SOTW: Attack on Nibeiwa Fort... Spoiler Alert

[Shep]

Official kick-off of the Scenario of the Week. The only 1940 scenario in the bunch. Since it is a large scenario, let's take at least a couple of weeks to cover this one.

Looks like we're in for a slug-fest.

[Moon]

To be honest, I think this should go into the Scenario Forum. OK with you? If so, I'll move it and will make it a featured thread it in that forum also. Just let me know, Shep.

Martin

[Shep]

That's fine. I wondered about that as well, and asked about it when I started the Fruhlingswind demo thread.

Would it be possible and reasonable to headline a redirect message from here for a while?

Thanks.

[Moon]

Hm, OK, here's what we do - we'll feature this in the CMAK forum for the time being, until it's better established, and move it over into the Scenario Forum in a couple of months or so.

Martin

[Shep]

Just right, Moon. I was actually a bit concerned because the scenario forum is more of a backwater.

I'd like to see the topic have a good life of its own, and it seems the better place for in depth discussion of the scenarios of the game.

[Michael Emrys]

I gather this is one of the scenarios on the disk? In that case, yeah you'd better give this one some time cos there are a whole lot of us that don't have it yet.

:eek:

Michael

[Captain Wacky]

Any PBEM takers?

[Soddball]

Originally posted by Captain Wacky:

Any PBEM takers?

Yeah, ship it over to me, you warty todger. I owe you a smackdown anyway. :mad: :mad:

[BigDork]

Can someone explain the whole SOTW thing to me? I'd like to contribute if possible.

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by BigDork:

Can someone explain the whole SOTW thing to me?

Ah, my son, some things are beyond words. If you will contemplate the deeper meaning of silence, and open your mind to the infinite, truth will come to you at last.

I'd like to contribute if possible.

You'll find a box with a slot in the top on your way out. Large denomination unmarked bills are best.

Michael

[BigDork]

Originally posted by Michael Emrys:

You'll find a box with a slot in the top on your way out. Large denomination unmarked bills are best.

Err...sorry but I spent it all on CMAK.

[Jim Boggs]

Okay, I'm playing Snarker in this scenario.

So where's the spoilers????????

[Shep]

SOTW is "Scenario of the Week."

Which is a major misnomer, since some of the time it will be every two or three weeks, depending on the size of the scenario.

Spoilers will come when game reports start pouring in.

[BigDork]

Originally posted by Shep:

Spoilers will come when game reports start pouring in.

So basically people play through a scenario and then post how the did? I kinda like this idea. Could be very helpful for newbies to see how some of the experienced people play.

[Shep]

So basically people play through a scenario and then post how the did?

Exactly. AARs, and comments on strategy are welcomed. I am pretty close to posing a few ideas on Nibeiwa before I actually play. It's a whopping big scenario though.

[BigDork]

Great! I used to this type of thing with Civ3 a while back. Really helped me learn the game.

[Pvt. Ryan]

I haven't finished the battle yet, but what is up with the default deployment? Does it matter, historically, from which side you start as the attacker?

[Captain Wacky]

Originally posted by Soddball:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Captain Wacky:

Any PBEM takers?

Yeah, ship it over to me, you warty todger. I owe you a smackdown anyway. :mad: :mad: </font>

[Agua]

Yes. It just so happened that I decided to approach the scenarios in chrono as well. I found out quite rudely what those little square things which appear to be comprised of sandbags were.

I didn't like the idea of splitting the forces so I consolidated all forces on one of the "ends" so to speak. Infantry hid wihle armour moved past kicking up a cover of dust for their advance. I was able to completely avoid the rows of AT mines, by sheer luck of choosing to narrow my front.

One Matty II became immobilzed right at a spot overlooking the apparent reinforcement location where the flood of M11/39s come on the map. That one Matty took out 9 of the little boogers alone and never lost morale. Guess the crew knew what they were up against and not especially worried.

Yes, it was playing against the ai. Only an experience bonus (no force bonus). It was like one long mop up operation.

[Shep]

My ideas:

1. Use my TRPs on the sandbag positions, and snipe them as they raise their heads.

2. Advance the tanks in front of the infantry as a moving smoke screen.

3. Attack all on one side along a broad front, opposite the main gate.

Didn't work out as planned, mainly because I ran into the mine fields and lost 8 tanks... 7 immobilized and 1 killed outright.

Which left my infantry to mostly advance across the last 150 meters of open ground. Ouch.

The reinforcement tank platoon raised some hell on the far side, with one tank penetrating to Maletti's HQ and making the general crap his pants. The tank kills 44 soldiers, a gun, and 4 tanks. The beehive really stirred up against it but it held out to the bitter end.

I got a minor victory. 58-42, but it really is a loss, considering how many tanks went back to the repair shop, and how many infantry casualties I lost. Also, the Italians abandoned two of their own flags which they easily could have held, and that certainly would have given them a smashing victory.

