CMPzC Allied AAR: Assault on Hex (1,7)

[ChappyCanuck]

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/ChappyCanuck/media/Valk%20Campaign/Screen%20Shot%202015-03-09%20at%2017.04.00_zpstdnlzqrf.png.html?sort=3&o=0

 

 

 

           “Sh#t!”

 

            Ahead, the blinding flash that lit up the dark, pre-dawn sky, would normally have been a wondrous sight, except that it was immediately followed by a series of loud, explosive blasts. The obvious conclusion was that the Demmel Bridge had been blown.

 

            “Sh#t!”  Captain Chappy stared grimly towards the blast, automatically closing one eye to preserve his night vision. He was 1 Company Commander and today his task was to bounce the river and head towards Valkenswaard, allowing the Irish Guards to press on and link up with the paratroopers ahead.

 

            Why don’t they just give up?  He had witnessed the slaughter of the German Army of the West at Falaise Gap, the remnants of that once dangerous army retreating in dribs and drabs towards Belgium. And the CO mentioned in the briefing last night that the Russians were just outside Warsaw, and that Germany’s ally, Rumania, had just been knocked out of the war by the Soviets. Why don’t they just give up?

 

            “1 this is 11. SITREP, over.”

 

            Chappy could hear the voice on the radio but it lingered at the outside of his thoughts.  The war was nearing its conclusion. His men were professionals and wanted it ended as soon as possible of course, but lately he had noticed a change. Some of the men spoke about not making it home, about being the last soldier to “buy it” just as the war ended. And with this Chappy had noticed a slight hesitation, a slight nervousness, in his soldiers’ actions. And of course, the inane superstitions followed.  To make matters worse, just a moment ago one of his soldiers had died due to friendly fire, which is never friendly. How would he explain that in a letter to the boy’s parents?  Why don’t they just give up?

 

            His thoughts were disturbed by his signaller, “Sir, it’s Lt MacDougal trying to reach you.”  Chappy grabbed the handset and depressed the switch.

 

            “11 this 1. I know, bridge gone. I need you to secure both ends of the bridge immediately, then have the tanks cover the road ahead. We need a ford site ASAP. On your map, do you see that farm track that runs north east and crosses the river, over?”

 

“11, roger over.”

 

“1. Good, send the bren carrier to check it out. I need a vehicle crossing that will outflank Jerry, out.”

 

Chappy once again allowed his thoughts to drift. It was going to be a long day. He wondered what his lady Jacqueline was doing now?

 

 

Why don’t they just give up?

Edited March 9, 2015 by ChappyCanuck

[kohlenklau]

Shakespeare on skates! Excellent start. Thanks Mark.

[A Canadian Cat]

Brilliant, looking forward to reading the continuation...

[nathangun]

Give em hell Chappy

[ChappyCanuck]

 

 

            Lt Ron Jeremy casually stroked his very large and popular…….75mm gun and peered eagerly through the gaps of the leaves in the tree branches. With dawn still imminent, darkness prevailed and he could barely see anything out to his front other than the destroyed Demmel Bridge.

 

            “That’s a bridge too forlorn,” he thought.  (Author’s note: interestingly enough, Cornelius Ryan would later interview Ron Jeremy after the war about his thoughts during this operation, and later changed Jeremy’s phrase into his book title, “A Bridge Too Far”)

 

            “Hey, Jeremy!”  Lt MacDougal had to yell over the sound of the idling Sherman engine to get his comrade’s attention.  “The boss wants me to take both ends of this bridge ASAP. What Chappy wants, Chappy gets. I am going to move forward where I can have a look at that building on the other side of the river.  Can you provide some cover fire if things get shifty?”

 

            “Sure Mac, no problem. Watch out for mines, big fella. We kind of enjoy your ugly face.”  Lt Jeremy proceeded to deploy his two rear Shermans along the left flank where they could open up on Jerry if necessary. 

 

            MacDougal chuckled at his friend’s insult and then signalled his lead section to advance towards the bridge, scouts out. He followed closely behind: he was conducting a commander’s recce and he wanted a first hand look at that building across the river for himself. He gazed to the right and noticed his second section advancing to the building on the “friendly” side of the bridge. It was supposed to be clear but safety was survival. And off on the far left, he noticed the bren scout carrier rolling along. It was their task to find a vehicle crossing.

