Blenhiem Blunder (Quick Play) - Spolier alert

[The Hapless General]

Hi,

I just finished playing the quick version (small, 15 turns) of the Blenheim Blunder.

I only managed to get a draw as the allies, as I am not very good at armor battles.

I would be most grateful to learn how any of you CM masters out there approached this mission, so maybe I can learn something about the art of armor warfare.

My take on this battle was to send the Stuarts to hull down positions near the left VPL, with the Grants staying in the low area just before the abandoned position. I sent one plt of Crusaders up the hill on the right to hull down positions while arraying the 2nd plt on the road to drive to the right VPL.

Basically, all my stuarts got plastered very fast by the Panzers, only managing to kill a couple of AC, while my Grants knocked out a couple Panzers before getting KOed. My Crusaders got KOed really fast, accomplishing nothing. In the end, I salvaged a draw only by leaving my second wave of grants (from the re-inf) in place, and shooting from the bottom of the map at the Panzers, while my re-inf of Stuarts and AT towed guns got massacred, causing absolutely no damage.

What would be your plan for this scenario?

Thanks very much

[Gpig]

SPOILER ALERT!

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Just trucked this one out for the first time, last night. Never played it before, but it looked like fun. (I'm not finished it yet.)

So far, I'm swattin' the Germans. Mainly because I think I made an important choice from the beginning.

Leave your Grants BACK, near your map edge. Place them at the BOTTOM of the allowed set-up zone (I can't remember if that's SOUTH or NORTH or what), and then REVERSE them into HULL-DOWN positions on that high ground. From there they will RULE the earth!! Or at least that small mapped protion of it.

The Cursaders you have to be VERY delicate with. I left mine on the Right hill as well, but I only SHOOT and SCOOT with them, trying to harass mainly.

I scout with Jeeps and MMG_carrier's, trying to peek over hilltops, then reverse back into safety.

And yes, the Stuarts, I rushed into HULL-DOWN positions near where you put them. But I pretty much left them in the LOW point of the map, where any German armor that stumbles that far will be tag-teamed by the stuarts. Hopefully with odds in my favour.

The infantry platoon I move up into good cover, short of the objective. Hoping to win the armor battle before rushing the empty trenches.

The 2pdr portee's I just hide behind the hills (if they can survive that long to get there).

The Grant's are DOMINANT on this battlefield. Especially hulldown. At the beginning of the battle, I've got 6 Grants hull-down, with LOS to the other side of the map. As the AXIS forces come over thier ridge, they are dead meat. Er, Spam.

Even my Crusader's are gettin' in lucky shots. My Stuarts, as well.

The reinforcements only add to my glee. 3 more grants! and 6 more stuarts! WOOT.

I'm currently at the point where the AXIS is getting his reinforcements (I have a jeep MG peeking on the left side of the map, and the AXIS road just FILLED up with armor). So I know it's not over yet.

I'll give you a full accounting after the battle.

Gpig

[roqf77]

well i wouldnt call myself a master, but i got a major victory on my first play of the full version.

So my advice is advance forwards causiosly with your honeys and grants. The terrain should allow you to work your way round on the left side of the screen. This is important because you dont want to get into a ranged battle with then as the 37mm wont do much to a mark 4 much over 500m. when you have done this move the grants up again cleverly using what little cover there is preferably on the left flank and you should be able to create local superioritis within the map and mop up. this must be carefully done advance and retreat! as for the crusaders i got mine hopelessly destroyed very quickly so i dont know. and as gpig states using jeeps and whatever you have left to spy on the enmies positions is very good. this is what i did anyway so, i hope it helps but i will admit there may of been a little luck on my side it was an absolutly vicsious fight.

[roqf77]

the only problem though gpig is going hull down with grants meens the 75mm cant fire as it is in the hull. but that is good use of terrain if it were a 75mm or 6pdr armed tank that would of been brillinant so dont take it the wrong way. but the grants could atleast your reinforced ones might be better used out in the open especialy as the german guns werent that brilliant against it?(i remember mainly l24 75mm and l42 50mm)

[Gpig]

Hmmm . . . that's interesting. As my Grants up on the hill are happily firing away with thier 75mm and have taken out 3 PzIII's.

