the house, an HQ and a Baz, both hiding and unspotted. Tiger is heading south, so I'm just about to get a flank shot at about 120m (I'm rubbing my hands, cackling "Come on, just a bit more..."), when into the house runs CRAZY LOONY Panicked HQ. I was watching from just behind the Bazooka team's perspective when he popped up right in front of me! He had been hiding behind a wall, but got so scared he looked for closer cover, and decided to pick my Ambush house. I'm actually yelling and waving at the computer "NO! NO! GET OUT OF HERE! NO!" as the Tiger (and his infantry and HT buddies) turn and blow the *%#& out of me. The Ambush failed, but the Panicked HQ survived by fleeing the scene of the crime.

What a cool game!

[krm]

Riesberg: Lost about 15men, two mortars, and an 88 to a massive allied barrage that consisted of everything they had. Prior to this I had knocked out all 4 Shermans and it seemed the AI wanted revenge. Managed to pull of an axis victory.

Last Defense: As US. Germans causing hell when Hellcats showup, destroy every German vehicle except the Tiger, which flees into the woods and is never seen again.

[Mike Zeares]

Last Defense, Allied, Second game: Mortars took out all HT's. Both Stugs taken out by bazookas. Tiger hit at least 20 times by Hellcats, crew abandoned it after hits to track (immobilized) and main gun. Counter-attacked Panzergrenadiers, German surrendered. Total victory.

Last Defense, Allied, Third game: Tiger wasted all three Hellcats from long range. Infantry got around right flank, but I held on to most of the objectives. Game ended with minor Allied victory (51 points to 45).

Last Defense, Axis, first game: Tried to take the American forward positions by speed and shock. Worked, but Tiger got too close, and was knocked out by Hellcats after it killed one of them. Crew survived, used them as infantry. Laid smoke all over to cover my last Stug. Stug got into town, "hunted" around a corner and got both remaining Hellcats. Took 57 prisoners. Total Axis victory.

-- Mike Zeares

[Mike W]

First game: US Reisberg. Won the old fashoned way; used three Shermans to concentrate fire house by house. Took out heavy machine gun on roof by destroying the building.

[Vetch]

Third game. Last Defense as Allies versus the computer. Watched in horror as a StuG blew right past my bazooka team lying in ambush in a house by the side of the road then laughed with glee when the StuG decided to park about 15 meters past the house and the little guy inside promptly spun around and put one right through the trunk from point-blank range.

My third time playing Riesberg (first time playing as the Germans): The sole survivor of one of my SMG teams crawls frantically away from a Sherman and about 60 Americans into a house in the first row of town. As he nears the house, the sole surviving member of an American rifle squad runs right past him into the same house, not even seeing him because the German soldier is crawling. On the next turn, the German soldier makes it into the house behind the American, raises his submachine gun, and brrrrrrp, nails the American in the back. I couldn't believe it.

Vetch

[Thomas Davie]

Playing the Last Defense as the US PBEM, and set up the 3 US bazooka teams in what I hope will be a forward ambush against some German vehicles. My teams move forward and rush into the woods, hopefully occupying good ambush positions. All three of my bazooka teams had German squads slip by them, and they ALL got gunned down in the back. You know who you are

Tom

ah, they were expendable anyways.

[Fionn]

Hell,

I got an autosave movie file from someone showing a bug (which I've passed on) in which a Tiger was on Turn 22 just entering the village in Last Defence.

Well a US HMG team came running out of a house 10 metres away so the Tiger fired its Nahverteidigungswaffe (92mm short-barreled, cupola-mounted HE/smoke mortar). Anyways it creamed two men from the mortar team but what was MOST interesting was when I clicked on INFO/KILLS.

This Tiger had waxed 2 Hellcats and FOURTY-ONE infantry... I think this was being played with FOW off since the Tiger had perfect intel on all the enemy but 41 infantry kills is an entire US infantry platoon.

Three 12 man squad plus a 4 man platoon HQ = 40 men.

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Fionn Kelly

Manager of Historical Research,

The Gamers Net - Gaming for Gamers

[Fionn]

In one of my PBEMs I had a half-track SURVIVE a bazooka hit and only lose 5 of the infantry it carried ..

Of course, later on in that game a 60mm mortar lucky shot creamed one of my HTs..

