Short AAR/analysis/question: No rest for the Weary

[Joques]

Hi guys, I just acquired the "No Rest for the Weary" mini-campaign scenario set, and played the first scen of the set. First off, I must say I am very impressed with the map. It "looks and feels real", and immersion is high. (As opposed to some of the maps that shipped with the game)

Now.

Here's the layout: Small map, with some cover half of the way to the victory objectives (crossroads on the Ami left; ridge on Ami right), but the last 200 metres or so are open. Ami forces: a Rifle Coy, a Scout Car, a M8 HMC, three 60mm MTRs. And after approx 10 turns you get 2 Stuarts.

Now as Ami you have no arty. Smoke, you get a little with the MTRs (enough for about a turn) and the M8 also carries a little.

The way this played out, I got as far as the tree line halfway across the map, parked my scout car and M8 on the small hill in the middle. MGs also on the hill. One platoon through the woods/marshes to the left of the hill, the other two platoons advanced (ran, actually) in dispersed order towards the tree line. Results, by turn 5, I had the flanking platoon in firing position on the left side, one platoon in position on the right side, and one platoon in reserve on the right side. Battle was joined. Further advance, however, was not possible.

Now I wonder if anybody has any tips on advancing across open ground when you have very limited smoke, no artillery and only one medium Gun (75mm). I would gang up on one enemy unit, suppressing him and eventually chase him away, and another two would takes his place. At the end (last 5 Turns) I had done this enough that I believed his units' morale and strength had weakened so much that I could attempt a dash across the open ground, into his woodline. First one platoon went, then the next Turn, the reserve platoon followed. The first one got nearly eliminated. A couple German squads popped out of HIP, and those MG teams weren't nearly as shaken as I'd thought they were. The second platoon though made it more or less into the woodline, but got wasted in close combat.

Has anybody had experiences with this scenario? In general, how would you attack when you have no arty, little armour and no (I think) infantry superiority in numbers? His flanks were also fairly secure.

(Don't misunderstand me - I'm not implying the scen is unbalanced. For all my years of playing ASL, I'm a rank newbie at CM. )

[Joques]

Oops, sorry, wrong name. This was the "Any Port after a Storm" campaign set. Guess the above won't make much sense otherwise.