Thread for Discussion of Cavalry AAR ( CMHQ)

[Blackhorse]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Shep:

Fionn, is that the best you have?

At least you have the humility (seriously) to put the AAR up there when you received a drubbing at the hands of one of our Finest. There are some great lessons there on both sides.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Easy now Shep!! The battle is far from over, and I am dealing with that bane of all commanders..time..lack of time in particular..

Plus, I'm fighting a darn good German commander.

So, NEVER count the chickens before the eggs are hatched, and never make a read on a situation until you have solid intel.

Allons

[This message has been edited by Blackhorse (edited 07-29-2000).]

[Shep]

Did I miss something there?

I thought the battle was done, and you two are posting the rest of the AAR by monday or so. Different battle?

Now you're making me re-read the topic...

Could it be that my reading comprehension is beginning to fail? And I'm so young (just turned 40 a week ago)!

Mark

[Blackhorse]

You are 100% correct Shep. It's just that I know how the battle ended

[fatherof6]

Chris,

Do you remember when you figured out that Fionn's Panther had a damaged gun?

Glenn

[Blackhorse]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by fatherof6:

Chris,

Do you remember when you figured out that Fionn's Panther had a damaged gun?

Glenn<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Glenn,

Yes, it was 2-3 turns later. I noticed the turret appeared to be stuck, oriented to the right and down. I also noticed he was no longer as aggressive as he had been prior to the hit. I therefore surmised he was no longer an anti-armor threat. He was however still a very viable threat to my infantry and as a scout for Fionn.

Allons

[Fionn]

Shep,

Well, we had agreed to do an AAR so I wasn't about to back out. Neither was Chris ( which speaks of his honour also).

We've had a few really "tense" games since then too eh Chris?

And as Chris said, my Panther was still a threat to infantry PLUS I hoped to shuffle the Panthers a little so as to confuse Chris as to which one was the damaged one and which wasn't.

[Shep]

The AARs are valuable for me in this:

They confirm what I already know - so I try to remind myself to follow the principles as reiterated.

And they also disseminate new ideas, which I hope to cultivate into victories.

Plus it's fun to see two obviously proficient players go at it.

Mark

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Scouts Out!

[Paul]

Too bad that we can't watch movies anymore due to 1.03.

[fatherof6]

Paul, you still can watch the movies. Just put the 1.01 version of the file "Combat Mission.exe" in your CM folder, renamed of course, and launch that file when you want to watch an old movie.

The biggest thing this AAR taught me (and I'm already applying in my PBEMs) is the concept of an defending a large piece of ground with a few units by forming little independant groups with AT and anti-personal capability.

[Fionn]

Paul,

Do just as Glenn pointed out and you'll be able to watch the movies.. I have 3 executables in my CM directory. One is called " 1.03", another "1.02" and another "1.01"

Just click on 1.01 when you want to view these movies and away you go.

Glenn,

Yes, that harkens back to my view that only "dual-capability" ambushes work..

To follow... Text of AAR which was supposed to go up today. Matt's a bit sick though so he didn't get a chance to post it so I'll post it here.

[Fionn]

After Action Report: Turns 16 – 20 ( German Perspective).

On the left flank the continual writing down of enemy forces continues. My SPW 250-9 continued to occupy Chris’ attention as I hurled it around close to his advancing infantry units. Eventually though it was close-assaulted and destroyed by an infantry squad but I estimate that the platoon which was subject to its tender attentions has suffered at least 25% casualties. The most important thing of all though is that this writing down is also upsetting the timing of Chris’ advance and disrupting its co-ordination.

In the centre of our area of operations my SMG platoon does well. I push it relentlessly forward accepting the exhaustion of my men in return for ensuring that the FOs can’t possible escape. I quickly eliminate two FO teams before swinging the SMG platoon rightwards and into the flank of a US infantry platoon only 100 metres or so from the Fos. The lack of action on the part of this platoon confuses me though. Why didn’t it move to aid the Fos when Chris realised they were bound to come under attack? Admittedly he was correct not to commit them since I had an SMG squad waiting in some trees nearby to ambush them from close-range if they moved to protect the Fos but I can’t understand why they didn’t move and I don’t like to see anything I can’t understand on a battlefield. Seeing an opponent do something one does not understand means that you can no longer be certain that your estimate of his future actions is practicable.

Anyways, the Priest which was committed to shell Hochstader’s platoon into oblivion is quickly despatched by my 2cm FlaKVierling firing over open sights at a range of only about 200 metres. The 2cm FlaK then proves its worth in the ground role by pouring volley after volley into the enemy infantry platoon mentioned above. By turn twenty I can see that the 2cm FlaK must have accounted for roughly a dozen enemy troops although its kill box shows only 1 confirmed casualty caused.

