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SOTW II: Panic at Gela... Spoiler Alert


Shep

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i "tried" to play it 3 times as axis, with default AI setup. it is almost impossible to get anywhere near the nme without being slaughtered, for me.

deadly long range AT fire killing all my armor instantly. i cant make any step over that initial ridge. movement on the street seems impossible too. rivercrossing: hell. tanks and ht´s need a eternity to climb that sloop.

worst is the endless stream of 155mm arty from crack spotters.

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I'm glad its not just me. I've tried getting arty spotters to take out the guns, but they get hammered by the 155s - anything nearby causes them to panic. I've tried using all the armor at once cresting the ridge on the right - armor wave. That just results in a bunch of burning hulks and retreating survivors. I've tried sneaking infantry up the patch of brush, they get the arty. Maybe need to adjust the play balance setting - never tried that before. Will that give the US fewer guns?

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(See my first post above)

My H2H PBEM game ended with a total victory for me (allied side).

The ATGs finished the work started by the arty. They opened fire all together, leaving only 2 tanks to my opponent who requested a cease fire.

I even had a 57mm gun who scored 6 PIVs and survived the game, a personal record.

I didn't use the default set-up, i completely revisited it instead, placing my troops in the scattered trees, unreacheable from the tanks in the open.

2 guns were placed on the hill, others along the roads leading to the objectves. I am quite happy with that set-up, it certainly helped me to get a total victory but i still think the balance largely favors the allied side.

I used only half of my 155mm ammo, and the FOs scored 80 infantry casualties + a couple tanks and HT.

The american infantry in CMAK seems to use rifle grenade much more often than their CMBB german counterparts do with their fausts.

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Played as US vs AI, extreme FOW, no modifiers, AI standard setup. I figured from the scenario description that it would be more difficult from the American side.

Much of what I would comment about on this scenario has been said already.

I deviated quite a bit from the default setup, switching to a more "defence in depth" posture, with layered fields of paired AT guns firing from different sides. I removed all of the infantry from the hillside side of the road, leaving only the FO hiding in the vinyards.

I was actually expecting a more multi-pronged attack; consequently a large portion of my force was not engaged three quarters of the way into the battle and was eventually redeployed to reinforce the platoons defending the central ford.

The 155mm artillery simply decimated the armoured advance, with multiple Panzers knocked out, detracked or gun damaged before they got anywhere near engagement range. The handful of AFVs that made it as far as the first ambush zone were cut down almost as rapidly, with a single 57mm gun doing most of the work (7 Panzer kills) after its 37mm mate was knocked out early by a lucky ranged shot.

In effect, one 57mm AT gun and the FO stopped the advance of the AFVs cold, with four platoons of infantry doing the rest of the work stopping dismounts. Two platoons of infantry, 3 x 57mm guns and 3 x 37mm guns were either unengaged or barely engaged, having been deployed to cover ambush zones which were never even reached.

I think I'll try this as the Germans and attempt to get a better result than the AI, but this scenario seems very one-sided at the moment. Fun to play - I spent more time setting up my defences on this one than most others.

91% US vs 9% German... Germans surrendered on turn 29.

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Guys,

The scenario was designed to show what the cruisers did there, and how they made the difference. Kill the spotters and see how difficult a time the Americans would have had. Chris [who just turned 15] was reading Two Ocean War, and there is a big section on the Naval gunfire support, it was never really meant to be played two player. More of a challenge would to play as the Germans. See the web site I posted earlier to see how the Naval Gunfire truely saved the day. That and the General rallying his troops.

Rune

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I was finally able to at least get a draw as the Germans against the AI US using default defense set up. I got 54% so I consider that a victory...lol. And had I not squeezed 38 turns out of this 32 turn game it wouldn't have happened.

The AT guns and surgical heavy arty are brutal. I setup all my heavy armor on the extreme right flank, and sent all armor reinforcements there as well. I sent only one platoon of mounted (HT) infantry over the first set of fords at the beginning of the game. My plan was to have them sneak up through the scattered trees in the river gully. I sent two platoons of foot infantry up through the brush. The tanks were going to all crest the first ridge at once, when the time was right.

I sent my FO to the stand of trees just past the ridge on the right, and used my extra HQs (Co and 4th platoon) as spotters for the SPW mortars. I brought the HTs back to use as bait for the guns, then was going to hit them with arty and send a company of tanks out at once with guns blazing. The plan worked, though my infantry paid the price.

I spent about 12 turns before the I ordered the armor over the top. By that time, my platoon on the other side had gotten bushwacked and was all broken except the HQ. My platoons in the long stretch of brush were pinned down and encountering the enemy line. However, when the HT's charged and armor went over the crest, all hell broke loose. I was able to take out the guns that could see my armor on the right rather quickly. The one up on the hill got hit by arty fire, and the battle was on. The tanks saved the infantry and began the charge across the open.

Then the naval gunfire hit. I lost a few tanks and a platoon of mounted infantry to that (they remained broken for many turns). I ultimately sent one platoon of tanks and my last two HTs full of infantry up to the rear flag and took it fairly easily. The other tanks and infantry took to crossing the middle fords. Getting up those slopes on the other side took forever. But I was able to get over them and halfway through the trees when turn 32 hit. Then I just kept advancing. Found more AT guns and they caused more armor attrition. What was left of my infantry was a few squads with 3 guys and a couple HQs. Ultimately, I took the other flag with four tanks and felt like I just won the battle of the bulge...

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