 

            Things were so much easier when I was a Sergeant….

[kohlenklau]

For background Chappy, what is your personal SOP for artillery and mortars? Real world aside, in this battle did you set up anything to automatically kick in as soon as you start the battle?

Thanks for doing the DAR! I have been told that technically we should call it a DAR.

[ChappyCanuck]

For background Chappy, what is your personal SOP for artillery and mortars? Real world aside, in this battle did you set up anything to automatically kick in as soon as you start the battle?

Thanks for doing the DAR! I have been told that technically we should call it a DAR.

What's a DAR??? lol

 

Having very limited indirect support in this battle, I chose not to squander it by guessing where the Germans may be. Instead, I will horde it until contact with the enemy.  Also, I always think about creating an initial smokescreen, but I have lots of good start cover and my follow on forces are 5 and 10 minutes away...so the smoke would be gone before it even helped my soldiers out.

[kohlenklau]

At least on the CM battlefield...DAR= During Action Report as opposed to AAR=After Action Report. I figure a true AAR is all written once the battle is completed.

 

OK, sounds good. So, where do you think he is? What do you think he has? Any intel? Where/how would you defend I guess is also a good question! If the roles were reversed "Hauptmann von Chapstein"!

Edited March 12, 2015 by kohlenklau

[ChappyCanuck]

Koh:  my far left scouts have finally reached their destination...is the ford there passable to vehicles?

[kohlenklau]

The Dommel is 99% fordable all along it, either shallow fords or deep fords.

Banks are either swampy, muddy, grassy or weedy.

I never designed in a specific ford. But all my tests had vehicles crossing. Some bogging occurred. 1 immobilization did occur.

[ChappyCanuck]

Thanks for the report L/Cpl MacBeth

[ChappyCanuck]

 

Trees toggled off

 

MIN 50-45

 

During the first 5 minutes of this battle, I only have one third of my force, it's dark, I have a blown bridge in front of me, and no idea where the Germans are. For the first phase, caution is in order. I first want to control both sides of the blown bridge, which is almost complete. I have teams on the opposite side of the river, with one team moving into that hopefully empty house on the left.  I have deployed my sniper team on the bridge as it affords the best LOS. My mortar team has deployed in cover, and the tanks are observing, providing overwatch.

 

In the meantime I have scouts checking fording site possibilities for my tanks and follow on forces.  The scout report has just come in and things look ok.

 

The second third of my forces has just arrived after the 5 minute mark, including the company commander, another rifle platoon, a pioneer section, mortars, some tanks and add ons.

 

Here we go

[A Canadian Cat]

Looking for fords: put the camera at level one and run the river. You will quickly see where the fords are and with a little experience and comparison spot the difference between shallow and deep fords. Of you can cross with infantry and see if they are up to their knees or their chest.

[ChappyCanuck]

Looking for fords: put the camera at level one and run the river. You will quickly see where the fords are and with a little experience and comparison spot the difference between shallow and deep fords. Of you can cross with infantry and see if they are up to their knees or their chest.

 

Thanks ford specialist

[kohlenklau]

Pay attention soldier, this information could save your life one day!

[ChappyCanuck]

Great fording sites!  (sights?)

[Migo441]

Is this where units TRY to get bogged?

[Heinrich505]

There was a blue line?

 

 

Heinrich505

[ChappyCanuck]

 

My first Sherman swims across the river

 

 

 

 

First contact coming from the direction of the village

 

 

"Get him boys!"

 

 

MIN 13

 

     First contact!

 

     Cpl Graham's section, crouched behind the stone wall just past the destroyed bridge, were observing towards the village when they heard German voices.  Suddenly, some probing German soldiers came into view along the wall that leads to the village. Graham ordered his section to engage, and engage they did. The lucky German pictured above dodged the section's fire, and went to ground along the wall. Spec fire will continue, and Lt MacDougal has ordered the platoon mortar team to engage the section of wall where the Germans are suspected to be.

 

     Meanwhile the final reinforcement platoon is scooting down the road as fast as they can, and will soon reach the destroyed bridge.

 

     Lt Jeremy's first tank has forded the river on the far left flank; the others will soon follow unless they get bogged down.  Capt Chappy,  the flanking platoon, and the pioneers are moving as fast as they can to join Jeremy's tanks at the fording site.