On my right flank things get very exciting. I continue to pour artillery into the wooded plateau for several turns. I can spot several heavily attrited squads and, at one stage, a dead bazooka team appears right in the middle of the shelling. Chris doesn’t seem all that bothered by the shelling though and insists it isn’t doing very much damage. Ever on the lookout for a good counter-attacking opportunity I decide to re-deploy Hochstader’s platoon rightwards and into prospective “jumping off” positions for an attack into the woods. I send one half-squad forward just to check the positions of the enemy infantry in the woods and also to gain a little intel on whether or not a counter-attack into the woods is possible. If the enemy troops had been all panicked and broken then I would have ordered a quick, sharp counter-attack. I would then have forced Chris to re-deploy, re-organise and would have withdrawn before his own counter-attack could hit the woods. Doing this would have given my tanks and HMGs even more time to whittle his forces down plus it would have severely rattled Chris ( I hoped ). When the infantry half-squad makes it into the woods it is taken under fire by some of Chris’s squads and I decide that he isn’t badly hurt enough to succumb to a platoon-sized counter-attack. I therefore decide to use the artillery fire and general damage inflicted over the past few turns to cover the withdrawal of my two infantry platoons.

My tanks do some sterling service over the course of these turns. The undamaged Panther pumps HE shell after HE shell into the advancing enemy infantry. The casualties caused by the Panther are welcome but what is more important is that it is thoroughly slowing down and destroying the co-ordination of Chris’ advance. Every time a squad breaks and runs to the rear I delay his assault for a turn or two as the rest of that platoon must wait for the broken squad to recover and make its way back up to the front with them. Of course Chris could simply leave the broken squad behind but he is too much of a professional to throw away his numerical advantage due to sheer impatience.

On the extreme right the survivors of the company HQ and single surviving half-squad continue to pull back. Eventually I’m going to link them up with Scheer and Hochstader. For now though they are providing the eyes I need to keep abreast of Chris’ advance.

My plan over the next few turns is to deploy Scheer and Hochstader’s platoons on the reverse slope of the ridge facing rightwards. Chris KNOWS that to attack an enemy on a reverse slope is simply inviting an infantry blood-fest. He also knows that his best chance of conducting a breach through the sort of terrain I’m deploying on is to bring all his tanks up to provide fire support and pin me frontally while he brings a couple of platoons around to attack into the flank of my reverse slope defence. With a view to preventing this I’m taking the following precautions:

1. Continued artillery barrages on the wooded plateau from which his flanking forces must be launched. If I can weaken them enough then I can prevent the flanking attempt (or at least weaken it enough so that it won’t succeed).

2. Keep my Jagdpanzer IV in its current location. It can prevent any of Chris’ tanks working forward unless they take the most roundabout route possible ( around the wheatfield). IF his tanks take that route then this will delay his advance for many turns as that route is quite slow. If he tries to simply bull forward and take out the Jpz IV then I’m confident that my Jpz IV can hold and destroy whatever he tries to advance across the wheatfield.

3. I’m redeploying my 2cm FlaKvierling so that it can bring fire to bear on any enemy infantry which try to attack the flank of my reverse slope positions.

4. After a little more sparring I’m going to withdraw my SMG platoon and use it as my reserve proper.

To shore up my left flank I intend to withdraw the Panther from its current forward position and race it to my left. I can see one enemy tank or tank destroyer on that flank and I need the Panther to destroy it AND back up the solitary infantry platoon. 1 infantry platoon can’t withstand a company but 1 infantry platoon backed by a Panther and 2 HMG42s can.

[Paul]

Thanks a lot for the tip gentlemen. I was really bummed out when the movies would not play. I find the AAR's very educational also and I appreciate all the effort put into them.

[Fionn]

German AAR: Turns 21 –25.

The situation at the beginning of these turns is that Chris has managed to bring forces to bear on both of my flanks and is advancing on my infantry platoons’ positions. I expect contact to occur during turns 26 to 30 but feel that the next five turns will decide whether or not I can hold later. To that end I am going to commit the last of my arty and re-position such heavy weapons teams as necessary.

On my left flank the turn begins with the almost instant anihilation of my 2cm FlakVierling by an enemy tank destroyer. Judging by the size of the explosions this TD is armed with another 90mm gun and this tentatively Ids it as an M36.

The two HMG42 teams are also beginning to pull back. I’m toying with the idea of pulling them back to the next ridgeline to provide some cover for Staeker’s platoon if I decide to pull it back after ambushing the leading group of Chris’ forces.

In the centre of the battlefield I re-orient the SMG platoon to try and put some pressure on the US infantry platoon nearby. I don’t have any hopes of over-running the American positions BUT I do hope to draw some units away from Chris’ main attack and into a futile attempt to chase the SMG platoon down.

On my right flank I begin the repositioning of the 2cm FlaKVierling. I am moving it rightwards a little so that it can be in position to bring some fire to bear on any enemy infantry platoons which attempt to turn the flank of my reverse slope defence.

Meanwhile Scheer and Hochstadter’s platoons continue to move into the alternate positions I’ve picked for them. By the time they are finished they have formed a new, contiguous line running along the reverse slope of the ridge and the woods beside it. The line should be strong enough to throw anything less than a company back. My only problem is that it looks like Chris can commit at least two companies to frontal attacks and the remnants of another company ( mainly survivors from the wooded plateau I’ve been shelling) to a flank attack. Factor in the 5 or 6 tanks on this flank and you have a situation which can best be described as desperate.

