Twilight for the GvB (version 2.0)

[manchildstein (ii)]

ok... after some playtesting and further feedback, i've released 2.0. it appears that 1.0 was a tad difficult.

so in 2.0, the german recon elements are gone, and in their place are enough trucks (6) to carry the hmgs and cocos around, and an additional 45 lmg 42s, for a total of 126 mgs in the motorized battalion.

again the way i arrived at this massive number of mgs was in looking at an oob for the 17th, and noticing it showed 1008 mgs for the division. i added the combined 6 battalions of the 37th and 38th panzergrenadier regiments, plus the recon and pioneer battalions, and came up with 8 'mg-using battalions.' dividing 1008/8 gives 126.

so now a platoon of motorized has 2 squads and 9 lmg 42s, representing '2 mg squads.'

making each platoon 38 men plus an hq also helps reflect a shortage of cadre which the division is reported to have suffered from.

the companies have 3 hmg 42s.

the american setup zones are improved so if someone really liked this scenario, they could probably play it against both the default and free setup on the part of the ai.

ok... i've also expanded the german setup zone so an attacker could move in depth along a narrow axis.

aar: but in this aar, i'm attacking out of the default setup, across two fields rather than just the one attempted last time. i'm basically moving straight forward to contact from the default setup positions.

the fallschirmjagers (paratroops) are on the right, and the motorized battalion on the left. there is a raised row of scattered trees ('hedgerow') separating them as they move 'north.'

the ground-pounders started 'move' orders and by the end of turn 8 were within about 60 meters of the raised scattered trees lining the north side of the two fields. contact was first made then.

it was on about turn 3 that i gave 'move' orders to the stugs, and all of the units meshed up nicely by the end of turn 8, right there at the point of first contact.

at one point, the trucks had to be switched from 'move' to 'fast' orders in order to finally catch up. it's turn 11 and they're just now arriving on the line... they must be careful with all of the ami stugs and bazzes around.

fighting has gotten pretty intense, particularly on the motorized infantry side (left).

on the far left and right of these neighboring fields, they are separated from the main, n/s-running roads by rows of woods. the only entrance points for vehicles are small sections of road leading to the farmhouses and such.

the reason i mention this is that, on the left i started losing stugs to 'side' hits before i realized that a sherman had snuck through the road opening on my far left.

on that flank i re-routed a remaining stug to reverse and headed hard left to meet the sherman face to face. this was dicey because the stug is unescorted by infantry.

somehow though that sherman over there got taken out. some other stug must have gotten it.

in the center of the attack, on the row of scattered trees between the two fields, i've got a crack stug creeping forward, trying to provide help to the paras on the right. that stug has taken out a sherman and has another one in its sights. both sides have lost about 3 tanks/stugs.

the american artillery is already raining in, and unlike last game it is on the far left of my line. 105 and 75 started falling simultaneously. this is rather impressive on the AI's part as i know the FOs were set up way back (default setup here) but somehow the AI moved them forward quickly and they've called in fire. it appears also that the artillery barrage is arriving sooner in this game than it did in the last.

in any event, brimming with confidence at the addition of 45 lmgs and the extension of the game to 60 turns, i'm now engaged aginst probably 3 to 4 companies of crack american paras along the line from left to right. we'll have to see what happens.

it's turn 11 and i might just have a chance.

oh, this time i didn't raise the experience of the amis. the paras are already all crack (except for the 'jt bass squad' which is elite). the 17 american shermans are all green. those crack shermans (+3 experience) 'ate my lunch' last time.

i'll put some screen captures on photopoint.com (andyth@qwest.net)

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

ok... turn 11 moves are in... now to hit 'go!'

i wish the lmgs could use a 'sneak' move. as it is, from the early contact on turn 8 the troops on the left have been crawling to the main scattered tree ('hedgerow') line.

on the right, the german paras are hesitant to cross over the 'bocage' without armored support. this turn, pzks attached to the cocos will move forward. previously, the squads moved into scattered tree patches ahead of their platoon hqs.

on the left, a full-blown firefight is in effect. those extra 45 lmg 42s sure are useful. the main american barrage is dropping behind my most forward positions at the end of the line.

i will put pictures up on photopoint as i go along. this turn, the pictures are gvb11.jpg and gvb11w. the 'w' in the latter stands for 'the view down the line from the west.'

