Main Event V: Owl vs. Der Kuenstler

[Joonny]

Ok this is going to be the official DAR thread for Main Event V.



Waiting for force picks at the moment.

Owl and Der Keunstelar will be fighting for control of a large town situated in a valley with a vital crossroads in what i hope will be a brutal meeting engagement.

[Joonny]

Force requests are in!

Owl sent me this and saved me a lot of work :)



This is DK's force Selection



He has a Bn of Engineers, they are mainly regs but they have a handful of green and vet troops.

The Shermans are all vet apart from one Reg

The M10 is a reg and the M7 is vet.

So from the force mix and what Owl has told me he is concentrating his power in armor, this could well be risky as a lot of this map is very heavily built up and his armor will be vunerable to demo charges from the Engineers.

[cargol]

Another weak point to OWL's purchase i think that it is the limited ammo that both PZGr&Jager Coy carries.
On the other hand by riding his forces on the Pzers he can transport 1 of his Coy for a quick dash.

[Joonny]

Owl has sent me a not so brief plan of attack including a 1 page long tactical report. I don't think he's planning on doing such a mad dash, but does intend on keeping his inf out of contact for as long as possible.

[Mikey_FGM]

Looks like OWL's got the right idea... He's got a 3-1 superiority in armor.

The map does have lots of built up cover, but the flags are in decidedly open areas, so DK's infantry will not be able to contest most of the flags...

Maybe instead of those green stugs, OWL should have bought a fleet of HT's to ferry those Jaeger shock troops around...

I'll risk a wager right now, OWL wins Major Vic, 65%-35%.

[Ratzki]

If anyone can do more with less in the armor catagory it is Der K. and with the great cover for infantry on this map, I think that the Infantry heavy force will have the advantage. The one thing that I see missing from Der K.'s force is some heavy HE FO. Asside from the priest, the medium stuff will not do in the built up areas of town.
Owl will be tough to beat, and with the edge in armor, the first couple kills will tell the tale.

[Pvt. Sofronije]

Joonny, can you post the Owl's plan of attack here?

[Joonny]

Yeah I will do.

Waiting for the file that shows DK's set up and I will post them both here :)

[Joonny]

Ok here we go

This is owls setup



His forces are Split into 4 main groups

Kampfgruppe A:

2x Panzergrenadier Plt (one on foot, one mounted on tanks)
1x Co Hq
2x PanzerShreck
1x MG34 LMG
1x MG42 HMG
1x Plt PzIV
2x JPz IV

Kampfgruppe B:

1x Panzergrenadier Plt
1x Jager Plt

Overwatch Section of
1x Plt HQ
2x 81mm Mortar
1x MG42 HMG
2x JPz IV

Kampfgruppe C:

1x Jager Plt (mounted on StuHs and a Stug)
2x Mg34 LMG (mounted)
2x MG42 HMG (1 mounted, one on foot)
1x Panzershreck (mounted)
1x Co HQ

1x Plt StuH42
1x StuG IIIG

Kampfgruppe D:

1x Jager Plt
1x MG34 LMG
2x StuG IIIG


Below is OWLs tactical analysis of the situation

Short analyse of the Main Event V (MEV)

Mission: Have fun playing the best war-game ever made (Main Effort) and win the MEV and if the result is a draw beat der K in %

Terrain:
Obstacles:
o The railroad bank from NW to SE is difficult for my units to cross (with the exception of the 2 crossings)
o The wooded area N of the Logging Camp

Approach:
o Fast mounted via the 2 roads to the Railroad Station and Town Square
o By foot good concealed via de scattered trees to the 3 most N victory Locations (V

Key terrain:
o The NE / SW heights / over watch positions
o The large 2 floor buildings in the N & S
o heavy buildings central in town
o the wooded area surrounding the Logging Camp

Fields of fire:
o Especially from the overwachtes mentioned above. You can see over and deep into the town.
o In the city it’s limited due to the buildings and the scattered trees.

