FullAuto Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 It's August, 1942. German troops, every Tomas, Dieter and Helmut of them, are exhausted and dug in, ready to receive Soviet counter-attacks. My force is entrenched in Rshew Forest, it's dawn, and it is chucking it down. This operation is 10 battles of 15+ turns each. So don't say you weren't warned. That's my chaps, arranged in a (sort of) defensive line running west (left) to east (right). Russians will be approaching from the north.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/OR1-allquiet.jpgI have three platoons of infantry (with light casualties), two light 50mm mortars, one MG 42 machine gun, two 75mm anti-tank guns, a company HQ, and a battalion HQ. I also have a kubelwagen and a gun tractor, but they're purely for transport, and are unarmed. First up, a bit of info about my units. The rifle platoon is made up of several rifle sections and a platoon HQ. The rifle section is the basic infantry unit.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or6-riflesection.jpg10 men, armed with one machine gun (MG), bolt-action rifles, and a submachine gun (SMG). A decent amount of firepower. Put these lads in a trench, and the only way to shift them is with plenty of HE shells, infantry assault, or overwhelming small arms fire. The workhorse of virtually every army. Note the orange semicircle, which is the unit's field of fire. It's quite small because they're in a wood, and can't see very far, so it's useless to assign them a FOF covering hundreds of metres. Commanding the rifle sections is the platoon HQ:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or7-plthq.jpgLess men, and no machine gun, so a lot less firepower. But the HQ's job is not really to fight, though thanks to the SMG it's not bad at close range. The HQ's job is to command rifle sections, and it can't do that if it's dead. Providing sustained fire is the MG 42 HMG:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or9-mg42.jpgProvides more firepower than a rifle section, and is more effective at longer ranges. Ideal for covering large areas of open ground, but vulnerable to infantry assault and being shot up by bigger/more guns as they are slow moving thanks to that lovely heavy tripod. We then have the company HQ:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or12-coyhq.jpgAgain, not really meant for fighting, but commanding. However, not too bad at close range. Top of the chain o' command is the battalion HQ:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or11-btnhq.jpgAlthough they really only should be used for command, they have excellent short range firepower due to having four SMGs. Great for fighting in streets, woods, forests, etc. Last but not least, the 75mm anti-tank gun.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or8-75mmatgun.jpgThese are quite capable of killing tanks thousands of metres away, and can also lob HE shells at softer targets, smoke shells for cover, or tungsten shells for even better armour penetration than the standard AP round. Needless to say, neither of my AT guns has any tungsten rounds. From right to left. My right flank:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/OR3-rightflank.jpgAT gun, and an infantry platoon, most of them in trenches. Look at all the lovely trees. Half of my troops can see just two things: jack and shit. The vehicle on the road is the gun tractor meant for towing that AT gun. Centre:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or4-centre.jpgInfantry platoon, in trenches. You might have noticed I'm stretched a tad thin, especially in woods where units can only see 30-40 metres. Left flank:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or5-leftflank.jpgCoy. and batt. HQs guarding the AT gun in the trench, mortar and MG in the next trench, infantry platoon in the trees on the far left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 All of three seconds in to the first turn:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or2-rusinf.jpgGood old Russian infantry. Loads of the buggers. My MG 42 opens up, but there's no way one MG can hold back that many troops. If they don't head into that big patch of forest and spread out towards me from there, I shall eat my pickelhaube. Oh, sorry, that's WWI. On Turn 2, even more infantry turn up. Great.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/0r10-evnmorerusinf.jpgNote my MG giving them some welly, tracers indicating fire en route. Well, it was:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or13-mgjam.jpg Note the placement of my AT gun on the left flank:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or15-atgunpos.jpgCoy. and batt. HQ in the woods, protecting it from infantry assault (and coincidentally, commanding the gun (note the lovely crimson line of mutual confidence and love) and providing good bonuses). The gun is sited so as to cover the gap between the two woods, offset to one side to reduce its exposure. Nifty eh? I bloody hope so, 'cause I've only got two AT guns. On the right, similar set up.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or16-atgunposrf.jpgAT gun, in a trench, sited a little way into the woods, with infantry for close protection. The right-hand bit of open ground is quite narrow, and it might have been possible to stop tanks getting through just with infantry...but two AT guns, two passages, one for each seemed fair. First vehicle sighting:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or17-lasightd.jpgIt's dawn, and it's pissing it down, so visibility isn't good. No chance to properly identify it. Probably just an armoured car or light tank. MG is still jammed, so no chance to test it with a few bullets. MG unjams itself and goes back to poking the infantry. And we get another vehicle contact:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or18-uroc.jpgA tank of some sort, apparently. Hmm. From the Russian POV:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or19-rusinfroute.jpgLeg it across the open ground, behind/through the buildings and stands of trees, more open ground, the dubious cover of the wheat field, and then on into the woods. Those little stars are the last known positions of units I can no longer see. Spot the inbound tracer from my MG. Youuuuu light up my liiiiiiiiiiiiiiife... Possible tank ID:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or20-t34.jpgTroops often overestimate a tank's threat, so hopefully it's something pathetic like a T-26, but if it's a T-34, that's okay, my ATGs are up to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted January 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Testing my ATG's line of sight.