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

well we took out 2 shermans but lost 3 stugs that turn. 1 stug is without gun. a part of the german line on the left was ripped open. in its place are a dead platoon hq, motorized squad, and 2 lmgs. the crack stug in the center took out a 2nd sherman just ahead of the paras on the inside right.

this could be an opportunity of sorts. the two 81mm FOs attached to battalion will call in fire around that opening.

on the left flank, there is an interesting situation where a stug and a sherman are within 40 meters of each other but cannot see through the 'hedgerow.'

on the right the paras are about to attempt approaching the berm/hedgerow this turn.

the motorized battalion's mg42s are unloading from trucks and setting up just behind the main line.

the picture, gvb12.jpg shows things as they are on the left side just after turn 11. the two dead shermans on the para side of the line are just out of the picture on the near (s) side.

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

well after 12 turns this attack appears to be faring no better than the last one. artillery is falling toward the center now.

a stug on the far left was lost to a sherman it didn't see. damn (can i say that?)

the paras on the right are just now crawling into contact.

if the entire attack had been along a more narrow axis, things might be looking better right about now.

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

ok.. after 14 turns i've called off the attack. a ceasefire showed 439 german casualties to 100 american. 379 german survivors to over 1100 american. granted, some americans were way off on the flanks, but i have serious doubts that any of my troops would have reached the victory flags atop hill 30 (la billonnerie).

even though the opponent is the ai, this method of play can help someone sharpen their attack 'skills.' for instance, i've learned that it's important to somehow integrate the hmg42s into the attack, and on a low-los board such as this it is difficult.

one problem was with the stugs supporting the motorized infantry. again, at these short ranges those american bazzes were murderous.

the ai is a pretty good FO commander. i was caught in two separate barrages.

one fun thing about the battle was - at least for a short while - hearing all of the mgs going off.

in the end though it was again the massed casuatly markers of motorized squads and lmgs lining the 'hedgerow.' i have to figure some way 'through' or 'around' that outcome.

next, i will go back to an in-depth attack and try to send everything once again at a single sector. if the front line can be pierced, at least a run can then be made for the defenses of la billonnerie.

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

well perhaps that's what i get when i design an attack at roughly 5:8 (5000:8000) odds.

if nothing else, the first two playings of this scenario have shown that those fanatical green ss units are - if nothing else - good at being eliminated.

ok... here we go again... game 3 (game 2 against version 2.0).

again the u.s. will be in the default setup.

since i know the defensive setups fairly well, once again i will attack in a straightforward manner.

this time i'm going back to the attack route from game 1, but with better organization.

here is the plan: starting with default setup, spend the first 5 turns or so shifting the motorized units and supporting stugs until they're in the field on the right, out in front of the fallschirmjagers (paras).

once that depth is established, move the entire formation forward.

once contact is anticipated, crawl the motorized battalion forward while the paras sneak past them, into the american positions, in a leapfrog manner.

if the timing is right, the motorized battalion will provide withering fire support as the paras move ahead to engage in close combat with the defenders.

hopefully the 6 hmg42s will be in good position at the right moment.

here we go...

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

ok.. check that... i've decided to set the entire force up in its assault formation. then it will just require basically a huge group move to get them into a point near contact.

the paras were moved back to the s edge of the board. then two companies of motorized with their supporting stugs were moved ahead of the paras. the 3rd company of motorized was moved into a line between the other two formations.

so it's:

M-M (m=motorized)

__M

PPP (p=fallschirmjager)

a main road is on the right.

this contrasts with the broad attack of the last attempt, which was:

MMMPPP

keep in mind that this kind of plan only has any chance of success against the ai; against a human i don't think the germans would stand any kind of chance in this scenario.

as a matter of fact, against a human this one would quickly turn into an american attack!!

nonetheless, the germans are ready to "go!" again.

note: why i like to play against the ai... well, for starters, defects in my tactics such as driblets instead of mass - in other words ill coordination of troops so the attacks go off piecemeal - become apparent.