Ah well, revenge will be mine against that opponent too. I haven't used my arty yet but I will

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Fionn Kelly

Manager of Historical Research,

The Gamers Net - Gaming for Gamers

[Webs]

Finallllly won LastDef as German on my third try.

First two times I'd tried to set up an ambush for the Hellcats. Both times my unbuttoned AFVs waited for my infantry to spot the Hellcats. I timed a coordinated attack and plunk, plunk, plunk - both times I lost all my AFVs in short order. At least the 81/105mm get them, but I still lost.

Third time, I set up a Stug at the top of the road with a couple of MG42 teams and a HT to flush out any US in the objective house on the left. Not seeing any 'zookas, I went down the left side with my Tiger leading a Stug and two HTs, carefully staying >200m from any contacts.

I detroyed the objective with tank guns, and watched three squads run away. I moved my right-side Stug down to the trees to watch for Hellcats (maybe this time...) and my other armor waited while my infantry rooted out the woods. Whaddya know! A dead 'zooka team.

The Hellcats came. I traded that one Stug for a Hellcat (yay!) instantaneously. I threw all my artillery at the Hellcats while my armor waited, nicely screened from the Hellcats by the woods lining the road.

My artillery took out one more Hellcat and buttined the other. I decided to push it and moved my Stug and Tiger out to challenge the remaining one. Tiger got it, but was lost, too.

My last Stug and HTs ran wild. I lost one HT to a suicide infantry squad, and my Stug had run out of MG ammo.

US morale was pitiful, but I hadn't yet crossed the wheat with my right. The Stug was moving in to eliminate a US MG team blocking my infantry advance when a previously routed green US 'zooka dweeb took out its gun. No MG left either. What to do? I sent the Stug in next to the building the MG was in, hoping to draw fire and block his view. Instead the MG surrendered.

I never got to the bridge, but I won a total victory and suffered only 46 casualties (10 dead). It would have been a lot less had I decided not to push out a half-platoon that wasn't really a threat....

Sorry for the length. Morale: That's one nice road on the German left....

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Laurie Nyveen a.k.a. Webs, member of the WarBirds training staff

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Editor, Netsurfer Digest - http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/index.html

101 Sqn opus-in-progress - http://101.warbirds.org/

[argie]

2nd. game in Last Defense: i´m the jerries' boss. I'm cautiously advancing my infantry trough woods. My armour is deploying behind at left of the first stone house. Only my Tiger was on the road. Suddenly, the Hellcats appears in front of it, without LOS from my Stugs. Sec. 15: the Tiger rotates your turret to Hellcats. Sec. 45: Two Hellcats burning, one knocked out...???

Total Victory, of course.

[argie]

Don't used to be a editing feature in this forum?

[Rick]

I was waiting for a thread.

Riesberg scenario, I won a total victory most interesting part: I had already knocked out one Sherman. I had the outpost team on the road an 88 at the beginning of the road and a panzerschreck in the corner house nearest the outpost team. One of the remaining Shermans was heading straight down the road, the other two were zig-zagging back and forth aross the road. When they hit the ambush spot all H*** broke loose. In the most intense fire fight I've seen all three tanks got wiped out but so did the entire outpost team in just over 2 minutes. One spot on the screen was solid yellow with tracers.

[Zulu]

LAST DEFENCE – Battle # 7

We knew that the Krauts were coming. G-2 had advised us that aerial recon had spotted some tanks and infantry coming our way. Unfortunately, crappy weather rolled in and the flyboys got socked in, so we can expect no air support.

The only good news is that Colonel Jarvis cut loose some reinforcements. A tank destroyer platoon with some infantry is due at 1400. Hope we can hold out that long.

We don’t have a lot to hold St. Jerome. Our orders are clear, “Hold or Delay at All Costs”. The bridge is the only way across the river for 30 km on either side. If this probe gets through us, the main thrust will come through here. If the Panthers get loose behind our lines they will have a field day. There’s supply columns galore just 15 km back. They would be slaughtered like sheep.

