An Interesting Tactical Dilemna

[Gen Schmaeterling]

In "Meet the Queens," set in the final chase through the dessert, you are tasked as the British to probe a suspected German position on a slight ridge. Clearing it will clear the way for the main body to move radidly in pursuit of the germans.

The force composition was:

3 Platoons of Infantry

1 Vickers MG Platoon on universal carriers

1 Mortars platoon on universal carriers

6 Medium Tanks (no smoke shells)

The map follows a road through very open terrain, where a very small village in the left-center that has been deemed clear of enemies by scouting vehicles ahead of the main body. Ahead of the village and to the left is a small marsh, in the center a wheatfield, and to the right open terrain. This all leads to the not-very-tall ridge that runs across the map but none the less blocks LOS to the final 200 meters of the map, where I'm sure the Germans are preparing a reverse-slope defense with plenty of AT gear.

Overall, very open terrain providing ample opportunity for harassing fire against us.

I'm playing Brits vs. AI

SETUP:

A Jeep MG and three light ACs are running through the town on the road.

My infantry company is spread out in a wedge formation in a wheatfield that is before the village. I've set up the company mortars at the edge of the wheatfield where, hopefully, they're able to blast at anything nasty.

Tanks lead along the road into the village in a column formation. Behind them are the carriers with the MGs and Mortars.

INITIAL STRATEGY:

Assuming the village was clear, my plan was as follows:

Move infantry through the town towards the ridge. I'd advance them spread out to avoid an artillery catastrophe, with each platoon leapfrogging the other to ensure adequete suppression if anything popped up on the crest of the ridge.

In the town, my two platoons of tanks would set up in cover to provide suppressing fire in case anything chose to show its face over the ridge.

I would order the carriers to spread my mortars throughout the map to avoid clumping them together. Again, the idea was to maintain fire superiority over anything that could fire on my infantry.

Likewise, my MGs would occupy the top floors of a two heavy buildings in town.

With this, I figured, my infantry could advance slowly towards the ridge with adequate covering fire. If armor appeared, it'd be quickly dispatched by covering armor. If anything too big too handle came over, I could smoke the ridgeline and retreat my infantry.

Once at the ridge, my infantry could ID the OPFOR and I could bring up AFVs and support weapons on carriers as called for.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED:

In the first turn, three vehicles in the town were knocked out by infantry waiting in ambush behind them. So much for their deeming the village clear.

Although a tough note to open on, it did at least give me the positions of the units in the village.

I spread out my armor and ordered them to systematically blow up the few buildings in town where the enemy had been sighted.

I ordered one platoon of infantry to enter a patch of scattered trees on the left side of the map, so that they coulod advance and provide flanking fire/cut off any withdrawing troops, while two platoons remained advancing slowly frontally.

Still nothing over the ridge, even though I had mortars and Company HQ in overwatch.

Shortly, the village was dust and I'd dusted whatever infantry was in it, or from it trying to retreat. In the process, an AT gun and an AA gun on the crest of the ridge had been dispatched by my tanks at no cost to me. Nothing else over the ridge, though. So far, excellent

My tanks entered the village. Three tanks took cover in such a way that they had open shots to the right side of the map but were unable to take fire from the left. The three other tanks took cover behind a large, heavy building that allowed them to cover the left side of the ridge but not take fire from the right. If I needed overwhelming firepower beyond what either group could offer, a fast command would place my tanks ready to fire at the entire map.

I set up my support weapons in top floors as well as another HQ for spotting.

My plan was to advance the platoons through the wheatfield

As I began to advance the first platoon through the town towards the wheatfield, huge artillery bursts rained down. In one turn, I'd lost a significant number of men in that platoon. I decided to wait it out and then change my avenue of approach. In the next turns, as the two other platoons found cover in heavy buildings, the artillery decimated my first platoon, which was unable to get inside a building (in rubble, scattered trees, and in the open, all squads lost over 50% and the HQ was lost). The entire first platoon was broken and routed.

When the fire stopped, two of my tanks' guns had been damaged (I THOUGHT TANKS WERE IMPERVIOUS TO ARTILLERY!). I began moving along the left side with a half squad in the lead, when, once again, huge artillery began raining down. This time, though, the affected platoon was able to rally back to the building, with few losses. Never the less, artillery continued to rain down. I had tried using smoke across the ridge, but this seemed to have no effect (also, the RAIN didn't help)

By the time it stopped for good, half of the turns had expired. I'd sent carriers to pick up the rallied formerly routed troops of first platoon and bring them to the front line to use as half squads through the wheatfields. The remaining two platoons trailed.

I proceeded with my infantry advance, which developped without a glitch, as the only pocket of OPFOR (what seemed to be a section of machineguns) was mercilessly suppressed by mortars, HE from tanks, MG fire, and rifle fire from the covering platoon.

Unfortunately, by the time my forces reached the ridge and LOS to the OPFOR lying behind it, all my turns were over and I had suffered a major defeat.

