Allied AAR - CMPzC Campaign: The Road to Eindhoven - Dommelen Battle (hex 1, 6)

[A Canadian Cat]

Initial situation
The basic briefing is as follows:
 

ON MAP AT START IN ONE BIG SETUP ZONE:
You are the CO of 2/3 Irish Guards. *IanL* and I will make your 2IC *Chappy* in case you buy the farm.
You have an FO and the 8x25pdrs with ample ammo supply. REMEMBER MAXIMUM AREA FIRE DIAMETER RULE!
You have a bren scout carrier section.
You have 2x81mm mortars in carriers.
Your 3 platoons will be spread out at start but you can rearrange all of this as you desire.
 
Arriving as reinforcements:
The 5 Shermans of Jeremy's Troop will arrive as R1 @ T=5 at "ALBATROSS" I will have them behind trees but not in a swamp!
The shot up 3 Sherman troop led by Kuderian's namesake will arrive as R2 @ T=10 at "GOOSE" I will have them behind trees but not in a swamp!
The latest arrival of replacement Shermans will get to your battle as R3 @ T=15 at "PHEASANT" I will have them behind trees but not in a swamp!
All tanks arrive buttoned up.
Objectives: The only objectives are zero point objectives so I could show the arrival zones and the location of a good ford across the Dommel if you need it.
Otherwise consult with Nathan to see what your orders are aside from the normal "destroy the enemy and send them packing"...
The only additional instructions from the CO are “the men of the staff HQ want their supper in the town's hotel”

My order of battle is:
CO 2 Coy: Major IanL
2IC 2 Coy: Capt. Chappy

 

4 Platoon: Lt. Baker
1 Section: Corporal. Eagen
2 Section: Corporal. Cottrell
3 Section: Corporal. Drummond

 

5 Platoon: Lt. Wentworth
1 Section: Corporal. Rose
2 Section: Corporal. Darling
3 Section: Corporal. Lauder

 

6 Platoon: Lt. McColloch
1 Section: Corporal. O’Brien
2 Section: Corporal. Bridge
3 Section: Corporal. Short

 

4 Section from the Carrier Platoon: Sgt. Lawrence (3x Bren carriers)
2 Section from the Mortar Platoon: Sgt. Curran (2x 81mm mortars on map)

 

Attached FO: Capt. Bowie (with 2x 4 gun batteries of 25lbrs on call dedicated to this attack)

 

The map is very flat – big surprise its Holland. The Dommelen river has river banks that can provide cover and the roads are slightly raised so infantry have places to hide. Thanks on the other hand will be very much in the open. There are three good places for AT guns – the woods at the back of the map the town and the village.

 

Figure 1 The map
 

 

Figure 2 The Dommelen
 

 

Figure 3 The farm in front of 5 Platoon


Minute 50: Orders

5 Platoon is opposite town in a small clump of trees. They will move to take the farm and engage church towner.

6 Platoon is in the middle also in a small clump of trees they will hold for their supporting tanks.

4 Platoon will move along the river banks with the carrier section. Lance Corporal Carnegie has been left behind to observe and wait for the supporting Troop so he can tell the troop commander what route 4 Platoon has taken forward.

Capt. Bowie has called artillery on part of the town and the woods behind town with a 5 minute delay. Once the turns start mortars will be called on village to the North East (green circles on the map).

 

Figure 4 Orders

 

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 50-49:
No contacts to report. Lance Corporal Oldman’s Bren gun team started firing at the church tower.

 

Figure 5 Engage tower

Minute 49: Orders
No change to any orders other than adding a few new ones along the river for 4 Platoon and the carriers and final house clearing at the farm.

 

[kohlenklau]

Thanks for doing this Ian!

[kohlenklau]

CMPzC ACHIEVEMENT TROPHIES!

 

This is a new feature and the below preview shows work in progress (by the one and only Juju) for CMPzC Achievement Trophies.

 

 

A table will eventually be uploaded to explain their meaning, some are obvious of course!

I will be keeping an eye to award them as they occur or by the end screen results.

They go to the team as well as the PBEM commander fighting the battle. 

[A Canadian Cat]

Here is a better picture of the overall situation.  On it you can see the three platoons of 2 company plus their basic moves and the position of the HQ (me) and the mortars.  My 2IC is moving up with 4 Platoon.  The green circles are the places I called artillery - speculating that there might be AT guns there.
 

 

Edited July 16, 2015 by IanL

[ChappyCanuck]

Good plan, Ian. Thanks for the visuals

[SlowLarry]

 

CMPzC ACHIEVEMENT TROPHIES!

 

This is a new feature and the below preview shows work in progress (by the one and only Juju) for CMPzC Achievement Trophies.

 

 

A table will eventually be uploaded to explain their meaning, some are obvious of course!

I will be keeping an eye to award them as they occur or by the end screen results.

They go to the team as well as the PBEM commander fighting the battle. 

 

Couldnt resist: "Handy hoch" means literally "Mobile phone up"

"Hände/ Haende hoch" is what you were looking for probably.

 

Cool idea btw!

[Boomkow]

This looks cool.

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 49-48:
No contacts made. The farm is clear and a small amount of fire continues to hit the church tower – now from two Bren guns.

Minute 48: Orders
No change. Just added a few to 4 Platoon and the carriers to move further along the river.

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 48-47:
No contacts made. The farm is clear and a small amount of fire continues to hit the church tower.

Minute 47: Orders
No change. Just added a few to 4 Platoon and the carriers to move further along the river.

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 47-46:
No contacts made. The farm is clear and a small amount of fire continues to hit the church tower.

Minute 46: Orders
No change. Just added a few to 4 Platoon and the carriers to move further along the river.
 

