"Thunder in the North" Mirror Tournament - During / After Action Reports

[Huib Versloot]

I'm back home. I'm in if there is still room.

Huib

[Wolfman]

If I can get my e-mail working again I'm game

[Crossroads]

Cheers guys! We just started this foursome as Mike Amos had to take a raincheck for a bit.

Please get in as a pairing for the first round

The latest version is "a4", which is available in the "scenario pack" download.

There's a graphic glitch with bitmaps on a couple of Finnish unit types keen on water skiing, I will prepare a patch for that. So far nothing that would prevent game play.

Any questions or issues pls let me know!

[Crossroads]

Richard: you can always create a free e-mail account for gaming purposes?

I've done that with gmail myself

[Crossroads]

Wolfman, just a quick flare to check if you are able to join in?

[Wolfman]

Everything looking good so far so I should be ok

[Crossroads]

I am happy to report the tournament is well under way, with shores of the grand river Vuoksi exploding in flames in three groups of two parallel mirror games.

At turn 8 / (18), the Soviet forces led by their capable leader Marshal RD_DD have made Mother Russia proud, as the captured Finnish radio message reveals:



To: High Command
From: General K. "Battle" Kat

I regret to report the fierce see-saw battle for maintaining our positions within the town of Äyräpää - per Your strict order - has ended. After a brave fight, our remaining soldiers in the East have all evacuated to northern shores apart from some remaining groups of isolated pockets in the South shore. I do not expect any of them to make it much longer there and have already counted them out from any future actions.

The friendly losses have been far heavier than expected, while the even more significant losses caused to enemy forces have been not enough to stem their continuous advance. Our two engineer platoons remained undisrupted at the bridge, but due to enemy stacks limiting the visibility to the other shore I can't report whether the southern entrance to it is destroyed or not...

I have ordered our troops to make a stand at town of Vuosalmi in expectation of receiving reinforcements before the enemy can cross the river in force. The Vasikkasaari Island seems to be a target of enemy amphibious landings now, and at the moment we can but try to contain it with our artillery.

The enemy commander led his troops forward at a speed we thought not possible, storming and capturing our positions before we could retreat to next defensive positions, or to launch a well planned counter assault. The Extreme Assault tactics yielded by both sides have been very decisive in determining the ownership of key hexes, many of them changing hands several times during the course of action.

Meanwhile, in the middle sector where we evacuated from early on - but not early enough as two of our forward companies still got surrounded and destroyed by the fast moving enemy forces! - the high ground and the now destroyed bridges seem to be heavily congested by the opposing forces, clearly planning to throw themselves across the river Vuoksi there. I strongly urge You to send any available bomber squadrons to assist in keeping the bridges from becoming usable.

Situation at Western sector, at Suursaari island, seems to have stabilised however and our troops remain firmly in control of our positions south of river, especially with the reinforcements that made it from the middle sector. I request a permission to move even more forces to southern side of the river, and to begin a strong counter attack to disrupt the enemy from advancing across Vuoksi from their positions in the middle!

I strongly request any and all available reinforcements to be sent to my sector. I can confirm the first sighting of the requested German 303. Assault Gun Bde, while the FAF together with German detachment Kuhlmey have been very helpful.

At the beginning of the turn, the situation stood as follows:

- Allied losses 1117 pts
- Axis losses 852 pts
- Objective points held by the enemy: 750 pts
- Situation 485 pts


I can't believe the amount of losses, and it is only turn 8! Not a fun place to be for our grunts!

I have tried to balance this in a manner that if Soviets hold most of the southern shores, with acceptable losses, that should be a draw. I assume we must adjust the objective values at south a bit, for an example making Äyräpää worth 500 points.

But let us finish our games first, and only then compare the respective results. I can also report my mirror game as Soviets, using a brute force approach, is not going well at all, I'm well into minus points at this same stage. And in one of the earlier test games, the Soviets captured two bridges in tact early on, making it a wholly different story all together as the fight was taking to Northern shores from the beginning.

Hoping everyone's having fun !!!

[Death~Dealer]

It's a blast!!!

[Crossroads]

Forgot to mention had my 'War Movie Themes' background music mod in place. As it happened, it was playing - very appropriately - the Remagen Bridge theme while watching the replay. What a blast indeed

One of my favourite old war movie themes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMk5J4S7qu0

[Crossroads]

Turn 12 / (18) sees the following radio message captured by the Soviet Intelligence:




To: High Command
From: General K. "Battle" Kat

Despite our efforts I regret to report the Soviet engineers managed to repair one of the pontoon bridges over river Vuoksi, which they then exploited in sending a full battalion quickly over the river. Our artillery again doing their outmost in trying to keep the enemy at bay, but there was no stopping the Red tide!

The strategic high ground south of river is swarming with enemy ATGs, mortars, assault guns and tanks, making it pure hell for our depleted forces securing the key location north of river. Regardless, we will do our outmost to launch a quick counte rattack to repel the threat.

As projected in my previous report, the enemy has now managed to cross the river East of the town of Vuosalmi as well, but there the situation remains somewhat in control due to friendly forces maintaining a defensive line over the trench system in high ground half a kilometre north of the river.

Reports of amphibious vehicles of US origin continue to be received from front lines, and I have reason to believe the Red Army indeed is equipped with state of the art river crossing means through out our sector. Vehicles recognised as "DUKWs" have been especially dangerous in carrying enemy platoons over the river in a rapid manner.

Friendly assault guns and infantry sent as reinforcements are finally here soon deployed in the long front! Thank Gawd for that, as situation also remains critical in the western bridgehead where we are still maintaining our presence south of the river per Your strict orders. Heavy fighting has seen the victory location for the highest hill changing hands several times during the last hour alone.

I continue to request more support from the available Army and Airforce units in this sector. More dive bombers especially requested to destroy the enemy pontoon bridges over the river!

Estimated enemy losses: 1690 pts
Friendly losses: 1250 pts
Objectives lost: 1000 pts
Overall situation: 560 pts

--

On my mirror game as Soviets, also in turn 12, I have not been able to cross the river as my bridging and other engineers continue to be dispersed despite of the quickly diminishing smoke shells dedicated to securing their work. All the bridges are destroyed, so I am currently trying to mop up the remaining pesky defenders there, while perhaps having enough time to attack at one of the objectives north of river.

Due to my harsh command of Red army the friendly losses are just appalling, with overall situation at 156 pts despite of owning 750 objective points... I see German front calling unless I manage to pull out something out of the hat here...

I hope everyone is enjoying the tournament so far

UPDATE: An actual image of the same location:


"Mid-part of Soviet bridgehead at northeast side of river Vuoksi heavily cratered by bombings and heavy fire, photo taken 28.7.1944"