Honestly, I have not actually checked the ammo to see if they are chuckin' 75mm (but I will check when I start 'er up again), but I'd be surprised if they were knocking out the PzIII's with their 37mm guns. At over 600m. In the front.

On the other hand, maybe my Grants aren't actually in HULL DOWN position?

*scratches head*

I'll have to go check . . .

Gpig

[Gpig]

Ok. I'm back.

Yes, you can fire the 75mm while in the HULL-DOWN position with the Grant. I've just watched my line of Grants blow away 3 PzIII's using thier AP for the 75mm's. So I was correct after all.

Scared me there, dude.

So far I have not lost a single Grant in this battle and I'm at turn 14 (out of 20). If the Axis so much as show thier face, they are toast.

Off to bed.

Gpig

[roqf77]

fair enough but then it must be a bug becasue the grants 75mm is in the hull. so if you hull doiwn and firing 75mm then there is something wrong. as far as game tactics go is fine, but as far as historic realism thats just wrong(not having a go but i would do the same, but in hull down my grants didnt fire 75mm).

[Kingfish]

Originally posted by roqf77:

fair enough but then it must be a bug becasue the grants 75mm is in the hull. so if you hull doiwn and firing 75mm then there is something wrong. as far as game tactics go is fine, but as far as historic realism thats just wrong(not having a go but i would do the same, but in hull down my grants didnt fire 75mm).

The CM game engine treats hull down as having as much of the hull below the terrain crest but still be able to use the main gun. For the Grant the main gun is the hull mounted 75mm, so more of the vehicle is exposed.

If you want to truly be hull down in a Grant then issue it a 'move to contact' command. That way, it will roll forward and then stop when the turret spots a target.

[roqf77]

i know. i said its okay for the game but its not actualy hull down. that was one complant of the british forces in north africa, over the grant.

I was just being a little padantic.

[Gpig]

Well, consider it LOWER hull down.

I noticed the front LOWER hull of the Grant is weak. So at least THAT part of the tank is covered when hull down.

Though I'm guessing I get a Hull Down Bonus even though most of my tank is showing above ground.

There MUST have been a discussion when CMAK came out about how use of HULLDOWN Grants/Lee's is considered GAMEY. Right? I'll do a search.

Gpig

[roqf77]

yes there was thats a fair point. i admit i was being padantic. i dont realy kow how the gsme handlesa it. whether or not the upper hull can get hit.

[roqf77]

back to the origianl post it seems, hapless general you can either a, use your hull down grants to cover your other tanks. or B flank round on the left with the grants and crusaders on the right(i did a little better this time but they still are pants) and use the struarts down the middle but use cover very well and bring them to bear once german tanks are engaged.

[roqf77]

but be careful of the german reinforcements, they just appear.

[Gpig]

testing a pic

[Gpig]

OOoh, that's gotta hurt . . .

[roqf77]

he he germans should quit smoking its bad for there health!

[Gpig]

Letting the A.I. drive would be another poor choice on the part of the germans.

Gpig

[roqf77]

yeah this scernario playing, it as the germans seems to be stacked against the axis. either that or the ai is acting exeptionaly dumb. i.e changing my orders and backing out sideways on to tanks to engage and refusing to move anywhere near cover

[Brent Pollock]

I've played this (actually, the non-quick version) twice as Brits vs PBEM opponents. Both times the Germans had trouble moving from their start line, especially the reinforcements on the German right.

I think I should give it a go a third time, but from the AK side.

[Gpig]

Hi Brent. Yeah, I played the LONG version (20 turns) as well. I tried to find this scenario at the Scenario Deopt so I could review it, but it was not there.

Play the Axis side and let us know how you do.

But I agree, some small tweaks could be made to this scenario to make it a tidge better.

The reinforcements for one.

Both sides have reinforcements appear in "open" areas. The Allies reinforcements appear almost halfway onto the map. Not very realistic. They are also exposed from the the get-go. (And in my battle, appeared amongst forces already fighting the good fight. Makes for a messy orders phase.)

Maybe the map could be altered slightly, in order to give the Axis reinforcement road(s) some cover at the map eadge? In my game, the Axis reinforcements were caught with thier pants down.

It's a great map, otherwise. Lots of nooks and crannies.

Gpig