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or21-atglos.jpgThose (suspected) tanks will be moving into sight soon, and hopefully, given the angle, they'll only take 1-2 shots each to kill through their thinner flank armour. I've made a bit of an error.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or22-inflf.jpgNote there's only one unit approaching my left flank, when I've sited a whole platoon in the woods there. A stupid mistake. The coy or batt HQ would have been sufficient, given their excellent close range firepower, to stop one or two units. That platoon should have been in the centre, in the biggest chunk of woods. I could shoot at them with my ATG.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or23-atgct.jpgBut that would reveal the gun to the enemy, and I want it to be a horrible surprise. That light armour contact turns out to be an armoured car, probably.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or24-acs.jpgThe yellow line indicates it's being targeted, in this case by my MG. Armoured cars often have small crews, and if you take one of them out, there's no-one to fire the gun. Turn 10.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or25-t10.jpgLooks like a platoon of tanks and a platoon of armoured cars approaching. On the right flank, my little 50mm mortar opens up.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or26-mrtrrf.jpgArea targets are the best way to use mortars. The 50mm is the lightest type available to the Germans, and comes with a relatively modest 30 rounds of ammo, which is about two full turns worth. It's not a powerful weapon by any means, blast rating 6 (compared to 45 for a 75mm HE shell), but it's enough to give infantry in the open a bad day. When given a point target, a single unit for instance, a mortar struggles a little to hit the exact same spot again and again. Given an area target however, the mortar simply plops rounds into an area, and if there are several units in that area, they can all be hit, sooner or later. The Russian tanks took offence at my MG shooting up their infantry.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or27-mguta.jpgThe MG was pinned in short order, taking cover as 76.2mm shells from 3-4 tanks splashed all around. The MG team took a casualty, but taking cover in a trench, they soon dropped out of sight of the tanks, and stopped taking fire. My mortar starts taking fire, and moves to shelter behind the infantry platoon, and rifle sections from the centre position shifts right.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or29-infshiftrf.jpg On the left flank, two rifle sections and the platoon HQ advance.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or30-rfadv.jpgRunning across the open ground, then moving to contact once in the cover of the woods. On the right flank, it's shootout time.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or32-rfatk.jpgMoving out of the trenches to block their advance, my troops have lost a lot of cover, but they are static and waiting, and they'll spot Ivan and fire first. My ATG spots a tank, comes out of hiding, and opens fire.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or33-t34shot.jpgOne round, one hit. This is close range for an ATG, and as the crew are Veteran level, it's not a difficult shot. However, it nearly always takes multiple shots to kill a tank. Rounds certainly don't always hit, and may ricochet, partially penetrate, etc. Even solid hits and penetrations don't always mean a kill, although they might take out a crewman. Tracks, turret, hull, gun and so on can all be hit, and damaged. In this case, however, the second round does the trick.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or34-t34kill.jpgThe ATG comes under fire in turn.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or35-atgpaniclf.jpgDespite being Veteran, and being within command range of the batt HQ, the ATG panics. Just my bloody luck. This is how ATGs are usually killed, coming under return fire from multiple tanks, and either taking cover or panicking or whatever. This means they stop returning fire, allowing the tanks to go static and become more accurate, killing the ATG quicker. On the right flank, my two rifle sections are routed.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or36-2routedrf.jpgThe attack they came to stop, turned out to be the main thrust, and they were attacked at short range by multiple enemy units. Swapping grenades and rounds at such close range, they take casualties quickly, and do a runner. On the left flank, my rifle sections make contact with the enemy, and carry out a standard fire and movement.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or37-infasslf.jpgOne section fires (pink) on the enemy, the other assaults (purple) their position. It goes perfectly, and the enemy unit runs for it instead of staying to die. Neither section takes any casualties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted January 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 Turn 14.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or37-rfassault.jpgCentre position falls to bits. Stretched myself too thin. I should have had two platoons in there. Either that, or at the very beginning of the battle, marched all my platoons through the woods and stopped the Russians in the open, taking up positions on the periphery of the woods and shooting them as they crossed the open ground. My platoon to the right are okay, dug in, they have enough firepower to cover that open patch of ground, meaning the Russians will try to circle round them through the woods. The Russians get serious about attacking the left flank.