Allied AAR - CMPzC Campaign: The Road to Eindhoven - T4 East Battle

[IanL]

The original plan was to have a huge 2 hour battle with two people on the allied side with units coming in from three directions.  Sadly we hit the too many orders problem and had to abandon the effort.  This new version of the battle is the right hand side of the battle area on a smaller map and for 1 hour.

Initial situation

The briefing is pretty basic – force your way across the map and open that road!

 

My order of battle is:

3IG HQ: Lt. Col. nathangun

CO 4 Coy: Major IanL

2IC 4 Coy: Capt. Fletcher

Sniper Section: Corporal Douglas

1 Bren: Private Shelton

Jeep: Private Dewer

Truck: Private Morrow

Forward Observer: Captain

Scouts: Corporal Warlaw

HMG: Corporal Darlymple

Bren detachment: Corporal Porteous

10 Platoon: Lt. Fraser
Mortar detachment: Private Makinnon
1 Section: Corporal Anglen
2 Section: Corporal Lear
3 Section: Corporal Cash

11 Platoon: Lt. Judkins
Mortar detachment: Private Anstruther
1 Section: Corporal Chattan
2 Section: Corporal Bartlet
3 Section: Corporal Smith

12 Platoon: Lt. Telfer
Mortar detachment: Private Gilfallin
1 Section: Corporal Hamilton
2 Section: Corporal Clark
3 Section: Corporal Applegate

2IG 3 Squadron
3 Troop Cruiser Tank Sherman I:  Lt. Dillon
1 Cruiser Tank Sherman I: Sargent Ogilvy
2 Cruiser Tank Sherman I: Corporal Kennedy
3 Cruiser Tank Sherman VC Firefly: Sargent Rapier
4 Cruiser Tank Sherman I: Corporal O’Neil
Mine Clearing: Corporal Wallace
Flame Thrower: Corporal Clayton

23^rd Canadian Field Engineer Coy: Major Alarie

2IC 23^rd Coy: Capt. Montplaisir

1 Flamethrower Section HQ: Private Dillard
1 Team: Private Harris
2 Team: Private Belanger

1 Platoon: Lt. Forbes
1 Section: Corporal MacMillan
2 Section: Corporal Sepal
3 Section: Corporal Soloman
4 Section: Corporal Moorehead

2 Platoon: Lt. Lampe
1 Section: Corporal Carrol
2 Section: Corporal Kraft
3 Section: Corporal Miner
4 Section: Corporal Lightfoot

3 Platoon: Lt. Speller
1 Section: Corporal Hubbard
2 Section: Corporal Pension
3 Section: Corporal Charters
4 Section: Corporal Cooper

2IG Recce Troop
1 Section HQ Stuart VI: Sargent Colville
1 Light Tank Stuart VI: Corporal Macfadyen
2 Light Tank Stuart VI: Corporal Yorke

The map looks like this:

Figure 1: Initial Plan

 

4 Company and 3 Squadron are coming from the south along a road that leads to town.  Meanwhile 23^rd Canadian Field Engineers and a Recce troop have been following tracks between fields and arrive to the East.

From the south 4 Company will move along the road and stop in the woods to get a view of the town – as shown in that first arrow.  The second and third arrows are just the current proposal what route they really take will depend on what they encounter. 

From the East the 23 Engineers will cross at three ford sites at the end of their track and proceed to the forest across the river.  The will also adjust their approach based on resistance but I strongly suspect they will be following the woods to get some cover.

Some of the brown areas on the map are fields but some are actually managed forests. From the map it is hard to tell which is which hopefully the screen shots will help.

[IanL]

Minute 1:00: Orders

4 Company and 3 Squadron start in the woods and move forward along the road heading for the next wooded area in front of them.

Figure 2 4 Coy start out

 

23^rd Engineers start out at the edge of a field and head forward to ford the river and head into the tree line on the other side.  The recce group is a bit separated and will move cross country to meetup with them.

Figure 3 Eng starts out^rd 23

 

Minute 1:00-59:

All forces move forward.  No contact.

Figure 4 Lead tank in the recce troop watches the engineers go past

 

 

Figure 5 Major Alarie watches the convoy go past

 

Figure 6 Maj Leslie observing the company move out

 

Minute 59: Orders

I forgot to leave a unit selected when taking the first screen shots.  Here you can see the remaining orders for 4 Coy.  One platoon head for the farm while another follows the tree lined road and field.  The third platoon is in the woods along with 3 Squadron observing.

Figure 7 4 Co moving up

 

The engineers’ convoy is moving well. I only had to adjust a few pauses – it takes even longer than I thought to cross the ford.  I am going to let the tanks just cross the road and if there is any bunching up fix it next turn.

Figure 8 Recce troop crossing the road

 

A closer shot of the double ford point – one entry two exits.  I am splitting up alternating the trucks to get as many vehicles through as quickly as possible.