Cover / protection:
o Limited on the overwatches (no woods only scattered trees) but possibilities for hull down fire positions for tanks and TD.
o the heavy buildings in the town
o the wooded area Logging Camp

Conclusion:
o Open area’s / heights are unfavourable for anti tank guns (quick destroyed by arty and specially mortars) so I need TD with excellent / long range optics!
o I need a couple of mortars to neutralise Der K At guns
o There are 2 fast approaches for mounted attacks / reinforcements of the platoon already in town
o There are good / covered approaches for infantry via the scattered trees to the VL
o Occupy the heavy buildings ASAP in the town centre and defend them to the last grenadier!
Opponent:

Der K is an extremely experienced opponent, one of the best I know. (just as Jawsconan who beats me most of the times)

He’s makes excellent use of his units and terrain.

I expect him (although the battle is only 30 turns) not to execute bold / daring manoeuvres but play it more and ‘’safe’’

Concerning his choices in units:
o I expect some good AT guns (maybe the British 17 pounder) on the high terrain, and many cheaper US 60mm mortars.
o 2, maybe more M10 TD platoons with the long 76mm at gun (but not many HE available)
o He will certainly try to attack one of my flanks with tanks or TD
o Good use of indirect fires so my movement / waypoint planning needs a lot of attention

conclusion: I have to be extremely careful, every turn again and check every single unit in every turn (in command, good field of fire, realistic move etc)

Own troops:

I receive a Pzr Pioneer Plt with halve tracks. The pioneers with the flamethrowers are extremely useful in FIBUA but the halftracks are very vulnerable to US riffle grenades and bazooka’s

30+ turns is limited for a 3000 point battle and because it’s a ME (he who grab’s the best location will most of the time win) I will buy +/- 2/3 panzer and 1/3 infantry

I buy a Jgdpzr & Stug plt to win the long range battle with US TD and At guns and if they succeed to Spt the infantry with HE (only this is limited due to the small calibre of 75mm)

A MK IV (vets) tankplt to attack one of the objectives (Of course I preferred a Plt panthers but they are to expensive)

A StH 105mm plt to support the infantry and to destroy enemy buildings and to create much casualties as possible (If it still was a 5000 point game I would have bought a couple of Brumbaers)

1 Panzer grenadier Coy with 3x Inf Plt and a Spt plt with 2x 81mm mortar and 4x HMG

1 Jaeger Coy with 6 Smg each Sqd for fighting in buildings and a section with 2x HMG

Remaining points: 4x vet MG 34 team for recce or / and Spt
Conclusion:
+ Long range Stug and specially Jgdpz capacity
+ Excellent support for infantry with 3x 105mm StuH
- Only regular units, what can result in receiving some green units
- No forward observer(s) but indirect fire support is limited to 2x 81mm mortar

[Joonny]

Here Is DK's Setup. Note I have not put any direction arrows here as I have yet to recieve any sort of plan of attack from DK



DK has split his forces into 6 Main Groups

Taskforce A:

2x Engineer Plt
6x Flamethrowers
2x Bazooka
1x Sharpshooter
2x .50 Cal HMGs
1x M1919 MMG
1x Co HQ
1x Bn HQ
1x M10 GMC

Taskforce B:

1x Engineer Plt
2x FT
1x M1919 MMG
1x BAR
1x Bazooka

1x Plt HQ
3x 60mm Mortar

Taskforce C:

1x Engineer Plt
2x Bazooka
2x Flamethrowers
1x Sharpshooter
1x M1919 MMG
1x BAR

Taskforce D:

3x Engineer Plt
6x Flamethrowers
5x Bazookas
3x M1919 MMG
1x 60mm Mortar
1x Sharpshooter
1x Bar

1x Plt M4A3(76)W Shermans
1x M7 Priest

Some of the troops are mounted on the shermans but i really can't be bothered to go through and check which ones!

Taskforce E:

1x Engineer Plt
2x Flamethrower
1x Bazooka
1x Bar

Mortar section:

5x 60mm Mortar
1x Co HQ
1x Plt HQ

So there we have it. From now on I will refer to either sides forces as either KG-X or TF-X until they cease to be cohesive units.

By the looks of DK's set up it looks like TF D will be his main push, presumably making a push north through the group of houses south of the railway station.