CM Final Blitzkrieg - AXIS (Attack) BETA Battle Report

[c3k]

Hmm, I'd get a Skorzeny unit set up, pronto. Buy some captured Shermans, disguise some Panthers with sheet metal, and march them towards his front lines, all the while announcing they're there for "force balance".

I do like the idea of a dozen or so JagdTigers. Each with about a dozen MP44 SS on 'em.

Of course, mobility is key on the attack. Well, mobility and firepower. Let's not forget flexibility. So, mobility, firepower, and flexibility. I'd focus on tracked vehicles. Anything with wheels would likely be too slow or bog. (Unless there's a deep freeze???) Infantry: in my use, each platoon gets used up by executing a single task. Like, a platoon clears a minefield kind of task. Or, clearing a bocage field, taking a key terrain piece in a town, etc. (Assuming there's resistance.) So, I'd estimate required infantry based on how many tasks you expect them to undertake against resistance.

Tanks: You're the monocle wearing German! You need cool tanks. Lots of 'em. With big guns. Or AA cannon. 30 autocannon tracks would help that infantry.

 

Popcorn is a-popping. Wating for more.

Ken

[Doc844]

BIG tanks, with BIG guns.

That is all.

 

[Baneman]

Here are the map pics with VL's showing :

Left side

Right side

As you can see, I have 4 fairly close, 3 a good distance away and 4 at the far end of the map.

I doubt I'll get to those last ones in the time available, given the distance, Bil, the heavy snow, Bil etc.
Also, on the left, it looks like I'm in for some house to house. So ... Sturmgrenadiers <grin>

At a guess, I'd say Bil will have a good force in the town, it's a good way to tie down a bunch of infantry and make life difficult. Also, although I haven't checked closely yet, some ATG's on the edge of the town might have LoS across to my right flank, threatening the side armour of any vehicles I send forward there.

The other worry is the heavy snow. I could lose lots of my vehicles to bogging immobilisation. That would really suck 

Edited December 6, 2015 by Baneman

[Glubokii Boy]

Hello...

As have already been mentioned...The map look outstanding !

Given the weather...what do you estimate the maximum engagement ranges to be ? 

[Glubokii Boy]

In your pictures it seems to be snowing but that does not seem to be the case when looking at Bils AAR...

[weapon2010]

what is up with the odd point values on the VLs?115?76?153?

[Baneman]

In your pictures it seems to be snowing but that does not seem to be the case when looking at Bils AAR...

It might be his graphics settings or because he's using ( as I did for the initial pics ) a hastily set-up QB on the same map to show it and might not have the conditions set the same.
We're playing in "Light Snow".

I set the date incorrectly to December '44 for my initial pics, hence the non-whitewashed vehicles.
Here's a teaser pic showing a particular vehicle on the map in the correct January and Light Snow conditions. Also you can ogle the Volksgrenadiers on the back and their weaponry

 

[rocketman]

Will Volksgrenadiers ever have the option of being of higher quality than veteran (or even that) given their poor training?

[Ts4EVER]

Volksgrenadier Divisions had very variable quality. Some, like the 12th, were generally competent, others very shoddy.

[Bud Backer]

It might be his graphics settings or because he's using ( as I did for the initial pics ) a hastily set-up QB on the same map to show it and might not have the conditions set the same.We're playing in "Light Snow".

I set the date incorrectly to December '44 for my initial pics, hence the non-whitewashed vehicles.
Here's a teaser pic showing a particular vehicle on the map in the correct January and Light Snow conditions. Also you can ogle the Volksgrenadiers on the back and their weaponry

 

Nice screenshot.

You DO know the bush will not conceal THAT tank, right?

 

[Baneman]

Nice screenshot.

You DO know the bush will not conceal THAT tank, right?

 

It's keeping vewy vewy quiet...

[RockinHarry]

Wow! Almost half a platoon of Sturmgrenadiers fits on that Jagdtiger deck!  Looks like a squad, its Plt HQ (or a FO) and Schreck team up there.

[Baneman]

Yup, HQ, Squad and schreck team. 14 guys.

Hey, it's warm on there 

 

I'm going to lay out my probable forcepick tomorrow evening - get those suggestions in if you want a warm feeling of having your choice summarily ruled out 

Edited December 6, 2015 by Baneman

[umlaut]

Hey, it's warm on there 

Not to mention comfy: I think it is Bessanov who in his book Tank Rider descibes how he once was so tired - while warm and comfy on top of a T-34 - that he didn´t even wake up when the tank column was ambushed!

[Vanir Ausf B]

what is up with the odd point values on the VLs?115?76?153?