AFTERMATH:

The artillery (150mm with a spotter on the ridge on a patch of rough, whom I was unable to spot) was responsible for approximately 50 casualties and 4 carriers, not to mention damaging the guns on two of the tanks.

Thoughts or comments?

I'm not sure if I could have used my mortars more effectively with smoke?

I guess I could have also blasted the entire crest of the ridge with area fire from mortars and HE from tanks, but I feel that would have been entirely unrealistic. Or woult it not have?

Or should I take this defeat with a grain of salt because my forces weren't entirely destroyed. I could have lost all my infantry if I'd pressed on against the artillery barrage, and instead only lost approximately 60 men.

I was very happy with my infantry advance once the arty stopped, as it kept moving cohesively even when under fire, without great loss of men (And on this thanks to JasonC for his awesome tutorials on how to move infantry!!!!!!!)

I'd love to hear what people have to say, and if anyone would like to DL this great scenario the URL is:

http://homepage.mac.com/a.biermann/.Music/Meet%20the%20Queens.cmg

I'm relatively new to CMBB/CMAK, and was wondering if there's anyone out there who would like to play the ROW scenarios PBEM. I haven't read the AARs yet, but figure that playing the scenarios against else (who hopefully hasn't and so doesn't know what's going to happen) and then comparing my strategy with the AARs would be a fun way to learn.

If anyone is interested (in this ideas or other PBEM), drop me an e.mailfloresrm@gmail.com

Thanks!

[JasonC]

First, infantry goes first into areas that have cover for infantry, not tanks. You should have found out the village was occupied with the loss of a half squad or so. You didn't need to send armor there - with so much of it, you could have stood out in the open with it. That would have kept it away from the artillery fire, as well.

Yes arty hurts tanks. They should button and scram when it falls. 150mm and up stuff is what it takes to cause regular immobilization or GD results. 150mm arty is just plain nasty, no getting around it.

If it shreds a platoon, that is par for the course. Since in point cost terms, 35 shells of that stuff equal more like a company, losing a platoon to a 150mm FO is no cause for - well, anything really, it is just normal.

As for the later portions of the fight, you might have been able to run your armor up to your own side of the ridge, but quite close, sooner. That might have helped suppress outgoing fire, and sped your infantry advance. Tanks lead in the desert, they don't just sit back on overwatch. It is too hard on the infantry for them to always go first.

But it sounds like you did fine on the infantry advance part.

The other bit that matters in the reverse slope at the end situation, is repositioning some of your mortars once you "own" your own side of the hill. Put them on the carriers, run them forward, set up again - even right in the open - on your side of the hill, low down. Then any HQ that can live on a bit of the crest - in a patch of rocky, or a shellhole, or an enemy foxhole already cleared - can call down indirect fire beyond the ridge. That is especially important vs. guns.

Last, with the mortars ready, the tanks need to crest on one end of the ridge, together. Then infantry can try. But crossing a defended ridgeline without much cover is always hard.

[Gen Schmaeterling]

The armoured scout vehicles started in the village by scenario default. I never would have advanced armour into a village without infantry first.

I see what you're saying about the tanks. Considering how little fire infantry was taking once it began to advance, I could have rushed my tanks forward, came over the ridge with a shoot and scoot en masse and (hopefully) ID'd and blown away any AT assets.

I'll try this scenario again at some point.

[Andreas]

Hi

Thanks a lot for the time to write this up, and of course for the compliment on the scenario.

The ACs in the village are there because I read about a similar set-up in a desert war history, IIRC. It also makes a difference to start with a bang every so often (it rarely happens in my scenarios).

All the best

Andreas

[Gen Schmaeterling]

I thought the vehicles getting smashed in the first turn was a great touch.

Presumably, the riders in the vehicles have already gone through the town and missed that there were teams lying in ambush, so it does seem reasonable.

Awesome scenario, I thought. Thanks for creating it!

[Wicky]

I remember playing this challenging scenario with JonS PBEM a while back. I remember the arty inflicting tank damage and I had to disperse my infantry pronto till he ran out of ammo. With my remaining functioning tanks providing overwatch I proceeded in the cover of depressions to close using the carriers to bring up infantry and support to the Ridge and started tidying up anything that raised its head.. All the time under pressure from the clock we got a well deserved honourable draw.

Plus I managed to triangulate back to where his mortars were firing from their splatter line direction to lay down HE :mad: :mad: :mad: on the likely position of their HQ spotter - it went quiet so I presume it had an immediate result - JonS?

[ July 26, 2006, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Wicky ]

[Andreas]

I love reading war stories from my scenarios.

Thanks Wicky!

All the best

Andreas

[Melnibone]

I played this one a while back PBEM. As the Allies I had great luck with the 150mm - it just kept falling off target by miles - my opponent was pulling his hair out - happy days

[TheBlackDouglas]

Very informative discussion ... thanks to everyone!

David