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or39-armrdasslf.jpgBoth the tank platoon (minus one tank, har har) and the armoured car platoon drive into my left flank, and my ATG recovers its sturm und drang and opens fire. The result.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or40-aaresultlf.jpgOne dead tank, one dead armoured car, the rest threw it into reverse and scarpered. Bit of a disaster, that first battle. In operations like this, the main thing is to take few casualties, especially when up against numerically superior forces. Failed a bit at that. Reinforcements often turn up, meaning some casualties are replaced, so the thing to do is keep units alive. However many members they are missing, some will be restored, and the unit will be usable again. If a unit gets wiped out, though, that's it. My reinforcements:https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/reinforcements.jpgTwo 50mm ATGs, two 75mm ATGs, six 50mm mortars, one 81mm mortar spotter with 170 rounds, 12 MG 34 machine guns, nine rifle platoons, and some spare HQs. My set up area is anywhere within that green box.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/2ndsetup.jpgIdeally, I want lots of open space, which I can cover with MGs and ATGS. Sadly, what I have to work with is a lot of trees. Mein name ist Herr Glum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Civilian Posted January 9, 2010 Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 Awesome AAR, Herr Glum Just a question: Don't you have any tanks in that misson? ATGs are nice and all (they saved your day^) but tanks have the advantage of being armoured (duh) and mobile, so you are at a huge disadvantage against the russkies. And on top of that you do not even have any Tungsten's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted January 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 No, no tanks. No armoured cars. I have two vehicles, a Kubelwagenhttps://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/kubelwagen.jpgAnd a Sonderkraftfahrzeug 7https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/sdkfz.jpgAnd that's it. I'd dearly love some tanks, and I hope I get some as reinforcements in the future. Their mobility is a massive advantage. With ATGs, you can speed things up a lot if you can tow them, but they are still slow. My lack of tungsten ammo shouldn't do me any harm unless some of the heavy Russian tanks turn up, but then again if I have to take on something like a Iosif Stalin tank, I'm going to need something bigger than 50/75mm anyway. A diet of T-34s and T-26s, I can probably handle with normal AP. If the Gods of CM are listening though, I wouldn't mind some tungsten rounds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted January 9, 2010 Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 Great TAR, FA! With so many pics it is easy to envision the action! Did the chicken (read: AT gunner) live to see another turn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted January 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 Aye, didn't lose the ATG, thankfully. Did lose my two 50mm mortars though. Crews came under fire and, as they move faster without the mortar, they abandoned it and did their best Road Runner impression. My set up for the second battle.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/covrdarcs.jpgNo, I haven't gone mad with MS Paint, that's showing the fields of fire for every single one of my units. I don't play with this turned on because it's far too bloody distracting. Some arrows and stuff.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or2-6ovrheadview.jpg No less than three 75mm ATGs covering the centre.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/centreatgcvr.jpgThe other 75mm ATG is on the right flank, covering that lovely narrow avenue of open ground by the edge of the map. Near the centre, my two fiftee millimehtah ATGs are covering the road/rail intersection.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/50mmatg.jpgAt such close range (150-100m), the 50mm's won't have trouble taking on T-34s or less (frontal armour on a T-34 is 45mm at 50-60 degrees), plus they have the intersection in a crossfire, so if they can't handle a target, the ATG hides, and lets the tank roll forward until the other ATG can get a flank shot. Four MGs are situated close by to provide plenty of suppression versus infantry. First enemy sighting of the second battle.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or2-1stensight.jpgCrossing open ground with impunity, eh. I'll see about that. MGs will have to extend their ranges a leetle. As MGs open up, T-34s turn up, and my ATGs start shooting. First round missed (at 800m range that's not unusual), second round ricochet.https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/CM-OR/or2-2ricochet.jpgThink I might have sited thost ATGs well, that's 800 metres of ground tanks will have to cross, taking fire. I'm going to use that 81mm mortar spotter next turn, call down some fire on that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted March 15, 2010 Report Share Posted March 15, 2010 Ehm, why was this AAR abandoned? Weren't you experimenting with video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullAuto Posted May 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 Experimenting is the right word, since it never bloody worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Experimenting is the right word, since it never bloody worked. Sure took your sweet time to notice the post. That's too bad, I was looking forward to seeing how it actually looks. If there's anything I can do, do tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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