Fun scenario, and if the brits miss the minefields they can cause a lot of havoc with the Matildas.

[Pvt. Ryan]

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Once you get your tanks close enough you can rush them at the gun positions and overrun them. The Italian guns surrender as soon as the Matildas get within a few feet. Very few of the guns are capable of penetrating the Matildas from the front.

[ColdSober]

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As luck would have it, I set up everything I had at the start on the north side of the fort (where there are no minefields ), behind the ridge. I used my TRPs on as many sandbagged positions on that side of the map as possible. I used my Co HQ, along with three Matildas set to shoot and scoot from the ridge, to check for gun positions. Having located the Italian guns, I used both my arty observers to plaster them with fire, along with the three 50mm mortars. Once this had knocked out most of the guns along the edge of the fort, I used the remaining ammo from the lighter arty FO to provide a smokescreen, loaded most of my infantry up onto the Matildas, and fast-moved them across to the fort. A combination of ADVANCE moves for the infantry, and HUNT orders for the Matildas allowed me to move as far as General Maletti's HQ. When the reinforcements turned up, I simply used them to harrass the Italians' flanks. Most of the Italian Green and Conscript squads I encountered on the way surrendered to me, giving me a 82-18 victory. I didn't manage to capture MAJ GEN Maletti, but his Batallion HQ squad was panicked and retreating from the fight when the game ended.

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Pvt. Ryan:

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Once you get your tanks close enough you can rush them at the gun positions and overrun them. The Italian guns surrender as soon as the Matildas get within a few feet. Very few of the guns are capable of penetrating the Matildas from the front.

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I won't have the game for another week or so, so I am reading this thread spoilers and all. I have to say, I really like the new surrender "rules". I am playing Line of Defence by email and have captured a couple of heavy weapons crews with just tanks alone. A tank is a big scary thing and it is neat to see - especially among early war and inexperienced infantry - that troops would rather give up to them than fight to the last round. Nice touch.

[Urban Shocker]

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT

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I took the same tact as ColdSober. I approached from the north of the fort. I did this because it was the shortest side and I thought it would minimize any flanking fire (i.e., a nice, compact front)and because recon indicated that there were mines protecting the southern approaches to the fort. Like a previous poster I didn't realize what those little sandbag thingies were until they started cutting my advancing infantry to pieces. I apprehensively moved tanks into overwatch positions and after seeing that they were impervious to the AT guns I had one of them overrrun 4 AT Guns in a row! One didn't surrender right away so I backed over it again and was given the appropriate respect!

After penetrating the wall it was a matter of house hopping my infantry along with tanks and get as far as I could. I had one tank hit a minefield, another bogged in brush, and a third was mysteriously abandoned. I could not find out what unit killed it but a captured group of conscripts walked right by it as it abandoned...perhaps BFC has added a new feature where unguarded prisoners sabotage! Anyway, I sent my tank reinforcement along the western edge of the fort to flank the big center flag and they ran into a leaguer (sp?) of weak tanks. They scattered these as shot after shot bounced off the Matilda II's armor and in the process took out 4 "tanks." I had another platoon of tanks do the same on the east side but all either succumbed to immobilization by mines (1), bogging (1) or AT gun immobilization(1) (the worst, it seems the AT guns can do).

As I pushed towards the big HQ Flag, the inexperienced Italians put in a vicious counterattack. While they didn't cause many casualties they slowed down progress as I had to called in arty strikes to show them the futility of trying to fight!. This counterattack prevented me from capturing the big HQ flag. In order to do this, though, the Italians had to reinforce with everything they had left and thus abandoned the two small southern flags.

In the end I got a Total Victory (85-15). I caused a 5 to 1 casualty ratio and destroyed 22 vehicles (some were trucks) and 15 guns. I lost one Matilda to "mysterious" circumstances and had a mortar destroyed.

Analysis:

1) My infantry and tanks were uncoordinated at first which cost me some unecessary casulaties. Later, this improved and infantry casualties went down (48 total).

2) Nothing could touch the Matildas (for the most part). Their effectiveness was reduced by British doctrine at the time (e.g., tank-killing tanks were separate from infantry-killing tanks) as the Matildas had only AP ammo. This did not prevent them scaring many Italians into surrendering (184 prisoners) though it did stop them from killing more of them. :mad:

3) I do not know what the Italians can do to stop the Brits. It'll be interesting to try from the defenders point of view to see different tactical arragements would be more effective and stopping the Brits. The italians have only a few assets that could trouble the Brits other than minefields.

4) Favorite Brit Line: "Sonofabitch...I've been hit!"

[ December 07, 2003, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: Urban Shocker ]

[tomcat2]

hi ,i am a newbie here ,hope you will help and guide me ,thank you