The Major spread us our pretty thin. Our 3 bazookas are placed, one in the forward O.P., one behind the stone wall, and one on the right flank. The squads are placed in the same areas. We have our 1 heavy mg up in the 2nd floor of the bakery. Gene has a good look up the main road. One 30cal mg is placed on the left flank where it can cover Hill 219. The other 2 are on the right flank, covering the north tree line. We put the 3 mortars back on the other side of the river, flanking the road into town. It’s all we got, I pray it’s enough.

Damn, we just got word from the mortar squads. Mortar Able reports lots of movement to the north, tanks, armored cars, infantry. Looks like it’s really gonna hit the fan. Everyone’s supposed to keep their heads down. Our only hope is to ambush the tanks.

Pop, pop, pop, there go the mortars. They’re hoping to suppress the infantry and maybe hurt the armor. So far no return fire, our mortars are hidden well. An explosion, and a plume of smoke. Mortar Baker reports they killed an armored car. Well we got first blood but now the krauts know we’re here for sure.

More reports coming in. Looks like the kraut commander knows what he’s doing. The tanks split up and we are facing a 3-pronged attack, on both flanks and up the middle. Mortar Able confirms that one tank is a Tiger, that’s very bad news. The only way the bazookas can kill it is with a flank or back shot.

The krauts are moving up closer, probing on all 3 sides. The o.p. is spotted and comes under heavy fire. I see one bazooka rocket launch at the middle tank. It missed and the tank opens up. I think it’s a Stug, more bad news. They’re assault tanks with lot’s of HE. Now the o.p. is burning and getting pounded bad. Looks like we lost the bazooka team and the rifle squad there. Now the Tiger opens up on the right flank. They’re spotted the ambush teams out there. German mg’s open up on those poor guys too. They’re getting cut to shreads. I hear one of our mg’s open up on the krauts on the left flank. He rips em up some. Then a kraut tank pops up out there and opens up on our mg. Damn, another Stug. He’s blowing the crap outta the mg’s position. Our mg’s fire falters and then comes back, falters again, fires again. Bobby’s got big ones, he won’t quit!

Everyone is opening up now. They realize it’s now do or die. WHAM! WHAM! BOOM! Aw hell, incoming artillery. What more can they throw at us? Shells are falling everywhere. I hear ours guys screaming as they get hit. But we’re giving it back. I see krauts getting hit. The 50cal lights up an armored car. Spud’s must have hit the fuel tank. The crew bails out along with the squad. Spud’s cuts some of them down. Then both Stugs open up on Spud’s position. The building dissolves in a series of explosions. One more gone.

Suddenly the Stug in the middle blows up in spectacular fashion. Flames and explosions engulf it. What a horrible way to die. Man, I hope I don’t burn! The second Stug stops shooting. I see wisps on smoke coming from it. Then the crew bails out. Yahoo, the cavalry has arrived. This slackens the German attack somewhat. It must have shaken them to see 3 of their armor get killed when their attack was going so well. Off to the right, I hear a loud crack. Then another. A scrang screech as a shell hits the Tiger, but it keeps shooting. Another hit, how do you kill that sucker? More screeching metal and the Tiger slews sideways. They got it! But the big turret turns and fires. I look over my shoulder and see plumes of smoke on the horizon. Mortar Able radios that all 3 Hellcats are dead. The Tiger can’t move but it keeps pounding us. Man, will this never end? I look at my watch, wow, we’ve only been fighting for 14 minutes.

The krauts open up again and start coming at us. I see Billy grab the bazooka and run out to the trees. He’s spotted and gets hit and falls, but gets up. Bullets and explosions surround him. He slowly raises the bazooka. The big turret is swinging towards him. The rocket slams into the side of the Tiger and it starts burning. Then mg’s cut Billy down.

Aftermath

A sort of truce took place after a while. I don’t think anybody had much of anything left. Most of our guys were out or down to their last few clips, those that were still alive. We tended to our wounded and marked the dead. The Germans did the same. They loaded up their badly wounded on the 2 remaining half tracks and carried out what they could. St. Jerome is mostly destroyed. The artillery and the tanks hit most every building. We lost 52 kia and 30 seriously wounded. Plus the 3 Hellcats. Those tankers saved our butts. From what we can tell, the Germans lost 3 tanks, 2 armored cars and about the same number of troops as we did. Those guys were very good, especially that Tiger. He caused us a lot of hurt. If Billy hadn’t of got him, well I don’t know how we could have stopped them. But our guys fought hard too, I’m proud to say. It cost us dearly but we held.