Figure ord crossingFirst and second f9

 

Details on the far right ford point.  There was a little bunching up there so lots of pauses to get things smoothed out.

Figure 10 Third ford crossing

[IanL]

OK this game has actually being going on for a while now so I have some catching up to do.  Given that you will notice some differences.  First in this early stage when not much is happening I'm not going to post many screen shots.  Second you might have already noticed I am not cropping the screen shots just as taking in they go.  For the most part that is not going to be a huge difference because all I usually do is crop out the notices, UI and view direction indicator.  It should be the same quality pics but with more stuff.  For my upload sanity they are reduced slightly and compressed a bit.  The picture part is fine but the UI text might be a bit hard to read.

[kohlenklau]

No worry! Just upload screenshots as is and trim down the time needed for the editing: absolutely AOK with us readers with the popcorn!

[IanL]

Excellent. Busy weekend here so popcorn might have to wait until Monday...

[IanL]

Update

This battle has been progressing but not going very well for me.  There is now 11minutes left and my forces are still pinned in the woods and unable to deal with the JadPanthers facing them.  Here is an update on how the battle has gone to bring everyone up to speed.

Figure 160: Battle so Far

 

Location 1

Scouts from 4 Coy and 3 troop spot a JadPanther at location A covering their main advance.  Air support is called in – no effect.  Artillery is called – no effect. During this time 4 Coy and 3 troop form up in the woods near location 2. Using the woods to shield their location. Several tanks become immobilized in the woods.

Figure 22 Moving up covered by the woods

 

Figure 25 First air strikes

 

Figure 38 The hold up

 

Location 2

4 Coy and 3 Troop made it to the woods fairly safely and were then hit by a very large artillery barrage – rockets I believe.  They were forced to withdraw and return later.  Casualties were not too bad overall but one platoon was depleted significantly.

 

Figure 40 The Barrage

 

Figure 41 Lead platoon

 

Figure 56 The lucky ones

 

Once the barrage ended they moved back up and the FO tried again to call air strike on the JadPanther A – no effect.  Artillery next – also no effect.

 

Location 3

Since the JadPanther A has not been dealt with 4 Coy and 3 Troop used the woods to mask their approach and closed the distance.  Another artillery strike and direct fire from 3 Troop did force the undamaged JadPanther A to pull back.  This resulted in the loss of one Sherman to enemy fire and another Sherman became immobilized in the woods.

 

Figure 111 JadPanther A holding up the works

 

Figure 153 Dueling

 

Figure 156 Pushed back by artillery and direct fire

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by IanL
fix pictures

[IanL]

Location 4

The 23^rd Field engineers and the 2IG recce group crossed the river without incident. 

 

Figure 12 Crossing

Figure 15 Arrived

 

Location 5

Once they arrived at location 5, 23^rd Engineers came under mortar fire in the woods and had to withdraw and wait out the barrage before moving back.  At the same time their supporting tanks suffered the loss of the lead vehicle to JadPanther B.  The tanks had to hold back.

Figure 19 Barrage landing on 23^rd Engineers

 

Figure 20 JadPanther takes out a Stuart

 

The initial attempt to cross the open to location 6 failed also because of the JadPanther B and its supporting MG teams. In order to force the crossing a major smoke screen was placed blocking JadPanther B’s LOS to the crossing area. 

 

Figure 73 Running the open

Figure 82 Did not end well

 

Location 6

Using the smoke screen 23^rd Field Engineers made it to location 6 along with 2IG’s recon tanks.  They were tired after making the run and have since recovered and begun moving along the woods keeping away from JadPanther B.

Figure 126 Cover of smoke

 

Figure 158 Moving up

[IanL]

Current Situation

At location 3: 4 Coy is in good order along with the remaining three tanks of 3 Troop (flame thrower and mine clearing tank are also operational).  They have a partial smoke screen laid down and have forced JadPanther A to pull back to a location where it no longer commands the entire open area in front of location 3. However that can change quickly and there is only 11 minutes on the clock.

At location 6:

23^rd Engineers are going to be able to clear the woods and perhaps make the assault into town.  But JadPanther B can operate without any real opposition and spoil their plans if they are unable to make it into the town.

Overall: The assault is heading to be a failure.  At this point the 4 Coy and 3 Troop could withdraw without significant further losses 23^rd Field engineers would take losses if they withdraw but it is possible.

Continuing the assault will result in the clock running out without the objectives being attained and unknown losses.

[Heinrich505]

IanL,

  Nice frigging smoke screen.  Looks like a white wall.  Mine never look like that, haha.

  Great screen shots.  Jagdpanthers are beasts. 

Heinrich505

[IanL]

Yeah it was a solid wall and I rushed across the open but the smoke screen lasted for longer than expected. My men could have walked

25lbr smoke screen. Four guns, I forget how many rounds.

Yes those JadPanthers are awful to deal with. Especially when they can position themselves to protect their flanks.