That's what each VL is worth in this particular game. This is a Probe QB so there is a pool of 500 points that gets divvied out to the 4 VLs. But the value of the VLs are weighted differently and so those 500 points are disributed unevenly.

[Heinrich505]

Baneman,

  Ogled the Volksgrenadiers and the Jagdtiger as ordered!!!

  This looks like a really great way to show off the upcoming release.  I'm loving the screenshots. 

  Get that monocle firmly in place, choose some steel beasts, and "Cry Havoc and release the dogs of war!!!"

  Good luck on the battle.  Looking forward to the action.

Heinrich505

[undercovergeek]

Good luck sir - ill be watching and reading - IIRC youre hiding your AAR and screenshot skills under a bushel - our fight was highly detailed by yourself all those years agoooooooooooo!!

 

 

[LukeFF]

Will Volksgrenadiers ever have the option of being of higher quality than veteran (or even that) given their poor training?

No formations have ever had any restrictions on their skill level. 

[womble]

...We're playing in "Light Snow".

 

Baneman, from Bil's thread, it seems you're each operating under different assumptions about the weather conditions. Thought I'd let you both know in case you feel it's important to be on the same page. I remember reading about confusions in AARs before (ME vs Attac/Defend for example)...

[Baneman]

Baneman, from Bil's thread, it seems you're each operating under different assumptions about the weather conditions. Thought I'd let you both know in case you feel it's important to be on the same page. I remember reading about confusions in AARs before (ME vs Attac/Defend for example)...

For this very reason ( to be certain ), I opened the 001 file he sent me, went into the map preview and checked Conditions.

It said "Light Snow". If that doesn't reflect reality, then there's no way to determine the conditions from my side.

[Vanir Ausf B]

I suspect the confusion is because the weather is "heavy snow" but the ground condition is "light snow". In QBs two of the snowfall settings have to share a common ground condition since there are four of the former but only three of the latter, if that makes sense. 

Unless the weather really is set to light snow in which Bil is indeed confused.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Vanir Ausf B

[womble]

 

Ah, that would explain the confustication.

[Baneman]

Update :

I'm definitely going to be taking some Volksgrenadiers - they have a mix of a few rifles, several MP44's and some MP40's. Since I'm sure I'm in for some house-to-house in Cobru, that seems like ideal weaponry for the job.

I'll leave the 1st Company as is apart from excising the dedicated PanzerSchreck section ( each squad has one anyway ). I'll take a 2nd Company and cut it down a bit more as I'm not convinced the Rifle Grenade section has much utility. Unfortunately, lacking vehicles, the mortar sections are a tad light on ammo, so I've kept one on-map and made the other offmap to increase the goodness it can drop

Here are a couple of pics to show what I'm working with :

I thought of taking one or two of the light infantry guns, but on the attack they would be difficult to use effectively, plus their ammo loadout is also on the sparse side. A couple of Stummels will be much more useful ( assuming they don't bog  )

Edited December 8, 2015 by Baneman

[Baneman]

The above will, of course, be the "competent" Volksgrenadiers
I always set my forces to Regular/0/0 when selecting, then I can tweak the values later.
So when I make my final selection, I'll move some of them to "Green" in the interests of realism. Some will remain "Regular" in the interests of "Killing Bil"

Now to add to the VG's, I need a few more units. Clearly, given the size of the map, I'm going to need some transport, so some Mechanised PanzerGrenadiers are the best bet as trucks will struggle in the snow.

I could take the normal variety, but because I like to extract maximum utility, I'm going to go with the Panzer Brigade variant.
These lack a few of the familiar options ( no HMG's for example ), but they are also armed with MP44's. This means that their Halftracks are packed with spare ammo that the VG guys can use as well.

They have organic Stummels ( 251/9 ) which I always favour and enable me to leave out the VG's Light Infantry Guns.
They're also incredibly paranoid about air attack, having a full platoon of "Drillings" ( 251/21's - armed with 3 15mm cannon ). A couple of those should be very handy to assist the VG boys in their urban fight.

I've never tried an assault with primarily MP44 armed troops, so this should be fun.
And here's a pic of the PzG Panzer Brigade selection.

 

Edited December 8, 2015 by Baneman

[Champagne]

I am not certain that this is the correct place for my comments, so excuse me if not.

The " how much snow on the ground? " question for each scenario is IMPORTANT, in my view, for each scenario.

How deep was the snow on the ground at the time and place of the scenario? That could be a tough question to answer.

If I recall my reading correctly, the deep snow on the ground did not occur until January, 1945. 

At the beginning of the German offensive on 16 Dec 44, the ground snow was shallow, maybe an inch.

This question should merit some consideration for the sake of historical accuracy.