The Major recommended Billy for the Medal of Honor. The Colonel said he will endorse it. Small comfort to his wife and kids, I know. I hope that the French will honor the men who died here, maybe in time on both sides. I hope it was all worth it. I feel proud to have fought with such men. Rest in Peace, Brothers!

[risc]

First game: Last Defense vs Allies

Turn 12, M18s show up and clean me up,

pretty badly. After that my infantry pretty

much lost interest in fighting. Major Allied

Victory.

Second game: Reisberg vs Allies

One hell of a fight. Lost both 88s but Allies lost 3 Shermans and lot of infantry platoons. The pressure was very high in this scenario. The key to the success was for me to place my infantry a lots of different places which caused allies a lot of casualties.

Third game: Last Defence vs Allies

Stayed calm until M18s showed up. This time

my Tiger was at least 800m evey, and it brought some fruit. It poped all M18s like a coke cans whithout any damage. All the M18 shells either bounced off or broke on impact without any damage on Tiger. I had until that time kept the Stugs behind which now together with Tiger went on offensive. I still however managed to upp off only Axis minor victory. Lost some HT as well as one Stug and some infantry.

I think I like to play the Last Defense more than Reisberg.

Peter

[Fionn]

One of my PBEM opponents tried to be smart in Last Defence and push a MAJOR bazooka ambush into the woods directly in front of the wheatfield through which the main german attack must come.

unfortunately for him I've been sticking to the spirit of my orders and roleplaying a German CO wanting desperately to force a breakthrough so my tanks got to the turning point in the road in front of the village just at the end of the first turn in time to see a US bazooka team enter the woods about 40 metres away.

Fortunately I'd run my infantry into the woods in my desparate advance and they were just entering the woods 30 or so metres from the US bazooka team.

I ordered my tanks to jink hard left so as to get out of zook range and ordered the SS infantry platoon which was just entering the woods to walk forwards hoping they'd run into the zook team and kill it.

OH BOY was I happy when I saw THREE US infantry units in the trees. I closed and the tacAI stopped my men from advancing as they brought fire to bear. In literally five seconds I had wiped out the 3 US bazooka teams.

The way into the village is now clear. It is time for my tanks to literally crush his infantry from close range.

It was a gutsy move. If it had worked I'd have lost but like so many gutsy moves if it doesn't work then you lose.

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Fionn Kelly

Manager of Historical Research,

The Gamers Net - Gaming for Gamers

[guachi]

Has anybody tried driving the German armor and 1/2-tracks like a maniac down the paved road and dirt road into town?

I want to try and see if I make it all the way to the end of the map where the 60-mm mortars are setup.

I think these small demo scenarios are the perfect opportunity to try off the wall tactics.

I figure I'd load up five squads, two HQs, and two MGs and see what happened.

Jason

[mike_in_texas]

First Game: Last Defense vs. Americans (Computer) Lost all three tanks on same turn Hellcats appeared.

Second Game: Last Defense vs. Americans (Computer) Needless to say, I was a bit more cautious this time around, and pulled off a minor Axis victory.

Third Game: Riesberg vs. Americans (Computer) Won a major Axis victory with heavy casualties including one 88, and holding more than half the town. Most interesting part of this one was how I saved my second 88 from sure destruction: The last remaining US tank -along with a mortar team- had a fix on my location and was in the process of pinning my gun crew and finishing the job, when in a last-ditch desperate attempt, I employed covering smoke (between the tank and my 88) from a nearby friendly mortar. Apparently, this worked, because neither the tank nor the enemy mortar continued to fire at my gun. (Or maybe they assumed I was dead.) Anyway, by the time the smoke cleared the tank was preoccupied with other targets, so I was able to "return the favor", and tack on another kill for my 88!

[Stef]

Guachi,

I've tried to push the HT, the two Stug and the Tiger up-hill behind the US lines on tour 1 , 2, 3 ( where the Hellcats have to arrive )...the Tiger's reached the crest of the hill without his maingun ; the Stugs and the HT are still burning on the road between the two houses along the road at the entrance of the village (all my troops are scattered). The Tiger must have been lucky !