also, there is the convenience. a player can sit there and hit 'go!' at leisure, and take as little or as much time as wanted on a given turn, plus there is the ability to play a scenario one day, then leave it there for a couple of weeks.

so the entire idea behind these 'ai-based' scenarios is to provide a sometime 'cmbonaught' such as myself a chance to hone attacking skills in a convenient manner.

finally, i really like these huge scenarios and to be honest, they would be a bit unwieldy in pbem/tcpip.

so even if you never play a huge scenario yourself, hopefully with these aars (and sometimes photos) you can vicariously enjoy actions such as this with its 90 dedicated mg units, 14 stugs, 18 motorized squads, 20-some fallschirmjagers; and on the american side, 17 green shermans and 6 companies of crack para/glider troops.

andy

[ 08-18-2001: Message edited by: manchildstein II ]

[ 08-18-2001: Message edited by: manchildstein II ]

[manchildstein (ii)]

ok.. there are some captures from this 3rd battle at www.photopoint.com the account is andyth@qwest.net

03-setup... shows the setup

03-01 shows the first turn moves...there is enough width in this field to have the motorized companies advancing in a picket line, so by the time the order is completed the company in the back will be in the center, while the other two companies are on the left and right flanks. the fallschirmjagers are going to be right behind them, in a second, 'shockwave picket line.'

03-04 shows the vehicles' move orders, following up behind the infantry.

03-11 shows the beginning of the 'attack.' the motorized companies are crawling to the 'bocage' while the panzerschrecks from the para battalion sneak up with them, the para company commanders sneaking up behind. the stugs are hunting up in support of the motorized units. it seems too early to move the para squads up, but next turn or the turn after they will execute a 'move' or 'sneak' order and 'vault' past the motorized units who should then be established in the 'bocage.'

hopefully this attack is the type of concentrated punch i'll need to get eventually get through to 'la Billonnerie.' one thing which needs to happen is that it has to develop and end quickly, so my units can maintain movement and avoid getting bogged in a heavy barrage.

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

turn 12: on turn 11, the stugs got out in front of the main picket line, but it didn't cost me. interestingly, no contact has been made yet.

the para pzks have been given 45-second delays as they are getting ahead of the crawling motorized units. the idea is that they will crest the bocage at the same moment as the motorized battalion. the para platoons are still hanging back, waiting another turn or two before they move out.

the last of the hmg 42s and cocos from the trucks are unloading this turn and hopefully most of them will also crest the bocage at the right moment.

the photo is 03-12.jpg

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

ok... turn 13... the crawling motorized units have made contact. the squads got out in front of the lmgs and have taken casualties. the squads under fire have been given 'stop' orders. the squads not yet under fire have been given 'move' orders, and the lmgs have all been given 'move' orders. the platoon hqs are 'stopped' just behind the 'bocage.'

the stugs are going to hunt up to the bocage, each with a 30-second pause. the 2 crack stugs have a 45-second pause, and 2 laggard stugs have no pause.

the paras are finally moving out. they're going to move 'fast' to the bocage, then sneak into the tree (woods) patches in the neighboring orchard.

this has got to be my best chance yet of winning this one...

03-13.jpg

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

now _that_ (turn 13) was a movie!! too bad i lost so many troops.

well, all but one of the paras' sneak orders was abandoned, so it looks like my entire force is bogged on the 'bocage.' i've removed the sneak for that last para.

the stugs aren't in contact but should be this turn...

03-14.jpg

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

bad news... 4 stugs were lost on turn 15, and not a single sherman. also, photopoint wants 29.95 now...

that's all for tonight...

andy

[manchildstein (ii)]

aftermath: by turn 19 i had 4 stugs left, one of which was operational. my motorized battalion was shattered. the paras weren't doing much better.

i'd taken two artillery barrages, and once again had pretty much gotten hung up on the hedgerow.

i have a new idea... a laser-like attack along an even narrower front. i'll try 'pile-driving' the 3 companies of motorized, one after the other, through a small section of the american line, then followup with paras.

maybe i'll try that.... in the meantime, i would say this is one hellish scenario.

andy