Open Team Battle - Round 2

[Cross]

I couldn´t be more interested, I´m particularly eager to read about the planning process, I mean: how and why you came up with your plan, what considerations you took into account, etc.

I've attached the British AAR to this post Roberto.

It's a MS Word doc that's been zipped.

I'll look forward to seeing the German AAR.

[seabolt]

I didn't actually save the German AARs (thoughtless of me, I know), but maybe Roberto or somebody could help us out.

As for our TOE, well it was something else. Units A through Z were the HQ, a foot FO with attached 250 HT and scout team (to lead the way into traps), and five custom-crafted infantry companies:

C-F
Recce company

G-J
SS company with attached snipers and MGs

K-N
Mixed Ost/Volks company with attached panzerschrecks and size 1 scouts.

O-R
Panzergrenadier company stripped down to fit in the ill-fated horsies.

S-V
Mixed Ost/Volks company with no attached assets.

W-Z
Recce company with attached 50mm AT guns.

For the most part, units AA through AZ were their rides. AA was a single 250 with the 75mm shortie. Platoon B had an integral ride so AB was a foot mortar company, and company K-N didn't have a job that required transport, so:

AC-AF
Recce company with pzr IIs, HTs, and squeezebore-20mm ACs.

AG-AJ
Panzer company with 1 Panther, 3 T-34s, 6 HTs, and 3 SP-mortars.

AK-AN
SP artillery company of Wesps, Hummels, and ordnance.

AO-AR
Cavalry transport company with Marder in support.

AS-AV
Heavy truck "company" (really a stretched out platoon) with Marder in support.

AW-AZ
Recce company per AC-AF but with a single pzr II.

The idea was to simplify who went where: Any unit needing a ride from platoon x should be loaded onto platoon Ax. I don't think it helped all that much in execution, but that was the idea ...

As for roles, C-F riding AC-AF was to lead the northern hook with the punch coming from G-J and AG-AJ, which were by far our most powerful companies. Company K-N would simply walk up and fill the north-center gap defensively with no vehicle support. Company O-R would sprint into Ranville Woods riding AO-AR, with the horses providing "finish off" assistance once the troops dismounted in the forest. Company S-V would sprint down the southern road in its trucks, quickly dismount, and fight forward cautiously while the trucks raced back to take up positions as "airstrike magnets" (hence the decision to eschew dedicated AA). Finally, W-Z riding AW-AZ would push the southern edge of the map and place its AT guns in nasty flanking positions (which it did, only y'all didn't push there).

That was the plan. Its weaknesses were of course the crippling airstrike on the horses and some pretty bad disorganization in the north. In hindsight maybe we should have pulled an Ardenees, established a corridor in Ranville Woods, and poured armor through to hook around and grab some central hexes on a limited basis.

[Cross]

I didn't actually save the German AARs (thoughtless of me, I know), but maybe Roberto or somebody could help us out.

He says, as he hastily throws documents into the fire in his metal waste can...:whis:

That was the plan. Its weaknesses were of course the crippling airstrike on the horses and some pretty bad disorganization in the north. In hindsight maybe we should have pulled an Ardenees, established a corridor in Ranville Woods, and poured armor through to hook around and grab some central hexes on a limited basis.

In hindsight I also regret not attempting to control Ranville woods, which had an excellent strategic central position. But I wanted to avoid getting bogged down in what could have easily become a costly close quarters fight.

You certainly fielded one of the more eclectic battalion I've fought against. Never knew what you were going to come across next...peasants with pitchforks...stormtroopers with photon grenades. :)

[seabolt]

He says, as he hastily throws documents into the fire in his metal waste can...:whis:

That's why they invented the Flammenwerfer 35, to help me with my accountability issues.

You certainly fielded one of the more eclectic battalion I've fought against. Never knew what you were going to come across next...peasants with pitchforks...stormtroopers with photon grenades. :)

It was something of a dog's breakfast, wasn't it? I figured what the heck, if I was going to have an audience I'd put on a show. As a rough guestimate we needed 470 spaces of transport capacity. Total transport capacity of the battalion: 470. Everything fit together like a crazy-quilt glove.

Of course, it all went to hell in practice ...

[RVPERTVS]

I´ll put togheter that AAR, I have all the emails. Just give some time.

[GUNSLNGR]

You certainly fielded one of the more eclectic battalion I've fought against. Never knew what you were going to come across next...peasants with pitchforks...stormtroopers with photon grenades. :)

Those were our reserve...

[RVPERTVS]

Here you go, looks like I´m missing turns 7,19 and result.

[2ndLt_Fjun]

Interesting to read the AAR's.

I think the decisive moment was that you were able to get the artillery plotted on our KG north so fast. It landed perfectly on spot and more or less pinned and stopped us for two whole turns. Nothing on foot could move forward. Then in the next turn Cross had a somewhat lucky (brilliant) move surviving an infantry assault and managed to take out the Panther. That stopped our northern boys completely.

We were dangerously low on troops in the middle part of the map and were lucky that you didn't push harder there.

[Cross]

Then in the next turn Cross had a somewhat lucky (brilliant) move surviving an infantry assault and managed to take out the Panther. That stopped our northern boys completely.

We were dangerously low on troops in the middle part of the map and were lucky that you didn't push harder there.

It was bit more luck than "brilliant", but I think not much of either; instead some straight forward but chaotic soldiering.

A clash between the German KF in the north and the British was inevitable. The Germans outnumbered us, and were almost on top of our northern infantry platoon; and then on my turn I witnessed some well aimed British mortar fire land in front of the British infantry. I figured the Germans must have suffered some suppression, so now maybe the only opportunity to hit them before they hit us.

It was risky, but I had several infantry sections able to move forward. I knew I was running them into SS troops at 50yds but they just had to take it on the chin so I could get to the Panther, T34 and halftracks. The Tommies took a couple of casualties.

I got some infantry up to the Panther and T34, but they had to fight their way there, were suppressed and almost out of shots. They attacked but missed the tanks, probably causing extra suppression to the crews. I brought a Cromwell forward which was missed by the T34 at 50yds (it’s only shot, probably because of suppression). The Cromwell was also buttoned up and missed several times before damaging the T34.

I now had two infantry sections suppressed and out of shots right next to the Panther and several SS sections, so I knew I had to continue to press the attack or lose them; it was an all or nothing moment. I threw Major Elliot (A coy HQ) into the scrap, another infantry section, a halftrack and two more Cromwells.

Almost all of the fighting was at 50yds and the British tanks were missing horribly, but I believe the Panther and German halftrack were KO’d by each tanks last shot. I tried to damage the SS to the point were they would flee, but just didn’t have the firepower. I had to leave Major Elliot and other units right next to routed SS troops, praying they wouldn’t rally.

It was a risky, desperate, intense firefight, that was disorganized and almost went horribly wrong. But somehow the Tommies and Royal Tank Regiment just barely won that skirmish.

Not one of my proudest firefights, and not pulled off with military precision.

[Cross]

We were dangerously low on troops in the middle part of the map and were lucky that you didn't push harder there.

I forgot to answer the above.

We were dangerously low on troops along the whole front. :)

For most of the battle, we barely had one platoon between Ranville woods and the Brits engaged in the northern fighting. But we reinforced Hill 24 (just north of Ranville Woods) towards the end, as we could see a German 'build up' there.

After the battle, we could see that you had six companies of infantry, to our three! And almost all of your infantry had transport. I have to hand it to Seabolt, he pulled off a superb quartermasters feat. He must have made every purchase point go a long way.