If you can do better ))

Stephan

[argie]

I run with all my vehicles ahead to the other side of river, loaded with all MGs and Company HQ. Then make an ambush at the American reinforcement zone. I have 2 nice Jpg of what happens. Was a nasty slaughter.

[Uncle Buck]

Last Defense, US, 3rd game in progress.

Rushed 1 infantry, 1 Zooka, 1 CO to stone house off paved road. Holding their own against 1 stug and 1 ht and most of the infantry. 1 zooka placed in woods at start on right flank sneeks to dirt road directly north and takes out Tiger from rear (two shots 28 Meters. I nearly fell over with excitement as I watched that sucker lumber by!) then pivots and takes out other stug from side. Both in one turn! Tiger crew bails and kills the zooka team with pistols! Oh well their job was done (note to self: next time deploy infantry with zooka team). Infantry will deploy from wooden house farther down the dirt road to get revenge. Lots of ammo and the cats haven't even shown up yet. Nice try Fritz!

[Larry Marks]

Playing Last Defense as Americans Turn 7: I have two squads, bazooka and hq defending the wall against what looks like a platoon-sized Geman assault. They are holding their own, although one squad has broken and fled. On my last turn the bazooka team took 4 shots at the Stug coming down the dirt road to the town. First shot hit frontal armor with no impact, missed next two shots, but with last shot took out the Stug with side shot. This blocked the Tiger and the halftrack right behind it. The halftrack actually crashed into the Tiger. I heard a clank--hopefully the halftrack driver has insurance.

Things are not going as well on the right side of my defense. The remants of my units are in the first blockhouse across from the treeline. I have a decimated squad, bazooka, and hq holed up on the building and another decimate squad outside. I am being assaulted by over two platoons of infantry. Tracers all over the place. One interesting thing happpened: German halftrack flanked the building and went down the road behind it. Bazookaman turned around and fired missed by a mile--it looks like the backblast killed a member of hq--is that possible? I do not remember. Luckily, I have three MGS left. Two are up high in the big buildings and have that halftrack under fire. However, without reinforcments I am done on the right flank. Too much firepower. Left flank is still secure.

No mortars left--they did take out two halftracks, but thankfully reinforcements have just arrived. 3 hellcats and a company of infantry. Have to take out the Tiger. Interestly, one Stug is doing nothing on the extreme right flank, unbuttoned. Looks like he is drinking coffee.

Did anyone get an FO with American setup? The Germans have one and I think my right flank defense is going to be shredded by artillery soon.

I just finished a CC3 grand campaign and it gives me a good perspective on the differences between the games. Just focusing on gameplay, and forgetting other serious problems with CC3 (they should have named the game "Tank Combat on the Eastern Front"), I am surprised how the simultaneous turn based system is more immersive than the real time system. CC3 has a tendency to degrade itself into a clickfest. CM gives you some time to plot moves and make tactical choices, while sometimes I end up twitching on the floor after CC3. Don't get me wrong--each game has its positives and negatives--but I believe that CM surpasses the CC system and will continue to evolve while CC may be reaching the end of the line. This will strongly be determined by CC4. I was severely disappointed by CC3 after loving CC2. Time will tell.

GREAT DEMO Charles and Steve. I know the final product will be better. Wargame of the year.......no contest.

Larry

[ChrisB]

First game ever, played Americans on Last Defense.

Horribly mauled. Got the reinforcements. Ran the infantry down the slope and moved the Hellcats forward. Resolution. After ten seconds all three hellcats were ablaze. Entire force retreated from the village. Major axis win.

Third game, first Reisberg game. Americans.

All shermans burning within a few seconds, did not even spot the 88mms. Engaged the enemy on the front while 3 squads slipped around the enemys left flank. One squad got delayed, another got badly shot up, but the third one managed to walk right into a german mortar position and kill the jerries. Then walked right into the 88mm in the street destroying it and finally thrashed one german squad in the central objective, while the german company HQ positioned there ran away. Meanwhile the delayed squad got cut up by Volksgrenadiers coming up from the german edge of the map. The "heroic" squad beat off attacks from 2 german squads, only to fall prey to the returning german company HQ.

When my reinforcements arrived they were rushed into that area and clinched victory. Several posthumous DSCs to the "heroic" squad. US victory.