CMBB scenario: Company Campaign

[jtcm]

I highly recommend the "Company Campaign" scenarios at The Proving Grounds-- Axis against AI, recognizable tactical problems (Co forces crossing against defence), set in 1941 with 9as far as I can tell) good 1941 conditions and equipment, and (for me at least) quite tough.

[JasonC]

I looked at it the TPG summary page, and don't understand the conscript unit quality bit. It made me skeptical. Anyone know the idea behind that?

[jtcm]

The quality improves as the campaign goes on. But I agree that regulars or green might make sense. In the first engagement, the point is that the troops haven't seen action before. (the first engagement would be better as an Attack than as a Probe).

[Brent Pollock]

...and they have been trained to quite some degree, so Conscript status really isn't warranted.

[JasonC]

I've actually played it now, and the scenario works. Still conscripts are very annoying.

----------------Spoiler Alert -----------------------------

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

No the problem is not that they "might panic under fire" as the briefing says. I had no serious problems that way. The difficulties are (1) no "advance" command and (2) no covered arcs, hence no control of "ammo incontinence" short of ordering the men to hide. Since these are Panzer Rifle with all of 35 shots aka 6 minutes, in a 30 plus minute scenario, the last is by far the biggest difficulty.

If the point is just the brittleness under fire, it would be better to use greens and take away the company HQ's morale bonus. I used him to command half the force, with one platoon HQ with +1 morale left his men, and the + combat types hanging back with the MGs, 50mms, and one squad (on the right).

My only other quibble with the scenario is the author's overly intrusive advice. While I don't doubt that is helpful to some players and maybe such instruction is the intention, in general I dislike scenario designers trying to script things or telling me what to do. The briefing does this, so do the landmarks, and the highly channeled terrain (one bridge, 2 fords, marsh in front of them, etc).

Still it works, it is a reasonable scenario.

[Corvidae]

Axis 41, if German they should be a mix of green and reg,, That is the normal quality for well trained but inexperienced troops,

The germans had one of the best trained armys in the world,

[Darkmage]

hmm k i'm pretty new to CM and have tried the 1st scenario but i cant complete :/ i cant seem to advance across the river to the left as advised

could someone possible show me how its done? any tactics would be appreciated

thanx,

DM

[JasonC]

Sure, here is what I did.

Spoiler alert though not much of one.

**********************************

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*********************************

Put one squad with the worst platoon commander on the right. Put all 3 50mm mortars with him. Squad goes first to scout routes, then leader to spot for the mortars (all he is good for, really). Squad supports to the front by fire when necessary.

Put both HMGs with the section leader in the center, astride the road. I put one MG in the woods just right of the road, and started the other in open ground, hiding, just behind the first woods tile left of the road. He crawls into the woods and then sets up there. Further advances by the MGs are not necessary. They support strictly by fire.

PSW goes on the road, well back at first. When you get an enemy shooter he moves up and fires at with the MG, mostly. Save the cannon for late.

Just left of the road goes the +1 combat platoon leader, with 2 or 3 squads. They move up woods to woods staying to the left of the road. Support to the front by fire. Feed squads to the left when - if the way looks clear.

Main body goes in the wheat on the left. Company commander with 2-3 squads stripped from the lesser HQs goes on the right side of the wheat. The platoon leader with +1 morale goes on the left side of the wheat. Both should have only 2 squads ahead, maximum, with the HQs and other squads trailing by 26m as a second line. Maintain adequate spacing left to right - 26m again.

That is the set up. At the opening, the overwatch men on the right make their short moves forward. The front line of the main body heads for the scattered tree tiles on your side of the river, on "move to contact".

You will draw fire from a Maxim in a house across the river. The men on the left should halt on contact. One unit being fired at will probably be pinned, but should be in range of a +1 morale leader, so it should not be worse than that. As the other units over in the overwatch stuff on the right keep moving, they may distract the MG (did for me). You may or may not also get weak, long range DP fire from the main objective area, which will remain sound.

You should get a full spot of the Maxim in the house, though.

Next turn, do a "mad minute". That means nobody needs to move, everybody aims at the Maxim and pulls triggers for all they are worth. PSW advances to LOS, 250m range or less. Anybody already in a "cover panic" sneak you can leave sneaking. Everybody else fires. He will go down.

Next turn, the HMGs remain on the Maxim, along with the PSW. I recommend one HMG be given "area fire" at the location rather than at the unit, because you can lose him when he ducks, at this range. The idea is simply to prevent rally.

Everybody else moves out again. Not "to contact" this time. Short woods to woods hops can be on "fast", rest should be "move". You should only get light DP fire at long range. It will be lucky to make 1-2 units duck. If you are maintaining proper interval, everyone else will go. Within 2 minutes, all should be in the brush at the base of the stream. Elapsed time, 5 minutes. Squad ammo used - only 1 minute per unit, a few didn't fire (no LOS, pinned, etc). HMGs still chattering and Maxim down for the count.

Now feed squads through the marsh tile and across the ford. Do not bunch up, maintain interval and be patient. You want units out of LOS or hiding so as not to waste ammo if the Maxim pops up occasionally. Let the MGs handle him. Men through the marsh cross at the left ford, enter the marsh on the far side. They are well protected by the slope at that point. Spread them out left and right, keeping 14m interval or so even in the dead ground. Wait until a full platoon in across and has made it up into the brush (still low), clear of the marsh tiles. Everybody slowed by any previous fire should have plenty of time to catch up and to rally, in range of +1 morale leaders. Company HQ stays on your own side of the river until the last squads are ready to move, then crosses too.

The platoon first across then wants to move up together, to LOS of the Maxim house. Close in on him, while the MGs and PSW cover you. He may rally long enough to break a squad, but the others - Panzer rifle inside 100m - will toast him. Now feed squads forward to the edge of the cover thus cleared. Packet moves, one squad at a time per axis. Fill the right front of the house and woods position with good order squads.

Then you firefight the objective area. You can trigger them to shoot by sending a half squad at a time to the woods strip at the far edge. Fire by whole platoons to break units, not tickle them. Once a unit cowers put an HMG on him and switch squad fire to the next. When you don't have shooters advance a single squad (or half) toward the objective buildings. When he is shot, shoot the shooters. Repeat as needed.

A single platoon crossing will not get it done. The Panzer rifle squads do not have enough firepower at range to break the defenders in the objective position, if they shoot from clear across the stream. The will run out of ammo first. The MGs are fine from back there, likewise the mortars and PSW. The squads want to fire from half that distance to make their ammo count. So most of the squads should cross.

The key to this is putting the company HQ in second position behind the best morale platoon, and feeding all the squads you can through the company HQ's command radius. He has good bonuses and he lets you move as a squad by squad fluid instead of big cookie cutter platoons.