[A Canadian Cat]

First contact went well - always a good sign.

[Kuderian]

Thankfully there are no side gable windows in the village! Curious, as they would have been facing South.

[kohlenklau]

I figured the Shermans can provide holes to let sunshine in.  

[ChappyCanuck]

MIN 40-34

 

When I did my estimate for this battle, I decided on placing a firebase at the destroyed bridge, composed of 2 x Shermans, 2 x 81mm mortars, sniper team, one rifle platoon. They have been augmented by a second rifle platoon that will at first provide firebase security, since Germans were recently encountered nearby.

 

From my estimate I also decided on a left flanking.  If I was to have a flanking force anywhere, it would be the far left. There was a small chance that I would encounter mines or enemy resistance that far to my left - which so far has proven correct.  There is good cover and good spacing to deploy the flanking force, composed of 8 x Shermans, 1 x rifle platoon, scouts, 1 x section assault pioneers, Coy HQ.  The problem is fording, which is slow, and every vehicle that has crossed has bogged at least once (thankfully no immobilisation yet). I have 3 tanks across so far, and scouts out front. The infantry is crossing now.

 

The flanking force, when complete across the fords, will be the swinging door.  The firebase will be the hinge. The door will close upon the flank of any enemy positions guarding the main road.  At least in theory    Below is a shot of the flanking force expanding the bridgehead.

 

 

 

 

During the last minute of battle time, my leading scouts have discovered two sections of trench along the main road (see pic below). The trench system in the pic is the closest one to my forces, with another directly behind it about 200 meters away.

 

 

 

 

 

For the coming turn, I have ordered both firebase Shermans to MG both trenches, one tank for each trench. I have also called a 81mm light mortar mission to fire upon the closest trench, but that will be 6 minutes or less from now.  Also, the scout team pictured above, with a Bren, will spec fire onto the trench to their front.  Hopefully we will scare something

 

 

Edited March 19, 2015 by ChappyCanuck

[ChappyCanuck]

The Dommel is 99% fordable all along it, either shallow fords or deep fords.

Banks are either swampy, muddy, grassy or weedy.

I never designed in a specific ford. But all my tests had vehicles crossing. Some bogging occurred. 1 immobilization did occur.

 

Note:  while the Dommel is 99% fordable in the water, the swampy/mud banks make it only about 5% fordable, as they create impassable terrain to vehicles. You will see one of my Shermans has actually crossed the river, but cannot climb the far bank. It cannot navigate through the small "passable" terrain between the impassable terrain (I thought maybe the computer would give me a break). So it just spins in circles. Maybe the tank commander had too much Guinness this morning....

[ChappyCanuck]

MIN 32-31

 

     Cpl Marshall was cautiously moving down the main road, wondering if Lt MacDougal wanted his section to be this far ahead, when flashes of MG tracer bounced off the stone wall near his lead scouts. The MG fire was coming from the village, of that he was sure. But where?  As he scanned the buildings, a more sinister and terrifying sound was heard that could only be 20mm rounds.  He watched in horror as his section bren gunner and a new soldier that everyone knew as just "Joe", get torn to shreds by the large calibre rounds. Death came quickly for them.  "Contact!!!!!"

 

 

 

     

Lt MacDougall heard his men's screams of pain as he watched the tracer rounds slam into them. Quickly he radioed the contact report to Capt Chappy, making him immediately aware of this substantial new threat. Certainly by the sound, there was an AA gun to the rear of the village that had just engaged his soldiers. He signaled to his platoon mortar team, and together they ran at a crouch towards Marshall's section.

 

     Meanwhile, one of Marshall's men had just spotted a trench system behind the village. Something had to be there...

 

 

 

 

     "There Corporal! Some type of gun."  The soldier pointed his arm towards the foe, indicating its location within that new trench system.  Marshall scanned the odd shaped trenches and then swallowed hard: there wasn't one gun, but two.

 

 

 

 

     "Ok lads, two AA guns to our front in that trench system behind the village. When I give the word, start shooting. Now!"  Marshall and his men elevated themselves and began to engage the gun crews with their rifles. Marshall smiled grimly as he watched one of the German crew clutch his stomach and drop. One for Joe. In the distance, he heard a sweet sound - the rumble of tanks. The Shermans had finally crossed the Dommel River, and they were near. The proverbial cavalry were on the way...