SOTW: Airborne Assault to Hill A... Spoiler Alert

[Shep]

An all new episode of the Scenario of the Week, a German Airborne foray into Crete. Something about taking a vineyard on a hill.

[Michael Dorosh]

Haven't joined in the scenario talk yet after so heartily endorsing the idea. I am sending a setup to a favourite PBEM buddy; am looking forward to comparing notes in the coming days...

[dangerousdave]

I really enjoyed this one. Good for working on basic infantry tactics. I played as Germans vs. AI. I generally followed the default set up, with some modifications. I kept two platoons each on the left and right flanks and one up the middle. I tweaked their starting positions a little bit, but not much. I moved the Company HQ to a hill in near the middle and kept two 50 mm mortars just over the back crest for him to call fire. I kept one mortar with each of the two outside platoons.

The plan: those two outside platoons were to go up the flanks toward the rear. The rear flag was the objective for the far right flank, the flag on the left for the far left flank. The two "inner" platoons on the outside were to attack the enemy line as it appeared. The platoon up the middle was to draw fire and take the middle flag, along with the additional platoon on the right flank. That flag is out in the middle of the vineyards, and I expected it would might be the hardest to take.

The left and right flanks moved up with bounding overwatch and quickly drew fire, mostly from the enemy forward line in the middle. The platoon in the middle advanced rather quickly to a pretty much hidden spot behind a crest. I decided to have it wait until I could roll the line with the right flank. I had them sneak up into grenade range slowly.

The battle on the right flank went well. One platoon engaging the enemy, the outside one moving up to roll the flank. The left flank started very slowly and I got pinned down there for several turns by machine gun fire coming from the hill and the middle forward positions.

The briefing indicated I might get reinforcements, depending on how things went, so I made my plans assuming I wouldn't get any. However, I did. Just as I was rolling up the forward enemy line on my right flank, I got another platoon over there. I sent it up the vineyard hill to take firing positions to challenge the fire that was coming from that bit hill in the middle. The slopes are steep and it took some time to advance. Also, grapes don't really provide much cover...

I was able to root out the forward line from mid to right flank using concentrated suppresive fire and assaults. The left was still struggling, however.

Then, I got more reinforcements - this time on the left. I was able to sneak them up to a large pit, just on the flank of some well dug in positions. This turned the tide on the left and I was able to take the trenches and treeline that were crucial on that side. The middle took the most casualties, ultimately, but I was able to take that flag first.

Having cornered the enemy on three sides, I was able to lay fire, bound, and eventually assault. I snuck a couple units way around the back right flank and came up behind the final flag. I charged in and took it on virtually the last turn. It was about a 70% victory. (though I didn't write down the precise outcome). Many of my squads, especially those that went up the middle and provided the supporting fire on the right, were on low ammo for the last few turns.

One note: I had expected to encounter at least a tank or bren carrier, some armor. So I carefully guarded my two tank hunter teams and kept them on the flanks, ready to go in when it happened. Never happened. There was no armor in the game.

It was a fun one.

[Michael Dorosh]

After reading the recommendation to play vs AI only, I abandoned this one.

What will the next one be?

[Captain Wacky]

Played Axis with Allied +1 experience and 25% force bonus.

This one was an exercise in frustration. Advance up a hill with tired troops against a dug in enemy, under fire almost the entire way. Because all the suppression from the Allied fire it took me 20 turns to get massed against the first line on the right flank but I could never make it to the wall to pour fire down their trenches. I just hit ceasefire after 25 turns. Looking at the Allied setup there's no way I would've been able to make any more headway. The Germans really need some MG or artillery support as a balancer IMO.

[Berlichtingen]

Originally posted by Captain Wacky:

The Germans really need some MG or artillery support as a balancer IMO.

Then it really wouldn't be Crete, would it?

[Snorri]

vs AI, no boni.

led my two *goose*-collums around the *fire*-cirlce. when they passed the second i turned in to take rear-flag first. fighting started in turn 13. at turn 21 i was closing in, two platoons *met* at the very rear. anyway i was surprised by the hard resistance.

[sure this defence hits the historic ground of fact, but the germans. i doubt.

i have no idea to the historic facts which where used for this scen. but i (to give the critic any worth) would level some! of the FJ-groups up..hardass and expierenced. most of the hqs, got killed right away..so *hurt* them if good skills, regular and less level, if they are just: field-decorated to higher grade(?). therefor a *even* stronger defence, with little armor (what all seem to wait for:)

err..or was this the *training-companie?? -will look it up)

uncertain if i finish this map. [which is a fighting box, indeed, but didn`t remind me to the crete i visited...nm.]

it should be said i made terrible mistakes (ey, it`s just an ai...heh) but so, it sure improved my skill in "inf".

thx! anyway

(excuse my manners)

[ May 21, 2004, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: Snorri ]