As the infantry fall into position behind Steinbauer’s tank and he pummels the flanking US infantry with HE shell after HE shell disaster befalls me. Steinbauer is hit and slumps, injured, into his tank. In a fight where a premium will be placed upon seeing the enemy first and destroying him quickly I’ve just had my principal anti-tank asset blinded in one eye. As a response to this I immediately down-grade Steinbauer to a secondary anti-tank asset and decide to pull him back and move him to my left flank in order to help fight off the enemy infantry threat. From now on Geier’s Jagdpanzer IV will form my anti-tank bulwark on the right flank.

I reverse Steinbauer into full defilade through a gap in my infantry positions and then send him haring off to my left flank as quickly as possible as Chris’ infantry are advancing quickly there.

As Steinbauer moves leftwards I notice an opportunity to bring him up for a hull-down shot at the enemy tank-destroyed on the distant ridgeline. Since I’m determined to take whatever chances present themselves for whittling down the enemy’s forces I plot a mini-pincer. Steinbauer will move up from behind a hill to engage the enemy tank destroyer while Geier’s Jpz IV will maneuvre to bring it under fire from the side. If all goes well the enemy TD and light gun ( almost certainly a 40mm AAA gun ) will both be knocked out at no cost and then my two remaining AFVs can concentrate on shoring up my two flanks without worrying about any nasty maneuvres by the TD.

Unfortunately, as Geier moves forward he stops to take the light gun under fire. Damnit Geier, you don’t even have HE shells. Kill the godamn tank and not some crappy little AA gun. Worst of all this movement coincides precisely with the moving up of all of Chris’ tanks on my right. The turn ends with an M36 drawing a perfect bead on that congenital idiot Geier. I respond by ordering Geier to rotate to place his frontal armour facing the 90mm gun on the M36 as quickly as possible and then to reverse into a new firing position. This SHOULD save me but one can never know given the vagaries of luck in CM.

As the next turn unfolds Geier pulls his “great escape” off and manages to survive to fight another turn. The enemy tank destroyer on the ridgeline isn’t so lucky and after about 4 or 5 misses my Panther finally takes it out.

The 25th turn ends with my last 81mm artillery barraging some woods that an enemy platoon is forming up in whilst my infantry and panzerschreck teams settle into their fighting positions. (Take particular notice of the placement of the schreck team in the middle of the valley Scheer and Hochstadter’s platoons are defending. I have placed it here in an endeavour to take out any of Chris’ armour which pokes its nose in too far. To encourage Chris to poke his nose into range I’m going to be careful to leave some areas uncovered by my Jpz IV. When Chris moves forward to take advantage of this “lapse” on my part I’ll great him with a schreck straight in the turret. That’s the plan at least.

On my left flank Staeker’s platoon is finally brought into action. An entire American company is arrayed facing it but one platoon from that company is about to become mincemeat. Once I’ve chewed that platoon up I’ll be left facing 2 platoons plus 3 or 4 MGs. That would be enough to take out Staeker’s platoon but I’ve decided to move my 2 HMG42s back into position and bring Steinbauer forward aggressively and try to hold the “Staeker line”. 1 German platoon + 1 Panther ( almost out of HE) and 2 HMG42s ought to be enough to hold off two American platoons.

Insert leftflank.jpg

I’m confident of holding my left flank securely. The battle now will be decided on my right flank. My left is secure. My right still hangs in the balance.

[fatherof6]

Chris,

While watching the US turns 16 through 20, I was struck as to how separated several of your squads were from their platoons HQs. If you had to do it all over again, would you keep them closer together?

I work pretty hard to maintain all of my squads within command and control as much as possible. About the only reason I stray from that philosophy is for scouting purposes. Maybe this is too conservative on my part but it seems to me that in this game, you erred in the other direction. Even after you found some of Fionn's forces, how much effort was made to come back together for combat? And is that anyway to treat your scouts?

Glenn

[Fionn]

Glenn,

I think you're referring to Chris' scout line. If you look at his main body most of those squads are within 20 metres of his platoon HQ ( apart from the ones who panicked under arty, HE or HMG fire).

[Geier]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fionn:

The turn ends with an M36 drawing a perfect bead on that congenital idiot Geier.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, I resent that remark. It wasn't a "perfect bead". He missed.

Have a little faith baby.

------------------

Johan

"The succesful execution of a well devised plan often looks like luck to saps."

Dashiell Hammett

[Fionn]

And the true danger of allowing board members to have their names included in CM is unveiled

[Geier]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fionn:

And the true danger of allowing board members to have their names included in CM is unveiled <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I actually didn't know that name was in the game, I did not apply to the names list.

Hope you took good care of me. I'd hate to be dead.

------------------

Johan

"The succesful execution of a well devised plan often looks like luck to saps."

Dashiell Hammett

[Hamstersss]

Hey, where's the rest of the AARs??? We're not going to have to wait for Madmatt to get back from Germany are we?

[Fionn]

Yes, you are.

I don't do any of that html stuff .