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 46-45:
Finally I spotted something. Yeah, my actually HQ team has a contact on a light AFV, so halftrack or light tank not sure which.
 

Figure 6 First contact

Minute 45: Orders
Sgt Jeremy’s Troop of Sherman tanks arrived this turn. Excellent. First order of business get some real hurt delivered to any enemy observers in that tower. Second order of business stay tucked away in the trees for now. It will be interesting to see what the Sherman tanks can spot from their slightly higher vantage point. I unbuttoned them all and placed them nicely in the trees.
 

 

Figure 7 Fire on the tower
 

 

Figure 8 Ditto

 

[ChappyCanuck]

Sgt Jeremy returns!

[A Canadian Cat]

And with a promotion too - he is showing up as a Lt in this game   But I'll just pretend it ain't so and keep calling him Sgt Jeremy.

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 45-44:
The tanks delivered some real hurt to any observers in the church towner. I’ll let them do that a little longer and then switch to the tank’s MGs.
 

 

Figure 9 HE delivery

Minute 44: Orders
Move moving along the river…

 

Figure 10 Moving along the river

There is no sign of anything dangerous to tanks. So, time to see what happens. One tank will move up to a position behind the farm. This will expose them only to the village on the far right and a small sub set of the town ahead. We will see how that goes…

 

Figure 11 One tank moves up

 

[ChappyCanuck]

I like your cautious, thorough, yet steady as she goes approach to these battles, Ian.  It would be interesting to see your defensive approach sometime.

[A Canadian Cat]

As long as I don't run out the clock...

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 44-43:
Nothing much happened. Artillery fell, tanks fired at the tower, 4 platoon advanced.

Minute 43: Orders
Same as before except one tank is dropping to MGs only. To do that I had to move it forward slightly to get a better angle.

[ChappyCanuck]

I see that ATG being pulled behind Dommellen....sneaky

[A Canadian Cat]

Yes, one of those times when you wish one asset was sitting in a location instead of another.  The Carrier recon HQ spotted a truck towing a 75 way across the map.  Wish it was a Sherman instead

 

As you can see I am bit behind on posting.  Real life is slowing me down. I need to catch up too because I have a plan and I want to present it before I do it.  I'll try to get up to date tonight.

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 43-42:
More of the same.

Minute 42: Orders
I order two of the tanks forward to the farm. The Firefly to some hard cover and to watch over the village direction, and a 75 up to support the infantry if they run into trouble.
 

Figure 12 Tanks move forward

Minute 42-41:
Capt. Bowie, the FO spotted movement in the village. Just a few soldiers moving from house to house.
 
 

Figure 13 Movement spotted in village

 

The lead elements of 5 Platoon spot an enemy team at the edge of town.
 

Figure 14 Movement spotted in town

Minute 41: Orders
The tank arrived just in time to fire on the spotted enemy team.
 
 

Figure 15 Fire on town target

 

Another of the tanks will move forward and keep firing on the church tower – switching to MGs for now.
 
 

Figure 16 More tanks moving forward

Minute 41-40:
Members of 5 Platoon head for the road edge while their supporting tank fires on the enemy.
 

Figure 17 Moving up to the road

 

Over on the other side of the map 4th Carrier Platoon’s lead vehicle takes some fire from the village. It is light and ineffective.
 
 

Figure 18 Taking fire from the village

Minute 40: Orders
New tank troop arrives – move them up to the road with their infantry.
 
 

Figure 19 New troop moves up to road

4 Platoon catches up to the Carrier recon group.
 

Figure 20 4 Platoon catches up to recon

The last tanks in support of 5 platoon move to the road. Once they get there they will put more HE on the church tower.
 

Figure 21 Last tanks move forward to road
 

[A Canadian Cat]

Minute 40-39:
Capt. Bowie spots a recoil-less rifle moving in village.

Figure 22 Spotted a recoil-lessrifle in the village

Minute 39: Orders
No Changes

Minute 39-38:
Not much to report except that a 75mm AT gun was spotted being towed toward town from behind. This was spotted by Carrier platoon HQ from way across the map.

Situation
Here is the current situation. I have received no significant fire from any location. Only a hand full of infantry teams have been spotted moving in the town or the village. Two guns still being towed were recently spotted and IG in the village and a 75m AT gun behind the town.

 

Figure 23 Minute 38 situation

 

[A Canadian Cat]

Plan
Here is my assault plan:

1. Drop two smoke screens to block the visibility from the town so 5 and 6 Platoon can assault the town and the farm.
    
2. Continue the mortar fire on the village to help prevent any disruption from the enemy in the village. 4 Platoon and 4th Carrier Platoon will also return fire from the river as they move closer and once the final tanks arrive they can join in.
    
3. 5 Platoon will assault the town via the street closes to them. The will go house to house with their supporting tanks. I will setup the movement for the tanks before the smoke arrives and set it up so they will direct fire into the houses of the town. That whole move and fire plan will be paused until the smoke starts that will allow the tanks to direct fire into the town through the smoke screen.
   
   6 Platoon will assault the farm so under cover of the smoke. Their supporting tanks will also get movement and direct fire orders before the smoke arrives to fire on the farm and town.

Once the smoke is gone 6 Platoon in the farm can act as a fire base to support 5 Platoon as the move further into the town.

Figure 24 Minute 38 Plan

[ChappyCanuck]

good plan Ian. I am looking forward to see it come to fruition!

[A Canadian Cat]

Rodger that.  A couple of things bother me about this battle.

 

1. The fact that I have so few contacts and very little fire coming from the supposed enemy positions.  I guess I am still pretty far away but I figured some IG or AT gun would be chucking HE at my infantry or now the tanks.
2. The fact that I have spotted two limbered and towed guns.

It feels like there is no defence here but they are just arriving.

 

Weird